Chapter 115 - 96: Bargaining Down the Beloved Concubines’ Time Away
Jingxin Temple, the largest temple in the state of Yan Chi, was located outside the city.
Master Liuyun, whom the Empress Dowager had previously summoned to the Imperial Palace, was the Vice Abbot of the temple. The abbot himself was seventy, an age so advanced in ancient times that he could pass away at any moment. The Empress Dowager had been afraid he might have an accident on his way to the palace. It wasn’t that she cared about his life, but she feared it would be a demerit on her own karmic record.
And so, she had settled for the next best thing: summoning Master Liuyun to the palace to lecture on the sutras.
Even if Noble Lady Gu had heaven-defying skills, once outside the Imperial Palace, she would be beyond the Emperor’s reach.
Jiang Xian was initially unaware that the Empress Dowager had changed her mind.
Noble Princess Consort Rong, however, was exceptionally well-connected. No sooner had the Empress Dowager mentioned the idea in Changle Palace than she heard about it. She immediately grew anxious, her brow furrowing. "Go to Jingxin Temple? For how long? An undertaking this large can’t be for just two or three days. If it’s for a month, they might as well kill me!"
"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. How can you speak so lightly of your own life?" Qiu Tang soothed.
"The vegetarian food at Jingxin Temple is absolutely terrible."
She wracked her brain but couldn’t come up with a solution.
It’s hard to say what possessed her, but she went to Jiang Xian to inform her of the Empress Dowager’s plan. "It’s most likely because you’re too good at winning favor and have been stirring up storms in the harem. The Empress Dowager wants to put you in your place."
Jiang Xian gazed at the consort’s beautiful face and smiled serenely. "For Your Highness to come and tell me this means we must be in the same boat."
"...If I truly didn’t want to go, I have plenty of ways to get out of it."
"But the moment Your Highness uses any of those methods, the Empress Dowager will only grow more wary of you."
The Empress Dowager and the Noble Consort each held a trump card.
The Empress Dowager’s status was supreme. On the grounds of filial piety, even the Emperor had to defer to her. It was only natural for a mother-in-law to discipline her daughter-in-law—especially one who was only a concubine. However, the Noble Consort’s family was even more illustrious than the Empress Dowager’s own maiden family. The Emperor needed the support of the Rong Family, so if her father or brothers submitted a memorial to the throne, he had to listen.
It was like a fight between the company’s founding partner and its top-performing executive; in the end, it was always the CEO—the Emperor—who was left tearing his hair out.
And yet, both of them still had to consider the Emperor’s feelings.
Thus, neither side dared to cross the line. They maintained a superficial decorum, preserving a delicate balance.
At this, Noble Princess Consort Rong couldn’t help but sound dejected. "The Empress Dowager just wants to separate me from the Emperor."
Jiang Xian replied, "Don’t worry. Won’t I be there to accompany Your Highness? The Empress Dowager may have separated you from the Emperor, but she’s brought you and me together."
The Noble Consort was so easily provoked that Jiang Xian had made a habit of prodding her with words, enjoying the rare pleasure of watching her teeter on the edge of an outburst. But today, upon hearing such a nauseating comment, the Noble Consort didn’t turn away with her usual look of disgust. Instead, she just pressed her lips together and remained silent.
If Jiang Xian had ever been part of a fandom, she would have recognized this as the conflicted expression of someone discovering their rival pairing is surprisingly compelling.
Seeing that the Noble Consort didn’t reply, Jiang Xian didn’t press her advantage. She simply said, "The key to this matter isn’t the Empress Dowager, but the Emperor. We are the Emperor’s concubines, not the Empress Dowager’s study pages. Is the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor truly that good?"
The Noble Consort gave a slight shake of her head.
"Not particularly good, but not bad either. They’re mother and son, after all. Before the Empress Dowager was promoted to Pure Consort, the Emperor was raised in Consort Xian’s palace. But after Consort Xian passed away, the late Emperor graciously decreed that the Empress Dowager could take the Emperor back and raise him herself. That’s how they rebuilt their bond," Noble Princess Consort Rong explained, then paused. "If you’re thinking of trying to drive a wedge between them, I’d advise you to drop the idea."
’Even she wouldn’t dare claim the Emperor would turn against his own mother for her.’
The moment she finished speaking, she saw Jiang Xian smile again.
When they had first met, Noble Princess Consort Rong had despised her bright, beautiful face. Now, she found it much more pleasant to look at. The chemistry between people was a strange and marvelous thing indeed.
The Noble Consort asked, puzzled, "What are you smiling about?"
"I’m smiling because Your Highness seems to think I’m some kind of femme fatale, capable of turning a son against his own mother. How could I possibly do such a thing!"
The candlelight reflected in Jiang Xian’s smiling eyes, and for a moment, it seemed a mischievous light was dancing within them.
※
’The honorary chairman wants to transfer you away from headquarters—a promotion in name but a demotion in practice—to move you away from the center of power. What do you do?’
