Chapter 213 - 184: Be Cruel to Yourself

Gu Zhaoyi and Consort Ji were not related in the slightest, yet Consort Ji visited to pay her respects every single day. This was widely known throughout the harem, though no one laughed at her for it. After all, latching onto a high-ranking concubine was a method of survival. The only issue was that Bihua Palace wasn’t exactly a promising place to curry favor.

For one, with Gu Zhaoyi’s beauty, she had no need to elevate younger concubines to secure the Emperor’s favor.

Second, her personality was cold and aloof. She didn’t enjoy speaking with the newcomers to the palace, leaving them no way to get close to her.

After this latest selection of concubines, Princess Consort Zhang, Lu Ronghua, and Guo Xiao Yi had each allied themselves with newcomers they took a liking to.

"This is an open plot. Your Ladyship currently enjoys the Emperor’s Holy Favor. If she comes to pay her respects every day, she’s bound to have a chance to run into the Emperor eventually. Her attitude is so respectful that no one can find fault in it. If you were to lose your patience and lash out at her, she would probably hope you’d be as harsh as possible. The Emperor, out of consideration for the Ji Family, would then feel the need to compensate her with his Holy Favor, giving her an opportunity to stand out."

Jiang Xian listened to Zhenqiu’s analysis with a faint smile. "That’s the logic of it."

’It’s like a top celebrity getting leeched off of for clout by a rising star. It’s a lose-lose situation whether I respond or not.’

"So, Zhenqiu, do you think I should continue to give her the cold shoulder, or should I grant her an audience?"

"In my opinion, making her wait at the gates of Bihua Palace is already showing her enough courtesy. Why should you have to see her just because she requests an audience every day?" Zhenqiu was clearly annoyed by Consort Ji’s behavior.

Jiang Xian couldn’t agree more, so she continued to refuse an audience.

...

Consort Ji didn’t get to see the Emperor, but she did run into the two princes, who were out for a stroll.

Zhao’er had heard about a concubine who came to Bihua Palace every day to pay her respects. He was curious. "Consort Ji, you and my mother are strangers. Why are you so eager to see her?"

"My father is slightly acquainted with Her Ladyship’s father. He often spoke of her to me, so even before I entered the palace, I held her in high regard and had long wished to make her acquaintance."

According to Consort Ji’s story, Jiang Ke was the one to blame.

Aside from his scholarly pursuits, Jiang Ke was known among his colleagues for endlessly bragging about his daughter, praising her excellent looks and character. Thus, even though Consort Ji had never met Gu Zhaoyi, she had long admired her.

Consort Ji’s tone was very sincere, but the Second Prince, Xie Sheng, frowned.

"I get it. So you want to be friends with my mother?" Zhao’er asked bluntly.

Consort Ji nodded in acknowledgment. "My rank is low, so it’s understandable that Lady Zhaoyi is unwilling to see me. I am content just to be able to come to Bihua Palace each day to pay my respects and stay for a short while."

"My mother doesn’t like people paying respects to her. You’re going about it the wrong way!"

"Then what should I do?"

Consort Ji asked humbly for guidance.

Just then, Xie Sheng’s small face hardened and he let out a cold snort. "Consort Ji, you are one of Father Emperor’s concubines. You should be thinking about how to serve him well, not fixating on Lady Zhaoyi." He grabbed the Eldest Prince’s arm. "Elder Brother, let’s go."

Xie Sheng used a bit of force, and before Zhao’er could react, he was pulled away.

Once they were further away, Zhao’er said, "I hadn’t finished talking to Consort Ji."

"What is there to say to someone like her? She’s here to steal a share of Lady Zhaoyi’s favor."

Guo Xiao Yi had filled Xie Sheng’s head with lessons on harem intrigue, making him especially wary of the palace women. Over time, Jiang Xian had earned the Second Prince’s trust and he now considered her "one of his own," so naturally, he looked upon Consort Ji with disdain.

Zhao’er asked, "What’s ’stealing favor’?"

"’Stealing favor’ means taking away Father Emperor’s affection for Lady Zhaoyi," Xie Sheng explained with an example. "Right now, Father Emperor spends more than half the month staying at Bihua Palace. But if Consort Ji were to win his favor, he might only spend four or five days a month there."

Zhao’er, however, thought that sounded pretty good.

"When Father Emperor isn’t here, Mother holds me while I sleep."

Looking at his impossibly carefree elder brother, Xie Sheng couldn’t help but grow more anxious.

...

As the Empress’s pregnancy advanced, the Empress Dowager issued an edict, suspending the daily greetings from all the palaces so as not to disturb the unborn child’s spirit.

Jianzhang Palace, in particular, was taking every possible precaution.

Without a summons from the Empress, not even Jiang Xian could go inside.

As winter approached and the weather turned colder, the concubines of the harem were all pleased to be spared the morning greetings. The one thing they weren’t pleased about was the Emperor’s concern for his Empress. He visited Jianzhang Palace daily, which meant the chances of him choosing a concubine for the night became even slimmer.

