The three of them jolted and hurried out to welcome the imperial arrival.
In an instant, everyone knelt with Consort Li and Consort Wei at the forefront. Yun Jiao also bowed her head, thinking—this round of special events had truly spawned many encounters, from the duo of Consort Wei and Xu Guiren coming to provoke, to the Emperor’s visit.
After a short wait, the Imperial Carriage arrived in the courtyard.
“Your Majesty, may you be at peace!”
“Hmm, all rise.”
Although he had come to see Consort Xi, Xie Zhihang first helped Consort Li and Consort Wei to their feet: “I have no other matters today. I came to discuss Autumn Hunt preparations with Consort Xi. Consort Li, you’ve attended in previous years, so keep an eye on her as she lacks experience… Consort Wei, what brings you to Consort Xi’s residence?”
Consort Wei was utterly flustered.
Even more panicked was Xu Guiren, but in the Emperor’s eyes, a mere noble was insignificant, so she wasn’t addressed and thus escaped scrutiny.
“Your Majesty, I was merely idle and came to chat with Consort Xi. It was just women’s trivial talk about jewelry and clothing, hardly worthy of Your Majesty’s ears,”
Consort Wei replied with forced composure.
Her hands trembled inside her sleeves, but her voice remained steady: “I was also thinking of dining at Consort Xi’s place. Would Your Majesty care to join?”
Hearing this, both Consort Li and Sun Changzai regarded her courage with newfound respect.
The Emperor had clearly come for Yun Jiao; by convention, they should have dispersed after paying respects. Her elegant phrasing was nothing but a ploy to dine with the Emperor and seize the chance to win favor.
“Consort Xi’s quarters are too cramped. Let’s have the meal served in the main hall. Consort Li shall join as well.”
Xie Zhihang nodded, including not just Consort Wei alone.
Seeing she wasn’t invited, Sun Changzai took her leave.
Her last audience with the Emperor had lasted the entire night, thoroughly extinguishing any desire to compete for favor.
Xu Guiren didn’t want to leave. She signaled frantically to Consort Wei with her eyes, but found her superior’s gaze fixed entirely on the Emperor, with no attention spared for her. After a moment’s thought, she voluntarily followed behind Consort Wei.
When the Emperor and consorts dined, someone always had to stand by Arranging dishes and serving.
This duty typically fell to the consorts’ trusted palace maids, as it was an opportunity to appear before the Emperor. Many consorts were wary of allowing ambitious maids near, but this time, after a brief internal struggle, Xu Guiren took on the task herself. Her fair, delicate hands picked up the soup ladle, attempting to subtly capture the Emperor’s attention.
She had wrestled with whether to do this.
Firstly, Yun Jiao, a mere changzai, was seated dining, while she, a noble, stood serving dishes—it was hard to swallow her pride.
Secondly, this was also currying favor in front of her superior consort, too blatant a move that might anger Consort Wei.
But soon, Xu Guiren realized she had overthought.
The two consorts were too busy vying for the Emperor’s attention with flirtatious chatter to glare at her.
Yun Jiao treated their voices as white noise and ate with particular relish.
Among the Imperial Cuisine was a dish of Fragrant Dew Rice, made by steaming fresh seasonal osmanthus flowers to extract their dew, then mixing it into cooked japonica rice. The rear palace consorts adored such floral-scented dishes.
Consort Li gazed tenderly at the Emperor: “Speaking of the Autumn Hunt, I long to witness Your Majesty’s majestic bearing on horseback.”
Yun Jiao was eating lychee pork.
Consort Wei, aware her looks couldn’t match Consort Li’s, played the motherly card: “Consort Li has seen it in past years. This year, I should bring Ruyi along. Ruyi misses her imperial father so much. Consort Li, having never been a mother, might not understand.”
Yun Jiao started on the Wine-Braised Jade Mushrooms.
The two consorts were so busy talking and maintaining graceful postures before the Emperor that they barely touched their chopsticks. As a result, Yun Jiao was the only one who kept Xu Guiren running around—asking for one dish after another, making her grind her teeth in frustration.
