When the palace attendant mentioned the Noble Consort, Lin Zhen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow discreetly, though she had no idea how others felt.
No way, no way?
Could it be that because she hadn't acknowledged the Noble Consort outside the Empress Dowager's palace earlier, the Noble Consort had gone to the Emperor to seek justice against her?
While she was mulling this over, the Empress was also taken aback.
She frowned, sensing that these two visitors had ill intentions.
But who could possibly refuse entry to the Emperor?
By the time the Emperor arrived at the Empress's palace with the Noble Consort, the Empress had already come out to greet them, curtsying as she said, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Everyone paid their respects to the Emperor.
Lin Zhen was no exception. Standing behind the Empress, she offered her greetings before casting a sidelong glance.
At the entrance, a crowd of eunuchs surrounded a figure in bright yellow robes.
This man was imposing and upright, with handsome features. Though he was approaching forty, he showed no signs of aging—instead, he exuded an air of dignified elegance refined by the passage of time.
Beside him stood the graceful and aloof Noble Consort.
While the Empress paid her respects, the Noble Consort stood alongside the Emperor as if she hadn't noticed, accepting the bow without any pretense of humility.
"Hm." The Emperor acknowledged with a single syllable, then said flatly, "Let's speak inside."
Without sparing the Empress even a glance, he took the Noble Consort's hand and strode directly into the hall.
The Empress was used to this and paid it no mind. She quickly patted Lin Zhen's hand and whispered, "Don't be afraid."
The Emperor's attitude was poor, and she worried Lin Zhen might be frightened.
But no one expected that no sooner had they taken their seats than the Emperor, without even touching the tea before him, frowned and demanded, "Where is Princess Consort Fu?"
He had come straight for her, and had even sought her out at the Empress's palace—clearly someone had been watching her, and had gone to fetch the Emperor after seeing her leave the Empress Dowager's palace.
This was also Lin Zhen's first time seeing the Emperor.
At her wedding, the Prince Fu had been too ill to come to the palace to pay respects to the Emperor, and when the Prince Fu passed away… the Emperor had merely sent someone to convey his condolences on his behalf, and that was that.
She rose and curtsied to the Emperor, saying softly, "Your subject's wife, née Lin, pays her respects to Your Majesty."
The Emperor had arrived with a displeased expression, but hearing this voice so young, he couldn't help recalling that his deceased younger brother had married a girl of seventeen or eighteen.
Yet thinking of the various unsavory rumors the Noble Consort had shared with him about this girl, he couldn't help frowning, his aversion growing stronger.
He couldn't help but glance down, and seeing the Princess Consort Fu standing below with her head respectfully bowed, he was momentarily stunned.
He had expected a seductive, bewitching woman, but instead found the Princess Consort Fu to be slender and delicate, with a clear, refined beauty that was nonetheless proper and dignified.
"Your Majesty?" Seeing the Emperor studying Lin Zhen, the Noble Consort gently squeezed his wrist.
The Emperor snapped back to attention. Though he hadn't expected this sister-in-law to differ from his imagination, he reasoned that if she was willing to marry his lecherous, dissolute younger brother, she clearly wasn't a good sort. His voice turned cold as he asked, "Do you know your crime?"
He had come to hold her accountable, and Lin Zhen knew the Noble Consort had instigated this. Yet she showed no fear or panic. Lifting her head, she said calmly, "Your subject's wife does not know what crime she has committed. I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me."
"You showed disrespect to the Noble Consort—is that not a crime?" She actually refused to admit it.
The Emperor thought of how the Noble Consort had just avoided him, quietly weeping, and how he'd only learned the truth after pressing her palace maids for answers. His heart ached terribly.
He was especially furious.
"May I ask in what way I was disrespectful?" Lin Zhen caught sight of the Noble Consort's affected manner and sneered inwardly.
By all rights, she had no conflict of interest with the Noble Consort.
She wasn't a harem consort, rarely saw the Noble Consort, and had little interaction with her.
