Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 203 The Favor Grows Stronger

On the other side, inside the Ruyi Hall, a completely different scene unfolded.

"...temporarily assuming the duties of the Empress."

Jiang Jie murmured softly, his previously joyful expression instantly turning cold.

Xingyu, Zhixue, and Luwei fell silent, swallowing back the words they had wanted to say to their master about entering the harem.

"It was one thing when we were in the Prince's mansion, but after entering the palace, that wretched woman still retains the power to control the six palaces. The Emperor... in the end, still doesn't care about me and the Jiang family."

Jiang Jie stared at the bright yellow imperial edict in his hand, his eyes darkening slightly, a hint of self-mockery creeping into them.

When the late emperor ascended the throne, he welcomed Empress Ruan (his first wife, now deceased) into the palace on the same day—what an honor that was… Jiang Jie looked out the window, his heart filled with unspeakable bitterness. Unlike himself, the emperor had only been on the throne for a little over three days, and he was still stuck in the Prince of Jin's residence…

Outside the palace, Granny Gui, her face beaming with joy, saw Jingming off and hurried into the bedroom.

Seeing her mistress's increasingly haggard appearance since the day she went to Guangci Temple to offer incense, Granny Gui felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, but she still gave Xingyu a wink.

Xingyu and the other two moved behind Granny Gui, and the four of them slowly knelt down, placing their hands folded on their right sides and bowing deeply.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty the Empress on your illustrious ascension to the throne! We, your humble servants, pay our respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty rule the world, bestow blessings upon all, and enjoy eternal grace."

Upon hearing the words "Eternal Grace of the Emperor," Jiang Jie's phoenix eyes widened, her once gentle face contorted with rage, and the phoenix hairpin on her forehead trembled slightly.

She suddenly flicked her sleeve, and with a crisp cracking sound, the teacup on the table was smashed to the ground.

"The Emperor's grace is eternal... With that vile woman Tang Qingwan in front of us, the entire harem will probably fall into her hands."

Jiang Jie gripped the hem of his clothes tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Granny Gui quickly got up to comfort her, but what she said was the same old thing she had said countless times: take care of yourself, give birth to the imperial heir safely, and there is plenty of time in the future.

"Haven't you noticed yet, Granny? For three days in a row, His Majesty hasn't even discussed the rank of my concubine with me when I was still a prince, yet he has already sent Eunuch Jing to deliver the decree. It seems that he has already grown tired of me."

Jiang Jie's voice betrayed a hint of bitterness. Having been pampered in her youth, she had never suffered such humiliation. She feared that once she entered the palace, with Tang Qingwan around, she would sooner or later become the laughingstock of the capital. At this moment, she was filled with remorse. That day at Guangci Temple, she seemed to have truly made a mistake. But that day, with her splitting headache and her stepmother's hypocritical words, she simply couldn't suppress her emotions...

Lu Wei gently comforted her, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. With the Grand General and the two young generals here, His Majesty will rely on you even more."

Seeing her master's dejected state, Xingyu's eyes flickered, and after a moment's thought, she said:

"After returning from Guangci Temple a few days ago, Her Majesty has already experienced a miscarriage, and has also been exhausted from attending funeral rites for many days. At this time, it is indeed important to ensure the safety of the pregnancy. His Majesty's arrangement is surely not without the consideration of Her Majesty and the imperial heir."

According to the information provided by Banu a few days ago, the Emperor's high regard for the Duke of Qing's mansion, even at the cost of defying the late Emperor's decree, is quite suspicious.

These past few days, I summoned Hanfang and asked her a few questions. I'm secretly wondering if someone has appeared to restrain Consort Zhen.

Since becoming pregnant, Jiang Jie had often felt dizzy, but upon hearing Xingyu's words, her eyes gradually regained some sparkle.

"Tell me in detail."

Hanfang, Chun'er, and Xia'er were all servants of the Duke of Qing's mansion. Unlike Chun'er and Xia'er, Hanfang's mother was the head of the needlework room in the mansion and had served the Duchess closely.

