Liu Chan leaned lazily against the washbasin, allowing the palace maid to massage her shoulders while she kept her eyes closed to rest.
Her body bore numerous blue and purple marks, evidence of the intense encounter earlier. If compared, it was hardly less fierce than that day when she had been drugged.
Therefore.
The path she had taken before Xiao Lin was absolutely correct.
She was no longer someone who would pretend to be magnanimous when wronged, nor was she someone who would cling stubbornly to grievances. As long as Xiao Lin held some regard for her, she didn’t need to say much—he would naturally take the initiative to protect her.
After all… there was once someone he had failed to protect.
She had witnessed most of Xiao Lin’s lifelong regrets. For a man like him, when the next “her” appeared, he would know how to shield her.
And her straightforward and kind temperament, in Xiao Lin’s heart, was exactly like the current Xu Jing’er.
Some things, if you actively reach out to ask for them, men might not give. But if a man takes the initiative to like you, he will not only chase after you to give but also give more.
Being a favored consort was one thing.
The role she wanted to play was to make Xiao Lin place her at the very tip of his heart.
Even if her true nature wasn’t the temperament Xiao Lin favored, it didn’t matter. Whatever kind of woman Xiao Lin liked, she would become that woman.
As long as she could achieve her goal, which path she took didn’t matter to her.
By the time she finished dressing and went out, Xiao Lin had already gone to the Imperial Study to receive ministers. Liu Chan was escorted back to Yuqiong Residence in a palace sedan.
Zhen Zhu was genuinely happy to see that she had served the Emperor.
“Madam, Huang Gōnggong came in person earlier to announce that the Emperor has promoted you to Cairen (Talented Lady),” she said joyfully, not forgetting to bow. “This servant congratulates Liu Cairen.”
Cairen?
Liu Chan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and smile. It seemed she had received slightly more than she had expected.
She had thought a one-level promotion would be enough.
“These are some rewards brought by Huang Gōnggong. Would you like to take a look, Madam?” Zhen Zhu asked softly. “There are jewelry, fabrics, and some decorative items.”
Liu Chan glanced in that direction. “Put them all away.”
What she wanted most right now was the same as last time—a bowl of birth control medicine.
Her relationship with Xiao Lin was still just a spark that had barely ignited. This spark wasn’t enough to support her giving birth to a child now and climbing higher; it might very well be extinguished.
If she really had a child, she would inevitably have to divert some of her energy to the child.
So the timing wasn’t right now.
She wanted to wait until she occupied a place in Xiao Lin’s heart, until he would joyfully welcome their child, treasuring the child she bore and striving to elevate it rather than treating it as just a scattered branch of the royal family.
“Zhen Zhu, go to the Imperial Hospital,” Liu Chan thought for a moment and instructed. “Find Royal Physician Wang and ask for a method of contraception.”
Zhen Zhu looked up, puzzled. “Madam, the Emperor has already begun to favor you. Even if you were to become pregnant, he might not send your child to Weiyang Palace.”
She had her channels for gathering information in the palace and knew that Weiyang Palace had been neglected for several days.
If the Emperor truly wanted to give Weiyang Palace a child, why would he neglect it?
“I am only sixteen now, still young,” Liu Chan explained. “I’m still growing, and pregnancy might be dangerous.”
After all, pregnancy and childbirth were already perilous endeavors that drained a woman’s vitality, especially since she was indeed still frail.
She remembered a palace consort who had been selected just after turning sixteen, became pregnant after only one night of imperial favor, yet suffered a difficult labor when giving birth, unable to deliver the child no matter what.
At the time, Royal Physician Wang told Xiao Lin that it was because she was too young, her body not yet fully developed, and forcing it to nourish the fetus had led to the difficult labor.
After that, Xiao Lin forbade women in the rear palace from becoming pregnant before the age of eighteen.
Even after being favored, they would be given a bowl of Child-avoidance decoction afterward.
Zhen Zhu nodded in naive understanding.
