Chapter 242: Double Happiness (Part 2)

Chapter 242: Chapter 200: Double Happiness (Part 2)

“Confer upon Jiang Yi the rank of Brave General, and grant him the authority of a supreme commander.”

He then dispatched the remaining troops, specifying they were to obey General Jiang’s orders. “This expedition must pacify Beichuan. In urgent matters, you may act at your discretion without seeking my approval.” He paused. “Your primary objective is to quell the rebellion by eliminating the traitorous army. All other matters are secondary.”

Even a matter as important as holding Rong Zhenhai accountable had to take a backseat to restoring peace for the people.

The ministers who came to hear the decree were numb with shock.

Anyone close to the Emperor who had followed him since his ascension would have discovered that trust was the cornerstone of his rule and his use of ministers.

This was true in matters of state, and equally so within the palace.

He trusted the Empress to manage the harem well, and he trusted that the smallpox prevention method presented by the Pure Consort would be effective.

‘I don’t ask how many years of experience you have, or who your parents are. I only ask if you have the confidence to build a great enterprise with me!’

In the Three Kingdoms, he would have been the kind of lord who could unearth a Wolong or a Fengchu.

And as it happened, his judgment was truly excellent.

…

One hundred days later, Lady Shufei safely gave birth to the second princess, who was given the title Yongping.

Jiang Yi led his army on a long-range blitz, fighting over a thousand li in seven days. With a force of ten thousand, he crushed the thirty thousand elite soldiers of the Beichuan rebels, striking directly into their heartland. He captured over a thousand prisoners, took the head of the rebel leader, and secured an inspiring victory!

When the report reached the Imperial City, the Emperor was overjoyed in the Capital. He ordered a three-rank promotion in military honors, bestowed countless rewards, and declared he would personally grant further honors upon his return to the Capital.

Jiang Yi did not betray his trust. He was like a treasured sword drawn from thin air, a destined star descended from the heavens.

The Emperor swept away his previous gloom, and now he walked with a swagger.

‘A divine general has descended from the heavens, and he’s mine!’

‘I’ve been blessed with a daughter, and she’s mine too!’

Considering both came from the Pure Consort, the Emperor was tempted to build a shrine to Bihua Palace. With her natal family achieving such great merit, their cousin in the harem also deserved a reward. But Jiang Xian was already a Pure Consort. How else could she be rewarded? Promote her to Noble Consort? The Emperor believed she was worthy, but promoting her to Noble Consort right now would inevitably hurt Noble Princess Consort Rong’s feelings.

The Emperor had always valued sentiment and loyalty. He agonized over it for a long time, but when he arrived at Bihua Palace, it was Jiang Xian who brought it up first. “Your Majesty, if you are thinking of rewarding this servant, I can only refuse. I live deep within the palace and have rendered no merit. The military achievements were earned by Jiang Yi through fire and steel. It is him Your Majesty should reward. As for me, I only ask that Your Majesty takes good care of Princess Yongping.”

She not only referred to herself as “this servant” but also performed a solemn bow to the Emperor.

The Emperor quickly helped her up, surprised. “Xian’er, you’ve always been so focused on rank. Why are you refusing a promotion today?”

“…I do want a promotion, but I’m not heartless. Besides, once this all blows over, is my position of Noble Consort going to just disappear?”

Jiang Xian looked at him calmly, her eyes filled with complete trust in him.

Trust that in a couple of years, his affection for her wouldn’t fade, causing her to miss out on the position of Noble Consort. “That Your Majesty loves me, trusts me, and dotes on our Zhao’er and Yongping—isn’t that more important than any rank? Becoming a Noble Consort is only a matter of time. Why should I trouble Your Majesty over such a small thing?”

‘In her original career plan, reaching the rank of Pure Consort was already exceeding expectations.’

‘Compared to aggressively demanding a promotion, the Emperor’s current pity and emotional response were worth a thousand pieces of gold.’

‘In her experience, the Emperor was a total sucker for this kind of thing.’

“Xian’er…”

She had guessed correctly. Xie Che was deeply moved. “For the first time, I feel that in your heart, a promotion has become unimportant.”

Jiang Xian: “It’s still very important.”

“That’s not important.”

Xie Che pulled her into his arms. “I will be sure to compensate you doubly for this.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xian gently rested her head on his shoulder. And Xie Che, for his part, completely forgot that even without external obstacles, there was no reason to promote another Noble Consort so quickly. He had originally intended only to reward her with some gold and jewels, but her feigned retreat had somehow maneuvered him into owing her the position of Noble Consort.

—————–

The same day the joyous news reached the Capital City, Noble Princess Consort Rong claimed illness and refused to leave her quarters.

During the morning greetings, Lu Ronghua asked after the Lady’s health with a sarcastic tone. “With such a wonderfully joyous event, how could the Lady have fallen ill? What an unfortunate coincidence. I fear the servants must not be attending to her carefully enough.”

The other women chimed in with laughter and jests.

Guo Xiao Yi brought up another topic. “Lady Shufei has been doubly blessed. It really makes a difference when your natal family is secure. Even if they don’t achieve great things, just being safe and sound is enough.”

Guo Xiao Yi didn’t care whether the Pure Consort’s family was safe or not.

The point was that Noble Princess Consort Rong’s natal family was very much *not* safe—and it was her Gu Family that had led the charge in taking them down!

Guo Xiao Yi felt utterly delighted and was dying to put on a show in front of Noble Princess Consort Rong. The morning greetings at Jianzhang Palace were the perfect opportunity—no matter how angry the Noble Consort got, she couldn’t possibly slap her across the face in front of the Empress.