In Ganlu Palace, the Emperor’s beautiful and favored consort was lazily reclining on a couch.
She looked completely unconcerned.
“She really said that?”
“Yes, Your Highness. She truly did.” Palace maid Liuyun stood respectfully beside her and spoke quietly. “Aunt Du came personally to tell us. There can be no mistake.”
“How interesting.”
Roujia sneered lazily, idly rubbing a bright green handkerchief between her fingers.
“If she wants to come, then let her.”
Liuyun lowered her head.
“Aunt Du said they were already preparing to come. They should be arriving soon.”
…
Lin Jiaojiao knew that Noble Consort Roujia was greatly favored by the Emperor, but she was still surprised when she actually arrived at Ganlu Palace.
Her own Jiaoran Palace was already one of the most luxurious places in the imperial palace, but Ganlu Palace was even more extravagant.
The palace servants led her through three courtyards. With every gate they passed, the air became warmer.
Flowers and plants bloomed everywhere around the main residence, arranged at different heights and filling the air with fragrance.
It hardly felt like autumn was approaching.
Instead, it felt like the middle of spring.
Even Noble Consort Roujia’s palace servants were dressed in bright and beautiful clothes. Smiling warmly, they parted the flowers and walked toward Jiaojiao.
“Please come inside, Your Highness. Our mistress has been waiting for you.”
It was extremely warm.
By the time Jiaojiao entered the main residence, a thin layer of sweat had already appeared on her forehead.
Aunt Du quickly helped her remove her cloak.
Jiaojiao turned her head and muttered softly,
“It’s so hot here…”
Aunt Du smiled.
“Have you forgotten, Your Highness? Three years ago, His Majesty ordered hot spring water from the south to be brought here through underground channels. It keeps this entire palace area warm throughout the year, which is why His Majesty named this place Ganlu Palace.”
Jiaojiao secretly clicked her tongue in amazement.
Then she heard a lazy voice from inside.
“Since you’ve arrived, why are you standing outside? Whispering away like that. Is there anything you think I can’t hear?”
The favored consort’s voice was arrogant and carried a seductive impatience.
Aunt Du gave Jiaojiao an encouraging look.
Jiaojiao could only press her lips together, walk inside, and lower her head in greeting.
“Mother.”
“That’s enough. I don’t usually see you being so polite.”
Jiaojiao raised her head.
Her first thought was—
What a beautiful woman!
Her skin was delicate, her eyes long and elegant, and her eyebrows beautifully shaped. She was more beautiful than every celebrity Jiaojiao had ever seen in her previous life.
Even dressed only in a loose silk robe meant for lounging at home, her graceful figure was impossible to hide.
When she casually glanced at Jiaojiao from the corner of her eyes, an irresistible, seductive charm seemed to fill the room.
Jiaojiao stared at her in a daze for a long time, almost unable to look away.
Only when Liuyun brought over a small stool and invited her to sit did Jiaojiao lower her head.
At once, she noticed the bright green handkerchief in Roujia’s hand.
Her heart suddenly jumped.
She really could not stand that color anymore.
Jade hairpins.
Green silk dresses.
She had even ordered the two deep-green banana trees outside her bedroom to be moved away.
If she couldn’t see green, she could at least avoid being bothered by it.
While Jiaojiao was completely absorbed in Roujia’s beauty, Roujia was also looking at her.
Her eyes discreetly passed over Jiaojiao’s forehead.
She had fallen so badly.
Fortunately, she had not been left with a scar.
After her daughter sat down, Roujia showed no intention of sitting properly either.
She continued reclining lazily on the couch, raising an eyebrow at Jiaojiao.
Her full red lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile.
“I heard you’re feeling better.”
“I’m fine now, Mother. Thank you for your concern.”
Jiaojiao spoke softly.
Roujia did not answer immediately.
She looked at Jiaojiao twice before giving a mocking laugh.
“Everyone in the palace says you damaged your brain when you fell, and that everything about the way you speak and behave has changed.”