Gradually, rumors began to spread that the Empress’s current pregnancy far outshone both the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince. Xie Che, already haggard with worry over the Empress’s condition, was enraged upon hearing this and prepared to severely punish the source of the gossip.

As it was a matter the Emperor himself wanted investigated, the truth came to light in no time.

The result, however, only distressed Xie Che further.

The source of the rumor was none other than the Second Prince’s residence, Zhongcui Palace. Ever since Guo Xiao Yi lost favor, her entire world revolved around the Second Prince. Her most glorious and prestigious days in the palace were when she herself had been pregnant with a prince. But now the Empress was expecting, and the status accorded to this pregnancy far surpassed that of her Second Prince.

She had no intention of challenging the Empress’s authority; she was merely muttering to the Second Prince in the privacy of her own palace, trying to instill in him a sense of urgency. Unfortunately, a palace attendant overheard her complaints and took them as fact.

Xie Che, not wanting this matter to disturb the Empress’s peace while she nurtured her pregnancy, directly ordered the Imperial Prison to round up the palace attendants who had spread the rumors. Some were demoted, others punished. Any who were sentenced to death would have their executions postponed until the spring—all in an effort to accumulate good merit for the child in the Empress’s womb.

When word of this reached Zhaoyang Palace, it earned a two-word evaluation from Noble Consort Rong: "soft-hearted."

Ma Wan Yi asked, "Who is Your Ladyship calling soft-hearted?"

"The Emperor’s ’thunderous’ response was merely to keep the news from reaching the ears of the two main palaces," Noble Consort Rong said, pointing a finger upward to indicate Changle Palace and Jianzhang Palace. "That Guo woman has repeatedly stirred up trouble. Now that she’s dragged a child into it, she won’t be tolerated any longer. At the very least, she will no longer be allowed to raise the Second Prince. The Emperor couldn’t bear to see a mother and son separated, so he held his nose and cleaned up her mess, not even lowering her rank."

This quality was what Noble Consort Rong admired most about the Emperor.

People spend their lives pursuing the qualities they lack. She herself was ruthless toward those she disliked, but the Emperor was different. No matter how much he might despise a concubine, he would always allow her to save face and could not bear to inflict the pain of separating a mother from her child.

"What a pity," Ma Wan Yi commented. "The Second Prince is a bit thin, but he’s handsome. I quite like him myself."

’If raising a prince were a job one could apply for, I’d want to raise a healthy one too.’

’But he’s a bit older now; it would be hard for him to grow attached.’

"What kind of taste do you have?" Noble Consort Rong scoffed. "He’s not nearly as cute as Zhao’er."

’The godmother’s bias knows no bounds.’

"It’s no wonder the Emperor is so on edge. The Empress’s pregnancy is truly a perilous one."

Noble Consort Rong let out a soft sigh, uncharacteristically refraining from mocking the Empress.

She and Chu Siyun had been at odds their entire lives. Ms. Chu was always the "perfect child from next door"—sensible, courteous, and well-behaved—her only flaw being that she was less beautiful than Noble Consort Rong. Noble Consort Rong, on the other hand, had a vicious tongue, capable of finding fault with even the most perfect empress.

It was only when she visited Jianzhang Palace last time and saw the heavily pregnant Empress that she finally fell silent.

Previously, Jiang Xian hadn’t hidden herself away during her pregnancy, so Noble Consort Rong had never thought it to be a frightening ordeal. Only now, seeing the Empress, did she realize how terrifying it could be. A constant stream of nourishing supplements was sent to Jianzhang Palace, and the Empress must have consumed her fair share. Yet it seemed as if the child in her womb was stealing all the nutrients; her belly was large and high, but her limbs remained slender, making it difficult for her to even move.

With the Empress’s pregnancy being so precarious, the Empress Dowager took the lead by entering seclusion to pray for blessings.

Even without an explicit decree, the concubines of the harem came to a tacit understanding to cease all entertainment and remain within their residences. Consort Ji, who had previously been so diligent in visiting Bihua Palace, now found a new tactic. She began copying sutras in her own blood and observing a vegetarian diet to pray for the Empress. Between the blood loss and the plain food, she fainted from her supposed piety. When word of this reached the Empress Dowager, Consort Ji actually earned a word of praise, as well as a gift of blood-enriching medicinal herbs from the Emperor.

Chen Cairen found this unbelievable. "Consort Ji is truly ruthless with herself."

"If she isn’t ruthless with herself, others will be ruthless to her."

Jiang Xian commented.

While others couldn’t see the Empress, she was able to see her frequently.

’The harem cannot be without a mistress for even a day. The workload the Empress shed during her confinement has fallen entirely on my shoulders. I haven’t uttered a single word of complaint; after all, the Empress didn’t intend for this to happen, and as a fellow woman, I’m willing to help look after her. But I haven’t even started playing the pity card over this, and someone else is already trying to take the credit for it?’

’Copying my methods is one thing, but trying to steal my "overtime pay" is where I draw the line.’