Chapter 66 Xie Xuanxuan Enters the Palace

The first day of the third month in the twelfth year of Yongchun.

The chill of late spring winds and snow has not yet faded, but it is already a rare auspicious day, suitable for all activities.

As dawn broke, many carriages and sedan chairs began to travel along the official road towards the palace.

These carriages and sedan chairs stopped after reaching Shunzhen Gate, and many young and beautiful women alighted from their sedan chairs and were swallowed up into this magnificent imperial city.

Guanju Palace

Emperor Xuanpei went to the Taihe Hall to hold court early in the morning.

Ah Zhu, who usually goes to Kunning Palace to pay her respects early in the morning, is not making any move this time.

Because today is the first day that the young ladies-in-waiting have entered the palace, and Empress Wang, who still has a lot to worry about, gave orders early on to cancel today's greetings.

"Your Majesty."

Seeing that A-Zhu had woken up, Qing Liu brought over a bowl of bird's nest soup as usual: "Please soothe your throat."

A-Zhu reached out and took it. She took a sip, and then Green Lotus walked in.

"Your Majesty, the young ladies-in-waiting have begun entering the palace."

What's meant to come will come.

A-Zhu handed the soup bowl to Qing-Liu, then tidied up and got up.

After washing her face, she was helped to sit in front of a bronze mirror, where her image was clearly reflected.

A-Zhu stared at the slightly unfamiliar yet beautiful face in the bronze mirror, a face as lovely as a begonia in full bloom under the moon.

Her porcelain-white skin wasn't due to Mingxia's "folk remedy," but rather to some so-called system she obtained after taking over Jiang's identity.

After encountering the real Miss Jiang Liu several times, this thing finally stopped just tormenting Azhu with its constant "zzzzing" sounds and began to speak "human language" intermittently.

Jiang Liu had no relatives in this world, and Azhu's kinship was also weak.

Her father caught a cold not long after she was born and died a few days later.

Seeing that the orphaned mother and daughter had no way to survive, Madam Qian gritted her teeth and sold herself into the Jiang family, using her good breast milk as leverage.

Fearing she might be distracted and unable to properly care for the young master of the Jiang family, A-Zhu was left at the Jiang family's estate. Madam Qian spent some money to ask the farmers on the estate to take care of A-Zhu.

From the time she could remember, it seemed like Ah Zhu had always been fighting.

Back in the village, they would compete with other children for the best spot to catch fish in the river or climb the jujube tree... while their fathers would compete to gain face in front of their masters.

Even after entering the palace, the competition will only intensify.

They all strive to gain favor with the nanny, to secure a good job, and even now, A-Zhu is still vying for the emperor's favor, for riches and honors... and for a way to survive.

"Your Majesty."

Qingliu took several hairpins and held them up on Azhu's head, clearly wanting to ask her what she wanted to wear today.

"Now I'm afraid the whole palace wants to see me make a fool of myself."

A-Zhu smiled and shook her head, not letting Qing Liu use a hairpin for her, but instead reaching out to take a jade hairpin and inserting it into her temple.

"If they're not in a hurry, why should I be?"

A-Zhu, who had been whispering with Consort Feng for several days, is now very calm. After all, she was not the one who should be anxious from beginning to end, so why should she be in such a hurry to show off?

"They all want to see me make a fool of myself, but I also want to see them have their fun."

A-Zhu simply said, "If there's any commotion at Chuxiu Palace, just listen to it; there's no need to go out of your way to find out."

"We in the palace only need to keep an eye on news from the Emperor."

Seeing that A-Zhu was so calm and even seemed to be in a good mood, the people in Guanju Palace were not flustered at all and carried out their duties in an orderly manner.

......

Before being selected, the young ladies had to learn the rules in the Chuxiu Palace for nearly half a month to avoid offending the nobles in the palace.

Chuxiu Palace is located close to Yeting Palace, and is also a palace in a corner of the imperial city.

There are quite a few young women participating in this selection, after all, even if it's not for filling the harem, the candidates for marriage to the princes should be among these young women.

During the three-year selection process, only the Crown Princess was chosen.

If nothing unexpected happens, the wives of Prince Qi, Prince An, and Prince Rui will be among these noble ladies.

Even though the young ladies-in-waiting had some minor disagreements, they were mindful of being in the palace and none of them dared to cause any real trouble.

Several noble ladies of distinguished status were intentionally or unintentionally arranged to live together. For example, Lu Yinyue, the granddaughter of Minister Wen, lived in the same courtyard as Wang Xihui, the younger sister of the Empress and a noble lady from the Wang family.

