That day, Jiang Xuening sat woodenly in the theater until evening. Xiao Dingfei, who usually bounced around playfully with her, didn’t dare provoke her in the slightest. He only quietly peeled the delivered melon seeds and peanuts until they were completely clean and neat, placing them by her hand.

But Jiang Xuening didn’t eat a single one.

Not until the sun slanted west outside did she finally seem to make some decision and stand up, heading outside.

Xiao Dingfei instinctively asked: “Those scholars around Weng Ang, and the beggars on the streets—should we continue managing them?”

Jiang Xuening said: “Why not?”

Xiao Dingfei froze: “But this matter has already…”

Jiang Xuening actually said: “She made me suffer, so I won’t let her have it easy either.”

Xiao Dingfei finally fell silent, watching as she walked out of the theater.

The day before, court and countryside had been discussing the matter of reinvestigating the Xiao clan. Today, however, everyone without exception was shocked by the news of Xiao Shu’s enfeoffment as imperial consort. At such a critical juncture on the cusp of the storm, the Emperor had actually enfeoffed Xiao Shu, who was at the center of the vortex, as an imperial consort—wasn’t this openly showing favoritism toward the Xiao clan and Xiao Shu?

But by evening, new information arrived.

The memorial from Vice Minister of Revenue Jiang Boyou impeaching Duke Dingguo Xiao Yuan had been delivered to the Grand Secretariat. After deliberation by the various ministers, they would reinvestigate the old case of the Ganzhou relief funds.

Now the civil and military officials were all confused. If they said the Emperor was handling matters fairly, he had first enfeoffed Xiao Shu as an imperial consort. If they said the Emperor intended to show favoritism, reinvestigating the Ganzhou relief funds case showed no mercy whatsoever.

Even Xiao Yuan himself couldn’t figure it out, and felt uneasy because of it.

Only Jiang Xuening could vaguely guess something.

Where the Emperor slept, he most feared others sleeping soundly beside him.

If Xiao Shu wasn’t worth trusting, shouldn’t be trusted, Shen Lang couldn’t possibly have enfeoffed her as an imperial consort. Working backward from the Emperor’s calculations, how could a noble lady from an aristocratic family gain the Emperor’s trust?

There was only one answer: sever her own wings and draw a clear boundary.

When Xiao Shu voluntarily abandoned the backing of her birth, it was equivalent to throwing away all her weapons, thus eliminating all threats to the Emperor. From now on, her honor and disgrace were tied to the man at her bedside—she could only advance and retreat with him, share life and death with him!

For Shen Lang, firstly she could attend his bed, secondly she could help him destroy the Xiao clan.

And with such a beauty, what reason did he have to refuse?

Jiang Xuening laughed coldly to herself. Upon returning to the Jiang manor, she heard that Meng Shi was very happy and had called Jiang Xuehui to her room to talk all afternoon. One could easily guess why—originally Xiao Shu, who was also to participate in the Prince Linzi consort selection, had suddenly entered the palace and been enfeoffed as an imperial consort. This meant Jiang Xuehui no longer had her greatest rival, and with Shen Jie having shown interest in Jiang Xuehui beforehand, the consort selection’s success was likely assured.

She couldn’t be bothered to join that commotion.

The next day, before dawn had even broken, the entire household bustled about. Even across courtyards, one could hear the maids applying makeup and arranging jewelry for Jiang Xuehui. Occasionally, those who were slow in their tasks would be scolded twice by Meng Shi.

Jiang Xuening lay in bed, lazily sleeping through the spring morning, staring at the white peonies embroidered all over the bed canopy. Yet she thought of this same day in her previous life—

The household had been just as busy then.

However, at that time, the person at the center of attention fiddling with various hairpins was herself. Although Meng Shi had also come to her room, the joy in her expression seemed somewhat forced, especially when she glanced over with a hint of willfulness—Meng Shi’s expression would look even worse then. Jiang Xuehui had only stood beside Meng Shi, gazing deeply at her.

At that time, she had felt extremely triumphant inside, because Jiang Xuehui had no idea that she had seen that embroidered handkerchief in the palace and deliberately impersonated her to obtain this opportunity.

Jiang Xuehui had stolen her familial affection, so she would steal Jiang Xuehui’s love.

No matter what, she didn’t want them to have it easy.

But tormenting others—wasn’t it also tormenting herself?

