LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 5: virtual and real
Mmm
Jiang Xinyue was only pretending to sleep at first, but the Emperor's gentleness afterwards lulled her into a genuine slumber
The next morning, as the Emperor prepared to attend the morning court, Jiang Xinyue, still sore all over, didn't rise. Instead, she sat disheveled on the bed, draped in a white outer robe, swinging her delicate, pinkish-white feet, and smiling at him
She was bewitchingly inviting
"Why not sleep a little longer
After the Emperor dressed, he sat back on the bed and tucked her exposed feet under the warm quilt
Jiang Xinyue embraced his muscular waist, nuzzling in his arms, "Thinking about how long you'll be away from me makes it hard for me to sleep
She was clearly being playfully coquettish, but her eyes reddened, and there was a hint of choke in her voice
It led one to wonder, was she truly reluctant to part, but dared not express her true feelings, so she played the coquette, voicing her feelings in a joking tone
The Xuanwu Emperor's heart ached. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Silly girl, I'll come back to you tonight. Don't be sad, okay
The beauty in his arms' eyes lighted up, sparkling with youthful radiance. She immediately rejoiced, "You said it yourself, Emperor. I'll be waiting for you tonight
The Emperor chuckled, pinching her nose, "Yes, I said it
This Concubine Jiang, her audacity was too great, daring to demand a promise from the Emperor
Wang Dequan, who had served the Emperor for a lifetime, had never seen a consort as unconventional as her
If she miscalculates and crosses the Emperor's line, a lifetime in the cold palace is guaranteed
How does Concubine Jiang manage to dance so precisely within the Emperor's boundaries
While the Emperor attended court, the women of the harem were not idle either. Early in the morning, before the sky was fully lit, they had to go to Yikun Palace to greet Empress Zhu
Among the hall full of beautiful women, none could match the beauty of Concubine Li
Consort Liang fingered the begonia in her hair, her gaze falling on Concubine Li's red nails. She chuckled, "I heard the Emperor was in Xihuo Palace last night. Quite unusua
What was unusual was how in previous years, any new beauty who dared to challenge Concubine Li was sent to the cold palace by the Emperor. Why was Concubine Jiang different
Or was it that Concubine Li had fallen out of favor
Without batting an eyelid, Consort Jiang, sitting below Concubine Li, responded, "There's nothing unusual. Concubine Jiang is the most beautiful among the new consorts. Wasn't Consort Liang also favored for her beauty
But what happened later
When she grew older, the favor faded before her beauty, and she spent her days leaning against the heated cage
Angry, Consort Liang only sneered, "Who in the palace isn't beautiful? Is Consort Jiang ugly
Consort Jiang's beauty was not outstanding. Surrounded by beautiful women, she was just a small jade among them, and was very sensitive to attacks on her appearance
Seeing a fight about to break out, Empress Zhu put down her tea cup, "Enough, it's a good thing to have another favored consort in the palace. Another sister to help continue the royal lineage is great. You who have been in the palace for a long time should also work hard, don't let the royal lineage wither
Concubine Li gave a cold laugh. Empress Zhu, childless herself, was here uttering lofty words
Perhaps the one least eager for concubines to bear children in this harem was Empress Zhu
The Emperor was in his prime, his palace filled with the eldest princess from Consort Liang, the third prince and the second princess from the now deceased birth mother, and the fourth prince
Empress Zhu had two princes in her early years when she was still living in the hidden residences as the wife of the fifth prince. Who knows if it's because she's done too many unjust things, but the two princes fell ill one after another and died young
After the concubines dispersed, the Yikun Palace was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood. Fen Yun, serving Empress Zhu, helped her change out of her heavy palace attire. "Empress, do you want to probe for the truth about the one in the Xihuo Palace
Empress Zhu looked at her mature face in the copper mirror. More than a decade in the harem had worn away the light in her eyes, revealing a hint of aging
She hid a strand of white hair among her black ones. "That illegitimate girl from the Jiang family has become arrogant after being favored for a few days. She became a pawn for others after a few words of instigation. What truth is there to probe? Just have someone send some congratulatory gifts. I'm afraid another Concubine will be added to our Yikun Palace tomorrow
Fen Yun quietly gathered the fallen hair and tucked it into her sleeve. "Although she can't achieve much, she's still in Concubine Li's favor
Empress Zhu chuckled lightly. "Concubine Li punished her to kneel in the Imperial Garden for so long, her dignity lost. She must be holding a grudge inside, and will pay it back sooner or later
Not long after the Emperor left, the Xihuo Palace, which was the focus of the entire harem, welcomed a wave of rewards and a decree of promotion
"Consort Zhen, you may rise now! This servant has to return to the Heart-Nurturing Hall to report.
"Thank you, Eunuch Wang
Jiang Xinyue got up, not paying any attention to the silk fabrics and jewelry. Instead, she held her shiny fingers a bit shyly. "Eunuch Wang, will the Emperor really come tonight
Her bright and direct question left Wang Dequan wondering whether to call her naive or uninformed
"The Emperor promised you, so he should come
He didn't dare to be too affirmative. After all, the Emperor had already favored her many times, and he couldn't be sure whether the Emperor would change his mind tonight
In the entire harem, only Concubine Li had the honor of being favored by the Emperor for three consecutive nights
But
The Emperor also had feelings for Consort Zhen
Yesterday, when Concubine Chu came to the Xihuo Palace to assert her authority, the Emperor wrote the word "Zhen" for Concubine Jiang, signifying preciousness
Wang Dequan thought the Emperor was afraid that Concubine Chu would bully Concubine Jiang, so he would grant a title after promoting Concubine Jiang to Concubine.
A titled Concubine is more noble than an untitled Concubine Chu
Who would have thought that the Emperor would change his mind this morning, promoting Concubine Jiang directly to the rank of Consort Zhen, a full rank higher than Concubine
With the Xuanwu Emperor coming tonight, Jiang Xinyue, eating the fresh dishes sent by the royal kitchen, was thinking about how to keep the Emperor interested in her
Shuang Jiang lit the mugwort incense sent by the Internal Affairs Department. "My lady, the weather outside is excellent today. Would you like to go for a walk
Jiang Xinyue shook her head. "I'm just a living target now. Instead of going out and being plotted against, I'd rather stay in the palace and wait for the Emperor
"The Empress is right to think so
Xi Que served another adorable ice bowl: "Empress, please taste this. It's a new milk tea ice dessert developed by the Royal Kitchen, a gift from the Internal Affairs Department to the Empress
The rich aroma of the milk tea is unlike the instant milk teas of the future, laden with various essences. You can taste that it is a genuine dairy product
Jiang Xinyue sighed comfortably, her hard work in courting the Emperor was all for these carefree days of eating and doing nothing
"Crash
In the Changchun Palace, Concubine Chu smashed a set of Ru kiln tea ware