Chapter 126 - 107: Interception
The Empress Dowager returned to the Imperial Palace, and everyone within its walls came out to welcome her.
As Jiang Xian was injured, she had no choice but to be absent from this major occasion.
The Emperor first went to Changle Palace to play the part of a filial son for a while before slowly revealing his thoughts.
After the morning’s fright and the exhaustion of travel, the Empress Dowager was a bit tired, but her mind was as clear as ever. She understood that the Emperor had already made his decision and merely wanted her to issue the edict on his behalf. With a smile, she said, "Gu Pin is loyal and filial. This time, she suffered in my place and truly deserves a reward. The rank of concubine... she is indeed worthy of it."
Since the Emperor was set on being willful, and the Empress Dowager also pitied Jiang Xian for her injuries, she had no objections.
Indeed, the Emperor said with emotion, "Though Gu Pin is a woman, she is the bravest of all. Sometimes, in my eyes, she is a little too reckless with her own life."
"Gu Pin’s utter devotion to you, Your Majesty, has allowed me to bask in her light as well," the Empress Dowager said with a laugh.
"How can you say you are basking in my light? Gu Pin is also purely and utterly filial to you, Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager paused.
’She and Gu Pin were practically strangers. In the past, she had barely spoken a few words to her when she visited. Where did this filial piety come from?’
’Besides, while the Emperor claimed Gu Pin was utterly filial to her, the smile in his voice showed how proud he was that Gu Pin loved *him* so much.’ The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes. "Noble Princess Consort Rong was also frightened this time. In the future, I should probably leave the palace less. It only stirs up trouble and vexes you, Your Majesty."
"The rebels were brazen and caused this disaster; your son would never blame you, Mother Empress. But the part about leaving the palace less does speak to my heart. If something had happened to you outside the palace, wouldn’t I have become a motherless child, truly all alone in the world?"
Hearing the genuine care and worry in the Emperor’s voice, the Empress Dowager was greatly pleased, but she didn’t forget to offer a word of advice. "I know your heart is set on Gu Pin, but you must not neglect the old faces either."
"Your son understands."
After leaving Changle Palace, the Emperor went to Zhaoyang Palace to sit for a while.
Noble Princess Consort Rong came to receive him. She forced a smile onto her radiant face, suppressing her discomfort as she described in detail what had happened in the carriage during the attack: "Afterward, my servants inspected my original carriage. It had been shot so full of arrows it looked like a porcupine. If Noble Lady Gu had not saved me, I fear I would not be able to sit here and speak with Your Majesty now."
The Emperor listened with a grave expression, a wave of retrospective fear washing over him as she finished.
Gu Pin knew some martial arts, which was good, but in front of the Emperor, she always appeared as a delicate and fragile young woman. Besides, you only think someone is tough and can take a beating when you hate them, believing a few injuries are no big deal.
But if you love and cherish someone, you’re bound to see them as a fragile, helpless, and naive child who doesn’t understand the world—someone the whole world could hurt and bully.
But now, seeing the Noble Consort suppress her fear to recount the entire incident, praising another woman the whole time, her sincerity made the Emperor’s heart soften in appreciation. ’Xue Shi has finally changed her old arrogant and domineering ways. I knew it! Xian’er is such a good person; anyone would come to like her after spending time with her!’
"I have already requested the Empress Dowager’s permission to promote her to the rank of concubine tomorrow. What do you think, Noble Consort?"
"This concubine believes she is worthy."
Noble Princess Consort Rong thought it was for the best.
’After all, for a great Noble Consort like her, befriending a mere Noble Lady was a bit beneath her station. Now that the Emperor was promoting her to the rank of concubine, she was just barely worthy of associating with me.’
But the Emperor had misunderstood one thing—
When the Noble Consort recounted the events, the discomfort on her face and the slight trembling of her body were not from fear of the rebels, but because she had hardly ever praised anyone in her entire life. In her vocabulary, "very good" meant "just so-so," and "ordinary" meant "terrible." If something was truly terrible, it would only earn a cold sneer from her. To speak of Jiang Xian’s good qualities in front of the Emperor, she had to overcome her very nature, and it was giving her goosebumps.
However, after she finished speaking, the Noble Consort let out a long sigh of relief.
’It wasn’t as difficult as I imagined.’
※
On the first night back in the palace, the Emperor stayed at Zhaoyang Palace, while Jiang Xian was being waited on hand and foot by the entire staff of Yizhu Pavilion.
Chen Daying knelt by the bed, staring nervously at her wound. "I heard that you were surrounded by eight master assassins, and you first saved the Noble Consort, then the Empress Dowager? That’s so amazing! With this kind of merit, as long as you don’t point at the Emperor’s nose and curse him out, you can’t be punished for any ordinary offense. This is great! We can finally start our retirement in the harem."
Jiang Xian had no reaction to the first part, but when she heard the last bit, she pushed herself up abruptly. "What retirement? I’m not retiring! I want to delay my retirement age... I’m not retiring! I can still work!"
Chen Daying jumped in fright, then noticed her face seemed a little red.
She reached out to touch Jiang Xian’s face, then quickly pulled her hand back. "Oh my god! He Xiang, Zhenqiu! Quickly, summon the Imperial Physician! Noble Lady Gu has a fever!"
"What fever?"
Hearing this, Jiang Xian was greatly displeased.
’If I have a fever, I can’t go to work. And I have to work.’
So she secretly activated her "Warmth Aura" to force her body temperature to drop sharply. She then grabbed Chen Daying’s hand and pressed it against her own cheek. "Feel again. I don’t have a fever."
Chen Daying’s vision went black as she shrieked, "He Xiang—"
"Mian Xia has already gone to call the Imperial Physician, my lady, please don’t wail like that!" He Xiang rushed in, only to see her own mistress say in terror, "Noble Lady Gu... Noble Lady Gu is cold!"
"What’s the matter?"
He Xiang murmured an apology and also reached out to touch Jiang Xian’s forehead. Puzzled, she said, "Noble Lady Gu does have a fever. How is she cold? My lady, please don’t speak nonsense."
The system, which had hastily taken control of the Golden Finger to return her temperature to a normal range: [...]
After a while, the Imperial Physician arrived to take her pulse and prescribe medicine.
Before drinking the medicine, Jiang Xian repeatedly reminded the Imperial Physician, "...Don’t write me a doctor’s note... I have to go to work tomorrow... no, wait... I... I want to see the Emperor!"
"My lady, the Emperor is at Zhaoyang Palace."
Zhaoyang Palace was the residence of the Noble Consort.
’Isn’t the Noble Consort also upper management?’ Jiang Xian thought.
’That’s right. It’s not good to bypass upper management to see the big boss. It seems I really am a little delirious with fever, I’ve even forgotten such basic workplace etiquette.’ So she changed her tune: "I don’t want to see the Emperor anymore. I want to see the Noble Consort."