While Shen Jie was indeed a gentle, refined, and handsome gentleman with a scholar’s romantic inclinations, like all men under heaven, he wasn’t any devoted lover. Perhaps it was because he gradually discovered she wasn’t the person who had originally moved his heart? In the first two years of their marriage, they were inseparable like glue, and she could easily coax him into not wanting to leave her side. But after he ascended the throne, with court criticism, the Empress Dowager’s pressure, selecting new consorts, and Xiao Shu entering the palace, he eventually turned to someone new, maintaining only superficial affection toward her as Empress.

What was stolen ultimately wasn’t her own.

And what Jiang Xuehui had might not necessarily be what she liked.

After lying there for quite some time, Jiang Xuening finally got up.

Not to see how Jiang Xuehui was doing, but because today happened to also be the day when palace eunuchs took rotating rest days, and she needed to find someone.

With Xiao Shu having become an imperial consort, the original plan was no longer viable.

She didn’t have much time left.

After washing up and walking out of her courtyard, Jiang Xuening happened to encounter Jiang Xuehui from the other side, surrounded by many maids and rarely dressed so radiantly. Her refined features paired with exquisite makeup created a dignified and serene appearance.

In her hand, she held a silk handkerchief with red ginger flowers embroidered on the corner.

Jiang Xuening glanced at her once. Seeing Meng Shi was also beside her, she simply didn’t even bother with a greeting and walked straight past.

In this lifetime, she had already changed many things: her relationship with Xie Wei, Wen Zhaoyi’s pregnancy, the rise and fall of the Yan clan, the selection of Prince Linzi’s consort, the timing of Xiao Dingfei’s arrival in the capital…

So why couldn’t she save Shen Zhiyi?

For people like Meng Shi, like Jiang Xuehui and Shen Jie—even though today was the consort selection, they didn’t feel it was much different from yesterday or tomorrow. But for Jiang Xuening, every single day was a life-and-death struggle against predetermined fate, refusing to bow her head in surrender!

Zheng Bao had his rest day today.

Ever since being noticed by his master Wang Xingjia and transferred to serve at the Emperor’s side, his status within the palace could no longer be compared to the past. Not that he coveted gold and silver, but the palace was simply like this—if others paid respects and you were unwilling to accept, you became a target for everyone, and others would inevitably be wary and guarded against you. So although he hadn’t served at Qianqing Palace for long, he had still accumulated quite a sum of silver.

Seventy percent went to his family, for his mother to arrange and add to his brother’s betrothal gifts.

Thirty percent he kept for himself, finally moving out of the family home to purchase a small courtyard in Sanli Alley.

From the day he saw Xiao Shu enter Qianqing Palace, Zheng Bao had a vague premonition in his heart. So today on his rest day, unlike usual when he would go out and about, he sat under the eaves waiting.

Sure enough, the morning mist had just dispersed when knocking sounds came from outside.

He stood up and went to open the door.

That exceptionally beautiful Second Miss Jiang stood before his modest doorway, wearing a deep purple cloak. Yet her eyes seemed like still snow on a deep night—bright yet carrying a faint coolness. When she looked at him, it somehow made one’s heart expand, as if all distracting thoughts had been purified.

Zheng Bao stepped aside.

Jiang Xuening gathered her cloak with one hand but didn’t step inside. She only looked at him and said: “I’ve come to ask you to repay a debt.”

Zheng Bao wore only a simple light blue round-collar robe at home. With his red lips and white teeth, he was momentarily dazed upon hearing this.

His refined features made one think of the rain and mist of Jiangnan with its touch of spiritual energy.

Jiang Xuening suddenly felt she couldn’t directly face these overly clear eyes. So she slowly lowered her eyelids, suppressing that trace of guilt, and said with near cruelty: “I’m sorry. That day before Kunning Palace, the one who truly spoke up to save you should have been Her Highness the Grand Princess. Could you please repay that debt?”

As the Emperor’s trusted younger brother whom he had almost established as Crown Prince and Imperial Brother, for Prince Linzi Shen Jie to select a consort was definitely the first major event of the spring following the New Year, aside from the Grand Princess’s marriage alliance.

The palace had been bustling with preparations for a long time.

Although this matter was personally handled by Empress Zheng, every single detail should have been reported to Empress Dowager Xiao for her knowledge, and today the Empress Dowager should have presided over the overall situation. However, after yesterday’s news of Xiao Shu’s enfeoffment as imperial consort spread, Empress Dowager Xiao had somehow become furiously angry, thrown a terrible tantrum, and even fallen ill from anger. When Xiao Shu went to attend her illness, she was driven out. Those in the palace with well-informed sources all felt this matter was unusual and secretly spread rumors.

Empress Zheng was also puzzled in her heart.