Sharing a room with the two girls were two young women from the countryside who had come to the capital. One was the eldest daughter of Prefect He of Guangrong, and the other was the daughter of the Sun family, who was an advisor to the Prefect of Lianyang. Both girls were young and lively, and they always had something to talk about when they got together.

On their first day in the palace, mindful of the long journey, the head maid specially asked the young ladies to rest early.

At night, Lu Yinyue lay on the couch, looking at the faint moonlight shining through the window, when she heard Miss He and Miss Sun talking together again.

The night in the palace was very quiet, and even though the two of them spoke very softly, Lu Yinyue and Wang Xihui could still hear them clearly.

"I heard about it when I came here."

Miss He said, "In this palace, the most favored person right now is Consort Jiang."

"Me too, me too," Miss Sun readily agreed, then lowered her voice.

"That Consort Jiang, is she the former member of the Jiang clan...?"

Thanks to the help of so many "kind-hearted" nobles in the palace, A-Zhu's identity was never concealed from beginning to end.

Not only the imperial harem, but even the court officials have offered their advice on this matter.

However, given Emperor Xuanpei's temperament, he thought that it was his own business who he favored, and he couldn't possibly be forced by the court officials to summon any concubine.

Moreover, he thought Ah Zhu was pitiful and adorable, and naturally obedient, though she was often uneasy and only wanted him to stay by her side.

He neither neglected state affairs nor undertook large-scale construction projects... Therefore, whenever Emperor Xuanpei encountered court officials who used Azhu's status as a convict slave to ramble on and on, he would not be polite and would simply order the "Mingli Si" (the Bureau of Justice) to investigate.

Any case of dereliction of duty or corruption uncovered will be dealt with severely, with multiple offenses punished concurrently.

People usually speak eloquently and righteously before the emperor in the morning, but are imprisoned at night.

Unless you are a saint reincarnated and have never done anything wrong since you entered the court, try dragging A-Zhu into gossiping in front of the emperor.

Emperor Xuanpei made no attempt to conceal his protectiveness of his own... successfully teaching his court officials to shut up.

While they outwardly suppressed the affair, the harsher the words spoken behind the scenes became. The story of Ah Zhu "climbing the dragon's bed" has evolved into countless versions.

Even the newly arrived palace ladies-in-waiting know this.

While He and Sun were whispering to each other, they said that they were afraid that being "proactive" by nature would make them more favored by the emperor.

That's a rather bold and absurd statement.

But as the saying goes, different grains feed different people. With so many women participating in the selection, who knows, maybe one of the "smart" ones will actually listen to reason?

There's no harm in "testing" it on someone else, so why not?

Whether they were truly clever or just pretending, Mrs. He and Mrs. Sun became increasingly agitated as they whispered among themselves.

It sounds like someone desperately wants to "bump into" the emperor right away, and if they're more proactive, they could become a concubine in the palace.

Hearing these words, Lu Yinyue couldn't help but sit up and look at the two of them. As she turned her head, she met Wang Xihui's gaze... Wang Xihui smiled and nodded to Lu Yinyue in greeting.

Wang Xihui, with her delicate eyebrows and beautiful eyes, seemed to have a completely different temperament from Empress Wang, who was from the same clan.

That's right.

For Lady Wang, having an Empress Wang who always held her head high and never bowed down was already enough. Sending another "unyielding" woman into the palace would just be plain stupid and cause trouble.

There was a soft knock on the door.

The voice of the night watchwoman could be heard from outside.

"It's getting late, please get some rest, ladies."

"We need to go to Jingxiang Hall early tomorrow morning."

He and Sun fell silent immediately, their faces flushed, and slunk back to their respective beds.

Lu Yinyue and Wang Xihui went back to sleep, and the room returned to silence.

But Lu Yinyue, who had returned to bed, tossed and turned and found it difficult to fall asleep.

Prince Rui... Thinking of that young man, who was noble and refined, with a slightly sickly air about him, yet full of arrogance and pride, and who blushed slightly in front of her, Lu Yinyue felt a dull ache in her heart.

A young girl's feelings can fall in an instant.

Lu Yinyue's thoughts naturally fell upon the blush on the handsome young man's face.

But she had to enter the palace.

She couldn't stand by and watch Jiang's reputation be tarnished and ruined by people pointing fingers and rotting away on A-Zhu, leaving nothing behind.

Grand Secretary Wen only assured her that she would definitely enter the palace, but what rank she would receive was completely unknown.

But no matter what rank they hold, they are absolutely no match for Ah-Zhu.

