Jiang Zhaoxue pretended to think for a moment. “Replying to Your Majesty, when I was young, I lived temporarily in an old temple outside the city. A wandering Daoist happened to pass by and stayed there for a while. Seeing that I was weak and often ill, he taught me some basic skills of observing energy and distinguishing objects.”
“A wandering Daoist?” Empress Lin Zhilan stared at her for a long while. “What was his name? Which mountain did he come from?”
“This\…” Jiang Zhaoxue showed a troubled expression, while continuing to make up her story. “I was still young at the time. I only remember that the old man had completely white hair and beard, and he always spoke in a mysterious way. He stayed for half a month before leaving.”
The Empress frowned slightly, most likely trying to determine how much of her words was true.
Jiang Zhaoxue secretly chuckled to herself: *Sorry, old blind man. If you come to scold me in my dreams for making things up, I’ll accept it.*
“Half a month, and you learned this much?” the Empress asked again, her tone indifferent.
“Your Majesty, I lived in that old temple for more than ten years, but I never really understood these things.” Jiang Zhaoxue answered with an extremely honest expression. “What happened today was merely good luck.”
“The thing today\… could you tell who was behind it?”
Jiang Zhaoxue shook her head and answered straightforwardly, “This subject cannot tell who placed it.”
The Empress fell into thought. Her tone became much gentler than before. “Princess Consort of Jing, you helped me greatly today. I always repay those who do me favors.”
“Your Majesty is too kind.” Jiang Zhaoxue lowered herself slightly. “This subject merely did what she should have done.”
The Empress let out a laugh, picked up the teacup from the small table beside the couch, and took a few small sips.
“Jing Wang’s health is poor, and you must have a difficult time managing things in the residence. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me. I cannot promise much, but within this palace, I can still support you.”
Jiang Zhaoxue was extremely clever. The Empress was clearly testing her. On the surface, these words sounded like a favor, but both openly and secretly, she was trying to win over the Jing Wang Residence.
“This subject thanks Your Majesty for your kindness.”
The Empress asked a few more harmless questions, mostly about the affairs of the Prince’s residence. They were all just trivial matters.
Jiang Zhaoxue secretly rolled her eyes. *People in the palace really have too much free time. Asking this and that, they’re even more long-winded than Granny Cui.*
Outside the hall, Granny Cui suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason. She could only wonder to herself: *Who is thinking about this old servant?*
In the end, the Empress looked a little tired. “Alright, you may return. Remember to take good care of Jing Wang.”
“This subject takes her leave.”
Jiang Zhaoxue exited the rear hall and turned to leave. When Granny Cui saw her come out safely, the heavy stone in her heart finally dropped.
“Princess Consort, the Empress didn’t make things difficult for you, did she?”
“No, no.” Jiang Zhaoxue yawned. “We just chatted about ordinary family matters for a while.”
Granny Cui was doubtful, but seeing that Jiang Zhaoxue’s expression was normal, she decided not to ask further.
The two of them walked through the long palace corridor toward the palace gates. By then, the sun was already slanting westward, stretching the shadows of the palace walls far across the ground.
The winter wind blew through, making Granny Cui shiver as she pulled her neck inward.
Suddenly, a “thump, thump, thump” sound came from ahead. Jiang Zhaoxue looked over and immediately found it amusing.
At the corner, Eunuch Li was leaning on a thick wooden cane, his injured leg wrapped tightly in layers of white cloth.
He was struggling to move toward them, with two young eunuchs following behind him.
Eunuch Li looked up and happened to meet Jiang Zhaoxue’s smiling eyes.
The two stared at each other for a moment. Eunuch Li’s face flushed red, and with a *thump*, he dropped to his knees, even throwing away his cane.
“P-Princess Consort! This old servant pays his respects to the Princess Consort!”
Granny Cui was startled. After entering the palace today, she had already been frightened more times than she could count.
Eunuch Li was usually someone who walked arrogantly through the palace, acting above everyone else. When had he ever knelt before someone?
