Returning to Fengluanxuan, the more Jiang Qingke thought about it, the angrier she became, and the more she felt that Li Xuanyao was utterly despicable.
He showed no regard for the bonds of matrimony, casually arranging for a strange man to share her bed, without the slightest respect between husband and wife.
Had she not been quick-witted, she would still be like a fool right now, tangled up in bed with some unknown, nameless stranger, naively believing that Li Xuanyao doted on her, and foolishly thinking she had married a good husband who cherished and loved her.
Unfortunately, Li Xuanyao was the Crown Prince—she couldn’t kill him, couldn’t hit him, and couldn’t even curse him.
With nowhere to vent her fury, Jiang Qingke could only smash things in anger.
But the moment she picked up a large painted porcelain vase from the imperial kilns, Xiqing, who had accompanied her into the palace as her dowry maid, rushed forward immediately, clutching the vase with a pitiful little face as she pleaded with her.
“Crown Princess, this is an imperial gift—you mustn’t smash it.”
Jiang Qingke switched to picking up a jade ruyi scepter instead.
Before she could even raise her hand, Xiqing, with sharp eyes and quick hands, snatched it away again.
“This was gifted to Your Highness by Consort Hui just a few days ago. Smashing it would be smashing Consort Hui’s face—she’s not someone we can afford to offend.”
“…”
Jiang Qingke turned around to look for something else.
But the moment she picked up a teacup, Xiqing pressed forward again with that anxious expression.
“This celadon tea set is an imperial tribute—only three exist in the entire world, and it’s the legacy work of a master craftsman. The Emperor has one set, the Noble Consort has one set, and the Eastern Palace has one set.”
Xiqing’s little mouth rattled on without taking a single breath, finishing that long sentence in an instant, so fast that even a mosquito couldn’t find a gap to squeeze in.
“It’s priceless—if you smash it, the entire General’s Manor would have to be sold off to pay for it.”
Good—let the entire General’s Manor be sold off.
Then we’d see how her stepmother and Jiang Qingyao could continue eating well and drinking well, draped in gold and silver.
Noticing the glint in Jiang Qingke’s eyes, Xiqing immediately realized what she was plotting.
With lightning-fast reflexes, she whisked the entire celadon tea set out of sight from under her mistress’s nose.
Jiang Qingke glanced back at the gold phoenix crown inlaid with jewels and kingfisher feathers sitting on her dressing table.
Her principle was to smash whatever was most expensive. She grabbed the phoenix crown and hurled it viciously at the pillar.
But Xiqing had grown up with Jiang Qingke in the General’s Manor since childhood and had picked up some martial skills as well.
Seeing the phoenix crown trace a brilliant golden arc through the air, she leaped up, caught it with speed, precision, and accuracy, hugged it tightly to her chest, and tumbled to the ground together with it.
“If the phoenix crown gets damaged, how will Your Highness show it off to the Second Miss and the Madam in the future, making them salivate over something they can’t wear, forced to stew in their own envy and jealousy?” Xiqing reasoned.
That made sense.
One of the reasons Jiang Qingke was willing to obediently marry into the Eastern Palace was precisely because of those two women.
Her stepmother had stolen her father’s affection for her mother, and the daughter she bore had stolen her father’s love for her.
Not only that, but they had also caused her second elder brother to drown and die young. How could Jiang Qingke let them live better than her?
She would dress better than Jiang Qingyao, use better things than Jiang Qingyao, and naturally, the man she married would also be a dragon among men, far superior to whoever Jiang Qingyao married.
But the moment Xiqing brought up that wretched mother-daughter pair far away in Xiyan, Jiang Qingke immediately deflated.
She collapsed onto the beauty couch like a frostbitten eggplant, staring blankly at one spot, lost in thought.
As she thought, Jiang Qingke’s eyes reddened.
Letting out a cold, mocking laugh, she said in a calm tone, “In the past, whenever I fought and scrambled with Jiang Qingyao over something, Father would always say to me, ‘Manman, you’re the older sister, you need to learn to yield to your younger sister. Manman, you won last time, why can’t you let your sister have this one?'”
“He always took Jiang Qingyao’s side.”
“But this one time—Jiang Qingyao made such a huge fuss, caused such a scene—Father actually told her she wasn’t allowed to fight with me.”
“He even said Jiang Qingyao was foolish and ignorant, unfit to bear the responsibility of upholding the Jiang family’s glory.”
A parent’s love for their child is shown through deep planning for their future.
Only now, in hindsight, did Jiang Qingke realize this. She smiled bitterly and shook her head, her eyes filled with disappointment and desolation.
