CHAPTER 653: CHAPTER 653: BACKING CONSORT XIAN PIN

Xia Ruqing bit her lip and nodded.

Suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly added, "Emperor, I’m crying also because... I’m cowardly! I’m afraid of dying, afraid of losing! If I die, Little Bun will have no mother, and if I die, you’ll love someone else!"

Zhao Junyao burst into laughter. "I won’t love someone else, only you! How could you die so easily? Don’t let your mind wander. You little woman, still so petty!"

Though he said that on the surface, he was actually quite pleased inside. Qingqing’s pettiness was what he found adorable, and it was what he liked. Although he couldn’t understand why, that was the fact.

Zhao Junyao also had yet to eat lunch. Upon hearing that she had awakened, he stopped reading his memoranda and hurried over, then talked with her for a while. Li Shengan, who was waiting outside, had become anxious a long time ago.

What about the Emperor’s lunch? Consort Xian Pin had already eaten half of it; must it be taken back and remade?

As Li Shengan was fretting in circles, a message came from inside. "The Emperor will dine with Consort Xian Pin, quickly go to the Imperial Kitchen and add dishes!"

Li Shengan slapped his forehead. Alright, let’s do that! Why hadn’t he thought of it? The Emperor and Consort Xian Pin had similar tastes! Ah, his mind had truly been muddled.

Li Shengan quickly sent the message to the Imperial Kitchen and had them add several more substantial dishes. However, the head chef was very astute and remade some of the dishes Consort Xian Pin had ordered earlier and presented them anew. Among them was that dish of noodles with fried egg.

This noodle dish had a light yet firm taste, free of any superfluous flavors, maintaining only the purest and most original aroma of the noodles. Yet, it was this very original flavor that deeply captivated both Zhao Junyao and Xia Ruqing.

The two ate no less than two large bowls each before they finally put their chopsticks down. Xia Ruqing touched her belly contentedly and lay on the kang, squinting her eyes. All those thoughts of sorrow for the fading spring, of loneliness or not, she had tossed them all the way to Java. "Well fed and forgetting home," indeed the words of the ancestors hit the nail on the head!!

Zhao Junyao was also very satisfied. "This noodle dish is good, Li Shengan, a reward!"

Li Shengan was flabbergasted when he heard this. The Emperor... rewarding a cook? Just for a bowl of noodles? Ahem, this reason was... undeniable.

"Yes!" Li Shengan acknowledged, then departed, whisk in hand.

The Emperor would not be leaving for a while yet, so there was plenty of time. He swaggered off with the Little Eunuch to the Imperial Kitchen and flamboyantly rewarded the noodle chef. The gist of it was: Your culinary skills are excellent, and the Emperor is very pleased.

After saying that, he then cast a cold glance at the other head chefs in the Imperial Kitchen before striding out proudly. On his way back, Li Shengan finally came to a realization. Tsk tsk, the Emperor is, in fact, supporting Consort Xian Pin!

The rumors were rife in the palace. The person behind them had not yet been found out, but... the truth was likely not far off. Ah, was this... looking for trouble again?

Li Shengan shook his head and left without giving it further thought.

「...」

The Emperor dined at Qingya Residence and stayed there the entire afternoon. He did not leave until evening. The news spread quickly, reaching every corner of the Harem before the sky even darkened.

A few Palace Maids were gossiping in a corner. "Tsk tsk, everyone said that Consort Xian Pin would fall out of favor, but it seems that might not be the case!"

"Exactly, all that talk about ghosts and claiming lives, I think not at all! If it really was about claiming lives, could Consort Xian Pin have survived?"

Another Palace Maid joined in. "I heard that Consort Xian Pin was poisoned!"

"Ah? Poisoned? Consort Xian Pin’s food and drink are managed by the Imperial Kitchen, and Lady Zi Yue personally supervises it. Who could have poisoned her?"

The Palace Maid fell silent. "I don’t know either, I just heard about it!"

Upon hearing there wasn’t much evidence, the others scoffed and dispersed.

「Jiaofang Hall.」

The Empress, upon receiving the news, felt little satisfaction in her heart. "Hmph! Consort Xian Pin is truly resilient! Even this didn’t kill her; she’s incredibly tenacious."

Sister Ji brought in a bowl of tea. "Your Majesty, don’t take it to heart. The most important thing right now is to take good care of the Third Princess!"

The Empress glanced at the teacup and couldn’t even be bothered to drink it. She merely waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, alright, I know!"

Sister Ji didn’t say anything more and turned to leave. The Empress was stewing in her own vexation.

She wondered whether involving herself in this matter was right or wrong. If the Emperor were to investigate thoroughly, she would certainly not escape blame. But still... if everything were replayed, she would make the same choice. Consort Xian Pin, she deserved to die. Without her, the Harem would be less troublesome. Without her, the Emperor would surely show equal favor to all. So, all that needed to be done was to get rid of her! After all, she did not regret it one bit! Thinking this, the Empress felt a trace of satisfaction in her heart.

The Empress’s prediction was not wrong. Right after the evening meal, the Emperor arrived. After the courtesies, the Empress respectfully offered tea with her own hands. "Emperor, please have some tea!"

Zhao Junyao looked indifferently at the teacup, showing no interest in taking it. The Empress didn’t seem to care either, offering a faint smile before placing it in front of the Emperor.

"Have you had your evening meal, Emperor? If not, your consort can order someone to..."

"Enough, I will not eat!"

The Empress smiled again. "If the Emperor doesn’t wish to eat, then we won’t eat!"

Zhao Junyao, tired of her charade, looked at her coldly and went straight to the point. "The Empress has kept things so well hidden that if not looked into meticulously, they could have almost slipped through!"

The Empress’s body suddenly tensed. "Emperor, what are you talking about? Your consort doesn’t understand," she said.

Zhao Junyao sneered. "Does the Empress truly not understand, or is she pretending not to know? For anyone in the Harem to go out, or for messages to be sent out, only the Phoenix Seal of the Empress of the Central Palace can grant passage. Not even the Empress Dowager’s golden seal suffices. So, how did the news from the palace leak out? Those merchants, those items, that news—without the Phoenix Seal, who could have sent them out?!"

Indeed, the expression on the Empress’s face froze immediately. The stern facade she had always maintained crumbled suddenly.

"Emperor!" The Empress suddenly got up and knelt on the floor. Yu Lan quickly led the palace maids out, and the doors of the inner chamber slowly closed.

The Empress spoke. "Emperor, your consort had no choice, please show mercy!" she pleaded, then kowtowed.

Zhao Junyao sneered coldly. "Had no choice? Have your days not been comfortable enough, Empress?"

"You wanted children, and I have allowed you to raise the Princess. You wanted status, and you are already the Empress. You wanted my affection, and I have never treated you harshly!"

"So, what are you still not satisfied with!"

The Empress was taken aback, tears filling her eyes.

"But Emperor, is your so-called affection merely not being harsh?"

"What wrong have I done?"

To make you despise me so. Is it so difficult to share marital bliss, to live in harmony and mutual respect? I would give my entire heart to the Emperor. Yet, no matter how careful I was, he never even gave me a chance.

Zhao Junyao suddenly stood up, looking down at her with disbelief. "Empress, do you even know the nonsense you’re spouting!"