She had even thought she should heed the Empress's advice—not offend the Noble Consort and simply maintain a cordial relationship.
But apparently, the Noble Consort wouldn't have it.
Since that was the case, Princess Consort Fu would simply have to be less courteous with the Noble Consort.
"What, you treated the Noble Consort as if she were invisible at the Empress Dowager's palace gate, humiliating her—is that not a crime?" The Noble Consort had suffered such indignity yet only wept quietly, not even knowing to seek justice for herself, wanting only to smooth things over.
If he hadn't happened to see it, she would have merely said, "This concubine does not mind," and left it at that.
The Emperor snorted coldly, but saw the young sister-in-law below smile and shake her head, saying, "Even if your subject's wife were utterly rude, how would I dare treat the Noble Consort as if she were invisible? It's just that when I arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace gate, I happened to see Her Ladyship being dismissed from the palace. Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has been ill for many days, and her anger was already burning because of the Noble Consort. When the Noble Consort clashed with her, your subject's wife's thoughts were all on the Empress Dowager—how could I spare attention for the Noble Consort? It was an act of urgency, and surely the Noble Consort would not think that, compared to the Empress Dowager's feelings, offering her respects at that moment should take priority?"
The Empress had been frowning, about to speak up in Lin Zhen's defense, but upon hearing this crisp, rapid-fire torrent of words, she was momentarily stunned.
The Emperor ruled by filial piety, and upon hearing this, he instinctively said, "Naturally, the Empress Dowager takes priority."
"Since Your Majesty agrees, then what fault do I have? … But since the Noble Consort has come to find me, so troubled by this one matter of paying respects that she weeps bitterly and even disturbs Your Majesty, then I shall make up this courtesy after all, so that the Noble Consort may be at ease, and so that Your Majesty need not toil over women's quarrels."
Lin Zhen was a considerate person.
She sighed softly and gave a shallow bow in the direction of the Noble Consort, saying, "But I also wish to report to Your Majesty—today the Noble Consort upset the Empress Dowager, and Your Majesty dotes on the Noble Consort, alas… perhaps you might visit the Empress Dowager more often as well."
She had entered the palace so frequently without ever seeing the Emperor at the Empress Dowager's residence—what was he playing at, pretending to be a filial son here?
Moreover, when she mentioned that the Noble Consort had angered the Empress Dowager, the Emperor's expression did not change at all—he showed no anger, nor did he ask what the Noble Consort had done to provoke the Empress Dowager.
Clearly, he chose his woman over his mother.
Add to that his treatment of the Empress, and his treatment of the princes.
As a son, unfilial. As a husband, unjust. As a father, unkind.
Though the one before her was His Majesty the Emperor, and she must appear respectful and loyal on the surface.
That did not stop the Princess Consort Fu from affixing a label to the Emperor in her heart.
Bastard.
Her gaze was clear and bright. Though her voice was soft as she spoke, it was exceedingly upright and pure, and the Emperor felt somewhat ill at ease.
"What a silver-tongued Princess Consort Fu!" The Noble Consort had come today to exact revenge for her humiliation.
This Princess Consort Fu had dared to snatch the Suzhou garden her father had his eye on, and she was especially close with the Empress—the Noble Consort already loathed her to the utmost.
Add to that today's affront to her dignity—if she did not deal with this woman, the Noble Consort would not be able to sleep.
But she had not expected that this seemingly delicate and frail beauty could be so eloquent, speaking of filial piety and righteousness at every turn.
Even maintaining her usual air of lofty aloofness, the Noble Consort could not hold back, and sneered, "I hear the Princess Consort Fu used to sell wontons at the mouth of an alley, mingling with all sorts of lowlifes—that must be how she honed such a sharp tongue!"
These words were condescending, contemptuous of Lin Zhen's humble origins.
Lin Zhen said calmly, "I had heard that the Noble Consort was a person of great purity—how is it that she too has become vulgar, dividing people into high and low? It is true that I once sold wontons, but I earned my money with my own two hands, and I have never considered that something to be ashamed of."
