The perfect and virtuous Consort shone brightly during her first audience, winning thunderous applause.
From that day on, she embodied the virtue of "virtuous and gentle" to the fullest extent. She never missed her morning and evening greetings, and treated Lin Wanwan with utmost respect; she was kind and gentle to the servants, and never harsh; she would even take the initiative to help Lin Wanwan with some trivial matters in the harem, doing them in an orderly and meticulous manner.
For a time, the entire harem was full of praise for her. Even Ruolan said to Lin Wanwan in private, "Your Majesty, this Consort Xian seems to be a good person, not someone who would cause trouble."
Lin Wanwan simply smiled and didn't say anything more.
She knew that a wolf that knew how to disguise itself as a sheep was far more dangerous than a wolf that could only howl. The more perfect Su Jinxiu appeared, the deeper her vigilance grew. She was waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to perfectly and subtly showcase all her strengths in front of Xiao Che.
And that opportunity came very soon.
The weather had been fine these past few days, with clear skies and crisp autumn air. Xiao Che, unusually free from the burden of official documents, suggested accompanying Lin Wanwan for a stroll in the Imperial Garden to admire the chrysanthemums in full bloom.
For them, this was a rare and leisurely time, purely for the two of them.
They walked side by side on the pebble path in the Imperial Garden, not discussing any state affairs or palace matters, but simply chatting about trivial anecdotes. Sunlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on them, and a gentle breeze carried the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms.
The atmosphere was just right, warm and peaceful.
Xiao Che seemed to be in a good mood. Although he still had that faint expression on his face, Lin Wanwan could see that the pixelated figure above his head was lying comfortably on a patch of grass, with a blade of grass in his mouth and leisurely swinging his legs.
However, this tranquility was broken when they arrived at a pavilion called "Qinfang Pavilion".
A melodious melody, like flowing water in the mountains, came from the pavilion without warning.
The music was clear, melodious, and captivating, demonstrating superb technique. It was melodious yet carried a touch of aloof elegance, clearly the work of a master.
Xiao Che stopped involuntarily.
They looked in the direction of the sound and saw a slender figure sitting behind a guqin in the octagonal pavilion.
She wore a moon-white long dress, her long, black hair held up with a simple jade hairpin, a few strands falling beside her cheeks and swaying gently in the breeze. Her eyes were slightly lowered, her expression focused and immersed in the music she played, her slender fingers dancing and leaping across the strings like fluttering butterflies.
The sunlight bathed her in a soft golden glow, and she blended perfectly with the artificial mountains, streams, pavilions, and towers behind her, exuding an ethereal aura, like a fairy untouched by worldly concerns.
The scene was as beautiful as a meticulously crafted traditional Chinese painting.
It was Consort Xian, Su Jinxiu.
She wasn't playing the zither; she was painting. With herself, she created a breathtakingly beautiful painting that would captivate any man.
What a cleverly designed "chance encounter"!
Lin Wanwan sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, simply following Xiao Che's gaze to appreciate the heavenly sound she had "unintentionally" heard.
The music ended, but the lingering melody remained.
Su Jinxiu, sitting in the pavilion, slowly pressed down on the strings of her zither, raised her head, and her face still carried a perfectly appropriate look of bewilderment and melancholy as if she had just detached herself from the music.
Then, her gaze "unintentionally" met theirs.
She was taken aback at first, and then a look of panic and shyness quickly appeared on her face, as if her solitude had been interrupted and she seemed a little flustered.
She quickly rose, strode out of the pavilion, and bowed gracefully to them, her voice carrying just the right amount of fear: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I was unaware of Your Majesty and the Empress's arrival. I was momentarily distracted and disturbed Your Majesty's presence. I beg Your Majesty and the Empress's forgiveness."
Her posture was extremely humble, and her frightened deer-like appearance was enough to arouse any man's protective instincts.
