“Summon them.”
“Your daughter pays her respects to Father and Mother.” Bringing Ji Kongqing into Jiang Shirong’s bedchamber, Jiang Sui pulled her forward to bow.
“Rise,” Jiang Shirong nodded with a smile. “How have you and the consort been getting along these past few days?”
“Passable,” Jiang Sui replied with a deadpan expression.
Ji Kongqing also nodded, agreeing with Jiang Sui. Since the two of them minded their own business, they naturally got along harmoniously.
“And the consort? Have you adapted to life in Jiaming?” Jiang Shirong asked Ji Kongqing.
Ji Kongqing nodded. “Very well.”
“Then that is good,” Jiang Shirong nodded, reassured.
“The consort hasn’t been to the palace yet, has she?” Zhao Yunwei glanced at Ji Kongqing. “Why not have Xiao Guizi take the consort around for a look?”
“Very well,” Jiang Shirong nodded and called out, “Xiao Guizi.”
“This slave is here.” The eunuch who had just delivered the message stepped in from outside the door.
His given name was Li Gui. He was a eunuch who had followed Jiang Shirong since the days when Jiang Shirong was still an imperial prince. Aside from the Emperor and Empress calling him Xiao Guizi, everyone else respectfully addressed him as Eunuch Li.
“Take the consort around the palace for a walk. Don’t wander too far, and remember to come back when you’re done,” Zhao Yunwei instructed.
“This slave understands,” Eunuch Li acknowledged, and led Ji Kongqing away.
Knowing that what they were going to discuss next was not for her ears, Ji Kongqing followed Eunuch Li out.
As soon as Ji Kongqing left, the Emperor and Empress reverted to ordinary parents. Zhao Yunwei took Jiang Sui’s hand. “This palace heard that on your wedding night, you didn’t let the consort stay in your chambers.”
“Mn,” Jiang Sui nodded. “It isn’t time for the rutting period yet; there’s no need.”
“Has she behaved suspiciously in the manor?”
“Never,” Jiang Sui shook her head. “Though she is somewhat different from what the informant described. Ever since she moved into the manor, she has been single-mindedly studying cooking, and she even dug up a plot of land to grow vegetables.”
“Oh?” Jiang Shirong couldn’t help laughing. “She really is a fascinating person.”
This was already the second time Jiang Sui had heard that word today. She couldn’t help curling her lip. “What is so fascinating about her? Doesn’t Father think she’s very strange?”
“Not particularly,” Jiang Shirong smiled. “The people regard food as their heaven, and the climate of the Kingdom of Qiandiao isn’t suited for growing vegetables. It isn’t all that strange for her to till the land in the manor, when you think about it.”
“Besides, as an unfavored imperial princess, it’s not strange that she knows how to cook; otherwise, she would have starved to death in the Qiandiao palace long ago.”
“Alright,” Jiang Sui was convinced. “This daughter has simply never seen anyone like this before.”
“Mn,” Zhao Yunwei also nodded. “This consort is indeed quite different, but this palace can’t quite put her finger on how. Truly peculiar.”
“Mn,” Jiang Shirong agreed. “Sui’er, you can continue to observe her and see if she has any other abnormal behaviors. Are you getting used to using the shadow guards?”
“Mn, passable,” Jiang Sui nodded. “This daughter sent Shadow Five to monitor her and see if she has any collusion with Qiandiao spies in the capital.”
“Very well,” Jiang Shirong approved of Jiang Sui’s approach. “Shadow Five excels at tracking and concealment; he is very suited for this.”
“How is the situation in the manor recently? Have any more assassins appeared?” Jiang Shirong continued to ask.
“None,” Jiang Sui shook her head. “There are also far fewer people monitoring outside the manor.”
“That’s good,” Jiang Shirong’s mind was put at ease. “Sui’er, you must not lower your guard. Your imperial younger brothers and sisters have not yet completely let down their guard against you.”
“This daughter understands.” Jiang Sui nodded in acknowledgment.
“Good,” Jiang Shirong had always trusted Jiang Sui. “Go to your imperial younger sister’s palace and chat with her. You two sisters haven’t seen each other in a while.”
“Understood, Father, Mother. This daughter will take her leave.” Jiang Sui bowed and left the bedchamber.
Ji Kongqing followed Eunuch Li around for a long time. Just as the tour was coming to an end, she unexpectedly ran into the Third Imperial Princess, Jiang Ya, who was taking a stroll with Noble Consort Ya in the Imperial Garden.
