The next day, despite having fully prepared herself mentally, Fu Xinghe’s eyes still reddened when she bid farewell to the Fu family. She did not dare turn back to look at those earnest, reluctant gazes.
Several new lines had appeared on Fu Han’s face. In his lifetime, he had rarely shown his daughter kindness. The next time they met, they would no longer be father and daughter but imperial consort and subject.
On one hand, he felt he had been too strict, leaving little warmth in their bond. On the other hand, he felt he had been too indulgent, allowing Fu Xinghe to only now show some semblance of maturity. These conflicting emotions twisted into an unspoken reluctance on this day, scalded into heat at the corners of his eyes by the crackling of red firecrackers.
Fu Xinghe steadied herself and looked at the towering palace walls so close before her. The Fu family had treated her too well, so well that she had no reason left to flee this marriage.
She had once thought that if the marriage proved unbearable, she could have Ming Feng take her away. In the entire capital, few could have stopped them.
Now… All she could do was curse the tyrant emperor a couple of times.
The sedan stopped at the main palace gate. From there to Wenhua Hall, Fu Xinghe had to dismount and proceed on foot. The Noble Consort entered the palace in the morning. Others followed in the afternoon.
By Zhihe Bridge, the boundary between the outer court and inner palace, a tall figure in bright imperial yellow stood waiting for the Noble Consort’s audience.
Meng Dongting’s reception of the Noble Consort was purely symbolic. At his side, Minister Liu of the Ministry of War droned on endlessly with reports from the border.
The vice minister spoke until his throat ran dry. Heaven knew why, on such a joyous day, His Majesty had not summoned the Minister of Rites to oversee the ceremony but instead ordered a rough military official to report on warfare. Their emperor was simply too diligent.
Meng Dongting stood listening to the documents, occasionally asking a question or two. He appeared exceedingly patient, though his gaze was utterly indifferent.
Early that morning, the Minister of Rites had already entered the palace to nag incessantly. Barely in his early thirties, yet obsessed with protocol, he had been forcibly dismissed. Had Meng Dongting known he would be standing here to receive the Noble Consort, he might as well have conferred a lower title.
Fu Xinghe had appeared at the corner some time ago. Why had she still not reached him? Couldn’t that woman hurry up?
The Noble Consort herself wore heavy ceremonial robes. Her head ornaments alone weighed several jin, and her mood was far from pleasant.
Seeing an official beside Meng Dongting seizing every opportunity to report affairs of state, she immediately understood. The emperor clearly disliked elaborate ritual and was using this moment to conduct business.
Her irritation vanished. A smile curved her lips as she seamlessly shifted from a brisk stride to graceful, delicate steps. The golden hairpins swayed gently, pearls chiming softly, yet appearing as steady as if unmoved by the wind.
Meng Dongting sneered. “She dares to deliberately delay.”
Eunuch Fu’s heart skipped. He carefully observed the Noble Consort’s bearing and replied cautiously, “When a consort crosses Zhihe Bridge for the first time, her garments must not flutter and her posture must remain steady. Her Late Majesty the Empress Dowager also walked with lotus steps, symbolizing command of the inner palace.”
In his view, the Noble Consort had mastered the rules flawlessly. There was nothing to criticize.
“Is that so?” Meng Dongting frowned. He was convinced Fu Xinghe was toying with him. She had clearly been moving swiftly at the corner.
Yet no one present agreed with their emperor, especially once the Empress Dowager was invoked. His own chosen Noble Consort. He would endure it himself.
After waiting a little longer, Fu Xinghe finally reached him and knelt to perform the grand salute.
Her indigo Noble Consort robes featured wide sleeves and a long hem, embroidered with a silver-threaded phoenix poised for flight. Under the rosy glow of dawn, the fabric shimmered magnificently.
The color accentuated her snow-white skin. With cloud-like hair and floral beauty, she bowed her head as the golden hairpins draped down, concealing her lively eyes. Brilliant and pure, beauty bloomed from both extremes.
Meng Dongting extended a finger and pressed against the gilded phoenix tail of her hairpin, stopping her from bowing further. “That’s enough.”
The noblewoman who styled her hair had pulled it extremely tight. When Meng Dongting poked it, Fu Xinghe had no choice but to raise her head to avoid pain.
His gaze lingered for a few seconds before he abruptly withdrew his hand.
Fu Xinghe rose without ceremony and thanked him with a bright smile.
At times, Meng Dongting felt she was carefree to the point of heartlessness, always able to smile. At others, he found her deeply calculating. The moment he said “enough,” she took the hint and stood. It was impossible to reconcile this with the woman who had so meticulously followed protocol moments earlier.
Her behavior before and after contradicted itself. She did not fear being exposed at all.
Meng Dongting spoke concisely. “Remain in Wenhua Hall. Do not wander freely. If you lack anything, have Wu Qi or Xia Mian retrieve it from the Internal Affairs Office.”
In his words, the attendants waiting at Wenhua Hall knelt. Two men and four women in total. On the left stood a tall, sturdy eunuch who introduced himself as Wu Qi. On the right was a gentle, refined maid named Xia Mian.
Fu Xinghe could tell both were skilled in martial arts, their footing steady. Meng Dongting had gone to great lengths to confine her.
Fu Xinghe lowered her gaze. “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace.”
After a few words, Meng Dongting prepared to leave. Before departing, he paused and added, “Maintain peace in the inner palace.”
Fu Xinghe said, “…I obey the decree.”
Watching his hurried retreat, she suddenly recalled the lively young women she herself had selected. A soft laugh escaped her lips.
She only promised peace in Wenhua Hall.
