Chapter 127 - 108: A Visit
Zhaoyang Palace.
The palace maids from Yizhu Pavilion tried to console Jiang Xian for a while, but when they found it was no use, Mian Xia had to bite the bullet and come herself. She was hoping to appeal to the Noble Consort, banking on the friendship between their mistresses. Liang Yuyin was on night duty at Zhaoyang Palace. He was all too aware that Jiang Xian was the apple of the Emperor’s eye right now, not to mention she was injured...
Putting the two together, Liang Yuyin nodded. "Alright, I’ll risk offending the Lady and go announce Noble Lady Gu. But whether the Emperor is willing to come is not something I can decide."
To his surprise, the junior palace maid looked embarrassed. "Chief Liang, our mistress doesn’t want to see the Emperor..."
...
The two were fast asleep when Liang Yuyin walked in, head bowed deferentially, and woke the Emperor.
Seeing the commotion, the Noble Consort guessed someone had come to poach the Emperor.
’In the entire harem, someone actually dares to poach from me?’ she thought with slight surprise.
Liang Yuyin said, "Just now, Mian Xia, the Chief Palace Maid from Yizhu Pavilion, came seeking an audience. She said Noble Lady Gu developed a fever in the middle of the night."
At the mention of Noble Lady Gu’s name, Noble Princess Consort Rong’s expression changed abruptly.
She was both displeased that Noble Lady Gu was interrupting her time with the Emperor and worried that a midnight fever might mean her wound was worsening.
When the Emperor heard that Xian’er had a fever, he was instantly jolted from his sleepiness. He started to get out of bed, but after shifting slightly, he remembered he was in the Noble Consort’s Zhaoyang Palace. As the Emperor, there were few people whose feelings he cared about, but the Noble Consort was one of them.
’With the Noble Consort’s spoiled and grudge-holding nature, she’s definitely not going to want me to leave.’
If he left, the Noble Consort wouldn’t be mad at him, but her just-mended relationship with Xian’er would surely sour again.
’What a dilemma!’
"Noble Consort, I..."
"Emperor."
Noble Princess Consort Rong cut him off, her shoulders trembling slightly.
The Emperor’s heart sank. ’Is the Noble Consort that angry?’
"Noble Lady Gu is injured and has a fever. It is perfectly reasonable for the Emperor to go see her and offer some comfort."
If anyone from the Rong Mansion had heard her say this, they would have been utterly horrified.
After all, since childhood, the young miss of the Rong Family had never learned to "be considerate" or "think of others." Inside Noble Princess Consort Rong’s heart, two voices were at war. One screamed, ’How dare she steal my time with the Emperor! She can just die!’ while the other whispered, ’Noble Lady Gu is injured and has a fever, she must be so miserable. If the Emperor goes to keep her company, she’ll feel a little better, right?’... ’Still, I’m so mad! I want to throw a tantrum!’
Seeing the Noble Consort actually say something so sensible, the Emperor looked astonished. But his heart was truly with Jiang Xian. He patted the Noble Consort’s head, promised to come back to accompany her tomorrow, and then got out of bed.
At that moment, Liang Yuyin hurriedly said, "Emperor, Noble Lady Gu wanted to ask the Noble Consort to go see her. She asked for the Emperor to please continue resting."
The Emperor and the Noble Consort froze at the same time.
The Emperor snapped, "Liang Yuyin, how do you do your job? To relay a message so poorly!"
"Spare my life, Emperor! The palace maid from Yizhu Pavilion said specifically that they were looking for the Lady. If the Emperor doesn’t believe me, you can summon Miss Mian Xia in..."
"No need."
The Emperor thought for a moment, then said, "My dear consort, I will go with you."
※
Meanwhile, Jiang Xian had drunk her medicine, and her mind grew even groggier, making her want to sleep.
But this hour was too early for her to sleep usually. Unwilling to give in, she grabbed Chen Daying’s hand.
Chen Daying said, "You don’t want to sleep, but I do."
Jiang Xian retorted, "No, you don’t. There’s no one in Yizhu Pavilion who wants to sleep."
Chen Daying was tempted to just make a pallet on the floor outside Yizhu Pavilion and rough it for the night.
Meanwhile, the Emperor not only brought the Noble Consort to Yizhu Pavilion, but he also summoned an Imperial Physician. And the one he summoned was none other than Doctor Sun, who had just returned to his post from Yizhu Pavilion, thinking he could slack off and take a nap for the latter half of the night.
’Well, it was an imperial command. He wouldn’t dare disobey.’
