SWDnovel Chapter 6: The Imperial Harem Has Always Been Full of Schemes!
Chapter 6: The Imperial Harem Has Always Been Full of Schemes!
Meanwhile, at the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion.
Xu Longxiang stood in the courtyard of Tingxuexuan.
The courtyard remains exactly as it was when Jiang Qingxue left it.
On the stone table lay her unfinished handkerchief, which depicted a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water; only half of it was embroidered.
The white plum tree in the corner, which she loved most, had already withered, but was now sprouting tender green leaves.
Xu Longxiang walked to the stone table and picked up the handkerchief.
As my fingertips traced the fine stitches, the image of Jiang Qingxue sitting under the eaves embroidering appeared before my eyes.
Sunlight shone on her, and she lowered her head, focused on her work. Occasionally, she would look up and give him a slight smile, a smile so pure and without a trace of impurity.
"Qingxue..."
He whispered, his voice filled with an unusual tenderness and remorse.
"Wait for me, it won't be long."
He carefully folded the handkerchief and put it in his bosom.
As he turned to leave, his eyes had regained their usual coldness and determination.
......
The moon sets and the sun rises.
The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the window and fell on Jiang Qingxue's face.
She sat in front of the dressing table all night.
When she got up, her legs and feet felt a little numb, so she held onto the edge of the table to recover.
The sound of palace maids' footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a soft knock.
"Lady Xue, are you awake? Consort Shu has arrived."
Jiang Qingxue was taken aback and quickly tidied her clothes and hair.
Before she could respond, the palace doors were pushed open.
As the morning light streamed in, a slender figure stood against the light.
Su Wanqing was wearing a light purple palace dress today, with large magnolia flowers embroidered on the skirt, and a thin gauze shawl of the same color on top.
She wore her hair in a high bun, adorned with a gold hairpin, and a fresh magnolia blossom on each side, which made her face even more beautiful.
Two palace maids followed behind him, one carrying a tray with a brocade box on it, and the other carrying a food box.
"My sister woke up so early?"
Su Wanqing walked in with a smile, her voice gentle, but her gaze subtly swept around the hall.
Seeing how simple the furnishings were, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.
Jiang Qingxue curtsied and said, "Your humble servant greets Consort Shu."
"Get up quickly."
Su Wanqing reached out to support her, and then took her hand.
"No need for such formalities, sister. His Majesty specifically instructed me yesterday to come and see you, and to familiarize you with the palace rules."
Her hands were warm and soft, holding Jiang Qingxue's slightly cool hands.
Jiang Qingxue felt somewhat uncomfortable with such closeness, but she couldn't pull away, so she could only lower her head and say, "Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."
"Don't talk about whether it's troublesome or not, we're all sisters."
Su Wanqing pulled her to sit down at the table and gestured for the maid to open the food box.
"I suppose my sister didn't sleep well last night, so I specially asked the imperial kitchen to prepare some light breakfast for you to try."
The food box was opened, revealing four side dishes: jade shrimp dumplings, crystal steamed cake, white fungus and lotus seed soup, and a small dish of pickled plums.
There was also a bowl of thick millet porridge.
Everything was exquisite and had a wonderful aroma.
Jiang Qingxue was indeed hungry, so she didn't refuse. After thanking him softly, she started eating in small bites.
Su Wanqing sat to the side, watching her quietly.
The woman before me was indeed stunningly beautiful.
Especially her aloof and elegant temperament, which made her stand out like a lotus emerging from the water amidst all the beauties in the imperial harem.
No wonder Xu Longxiang chose her.
Su Wanqing sneered inwardly.
But her expression remained gentle, and she waited until Jiang Qingxue had almost finished eating before speaking softly:
"My sister is new to the palace and doesn't know many things. This harem may seem glamorous, but it's actually a place where every step is fraught with danger. Although His Majesty is kind, the rules in the palace are strict, and even the slightest mistake can be a serious crime."
She took the brocade box from the palace maid behind her and opened it.
Inside were several volumes of books.
"These are the 'Palace Rules' and 'Admonitions for Women,' as well as the ranks, preferences, and backgrounds of the various concubines in the harem. Sister, take a look at them in your spare time, so you don't offend anyone in the future."
Jiang Qingxue took it, her fingertips touching the cool cover of the book.
