Fearing she might be frightened, he kept his hands behind his back, gently squeezing Jiang Xinyue's hand, and turned to nod at her, saying softly, "Don't be afraid. I believe you."
Believe you, my foot! He had seen with his own eyes Consort Shu straddling Concubine Li. How could he possibly blame her for that?
Outwardly appearing moved, Jiang Xinyue sniffled, her mouth downturned, looking like she wanted to cry but was holding back—the very picture of a poor, bullied little thing.
The sight made the Xuanwu Emperor feel even more protective of her.
The other woman kneeling in the hall, Consort Shu, wasn't having such an easy time of it.
She was the culprit behind Concubine Li's miscarriage. From the soft couch at the back of the hall, Concubine Li struggled to sit up and declared, "I don't want her child. She killed my baby, so she must pay with her life."
Lady Pei stopped arguing with the Dowager Empress and entered the inner hall to reason with her: "Your Highness, don't be stubborn. You won't be able to have children in the future. How can we reassure your family? It was Consort Shu who caused you to lose your child, so she should compensate you with one of her own."
"I said I don't want it!" Concubine Li lashed out, knocking the medicine bowl from Xia He's hands. It flew across the room and shattered behind a screen, the sharp sound of breaking porcelain echoing through the chamber.
The room fell silent, save for Concubine Li's shrill cries: "Every time I see her, every child I see will remind me of the baby I lost. Why keep her child to torment myself? What? She plotted against a imperial concubine and poisoned a royal heir. Is that not enough to warrant her execution? If the Emperor and the Dowager Empress are dead set on protecting her, I don't mind asking my grandfather and maternal grandfather to seek justice for me."
Elevating the matter to the court level would complicate things far beyond simply demanding Consort Shu's life. The ministers would question the Emperor's ability to handle affairs and shake their resolve to assist a wise ruler.
"This is all my fault," Consort Shu finally found an opportunity to speak. "I beg Your Highness to show mercy and not trouble His Majesty. This humble consort deserves death, but the child in my womb is innocent. I... I am willing to give the child to Your Highness. I... I request to go to Cold Mountain Temple to pray for Your Highness's blessings."
The Cold Mountain Temple in Gusu was a popular pilgrimage site among the common people.
Jiang Xinyue raised her eyes slightly. Consort Shu was indeed clever, finding an escape route for herself in an instant.
Throughout the history of the Great Yan Dynasty, emperors would tour Jiangnan every decade. The Xuanwu Emperor, diligent in state affairs, had yet to make such a journey to appreciate the beauty of the water towns.
Consort Shu was banking on the certainty that the Emperor would tour Jiangnan within the next three years at the latest, which was why she volunteered to go to Cold Mountain Temple.
Empress Zhu, who had been silent like a bystander, neither helping Consort Shu nor Concubine Li, finally spoke up: "The Cold Mountain Temple in Gusu is indeed the most scenic temple in Great Yan. Consort Shu has certainly found herself a pleasant retreat."
Another shrill voice came from behind the screen as Concubine Li retorted, "Send her to Dazhaosi Temple in Gala instead. Let her give birth there, leave the child behind, and go alone to Dazhaosi Temple to pray for my lost child."
The Dowager Empress's brow furrowed deeply, her phoenix eyes sharp as blades: "Gala is thousands of miles away, and its people are known for their fierce temperament. Concubine Li, are you trying to send Consort Shu to her death?"
"A life for a life—isn't that fair?" Concubine Li let out a cold laugh. "I'm willing to adopt her child; she should be grateful. Or does the Dowager Empress think Consort Shu's life is more valuable than my child's? If this is unacceptable and that is undesirable, then let's just have Consort Shu pay for my child with her life."
Jiang Xinyue could barely suppress a laugh. Concubine Li's tactic of feigning retreat was actually a way to force the Dowager Empress and Consort Shu to hand over the child for her to raise.
She and Lady Pei were playing good cop, bad cop, leaving the Dowager Empress with no way out.
No wonder the Dowager Empress had always wanted to restore the Wu family's power, and Consort Shu had been constantly urging the Emperor to recall the Wu family members from exile back to the capital.
This was the confidence that came from having a powerful family backing them.
Consort Shu's forehead hit the ground heavily: "This humble consort is willing to go to Dazhaosi Temple. I only beg Concubine Li to... to treat my child kindly."
She wept pitifully, but among those present, only the Dowager Empress felt sorry for her. The Emperor had turned his head away, engaged in conversation with Jiang Xinyue.
After a long moment, the Dowager Empress's face darkened, her eyes glaring daggers at Jiang Xinyue as she spoke through gritted teeth: "You both have your reasons, but since Consort Shu is willing to compromise, we'll do as Concubine Li suggests! However, if it weren't for Concubine Zhen going to fly kites with Consort Shu, none of this would have happened. Concubine Zhen must also bear some responsibility. Let her be confined for a month and have her green token revoked!"
By saying this, she had already determined Jiang Xinyue's punishment, leaving no room for the Emperor or Empress to object.
The strong scent of herbal medicine wafted from behind the screen, making Jiang Xinyue's stomach churn with nausea.
The Xuanwu Emperor knew that if he continued to protect her now, it would only intensify the Dowager Empress's dislike of Concubine Zhen. He couldn't always be by Concubine Zhen's side, and when attending to matters in the outer court, he wouldn't be able to come to her aid in time. Fearing the Dowager Empress might further mistreat Concubine Zhen, he remained silent, his face impassive.
Jiang Xinyue tugged gently at the Emperor's hand, smiling at him before stepping out from behind him and gracefully kneeling: "This humble consort accepts the punishment."
Compared to Consort Shu's fate, her punishment was hardly a punishment at all. A month of self-cultivation and reflection was nothing. She wouldn't have to pay her respects to the Empress, which meant she wouldn't have to see those two fools, Noble Consort Jin and Consort Ye. She was actually quite pleased with the prospect of some peace and quiet!
The Xuanwu Emperor escorted her back to Hexi Palace, reluctantly bidding her farewell while holding her hand: "My beloved, the results of the imperial guards' martial arts assessment are out. Wang Dequan said there are two guards with chest injuries. I had originally planned to bring you to identify them, but since the Dowager Empress has confined you, I will bring them to Hexi Palace tomorrow for you to identify them in front of the hall."
"Two?" Jiang Xinyue blinked her large, watery eyes, clear and bright, without a hint of guile. "Who are they? I've heard that most imperial guards have powerful backgrounds. What if the person I identify has strong connections? Won't that put Your Majesty in a difficult position?"
The Xuanwu Emperor let out a cold snort: "No matter what background he has, if he dares to lay a hand on my woman, I'll make sure he never has a chance to rise again in this lifetime."
This hatred seemed to come out of nowhere.
Laying a hand on the Emperor's woman?
There must be another layer of meaning to this.
Jiang Xinyue's eyes flickered slightly, unsure if her earlier words to Wang Dequan, meant to sow discord between Consort Shu and the Emperor, had taken effect.
However, it was certain that the two guards with chest wounds tomorrow would not be ordinary individuals. They were likely to be family members or brothers of high-ranking consorts.
Despite all their scheming and calculations, they had failed to see clearly that the final say was not in their hands, but in Jiang Xinyue's.
She was the perfect "victim." Whoever she pointed to as the culprit would be considered the culprit.
It seemed that tonight, her Hexi Palace would be bustling with activity.
