Chapter 90 It's time to serve him in bed.
Prince Duan, Xiao Chengsi, was handsome, and at this moment, he wore a self-satisfied smile, his gaze lingering unabashedly on the narcissus.
He leaned closer, his voice low, with an unsettling intimacy.
"No wonder my imperial brother was able to be promoted so quickly, from a mere maid to a Noble Consort... Noble Consort Jin is indeed very different from the ordinary women in my household!"
"Those women, after giving birth they become haggard old women, unlike Your Majesty, whose beauty surpasses even that of the past, becoming more and more... alluring."
He practically held the last three words between his lips, conveying a strong sense of intimacy.
Narcissus's face instantly turned cold, and she took a step back.
"Prince Duan, please be careful with your words! I am a Noble Consort in the palace!"
"As a prince of the imperial family, you should know the hierarchy between ruler and subject, and the principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame! If you dare to speak disrespectfully again, don't blame me for reporting to the Emperor and punishing you for the grave crime of disrespect!"
Her voice was icy, carrying an imposing and chilling quality.
Prince Duan was taken aback by her imposing aura, but then a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.
He knew Shui Xian's background perfectly well; she was nothing more than a lowly servant girl who had climbed up the social ladder through her beauty and pregnancy, without any real connections!
Besides her brother's favor, what else did she have?
He dropped his frivolous smile and even took a half-step back in a mock-apology gesture.
"Your Highness Consort Jin, please calm down... It was my slip of the tongue that caused you to misunderstand. I apologize for this."
He ultimately attributed his offense to Narcissus's misunderstanding, as if the shame Narcissus felt at that moment was her own misperception.
Narcissus didn't want to listen to his utterly hypocritical words. Before he could finish speaking, she took Silver Pearl and left quickly without looking back.
The skirt, embroidered with delicate silver threads and subtle patterns, drew a resolute arc on the palace path, leaving behind only a faint, lingering fragrance.
Prince Duan stood still, slowly straightened his back, his gaze fixed on Shui Xian's slender and graceful back until she disappeared around the corner of the palace road.
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
"She's nothing but a little whore who slept with the emperor... She dares to treat me badly just because she's favored by my brother... Sooner or later, I will..."
Prince Duan raised his hand to stroke his chin, clicked his tongue, and scoffed, "It's not like I haven't tried to steal my brother's woman before..."
Shui Xian, who was walking quickly away, naturally did not hear Prince Duan's insolent words. Only when she reached a safe place did Shui Xian slow down her pace slightly.
She whispered to Yinzhu, whose face was filled with indignation, "Keep today's events to yourself. Don't utter a single word about them to anyone, especially the Emperor!"
Yinzhu was filled with anger and was puzzled by what she heard.
"Why? That Prince Duan was so presumptuous and rude, daring to say such things to you! If we tell the Emperor, he will surely stand up for you and punish him severely!"
Narcissus stopped and turned to look at Silver Pearl.
"Yinzhu, remember this. In this world, whenever it comes to matters between men and women, no matter the cause, it's always the woman who suffers!"
"They won't delve into how lewd and shameless that man was; they'll just wonder why it had to be you? Why didn't he flirt with others? Is it because you... gave him some kind of hint?"
Her gaze was calm to the point of being cruel.
"Many voices can melt metal, and accumulated slander can destroy bones. Once a rumor arises, whether true or false, my reputation will be ruined. At that time, the foundation upon which I stand in the harem will be completely destroyed!"
Yinzhu turned pale upon hearing this.
Only then did she realize how deep her master's thoughts were and how serious the consequences were!
She quickly lowered her head: "This servant understands! This servant swears to keep this matter a secret even at the cost of my life!"
Narcissus grasped Yinzhu's slightly trembling hand and whispered, "Just remember that. Let's go back to the palace."
Unbeknownst to them, the two women, mistress and servant, everything that had just transpired in that secluded garden near Kunning Palace had been observed by a pair of eyes lurking in the shadows...
......
Kunning Palace.
The Empress was resting with her eyes closed on the chaise longue, while a palace maid gently fanned her from behind. The hall was silent.
Granny Sun entered silently and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Your Majesty, this old servant just saw Prince Duan stopping Consort Jin behind the artificial hill in the northwest corner of the Imperial Garden..."
The Empress slowly opened her eyes, her gaze utterly expressionless: "Oh? What did you say?"
Granny Sun recounted in detail the frivolous and unrestrained words of Prince Duan and the angry rebuke of Consort Jin.
After hearing this, the Empress frowned almost imperceptibly for a moment, then relaxed, her tone remaining calm and even.
“Prince Duan… has always been so unrestrained and reckless, without any sense of propriety. Relying on being the Emperor’s younger brother and the Empress Dowager’s favor, he has become increasingly unscrupulous in his actions.”
She hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice even further, "If his words were to get out, it would ultimately be very detrimental to Consort Jin's reputation."
She turned to look at Granny Sun, her expression carrying a meaningful undertone.
"Go and make arrangements to have more people in the Imperial Garden near Kunning Palace. Consort Jin is recovering from childbirth and often comes to Kunning Palace to visit Yongning. I'm afraid she might be frightened, and that would be my fault."
