Chapter Four: Confinement
Now that the Empress is without a master, apart from paying her respects to the Empress Dowager once a month, Jiang Huan doesn't get up until the sun is high in the sky every day.
Oh right, Consort Yu occasionally wants to show off her power, making her kneel down to give a lecture early in the morning. Since the court session starts early, Jiang Huan got up even earlier today.
When Huo Lin was woken up, his eyes were as cold as ice. He sat on the dragon bed with his robes disheveled, his sharp eyebrows and eyes weary, with a kind of indifference that seemed to have seen through the world.
[Haha, I'm going to court on an empty stomach again. How am I still alive?]
As Jiang Huan tied his dragon robe, she heard his almost desperate words explode: the rule of emperors throughout history was to have breakfast after court.
I get up at four in the morning and don't get to eat breakfast until eight or nine.
Jiang Huan felt miserable just thinking about it. Taking advantage of Huo Lin rinsing his mouth, Jiang Huan secretly removed the apricot blossom cakes from the outer hall table, wrapped a few pieces in a handkerchief and put them in her hand.
She had originally planned to secretly bring these back to the palace as snacks today, since the pastries in the Hall of Mental Cultivation were definitely better than those in her palace. However, Jiang Huan had just seen Huo Lin secretly glancing at her several times, and because Wang Degui was still serving her, she couldn't make a move at all.
"Your Majesty, these court beads seem to be slightly crooked."
Jiang Huan stepped forward to block Wang Degui's view and secretly slipped the handkerchief containing the apricot blossom cake into Huo Lin's palm.
"The morning court session is long and arduous; Your Majesty, please remember to take care of your health."
Jiang Huan's words seemed out of nowhere, but when Huo Lin pinched the soft, crumbly pastry in his palm, his pupils visibly widened.
[What is this? Could it be apricot blossom cake? Consort Jiang, you... are quite to my liking!]
Those ministers are such a chatterbox; I can sneak a bite while they're rambling on... so I won't be starving this morning!
Yay!
Huo Lin's sudden cheerful tone startled Jiang Huan; even a few pieces of apricot blossom cake could make the Emperor so happy.
How starved must the child have been before?
"Jiang Xuanshi is promoted to Changzai and given the title Zhuang. The Imperial Household Department is instructed to allocate more rewards to her."
Just as Jiang Huan withdrew her hand, she received some good news. Although a higher rank was not necessarily a good thing for her, at least her rank as a concubine was still not high.
The important thing is that there's a reward! With a reward, life will be easier from now on!
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Overjoyed, Jiang Huan knelt on the ground to express her gratitude, her lips curving into a smile. As Huo Lin set off for court, Jiang Huan stared at his retreating figure, and the voice in her head echoed again.
[I've given her a reward; she should know to send me food, right?]
If she doesn't even have this much sense, then tonight we'll demote her further.
Jiang Huan curled her lips, thinking to herself that the emperor's mind was only on the word "eat".
"Consort Zhuang is overjoyed! You are the first concubine His Majesty has ever favored!"
Wang Degui was a man of principle. He noticed that Huo Lin treated Jiang Huan differently. Before the investiture ceremony was even completed, he immediately changed his form of address. However, as soon as he turned his head, Wang Degui looked at the empty plate on the outer hall table and curiously exclaimed "Eh!"
"This apricot blossom cake was just brought in, how come it's already empty?"
Jiang Huan licked her lips awkwardly, "Well, I was a little hungry just now, so I used it to fill my stomach."
Although Wang Degui was puzzled, he simply smiled and agreed.
"Consort Zhuang has a good appetite. If you like it, we'll have the Imperial Kitchen send over a few more dishes."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Eunuch Wang."
Although she's not exactly a favored concubine now, she's at least the first one to be summoned to the emperor's bedchamber, and the chief eunuch is practically begging to curry favor with her. If she doesn't know her place, she won't get such good treatment once Huo Lin loses interest in her.
When Jiang Huan returned to the palace today, she was carried back in a sedan chair. As they passed by the palaces, everyone looked at her as if they wanted to skin her alive.
It was still early, but the news of Jiang Huan's promotion to the rank of Changzai had already spread throughout the palace. In the three years since she entered the palace, these people had treated Jiang Huan like a pushover for three years, tormenting her for three years.
They all tried their best to win the emperor's favor, but who would have thought that the one who would end up in the emperor's bed was Jiang Huan, whom they looked down on the most!
She was promoted and given a title overnight. If she were to show her face to the emperor a few more times, what would become of her?
Jinhua Palace.
Consort Yu was summoned by Consort Jia early in the morning and given a scolding. The scolding was that Consort Jia was not strict in her management and that even a lowly concubine dared to show her face and stand out in front of the Emperor.
At this moment, Consort Yu sat in the palace, her face gloomy as she waited for Jiang Huan to return from her night of service.
Consort Jia has spoken, instructing her to properly "discipline" Jiang Huan!
"Lady Jiang greets Consort Yu."
It was Jiang Huan's first time serving the emperor, and according to the rules, she should immediately pay her respects to the Empress upon returning to the palace. However, as Jiang Huan knelt on the ground, facing Consort Yu's murderous gaze, she felt something was amiss.
She's already been promoted and is now a favored concubine. Could it be that Consort Yu still wants to get rid of her?
"You, Jiang Huan, I never realized you had such a seductive charm!"
Last night, she was punishing Jiang Huan when the Emperor issued an order to summon her to serve him in bed. Before she could even swallow her anger, she was scolded by Consort Jia early this morning.
Of course, Jiang Huan should suffer this pent-up resentment!
"You flatter me, Consort Yu. I dare not accept such praise."
Jiang Huan hung her head, still not daring to breathe. She felt as if her promotion was the same as no promotion at all.
"Cuiying, go and tell Consort Zhuang what rules are!"
Consort Yu gritted her teeth and gave the order. Just then, Cuiying came up, rubbing her wrist. Jiang Huan immediately started trembling like a sieve.
Although she had only been in the book for three months, she had inherited a lot of the original owner's memories. In the past, when Consort Yu was in a bad mood, she would ask Cuiying to hit her to vent her anger.
After Jiang Huan arrived, she behaved herself. Although her food and clothing were deducted and she was occasionally forced to kneel, she had never been beaten before. Before Cuiying could get close, Xiao Zhao opened her arms and protected Jiang Huan like a mother protecting her child.
"Your Highness, please be careful. Our Consort Zhuang will be delivering food to the Emperor later. If he sees this, it will be difficult to explain!"
Jiang Huan was covered in cold sweat. She understood that Xiao Zhao meant well and wanted to protect her.
On the way back to the palace, Jiang Huan mentioned to Xiao Zhao that she should prepare more food for the Emperor today, and Xiao Zhao took it to heart.
But the way this silly girl said it sounded so much like a threat.
Sure enough, the next second Consort Yu stood up through gritted teeth, "You dare threaten me? You've already got your eye on me after just one night of serving the Emperor, and now you're even thinking of showing off in front of him?"
Consort Yu looked left and right, then simply grabbed Cuiying and, wearing two heavy nail guards, slapped her twice across the face.
Jiang Huan's cheeks instantly turned red.
"Consort Zhuang, now that you've gained the Emperor's favor, behave yourself. How dare you show your face in front of the Emperor like this? Today's events were ordered by Consort Jia. Even if you were to deliver food to the Emperor himself, you would still have to endure it!"
"Pass down the order: without my command, Jiang Huan is not to step out of Jinhua Palace!"
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