Over the past dozen or so days, the new consorts had all taken turns serving the Emperor at night, with the sole exception of Mu Li. As for the latter, aside from playing the zither daily, she simply strolled through the Imperial Garden, utterly carefree and seemingly not the least bit anxious…
Yong'an Palace
"Truly? She hasn't made a single move?" Consort Rong, who was currently teaching her three-year-old son, The First Prince, to recognize characters, found this hard to believe.
Qinxin nodded and replied, "Your Highness, that's what our people sent to monitor Qingzhu Small Courtyard have reported. Noble Lady Mu has been keeping to herself, rarely leaving the courtyard."
"How strange! Could it be she truly has no desire to compete for favor?" Consort Rong murmured softly, stroking The First Prince's head.
"Mother, what does 'competing for favor' mean?" The First Prince looked up at Consort Rong, his clear eyes filled with confusion.
Consort Rong lowered her gaze and said gently, "Hao'er, be good. Competing for favor means trying to steal your father from Mother. Remember, all those women who try to steal your father from Mother are bad women."
With the innocence of a three-year-old, Jun Hao said, "Then, Mother, is the Empress… also a bad woman? But she treats Hao'er so well…"
Consort Rong's expression instantly turned cold, and she struggled to keep her voice steady as she asked, "Oh? How has the Empress been good to Hao'er? Tell Mother, won't you?"
Jun Hao nodded and began, "That day… I was playing in the Imperial Garden when I met the Empress. She invited me to… to Fengxi Palace to play and gave me delicious… delicious pastries."
"Just a few pastries, and you were won over?" Consort Rong said sharply.
"Mother… waaah…" Jun Hao, seeing Consort Rong so angry for the first time, didn't understand why and burst into tears.
Seeing this, Qinxin immediately waved her hand, signaling the wet nurse to take The First Prince away to comfort him.
Consort Rong was also distressed. She rubbed her temples and said, "When did Hao'er meet the Empress? Didn't I say not to let the Empress near Hao'er? Have the servants attending Hao'er disregarded my orders?"
Qinxin stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, please calm your anger. The First Prince was playing ball with the palace servants in the Imperial Garden when the Empress happened to come to admire the flowers. She took a liking to The First Prince and brought him back to Fengxi Palace."
"The servants attending The First Prince didn't dare disobey the Empress, and… fearing you would be displeased, they… didn't tell you."
"Hmph! They dare not disobey the Empress, but they dare defy my orders? Well done, Lin Qingyao! Since you can't bear children yourself, you've set your sights on my Hao'er?" Consort Rong snorted coldly, her face filled with rage.
Qinxin stepped forward to massage Consort Rong's shoulders and said, "Your Highness, think about it. The Empress has been unable to conceive since her miscarriage. It must be false to say she doesn't envy us for having The First Prince."
"In my humble opinion, you should focus your attention on The First Prince now and avoid falling into the Empress's trap. As for the one in Qingzhu Small Courtyard, she's not yet a threat."
Consort Rong nodded. "You're right. Hao'er is my son, the only prince in this palace!"
Qingzhu Small Courtyard
Mu Li was leisurely trimming flower branches alongside a group of palace maids. After more than ten days of interaction, all the servants in Qingzhu Small Courtyard had come to realize that their mistress was a very easygoing person.
Ting Shu brought a cup of tea and placed it on the table, watching her mistress happily trimming flower branches. With a tone of exasperation, she said, "Mistress, how can you not be the least bit anxious!"
Seeing that all the newly entered ladies had already served the Emperor, and some had even been promoted in rank after their night of service, while her own mistress remained unconcerned, Ting Shu was beside herself with worry.
"Oh, my dear Ting Shu, you sound just like Shan Wu. If the Emperor hasn't summoned me to serve him, perhaps he simply doesn't fancy your mistress," Mu Li replied nonchalantly.
Hearing this, Ting Shu grew even more anxious. "Nonsense! Our mistress is as beautiful as a fairy. The Emperor must surely favor you!"
"Mistress, mistress! Come and taste the sweet soup Sister Shan Wu just made. It's absolutely delicious! You must try it," the palace maid Nong Qin exclaimed joyfully as she ran over, with Shan Wu following closely behind.
Mu Li glanced up and saw that the two had come from the direction of the small kitchen in the rear hall of Qingzhu Small Courtyard. Originally built as a place for the Empress Dowager to enjoy her later years, the courtyard had its own small kitchen. However, daily meals were still provided by the Imperial Kitchen.
"What have you made today?" Mu Li set down her scissors and looked at the two young maids. Shan Wu, fearing she might grow tired of the same food, had been preparing different dishes for her every day, and Mu Li had gained a little weight these past few days.
Shan Wu proudly placed a small bowl in front of Mu Li and said, "Mistress, it's sweet soup."
Mu Li examined it, picked up a spoon, and took a sip, nodding quickly. "Excellent, excellent. My Shan Wu's culinary skills have improved yet again."
Pleased by Mu Li's praise, Shan Wu smiled bashfully, then remembered something and said, "Mistress, I heard the peach blossoms in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom. Why don't we go pick some, and I'll make peach shortbread for you? Peach shortbread paired with sweet soup creates a uniquely delightful flavor."
"Wonderful! Shan Wu, Nong Qin, let the three of us go pick peach blossoms."
Imperial Garden
It was late spring, and many peonies in the Imperial Garden had already bloomed, their vibrant red petals stretching out from the stamens in dazzling displays.
Mu Li and her two maids stood beneath a peach tree. As a gentle breeze blew, countless peach blossom petals drifted down. Mu Li sighed softly, "Such beautiful blossoms. It's a shame to see them fall."
"Mistress, if we gather the freshly fallen petals and use them to make peach shortbread, they won't go to waste," Nong Qin suggested upon hearing her mistress's sigh.
"Well, well! Who do we have here? So it's Noble Lady Mu. What, has the Imperial Kitchen neglected you so badly that you must scavenge for such rotten things to eat?" a disdainful voice rang out.
Mu Li looked up to see Shen Ying dressed in a pink gown, standing beside a woman in a yellow palace robe whom Mu Li did not recognize.
As Mu Li pondered, Nong Qin whispered to her, "Mistress, that's Consort Yun, the head of Yuyang Palace."
"Greetings, Consort Yun," Mu Li and her two maids bowed in respect. She thought to herself, If only I hadn't come out today, I've run into two troublesome figures.
Xia Yun took a step forward, glancing at Shen Ying beside her, and asked, "Is this the Noble Lady Mu you mentioned?"
Shen Ying nodded, her eyes flickering. She had been close friends with Xia Yun since their days in the inner chambers and knew her temperament well—Xia Yun particularly disliked women with striking beauty.
Xia Yun then took a closer look at the woman before her. Mu Li was dressed in a white gauze skirt today, with a light cyan soft smoke silk tied into an elegant bow at her waist. Her dark hair was loosely gathered and adorned with a jade hairpin. Her skin was as clear and smooth as jade, and her face bore no trace of makeup.
Shen Ying disliked Mu Li's face the most. She sneered, "What's the use of being so beautiful if you still can't catch The Emperor's eye? It's been over a month since the new consorts entered the palace, yet Noble Lady Mu hasn't been summoned to serve. Could it be that The Emperor has forgotten about you?"