Granny Sun understood immediately and bowed.
"This old servant understands."
She bowed and quietly withdrew.
The Empress closed her eyes again, as if nothing had happened, only a fleeting, extremely cold smile appeared on her lips.
——
That night, Emperor Zhaoheng came to Yongle Palace and had dinner with Shui Xian.
After finishing their meal, the two moved to the inner room.
Emperor Zhaoheng casually leaned against the soft couch by the window, holding a scroll in his hand, but his gaze was not on the words. Instead, he looked up at the narcissus sitting by the couch.
In the warm yellow candlelight, Narcissus's black hair was loosely tied up, revealing a graceful neck.
She was bowing her head, carefully embroidering a small, delicate red bib for her daughter.
On the bib, a cute yet majestic little tiger has already taken shape, with fine stitches and lifelike details.
She was enveloped in a serene and gentle glow, a gift from new motherhood.
Emperor Zhaoheng put down his book and asked gently, "How are you feeling today? Do you still feel weak?"
Narcissus stopped her needlework, looked up, and gave him a gentle smile.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It has been almost two months since I gave birth. Fortunately, thanks to the careful treatment by Physician Pei, I have recovered most of my strength except for a slight feeling of weakness in my daily life."
She paused, then looked at Emperor Zhaoheng with brimming eyes.
"Your Majesty... I am much better now. Tomorrow, may Yinzhu go to the Imperial Household Department and have my green plaque re-hung?"
During this period, under the careful care of Shui Xian, her figure became more plump and graceful than before. Her waist remained slender, but her chest became fuller.
According to palace rules, concubines could resume serving the emperor a month or so after childbirth, depending on their physical condition.
She knew all too well that in the harem, the emperor's favor was everything, and the only way to maintain that favor, besides having children, was through sexual relations.
Even though she was only recently postpartum and didn't have many romantic feelings in her heart, she still had to take the initiative.
However, when Emperor Zhaoheng looked at her, there was no desire in his deep eyes, only deep pity.
Before his eyes, it seemed as if the image of Narcissus lying on the delivery bed, her face ashen like gold paper, flashed by again.
The fear of almost losing her haunted him for days.
He reached out his large hand and gently grasped her delicate hand, pulling Narcissus into his embrace with a slight force.
As Narcissus leaned against him, she could clearly feel the man's steady and powerful heartbeat beneath the fabric.
"No rush." Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was deep and gentle, carrying a heartfelt pity.
"Your health is of utmost importance. Pei Jichuan also said that your foundation has been damaged, so you need to rest and recuperate properly and absolutely must not overexert yourself. Serving the emperor... there is no rush at this time."
Narcissus sensed the pity in his words, hesitated for a moment, and then let herself lean into the man's arms.
It's good to feel pity, but because of that pity, he didn't want to touch her...
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Narcissus couldn't say for a moment.
That night, Emperor Zhaoheng did not stay overnight at Yongle Palace. He only instructed Yinzhu and the palace servants to take good care of him before setting off back to Qianqing Palace.
——
The next morning.
As Shuixian ate her nourishing breakfast, Yinzhu stood by her side, hesitated for a moment, and then lowered her voice to say:
"This servant heard this morning that late last night, Consort Li suddenly suffered a heart attack and was in great pain, which alarmed the Emperor... The Emperor rushed to Zhaoyang Palace overnight and stayed there afterward."
Yinzhu felt indignant on behalf of Narcissus.
"She was incredibly audacious back then, daring to bribe a midwife in an attempt to harm the imperial heir! The Emperor only neglected her for a few months, and now he's forgiven her? That's too lenient on her!"
Narcissus put down her silver chopsticks, picked up a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her mouth, her expression calm and undisturbed, as if she were listening to a trivial matter that had nothing to do with her.
"To murder the imperial heir?"
She repeated it softly, her tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm, "Hasn't the princess been born safely? Consort Li only 'attempted' to murder her, but failed."
"Now that the imperial heir is safe and sound, her crimes will naturally seem lighter in the Emperor's eyes."
She picked up the warm milk and took a small sip.
"Moreover, Consort Li is the eldest daughter of the Ruan family, and she has been with the Emperor since his time as a prince... The Emperor neglected her for several months, stripped her of her assistant authority, and demoted her to Consort Li..."
"In the eyes of the Emperor and Prime Minister Ruan, this punishment may be severe enough. Consort Li is, after all, a daughter of the Ruan family. As long as the Ruan family does not fall, Consort Li will eventually return to her former glory."
Yinzhu was stunned, and felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet.
She had always thought that Consort Li had lost power after being demoted, but she never expected that, according to her master's analysis, Consort Li still had a chance to regain favor.
Could it be that Consort Li could also...?
As if knowing what Yinzhu was thinking, Shuixian slowly said:
"According to ancestral rules, it is permissible for two imperial concubines to coexist in the harem at the same time."
As long as Consort Li's father remains a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, how long will it take for Consort Li to be promoted back to Imperial Noble Consort Li?
And to guard against this possibility... it's time for her to prepare to serve the emperor again.
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