20demayo Chapter 284
Chapter 284
noble lady jiang, unable to stand concubine cheng's smug attitude after gaining favor, rolled her eyes and said, "some people get the emperor's favor for a few days and their heads get so big they reach the sky. why pretend to be so pure?"
the target of these words was crystal clear - even the dullest person could tell she was insulting concubine cheng.
though she hadn't personally harmed the imperial noble consort, what concubine cheng had done these past few days was even more disgusting than when she had given jiang xinyue laxatives in the palace of exile.
taking advantage of the emperor's presence in her garden, one day she'd steal the imperial noble consort's bird's nest soup, claiming the emperor wanted it; the next day she'd take the imperial noble consort's white fungus and lotus seed soup with peach gum, saying the emperor had bestowed it upon her.
most outrageous was how she'd complain of pain, either in her hands or legs, claiming no other physician could cure her except yan the imperial physician, whom she specifically requested from the emperor.
her reasoning was that since yan the imperial physician could heal xi que's severely injured leg, he could surely restore her hand to perfect condition.
there was another layer to this - she knew yan the imperial physician was specifically assigned to attend to the imperial noble consort, yet if he could treat a mere maid like xi que, surely she, a concubine, deserved his attention too.
wouldn't any physician do for examining her hand injury?
her insistence on yan the imperial physician was pure affectation.
the imperial noble consort was too kind-hearted, acquiescing to all her demands without losing her temper. she even said privately that it was just a matter of food - letting her have it wouldn't kill anyone, and it's not like yan the imperial physician wouldn't return after treating her.
in reality, concubine cheng hadn't actually taken anything away.
with chief steward gao overseeing the imperial kitchen, whatever jiang xinyue wanted would appear before her with just a word.
she deliberately appeared weak, letting concubine cheng take this and that, merely to show the emperor her magnanimity and how she was above quarreling with concubine cheng.
when accused of "pretending to be pure," concubine cheng didn't get angry. instead, with a face full of radiance, she touched the jade hairpin in her hair and said, "the emperor prefers pure women. even if noble lady jiang wanted to pretend, i'm afraid those wrinkles on her face wouldn't allow it."
she covered her mouth and laughed, "i heard noble lady jiang had quite a lovely face before entering the palace of exile. but that experience changed her beyond recognition. no wonder they say the imperial noble consort is naturally beautiful, like a celestial maiden. though they both spent time in the palace of exile, the imperial noble consort's beauty remained unchanged, becoming even more enchanting."
when jiang xinyue looked at concubine cheng now, she saw her past self - someone who had lost her way after receiving just a few days of the emperor's favor.
they all lost themselves in the emperor's affection, believing that those few days of favor gave them the right to act tyrannically in the palace.
jiang xinyue smiled tenderly, her eyes full of affection: "in private, i naturally obey your majesty in everything, but with others present, i dare not break protocol in the slightest."
the xuanwu emperor looked around - they were all outsiders, only he and yue were their own people.
noble lady jiang was an outsider too!
"hiss—"
noble lady jiang shuddered and drew in a sharp breath. how strange to feel such a chill down her spine in broad daylight!
consort zhang gathered her courage: "your majesty is so busy with state affairs, how do you find time to attend the imperial noble consort's tea party?"
the emperor gave her a contemptuous look, as if she were an idiot: "does my presence disturb consort zhang's refined gathering?"
"no... no... i didn't mean..."
aliali: 674aecfcc4f3f33ac49acb42
the emperor clicked his tongue, clearly showing his impatience, and consort zhang could only hide behind concubine cheng, not daring to speak up again.
she thought the emperor didn't know about her speaking ill of jiang xinyue!
after secretly holding jiang xinyue's hand for a moment, the emperor walked over to concubine cheng: "what's wrong with concubine cheng? your eyes are red as if you've been crying."
he completely ignored the red handprint on her face.
the xuanwu emperor thought to himself: if i pretend not to see it, then it wasn't yue who had her struck.
concubine cheng had better be sensible - her father owed most of his achievements to jiang hanxi. if it weren't for protecting jiang hanxi, he wouldn't have kept cheng yuan around.
the warning in the emperor's eyes was crystal clear, piercing enough to make one's eyes hurt. this time, concubine cheng truly felt like crying: "your majesty, i seem to be allergic to the flowers in the hundred flower garden. i'd like to take my leave."
this would explain why one side of her face was so red.
"allergic?"
the emperor beckoned a young eunuch: "quickly escort concubine cheng back to moon-embracing pavilion and summon a physician to examine her. we can't let this leave any scars."