In Lu Yinyue's eyes, Ah Zhu, who was utterly devoid of intelligence and outwardly fierce but inwardly weak, was nothing special.

Of course, if A-Zhu were still in the Jiang family, she would be well taken care of, since she would become an excellent geisha to entertain distinguished guests.

But those "distinguished guests" have seen it all, so who would really be interested in such an empty-headed "vase"?

However, the imperial favor Ah Zhu has received these days is truly astonishing.

Lu Yinyue thought countless times, if only Azhu had a little thought of asking the emperor to clear the name of the Jiang clan... would that have already been accomplished?

"Jiang Shi Azhu..."

Lu Yinyue murmured silently—

She was certain that someone as cowardly and lacking in courage as Ah Zhu was currently trying to avoid her, thus deceiving himself into becoming a "coward."

It's impossible to expect Ah Zhu to take the initiative.

She needs to find a way to see Ah Zhu first.

Of course, there are opportunities. After the selected ladies are granted a title and enter the palace, they will have an audience with the entire palace.

She had to seize the opportunity to shatter Ah Zhu's delusion that he could hide and stand idly by.

As for obtaining a certain rank, Lu Yinyue couldn't do much for the time being.

However, Lu Yinyue had carefully considered the palace where she would reside after entering the palace, and Guanju Palace naturally became her first choice.

Now only Azhu lives here.

Not only was there less trouble with people coming and going and too many eyes on them, but it also made it easier for Lu Yinyue to discuss things with Azhu.

All these plans sound like they're putting Ah Zhu under a lot of pressure.

But who made her so favored by the emperor and so prominent because she bore the name of the Jiang family?

For years, Lu Yinyue has lived a life of utter despair, like a "lone ghost," enduring daily torment.

She even saw herself as a pawn, ruthlessly giving up everything to enter the palace, cutting off all her escape routes.

Can we expect her to have any compassionate heart like Amitabha Buddha towards others?

From beginning to end, she only had two paths for herself—

Either we can clear Jiang's name so that she can openly worship her relatives, and Azhu can also take care of his birth mother, leading to a happy ending for everyone.

Either we all die together, on the road to vindicating the Jiang family.

......

After the young women entered the palace, the chill of spring gradually faded in the capital.

The sky, which had been gloomy for several days, brightened up early today. The morning light was warm, the sky was clear and sunny, and it was a lovely day with a gentle spring breeze.

It wasn't a court assembly, and when A-Zhu woke up, Emperor Xuanpei was still asleep.

She shifted her waist slightly, slowly moving out of Emperor Xuanpei's embrace. The sleeping Emperor Xuanpei frowned, then pulled her back, burying his head in her neck and falling asleep.

Perhaps it was because the weather was so nice, the light shining through the silk gauze was exceptionally soft, and A-Zhu was in a good mood. She smiled and held Emperor Xuanpei's hand, rubbing it back and forth, and then compared its size with her own hand.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Ah Zhu's soft, smiling face. Emperor Xuanpei smiled and kissed Ah Zhu's ear.

"Why did you wake up so early?"

"His Majesty has awakened." Ah Zhu smiled with delight and turned to lie on Emperor Xuanpei's chest.

"The weather is so nice today, shall we go to the West Garden to see the peach blossoms in full bloom?"

Emperor Xuanpei casually took Azhu's hand, which was curled up in front of his chest, and kissed it on the side of his lips, then lowered his eyes and smiled as he teased her.

"Oh, you're not going to Kunning Palace to pay your respects today?"

Ah Zhu chuckled obsequiously.

“It’s a small matter to show off in front of them. It’s more important to accompany His Majesty to enjoy the spring scenery, since the weather is so nice.”

Listen to what A-Zhu has to say.

Emperor Xuanpei, who always seemed to be her top priority, couldn't help but smile and pinch Azhu's cheek.

"Let me see, did they secretly eat honey first thing this morning?"

Ah Zhu smiled, her eyes crinkling, "With His Majesty by my side, I'm practically living in a sugar pot, why would I need to eat anything more?"

After saying that, A-Zhu hugged Emperor Xuanpei's arm and pleaded in a clingy, coquettish manner, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please take your concubine to the garden."

How could Emperor Xuanpei possibly refuse?

He smiled and ruffled A-Zhu's hair, replying repeatedly, "Alright, let's go to the West Garden."

With Emperor Xuanpei on her side, Azhu naturally didn't need to worry about other trivial matters; the all-powerful Eunuch Chen had everything prepared.

