Chapter 145 Falling Out of Favor
In Weiyang Palace, Jiang Huan stared at the unopened food box on the table, her heart heavy with sorrow.
"Light and restrained? Unsuitable for consumption?"
She picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs, took a vicious bite, and her cheeks bulged out.
I wonder who used to keep thinking about how delicious food was, and now they're acting like emperors to her?
That bastard.
Amnesia is nothing special, yet you still call her Consort Zhuang.
The imperial physician told him to rest quietly, not to be made into an ice cube.
While venting her anger by biting into sweet and sour pork ribs, Jiang Huan cursed Huo Lin in her heart.
But as she continued to rant, that feeling of grievance welled up again, her nose stung, and the ribs in her mouth suddenly lost their flavor.
She angrily threw down her chopsticks, deciding to avoid seeing or hearing about it.
"Xiao Zhao!" she called out.
Xiao Zhao immediately entered: "Your Majesty?"
"Take all this food," Jiang Huan pointed to the food box, her hand moving with a ruthless force, "and dump it all out..."
But when she was about to say it, she waved her hand dismissively.
"Never mind, let's share it with the staff, don't waste it."
Wasting food is shameful; Huo Lin's failure to appreciate its value is his loss.
Seeing her mistress's disappointed and conflicted expression, Xiao Zhao felt a pang of heartache and quickly responded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Jiang Huan's depression did not dissipate. She walked to the window and looked at the bright sunlight outside, only to find it dazzling.
Meanwhile, a considerable amount of news has already spread within the palace.
When the Emperor recovered from his injuries and awoke, he didn't even recognize Consort Zhuang, whom he had once favored the most, and even drove her out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
I heard that Consort Zhuang personally cooked some desserts and sent them to the Emperor, but he refused them all.
For a time, the hearts of people in the harem were in turmoil.
At Weiyang Palace, Jiang Huan was listlessly leaning against the window reading a storybook, her mind preoccupied with Huo Lin, barely turning a few pages.
At this moment, a palace maid announced the news.
"Consort Jia has arrived!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a fragrant breeze carrying the tinkling sound of jade pendants wafted in.
Consort Jia, accompanied by two or three palace maids, strode in aggressively. Upon seeing Jiang Huan leaning against the wall, she curled her lips into a smirk, making no attempt to conceal her gloating.
"Oh my, isn't this our Consort Zhuang?"
Consort Jia's voice was shrill, filled with exaggerated concern, "I heard that my sister stayed up all night in the Hall of Mental Cultivation yesterday. She must have worked so hard. It's just a pity that His Majesty doesn't remember you."
Jiang Huan was already annoyed and couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to Consort Jia. She didn't even lift her eyelids and pretended to be reading and not hearing anything.
Seeing this, Granny Deng, who was standing next to Jiang Huan, stepped forward.
"This old servant greets Consort Jia. May I ask what brings Your Highness to Weiyang Palace?"
Consort Jia felt a tightness in her chest from Jiang Huan's attitude. When she saw that it was Granny Deng who stepped forward to answer, she felt even more slighted.
Jiang Huan is now a disfavored concubine, yet she still dares to put on airs in front of her!
She snorted coldly and walked straight up to Jiang Huan, raising her voice several decibels.
"I'm speaking to you, Jiang Huan. Now that you've fallen out of favor, have you forgotten even the most basic manners and etiquette? Don't you even bow and greet me?"
Jiang Huan then nodded perfunctorily to Consort Jia, as if she had just noticed her.
"Greetings, Your Highness. May I ask what brings you here?"
Oh, dressed so festively, she's afraid others won't know how happy she is.
Jiang Huan rolled her eyes inwardly, hoping that Consort Jia would leave quickly and stop bothering her.
Consort Jia was so angry at her attitude that her eyebrows shot up.
"What kind of attitude is this? If the Emperor has forgotten you, it's because you're not fortunate enough. Look at you now, who are you trying to fool!"
"Your Majesty is too kind. I was simply exhausted from keeping watch last night, which has caused Your Majesty to misunderstand. As for His Majesty's favor..."
Jiang Huan chuckled softly and finally looked directly at Consort Jia.
"Both thunder and rain are the Emperor's grace, at least I have received it. Moreover, His Majesty is currently unwell and needs to rest. As concubines, we should naturally behave ourselves. What do you say, Your Highness?"
Consort Jia was so speechless by her words that her face turned red and white in turns.
Isn't this implying that she has never received the Emperor's favor and is still not behaving herself?
She came to see Jiang Huan distraught and weeping, not to listen to her sarcastic remarks.
Consort Jia pointed at Jiang Huan, her voice shrill.
"How dare you! Jiang Huan, do you still think you're the favored concubine the Emperor cherished? He doesn't even remember who you are anymore. A forgotten, abandoned woman, how dare you stand before me..."
"Your Highness, please be careful what you say!"
Granny Deng suddenly stepped forward, blocking Jiang Huan's path and interrupting Consort Jia's increasingly harsh rebuke.
Consort Jia was so shocked by the blow that she almost couldn't catch her breath, and her eyes instantly turned red with anger.
"Who do you think you are? You have no right to interrupt me!"
Granny Deng stood ramrod straight and met her gaze calmly.
"This old servant dares to beg Your Highness to calm your anger."
"Consort Zhuang is a consort personally appointed by the Emperor. Her words about being a discarded woman are presumptuous and detrimental to the royal family's decorum. They are not befitting the demeanor of a consort. If this matter is spread, it may damage Consort Zhuang's reputation."
She paused slightly, not giving Consort Jia a chance to interrupt, and continued, "His Majesty has just recovered from his illness, and the imperial physicians have repeatedly instructed him to rest quietly. As for the sisters in the harem, they should naturally prioritize His Majesty's health and keep to their duties."
"If Your Highness's arrival at Weiyang Palace at this time is merely to visit Consort Zhuang, this old servant thanks Your Highness for your concern on behalf of my mistress. If it is for other reasons..."
Deng Mama's gaze fell on the faces of the palace maids watching the commotion behind Consort Jia, and she said meaningfully, "I'm afraid it will not only be of no benefit to the Emperor's rest, but will also cause trouble and make outsiders laugh at us, thinking that there is unrest in my harem."
"If His Majesty asks at that time, although this old servant and Consort Zhuang are of low rank and have little influence, we can only report the truth."
Consort Jia's chest heaved violently, and her carefully applied makeup could not conceal her exasperation.
"you!"
Consort Jia wanted to refute, but found that every word Deng Mama said was reasonable and piercing, especially when she mentioned the Emperor, which made her even more wary.
Granny Deng maintained her bowed posture, her eyes lowered, her posture extremely humble, yet she stood like a wall, firmly protecting Jiang Huan behind her.
Jiang Huan then raised her eyes and glanced at Consort Jia indifferently.
She simply didn't have time to play along with Consort Jia's antics; Consort Jia herself probably couldn't stand it anymore.
"If Your Highness has nothing else to say, I will not keep you any longer. Please take care."
Jiang Huan's tone was indifferent and aloof, making no attempt to hide her intention to drive the guest away.
Consort Jia looked at the master and servant, her heart filled with anger and sarcasm, burning with pain in her internal organs.
"Good, very good!"
She spat out a few words through gritted teeth, giving Jiang Huan a venomous glare.
"Jiang Huan, there's plenty of time ahead. You won't be smug for long."
After saying that, she flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.
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