She said wistfully, “The one Father loves most, after all, is still Jiang Qingyao.”
Hearing this, Xiqing’s heart ached for her.
She came to kneel before Jiang Qingke, holding her hands and comforting her in a gentle voice.
“Your Highness must not overthink this.”
“The Old General surely wanted you to rise above others and enjoy wealth and glory, which is why he arranged for you to marry into the Eastern Palace as the Crown Princess.”
“Now you are the Crown Princess, and in the future, you will be the Empress—second only to one person, above ten thousand others. No matter how well the Second Miss marries, how could she ever compare to Your Highness? She’d have to kneel and kowtow the moment she sees you.”
Jiang Qingke knew this very well.
But what was the point of becoming Empress in the future? She would still be trapped in a gilded palace, living like a widow.
Before marrying into the Eastern Palace, she had still hoped that Li Xuanyao would love her, that they would live in mutual respect and harmony. She never imagined…
He couldn’t even manage basic respect.
Truly, the most heartless of all are the imperial families.
Jiang Qingke sighed in utter dejection. “The one who is truly loved is the real winner.”
“Jiang Qingyao has her father’s love, her mother’s love, her brother’s love, and in the future… she’ll have her husband’s love too.”
“This time, I’ve lost completely.”
“If my stepmother and Jiang Qingyao found out about this, they’d probably laugh in their sleep every night.”
Xiqing comforted her, “They’re so far away—how could they possibly know?”
His anger having subsided considerably, Jiang Qingke finally remembered to caution Xiqing.
“This matter concerning the Crown Prince is of utmost importance—you must keep it absolutely secret. Otherwise, neither of us will know how we died.”
Xiqing nodded repeatedly.
“Rest assured, Your Highness. This servant will hold her tongue.”
Xiqing had served by her side since entering the household as a child; the two had grown up together, and though they were mistress and servant, they were as close as sisters.
Anything Jiang Qingke instructed even once, Xiqing would remember faithfully, never once making a mistake.
Jiang Qingke naturally trusted Xiqing completely.
As she glanced sideways, her eyes inadvertently fell upon the small booklet carelessly tossed on the couch. Jiang Qingke reached over and picked it up.
This was the treasure tucked at the bottom of every girl’s dowry chest when she married.
In the few days since they had shared a bed, Jiang Qingke had tasted the pleasure and, two days prior, had pulled it out for a look, hoping to learn some positions and techniques.
Now, seeing it only felt deeply ironic.
Precious things couldn’t be thrown, but this shabby little booklet—why not tear it up?
Besides, she wouldn’t be needing it with Li Xuanyao from now on. What use was there in keeping it?
With that thought, she took out her frustration on the booklet, ripping it to shreds, then tossed the scraps into the tea stove, letting the charcoal fire burn them to ash.
Late at night.
Jiang Qingke tossed and turned on the bed. She pondered all night long, yet still couldn’t figure out what the best path forward would be.
She muddled through the day in a daze, and before the sun had even fully set, she was so sleepy that she curled up on the beauty couch and dozed off.
Just as she was sleeping soundly, a rooster appeared in her dream, running up to her side and crowing loudly.
That shrill, slightly hoarse voice—cock-a-doodle-doo—was terribly grating.
Yet no matter how she tried to shoo it away, it simply wouldn’t leave.
“Your Highness…”
“Wake up, please.”
Jiang Qingke was finally shaken awake by Nanny Fan and Xiqing.
She glanced over with sleepy eyes and saw Eunuch Cao standing before the beauty couch.
“Your Highness, it is time to attend the bedchamber.”
“From now on, the Crown Prince…”
His effeminate, shrill tone deliberately paused, and Eunuch Cao smiled without sincerity: “…will lodge at Fengluanxuan every night, with Your Highness attending him.”
At that moment, a palace maid knelt before the beauty couch, holding up a silk blindfold.
Jiang Qingke’s anger had yet to subside.
Seeing that silk blindfold, the fire in her heart suddenly blazed up again.
She closed her eyes and waved her hand impatiently to shoo them away.
“Get out!”
Drowsiness made her voice muffled and thick, utterly lacking in authority.
Burying her head between her arms, she mumbled groggily: “If you don’t want a whipping, then all of you get out of here.”
Eunuch Cao had powerful backing, so he naturally wasn’t afraid of her.
“Your Highness must attend the bedchamber tonight—please rise and prepare yourself.”
“Your Highness…”
“Do not disappoint His Highness’s high expectations…”
……