As for whether Empress Wang looked good or not when the imperial messenger came to Kunning Palace to ask for leave on behalf of Azhu, that's another matter.

After all, Empress Wang was unhappy when A-Zhu went to Kunning Palace to pay his respects and caused a scene. When A-Zhu used the excuse of accompanying the emperor to avoid paying his respects at Kunning Palace, everyone was even more unhappy.

......

Ah Zhu was looking forward to going to the garden on a nice day, and the ladies-in-waiting in Chuxiu Palace were also thinking of taking advantage of the weather to go out for a stroll.

Seeing that the young ladies in Chuxiu Palace had been feeling cooped up in the gloomy weather for several days, and knowing that the ladies in the palace had all gone to Kunning Palace to pay their respects at this hour... the head maid finally relented, only instructing them to return before the greetings ended, so as not to offend the nobles.

And so, a group of people who were "of one mind" bumped into each other.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

May Your Majesty be blessed with good fortune and endless happiness.

The sight of a group of beautiful, shy, and nervous young women paying their respects together was truly delightful.

Upon encountering this unexpected event, A-Zhu's eyes unconsciously darted back and forth among the young ladies... but he did not see Lu Yin-Yue.

Emperor Xuanpei wouldn't put on a cold face or act like an emperor in front of these young ladies-in-waiting.

On the contrary, when Ah Zhu is by his side at all times, he is always in a good mood, and his expression is always gentle.

He waved his hand to dismiss the formalities, but did not speak to the young ladies. He simply took A-Zhu with him to the West Garden.

The remaining ladies-in-waiting watched Emperor Xuanpei leave.

After the imperial carriage had moved a little further away, the crowd was quiet for a moment before a "whoosh" sound broke out.

Emperor Xuanpei was, after all, the Son of Heaven. Whether he wanted to enter the palace to serve the emperor or not is another matter. Just consider how many people in this world have the opportunity to meet the emperor.

Moreover, Emperor Xuanpei rarely showed such a gentle expression, with a smile in his eyes.

A-Zhu wore a light blue begonia-patterned skirt, while Emperor Xuanpei wore a light blue cloud-patterned wide-sleeved casual robe.

Emperor Xuanpei was tall with strong features and deep-set eyes, which made him very imposing. However, with a beautiful and delicate woman by his side, his fierceness was softened, making his gentleness even more alluring.

The head maid, who was keeping a close eye on the movements of the young ladies-in-waiting, quickly sent them back to the Chuxiu Palace.

The young women couldn't help but repeatedly mention the emperor they had seen.

Soon, not only the young ladies of Chuxiu Palace knew, but the entire palace knew that Emperor Xuanpei had taken Consort Jiang to the garden early in the morning.

The teacups in Kunning Palace haven't survived more than a few days since Emperor Xuanpei stopped stepping into Kunning Palace.

Before lunchtime, Wang Xihui was summoned to Kunning Palace.

Wang Xihui was born delicate and beautiful, with a gentle and non-aggressive temperament, quite different from Azhu, who had a bewitching and jade-like appearance.

Seeing her respectfully bow and greet her, Empress Wang, who had been ignoring her, was no longer as angry as before.

When they called the person over, the two inevitably started by catching up.

Empress Wang, who caused headaches for the Wang clan, was naturally someone Wang Xihui had to rack her brains over.

But to be honest, Empress Wang's personality is not hard to figure out.

Wang Xihui simply pretended to listen attentively to Empress Wang's teachings or admonitions, occasionally offering a well-timed compliment and mentioning how much the household cared for Empress Wang. Empress Wang's expression towards Wang Xihui became much more pleasant.

Empress Wang thought to herself, "They are family after all, and they are of one mind with me."

"Sui'er".

"I suppose you've heard about these things in the palace while you were in your residence. I won't hide it from you, the reason I'm bringing you into the palace is because of that remnant of the Jiang family."

Empress Wang patted Wang Xihui's hand.

When she mentioned A-Zhu, her eyes darkened with a hint of gritted teeth and hatred.

"This lowly maid has acquired a whole host of seductive skills."

"Now the Emperor is so bewitched that he ignores everything the people in the palace say..."

Of course, despite the criticism, Empress Wang couldn't help but bring up A-Zhu's methods when speaking to Wang Xi-Sui.

"If the Emperor's will is so, there is really nothing I can do."

"Sui'er, you are so beautiful. If you are willing to serve the Emperor well and put an end to that lowly servant's arrogant behavior, I will certainly not treat you unfairly."

Wang Xihui did not really agree with Empress Wang's "guidance on serving the emperor".

