“Even if I fabricated some lies, it is true that the Empress and Lan Xiaolou had an affair. I did not deceive Your Majesty! Your Majesty cannot treat me this way. Everything I said is true.”
Lady Ruan sneered, “Rambling nonsense! One moment you admit to lying, the next you claim everything is true. Who can tell what’s real and what’s false?”
“Sigh!”
Concubine Shi sighed, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Sister Concubine Tong was blinded by jealousy, which led her to make such a mistake. I beg Your Majesty to show leniency, considering her years of service and her otherwise well-behaved nature in the palace.”
She and Concubine Tong had always been close, so it would be out of character for her not to plead on her behalf.
“Does jealousy justify tarnishing the Empress’s reputation?”
“Exactly! I’m also jealous of Concubine Shi’s noble background. Should I gather a group of people tomorrow to accuse her of having affairs with musicians or painters?”
“I… I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Disrespecting one’s superiors must be severely punished. If everyone in the palace disrespected the Empress, wouldn’t chaos ensue?”
Consort Shu and Noble Consort Ye tag-teamed, nearly pinning Concubine Shi to the wall with their words.
It was fortunate that Consort Liang was still recuperating and couldn’t attend, as her sharp tongue was the most unforgiving.
Jiang Xinyue knew that if she didn’t clarify things today, she would never have another chance.
She stood up and walked over to the Emperor, speaking calmly, “I originally didn’t intend to reveal my secret, but since Concubine Tong has twisted the truth, I must speak up.”
She sighed, “Since I was young… I’ve loved singing opera…”
“What?”
As if embarrassed, she blushed and bit her lip, “But I knew that a young lady of noble birth learning to sing opera would be scorned, ridiculed, and seen as a disgrace to the family. Back then, I only dared to practice in secret. No one knew until I accidentally met Xiaolou at Cuili Garden…”
That was why she disguised herself as a man, learned the craft, and even helped Lan Xiaolou pay off his gambling debts. After settling his debts, Lan Xiaolou returned to his hometown to marry his cousin, but sadly, the young cousin had already passed away.
During this time, Jiang Xinyue entered the palace through the selection process and lost contact with Lan Xiaolou.
Since entering the palace, Jiang Xinyue had never touched anything that others considered “unworthy of refinement.”
Little did she expect that this old story would be dug up, embellished, and brought before the Emperor.
The Emperor pondered for a moment, suddenly recalling a night years ago when Jiang Xinyue, dressed in white, danced gracefully under the moonlight, singing a piece of opera.
Something about… in a splendid world, she sang of meeting an old friend in a foreign land… and… he spoke of the wedding night, with everyone congratulating the beauty and the scholar…
Those were roughly the lines…
She had indeed sung them in an operatic style.
So, she had studied it before, which was why she could sing it?
Jiang Xinyue’s mind was in turmoil, and she secretly wiped the sweat from her brow: Thank heavens! I sang that song to charm the Emperor back then, or I’d be in deep trouble today.
Seeing the Emperor’s visibly softened gaze, Jiang Xinyue temporarily relaxed.
But she knew their Emperor was not an easy man to fool, so she remained on high alert, not daring to let her guard down.
Concubine Shi opened her mouth in surprise and smiled, “The Empress has such a talent? I had no idea! Has Your Majesty heard it before? It must be truly delightful.”
Whether she meant well or not, her words lightened the atmosphere.
Jiang Xinyue cleared her throat, “Since Concubine Shi is curious, I’ll sing a few lines.”
She didn’t know anything too complex, but in her past life, everyone knew a few lines from “The Female Scholar,” and it was simple enough.
“To save my beloved, I left my home, never expecting to top the imperial exam. Wearing the red robe of a scholar, with a flower-adorned hat, how fresh it feels! I’ve attended the royal banquet, I’ve ridden through the imperial streets. Everyone praises my Pan An-like beauty, but it’s the scholar’s hat that truly reveals my grace!”
Indeed, her expressive eyes and charming demeanor showed she had truly inherited Lan Xiaolou’s artistry.
“What opera is this? I’ve never heard it before, but it’s quite delightful!”
“Didn’t the Empress say she and Lan Xiaolou were mentor and student? He must have taught her!”
“I never imagined the Empress could master such a difficult piece.”
“What’s so ‘lowly’ or ‘unrefined’ about it? That’s just narrow-mindedness. Everything in this world, as long as it doesn’t harm others, is good. What’s wrong with the Empress liking opera? I enjoy street magic shows. Last year, I performed one for my father, and he praised me!”
Among those present were not just Concubine Shi and Concubine Tong, but also the group of ladies Jiang Xinyue had selected to enter the palace.
There was Shi Ruojun, who dared to slap anyone and aspired to be a female general; Meng Wanqing, who was well-read and aspired to establish a school for women; Zhang Xiuzhu, who was skilled in cooking and deeply grateful to Jiang Xinyue; and Zhao Xiaonan, who had been sold to the palace officials for cursing her parents’ favoritism toward her brother…
Their thoughts were progressive, long freed from the shackles of traditional female virtues.
So what if the Empress liked to sing a little?
It wasn’t like she was committing murder or arson. What was the harm?
Rumors spread like wildfire, but positive opinions could too.
When most people agreed that there was nothing wrong with the Empress, that she was noble and great, the few who were uncertain would follow the crowd.
Exactly!
What’s wrong with liking to sing a little?
The scene Concubine Shi had hoped for, where everyone would gossip about the Empress’s alleged affair with Lan Xiaolou, never materialized.
Instead, several people were inspired by Jiang Xinyue’s courage and boldly shared their own “shameful” talents.
Some enjoyed being accountants, some loved sewing clothes to sell, others liked making cosmetics or brewing wine…
In short, these seemingly elegant and demure young ladies each had their own unique interests.
What’s wrong with a hundred flowers blooming?
After the gathering ended, many young ladies saw Jiang Xinyue as their idol, admiring her for fearlessly pursuing her passions, something they felt they couldn’t do.
Concubine Shi hadn’t expected Jiang Xinyue to be so prepared, having learned to sing opera.
Not only had she failed to bring her down, but she had also gained a legion of admirers, something even Jiang Xinyue hadn’t anticipated.
On the way back to Kunning Palace, Xi Que tilted her head happily, “That Concubine Tong is truly ungrateful. We even felt sorry for her before, but she turned around and tried to harm our Empress. Thankfully, the Emperor always believed in our Empress’s innocence.”
“Did he?”
Jiang Xinyue leaned on the armrest, her expression unusually serious, “If the Emperor truly trusted me completely, he wouldn’t have taken Lan Xiaolou away.”
Then she sighed, “I hope my mother conveyed my message to my father. He’ll know what to do.”