Jiang Zhaoxue looked down at him, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
“Oh? What happened to Eunuch Li?”
Eunuch Li raised his head, his face pale as death. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the pain or because he was frightened.
“This old servant accidentally fell in the northwest corner of the Imperial Garden today. My leg\… my leg broke.”
“The northwest corner?” Jiang Zhaoxue pretended to be surprised. She raised her eyebrows. “Didn’t I tell you to pay attention to the northwest direction? You didn’t listen?”
Eunuch Li’s expression became even uglier. Originally, he did not believe in such things and thought this young woman was merely trying to scare him. But today’s fall was truly bizarre!
The road was flat, the sky was clear, and he would not have fallen even with his eyes closed. Yet today, he somehow ended up breaking his leg!
After spending half his life in the palace, this was the first time he had encountered something so strange. This Princess Consort of Jing was definitely not an ordinary person.
“Princess Consort\…” Eunuch Li kowtowed several more times, his forehead turning red from the impact. “This old servant failed to recognize your greatness and offended you greatly yesterday. I beg the Princess Consort to forgive me!”
Seeing how terrified and respectful he looked, Jiang Zhaoxue lost interest in teasing him further.
She took out a small paper packet from her sleeve and handed it to Eunuch Li.
“Take this.”
Eunuch Li froze. “This is\…?”
“Medicine powder.” Jiang Zhaoxue’s tone was casual, as if she were giving him a piece of candy. “Take it back and mix it with yellow wine into a paste, then apply it to the wound. It will definitely heal within seven days.”
Eunuch Li accepted the medicine packet with both hands, and his eyes suddenly reddened.
He had served the Empress in the palace for most of his life. Those people only treated him as a servant to order around. No one had ever truly cared about his old life.
This Princess Consort of Jing—he had only offended her yesterday, yet not only did she not hold a grudge, she even gave him medicine\…
“Princess Consort\…” Eunuch Li’s voice became choked with emotion. “This old servant does not know how to repay you.”
“There’s no need for repayment.” Jiang Zhaoxue revealed a bright smile. “If anything happens in the palace, just send me a message.”
Eunuch Li kowtowed heavily. “This old servant understands. The Princess Consort’s kindness, this old servant will remember forever.”
Jiang Zhaoxue nodded in satisfaction and continued walking toward the palace gates.
Granny Cui followed behind, feeling both shocked and impressed. On the very first day the Princess Consort entered the palace, she had helped the Empress resolve the curse incident and won over the chief eunuch beside the Empress.
Extraordinary. Truly extraordinary!
When Jiang Zhaoxue reached the palace gates, she turned back and glanced behind her.
On the surface, today’s matter appeared to be her helping the Empress. In reality, she had only drawn herself and the Jing Wang Residence deeper into the whirlpool of palace struggles.
For now, Jiang Zhaoxue did not want to think too deeply about these things.
“Princess Consort, please get into the carriage.” Granny Cui lifted the curtain.
Just as Jiang Zhaoxue was about to get in, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the inside of the palace walls.
There was an old locust tree there. Its bare branches stretched toward the sky like a withered hand.
A crow sat on the treetop, tilting its head, its black bead-like eyes staring at her.
Jiang Zhaoxue met the crow’s gaze for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
“What are you looking at?” She waved at the crow. “Never seen a beauty before?”
The crow let out a “caw” and flapped its wings before flying away.
Granny Cui was speechless. “Princess Consort, what are you saying to a bird for\…?”
“Nothing.” Jiang Zhaoxue climbed into the carriage. “Let’s go, go home.”
The carriage rolled out of the palace gates and disappeared at the end of the long street.
Inside Consort Xian’s palace, a teacup shattered onto the ground.
“She dug it out?”
“Yes\… Princess Consort of Jing dug it out from beneath the flowerpot in front of everyone.” The palace maid knelt on the ground, not daring to raise her head.
Consort Xian, Chen Yuyao, tightly gripped the handkerchief in her hand. She took a deep breath and suppressed her anger.
“A country girl brought into the palace for a lucky marriage\… she actually became this capable.”