The Wu family was the one Jiang Xinyue saw in her coma, the same family that Wu Chengyi, who bullied the young emperor, belonged to.
She believed that if she suffered a few more losses and staged a few more accidents at the hands of the Wu family, the emperor would compensate her in some other way.
However, there was one thing she found very strange...
"Why does Consort Rong, who comes from a noble background and is the maternal cousin of the Empress Dowager, live in the Side Palace of Changxin Palace, despite being a consort?"
Shuang Jiang seemed hesitant to speak, but finally mustered the courage, covered her mouth with her hand, and whispered into Jiang Xinyue's ear: "The emperor dislikes the Wu family. When the Wu family was raided, Consort Rong knelt outside the Chengqian Palace until her knees bled, but she couldn't change the emperor's mind. Concubine Li, who had an old grudge with Consort Rong from their youth, took her under the guise of goodwill and placed her in the Side Palace of Changxin Palace. The emperor didn't say anything."
At that time, the Empress Dowager was too preoccupied with her own affairs to care about where Consort Rong was placed. By the time she reacted, everything had already been settled.
In terms of being politically savvy, Noble Consort Rong was much smarter than Consort Rong, which is why Noble Consort Rong still had some favor.
The emperor might not say it out loud, but he still had some affection for his cousin, with whom he had grown up.
The strange thing was, the one who was pregnant was not the favored Noble Consort Rong, but Consort Rong, who had long lost the emperor's favor.
The relationship between these two sisters was worth scrutinizing.
The snow in the courtyard of Hexi Palace had not melted, unlike in Changxin Palace. Concubine Li disliked the cold and snowy weather, so the palace had been cleaned up early.
The bluestone path was damp. As Concubine Li came out to greet the Xuanwu Emperor, her skirt was stained with dirty snow and mud.
"How is Consort Rong?"
"This morning, she fainted when she came to pay her respects to me. It scared me half to death. The imperial physician said it was a joyful pulse when he came to take her pulse. Consort Rong has been saying that she hasn't been resting well lately, so it must be because of this."
"Hmm!"
The Xuanwu Emperor nodded, his footsteps already entering the side hall. Consort Rong was leaning against the head of the bed, drinking the nourishing soup fed to her by the palace maid.
Seeing the emperor and Concubine Li enter together, she tried to get up to pay her respects, but was held down by the Xuanwu Emperor: "You are weak, no need for formalities."
Consort Rong's eyes reddened, and she lowered her gaze, no longer speaking. The only sound in the room was the faint sound of her drinking soup.
After sitting for a while, the Xuanwu Emperor felt awkward and stood up to instruct Wang Dequan: "Remember to go to Cining Palace tomorrow to announce the good news to the Empress Dowager."
Wang Dequan didn't even lift his eyelids, he bowed respectfully: "Your servant obeys."
The Empress Dowager had always blamed the emperor for not showing enough favor to Consort Rong and Noble Consort Rong. Now that Consort Rong was pregnant, her resentment towards the emperor should lessen.
Concubine Li held onto the Xuanwu Emperor's arm: "Your Majesty, let Consort Rong rest well! It's getting late, I have prepared hot and spicy soup at my place. If Your Majesty doesn't mind, you can come to my place to have a bowl of soup to warm up."
"If my beloved concubine says so, wouldn't she be heartbroken if I didn't go?"
Concubine Li gave the emperor a playful glance and left the side hall arm in arm with him.
Mei Xiang closed the door, her eyes red with anger. "Look at her, flaunting herself. You're the one who's pregnant, not her. What's she so pleased about? The Emperor clearly wanted to spend time with you today, and she just had to come and steal him away. She's utterly shameless."
"Mei Xiang!"
Tears fell like crystal beads. Consort Rong closed her eyes. "Enough. What good would it do if the Emperor stayed? You want me to grovel and please the man who killed my father..."
She had said too much.
When Consort Rong opened her eyes again, the deep, unshakeable sorrow in them was hidden. She looked at the door, her eyes as cold as ice. "The women who fall in love with a king are the most pitiful. They see a world of beauty and splendor, but it's all rotten on the inside."
When she looked at Concubine Li, she saw nothing but a beautiful corpse.
Mei Xiang knew her mistress was thinking of sad things again and sighed. "Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about the child in your belly. Now that you're pregnant, there are many in the palace who see you as a thorn in their side. If you don't pull yourself together, how can the little prince be born safely?"
Her words seemed to touch Consort Rong. She touched her flat belly, unable to believe that there was a tiny life inside her.
She gave a beautiful smile. "You're right, I need to pull myself together. I hope it's a little princess."
She didn't want her child to be caught up in the power struggle between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
The next morning, Jiang Xinyue got up early for once. From her hair and jewelry to her clothes and makeup, everything was carefully chosen.
Xi Que and Shuang Jiang helped her get dressed, and they were so amazed they couldn't speak.
They had never realized their mistress was so skilled at makeup. The pearl powder on her face was applied so subtly it looked like she wasn't wearing any, making her skin look rosy and smooth.
And her eyebrows were not the thin, delicate ones she usually wore, but thick, wild ones. They arched slightly at the peak and tapered to a sharp point at the end, adding a striking beauty to her face that was dazzling to behold.
Her high, delicate nose, her full, rosy lips, her small face with its pair of almond eyes that sparkled and shone, were all captivating.
Her face was naturally fair and flawless, but she had added a mole under her eye and on her cheek, which made her radiant features even more charming and alluring. She didn't need to make any expressions to turn heads.
Xi Que couldn't help but praise her. "Mistress, you're going to outshine all the other ladies in the palace today!"
Jiang Xinyue touched the luxurious necklace around her neck and smiled like a fox. "I can't let such a beautiful face go to waste."
The Xuanwu Emperor had hinted that she should dress up for the New Year's banquet. How could she disappoint her boss?
At Yanqing Palace, Concubine Su was delighted to receive a gorgeous dress from the Weaving Bureau.
Shu Hua frowned when she saw it. "Mistress, the pattern on this... it seems to break the palace rules. You're a seventh-rank concubine, but this six-petal flower pattern is only for concubines of fifth rank or above."
As she spoke, tears fell from Concubine Su's eyes once again. "This is the dress sent by the Weaving Bureau for me to wear at tonight's New Year's banquet. I suppose it's somewhat luxurious. Shuhua, do you also think, like others, that I'm not favored enough to deserve such beautiful attire?"
It was as if she would burst into a great sob if Shuhua attempted to deny her the dress.
Shuhua felt a chill on her scalp. She had been serving this master for just three or four months, and had already witnessed what it meant to be a beauty as fickle as water.
The old nanny behind Shuhua shook her head at her, signaling her not to get involved in the palace disputes.
How could the people from the Weaving Bureau not know that this six-layered palace satin could only be worn by concubines of the fifth rank or above? Knowing this, why did they deliver it here?
It was clear that someone was setting up Concubine Su!
Concubine Su was naive and dim-witted, and the palace maids serving in Yanqing Palace were all considering finding a new mistress.