"It's alright." Xiao Che spoke, his voice revealing little emotion, but his eyes held a subtle appreciation. "Consort Xian's zither skills are superb, comparable to those of a master. The Empress and I just happened to be passing by and were fortunate enough to hear such beautiful music."
As an emperor, it is perfectly normal to give appropriate praise to a talented concubine.
"Your Majesty flatters me. I was merely amusing myself and it is hardly worthy of such a refined occasion. I am already flattered to receive such praise from Your Majesty." Su Jinxiu lowered her head, her voice full of humility and shyness, but her slightly reddened ears revealed her "joy" perfectly.
Xiao Che nodded and strolled into the pavilion.
"Was that piece of music you just heard 'Autumn Wind'?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Su Jinxiu quickly followed up, replying respectfully.
"The poem 'Autumn Wind' has a lofty artistic conception, yet it also carries a touch of desolation. You are so young, yet you have been able to play it with such spirit and melancholy so vividly, which is truly rare." Xiao Che's comments were as professional and objective as ever.
"Your Majesty flatters me. I was just... just feeling a bit sentimental seeing the beautiful autumn scenery today." Su Jinxiu's voice became even softer.
Lin Wanwan stood to the side, a polite and gentle smile on her face, quietly watching the two of them "chatting happily".
She saw that the little figure that had been leisurely lying on Xiao Che's head had sat up, with a scrutinizing expression on its face as if it had "discovered something new and interesting".
In her heart, alarm bells were already ringing loudly.
This Su Jinxiu was indeed more proactive and smarter than she had imagined.
Unlike Consort Shu, who foolishly went to the Empress to provoke her, she chose the most skillful approach—subtly showcasing her most dazzling talents before the Emperor.
She knew that for an emperor like Xiao Che, who was deep and insightful, mere beauty or low-level tactics for gaining favor would only bore him. Only a spiritual "resonance" and "appreciation" could truly capture his attention.
Sure enough, what happened next confirmed her guess.
Xiao Che's gaze shifted from the guqin to a painting scroll spread out on the stone table beside him.
It was an unfinished landscape painting. With just a few strokes, it had already outlined the majesty of the mountains and the grandeur of the sea of clouds. The brushwork was skillful and the artistic conception was profound.
"This is also your work?" Xiao Che's tone carried a hint of genuine surprise. The skill in this painting far surpassed that of a woman confined to her chambers.
Su Jinxiu blushed even more, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Your Majesty, please forgive my foolishness. While playing the zither today, I was inspired and wanted to depict this autumn mountain scenery, but... but my painting skills are too poor, and I have only just begun and it is not yet complete."
She called it "vulgar," but the talent displayed in her painting was enough to make even the painters of the Hanlin Academy blush with shame.
"Even a glimpse of the leopard through a tube reveals its extraordinary nature," Xiao Che commented, offering extremely high praise. He even reached out and pointed to a blank space in the painting, discussing it with her, "If we added a small boat here, wouldn't it better convey the feeling of vast mountains and distant waters?"
"Your Majesty's insight is brilliant! Your Majesty... Your Majesty also had the same thought just now, but my writing skills are insufficient, and I dared not put pen to paper easily." Su Jinxiu's eyes instantly shone with a light of admiration and joy, as if she had met her match.
Looking at the two of them, an emperor and a talented woman, chatting happily over a painting and a piece of music, it was a perfect picture of a talented man and a beautiful woman, with a lovely woman adding fragrance to their lives.
Lin Wanwan remained standing outside the pavilion, a dignified and gentle smile befitting an empress, as if she were genuinely happy for them.
But her heart was already ice-cold.
This woman finally revealed her true colors.
In the most elegant and skillful way, she put on an impeccable "talent show" in front of Lin Wanwan and her man.
What she wants is more than just pampering.
What she wants is appreciation, resonance, and the status of a soulmate.
And these are precisely the most fatal factors in maintaining the relationship between the emperor and empress.
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