However, this was an excellent opportunity for her. It was rare for her to preside over the overall situation. If she handled it well and re-entered the Emperor’s favor, she could naturally and logically seize control of the six palaces back from Empress Dowager Xiao’s hands.

Therefore, Empress Zheng was actually more dedicated than usual.

The consort selection location was set at Chuxiu Palace. Palace attendants led people into the palace early in the morning. After all, this was the imperial family selecting someone—there were no shortage of places that needed to be examined. The final stage was to bring these candidates before everyone to make the final decision.

Shen Jie entered the palace and first had to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

So Empress Zheng sat in the main seat at Chuxiu Palace, first drinking tea and conversing with Wen Zhaoyi beside her, who had been promoted in rank after becoming pregnant and whose skin had been nourished to a fair tenderness.

But unexpectedly, before they had exchanged more than a few sentences, they heard a eunuch outside announce in a shrill voice: “Imperial Consort Xian arrives—”

Both Empress Zheng’s and Wen Zhaoyi’s eyelids twitched simultaneously.

Looking up again, they saw Xiao Shu, who just recently had been a study companion at Yangzhi Studio and the eldest miss of the Xiao clan. Now her black hair was piled into an elaborate coiffure with two gold hairpins inserted, a plum-petal-shaped beauty mark affixed between her brows, wearing a sky-blue gold-sprinkled trailing palace gown as she walked in from outside. Though she showed no overbearing manner, she truly gave people an overbearing feeling.

In the palace, new people constantly replaced old ones—what’s more, wasn’t His Majesty currently most fond of the new and tired of the old?

Though Empress Zheng also felt uncomfortable, she had seen this sort of thing often enough that her expression could still maintain composure. In her heart, she only felt disdain that a dignified young miss from a noble family like Xiao Shu could do such shameless things.

Wen Zhaoyi felt much more distressed.

She had been pregnant but knew nothing of it beforehand, and no imperial physician had informed her, which showed that the inner palace was under someone else’s control. As for who this “someone else” was, who didn’t have some idea in their heart? Now Empress Dowager Xiao was ill, yet her niece had entered the palace and was directly enfeoffed as an imperial consort! She carried the dragon’s seed in her belly but had only been promoted to Zhaoyi. Thinking about it, she truly felt indignant.

So seeing Xiao Shu, her expression wasn’t good.

Both inside and outside the palace were filled with rumors and gossip—how could Xiao Shu not know?

But no matter how much she hated it in her heart, the decisions were all her own.

She understood the trade-offs and thus forced herself to turn a deaf ear: No matter what, she had already achieved her goal, even becoming the Emperor’s favored consort overnight. What could others’ gossip do to her?

“This subject greets Her Majesty the Empress.”

In the past, Xiao Shu’s status had been exceptional, and she had always performed very simple courtesies to the Empress. Now she likewise didn’t put the Empress in her eyes, bending slightly in a perfunctory bow before stopping.

The Empress smiled with difficulty and couldn’t say much more: “Now I should call you Imperial Consort Xian, younger sister.”

Wen Zhaoyi coldly twisted her lips, placing her hand on her already showing belly, deliberately not rising, and said lazily: “By rights I should pay respects to Imperial Consort Xian, but being pregnant, this pregnancy of mine is quite weak and I dare not exert myself. I must ask Imperial Consort Xian’s forgiveness.”

Xiao Shu smiled slightly: “No matter. You can pay respects another time.”

Wen Zhaoyi was only one step away from the imperial consort rank. As long as she successfully gave birth to a prince, the Noble Consort position would be easily within reach. Even if she bore a princess, the imperial consort rank would naturally follow. Where would she need to pay respects to Xiao Shu again?

Xiao Shu’s words seemed ordinary, but their meaning was extremely vicious!

Wen Zhaoyi’s expression changed instantly. Her five fingers resting on the armrest clenched tightly, nearly erupting on the spot.

Empress Zheng hurried to smooth things over, smiling as she asked: “Imperial Consort Xian sister’s enfeoffment was so sudden that all palace chambers are still being prepared. We haven’t had the chance to see you yet. But today at Chuxiu Palace we will be selecting a consort for His Highness Prince Linzi. I wonder, Imperial Consort Xian sister, your purpose in coming is…?”

Palace attendants had already moved a chair over nearby.

Xiao Shu sat down leisurely before replying coolly: “His Majesty is entangled with government affairs yet couldn’t rest easy about Prince Linzi’s consort selection. I volunteered to come on His Majesty’s behalf to oversee things. I hope Your Majesty the Empress doesn’t mind?”

Volunteered.

Empress Zheng felt a breath catch in her throat, not knowing what she should say. After a pause, she forced a smile and said: “His Majesty’s concern is naturally most welcome.”

