Vice Minister Jiang bowed deeply to Jiang Xinyue, his eyes slightly reddened: "My lady, this is where I must leave you. It will soon be dark, and the road is treacherous. Be careful not to trip and fall. When you were young, you were always the clumsiest among your sisters, constantly stumbling. In the palace... take good care of yourself. This place is not like home; if you fall, there will be no one to pick you up but yourself, for your father cannot embrace you here."
These words carried several layers of meaning. Though there was an undertone of selling his daughter for glory, there remained a semblance of a father's love.
Tears streamed down Jiang Xinyue's face as she returned the farewell bow: "Father, take care of our family and yourself. Your daughter will not disappoint you."
"Let us part here."
Turning away, father and daughter simultaneously wiped the tears from their faces, their expressions equally cold and indifferent.
Had Wang Dequan witnessed this, he would have remarked: "Truly, a family of drama queens."
The Hexi Palace was brightly lit. The Xuanwu Emperor, holding a copy of The Book of Lord Shang, sat by Jiang Xinyue's bedside. Hearing a sound, he looked up and smiled: "You're back. Hungry? I've ordered supper. Will you join me?"
The red-eyed beauty's lackluster expression suddenly shone with a dazzling radiance. In a flash, she threw herself into the Xuanwu Emperor's embrace.
She held him tightly, burying her nose in his chest. After a long while, she lifted her head, her eyes shimmering like a shattered frozen lake, exuding an exquisite beauty.
"Your Majesty, you have been so good to your humble servant. I grow fonder of you each day. What shall I do?"
The ancients were reserved in expressing love, seldom voicing it aloud. But Jiang Xinyue followed a different creed: love should be boldly proclaimed.
Even if she did not love, she would flatter with honeyed words until the recipient was utterly besotted. Was this not the way of the scoundrels of later ages, deceiving maidens with their silver tongues, leaving them spellbound?
Evidently, it is human nature to crave sweet words—even emperors are not exempt.
Though Jiang Xinyue did not know why she had dreamed of the emperor's childhood while unconscious, it was a golden opportunity bestowed by the heavens, not to be wasted.
If he lacked love, she would give him love in abundance.
If he did not speak of love, she would express her affection for him daily.
Let him know that in this world, no one else could love him so unreservedly, like a moth drawn to a flame.
"So my beloved only had a little fondness for me before?" The Xuanwu Emperor embraced her, teasing. "What must my beloved do to give me all of her affection?"
Jiang Xinyue gazed at him with tender adoration. Bashfully, she reached up, cupping his face and gently pulling it down. Rising on her tiptoes, she placed a loving kiss upon his eyes. "According to the customs of my aunt's family, when a woman kisses a man's eyes, it means she wishes to enter his heart and offer him her boundless love."
Her voice trembled, as if she had summoned great courage. Nervous, she looked at him, her heart and eyes filled with love for him alone. "My darling, will you... accept this ardent heart of mine?"
Addressing him intimately, referring to herself humbly—her passion was fervent and true.
Xuan was the emperor's given name.
Meeting her expectant gaze, the Xuanwu Emperor felt, for the first time, a desire to flee.
Such candid, straightforward declaration of love made him feel as though he had been carefully placed in her heart, truly and deeply loved.
He had never experienced such a novel sensation, as if his very heart had been set afire.
Silently, he drew her into a tight embrace, avoiding a direct answer: "I like hearing you call me 'my darling.' Say it again for me, would you?"
If there was a woman destined to enter his heart, he hoped it would be his precious Consort Zhen.
At that moment, he thought not of Concubine Li or Empress Zhu... The woman who had kissed his eyes had won a cherished place unlike any other.
Truly, bestowing upon her the honorific 'Zhen' (precious) had been his most prudent decision.
The dog emperor evaded and changed the subject—a sign of discomfiture.
No matter. Jiang Xinyue rallied herself. One day, she would reign supreme over the imperial harem, forcing the dog emperor to kneel and sing "Conquest" to her.
The courtyard of the Hexi Palace was blanketed in white. As the Xuanwu Emperor rose, he planted a kiss upon Jiang Xinyue's eyes, as if answering her question from the night before.
After quietly getting up, the Xuanwu Emperor did not forget to instruct Wang Dequan: "Go to my treasury and bestow upon Consort Zhen the white fox fur cloak tributed by the Jin Kingdom last year."
"What?" Wang Dequan's eyes widened in disbelief.
The previous year, the Jin Kingdom had tributed many fox fur cloaks—yellow, gray, and multicolored varieties. But among them, the most precious was the sole white fox fur cloak. This cloak was not easily obtained; it had been made from the underarm fur of foxes from Mount Wanhu in Jin, requiring immense resources and labor.
The saying "gathering underarm fur to make a cloak" originated from this very item.
The previous year, not only the Empress and Concubine Li, but even the ailing Grand Empress in the Cining Palace had expressed a subtle desire for this cloak. Yet His Majesty had not given it to anyone, instead keeping it in his private treasury.
And now... he wished to bestow it upon Consort Zhen?
Wang Dequan's astonishment was too apparent. The Xuanwu Emperor frowned displeasedly and with a glance that caused Wang Dequan to immediately respond: "This servant will have it sent over right away."
"No hurry." The Xuanwu Emperor slipped on his boots, glancing again at Jiang Xinyue. "Wait until I return from the morning court session. You will deliver it personally."
To demonstrate the emperor's favor.
His gaze lingered on Jiang Xinyue's abdomen, and his brow furrowed once more.
Vice Minister Jiang had been an unfit father, allowing his own daughter to suffer such hardship in her youth, letting his principal wife bully and oppress her.
He wished for this woman to bear his offspring, to enjoy lifelong wealth and prosperity, peace and happiness.
Only after the Xuanwu Emperor's gaze left her did Jiang Xinyue stretch languorously and emerge from the thick bedding.
Shuang Jiang thought her lady had impeccable timing for rising, always about an hour after His Majesty's departure.
Today, there was no need for the morning greetings. Without having to dress early, Jiang Xinyue, her hair unbound, gathered with Xi Que and a few others around a table for a game of shuangluk.
This was an ancient Chinese board game played with dice, similar in spirit to the modern-day game of Ludo or Parcheesi. Players raced to be the first to move all their pieces off the board according to the rolls of the dice.
Playing chess dryly was a bit dull, so Jiang Xinyue turned it into a flying chess game, incorporating many interesting elements. Shuang Jiang and Xi Que were both playing excitedly, sighing one moment and shrieking with laughter the next, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
"What are they playing?" asked Consort De, leading the second princess over.
From a distance, they could hear the laughter coming from Hexi Palace.
After Jiang Xinyue rose and paid her respects, she pulled the second princess along, saying, "Come, second princess, shall Consort Zhen teach you how to play flying chess?"
"What is flying chess?"
"It's this game... Learn it well, and you can play it with the third prince when you return."
