Consort Xiao saw all of Chen Xiang’s expressions.

So the next moment, she also asked Chen Xiang with concern, “How has the Secondary Princess Consort been these past days?”

Chen Xiang quickly put on a smile, “In reply to Your Ladyship, Xiang’er has been well. Thank you for your concern, Your Ladyship.”

Very polite.

“You two now share the same manor, so you are sisters. Sisters must support each other and must not create any conflicts. You must also take good care of Prince Yi and fulfill your responsibilities as wife and concubine.”

The wife she spoke of was Ji Muqing.

The concubine she spoke of was naturally Chen Xiang.

Both replied in unison, “Yes, we obey Your Ladyship’s wishes.”

Consort Xiao nodded with satisfaction, “By the way, this palace has some excellent golden hairpins and jewelry. I prepared a set for each of you long ago. If you like them, each of you may choose one item.”

“Thank you, Your Ladyship.”

Sang Lan brought up the jewelry.

On the red tray lay a phoenix jade hairpin and a jade-green bordered bracelet.

Both items were of the highest quality.

Consort Xiao said, “Choose for yourselves.”

Letting them choose themselves!

The deeper meaning in this was probably understood only by Chen Xiang.

The two stood up and walked to the center of the hall, standing close together to admire the jewelry on the tray.

Chen Xiang smiled and yielded courteously, “Why don’t younger sister choose first? After all, younger sister is the Princess Consort, so it should naturally be you first.”

Hmph.

“Then I thank the Secondary Princess Consort.” Ji Muqing deliberately emphasized the three words “Secondary Princess Consort” with great force and did not decline.

She began to leisurely make her selection.

She first picked up the bracelet and looked at it, then secretly observed Chen Xiang’s expression. Seeing that woman secretly delighted, she put it down again and picked up the hairpin.

Just as she took it in hand, she saw Chen Xiang’s brow furrow inadvertently.

Hehe.

She wanted this hairpin.

“Your Ladyship, I’ve made my choice. I’ll take this hairpin.”

“Mm, the Princess Consort has good taste.” Consort Xiao praised.

She was overjoyed and handed the hairpin to a palace maid nearby.

She thought she had gotten a great bargain, but unexpectedly, as soon as she turned her head, she saw Chen Xiang very happily picking up the bracelet from the tray, not concealing at all her triumphant look.

Chen Xiang raised the bracelet in her hand and asked her, “Could it be that the Princess Consort hasn’t heard of the Southern Border ice silk bracelet?”

What on earth?

What Southern Border ice silk bracelet?

Never heard of it.

“What do you mean?”

Chen Xiang said with a smile, “This bracelet comes from the Southern Border. The craftsmanship was done by the best master from Suzhou. Look at this border work—how exquisite.”

Showing off!

Ji Muqing had been played by her again. The smugness on her face from moments ago vanished completely, and she could only stare longingly at that bracelet.

But—

Just as Chen Xiang was about to slip the bracelet onto her wrist, someone bumped her back. In that careless moment, the bracelet in her hand slipped and fell to the ground.

Clang!

Very loud.

It broke into two pieces.

Chen Xiang was dumbfounded. Well now, showing off and showing off, she had shown off a perfectly good bracelet right onto the ground.

After being stunned for a few seconds, the fire in her heart suddenly erupted. She turned around to look at the culprit.

But upon turning around, she saw Jing Xuan!

“Princess?”

This time she was truly dumbfounded!

No matter how precious that bracelet was, she couldn’t possibly ask the Princess to compensate her. She would have to swallow this bitter loss, gritting her teeth and swallowing it down.

Jing Xuan frowned, her face full of regret and apology, “I’m so sorry. I just wanted to come closer to see what treasure it was. Who knew that I would accidentally break Imperial Sister-in-law’s bracelet? I don’t know if this bracelet was expensive? Why don’t I compensate Imperial Sister-in-law for it?”

Chen Xiang quickly said, “It’s just a bracelet. Moreover, it was a gift from Your Ladyship. If it’s broken, it’s broken—years of peace and safety.”

“How can that be acceptable?” Jing Xuan picked up the bracelet broken into two pieces from the ground and said, “Why don’t I have someone repair it? I guarantee it will be as good as new, and then I’ll send it to Imperial Sister-in-law.”

“Princess, there’s no need to trouble yourself.”

“It’s necessary, it’s necessary.” Jing Xuan handed the bracelet to her maid Duan’er nearby and instructed, “Hold it carefully and don’t drop it again. Send it to the Palace Service Bureau and make sure they repair it exactly as it was before. No, it must be even better than before.”

“Yes, this servant obeys.” Duan’er carefully protected it.

Chen Xiang said nothing more.

Then Jing Xuan noticed Ji Muqing’s hairpin and exclaimed, “Eh! This hairpin is pretty, but how do I remember it was that broken one from before? So it’s been repaired! It’s just not as nice-looking as before.”

She muttered.

At that moment, Ji Muqing’s face also fell.

What?

This was a broken hairpin?

She hadn’t heard wrong, had she?

Jing Xuan seemed to realize something and quickly covered her mouth, looking at Ji Muqing whose expression was very poor, “So this hairpin was actually given by Mother Consort to Imperial Sister-in-law! I spoke out of turn. This hairpin might not be that previously broken one. Imperial Sister-in-law, please don’t take it seriously. Just consider me talking nonsense.”

Because Ji Muqing had previously picked one of Jing Xuan’s flowers in the Imperial Garden, the two had originally had some conflict, but now that they were family, Jing Xuan called her Imperial Sister-in-law without holding grudges, so she could only respond with a smiling face.

“The Princess really loves to joke.”

“Yes, it’s just a joke. How could Mother Consort be so petty as to give Imperial Sister-in-law a previously broken hairpin?”

Her words brought the entire atmosphere down to below freezing.

But she kept calling “Imperial Sister-in-law” on the left and “Imperial Sister-in-law” on the right, and very sweetly at that. Even though Ji Muqing and Chen Xiang felt uncomfortable inside, they had to suppress it because of those repeated calls of “Imperial Sister-in-law.”

Immediately after, Jing Xuan turned her gaze to Consort Xiao seated in the high position, performed a courtesy, and called out, “Mother Consort.”

Consort Xiao was shocked.

Yesterday they said she wouldn’t eat a grain of rice or drink a sip of water, but now she stood here full of life and vigor. Looking at her appearance and the tone of her speech just now, it was as if… she was that willful, outspoken wild girl from before again.

Completely different from the Jing Xuan on the night Sui’er died.

Jing Xuan stepped forward and plopped down beside her, intimately holding her hand, “Mother Consort, don’t be angry with your daughter. Just now daughter didn’t do it on purpose.”

Consort Xiao looked at her with scrutinizing eyes but said nothing.

“What’s wrong? Why is Mother Consort looking at daughter like this? Is there something on my face?” She wiped her face, “There isn’t!”

That manner was innocent and carefree.

Not a trace of her former despondency.

Consort Xiao thought, could it be this child has truly come to her senses?

She smiled, “How could Mother Consort blame you? Those things are all worldly possessions. If they’re broken, they’re broken. There’s no need to be alarmed.”

“Mother Consort is still the best.”

“Good child.”

The mother and daughter were harmonious and happy, while Ji Muqing and Chen Xiang below wore miserable expressions.

Next, Consort Xiao set up a banquet in the palace and kept the two to sit for a long while, making small talk. Only after they had finished dinner did she send them off.