“Today, the consort has truly made this palace look at her with new eyes.”
“Third Highness flatters me.” Not knowing Jiang Ya’s background, Ji Kongqing could only put on a false smile and play along.
Noble Consort Ya was Jiang Ya’s birth mother, the legitimate daughter of Feng Jianming, the founding grand general of the Kingdom of Jiaming.
She also sized Ji Kongqing up a few times and said with a sarcastic tone, “At this banquet, the consort really saved face in front of the Emperor, almost overshadowing the Eldest Princess’s brilliance.”
Ji Kongqing smiled. “Her Highness and I are one body as wives; how could there be any question of overshadowing anyone? I must ask Your Ladyship to mind your words.”
Failing to gain the upper hand, Noble Consort Ya’s face darkened. She glared at Ji Kongqing and let out a cold huff.
“Why is the eldest sister nowhere to be seen? Why are you out strolling alone, Consort?” Jiang Ya turned the conversation toward Jiang Sui.
Ji Kongqing smiled and replied, “Her Highness is currently chatting with the Empress. Seeing that it was my first time in the palace, His Majesty instructed Eunuch Li to take me out for a stroll.”
Naturally, Jiang Ya recognized Eunuch Li by Ji Kongqing’s side. She let out a sneer. “The consort certainly has formidable methods. On just the very first meeting, you’ve managed to grasp Father’s preferences, and Father even had Eunuch Li take you out. Truly extraordinary.”
“Oh, my,” Ji Kongqing bowed her waist and shook her head in shock. “Third Highness, His Majesty’s sacred intentions are not something we can speculate on blindly. If these words of yours were to reach Father’s ears, what would he think? Isn’t this treasonous?”
“Eunuch Li, when you return, you mustn’t mention Third Highness’s unintentional lapse to Father.”
Eunuch Li instantly understood Ji Kongqing’s meaning, nodded, and replied, “This slave understands.”
What Ji Kongqing meant was for Eunuch Li to be sure to report these words to the Emperor upon his return. Jiang Ya’s face turned pitch black instantly.
At the same time, deep confusion gripped her heart.
Didn’t the intelligence reports say that Ji Kongqing was a good-for-nothing? How could she still manage to outmaneuver someone with this useless person?
Noble Consort Ya hadn’t expected Ji Kongqing to be so adept at turning black into white, slapping her daughter with a treasonous charge with just a short sentence.
She raged, “Consort, is this a place where you can run your mouth? Truly someone from a small country who doesn’t understand respect or inferiority. Someone, slap her mouth.”
Two matrons beside Noble Consort Ya stepped forward obediently, preparing to restrain Ji Kongqing.
Ji Kongqing took two steps back, dodging the matrons’ hands, and her eyes quickly swept toward the Emperor and Empress, who had finished chatting with Jiang Sui and were now strolling through the Imperial Garden to digest their meal.
“Father! Mother!” Ji Kongqing shouted at the top of her lungs.
The two matrons in front of her were startled so badly by her voice that they shivered, retreating in panic by a few steps to return behind Noble Consort Ya.
Noble Consort Ya glared at the two of them, seemingly blaming them for lacking spine.
“What is happening here?” Zhao Yunwei cast an indifferent glance at Noble Consort Ya and asked softly.
Playing the villain who accuses first, Noble Consort Ya pinched her voice, putting on a coy and affected tone, “Your Majesty, please seek justice for this concubine! The consort showed a lack of propriety and contradicted this concubine, which is why this concubine had people teach her a lesson.”
“Father! Mother!” Ji Kongqing dropped to her knees with a loud thump. “This daughter didn’t do it, this daughter has been wronged!”
A trace of a smile flashed in the Empress’s eyes, which she quickly suppressed before speaking calmly, “Consort, speak.”
Ji Kongqing’s face was filled with grievance. “This daughter was enjoying the flowers in the Imperial Garden with Eunuch Li when we happened to run into Noble Consort Ya and Third Highness. In the end, as soon as the two of them opened their mouths, they claimed that this daughter had overshadowed the Eldest Princess’s brilliance at the banquet, and said this daughter’s arrogance was unbridled.”
“Third Highness even claimed that this daughter had grasped Father’s preferences using high-level tactics.”
“Yet when this daughter said at the banquet that food must not be wasted, it was because Father is a brilliant ruler of a generation, and a brilliant monarch naturally feels compassion for the common people.”
