That handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus blossoms became an indelible thorn in Lin Wanwan's heart.
From that day on, Su Jinxiu continued to pay her respects at Kunning Palace every day, maintaining her close sisterly bond and chatting happily. Her performance was more sincere and flawless than ever before.
Lin Wanwan acted as usual, being very close to her, as if she really regarded her as her most beloved younger sister.
Inside the Kunning Palace, all was peaceful and serene.
But Lin Wanwan knew that beneath the calm surface of the lake, turbulent currents were already surging. Su Jinxiu, this beautiful venomous snake, was simply waiting for the perfect moment to reveal her poisonous fangs.
The Empress Dowager quickly created this opportunity for her.
A few days later, the Empress Dowager issued a special decree under the pretext of "an autumn family banquet to enjoy family time," summoning Lin Wanwan, Xiao Che, and the newly promoted Consort Su Jinxiu to dine together at Cixi Palace.
When the decree was issued, Xiao Che happened to be in Kunning Palace.
Lin Wanwan looked at him, and he looked at her. Neither of them spoke, but they both knew perfectly well that this so-called "family banquet" was nothing more than a stage carefully set up by the Empress Dowager.
And her most prized "star," Su Jinxiu, is about to put on a great show tonight.
As night fell, Cixi Palace was brightly lit.
The long banquet table was only occupied by the four of them, making it seem somewhat empty, but this also added an invisible sense of oppression.
The Empress Dowager sat in the main seat, a kind smile on her face, looking like an ordinary grandmother hoping for harmony among her children and grandchildren.
Xiao Che sat to her left, his expression as indifferent as ever.
Lin Wanwan and Su Jinxiu sat on either side.
Su Jinxiu was clearly dressed up carefully tonight. She had changed into a light purple palace dress, which made her skin look even whiter than snow and her temperament even more gentle and charming. Her makeup was exquisite and elegant, neither lacking in solemnity nor lacking in girlish charm.
The entire banquet almost became her "perfect stage" all by herself.
She was extremely filial to the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager coughed, she would immediately offer her warm water with concern; if the Empress Dowager praised a dish, she would personally serve it to her with skillful movements and elegant posture, more attentive than any of the personal maids.
She was caring and considerate towards Xiao Che. She would remember that Xiao Che disliked cilantro, so she would quietly remind the palace servants when the dishes were served; she would notice that Xiao Che's tea had gone cold, so she would subtly signal the palace servants to replace it with hot tea. All her care was done just right, neither appearing overly attentive nor lacking in thoughtfulness.
She showed Lin Wanwan even more respect. Whenever a good dish was served, she would always use serving chopsticks to pick up a piece for Lin Wanwan first, and say softly, "Sister, please try it first." In her words, she perfectly portrayed the image of a "good younger sister" who respected the Empress.
Her performance was flawless, without the slightest mistake.
Even the Empress Dowager, who always found fault with Lin Wanwan, nodded frequently tonight, a satisfied smile on her face. She looked at Su Jinxiu with eyes full of approval, as if to say: Look, this is the demeanor a queen mother should have.
Halfway through the banquet, the Empress Dowager finally revealed her true intentions.
She took a sip of soup, sighed seemingly casually, and said, "In my opinion, the Emperor's harem is still a bit too small. The continuation of the imperial line is a matter of great importance to the country, and the Emperor should also pay attention to it."
These words were undoubtedly a warning to Empress Lin Wanwan, who had "no children," while also paving the way for her beloved niece.
Lin Wanwan sneered inwardly, preparing to respond.
But Su Jinxiu was one step ahead of her.
She put down her jade chopsticks, her face showing just the right amount of worry about the future of the harem, and said softly, "Aunt is right. However, I think that with the Empress here, the harem is like a pillar of stability."
As soon as she said that, everyone's eyes were on her.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, she calmly continued, "Your virtue and the way you manage the harem so well allow us sisters to serve the emperor with peace of mind. With you in the position of Empress, we sisters feel incredibly secure and at ease. As for the matter of having children, that is a matter of fate and cannot be rushed."
His words were perfectly tactful.
She echoed the Empress Dowager's words, expressing her agreement with the "major national plan," and at the same time, she elevated Lin Wanwan to a high position, praising her virtue and shaping her into the "pillar of stability" in the harem. Finally, she subtly and cleverly glossed over the most sensitive topic of "offspring" with a simple phrase, "fate."
She pleased the Empress Dowager, protected the Empress, and demonstrated her magnanimity and wisdom.
What a brilliant three-birds-with-one-stone strategy!
The Empress Dowager smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this.
Lin Wanwan smiled and nodded at her, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, little sister."
The two of them once again put on a wonderful show of "deep sisterly affection".
The atmosphere inside the hall was harmonious.
Lin Wanwan outwardly greeted her with smiles and pleasantries, but inwardly she was already sneering. She habitually turned her gaze to another important "audience member" in this charade—Emperor Xiao Che. She wanted to see how this final "judge" would react to Su Jinxiu's near-perfect performance.
Xiao Che remained unusually silent throughout.
He neither praised Su Jinxiu's talent nor echoed her words. He simply ate his food quietly, bite by bite. His demeanor made it seem as if this family dinner, rife with undercurrents, was truly just an ordinary family dinner.
His face remained expressionless and indifferent, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
If Lin Wanwan hadn't been able to see the "bullet screen" above his head, she probably would have really thought that he acquiesced to, or even appreciated, Su Jinxiu's performance.
However, she saw it.
She could clearly see that every time Su Jinxiu made a "virtuous" move—whether it was serving food to the Empress Dowager, changing tea for Xiao Che, or uttering that watertight "stabilizing force" theory—a brand new, quirky emoji would silently appear above Xiao Che's head.
It was a cartoon character dressed in ancient costume, holding a cup of emerald green tea with an extremely elegant posture. A playful, all-knowing smile played on its lips, as if it were enjoying a captivating drama.
Next to that teacup were two simple and clear characters: "Enjoy Tea".
Once, twice, three times...
Every time Su Jinxiu "performs," that "tea tasting" emoji will appear on time.
Seeing this, Lin Wanwan almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.
She quickly lowered her head, picked up her teacup, and used the action of drinking tea to hide the wide grin that was about to reach her ears.
turn out to be……
It turns out that her husband, this arrogant and awkward emperor, actually has a built-in "green tea detector" function!
He understood everything and saw everything clearly. He was just too lazy to say anything or expose her, so he quietly ate his meal while enjoying Su Jinxiu's personal "tea ceremony show" with great interest.
The last trace of doubt in Lin Wanwan's heart vanished.
She raised her head and looked at Su Jinxiu again. She was still smiling gently, a smile as perfect as a mask.
Lin Wanwan returned the smile with an even more sincere and warm one.
Good sister, keep acting.
The more you act, the happier your emperor will be at "tea tasting".
And she, the empress, was also...very happy to see it.
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