If we were to say which two women Emperor Pingjia, Zhu Xian, truly loved in his life, it would probably only be Consort Wen and Consort Wan.
Now, a woman who looked remarkably like Consort Wen, yet was much younger, and whose body reminded him of Consort Wan, was lying in his arms. The sensations were intoxicating.
Having spent years in the world of pleasure, Feng Wan was no longer the woman who belonged only to the emperor; she understood better what men wanted. The women of the harem couldn't give Zhu Xian the pleasure he desired, but tonight she gave him everything.
Whenever Zhu Xian was amazed by her skills, she would look at him with an innocent yet affectionate gaze, and then explain in a coquettish voice, "Chan'er has only... has only read those books..."
She lowered her head shyly, two blushes spreading from her cheeks to her ears.
Zhu Xian knew perfectly well that she was referring to a secret manual, such as the "Fire Avoidance Diagram," which was essential reading before the wedding night. Even a nineteen-year-old girl, raised in a high-class setting, would inevitably have moments of curiosity and restlessness. Besides, the entire Wen family had been preparing her to become the Crown Princess for years, and had even privately consulted old nannies from the palace. Presumably, she had already been taught about such matters.
Therefore, Zhu Xian was pleasantly surprised by Wen Chan's performance tonight, but he did not suspect her.
He affectionately lifted her delicate chin, then gently touched the tip of her nose: "I know, I love you this way. You're a perfect virgin, yet you're proficient in all sorts of skills. You're simply a gift from heaven..."
"Leprechaun!"
As he spoke, Zhu Xian pounced on the prey once more.
A woman who can disguise her face so perfectly will naturally use some tricks to make people believe that she is still a "virgin," and Feng Wan has used this trick many times in the past when she was in the pleasure quarters.
On this tender autumn night, Zhu Xian was not only repeatedly surprised by Wen Chan's performance, but also by his own – the harem had been silent for too long, and he hadn't been as happy as he was tonight in many years. It turned out that he was still as sharp as ever, it was just that the people beside him had grown old.
Hidden beneath Wen Chan's mask, Feng Wan's blushing, racing heart, and indescribable emotions were genuine, despite her false identity.
She's finally back by his side...
In her blissful state, she couldn't help but shed a tear. Zhu Xian tenderly wiped away the corner of her eye, "Did I hurt you?"
"No~" Wen Chan snuggled into his arms, and could only find another reason to cover up her inner emotions: "Chan'er just feels a little sorry for her aunt."
Zhu Xian, however, remained calm and said seriously, "The practice of nieces marrying their sisters-in-law has existed since ancient times, and many such stories have been celebrated. This is not a precedent unique to our dynasty, so you do not need to blame yourself."
"But... if Father and Mother knew that Chan'er gave herself away so casually, they would definitely be disappointed."
"How can staying in the palace to accompany the emperor be considered as casually handing over?" Zhu Xian showed a hint of displeasure, but quickly realized that Wen Chan's concern was probably about her status.
After a moment's thought, Zhu Xian said, "The highest rank a concubine in the palace who has no children can be granted is the title of Beauty. However, today I will make an exception for you and grant you the title of Consort."
"Jieyu?" Wen Chan's eyes revealed a look of surprise and delight.
Although the rank of Jieyu was one level lower than her previous rank of Pin, it was a title she had earned after years of hard work in the harem and the loss of a child. It was far easier to become a Jieyu right after entering the palace.
Moreover, after wandering through the streets, she cherished this opportunity to return to the palace even more. Even if Zhu Xian only gave her the status of a concubine, she would be happy to accept it.
"Chan'er thanks Your Majesty!" With that, she sat up from the couch and kowtowed to Zhu Xian, burying her head in his chest.
Zhu Xian was amused by her, but then he suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but feel a little jealous: "By the way, I heard that you danced in front of the Prince of Qiaochuan today?"
Yuan Que had already recounted the events that had occurred in the palace that day to her, fearing that any slip-ups in the details might be overlooked. Therefore, when asked about this matter, Wen Chan countered, "Is Your Majesty jealous? Chan'er's dance performance was all arranged by my aunt, not of my own volition."
"Oh, so what are your own wishes?"
"Actually, from the very first time Chan'er met His Majesty, she thought, thought about becoming His Majesty's woman..." she said coquettishly, then buried her blushing face into the brocade quilt.
*
Inside the Jade Essence Palace, Consort Wen soaked in a medicinal bath for two hours, finally forcing out the bone-softening powder she had inhaled.
Seeing that she could hold onto the edge of the bucket by herself and could make sounds again, Granny Yu, who had been by her side, was so excited that tears streamed down her face: "Your Highness, you're finally alright..."
"Where is His Majesty?" This was the first complete sentence Consort Wen uttered after her recovery.
While wiping away her tears, Granny Yu replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, His Majesty stayed with you outside all night, and he is still sitting outside by himself right now!"
Consort Wen smiled weakly yet with a sense of relief: "People say that the imperial family is the most ruthless, but our Emperor is truly sincere towards me."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty is right! He has always favored you the most in his life. This old servant will report your improvement to His Majesty right away!" With that, Granny Yu lifted the curtain and went to the outer room.
However, when she arrived at the outer room, Granny Yu found it empty. She called over the eunuch on duty outside and asked him what was wrong. She learned that His Majesty still had important memorials to review and had left early that morning to return home...
This was the order Zhu Xian gave to the eunuch guarding the gate when he left with Wen Chan, so as not to upset the newly awakened imperial concubine. It was also a sign of his consideration for her.
Granny Yu sighed, thinking to herself that what people said was true; the imperial family was indeed ruthless. If the Imperial Concubine hadn't used every means to secure the Emperor's favor all these years, how could she have maintained her position of power until now?
Even so, in His Majesty's eyes, they were not as important as those cold, hard memorials.
When Granny Yu returned, she truthfully reported the events to Consort Wen, whose eyes revealed a sense of disappointment. Having just escaped death, the person she most wanted to see upon opening her eyes was not by her side, inevitably making her feel insignificant.
However, she could only console herself: "His Majesty is a wise ruler, and he should prioritize state affairs. If he is in such a hurry to go back in the middle of the night, there may be a flood or famine somewhere."
However, when the next day dawned and Emperor Pingjia issued an edict to reward Wen Chan, Consort Wen, who had just swallowed a bowl of porridge, vomited up everything she had eaten!
She stared at the imperial edict in disbelief, carefully reading each word to make sure she hadn't misheard. The Emperor had indeed bestowed upon his own niece the title of Third-Rank Consort!
She vomited again, and Granny Yu quickly grabbed a handkerchief to catch it. She thought it would be food again, but this time it was a mouthful of blood.
"Your Majesty!"
Amidst the gasps of Granny Yu and several female officials, Consort Wen fainted from anger.
This time, Consort Wen did not wake up again until nightfall, her face so pale and sickly that it was even whiter than the raw Xuan paper.
"I... first desperately tried to bring her to the Crown Prince... then I tried every means to bring her to the Prince of Qiaochuan..."
"But it turns out that what that little vixen was thinking about... was nothing but the Emperor! Her own uncle..."
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