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty."
"Also," Su Wanqing paused, lowering her voice slightly, "His Majesty stayed at my palace last night."
Jiang Qingxue's grip on the book tightened slightly.
"His Majesty asked about my sister."
Su Wanqing observed her expression and asked, "Ask me what I think of my sister."
"How did Your Majesty answer?"
"I would like to say that my younger sister is exceptionally beautiful and has an extraordinary temperament. However, she is new to the palace and is inevitably timid. I hope Your Majesty will give her more time to adapt."
Jiang Qingxue looked up at her: "Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness."
Eyes facing each other.
Su Wanqing saw a fleeting hint of wariness and aloofness in those clear eyes.
She understood.
This woman is indeed no ordinary person.
"younger sister,"
Su Wanqing suddenly changed her tone, becoming more intimate, "Since we both serve the same emperor, we are family. In this deep palace, having more sisters is always better than having more enemies. Don't you think so?"
Jiang Qingxue was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Your Majesty is right."
"From now on, just call me 'sister' in private." Su Wanqing's smile deepened. "If you have any difficulties, feel free to come to me."
"Yes, sister."
The two chatted for a while, mostly Su Wanqing telling interesting stories about the palace, while Jiang Qingxue listened quietly.
Half an hour later, Su Wanqing got up to take her leave.
"Sister, please rest well. I'll come to see you again tomorrow. If you're interested, the peonies in the Imperial Garden will be in full bloom the day after tomorrow; let's go admire them together."
"Respectfully seeing off my elder sister."
Jiang Qingxue escorted her to the palace gate.
As she watched Su Wanqing's slender figure recede into the distance, the submissive look on her face gradually faded, replaced by a cold indifference.
This Consort Shu appears gentle and kind, but in reality, every word she utters is a test.
Showing her the palace rules was a reminder to follow the rules.
Mentioning that the emperor stayed overnight in her palace was a way of asserting sovereignty.
His final talk about sisterhood was clearly an attempt to win her over.
Just as Xu Longxiang had said, this harem was full of traps.
That's so dirty.
Jiang Qingxue turned around and went back into the palace, closing the door behind her.
She walked to the dressing table and sat down again.
The woman in the bronze mirror no longer had the same bewildered look in her eyes as she had the night before.
Now that I've entered this game of chess, I can only be a qualified piece.
She reached out and pulled the white jade phoenix hairpin from her hair, holding it in her palm.
"Brother Longxiang, I won't let you down."
The voice was soft, yet incredibly firm.
......
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Qin Mu had just finished listening to the secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"This morning, Consort Shu went to Yuxiu Palace and talked with Consort Xue for half an hour, bringing her breakfast and books. Consort Xue was respectful and didn't say much."
Qin Mu leaned back on the soft couch, toying with a white jade paperweight in his hand, and chuckled upon hearing this.
"Su Wanqing is quite proactive."
Yunluan, who was standing to the side, said in a low voice, "Consort Shu has always been very understanding."
Qin Mu smiled, put down the paperweight, and got up to walk to the window.
Outside the window, the spring sunshine was bright, and several sparrows hopped on the branches.
"What's going on in the North?"
"Xu Longxiang convened his five chief advisors for a secret meeting last night until midnight, the specific content of which is unknown. This morning, Fan Li has already set off for the capital, accompanied by eighteen guards and three carts of gifts."
"A gift?" Qin Mu raised an eyebrow. "For whom?"
"On the surface, they were New Year's gifts for several senior officials in the court, but one of the carriages was actually carrying gold, silver, jewelry, and ancient books and paintings. The route of the carriage... passed by the back gate of the residence of Meng Fang, the commander of the Imperial Guards."
A hint of amusement flashed in Qin Mu's eyes.
"Interesting, very interesting..."
"Xu Longxiang made a brilliant move."
"Sending a beauty to my side shows loyalty and also plants a spy. In the north, Fan Li is bringing gold and jewels to Meng Fang's residence... This is a two-pronged approach."
He stood up and said calmly.
"Yunluan".
"Your subordinate is here."
"Let's go," Qin Mu said, walking to the door with his hands behind his back. His profile was outlined in the light and shadow, revealing his handsome features. "Let's go see that Xue Cai Ren too."