Jiang Wan carried a stack of books back to her residence, where she read them by candlelight, barely sleeping all night.
The next morning, an imperial edict arrived from the palace, summoning her to the palace.
Jiang Wan sat in front of the bronze mirror, while Cai Die applied makeup to her.
“Madam stayed up all night by lamplight, and the dark circles under her eyes are almost impossible to conceal,” said Cai Die. “This servant will apply a thicker layer of makeup.”
Jiang Wan looked up.
The woman in the mirror had fair skin and a delicate, jade-like complexion. Although the dark circles under her eyes were not heavy, they were particularly noticeable on her face.
There's no need to deliberately cover it up.
Jiang Wan withdrew her gaze and said calmly.
"That's good."
She changed into a simple dress, with only a light blue cape draped over her shoulders, dressed very plainly.
Before leaving, she asked Steward Zhao, "How was Madam Gu yesterday?"
Butler Zhao replied, "She wasn't eating enough and her medicine was stopped. Madam Gu lost her temper and scolded the servants severely. She also made a fuss about going to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine, but Young Master Lin stopped her in the end."
Jiang Wan nodded.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a young maidservant secretly peeking out from outside the courtyard gate. She was the one who served in the Linfeng Courtyard.
A smile played on her lips as she whispered, "If anyone asks later, just say that His Majesty summoned me to the palace for a talk. The Empress and Consort Yun will also be there, and we will dine together."
Steward Zhao glanced at the little maid and immediately understood.
"Don't worry, Madam, this old servant understands."
Jiang Wan boarded the carriage to enter the palace.
Upon arriving at the Qiankun Palace, she curtsied and greeted Emperor Jingyuan and the Empress.
The Empress was delighted to see her and beckoned her over: "Today the kitchen has prepared a mutton hot pot. Hot pot should be eaten in a lively atmosphere, so I specially called you over."
She instructed a palace maid to bring a small stool, pulled Jiang Wan to sit nearby, and looked at Emperor Jingyuan with a smile.
"Your Majesty, you have not yet rewarded A-Wan for saving your life that day."
Emperor Jingyuan smiled and said, "I personally promised a generous reward; would I go back on my word?"
He looked at Jiang Wan, but his brows suddenly furrowed.
The Empress turned her head, looked closely, and asked with concern, "What happened? You look so pale."
Jiang Wan lowered her head and first answered Emperor Jingyuan's question: "As a subject of Dayong, it is my duty to be loyal to the emperor. I dare not ask for any reward."
He bowed again and said.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty and Your Majesty. I am doing well, but I am worried about my grandmother and husband who are imprisoned."
Emperor Jingyuan's expression turned cold upon hearing the mention of the two members of the Yuan family.
"Don't worry, I always reward and punish fairly. Their mistakes will not implicate you."
The General's Mansion committed a serious crime and must be severely punished, but this does not affect his favor towards Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan not only had been kind to him, but also represented the protection of heaven, so he could not treat her unfairly.
The solution is quite simple.
Gold and silver were secondary; women of the Dayong dynasty could not hold official positions, and the greatest honor they could receive was being granted an imperial title.
Jiang Wan is already a second-rank imperial consort; the next step forward... would only be to be promoted to first rank.
Emperor Jingyuan's gaze swept over Jiang Wan.
Intelligent and upright, virtuous in speech and appearance, she is worthy of being a first-rank imperial consort.
However, they are far too young.
Such a young first-rank imperial consort is unprecedented in history. In this dynasty, first-rank imperial consorts were all over fifty years old and were granted the title along with their husbands.
Thinking of this, Emperor Jingyuan fell silent.
This matter needs further consideration.
The Empress sighed and patted Jiang Wan's hand.
As a woman herself, she could better understand Jiang Wan's hardships.
Although His Majesty has no intention of implicating others, Jiang Wan is a married woman, and her husband has become a criminal. How good can her life be in the second half of her life?
A woman has always regarded her husband as her heaven; without this support, every step she takes in the future will be difficult.
Unless she can find a new backer.
The Empress's heart stirred slightly at this thought.
Since I am so compatible with Jiang Wan, I might as well adopt her as my goddaughter and ask His Majesty to bestow upon her the title of Princess. That would not be overstepping my bounds.
With the Empress Dowager as her backing, even if Song Ziyu commits a crime that affects the entire world, Jiang Wan can remain unscathed.
No matter how chaotic the Song family is, it won't bother Jiang Wan.
Even without her husband, she could still bring Jiang Wan into the palace. Tang'er and Jiang Wan have always been close, so she would definitely be happy to live with her.
The more the Empress thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed.
But with Jiang Wan present, she couldn't bring herself to speak.
We need to ascertain Emperor Jingyuan's intentions before telling her this good news, lest she be disappointed.
Having made up her mind, the Empress smiled slightly at Jiang Wan, gestured for the meal to be prepared, and said, "Call Xuan'er to come and eat together."
She planned to bring up the matter with Emperor Jingyuan after the meal, and if Emperor Jingyuan had any objections, she could ask Pei Xuan to speak on her behalf.
Pei Xuan and Jiang Wan have a good relationship, so he will definitely agree.
As the Empress pondered silently, she heard Jiang Wan bid farewell, saying she wanted to pay her respects to Consort Yun.
“On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, Consort Yun sent someone to deliver calming medicine. I should personally go and express my gratitude,” Jiang Wan said.
What she said wasn't untrue. Everyone knew that she had saved Emperor Jingyuan that day, and many people showed her concern and care, including Consort Yun.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingyuan waved his hand and said, "In that case, I will invite her to have lunch with us, and Pei Xi as well."
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