After they arrived, the Emperor was the first to ask, "What exactly is wrong with Gu Pin?"
Everyone who heard this was stunned for a moment by the title.
Then they realized: the Emperor was preparing to promote their mistress to the rank of Pin.
In an instant, a rustle of fabric filled the room as everyone knelt to give thanks. Jiang Xian was dazed and groggy. She heard the keywords "...give thanks... promoted to Pin..." but only saw the Noble Consort. So, she forced her ailing body to sit up. "I thank the Lady for her grace."
She even thanked the wrong person!
The Emperor saw her cheeks, flushed like rouge, and her shimmering eyes. He was both captivated and worried, so of course, he wouldn’t blame her for the breach of etiquette.
Zhenqiu replied, "We already had Doctor Sun come see her. He said it’s normal to develop a fever from an external wound and that it just needs to be treated accordingly. Our mistress’s wound is healing very well; she just needs to get through the next few days."
Only then did the Emperor’s dark expression clear.
He sat down by the couch, held Jiang Xian’s hot hand, and asked gently, "Why did you send someone to Zhaoyang Palace to find the Noble Consort? She can’t treat illnesses. It would be better for me to keep you company."
Noble Princess Consort Rong found his words a bit irritating.
She hated it when people said she was inferior to someone or couldn’t do something well. It was only because the Emperor was the one saying it; if it had been anyone else, her expression would have soured on the spot.
As he leaned closer, Jiang Xian finally noticed the Emperor was there too.
’The big boss is here too! I can’t afford to offend either of them.’
A jolt went through her, and she forced herself to be more alert. "I was being greedy. I wanted both the Emperor and the Lady to keep me company."
The Emperor smiled. "I didn’t expect a single trip to Jingxin Temple would make you two such good friends."
It’s a classic case of workplace bonding: the ’confinement effect.’
Stick them in the same office, make them face each other every day, and a relationship will naturally blossom.
Jiang Xian said, "I am only slightly unwell, how could I dare trouble the Emperor? Your visit to Yizhu Pavilion is already a great comfort. Please, Emperor, go back and rest early! I am not well, and I’m afraid I will have to call for attendants frequently during the night. I wouldn’t want to disturb your rest as well."
The Emperor wanted to stay and accompany her.
However, because he had welcomed the Empress Dowager back to the palace and dealt with the matter of the insurgents today, he had pushed all other political affairs to the next day. If he were to show up at court tomorrow looking drained... The Emperor was a responsible big boss. He had Doctor Sun check Jiang Xian’s pulse a second time and watched over her as she drank her medicine, then prepared to get up and leave to rest.
But Noble Princess Consort Rong gave a slight curtsy. "Since the Emperor is leaving, allow me to stay and accompany Gu Pin."
"It is good enough that you have the thought. Wouldn’t this be an inconvenience to you? Gu Pin herself just said that she’ll likely be causing disturbances throughout the night."
"I have nothing important to do during the day. If I sleep poorly tonight, I can just make it up with a nap in the afternoon."
The Emperor nodded his assent.
After the imperial entourage departed with a great rustle, Noble Princess Consort Rong showed no awareness that she was a guest. She began issuing orders: "You, go boil some hot water. When Gu Pin starts to sweat, use a wrung-out warm towel to wipe her down. You, go cook a bowl of congee... Yizhu Pavilion doesn’t have a small kitchen? What a destitute place! Fine, take my token to Zhaoyang Palace, cook it there, and bring it back."
Intimidated by Noble Princess Consort Rong’s aura, everyone immediately fell into their assigned roles, working in an orderly fashion.
Just then, Noble Princess Consort Rong noticed a furtive figure in the corner of the room.
"You..."
"Lady, I am Chen Daying."
Chen Daying shrewdly announced her own name.
’Her sixth sense told her the Noble Consort didn’t remember who she was.’
After she stated her name, Noble Princess Consort Rong finally recalled such a person existed. She had been there during the greetings just now, but her presence was so faint, and she was hiding inconspicuously in a corner. "What are you doing hiding over there?"
"Gu... Gu Pin asked me to keep her company."
"Nonsense," Noble Princess Consort Rong’s face turned cold. She lifted her proud chin. "Since Gu Pin sent someone to Zhaoyang Palace to request my presence, and I have come as requested, it’s clear she doesn’t need a minor concubine like you to accompany her. Scram back to your side hall and sleep."
"On it!"
Chen Daying felt as if she’d been granted amnesty, eternally grateful to the Lady for letting her go back to sleep.