Chapter 98 - 80: Part 2
Unexpectedly, Jiang Xian laughed again upon hearing this.
The Noble Princess Consort couldn’t hold back and asked her what she was laughing about.
Jiang Xian said, "As they say, love is all one needs. The Lady is no longer hungry upon seeing me. I am so honored I can’t help but rejoice."
※
The Noble Princess Consort set down her chopsticks. She was done eating.
She stormed back to the main hall, preferring to sit before the Buddha and feign prayer while waiting for the Empress Dowager’s return rather than share a room with her. Seeing the Noble Princess Consort leave, her cheeks flushed with anger, the hands of the palace maid serving Jiang Xian’s meal began to tremble. Jiang Xian had to comfort her, "Don’t be nervous. This is Changle Palace. The Noble Princess Consort would never dare throw her weight around in here. Quick, give me a couple more bites. I want to go back and pray."
’My colleague is skipping the rest of her meal to get back to work. Such a try-hard.’
Jiang Xian hastily took three more bites, ensuring she had enough energy for the day, then returned to the main hall. She asked attentively, "Nanny, is there any more rice?"
"After lunch, the Empress Dowager will not be sorting rice. Master Liuyun will be coming to lecture on Buddhism. The two of you need only sit and listen."
Upon hearing this, Noble Princess Consort Rong’s face lit up with joy.
She truly couldn’t sort any more rice.
In contrast, Jiang Xian, after a moment of shock, pressed on, "Nanny, will there be more rice to sort tomorrow? Or perhaps while the Empress Dowager sits for the lecture, my Sister-in-law and I can sort rice together to pray for blessings!"
Noble Princess Consort Rong whipped her head around.
If they weren’t in Changle Palace, this would be the first time she’d ever wanted to clamp a hand over someone’s mouth so badly—
’Could Noble Lady Gu please say a little less!’
’If she loves sorting rice so much, she can do it herself! Don’t drag me into it!’
"That will depend on the Empress Dowager’s arrangements. Your Ladyship has been busy for an hour, you must be tired..." the nanny said, looking troubled.
"I’m not tired. I have a heart full of passion to dedicate to our nation. How could I possibly speak of fatigue?"
Jiang Xian paused, then dragged her colleague into it: "My Sister-in-law feels the same."
A tremor shot through Noble Princess Consort Rong’s hand.
She wanted to say that she did not.
But saying that would be like holding her feet to the fire. With things having come to this, even if she didn’t feel that way, she had to pretend she did. Annoyed, she snapped, "This consort wishes to listen attentively to Master Liuyun’s lecture. There is no need for Noble Lady Gu to speak on my behalf."
Just then, the Empress Dowager entered, supported by a palace maid. She had heard the last sentence and nodded slightly, saying with a smile, "In that case, Noble Consort, you must listen with care. This Dowager will be quizzing you afterward."
The color instantly drained from Noble Princess Consort Rong’s face, which had been slightly flushed with irritation.
Ostensibly, no woman in the harem was a non-believer in Buddhism.
After all, life in the palace was dull. Gathering for fun too often would attract gossip, but gathering to worship Buddha was a praiseworthy act. Noble Princess Consort Rong used to worship and listen to masters’ lectures with Ma Wan Yi, but listen with care? Noble Princess Consort Rong had always just let it go in one ear and out the other. Ma Wan Yi was even worse, the type to ask, "’A treat?’ What treat? Do we get vegetarian treats after this?"—a high-end version of Chen Daying, really.
Hearing that the Empress Dowager would be quizzing her later, she couldn’t help but feel unnerved.
"Oh, so it’s a lecture," Jiang Xian said with an air of sudden realization. "It’s a rare opportunity for me to hear a master’s teachings. May I humbly request the Empress Dowager to lend me a brush, paper, ink, and an inkstone so I might take some notes during the lecture? After all, my memory is nowhere near as good as my Sister-in-law’s."
Noble Princess Consort Rong: ?
’It sounds like a compliment, but it also feels like she’s setting me up.’
Perhaps because Jiang Xian’s previous performance as a rice-sorting fanatic had startled the Empress Dowager, she wanted to see what other surprises Jiang Xian had in store for her. She granted the request, ordering servants to bring in a low table, lay out paper and a brush, and grind the ink for her.
When Master Liuyun arrived, he too was taken aback by Noble Lady Gu’s setup.
Master Liuyun: "Your Ladyship, this is...?"
The Empress Dowager told him to pay her no mind and just begin his lecture.
Master Liuyun composed himself and agreed.
But soon, he discovered it was truly difficult to ignore Noble Lady Gu!
As he lectured, a pair of bright, burning eyes from below were fixed on him. With every sentence he spoke, a slender hand holding a brush recorded his words on paper. It put him under immense pressure, as if he were being ambushed by an academic supervisor, making him terrified of a subpar performance.
Unfortunately, this time the system determined her actions were unrelated to palace fighting and did not award her any points.
Jiang Xian didn’t care. She couldn’t sit still anyway.
She was going to be a try-hard for the sake of it, happy to do it even without a reward.
She was so focused on her note-taking that she didn’t notice Noble Princess Consort Rong beside her, who was also under immense pressure. The Noble Princess Consort had tried to rally her spirits and listen, thinking it wouldn’t be that difficult. But with a straight-A student and total King Juan furiously scribbling notes next to her, she grew agitated and couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at what she was writing every few moments.
After sneaking a peek and seeing how many notes she had taken, her composure completely shattered.
’What is she even doing?’
’We were all thrown in this ’jail’ because of the Emperor’s favor, but here Jiang Xian is, acting like she’s at a re-education camp! She’s picking up a traditional craft in prison and is even taking it seriously.’ Noble Princess Consort Rong had wanted to make a good showing to lessen the Empress Dowager’s dislike for her, but thanks to this hyper-competitive atmosphere, she kept getting distracted.
Her distraction did not escape the Empress Dowager’s notice, who gradually furrowed her brow in displeasure.
After Master Liuyun finished his lecture, the Empress Dowager gave him a small reward and had the nanny escort him out.
She said coolly, "Noble Consort, if you don’t have the energy to accompany this Dowager for the lecture, you may go to the side hall and rest!"
Before Noble Princess Consort Rong could reply, Jiang Xian chimed in first: "The Empress Dowager is benevolent! I have already thought of a solution for my Sister-in-law. Later, I will copy these notes and send a set to her. That way, she won’t miss the essence of Master Liuyun’s lecture, and she can also get some proper rest."
Jiang Xian showed everyone her densely filled pages of notes.
Not only did she write quickly, but her calligraphy was also excellent. She had written in a slightly larger script than usual, making it easy for the Empress Dowager to see the content at a glance. Sure enough, the Empress Dowager’s gaze swept over the notes. After confirming that she had recorded the main points of Master Liuyun’s lecture, she nodded slightly. "You are younger than the Noble Consort, yet you are remarkably composed. This Dowager heard your hand was so tired you could barely lift it, so there’s no need for you to personally copy them again. Since the Noble Consort has a mind to learn, you will lend this copy to her... These notes you’ve taken are quite good. Noble Consort, you are to return them to this Dowager once you have finished copying them."
System: [Achievement Unlocked: The Empress Dowager is deeply impressed with you. Reward: 400 Palace Fighting Points.]
The Noble Princess Consort could only accept the order and go copy the notes.
Jiang Xian, however, received a decree of grace, permitting her to take a rest.
After the Empress Dowager dismissed them, the Noble Princess Consort, who was grinding her teeth in fury, heard her say, "Sigh. But I don’t want to rest."