’—You join forces with an ally and get the CEO to promise you the moon.’
After finishing her prayers, Jiang Xian instructed Noble Princess Consort Rong to pass a message to the Emperor: Noble Lady Gu wanted to arrange a new dance with her to perform for him.
Jiang Xian added, "If Your Highness wishes to take all the credit and claim you designed the dance yourself, I wouldn’t mind."
’With a high-ranking person who held power in the palace paving the way, things would be much easier. She understood the importance of sharing the rewards.’
"The Empress and I married into the Emperor’s household at around the same time. We go back many years."
"I was not prepared for this sudden display of affection."
"What I mean is," the Noble Consort said, giving her a cool glance, "do you think the Emperor isn’t perfectly aware of whether I have the talent to choreograph a dance? If I were to steal all the credit for your work, it would only make me look cheap in his eyes."
’The Emperor wouldn’t call me out on it, but out of a sense of debt to Jiang Xian, he would feel compelled to compensate her doubly in other ways.’
Noble Princess Consort Rong let out a cold huff.
"I imagine Noble Lady Gu calculated this far in advance, didn’t you? I won’t fall for your trap."
"Your Highness’s wisdom is so profound I could never hope to catch up. It reminds me of Chen Daying, who also lives in Yizhu Pavilion."
Chen Daying...
’The Noble Consort had no memory of her at all.’
’She must be a clever one who knows how to stay out of trouble.’
Noble Princess Consort Rong made a mental note about Chen Daying, completely missing how the palace maid beside Jiang Xian was struggling so hard to suppress her laughter that her face was starting to twist.
※
When the Emperor heard that the Noble Consort and Noble Lady Gu were preparing a dance together, his interest was instantly piqued. "What kind of dance? What’s it called?"
"It’s a new dance choreographed by Noble Lady Gu. She hasn’t decided on a name yet. We want you to be kept in suspense, to maintain the mystery."
The Emperor was practically dying of curiosity.
Ever since that breathtaking dance at the Longevity Festival, the Emperor had been reminiscing for days. Now, hearing of a new one, how could he not be consumed with anticipation day and night? A dance performed by two such beauties was bound to be extraordinary. The wait was already a torment. "Have the Dancing Girls from the Inner Music Bureau cooperate fully with the Noble Consort. It is their honor to receive pointers from Noble Lady Gu. If any of them dares to slack off, We will not be lenient!"
Liang Yuyin accepted the command. He would certainly give those Dancing Girls a stern lecture to whip them into shape.
He had to prevent them from spoiling the Emperor’s enjoyment and getting him into trouble as a result.
Soon after, Zhenqiu from Yizhu Pavilion came before the Emperor with another message. "Noble Lady Gu says that while arranging the dance is hard work, it won’t take long. You’ll be able to see it in about half a month."
Half a month... an agonizingly long time.
The Emperor was fixated on this, but that very evening, he was summoned by his dear mother. She told him she wanted to take the Noble Consort and Noble Lady Gu to Jingxin Temple for a month to fast and chant sutras with her.
The Emperor’s face fell instantly.
A mother knows her son best. The Empress Dowager’s face grew stern. "Is the Emperor unwilling to part with them?"
’He was very unwilling!’
’Individually, they were two of the Emperor’s favorite concubines. But Jiang Xian had orchestrated a dream crossover, a move that perfectly captured the heart of this wealthy heir who ’stanned’ them both. And now his mother wanted to postpone the event for a whole month... Since they couldn’t practice at Jingxin Temple, that really meant a month and a half delay!’
’His reluctance level, previously a four out of ten, had just shot up to a seven.’
"Mother Empress is benevolent to wish for the Noble Consort and Noble Lady Gu to share in your blessings. Your son is not at all reluctant. It’s just..."
The Emperor paused. "The Noble Consort is delicate, and Noble Lady Gu is still young. I fear that away from the palace, they might not be able to attend to Mother Empress’s needs as well as they should. Hui Pin is close to you, Mother Empress. Why not take her along this time?"
Hui Pin was the Empress Dowager’s niece. Despite her high rank, she was not favored by the Emperor.
’The Empress Dowager’s desire to take these two away was, in part, a scheme to create opportunities for her niece.’
The Empress Dowager’s expression turned grave. "Am I so unreasonable in the Emperor’s eyes? If I take Hui Pin as well, you will have no one left to attend to you. How could this Dowager steal your attendants?"
"The concubine selection just ended. The palace is full of newcomers. Your son does not lack for company."
Mother and son stared at each other for a long moment.
Finally, it was the Empress Dowager who softened her tone first. "A concubine should not be away from the palace for too long. This Dowager shall go for just half a month."
’A fifty percent discount.’
"Your son believes the harem cannot go a single day without Mother Empress presiding over it. Let’s make it seven days."
’The Emperor shot back with his own number.’
’I have to cut down the time my beloved concubines are away!’
The Empress Dowager fiddled with the Buddha Beads in her hand, giving him a look of resignation. "No matter how much you favor those two, you must not go overboard."