"The Duke of Qing's mansion has two legitimate daughters. The eldest daughter is both beautiful and talented, and her reputation is renowned throughout the capital..."

Jiang Jie's expression darkened upon hearing this. He waved his hand and said:

"I have met Qing Zhitong, the eldest daughter of the Duke's mansion, once. She was indeed quite talented. However, she passed away not long after she came of age. I vaguely remember that not long after her death, the Duke's mansion suffered a misfortune. But even if she were still alive, she would be more than five years older than the Emperor."

Xingyu paused briefly, then said hesitantly, "What I'm about to say is the second daughter of the Duke's family. According to Hanfang, that third young lady is the same age as Your Highness, and when the Emperor was still the Ninth Prince, she visited the Duke's mansion many times."

Jiang Jie was taken aback, recalling the day he first met the Emperor, which seemed to have been outside the gate of the Duke of Qing's mansion.

At that time, the Jiang family had only recently arrived in the capital, and the Qingguo Duke's Mansion was at its peak. Jiang Jie accompanied his father and mother to visit it.

As soon as the carriage arrived outside the Duke's mansion, a young man dressed in a long robe with cloud patterns walked briskly through the gate. As he passed by Jiang Jie, a gentle smile appeared on his lips, like the bright moon in the mountains, filled with the mist of the mountains.

"The third young lady of the Duke's mansion? It is said that she suffers from a strange illness and rarely appears in public. It is still unknown whether the Duke's mansion can survive after the incident."

Lost in his memories, Jiang Jie's expression softened slightly. Finally, with a hint of bitterness, he softly said, "If the Duke's mansion truly has someone the Emperor cares about, then that person could indeed keep that vile woman in check..."

Granny Gui, however, disagreed.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty is currently in mourning. Even if the Third Miss were still alive, she might not be able to enter the palace at this time."

When the grand election comes, what kind of women won't be in the harem? Given Consort Zhen's temperament, she'll probably be too busy taking care of herself to pose any threat.

"We just need to figure out a way to prevent her from getting pregnant before the Empress gives birth safely. It's time to put those people from Yunyi Palace to use."

Granny Gui waved for Zhixue and Luwei to leave, then leaned down and whispered, "News has come from the palace... that there has been a great victory in the Northwest. His Majesty is overjoyed and will bestow a title upon the General once he returns to the capital in triumph."

Jiang Jie stroked his slightly protruding belly, finally feeling a little relieved.

"My father and elder brother have worked hard and made great contributions, so it is only right that they be granted titles."

My second brother had been unmarried for a long time. When our father returned to the capital, the nanny delivered the list of noble ladies that I had prepared to our residence. My second brother is filial and always listens to our mother, but he absolutely cannot let her decide his marriage.

While Jiang Jie was making plans for her brother from her maternal family, Tang Xian's convoy was slowly entering the capital through Tonghua Gate.

Upon receiving the patriarch's order, Chen Lin had already rushed to the capital to report back to his residence. Madam Yun, upon receiving the news, sent someone to deliver a message to the old lady's courtyard while simultaneously dispatching someone to fetch Huanyun from the Disi Pavilion.

Taiji Palace.

The Imperial Study was so quiet that only the emperor's soft breathing could be heard. Opposite the emperor stood a huge map, with undulating mountains and rivers and numerous passes and cities scattered throughout.

The emperor's deep gaze was fixed on the northwest direction of the map, and when his peripheral vision swept over Lin'an, it seemed as if he made up his mind in an instant.

Half an hour later, Eunuch Dong led a group of over a hundred people, carrying various rewards, to the street in front of the mansion to announce the imperial decree.

Dong Ming was the apprentice of Zhang Quan, the eunuch in charge of the late emperor. Last year, he went to the Tang residence to deliver an imperial edict. At that time, the second young lady of the Tang family entered the Prince of Jin's residence as a concubine.

Now, the Tang family's favor is growing ever stronger.

The imperial edict in his hand will likely be like a boulder thrown into water, drawing the attention of all civil and military officials.