“This daughter had no intention of currying favor with Father whatsoever; I was merely speaking the truth. But to have it so distorted by Third Highness, this daughter felt terribly wronged.”
“It wouldn’t matter if this daughter were wronged, but for Third Highness to speculate so casually on the sacred intentions, that is a grave disrespect. So I merely offered Third Highness a kind reminder.”
“Oh dear, yet for some reason Noble Consort Ya grew angry and launched into a torrent of abuse right to this daughter’s face. Your Ladyship even said this daughter is from a small country, doesn’t understand respect or inferiority, and even ordered the matrons by her side to strike my face.”
Ji Kongqing feigned wiping away non-existent tears. “The Kingdom of Qiandiao and the Kingdom of Jiaming have already signed a treaty of friendly alliance, and we are now a vassal state of Jiaming.”
“In terms of interpersonal relations, Qiandiao can be considered Jiaming’s younger brother. For Noble Consort Ya to speak this way, isn’t she slapping Father across the face?”
“She even said she wanted to strike this daughter’s face. It wouldn’t matter if I suffered a bit of pain, but I am now the consort of the Eldest Princess. If she were to ruin this daughter’s face, what I would lose is the Eldest Princess’s face. Wouldn’t she be slapping Her Highness’s face as well?”
“It doesn’t matter if this daughter gets hurt, but Her Highness must not be unrightfully implicated by me. I implore Father and Mother to seek justice for this daughter.”
Finished speaking, Ji Kongqing pinched her own thigh hard, her eye rims instantly turning red as she put on a pitiful appearance.
This speech of hers genuinely thrilled Jiang Shirong.
He had always been dissatisfied with the Kingdom of Qiandiao, and even more dissatisfied with Qiandiao sending a good-for-nothing imperial princess like Ji Kongqing as a hostage.
Now that Ji Kongqing, as an imperial princess of Qiandiao, had voluntarily declared their country to be Jiaming’s younger brother, there was no difference between this and his long-hated arch-nemesis suddenly dropping to its knees to beg for mercy; no one could be happier than him.
Suppressing the corners of his lips that wanted to curl upward, he asked Li Gui, “Xiao Guizi, is what the consort said true?”
“Your Majesty, everything is true.” Eunuch Li had been with the Emperor for so many years; the moment he heard this, he knew the Emperor was going to back Ji Kongqing up, and in a few words he laid out what had just transpired.
Jiang Shirong’s face instantly sank. Noble Consort Ya and Jiang Ya panicked and dropped straight to their knees.
Jiang Ya was the first to admit her mistake, “This daughter knows her wrong; I beg Father to punish us.”
Although Noble Consort Ya felt Ji Kongqing’s tone just now sounded somewhat familiar, there was no time to ponder it deeply, as pacifying the Emperor’s sacred anger was paramount.
Not feeling that she had done anything wrong, she could only explain, “This concubine merely wanted to remind the consort to mind her words and actions, and harbored no other thoughts.”
“Hmph,” Jiang Shirong flicked his sleeve. “Noble Consort Ya, you have truly grown increasingly arrogant since entering the palace. Where on earth is there any of the bearing of a founding general’s daughter left in you now?”
“The consort is Feng Hua’s wife; if she is to be disciplined, Feng Hua is the one to do it. Is it your place? Today is still Feng Hua’s return-to-the-palace banquet, and you struck the consort. How can Feng Hua keep any face? You truly grow bolder by the day.”
“This concubine knows her crime, and begs the Emperor for punishment.” Noble Consort Ya’s voice trembled slightly, realizing the Emperor was truly furious.
“Hmph, then you shall be punished with the forfeiture of one year’s salary of emoluments, and confinement for three months. For these three months, you shall copy scriptures within the palace and are forbidden from stepping outside.”
“This concubine accepts the decree.” Noble Consort Ya breathed a sigh of relief.
“Third child, the same goes for you. You are ordered to be confined in your manor for three months, forfeit one year’s salary, and are forbidden from attending court for three months to reflect properly.”
This directly barred her from participating in state affairs. Lowering her head, Jiang Ya’s eyes were filled with lingering resentment. Gritting her teeth, she accepted with extreme reluctance, “This daughter accepts the decree.”
“Alright, get up, all of you. This matter is settled. Consort, Sui’er went to Yi’er’s palace after chatting with us. Will you go look for her?” The Empress asked Ji Kongqing with a smile.