Wenhua Hall lay on the northwestern side of the inner palace, close to the central axis. Aside from the empress’s residence, it was the largest complex. In a harem of three thousand, some palaces even housed multiple low-ranking consorts.
Meng Dongting’s harem was sparse. The vast Wenhua Hall belonged solely to Fu Xinghe.
The first thing she did upon arrival was change clothes. Hairpins were locked away, plain garments donned, black hair tied simply with a ribbon.
Seeing the Noble Consort change attire, Xia Mian was momentarily stunned. “Your Highness, should all of these be put away?”
Between gifts from her natal family and imperial rewards, there were several chests of jewelry. Would Her Highness truly stop wearing them?
Frankly speaking, a newly appointed Noble Consort dressing more plainly than a widow was disrespectful to the emperor.
Fu Xinghe sighed theatrically. “A woman adorns herself for one who appreciates her. Do you think His Majesty will ever step into Wenhua Hall?”
Xia Mian fell silent.
Fu Xinghe asked again, “Can I freely show myself around?” Still silent.
“Then what difference does it make what I wear?”
Wearing several jin every day was just wasted effort.
Under normal circumstances, she should reward the palace servants generously. But those sent by Meng Dongting could not be easily bought. Excess would only cause friction.
Moreover, Fu Xinghe thought of Ming Feng far away in Jiangnan earning money.
Money was hard-earned. She needed to be frugal. She pondered how to convert these items into silver for Ming Feng.
As she opened each dowry chest, Xia Mian and Wu Qi remained unmoved, while the others could not hide their curiosity about the Grand Preceptor’s household wealth.
Fu Han had served twenty years as Grand Preceptor under the Late Emperor’s favor and one year as Chief Councillor. The Noble Consort’s dowry would naturally inspire envy.
He was still called Grand Preceptor rather than Chief Councillor because His Majesty insisted on it, as if to constantly remind him that he had once taught the deposed crown prince.
In others’ eyes, the Grand Preceptor’s household ranked among the wealthiest.
Thus, when Fu Xinghe opened chest after chest of books, even Xia Mian was surprised and looked at her with new respect.
Fu Xinghe ordered the eunuchs to remove the porcelain vases and flowerpots from the shelves. She then personally arranged the books one by one. These were to be returned to Second Brother in the future. She cherished them dearly.
Organizing the books took the entire afternoon. During that time, a maid reported that the other consorts had also entered the palace.
“Does Your Highness wish to receive them?”
All the consorts had been selected by Fu Xinghe herself. Bowing to her in gratitude would not have been excessive.
“No,” Fu Xinghe said. “Tell them to live their own lives and not disturb one another.”
Xia Mian fell silent. Although this matched His Majesty’s wishes, the Noble Consort was remarkably blunt.
“Wait. Say I’ll have time tomorrow morning.” Fu Xinghe suddenly recalled the tyrant’s remark about lifelong responsibility. She cursed inwardly and had Xia Mian prepare a set of Noble Consort attire for the next day.
After nightfall, the palace grew silent. Occasionally, imperial guards patrolled in the distance. Patrols within the inner palace were mostly eunuchs, their footsteps much lighter.
Unable to sleep, Fu Xinghe carried a lantern and toured Wenhua Hall. With a private kitchen and small garden, it was a decent cage.
She pushed open the kitchen door. Though small, it was fully equipped. She could cook anything herself.
Fu Xinghe had personally recruited chefs and often supervised hygiene in the kitchens. In her spare time, she trained with a five-star chef, learning Chinese cuisine, Western dishes, and desserts, if only superficially.
Autumn nights were neither long nor short. Unaccustomed to sleeping early, she wandered for an hour, easily clocking ten thousand steps before returning.
Consorts were usually pampered. Xia Mian began to understand why the emperor had assigned her to monitor the Noble Consort. Slower palace maids truly could not keep up.
She noticed that within that hour, Fu Xinghe glanced at Wenhua Hall’s main gate twenty-five times.
Having grown up outside the palace, the Noble Consort must miss freedom.
Back then, when there was a mission to infiltrate a neighboring state, Qiu Zui had competed with her for the assignment. But His Majesty said Qiu Zui was colder and better suited for the martial world.
“Who are you worried about?” Fu Xinghe asked.
Xia Mian startled and lowered her head. “This servant was thinking of a good sister who left the palace a year ago. I wonder how she is now.”
Fu Xinghe found it curious. “Those as skilled as you don’t have to serve for life? His Majesty treats you well.”
The thought made Fu Xinghe feel sour. Why did she have to spend her entire life here barring accidents?
Xia Mian choked slightly, unsure whether the Noble Consort was testing her or genuinely praising the emperor. “His Majesty’s grace is immense.”
Fu Xinghe pondered her own grievance while washing up and going to bed.
There was one advantage to staying inside. She did not need to remove makeup. She lay down and slept.
The next day.
Fu Xinghe met again the candidates she had personally selected. All had changed hairstyles and clothing. At a glance, they were a riot of color. The tyrant emperor truly enjoyed enviable fortune.
“Don’t kneel. I won’t say much. I have only one requirement. We stay out of each other’s business.” Fu Xinghe had extensive experience managing hotels. In a sense, the harem was merely Meng Dongting’s designated business establishment.
She had no interest in managing his harem and spared the formalities.
Her fingers brushed a book spine as she pulled one out and returned to her seat. “What is this?”
“Reporting to Your Highness, it is the Great Xi Code,” Yan Pianpian answered first. Newly appointed as Jieyu, she wore red robes, dazzling and bold.
“Correct. Criminal law.” Fu Xinghe spoke casually, a smile still on her lips. “I hear the most effective methods of palace struggle are all written in this code.”
The room fell utterly silent.