Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Zhaoyang Palace.

Chi Chun had noticed that Consort Su from the neighboring quarters had returned quite some time ago, yet her own mistress remained nowhere in sight. A flicker of worry stirred within her heart. Just as she was about to send someone to search, she suddenly heard a commotion from outside.

Hurriedly stepping out into the Yuqiong Garden, Chi Chun was startled to see her mistress returning accompanied by the Emperor. Immediately understanding the situation, she smiled warmly and whispered a quick command:

“Hurry, prepare tea, and send word to the imperial kitchen to bring the meal.”

Nong Qiu, sharing the same excitement but restraining herself, quickly responded.

Zhu Qingwan took in Chi Chun’s instructions with a smile, feigning a slight blush and lowering her gaze softly. “Will His Majesty stay to dine with me?”

She truly possessed a delicate beauty; the faintest hint of shyness on her face was utterly captivating. Xu Yancheng, having some leisure time today, was not in a hurry, and after all, if he had no feelings at all, he wouldn’t have accompanied Zhu Qingwan back.

But Xu Yanheng did not respond straightforwardly. Instead, he said somewhat indirectly, “I owe you an apology for last night.”

Zhu Qingwan was taken aback.

Clearly, he was aware that he had gone to Ganquan Palace the previous night, and she would have faced some hushed gossip during her morning greeting. Yet compared to the heir apparent, she was insignificant, and he did not care.

In that instant, Zhu Qingwan suddenly realized the coldness Xu Yanheng held toward the women of the harem—his words were empty, merely a formality feigning concern and apology, without any real compensation. A simple sentence to brush it all aside.

Her eyes trembled slightly. She refrained from mentioning her earlier remarks at court and in the palace, instead lowering her gaze and softly admitting, “It was indeed a little hurtful.”

After all, he was the one who had broken his promise last night, and she had waited in vain.

No matter how understanding, she could not help but feel some emotion.

Xu Yanheng was surprised. He glanced at the woman before him. The women of the palace all seemed to wear masks; no matter how much resentment or dissatisfaction they harbored, their faces always showed understanding and gentleness.

Xu Yanheng had seen this too often and was long accustomed to it.

Just as Zhu Qingwan suspected, he did not truly care about her hurt feelings last night. Had she been self-aware, she would not have compared herself to the heir apparent.

Before Xu Yanheng could speak, Zhu Qingwan looked up at him, her voice barely above a whisper:

“But now that His Majesty has come, I no longer feel wronged.”

Xu Yanheng glanced at her hands entwined with a handkerchief. She seemed a little nervous from this confession, her eyes trembling as they met his, making it impossible to doubt her sincerity. Suddenly, Xu Yanheng recalled that when they left the imperial garden earlier, she had been holding his fingers in a similar way. He raised an eyebrow with a subtle meaning.

News among the servants spread swiftly. The arrival of the imperial carriage to Yuqiong Garden was no secret. Thus, Nong Qiu went to convey the order, and the imperial kitchen wasted no time, soon returning with palace maids carrying the meal alongside Nong Qiu.

The steward eunuch of the imperial kitchen clicked his tongue in admiration. This Consort Zhu was truly fortunate.

Last night, she had missed the chance to attend the Emperor at Ganquan Palace, yet today she had encountered him in the imperial garden. Whether by chance or design was irrelevant; what mattered most was that she had His Majesty accompany her back to the palace—a remarkable feat indeed.

Consort Su, upon hearing the commotion outside, had sent Qingli to investigate. Once she learned that the Emperor had accompanied Consort Zhu back to Yuqiong Garden, she quietly fell silent for a moment.

She turned her head toward Yuqiong Garden, contemplating how turbulent Consort Zhu’s fate truly was.

When she had awoken that day and heard that Consort Zhu had not attended the Emperor the previous night, she could not quite place the feelings in her heart. In this palace, surely no one wished to see another favored more than themselves.

Especially since Consorts Su and Zhu Qingwan shared the same quarters, the more favored Zhu Qingwan became, the lonelier Changchun Pavilion felt.

Consort Su had been in a good mood since morning, which had remained even during court and palace affairs, only now beginning to wane.

Who would have thought that fortune would so repeatedly smile upon Consort Zhu?

With this, no one in the palace would ridicule Consort Zhu’s disappointment last night; rather, they would envy her favor with His Majesty today.

Consort Su reflected quietly—she truly was lucky.

From the moment she entered the palace, she caught the Emperor’s eye. More than that, even the Noble Consort sought to win her favor, unlike herself, who had to scheme endlessly and dirty her hands to gain the Noble Consort’s attention.

No one in the palace was not attentive to news about His Majesty. Opinions varied regarding Xu Yanheng dining at Yuqiong Garden.

Ganquan Palace.

Consort Yu had just visited the Second Prince. Upon leaving the side hall, she heard the news and did not even lift her eyelids. “With a face like hers, being favored was only a matter of time. But who knows if she’s delicate enough to bear the burden.”

Consort Yu had little opinion of Consort Zhu.

Last night’s event was unexpected. She held no particular view of Consort Zhu, but the fact that His Majesty had gone to see someone else left a slight bitterness in her heart.

Soon enough, her thoughts shifted away from Consort Zhu. Qin Xin supported her and quietly reported the morning’s greeting news.

Consort Yu’s eyes hardened instantly. “If Lady Li cannot keep her tongue, then she should be silenced once and for all!”

Qin Xin tightened her breath, knowing this was just her lady’s anger and did not respond.

Consort Yu’s irritation with Lady Li was momentary. Her true concern was Noble Consort Yang. She knew well that as long as the Second Prince’s Jade Register was not revised, her position as the prince’s mother would never be legitimate and proper.

