The same scene, the Xuanwu Emperor and the Empress were conversing, but the Emperor's expression was not as gentle as when he first ate the roasted mea
"Empress, Consort Zhen is innocent and pure
hearted. Despite being harmed by the dirty schemes of the palace, she bears no resentment. Isn't that rare
Empress Zhu, thinking the Emperor was being sincere, agreed: "Yes, it is indeed rare
"Therefore, I do not wish for anyone to ruin this rarity. Empress, do you understand
Empress Zhu trembled, rooted to the spot, her complexion turning somewhat ashen
The Emperor, he knows everything
"Your Majesties, what are you whispering about
Jiang Xinyue waved at them: "Come over here! Try the fried chicken I made. The eldest princess and the second princess love it
There was mulled hawthorn wine warming on the small stove, just a little sip for the princesses, pleasantly sour and sweet, not spicy at all
The third prince couldn't have any, as he was only seven years old, too young
The two imperial chefs were immensely grateful to Consort Zhen for teaching them new culinary skills, praising the fried chicken profusely
Although such greasy food shouldn't be eaten too much, it was still irresistibly crispy and fragrant. Just smelling the aroma made one's mouth water. While not suitable as a main dish, it made for an excellent snack to stave off hunger
Moreover, Consort Zhen said that anything could be fried. When they returned, they would follow her recipe to fry some chicken wings, drumsticks, and what was it... oh yes, popcorn chicken
They would then send it to the various princesses and consorts to try. If the response was good, it would be another accomplishment
There were no musical instruments this time, but it stirred pleasant memories for the Xuanwu Emperor. He turned to Wang Dequan and instructed:
Remind me tomorrow after the morning court session to have the ministers of the Honghuisi and Minister Jiang come to the imperial study to discuss the new year's banquet
"Yes, your servant will remember
Wang Dequan glanced at Consort Zhen. This Minister Jiang was indeed her father
That night, after seeing everyone off, the Xuanwu Emperor could no longer restrain his emotions and embraced his beloved consort
Jiang Xinyue lay on his chest, listening to his strong, powerful heartbeat, her mind undisturbed
How could she possibly harbor no resentment
She had done nothing wrong, and yet the Emperor, in order to placate Concubine Li, had her sent to the cold palace. Was it not because the value she provided was not as high as Concubine Li's, so one had to be abandoned, and she was the one discarded
It was no use saying the Emperor had not treated her poorly before, secretly ordering the Imperial Household Department to look after her. She was blameless, yet suffered such injustice for no reason. That was the least the Emperor should have done
A man worthy of her love would stand firmly by her side, trust her, protect her, and understand her
The Xuanwu Emperor was merely a stepping stone in her path to advancement
He could divide his affections between Empress Zhu, Concubine Li, Consort Liang, and Consort De
Too cheap. She did not covet it
She had no desire to compete with other women, having received a higher education in the 21st century, even studying abroad, her thoughts were relatively open and bold.0
There were so many men, if someone tried to take him, she would happily give him away
But alas, she had transmigrated into the imperial palace, becoming the Emperor's woman. If she did not compete with the other women, her fate would either be to die a lonely death in the palace, or be framed and killed
She did not wish for that
Thus, she would treat the palace as her workplace, the Emperor as her boss, and the consorts as colleagues obstructing her promotion
With this mindset, the workaholic Jiang Xinyue immediately regained her vigor
That night in the Hexi Palace, water was summoned three times, and it was not until the late night that the Emperor finally fell asleep with Consort Zhen in his embrace
The next morning, after the Emperor attended the morning court session, a stream of rewards flowed into the Hexi Palace
It was after Jiang Xinyue had finished her breakfast that a palace maid from the Yikun Palace arrived. With a curtsy, she said: "Consort Zhen, the Empress is ill and asked this servant to inform you. There is no need for you to pay respects for the next three days
Jiang Xinyue showed concern and guilt: "The Empress is ill? Could it be from waiting too long outside the cold palace yesterday and catching a cold
The little palace maid quickly shook her head: "It has nothing to do with Consort Zhen. Our Empress has a recurring headache during the winter. The imperial physicians have already been summoned
Only then did Jiang Xinyue breathe a sigh of relief: "That's good then. I'll go visit the Empress after she recovers, lest I burden her by visiting now while she is ill
The little palace maid smiled: "Then this servant shall take her leave. There are still other palaces to notify
This was a subtle way of telling her that the Empress valued her, coming to notify her first before the other palaces
Xi Que smiled and took the little palace maid's hand, slipping her a pouch of silver pieces: "Let me see you out, sister
The new year's banquet was only three days away. It seemed the Empress was too busy with the preparations to engage in her usual morning banter with the palace consorts
Not having to pay respects was a relief. Jiang Xinyue took off her clothes and had another nap
She slept until lunchtime. The snow had been falling all night and only stopped at noon when she woke up. Xi Que, Shuang Jiang, Jiang Chuan, and Xiao Xuanzi had already built several tall snowmen in the courtyard
Consort Zhen was generous, so the palace maids and eunuchs in the Hexi Palace were livelier than those elsewhere. Even when the other palaces were gloomy, this place still had a warm, lively atmosphere
The sound of pleasant laughter drifted in. Jiang Xinyue put on a robe and watched them from the window, smiling
She had to keep receiving the Emperor's favor
Only by continuously receiving his favor could she maintain this vibrant atmosphere in her palace
Xi Que, Shuang Jiang, Xiao Xuanzi, and all the palace staff in the Hexi Palace would then be able to live in peace
"The Lady is awake
Shuang Jiang, who had just finished shaping a snowball amidst the laughter and commotion, immediately dropped it. She brushed off the snow from her clothes and entered with Xi Que. They stood by the charcoal fire for a moment to dispel the chill before approaching Jiang Xinyue
"Why didn't you call us to attend to you when you woke up, My Lady
If the palace tutors knew, they would surely flay them alive for breaching protocol
Jiang Xinyue playfully teased Xi Que: "Oh You were all frolicking outside, while I had no one to attend me by my bedside. Aren't you the ones being improper
"Please forgive us, My Lady
Xi Que was unfazed, but Shuang Jiang was so frightened that she knelt down: "It was my fault. I saw the heavy snow today and wanted to build some snowmen for you to see, so I called Xi Que and the others to help. Please forgive this servant, My Lady
Jiang Xinyue and Xi Que glanced at each other, and among the three of them, there was indeed one honest person
"Shuang Jiang, our lady is just teasing us
Xi Que helped Shuang Jiang up. "My lady, look at yourself
She was truly mischievous
Only then did Shuang Jiang dare to raise her head and look at her mistress's expression. Seeing that she indeed had a smiling countenance, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "My lady, you gave this servant a fright
Kind mistresses were truly rare in the palace
In private, every one of them was difficult to serve. Being able to encounter Consort Zhen was a blessing she had cultivated over three lifetimes. She did not wish to serve any other mistress