“I thought they were just making things up.”
“I didn’t expect it to actually be true.”
Jiaojiao’s heart tightened.
Before she could answer, Roujia continued on her own.
“Look at how foolish you seem now. Just looking at you annoys me.”
“You’re completely useless.”
Roujia rolled her eyes.
Liuyun immediately stepped forward and began massaging her temples.
Jiaojiao stood there in a daze.
Before coming here, she had thought that if her personality had changed so drastically, it was normal for her biological mother to become suspicious.
She had even prepared an explanation to deal with it.
She had never expected Noble Consort Roujia to react like this.
Roujia leaned against the couch and closed her eyes, resting.
She had no intention of paying any more attention to her own daughter.
Aunt Du looked at Liuyun.
Liuyun gave her an awkward smile.
Aunt Du understood.
She was just about to suggest that they leave when Jiaojiao suddenly stood up.
She took the purple-gold teapot from a young palace maid, poured a cup of tea, and slowly brought it to Roujia.
“Mother, does your head hurt? Have some tea to soothe your throat before you rest.”
Roujia’s fingers stopped massaging her temples.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Her beautiful eyes stared directly at Jiaojiao.
Jiaojiao tried not to look away.
Without realizing it, she bit her lower lip.
It was Noble Consort Roujia’s reckless actions that had brought disaster upon both herself and her daughter.
Because of that, Jiaojiao had spent every day frightened, desperately thinking about how to cling to the future tyrant and save her life.
But she still wanted to offer her mother a cup of tea.
Even if it was for that princess whose body she had somehow ended up occupying.
Roujia stared strangely at her for a long time.
Emotions Jiaojiao could not understand seemed to churn in her beautiful eyes.
After a while, Jiaojiao could no longer bear the pressure.
She lowered her eyes and started to pull the cup back.
“The tea might have gone cold…”
“Who told you to do things without asking?”
The next moment, Roujia snatched the cup from her hand and drank it all in one go.
Jiaojiao remained frozen in the position of offering the tea.
She stared blankly.
“All right. I’ve seen you, and I’ve drunk your tea.”
Roujia’s red lips were glistening with moisture.
She turned her face away and refused to look at Jiaojiao.
“I understand your filial heart very well. Just don’t come and bother me for no reason. If you do that, I’ll remember that you were thoughtful.”
“Now leave. Liuyun—”
The palace maid smiled and made a polite gesture toward the door.
Jiaojiao had no choice but to leave with Aunt Du.
Liuyun escorted them out of the bedroom and ordered several palace servants to accompany them back.
Then she returned inside.
The teacup Jiaojiao had just offered was now shattered across the floor.
Liuyun was not surprised at all.
She ordered someone to clean it up before walking over to massage Roujia’s head.
“From what I saw, the princess really has become much gentler. She’s even more filial toward you now.”
In the past, forget offering tea to her mother.
If she had not occasionally come here together with the Emperor, Princess Jiaoran would not even have stepped through the gates of Ganlu Palace.
“What does filial or unfilial even matter?”
Roujia seemed to remember something and became irritated.
“Just seeing her makes me angry.”
…
Only after leaving the bedroom and putting her cloak back on did Jiaojiao finally breathe a sigh of relief.
She had finally survived this meeting.
Judging from Roujia’s behavior, she did not seem suspicious of Jiaojiao.
However, judging from the situation, getting any useful information from Roujia would be extremely difficult.
The sudden changes between warm and cold temperatures could easily make someone sick, so Jiaojiao stood outside the bedroom for a while to let her body adjust.
She had just decided to leave when a beautiful woman approached with two palace maids.
When she saw Jiaojiao, the woman smiled gently.
“Greetings, Princess Jiaoran.”
Jiaojiao listened to Aunt Du quietly explain who she was, then smiled faintly.
“Greetings, Noble Lady Yu.”
The other woman was clearly a little afraid of her.
There was an uneasy expression on her face.
After exchanging a few polite words, she entered the palace.
