“The imperial palace has its rules. Which consort rank wears which attire—these matters are seemingly decided by the empress. Why does Consort Chun not seek the empress’s forgiveness, but instead ask Noble Consort Li?”
After saying this, Gu Hanjue narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at Jia Yinger. “I only just learned that Noble Consort Li can apparently make decisions on the empress’s behalf.”
Only then did the two realize they had been thoroughly manipulated. They nearly collapsed, hurriedly kneeling before Jiang Yiyun and pleading in panic, “empress, forgive the offense…”
How could Jiang Yiyun not understand Gu Hanjue’s intentions? She had no desire to become someone else’s weapon, so her gaze softened slightly. “It is fine. Rise.”
“The empress is truly magnanimous, with an extraordinary capacity for tolerance. No wonder they acted as they did today. Anyone unaware of the truth might think that one of them was carrying the crown prince, while the other was about to become empress.” Gu Hanjue refused to let the matter go.
Jia Yinger and Consort Chun both turned pale with shock upon hearing this. They hurriedly kowtowed to Jiang Yiyun, attempting to resolve the conflict.
“Thank you for your kind intentions, lord. As long as they serve the emperor well and bear offspring for the imperial family, this palace can tolerate anything else, so long as it does not go too far.”
Jiang Yiyun paused. “As for matters concerning the Six Palaces, this palace will naturally handle them cautiously and appropriately. Lord Gu need not worry.”
Gu Hanjue’s expression did not change, but the light in his eyes dimmed. This empress was as shrewd as ever.
“So the empress is so magnanimous. It seems I was meddling.”
“Since it is not a serious matter, you should hurry and take your seats!” The empress dowager stepped in, directly cutting off the discussion.
Jia Yinger slowly rose and sat down. The scene just now had caused her to lose all face. She lowered her head, murderous intent hidden within her gaze.
After the farce, the atmosphere in the garden became harmonious, and everyone laughed and chatted.
Knowing that she was an insignificant figure, Jiang Yiyun had long since withdrawn to the side, leaving the central place to the protagonists.
Yet she did not know that her departure had already drawn several gazes after her, especially Jia Yinger’s.
In a secluded place, the scenery possessed a distinct charm.
She walked to the rockery and found a slightly elevated spot to sit for a while. Suddenly, a voice shattered the tranquility.
“You are blocking the moon.”
Jiang Yiyun had not expected anyone to suddenly startle her. The ground beneath her feet was uneven, and she lost her footing, tilting toward another side.
A powerful arm gently caught her and firmly steadied her.
Jiang Yiyun raised her eyes. A pair of cold eyes was meeting her gaze, but they shifted away in an instant, and the arm supporting her had already withdrawn.
She stood steadily and finally saw the person before her clearly. It was that impressive and handsome Fifth Prince—Chu Yexuan.
“Since the prince was here, why did you not speak sooner?” Startled, Jiang Yiyun’s tone carried a hint of reproach.
Chu Yexuan spoke indifferently. “Since the empress came here, why did you not give any warning?”
Having heard that this man was cold as frost and showed no mercy with his words, Jiang Yiyun did not want to associate with him, nor did she want to quarrel.
“Thank you for just now. Since I have disturbed the prince’s enjoyment of the moon, this palace shall leave.” She gave a slight bow and was about to turn around.
“Why come here? It is livelier over there, with more opportunities to win great imperial favor.”
After hearing this, Jiang Yiyun gazed at the moonlit sky and said quietly, “How long can great imperial favor last? What meaning is there in obtaining it? Not everyone in this imperial palace is inclined to cling to the powerful.”
Chu Yexuan smiled. “Without great imperial favor in the imperial harem, even the most beautiful life will wither away too soon.”
Jiang Yiyun turned to look at him. “If this great imperial favor is not given to one person alone, but can be obtained by anyone through a few schemes, then I would rather do without it.”
She slowly walked to the edge of the pond. Remembering that this was where Lian Ying had met her end, and recalling the emperor’s ruthlessness that night, she said, “What is hardest to obtain in this imperial palace is not power or imperial favor, but… to win one person’s heart and remain together until our hair turns white.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Yexuan looked at the woman before him with a trace of admiration.
“This prince misspoke. I apologize. You need not go elsewhere either; this place does not belong to me alone.”
Jiang Yiyun had not expected this exceedingly cold prince to apologize to her. She did not stand on ceremony, merely sitting down a short distance away.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Yiyun spoke. “I presume the prince also came here seeking some quiet.”
“Mm.” He gave only a simple reply and said nothing more.
Jiang Yiyun assumed she had talked too much and disturbed him, so she fell silent as well.
