The next day, the emperor opened his private treasury. This time, it wasn't for Wang Dequan to select precious treasures to bestow upon the imperial consorts, but for Noble Consort Chen from Hexi Palace to personally enter the treasury and make her own selections
Whatever caught her eye could be carried back to Hexi Palace
Such indulgence was enjoyed by Noble Consort Chen alone among all the imperial consorts
In an instant, Jiang Xinyue's prominence became unrivaled, reaching a level where even Noble Consort Li had to temporarily yield the spotlight
But this was merely the imagination of others. After all, since Ye Baolin had burst into Changxin Palace and fought with Noble Consort Li, Changxin Palace had been quiet for a long time
As for Ye Baolin, due to another victory by the Great General of the Western Conquest, she was on her way back to the capital. The emperor had already bestowed upon her the title of Noble Consort Ye
Out of every five days, she could enjoy two days of the emperor's favor
Perhaps seeing no hope with the Empress, Noble Consort Ye had turned to the Empress Dowager's faction, joining Consort Shu and Consort Rong. She spent her days instigating them to deal with Noble Consort Chen
Her motives were so transparent, yet she thought others couldn't see through her intentions. When Consort Shu and Consort Rong didn't follow her plans, she set her sights on Consort Wan and Consort Jin
The Fifth Prince in the Empress's palace had been given a name. The emperor personally chose the character "Sheng," to signify the nobility of the Eastern Palace's legitimate son
Soon it was time for the Fifth Prince's full moon celebration. The arrival of this child meant that the Empress's position was solidified. No one could use the Empress's childlessness to attack her or demand that she step down in favor of another
Thus, for the Fifth Prince's full moon celebration, the Emperor and Empress ordered grand festivities
Changxin Palace, which had been silent for a long time, was also released from confinement by the emperor
Jiang Xinyue had just bid a reluctant farewell to Emperor Xuanwu, and the affection in her eyes disappeared as soon as he was gone
She wore an elaborate smoky pink flag gown, embroidered with large peonies in gold thread. When the candlelight shone upon it, it radiated a dazzling brilliance, making all other colors in heaven and earth mere accompaniments to her splendor
That beautiful face, the most stunning in the entire harem, was indeed difficult for Emperor Xuanwu not to love
After admiring herself in the glass mirror for quite some time, Xi Que finally arrived with news: "My lady, I've found out that this time when the master entered the palace, he didn't bring the first madam. He brought our second madam, along with the third young miss and the second young master
Among the Jiang family's daughters, Jiang Xinyue ranked second, Jiang Yutong who died in the palace ranked first, Jiang Xinyan ranked third, Jiang Yulin fourth, and there was also a fifth young miss, only eight years old, born to Jiang Yankun's second concubine
Due to her young age, she had little presence in the Jiang family and no conflicts of interest with her older half-sisters
Jiang Yutong, Jiang Yulin, and the already sixteen-year-old Jiang Dalang, who was showing promise in the imperial examinations, were all born to the first madam
Because the first madam had targeted their birth mother, Lady Ruan, since they were young, Jiang Junze always called Jiang Xinyue "eldest sister" and Jiang Xinyan "second sister
In his heart, Jiang Yutong and Jiang Yulin were not his sisters
Last time, she had greeted her original self's mother and siblings from afar across a crowd. This time was different. She was highly favored and could bring her birth mother and siblings to reunite in Hexi Palace
Although she had already gleaned information from Xi Que, Jiang Xinyue was still a bit nervous
She wasn't afraid of fighting against heaven or earth for eternity, but she was afraid people would realize she wasn't the original Jiang Xinyue
Although Emperor Xuanwu didn't believe in supernatural phenomena, if Jiang Xinyue's birth mother couldn't recognize her own daughter, that would be hard to explain
Even if he didn't believe it, he would have doubts
"My lady, His Majesty has instructed me to bring the second madam, second young master, and third young miss here," Jiang Chuan stood outside the main hall. "His Majesty said that since the banquet hasn't started yet, it's fine if you arrive a bit later.
Xi Que was already eagerly going to lift the curtain: "Madam, Second Young Master, Third Young Miss, please come in quickly. The lady has long prepared iced bowls waiting for you.
Lady Ruan, on her way here, had witnessed the exquisite elegance and luxury of Hexi Palace, and only then did she gain a clear understanding of the extent of her eldest daughter's favor
Not yet bestowed the title of Imperial Consort, she was already the mistress of a palace. Under such great favor, no one dared to disrespect her daughter. Even on her first visit to the palace with her husband, she received extremely courteous treatmen
Everywhere they went, palace maids and eunuchs were respectful
Is this the benefit of gaining the emperor's favor? The taste was indeed sweet
Lady Ruan shook her head. No, no, she was too easily dazzled by wealth and status. This could easily become a burden for her daughter
Stay vigilant, she must stay vigilant
Compared to Lady Ruan's caution, Jiang Junze and Jiang Xinyan were much more excited. As soon as Xi Que appeared, they widened their eyes in delight and began chatting with her
Upon entering the main hall, they saw that the interior was constructed with cloud-top sandalwood beams, crystal jade walls for lamps, pearl curtains, and gold-inlaid column bases
On the three-foot-wide century-old redwood throne sat a stunningly beautiful woman in palace attire
Lady Ruan felt that the aura of authority around Jiang Xinyue seemed even heavier than that of her husband. She hadn't noticed from afar amidst the crowd last time, but now, looking at her directly, she felt her heart racing
"This humble servant greets Noble Consort Chen, Noble.
"Mother, what are you doing?" Jiang Xinyue had already walked down as she was about to kneel, reaching out to support her arm. "There are no outsiders here, mother doesn't need to observe such formalities
Lady Ruan's tears began to flow again as she gripped her hand in return: "Xinyue, are you well in the palace? Is... is His Majesty treating you well? I... I am now your father's equal wife. Everyone in the household knows you're now Noble Consort Chen. The first madam can no longer mistreat us. Don't worry about home, you must... you must take good care of yourself
Jiang Xinyue, who had been worried about exposing herself, felt her nose tingle and her eyes fill with tears. She shook her head: "Mother, I am well in every way. For you and Sister Yan, for Brother Ze, I will absolutely be fine
Jiang Xinyan and Jiang Junze also gathered around, telling Jiang Xinyue about their recent experiences. Following Jiang Dalang, Jiang Junze was also going to participate in this year's autumn imperial examinations
Jiang Xinyue nodded thoughtfully: "Brother Ze is twelve years old this year. If he passes the autumn examination, he can participate in next year's spring examination. If he doesn't pass the spring examination, it's alright. Brother Ze is still young, it can be considered a learning experience, there will be more opportunities in the future
It was quite common at that time for some to become top scholars in their teens, while others couldn't even pass the provincial examination in their seventies or eighties
If Jiang Junze didn't pass this time, he would only be fifteen when he could try again in three years
She said this also to remind Lady Ruan not to use her name to engage in cheating or bribery outside the palace
Lady Ruan nodded, "I understand
Jiang Xinyan's eyes were timid as she said, "Brother Ze still has a chance if he fails the exam, but it seems the eldest brother won't make it. If Father asks the Empress to help, you should be prepared.
The students in the capital were a hidden pool of talent. With his learned and talented father guiding him, Jiang Dalang did indeed have some reputation for scholarship
However, passing the imperial examinations wasn't just about having an empty reputation - one needed to have real knowledge and skills. This was precisely what Jiang Dalang lacked
As the Zhou family's influence waned further, they had no means to advocate for their eldest son. It seemed Lady Zhou had set her sights on Jiang Xinyue, who held the position of Noble Consort