Unfortunately, despite the Second Prince’s near-fatal incident, His Majesty had still not recorded the prince under her name in the register.

Consort Yu lifted her head and bit out, “In my care for the Second Prince, in what way do I fall short of her?”

The Second Prince had been nurtured at her side for three years. She personally attended to him in every matter. Whenever he was unwell, she cared for him day and night. She considered him as her own child. So why did the Emperor refuse to officially acknowledge the prince under her name?

As for Noble Consort Yang, Consort Yu could not help but sneer coldly.

Ungrateful to the extreme, she bore resentment every day, blaming Consort Yu for taking the Second Prince, never once remembering her own low rank at the time—how could she have been entrusted with raising an imperial heir?

Even if Consort Yu had not existed, there would have been other consorts to raise the prince. At least Consort Yu had gratitude for the hardships of bearing an heir and spoke well of Noble Consort Yang before the Emperor. Otherwise, Noble Consort Yang would have remained only a concubine.

Noble Consort Yang thought that without Consort Yu, given her credit for giving birth to the heir, the Emperor might have forgiven her and promoted her to raise the prince herself. She failed to realize how many consorts had borne imperial sons in the late emperor’s harem and yet remained unnoticed.

If it were not for Noble Consort Yang’s bitterness, Consort Yu would not have forbidden her from visiting the Second Prince.

Noble Consort Yang’s ill intentions and frequent contact with the prince would only estrange Consort Yu from him. Consort Yu could never accept such a result.

Qin Xin sensed her lady’s injustice and hastened to comfort her: “Your care for the Second Prince is as vast as the heavens and earth. His Majesty will see through Noble Consort Yang’s true nature in time.”

Consort Yu took a deep breath and sneered, “If not for her, my precious child would not have nearly died! And she has the gall to call herself his birth mother—how laughable!”

Recalling the near-suffocation incident with the Second Prince, Qin Xin also felt a chill. Their lady treated the prince as her own child, and naturally, they as servants treated him as their true young master.

They had believed Noble Consort Yang to be the prince’s birth mother and never imagined she would harm him. Gradually, they relaxed during her visits, only to discover the unpredictability of the human heart.

Consort Yu was convinced that incident was a deliberate plot by Noble Consort Yang to claim the prince back under the pretext of negligence. Since then, no reconciliation was possible between them.

Consort Yu refused to speak of Noble Consort Yang further. Everyone has their weak spots, and she had concerns. Were it not for fearing the harm Noble Consort Yang might suffer and the resulting estrangement with the prince, she would have removed her from the palace long ago.

Her eyes filled with coldness. “She’d better not exhaust all my patience.”

Otherwise, no matter her concerns, she would no longer tolerate Noble Consort Yang.

Qin Xin did not attempt to dissuade her. In her eyes, Noble Consort Yang had always been a source of trouble.

Once the prince attained a high rank, if Noble Consort Yang remained alive, who could say whether he would feel greater gratitude for his birth or for his nurturing?

Unaware of the thoughts of others, Zhu Qingwan was usually meticulous. During lunch, she tried to observe Xu Yanheng’s preferences but found he had none to speak of.

The meal ended without any useful information gained, leaving her no leverage for future favors through culinary delight.

She lightly tugged at her lips, giving up.

Xu Yanheng naturally noticed how attentively she ate and, finding it amusing, deliberately instructed Wei Ziming to sample every dish on the table.

Seeing her barely concealed disappointment, Xu Yanheng smiled slightly after leaving Yuqiong Garden.

Wei Ziming, sensing the Emperor’s good mood, breathed easier. It seemed this Consort Zhu was quite favored.

After a moment, Xu Yanheng recalled Zhu Qingwan’s words. The image of her somewhat refined face flickered through his mind. He tapped the handle of the imperial carriage and said leisurely:

“I recall the golden swallows and snail shells brought this year have not been fully distributed.”

Wei Ziming caught the hint immediately. “Your Majesty remembers correctly. Besides one remaining bag of snail shells, there are two boxes of golden swallows left.”

Xu Yanheng nodded faintly.

“Send them to Yuqiong Garden.”

It was meaningless, not a compensation.

He just thought she suited such precious things—requiring rare and delicate care to bloom in their best colors.

Wei Ziming glanced at the Emperor and, upon returning to the imperial court, personally delivered the items to Yuqiong Garden.

Zhu Qingwan was about to rest. After all, spending time with Xu Yanheng required constant vigilance and maintaining perfect decorum, leaving her both physically and mentally exhausted. Yet Wei Ziming’s arrival instantly made her feel honored and radiant.

This was the very hope she had upon entering the palace.

She glanced at the silver tray carried by the servant behind Wei Ziming and asked with restrained shyness, yet unmistakable joy, “Why have you returned, Steward Wei?”

Sunlight warmed her exquisite features, enhancing her delicate beauty.

Wei Ziming faced this scene. After a moment, he bowed his head briefly before smiling and saying:

“I have returned on behalf of His Majesty to deliver these gifts to Consort Zhu.”

Along with the golden swallows and snail shells Xu Yanheng mentioned, there were also some jewelry pieces and ornamental items, arrayed across several trays.

Wei Ziming made a point to say, “The golden swallows and snail shells are scarce each year. This year, only the Noble Consort and Consort Yu have received them in their quarters.”

Zhu Qingwan blinked. She favored precious and rare objects above all. Her slender fingers brushed over the brocade box as her eyes curved gently.

“Please convey my thanks to His Majesty through Steward Wei.”

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