Xiao Shu gave a light laugh and said nothing more.

Before long, Prince Linzi Shen Jie finished paying his respects to the Emperor and Empress Dowager and entered Chuxiu Palace wearing moon-white python robes with jade pendants hanging at his waist. His features were also jade-like—refined and gentle—though his complexion didn’t seem particularly good.

When he entered and saw Xiao Shu, he too froze for a moment.

But his head was full of scolding from his imperial brother and especially the Empress Dowager, so he couldn’t be bothered to care. After performing courtesies to his imperial sister-in-law, he sat down.

Only then did palace attendants lead in the noble ladies selected from various households. After screening, there weren’t many—they stood in rows of six. Many of the former study companions from Yangzhi Studio were among them.

Jiang Xuehui, Chen Shuyi, Yao Rongrong, and also…

Fang Miao with a conflicted expression on her face.

Her father worked at the Imperial Observatory, and she had once served as a study companion at Yangzhi Studio, so naturally she was included among the prince consort candidates.

Fang Miao felt this matter didn’t have much to do with her—she was just going through the motions.

But she never should have—whatever illness the palace had, requiring them to come early in the morning. So when the maids had finished dressing her and rushed her out the door, she calculated with her fingers: the third quarter of the mao hour, neither fully bright nor fully dark, the alternation of yin and yang not yet complete—this was precisely when evil spirits ran rampant without certainty. Absolutely not a good time to go out.

Arriving at the palace gate, she saw green light hanging to the southeast.

Fang Miao couldn’t resist pulling out the copper coins hidden in her sleeve to divine, and actually calculated an inauspicious omen for herself. Instantly frightened and heart-pounding, she wished she could immediately turn around and head back home, fearing this trip would bring a calamity of bloodshed.

She stood between Jiang Xuehui and Chen Shuyi. Compared to these two young misses from scholarly families who were dressed quite brightly today, though she also wore a very pretty goose-yellow ink-splash skirt with powder on her cheeks and rouge on her lips, by comparison she didn’t stand out in the slightest.

Upon entering and seeing Xiao Shu seated above, Fang Miao muttered internally.

Originally everyone had been classmates at Fengchen Palace, but in the blink of an eye this person had stuck several pretty feathers on her rear end and become a resplendent pheasant or peacock—who knew what she was doing here today.

Jiang Xuehui stood calmly to the side, a corner of an embroidered handkerchief showing between her fingers.

As soon as she entered, Shen Jie’s gaze fell on her.

A eunuch nearby held up a lacquered tray containing a snow-white jade ring. He took it and stood up, about to walk toward Jiang Xuehui.

Wen Zhaoyi’s face immediately revealed a smile.

However, seeing this, Xiao Shu gave a cold laugh and reminded coolly: “His Majesty said that Your Highness’s consort selection will continue the imperial bloodline. The primary consort will be entered into the jade registry and must be of upright character and pure family background.”

Shen Jie’s footsteps immediately halted.

He saw Jiang Xuehui standing there with lowered brows and downcast eyes, and recalled that rainy day when he had arranged to meet Yan Lin. Galloping there on horseback, he had nearly startled someone’s carriage. Having finally managed to pull the horse to a stop, he had inadvertently splattered mud all over them.

The young lady sitting inside had been frightened.

He thought she would pursue the matter.

Unexpectedly, after a moment, a slender hand with well-proportioned bones extended from inside, passing him an embroidered handkerchief with only a soft laugh in a lowered voice: “Thank you for your rescue, young master. Please wipe your face first.”

That day meeting Yan Lin, his mind had actually wandered for a moment.

Yan Lin had asked him what was wrong.

After he explained the situation, Yan Lin had taken the handkerchief to examine it. His eyes flickering, he had studied it for a while before telling him: Look at these red ginger flowers—the person riding in a carriage on that road must be a Miss Jiang.

Shen Jie had asked: The eldest miss or the second miss?

Yan Lin had rolled his eyes at him and said: Ningning is this heir apparent’s. Your Highness, that one must naturally be the Jiang family’s eldest miss.

Actually, over time, he had mostly forgotten that lowered, laughing voice. Only that handkerchief embroidered with red ginger flowers remained as a trace of romantic thoughts still kept by his side.

Shen Jie thought that if selecting a princess consort, he should choose someone who had once moved his heart.

But why couldn’t he have his wish?