Aunt Du was supporting Jiaojiao as they were about to walk down the steps when Jiaojiao suddenly had an idea.
She turned to the palace servants of Ganlu Palace.
“My mother’s palace is filled with beautiful flowers and scenery. I’d like to take a look around…”
She lightly touched Aunt Du’s sleeve.
Aunt Du immediately understood.
“The princess doesn’t like being surrounded by too many people. I’ll accompany her, so there is no need to trouble everyone.”
She dismissed all the palace servants.
Only then did she quietly ask,
“Your Highness, what is it?”
“Come with me.”
Jiaojiao’s eyes were shining.
The two of them quietly sneaked around to the back of the building.
Only then did Aunt Du realize that Jiaojiao wanted to eavesdrop.
She did not know whether to laugh or cry.
But Jiaojiao seriously raised one finger to her lips and made a silent gesture.
Aunt Du had no choice but to crouch beside her beneath the rear window.
After listening for a while, they heard nothing more than ordinary conversation.
Noble Lady Yu was doing everything she could to flatter Roujia.
Roujia’s attitude was even more impatient than before, throwing out sarcastic remarks one after another.
Noble Lady Yu acted as though she heard nothing and continued smiling pleasantly.
After listening for a while, Jiaojiao became disappointed and was about to leave.
Then she suddenly heard someone mention—
“Noble Consort Yan.”
Noble Consort Yan?
Wasn’t she the future tyrant’s birth mother?
Jiaojiao hurriedly rose onto her tiptoes and focused all her attention.
“…She offended His Majesty… I heard that all her palace allowances have been cut in half.”
Noble Lady Yu’s voice contained a hint of mockery.
“How pitiful. She was already living worse than the consorts confined in the Cold Palace. Now that this has happened…”
Jiaojiao tightly gripped the window frame.
Her face was filled with alarm.
Aunt Du looked worriedly at the little princess beside her.
Jiaojiao’s eyes flickered.
She silently shook her head and pulled Aunt Du away from Ganlu Palace.
The moment she got into the sedan chair, Jiaojiao anxiously asked,
“Auntie, will Jiaoran Palace have enough monthly supplies?”
What Jiaojiao did not know was that Princess Jiaoran’s expenses did not even come close to using up her official allowance.
Not to mention the gifts sent by the other palaces, just the rewards from the Emperor and Empress alone were enough to support several Jiaoran Palaces.
Aunt Du explained the palace accounts to her in general terms.
Seeing that Jiaojiao was still frowning deeply, she asked,
“Your Highness, do you suspect that someone has been stealing from the palace accounts?”
“No.”
Jiaojiao shook her head.
Thinking about what she planned to do, she felt a little guilty.
After a pause, she cautiously asked,
“Aunt Du, if I wanted to send some things from the palace… to someone else, would that cause trouble for you?”
Aunt Du smiled.
“What are you talking about? Not only do the things in the palace belong to Your Highness, even we servants belong to the princess. If you want to give something away, then give it away. If you wanted to transfer some of us to another palace, that would be perfectly fine too.”
There were indeed far more servants in Jiaoran Palace than a princess normally needed.
Jiaojiao obediently nodded, then shook her head.
“Even so, I would never give you away.”
She affectionately hugged Aunt Du’s arm.
“You love me the most. Yuqiu and Cuixue are both wonderful too… Jiaojiao can’t live without you.”
The childish words made Aunt Du laugh.
She gently patted Jiaojiao’s hand.
“May this old servant ask one more thing? Who are you planning to give the things to? That way, I can make arrangements for you and prevent any problems.”
Jiaojiao blinked.
She sat up straight and whispered a name into Aunt Du’s ear.
Aunt Du was slightly startled.
“This… if I remember correctly, Your Highness has never even met her. Why would you…”
“I haven’t met her.”
After whispering the name, Jiaojiao obediently sat back down.
Her cheeks were slightly red.
“But I really like Fifth Brother, so naturally I want to treat her well too.”