"You—!"
"Your Majesty, she is not merely silver-tongued—she is also disrespectful to the nobility. Lady Dongyang came weeping to me, crying inconsolably, shamed nearly to death. The Princess Consort Fu, relying on her status as a princess consort, acts so tyrannically—this brings shame upon Your Majesty!"
The Noble Consort had only ever needed to sit elegantly by the Emperor's side, for not many dared to argue loudly before His Majesty. Now she had encountered such an unmanageable creature—how outrageous!
Her beautiful, cold face flushed red, and she felt that both the Empress and the Princess Consort Fu below were looking at her with nothing but mockery.
If she could not suppress the Princess Consort Fu, how could she maintain her standing in the palace in the future?
How many noblewomen would laugh at her?
"You are right." The Emperor had been lost in thought over Lin Zhen's earlier words.
Hearing this, his gaze fell upon the Noble Consort's slender, elegant hand gripping his wrist. He paused, and though he was not sure what exactly had struck him about the Princess Consort Fu's words, he must nonetheless champion the woman he doted upon.
His expression turned stern. He looked heavily at the Princess Consort Fu, who showed no sign of panic and had even smiled insolently when the Noble Consort mentioned the Earl Dongyang estate, and said with displeasure, "As a princess consort of the imperial house, you ought to be cautious in word and deed, and conduct yourself with dignity. How could you strike a noblewoman and invite gossip throughout the capital?"
"Your Majesty has heard only the Noble Consort's side of the story—why not hear my grievance?"
"What grievance could you possibly have?"
"Your Majesty, I was peacefully keeping vigil before my late prince's spirit tablet in the manor. Why would I strike a noblewoman for no reason at all? Lady Dongyang came to my door herself—first, without even sending a visiting card, which shows she does not hold the Prince Fu manor in any regard. Out of consideration for the late princess consort, I made her wait a while before allowing her into the manor. Your Majesty, as they say, without rules, nothing can be accomplished. As a princess consort, I do indeed remain cautious in word and deed, but neither is there any principle that I must allow anyone to barge through my gates. If I set this precedent today and abandon the rules, then tomorrow, anyone at all could run straight into the various princely manors and princess residences. And in the future, there would be no need to guard the palace gates either—they could all come straight into the palace and appear before Your Majesty!"
The Emperor fell silent.
He certainly could not agree to that!
"Secondly," Lin Zhen lowered her brows, revealing a hint of sorrow as her voice choked with emotion, "everyone in this world knows that our prince was Your Majesty's own younger brother, bound to Your Majesty by deep fraternal affection."
These words made everyone in the hall twitch at the corners of their mouths… The Emperor had always looked down upon his unimpressive younger brother, Prince Fu.
But the Emperor certainly would not voice his dislike. He even had to nod slightly and say, "What you say is correct. I have always cherished A-Jing."
"Now that the prince has passed, I think that Your Majesty's affection for him remains unchanged."
"Naturally." The Emperor said with displeasure, "Though A-Jing is dead, I am still here! I will look after his household."
These words were hollow.
After all, it had been so long since Prince Fu's death, and still no favor or reward had been seen from the Emperor.
Even the matter of Ping'an inheriting the title was pretended to be forgotten.
But Lin Zhen had no need for heartfelt words—she gave a grateful smile and continued, "Your Majesty, the Prince is your younger brother, and I am your sister-in-law. We have both been graced by Your Majesty's boundless favor. Yet that day, Lady Dongyang and her son barged into Prince Fu's residence, shouting at the top of their lungs, hurling abuse, and even resorting to physical blows—their conduct was utterly outrageous and unbearable to hear! Your Majesty, unworthy as I am, I am still your sister-in-law, representing Your Majesty and the imperial house. That Lady Dongyang sought to strike and insult me is a small matter in itself, but think further—what she truly struck at was Your Majesty's own face!"