That incident involving Second Miss Jiang in Tongzhou had spread far and wide, dragging down the reputation of other young ladies from the Jiang household as well. Otherwise, today he wouldn’t need to heed the scolding from his mother and imperial brother and could have directly selected Jiang Xuehui…

Jiang Xuehui had once saved Wen Zhaoyi, so naturally Wen Zhaoyi favored her somewhat and hoped Jiang Xuehui would be selected to become her future support. But Xiao Shu’s words beside her, mentioning “His Majesty” with every breath, ultimately made her grit her teeth and feel some trepidation.

Since the Emperor had spoken, she didn’t dare oppose him directly.

Wen Zhaoyi saw Shen Jie standing motionless. Her eyes rolled, and her tone suddenly shifted as she actually took the initiative to persuade: “Imperial Consort Xian speaks correctly. Selecting a primary consort—must it not be someone with a pure family background? After all, ancestral rites and laws exist and cannot be disregarded. After selecting the primary consort, if there’s someone you can’t bear to give up, you can also take her as a secondary consort—nothing wrong with that. In any case, don’t go against His Majesty’s intentions.”

That jade ring representing the primary consort position had been held in Shen Jie’s hand for quite some time, gripped tightly.

Even though he was of imperial blood, honored as Prince Linzi…

His marriage was still not his own decision to make.

Shen Jie naturally caught sight of that red ginger flower handkerchief in Jiang Xuehui’s hand. But as Wen Zhaoyi’s words brushed past his ear, his gaze lifted to look toward Jiang Xuehui. In the end, he felt blocked in his heart, fearing that the more he looked the more blocked he’d feel. He simply turned his gaze aside.

Beside her was some young miss from who knows which family, head buried, lips moving, as if silently reciting scriptures.

Though he found her face somewhat familiar when he looked—vaguely remembering she was one of the study companions at Yangzhi Studio—he didn’t find her particularly attractive. Turning away, he looked at the next one. Thus he saw Chen Shuyi.

At this moment, Xiao Shu spoke again from behind: “After all, His Majesty still values Your Highness greatly. Someone from a high family background with excellent learning could best assist Your Highness and manage the prince’s manor affairs…”

Shen Jie immediately felt an indescribable disgust in his heart.

Even though he had originally thought Chen Shuyi looked dignified and quite good, at this moment he felt nauseated. Even a clay figurine has three parts temper—he was unhappy in his heart. He simply turned his head back and directly extended the jade ring toward the young lady standing between Chen Shuyi and Jiang Xuehui, saying impatiently: “Since she’s being selected to enter the palace, naturally anyone is fine. Her then.”

In that instant, the entire Chuxiu Palace fell silent.

Fang Miao, listening to the exchange of hidden barbs overhead, only felt that all these people had considerable spiritual cultivation. Fearing that if they disagreed they might cause some incident that would bring calamity of bloodshed upon herself, she had been devoutly reciting the Diamond Sutra to ward off evil and avoid disaster for herself.

When the jade ring was extended before her, she didn’t even see it.

Not until the eunuch beside her, breaking out in cold sweat, raised his voice and called for the third time: “Miss Fang!”

Only then did Fang Miao snap back to attention.

Looking up, she only saw Shen Jie holding the jade ring extended toward her. As if he hadn’t expected to be ignored, his handsome face was faintly somewhat iron-blue. When he stared at her, there was a rare hint of displeasure.

Only then did Fang Miao realize what had happened.

She immediately shuddered.

Shen Jie hadn’t expected that someone could be distracted during consort selection, and moreover seemed somewhat unwilling. He gave a cold laugh and asked: “You’re unwilling?”

Fang Miao wanted to say this wasn’t a scene this divine fortune teller could get involved in!

She opened her mouth, the words “unwilling” right on the tip of her tongue. But at the last moment, she suddenly recalled the inauspicious omen she had calculated when leaving home that morning. Looking around at all the eyes now fallen on her, cold air began rising up her spine.

This was the Emperor’s brother…

If she refused publicly, she feared the calamity of bloodshed would truly arrive in the blink of an eye.

Her previously dazed movements immediately changed. Very swiftly, she accepted that jade ring, bowing and saying: “Willing, willing! This subject is willing!”

Shen Jie: “…”

For some reason, not only did his anger not dissipate, it actually grew!

Empress Zheng and Wen Zhaoyi looked at each other in dismay. Xiao Shu had never imagined Shen Jie would actually select Fang Miao and suddenly stood up.

Chen Shuyi beside them looked terrible.

Jiang Xuehui quietly tightened her fingers and slowly closed her eyes.

Fang Miao gave Shen Jie an awkward smile, but it looked even worse than crying: Damn it all to hell! Having known the time of departure this morning was inauspicious, now she’d truly encountered bloody bad luck!