Qin Ge quickly withdrew from Jun Chenbi's embrace and, before he could lash out, half-knelt on the ground to apologize.
Although it was an apology, Qin Ge's expression, due to his personality, was neither fearful nor humble; on the contrary, it exuded an air of elegance and refinement.
Whether Jun Chenbi had just woken up or was still groggy, he didn't punish Qin Ge by skinning him alive.
Having saved his own life, it seems there's no need to risk harming the emperor for the time being.
Let's postpone the matter of faking death for a while.
Now is not the best time.
Qin Ge had just breathed a slight sigh of relief when she heard Jun Chenbi ask, "What kind of incense are you burning?"
Qin Ge was slightly taken aback, not expecting the emperor to ask her this question.
The other person sat on the edge of the couch, wearing only a snow-white undergarment, with long black hair draped over their shoulders. They propped their head up with one hand, and their narrow phoenix eyes held an unfathomable glint.
The emperor's expression was inscrutable, and Qin Ge couldn't quite grasp the meaning behind his question. However, knowing that a ruler of such high status would surely dislike being deceived, she answered truthfully:
"Your Majesty, I... I do not need incense."
No need for incense?
Jun Chenbi frowned upon hearing this. Where did the scent that relieved his headache come from, which he could smell without needing incense?
An inquisitive gaze fell on the other person's face.
The woman appeared calm and composed, her eyes clear and bright, allowing him to scrutinize her without showing the slightest hint of guilt.
Jun Chenbi did not believe that the other party was lying to him.
It wasn't that he trusted the newly appointed virtuous consort who had just entered the palace yesterday; it was just that Jun Chenbi was certain he wouldn't dare.
The entire harem was his eye and ear. Could he deceive everyone, whether he used incense or not, for a time or for a lifetime?
Jun Chenbi said, "In the Yong Dynasty, the art of incense was popular, and it was rare for women from noble families not to use incense. You, on the other hand, are... not like a woman at all."
Her chest was flat.
Qin Ge: "..."
Your Majesty is right, because I am a cross-dressing master.
…
A moment later, Eunuch Xia was summoned into the palace to serve the emperor as he changed his clothes for court.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't been tormented by a headache last night, but a good night's sleep had given Jun Chenbi a healthy glow, and he no longer possessed the menacing aura that made him unapproachable when his headache flared up. Eunuch Xia, who had been on edge all night, finally felt relieved and became a little bolder. Observing the emperor's expression, he asked, "Your Majesty... slept well last night?"
Eunuch Xia was an old eunuch who had served Jun Chenbi since childhood. When Jun Chenbi was still a prince in the cold palace, he had been taken care of by this old eunuch, so Eunuch Xia had a lot of influence in front of the emperor.
Jun Chenbi glanced at him and said, "Hmm."
It seems Consort Xian is quite something. Eunuch Xia was also quite pleased for the Emperor. "Shall we bestow Huayin Palace upon her?"
According to the custom of the Yong Dynasty, a concubine would be given a reward the day after she was summoned to the emperor's bedchamber for the first time.
The young emperor, perhaps in a good mood, said lazily, "You can decide what to do."
After a pause, Jun Chenbi added, "The rewards should be generous; there's no need to be stingy."
Although he didn't know why, the aura emanating from the other party allowed him, who hadn't slept well for many years, to have a good night's sleep. As an emperor, Jun Chenbi would naturally not be too stingy when dealing with someone who had made contributions.
The amount and generosity of the rewards often reflected the emperor's attitude towards his empresses and concubines.
His Majesty, who never allows women to serve him closely, unusually stayed overnight at Huayin Palace last night. This morning, he woke up in remarkably good spirits, even inquiring about the rewards bestowed upon Consort Xian. This... this... it's clearly...
I am very satisfied with the result of Consort Xian's nightly service!
Perhaps if His Majesty summons Consort Xian to his bedchamber more often, his headaches will be cured without any further treatment. In the future, he can expand his harem and add ten or eight more little princes and princesses...
Looking forward to a bright future, Eunuch Xia was so excited that he couldn't help but speak his mind: "Your Majesty, how should we record last night's daily activities? Would it be better to write how many times Consort Xian received the Emperor's favor?"
The Emperor's Daily Life Records were kept by eunuchs specially assigned by the Imperial Household Department. They generally recorded what the emperor did that day, what he ate, where he went, and especially who he summoned to his bedchamber.
This last point is especially important.
If any concubine were to cuckold the emperor in the future, it would be easy to find out.
Jun Chenbi, "..."
…
After Jun Chenbi went to court, Qin Ge washed and dressed in a side hall, with Qingzhu helping her to style her hair and change her clothes. Only then did she return to the main hall of Huayin Palace, where she saw a group of eunuchs carrying rewards entering in single file.
The leading eunuch was Xia Gonggong's adopted son, named Afu.
He smiled broadly at Qin Ge and said, "Your Highness, congratulations! This is a new gift from His Majesty. Look, there is a string of pearls from the South China Sea, ten bolts of shimmering brocade, and a white jade ruyi..."
Even Qin Ge had to admit that this reward was very generous; it was truly a grand gesture.
Qin Ge also knew a bit about the rules in the palace; such a reward would be given to a concubine who was being favored for the first time.
On one hand, he wondered if it was too much. What if there were a few more concubines in the harem? If he kept giving out rewards like this, wouldn't it empty the imperial treasury? He was quite like King Zhou of Shang in his folly.
On the one hand, I wondered, is this the legendary exorbitant overnight fee?
…
What Qin Ge thought was unimportant; what mattered was that Eunuch Fu brought a stream of gifts into Huayin Palace, and before leaving, he said with a joyful yet meaningful expression, "Your Highness, the Consort Xian, your good fortune is yet to come."
Qin Ge, “?”
If it weren't for the fear of ruining her image as a gentle, demure woman, Qin Ge would have wanted to retort to him—
Would you like such good fortune?
Believe it or not, there are quite a few people who actually want it.
Previously, the noble ladies of the Dayong Dynasty did not want to enter the palace and resisted the imperial concubine selection because they were terrified by the emperor's cruel killings. They did not want to suffer the same fate as that skinned beauty.
While wealth and honor are desirable, one must also consider whether they are destined to enjoy them!
Even Qin Manwu, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, was afraid of death, so she pushed the imperial decree to her half-sister, Qin Ge, to enter the palace in her place.
However, once people's fixed perceptions are changed...
When people realized that even the emperor wasn't completely averse to women—look, he still allowed his concubines to serve him in bed—it became clear that the emperor was not entirely averse to women.
The fact that Consort Xian received such a generous reward after serving the emperor shows that she is deeply favored by the emperor and that His Majesty is very satisfied with her!
The Jun imperial family was already dwindling in number by the time of Emperor Qingjia. Whoever could give birth to the eldest son of the emperor would have unparalleled honor in the future. How could those who wielded power not be tempted?
Compared to men's ambition, women's thoughts are much simpler. The deceased emperor doted on his concubine, loving beauty more than the country. Although the concubine is remembered in history as a femme fatale, what woman wouldn't envy the glory of being favored by so many?
Qin Manwu immediately regretted it. She clutched the handkerchief in her hand so tightly that she almost tore it into a shred. "Mother, wasn't it said that His Majesty disliked women, and that entering the palace would mean living a life of widowhood? Why is it different from what was agreed upon..."
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