Yun Jiao didn’t do it intentionally.
It was just that Xu Guiren, eager to show off in front of the Emperor, had pushed aside the palace maids responsible for arranging dishes. Yun Jiao couldn’t very well serve herself.
Xu Guiren, however, didn’t see it that way. She was convinced that Consort Xi was deliberately humiliating her.
“Your servant remembers that Your Majesty loves Steamed Pork with Lychee Sauce the most,”
Just as Li Pin placed a piece of meat into the small bowl before the Emperor, Consort Wei, not to be outdone, added a slice of fish: “Li Pin, you may not know this, but perch is truly His Majesty’s favorite.”
Yinglu, standing nearby with his head bowed, observed the subtle rivalry between the two consorts and sighed inwardly.
The Emperor was only human, after all—his tastes changed over time.
Both were correct. During Li Pin’s peak favor, the Emperor had indeed preferred Steamed Pork with Lychee Sauce. In the year Consort Wei served him most frequently, he developed a fondness for perch. But as time passed, both the dishes and the people faded from his attention. What the Emperor never tired of was a simple dish of Minced Silverfish—nothing exotic, just a humble, everyday meal available year-round.
Xie Zhihang glanced indifferently at the food in his bowl, then lifted his eyes and asked, “What about Consort Xi?”
They had shared meals before.
He wondered if Consort Xi had ever noticed what dishes he favored.
When Yun Jiao was called upon by His Majesty, she was struggling with a plate of braised pork knuckle.
Dining with her superiors, she hadn’t fully immersed herself in devouring the food. Instead, she kept an ear open to the conversation around her—a precaution that proved useful. Otherwise, she might have been caught off guard when the Emperor suddenly addressed her.
Yun Jiao answered confidently, “Your Majesty, your servant prefers Steamed Meat with Rice Flour.”
A moment of silence fell over the table.
Half due to her answer, half due to her confidence.
Consort Wei recalled Yun Jiao’s claim that the Emperor liked her for her looks… Now it seemed that might genuinely be the case. It certainly couldn’t be due to shared interests or deep conversations.
“Yinglu,” Xie Zhihang raised his hand slightly, “remove this Steamed Meat with Rice Flour.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
Yun Jiao: QAQ
Just as everyone assumed Consort Xi had displeased the Emperor, Xie Zhihang continued, “When you accompany me to the Autumn Hunt, you may eat your fill then.”
The three women witnessing firsthand just how favored Consort Xi was felt their eyes widen in shock.
Listen to his tone—not only had the Emperor decided to bring Consort Xi along, but he phrased it as though she would be accompanying him as a companion.
“Your Majesty, are you taking me to the Autumn Hunt?”
Yun Jiao couldn’t help but ask.
This was her first chance to directly inquire why the Emperor intended to bring her along.
“Yes, I want you by my side.”
Xie Zhihang deliberately used a firm tone, letting Yun Jiao know that no matter how many times he Rewound time, she could never escape: “Why? Do you not wish to?”
Yun Jiao looked at him with a pained expression.
Seeing her troubled face, Xie Zhihang said, “Speak your mind. I grant you immunity.”
At this point, Li Pin, Consort Wei, and Xu Guiren all felt Consort Xi should quit while she was ahead.
To their surprise, Consort Xi proceeded to push her luck.
“The journey to the hunting grounds requires a long carriage ride. The carriage for a low-ranking consort is cramped and uncomfortable. The accommodations at the hunting grounds are worse too—not nearly as comfortable as my current quarters in Xianfu Palace. Besides, Consort Li is so kind; I truly enjoy spending time with her.”
Yun Jiao skillfully flattered her own ranking consort with high emotional intelligence.
“So this is your reason for wanting to stay in the palace with Li Pin instead of accompanying His Majesty?”
With a single calm remark, Xie Zhihang brutally reduced Yun Jiao’s high-EQ statement to a low-EQ blunder.