After a while, Chu Yexuan suddenly rose and left, saying as he departed, “Be careful of Noble Consort Li.”
As soon as the words fell, he vanished in a flashing movement, leaving behind a slightly dazed Jiang Yiyun.
Footsteps slowly sounded behind her. Jiang Yiyun immediately understood and rose to greet the visitor.
“Sister, so you were here.” Jia Yinger displayed her frail demeanor perfectly, but Jiang Yiyun was not taken in by it.
“You do not go and compete for favor, yet you have come here to find me. Why?”
Jia Yinger smiled gently. “Sister, you misunderstand. What could I possibly compete for now?” At the end, she even put on a look of grievance.
Seeing that Jiang Yiyun remained silent, she continued, “Sister, there is intrigue everywhere in the imperial harem. Only today did I realize that no matter how kind others are to you, once they gain power, they will forget you in the blink of an eye.”
“If you have something to say, say it directly.” Jiang Yiyun remained cold, even replacing the form of address “younger sister” with “you.”
“In the past, younger sister was immature and often made things difficult for Sister. Yet today, Sister did not hold the past against me and even saved me from that eunuch. Only now do I understand that we sisters are truly one family.”
The corners of Jiang Yiyun’s lips lifted slightly. It looked like a smile, but was actually a cold laugh. “And then? Are you saying that you want to reconcile with this palace?”
“Sister, could it be that you cannot forgive younger sister? Last time, younger sister only caused Sister to lose Lian Ying because Consort Chun instigated me. It was Consort Chun’s idea. Afterward, Sister also killed my maidservant and took your revenge. Does that not make us even?”
Heh. Make things even? What a beautiful dream.
“You truly know how to joke. What evidence is there that I did it?”
“It seems Sister does not wish to forgive younger sister. I only feel that this inner palace is cold and lonely, with murderous intent lurking everywhere. If we continue fighting like this, others may take advantage of us, just as Consort Chun did.”
Jiang Yiyun had never been a gentle and virtuous woman. She belonged more to the heroic sort. If not for her fixation on Chu Yinheng, perhaps she would have been a woman warrior on horseback.
Her temperament also carried a hint of rebellion, and she had occasionally been mischievous as a child. At this moment, she actually felt like playing a little prank on the woman before her.
She deliberately feigned confusion. “You have the emperor’s favor. What do you have to fear?”
“Sister does not understand. If Consort Chun gives birth to an imperial prince, what would my meager imperial favor amount to? If her offspring ascends the throne one day, where would there be any place left for you or me?” Jia Yinger sighed softly.
“Heh heh.”
“What are you laughing at, Sister?”
Jiang Yiyun changed the way she addressed her again, and her tone softened somewhat. “Younger sister, you are so clever. You must already have a way to eliminate Consort Chun.”
Jia Yinger looked at her in confusion. “A way? What way could I have?”
“You could also bear an imperial prince for the emperor.” Jiang Yiyun pretended to suddenly understand. “Oh? Could it be that younger sister cannot conceive?”
Jia Yinger’s expression shifted. Why she could not conceive was something Jiang Yiyun knew perfectly well.
In the past, Jia Yinger’s appearance had not matched Jiang Yiyun’s. In order to marry Chu Yinheng, Jia Yinger had used many medicines to make her skin smooth and fair, and had also made herself much thinner.
After first entering the palace, she had initially taken a poisonous substance to restore her body. Unable to withstand the strain, she was unfit for intimacy. Thus, for a long time, Chu Yinheng and Jia Yinger could see each other but not touch.
Their first intimacy had only occurred recently. How could she possibly have conceived so quickly?
Moreover, one of the medicines she had taken contained a trace of musk. Even though she stopped taking those medicines after her condition improved, her body was still unlikely to bear a child.
“What is it? Judging by younger sister’s expression, could it be that you truly cannot have a child?”
Jia Yinger had been struck where it hurt. “This…”
“No wonder. Since you have an illness, why not summon an imperial physician for an examination? Come, this palace will take you to report it to the emperor. Given the emperor’s favor toward you, he will certainly cure you.”
Seeing this, Jia Yinger hurriedly stopped her in fright. “Sister, do not misunderstand. Although the emperor stays overnight with younger sister every night, he rarely gets intimate with me. It is only because younger sister fears that the emperor might neglect attend court by favoring me, causing people to call me a woman who brings ruin to the country.”
Jiang Yiyun nearly laughed aloud. “So that is how it is. Younger sister has certainly suffered. However, this palace does have a way to help you conceive an imperial heir as soon as possible.”
“What way?” Jia Yinger asked eagerly.
Jiang Yiyun walked up to her and said word by word, “The way is to accumulate more virtue.”