Before leaving, she reminded, “Mistress, when someone is promoted in the palace, gifts and congratulations are usually sent. I expect someone from the Internal Affairs Bureau will come soon to assign servants.”
A Rank Nine Da Ying typically only had one ordinary palace maid to serve her.
But as a seventh-rank Cairen (Talented Lady), the servants around her would be ranked: there would be one first-rank senior palace maid, two second-rank palace maids, and four low-ranking maids for menial tasks.
If the mistress later rose to the rank of fifth-rank Beauty, there would also be a chief eunuch and others.
“Hmm,” Liu Chan nodded to show she understood.
From today onward, she would officially become the target of everyone’s attention.
Since ancient times, the kind are bullied, and the tame are ridden. Rather than being a meek and gentle punching bag in this rear palace, it was better to establish a persona of being spoiled, arrogant, and not to be trifled with from the start.
After all, just a few days ago, she had stood up for an orange cat in the Imperial Garden, and Xiao Lin had witnessed it.
Innocent, kind, but definitely not a pushover!
Not long after Zhen Zhu left, people arrived with gifts.
First, A Su, a palace maid from Zhaofei Niangniang, personally brought several bolts of Su Embroidery. Then came other consorts, such as An Jieyu, Xu Cairen, and others. Even someone from Qian Pin’s side cautiously sent over a box of exquisite jewelry, speaking politely and respectfully.
Yesterday, Qian Pin had just punished her, but today she was eagerly sending gifts, likely frightened by her night of imperial favor and subsequent promotion.
No wonder Qian Pin was so timid.
If she were Qian Pin, punishing an inexperienced minor consort would be just that—their statuses were worlds apart, so what was there to fear?
However, in another sense, it also proved that Xiao Lin’s favor held more weight than rank to some extent.
Liu Chan stared blankly at the gifts An Jieyu had sent, lost in thought.
She hadn’t seen An Jieyu since her rebirth, but An Jieyu’s achievements were remarkable—she had given birth to Xiao Lin’s first prince.
An Jieyu came from a humble background and somewhat resembled Xu Jing’er in her eyes and brows, but her eldest prince had been frail since birth. Now six years old, he was still a sickly child.
Perhaps because her child was unhealthy, Xiao Lin gradually stopped summoning her, and even the eldest prince was rarely mentioned.
She remembered that on a stormy night, the eldest prince suddenly developed a high fever that wouldn’t subside and passed away. Unable to bear the blow, An Jieyu went mad on the spot and followed him not long after.
Truly a pair of ill-fated mother and son.
When Zhen Zhu hurried back, she happened to run into someone from Weiyang Palace and brought them inside.
The visitor from Weiyang Palace was Xia’er, another first-rank palace maid of Jing Guifei.
Xia’er was accompanied by two junior palace maids, each holding something covered with red cloth. Xia’er perfunctorily bowed to Liu Chan, “Greetings, Cairen Liu.”
Without waiting for Liu Chan to bid her rise, she stood up straight on her own.
She reached out and lifted the red cloth from one of the trays, revealing neatly arranged silver ingots. At a glance, there were about a hundred taels.
“Our lady says, now that the Cairen has gained favor, she shouldn’t neglect her ties with our Weiyang Palace.” Xia’er raised a suggestive eyebrow. “After all, our lady and Talented Lady Liu are still family. Consider this silver as her congratulatory gift.”
“Sister Xia’er…” Zhen Zhu instinctively started to say something.
But before her words could fully form, Xia’er shot her a sharp glare and snapped, “I’m speaking with Talented Lady Liu. How dare a traitor from Weiyang Palace interrupt!”
Zhen Zhu’s face immediately flushed crimson.
“How dare you!” Liu Chan slammed the table and stepped forward, her voice icy. “Tell your noble consort that I have no interest in this silver.”
She narrowed her eyes, leaning closer to Xia’er. “Do you wish to share the same fate as your Sister Chun’er?”