Chapter 247: So Difficult

Chapter 247: Chapter 202: So Difficult

After Noble Princess Consort Rong spoke, she added, “Think carefully before you answer me.”

Then she saw Little Bun sink into distress.

After a moment, Xie Zhao lifted his face, his moist, doe-like eyes gazing earnestly at Noble Princess Consort Rong. He said in a small voice, “I miss you, and my mother misses you too. She just gave birth to my little sister, so she can’t come see you, but she talks about Nanny Rong every day.”

Hearing his words, Noble Princess Consort Rong figured a child his age wouldn’t lie to her, and a flood of memories washed over her. The Pure Consort had saved her twice; their bond was forged in life-and-death situations. In a way, she owed her two lives… Back then, they were such bitter enemies they wished each other dead on sight. Yet, the Pure Consort had still saved her, disregarding their past grievances. It showed she wasn’t a malicious, calculating person.

The more she thought about it, the more Noble Princess Consort Rong resented the Emperor.

‘It’s not unusual for powerful men to be fickle and heartless… But I can’t blame the Emperor for that. He values his relationships with the harem concubines and the court ministers, but he values the common people even more.’

‘But the one who led the troops to Beichuan just had to be from the Jiang family.’

‘Isn’t this just roasting the two of us over a fire?’

This was where things became twisted. Noble Princess Consort Rong felt an immense sense of loss, as if overnight she had lost her family’s overwhelming power, the Emperor’s unwavering Holy Favor, and… her rare, close friend in the palace.

“What is there to talk about me for? Everyone is laughing at me!”

The more Noble Princess Consort Rong thought, the more wronged she felt, and her eyes reddened.

Xie Zhao grew anxious. “Who’s laughing at Nanny Rong? I won’t let them get away with it! Nanny Rong is a Noble Consort personally invested by Father Emperor. Who dares to disrespect you? Nanny Rong, just tell me who, and I will seek justice for you.” He took out the small handkerchief Jiang Xian had prepared for him and tried to wipe her tears, but his little paw was held back. Noble Princess Consort Rong, her eyes misty, glanced at him. “I’ll wipe them myself. You don’t know how to be gentle. You’ll ruin my makeup.”

Even crying in distress, she was still concerned about her appearance.

“And how are you going to get justice for me? You’re a little prince with no real power. The only ones you can scare are palace maids and eunuchs.”

Xie Zhao replied, “I can tell on them to my mother.”

Noble Princess Consort Rong turned her face away. “I never thought I’d fall so low as to need the Pure Consort to get justice for me. In terms of rank, I’m still higher than her.”

Her words left Xie Zhao seeing stars.

The women he usually interacted with, like Jiang Xian, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager… even the young Princess Taihua, were all well-bred, knew their place, and were extremely reasonable. A little boy’s brain couldn’t cope with the Lady’s fickle, spoiled, and willful mind.

‘This is tough.’

Xie Zhao sighed deeply, resting his chin in his hands. “When Nanny Rong isn’t around, my mother doesn’t smile anymore. Nanny says she can’t be unhappy during her postpartum confinement.”

Hearing this, Noble Princess Consort Rong was finally a little moved.

She had been refusing all visitors, and Jiang Xian hadn’t left her palace for a long time due to giving birth and her confinement. So, Noble Princess Consort Rong pictured her looking haggard and thin. She then thought about how failing to maintain a good mood during confinement could lead to long-term health problems…

“I’m not angry. And if I were, it wouldn’t be at her.”

At this thought, Noble Princess Consort Rong became restless. She quickly added, “I’ll go see her in a little while. Tell her not to overthink things and to focus on getting through her confinement.”

“So when will Nanny Rong come see my mother?”

Little Bun looked up at her eagerly, looking both pitiful and adorable.

The sight of him made Noble Princess Consort Rong’s heart melt. Thinking of the supposedly pining, thinning Jiang Xian, her desire to visit grew stronger. Still, she pursed her lips. “If I go to Bihua Palace now, people will probably say I’m begging the Pure Consort for help, asking her to plead with the Emperor on my behalf.”

“Who would say that?”

“Those people in the harem.”

“Does Nanny Rong care about them?” Little Bun retorted. “Among all the concubines in the harem, the only one more noble than Nanny Rong is Mother Empress, and she won’t laugh at you.”

‘That’s right.’ She had been made a Noble Consort from the very beginning, enjoying the honor of receiving greetings from princesses, princess consorts, and noblewomen. In the past, when she ran roughshod over the harem, had she ever cared what those of lower rank thought?

Whenever they saw her, they all had to bow and pay their respects.

‘Perhaps they will no longer rack their brains to flatter me, please me, and fear my maternal family. The Rong Family certainly no longer holds power second only to one and above all others, but I am still the Noble Consort personally invested by the Emperor. Nothing about that has changed.’

“You’re right.”

Noble Princess Consort Rong lowered her gaze. “Qiu Tang, take the Eldest Prince to the main hall to sit for a while.”

“Nanny Rong…”

“I haven’t seen the Pure Consort in a long time. I must freshen up my makeup before visiting her to show proper etiquette.”

