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Chapter 39

"Therefore, I do not wish for anyone to ruin this rarity. Empress, do you understand?"

Empress Zhu trembled, rooted to the spot, her complexion turning somewhat ashen.

The Emperor, he knows everything!!

"Your Majesties, what are you whispering about?" Jiang Xinyue waved at them: "Come over here! Try the fried chicken I made. The eldest princess and the second princess love it."

There was mulled hawthorn wine warming on the small stove, just a little sip for the princesses, pleasantly sour and sweet, not spicy at all.

The third prince couldn\'t have any, as he was only seven years old, too young.

The two imperial chefs were immensely grateful to Consort Zhen for teaching them new culinary skills, praising the fried chicken profusely.

Although such greasy food shouldn\'t be eaten too much, it was still irresistibly crispy and fragrant. Just smelling the aroma made one\'s mouth water. While not suitable as a main dish, it made for an excellent snack to stave off hunger.

Moreover, Consort Zhen said that anything could be fried. When they returned, they would follow her recipe to fry some chicken wings, drumsticks, and what was it... oh yes, popcorn chicken.

They would then send it to the various princesses and consorts to try. If the response was good, it would be another accomplishment.

There were no musical instruments this time, but it stirred pleasant memories for the Xuanwu Emperor. He turned to Wang Dequan and instructed: "Remind me tomorrow after the morning court session to have the ministers of the Honghuisi and Minister Jiang come to the imperial study to discuss the new year\'s banquet."

"Yes, your servant will remember."

Wang Dequan glanced at Consort Zhen. This Minister Jiang was indeed her father.

That night, after seeing everyone off, the Xuanwu Emperor could no longer restrain his emotions and embraced his beloved consort.

Jiang Xinyue lay on his chest, listening to his strong, powerful heartbeat, her mind undisturbed.

How could she possibly harbor no resentment?

She had done nothing wrong, and yet the Emperor, in order to placate Concubine Li, had her sent to the cold palace. Was it not because the value she provided was not as high as Concubine Li\'s, so one had to be abandoned, and she was the one discarded?

It was no use saying the Emperor had not treated her poorly before, secretly ordering the Imperial Household Department to look after her. She was blameless, yet suffered such injustice for no reason. That was the least the Emperor should have done.

A man worthy of her love would stand firmly by her side, trust her, protect her, and understand her.

The Xuanwu Emperor was merely a stepping stone in her path to advancement.

He could divide his affections between Empress Zhu, Concubine Li, Consort Liang, and Consort De...

Too cheap. She did not covet it.

She had no desire to compete with other women, having received a higher education in the 21st century, even studying abroad, her thoughts were relatively open and bold.

There were so many men, if someone tried to take him, she would happily give him away.

But alas, she had transmigrated into the imperial palace, becoming the Emperor\'s woman. If she did not compete with the other women, her fate would either be to die a lonely death in the palace, or be framed and killed.

She did not wish for that.

Thus, she would treat the palace as her workplace, the Emperor as her boss, and the consorts as colleagues obstructing her promotion.

With this mindset, the workaholic Jiang Xinyue immediately regained her vigor.

That night in the Hexi Palace, water was summoned three times, and it was not until the late night that the Emperor finally fell asleep with Consort Zhen in his embrace.

The next morning, after the Emperor attended the morning court session, a stream of rewards flowed into the Hexi Palace.

It was after Jiang Xinyue had finished her breakfast that a palace maid from the Yikun Palace arrived. With a curtsy, she said: "Consort Zhen, the Empress is ill and asked this servant to inform you. There is no need for you to pay respects for the next three days."

Jiang Xinyue showed concern and guilt: "The Empress is ill? Could it be from waiting too long outside the cold palace yesterday and catching a cold?"

The little palace maid quickly shook her head: "It has nothing to do with Consort Zhen. Our Empress has a recurring headache during the winter. The imperial physicians have already been summoned."

Only then did Jiang Xinyue breathe a sigh of relief: "That\'s good then. I\'ll go visit the Empress after she recovers, lest I burden her by visiting now while she is ill."

The little palace maid smiled: "Then this servant shall take her leave. There are still other palaces to notify!"

This was a subtle way of telling her that the Empress valued her, coming to notify her first before the other palaces.

Xi Que smiled and took the little palace maid\'s hand, slipping her a pouch of silver pieces: "Let me see you out, sister."

The new year\'s banquet was only three days away. It seemed the Empress was too busy with the preparations to engage in her usual morning banter with the palace consorts.

Not having to pay respects was a relief. Jiang Xinyue took off her clothes and had another nap.

She slept until lunchtime. The snow had been falling all night and only stopped at noon when she woke up. Xi Que, Shuang Jiang, Jiang Chuan, and Xiao Xuanzi had already built several tall snowmen in the courtyard.

Consort Zhen was generous, so the palace maids and eunuchs in the Hexi Palace were livelier than those elsewhere. Even when the other palaces were gloomy, this place still had a warm, lively atmosphere.

The sound of pleasant laughter drifted in. Jiang Xinyue put on a robe and watched them from the window, smiling.

She had to keep receiving the Emperor\'s favor!

Only by continuously receiving his favor could she maintain this vibrant atmosphere in her palace.

Xi Que, Shuang Jiang, Xiao Xuanzi, and all the palace staff in the Hexi Palace would then be able to live in peace.

"The Lady is awake!"

Shuang Jiang, who had just finished shaping a snowball amidst the laughter and commotion, immediately dropped it. She brushed off the snow from her clothes and entered with Xi Que. They stood by the charcoal fire for a moment to dispel the chill before approaching Jiang Xinyue.

"Why didn\'t you call us to attend to you when you woke up, My Lady?"

If the palace tutors knew, they would surely flay them alive for breaching protocol.

Jiang Xinyue playfully teased Xi Que: "Oh? You were all frolicking outside, while I had no one to attend me by my bedside. Aren\'t you the ones being improper?"

"Please forgive us, My Lady!"

Xi Que was unfazed, but Shuang Jiang was so frightened that she knelt down: "It was my fault. I saw the heavy snow today and wanted to build some snowmen for you to see, so I called Xi Que and the others to help. Please forgive this servant, My Lady."

Jiang Xinyue and Xi Que glanced at each other, and among the three of them, there was indeed one honest person.

"Shuang Jiang, our lady is just teasing us!"

Xi Que helped Shuang Jiang up. "My lady, look at yourself."

She was truly mischievous.

Only then did Shuang Jiang dare to raise her head and look at her mistress\'s expression. Seeing that she indeed had a smiling countenance, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "My lady, you gave this servant a fright."

Kind mistresses were truly rare in the palace.

In private, every one of them was difficult to serve. Being able to encounter Consort Zhen was a blessing she had cultivated over three lifetimes. She did not wish to serve any other mistress.