Inside Gui Heng’s Palace.
A-Li lifted the curtain and entered.
He quietly said,
“Your Highness, someone from the Empress’s palace came over. They said winter is almost here and asked whether we are lacking anything.”
Gui Heng was reading a book called The Master of Wei Liao.
Hearing this, he raised his eyes and gave a cold laugh.
“Third Brother has already firmly joined the Crown Prince’s faction. The Minister of Revenue comes from the Empress’s maternal family. Fourth Brother joining the Crown Prince is only a matter of time.”
“Yet she is still not satisfied.”
He paused.
“Send her back. Tell her thank you, Mother. We have everything we need here.”
A-Li nodded.
But he did not leave.
“What is it?”
A-Li hesitated.
“Our palace is fine. It’s just that Noble Consort Yan…”
“I know.”
Gui Heng’s face became cold and unreadable.
“From this month onward, when the monthly supplies are delivered, send half of them to Qiu Mama. Continue doing that until the beginning of spring next year.”
“Go.”
A-Li knew his master’s temper very well.
There was no point saying more.
He sighed and left.
Gui Heng’s eyes returned to the page, but his mind remained unsettled.
For several days now, those wet, round eyes had kept appearing before him in his thoughts.
The dark purple cloak was hanging right in front of his bed.
Every time he saw it, he would carefully go over everything that had happened these past few days, turning every detail over in his mind.
Yet no matter how much he thought about it, he could not understand why she had done it.
After trying for a while and still being unable to calm his mind, Gui Heng gave up.
He put down the book, took out a chess set, and began studying a game record.
He had barely started when the curtain moved again.
“Your Highness!”
“What is it now?”
“Princess Jiaoran sent a great many things to Xuanyan Palace. There were so many that they couldn’t even fit inside the storeroom, so they had to put them in the courtyard.”
“There are so many people gathered outside the gate now. They’re all peeking through the cracks in the door to see what’s going on!”
Gui Heng froze slightly.
His fingers unconsciously loosened.
The white chess piece fell into the chess bowl with a loud, crisp sound.
“I understand.”
After a long moment, he picked up the chess piece again and placed it where it belonged.
“You may leave.”
Jiaojiao also heard about how many things had been sent over that they had attracted a crowd of onlookers.
Yuqiu felt somewhat apologetic.
She had not expected Xuanyan Palace to be so badly damaged after years of neglect. One of the side halls had apparently partially collapsed at some point and could no longer hold the things.
If they had known earlier, they should have sent everything over in several batches.
Jiaojiao, however, was in a very good mood.
“It’s fine. Come with me and let’s take a look.”
When they were almost at the entrance of Xuanyan Palace, Jiaojiao quietly said,
“If you follow me, the procession will be too obvious. Everyone will know that I’ve arrived.”
“You stay here. I’ll sneak over and come back in a little while.”
Yuqiu was still worried.
“Your Highness—”
“Yuqiu.”
Jiaojiao turned around and took her hand, crossing their hands over her chest with a serious expression.
“Look. I’ve already locked you up now. You are not allowed to break free without my permission.”
“Otherwise… otherwise, I’ll punish you…”
“I’ll punish you…”
She could not think of what punishment to give her even after trying for a long time.
Instead, she made Yuqiu laugh.
“All right, my princess. Go and come back quickly. I’ll wait here.”
It was only around one corner, and this was the inner palace, where there were people everywhere.
There was no need to worry about her safety.
Jiaojiao had not been alone for a long time.
She felt an indescribable excitement.
Even her footsteps became lighter as she happily made her way toward Xuanyan Palace.
Perhaps the excitement had already passed.
By the time she arrived, the crowd gathered outside Xuanyan Palace had already dispersed.
Jiaojiao carefully approached the gate.
She pressed herself close to the crack in the courtyard door and rose onto her tiptoes…
“Princess Jiaoran.”
A cold voice suddenly came from behind her.
A faintly cool breath brushed against her ear, like the first chilly breeze announcing that winter was approaching.