Noble Princess Consort Rong lifted her chin slightly, her slender face still etched with deep-seated pride and nobility.

Joy appeared on Xie Zhao’s face.

“But there’s no need to serve the Eldest Prince any pastries,” Noble Princess Consort Rong said, glancing at him. Her hand, with its long fingernails, pinched his chubby little cheek. “You climbed over the wall and crushed my orchids. If you eat any more, the next time you visit, I’m afraid you’ll smash a crater into my courtyard…”

She paused, a slight curve appearing on her red lips.

“Ah, but then I’d have a ready-made new pond. Forget it. Go ahead and serve the Eldest Prince extra pastries.”

Noble Princess Consort Rong departed with a graceful sway.

Leaving Xie Zhao standing there dumbfounded. He turned dazedly to Qiu Tang. “…Auntie Qiu Tang, am I fat?”

Because the princes had archery and horsemanship lessons, unless a child was deliberately fed high-fat, high-sugar foods, they wouldn’t get fat. Xie Zhao never slacked off during his lessons and had long since developed the lean physique of a young man. By no measure could he be called fat.

Only Noble Princess Consort Rong, who enjoyed teasing children, would call him fat.

“Your Highness, whatever Her Ladyship says, this servant believes it to be so.”

Qiu Tang said, clutching her faintly aching conscience, “Your Highness, please come with this servant. This servant will bring you some pastries.”

Before long, a table was filled with exquisite pastries from Zhaoyang Palace’s small kitchen, all in flavors that Xie Zhao loved. The Noble Consort didn’t care for pastries, so it was only when he used to visit Zhaoyang Palace often that the eunuchs in the small kitchen had a chance to show off their skills. As a result, Zhaoyang Palace’s small kitchen knew exactly what the Eldest Prince liked to eat.

Besides, when Noble Princess Consort Rong gave the order, she had specifically requested they be made in the Eldest Prince’s favorite flavors.

Even after her falling out with the Emperor, the rations and treatment for Zhaoyang Palace had not been reduced in the slightest. There was even a generous supply of white sugar, which was extremely expensive for the Yan Chi Ren.

When Noble Princess Consort Rong emerged after freshening up, she found the pastries almost untouched. She raised an eyebrow and said deliberately, “Just as I thought. Now that I’ve lost my power, Your Highness can’t even be bothered to eat the pastries from Zhaoyang Palace.”

“But Nanny Rong was the one who said I was too fat!”

“What’s wrong with being fat? It’s a blessing to be able to put on weight.”

Little Bun huffed. “Then I’ll give this blessing to Nanny Rong. Do you want it, Nanny Rong?”

He knew women all preferred slender figures.

This time, however, he wasn’t dealing with the reasonable Jiang Xian, but with the unreasonable Lady. Seeing the child dared to talk back, Noble Princess Consort Rong treated his cheeks like dough, kneading them for a while until they were flushed red. Only then did she give an order: “Pack up all these pastries. You’re to take them back to Bihua Palace to eat. If you don’t finish them, you’ll be disrespecting me.”

—————–

News of Noble Princess Consort Rong’s visit to Bihua Palace spread quickly through the harem.

Just as she had expected, people immediately assumed Noble Princess Consort Rong was going to ask for help.

The Pure Consort had a son and the Emperor’s favor. Her only weakness had been her family’s lack of power. But now that her cousin had achieved glorious military merits at court, if she were to plead for someone, her words would carry great weight with the Emperor.

Guo Xiao Yi snorted coldly. “Since she’s well enough to visit the Pure Consort, she must be fully recovered. She can’t possibly skip tomorrow’s morning greetings again!”

…

Lu Ronghua listened quietly, then sneered. “If I were the Pure Consort, I’d just shut the door and not see her. Let her wait outside, why bother with her? With the Noble Consort’s arrogant behavior in the harem, how many people are hoping for her downfall? It’s only because the Empress wants to cultivate a virtuous reputation that she protects her at every turn. I doubt the Noble Consort even looked up to the Empress when she was in power. Why bother…” She paused, her eyes glinting with excited malice. “Go and find out. Did the Pure Consort see her?”

…

Princess Consort Zhang lived the closest and also had spies watching the Noble Consort’s movements.

She had also established herself in the harem through her virtue and hoped for a promotion. Seeing that she couldn’t compete with Jiang Xian in favor, merit, or children, wouldn’t a vacancy open up if the other Noble Consort were demoted?

That being said, Princess Consort Zhang didn’t want to make any rash moves.

‘If I take down the Noble Consort, it’s not guaranteed I’ll become the next one.’

‘But if I don’t cause trouble, I’ll remain the well-behaved and obedient Lady Xianfei in the Emperor’s eyes, and I’ll never be left out of the annual rewards.’

…

This friendship, watched by everyone in the Six Palaces, was like an apple exposed to the air, quickly beginning to spoil.

A short while later, the little eunuch Lu Ronghua had sent to gather information returned, panting and looking uneasy.

“Reporting to Your Ladyship, when the Pure Consort heard the Noble Consort was visiting, she ignored her nanny’s advice and personally went out to greet her.”