Everyone is different, and everyone has a unique personality. How can you force someone to change their ways?

"Your Majesty."

Wang Xihui, who knew how to flatter Empress Wang but wouldn't blindly obey, said softly, "Jiang Shi is truly beautiful; even among the imperial concubines, few can match her."

"Only the Empress Dowager's relatives, the two sisters from the Shu family, can compare with her."

Seeing that Empress Wang had a long face and looked displeased, Wang Xihui remained calm.

"Your Majesty, you are the mother of the nation, and you have been husband and wife with the Emperor for many years... Sui'er is not as dignified as you, and I am afraid that I will be timid before I even open my mouth when I meet the Emperor."

"Everyone says that thunder and rain are both blessings from heaven... In this palace, I'm afraid only the Empress Dowager has any dignity."

"Your Majesty, when Sui'er entered the palace, she heard that Consort Jiang had suffered a miscarriage in Shou Kang Palace."

"After all, they are flesh and blood; how can the bond between mother and child be so easily broken?"

Empress Wang looked at Wang Xihui and remained silent for a moment.

What was the purpose of the palace's efforts to bring Empress Dowager Shu back to the palace?

Naturally, it was to get rid of Azhu.

But ever since Azhu miscarried, Empress Dowager Shu has been using illness as an excuse to disappear from public life. In fact, whenever there was something to discuss, she would first send Azhu, the Empress, out to deliver the message.

Now that she has been repeatedly humiliated as Empress, Empress Dowager Shu is happy to watch from the sidelines.

Seeing Empress Wang's expression shift from gloomy to thoughtful, Wang Xihui felt slightly relieved.

The Wang family really wished they could give Empress Wang a brain transplant. How could the Empress be so jealous and confrontational with a concubine?

And all the bonds of affection in this world will eventually weaken.

Wang Xihui had thought it through clearly: it was time for her to make her move only after others had worked to weaken the relationship between Consort Jiang and the Emperor.

......

Empress Wang and Consort Zhang were jointly in charge of the selection process.

Seeing that Ah Zhu was truly favored by the emperor, Consort Zhang, who had hidden worries, did not take the opportunity to cause trouble even though she knew that Lady Wang intended to send someone into the palace.

Everything went smoothly in Chuxiu Palace. On the fifteenth of March, the young ladies participated in the selection process to meet the emperor outside Tiyuan Hall.

Five people were selected to enter the palace this time.

That very night, the palaces where the young ladies would reside after entering the palace were listed and sent to the Emperor, who was waiting for the Emperor to determine their positions before issuing an edict.

Consort Feng kindly advised Azhu to resist the urge to whisper in Emperor Xuanpei's ear to put Lu Yinyue in a bad mood.

After all, since A-Zhu insisted that she was a member of the Jiang family and forgot about other things, she had nothing to do with the Lu family. Any grudges she might have were due to "competing for favor".

Afraid that she couldn't resist the urge to "slander," A-Zhu didn't even go to Hanyuan Palace. Instead, she stayed in Guanju Palace under the pretense of "jealousy." It was Sancai and Sixi who went to inquire about the new bride's rank.

"Your Majesty," San Cai rushed over to report as soon as he returned, "the two sisters from the Shu family have both been granted the rank of Noble Lady of the Fifth Grade."

After Sancai finished speaking, Sixi continued, "The Empress's younger sister, Miss Wang, has been granted the title of Liangyuan, a fifth-rank official."

"The granddaughter of Grand Secretary Wen was granted the title of a beauty of the sixth rank."

"The daughter of Vice Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Justice has been granted the rank of Lady of the Sixth Rank."

This result is not unexpected.

Qingliu handed Azhu some jujube tea.

"Your Majesty, according to tradition, the young ladies-in-waiting officially enter the palace on the 25th of the third month."

Ah Zhu slowly nodded.

A-Zhu didn't care how many women would come into the palace.

Only Lu Yinyue... clearly, with her current status, she could even compete for the position of the principal wife of one of the princes.

But she still ended up entering the palace.

A-Zhu knew that she couldn't get rid of this stumbling block, and that Lu Yin-Yue would never be able to rightfully reclaim her Jiang family identity in this lifetime.

Logically speaking, given the "pleasing" and righteous nature of the story, Ah Zhu should have been more sensible and proactively facilitated this "tale of loyalty and bravery."

But Ah Zhu has never been a magnanimous person.

At such a young and innocent age, she had never sworn a solemn oath of loyalty to the Jiang family.

She refused to grant her wish.

......

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Author's Note: Let's jump on the bandwagon! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]