Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The July sun shone warmly as Chu Qingwan led Song Xia to the Imperial Garden. They were not alone; some had arrived earlier than them.

Concubine Li followed dejectedly beside He Xiurong’s entourage. Chu Qingwan glanced at her briefly before withdrawing her gaze.

From the scene at court and within the palace, Chu Qingwan had already suspected a close relationship between He Xiurong and Concubine Li; otherwise, He Xiurong would not have interceded on Li’s behalf at that moment.

The lake was covered in lotus flowers. Chu Qingwan, unfamiliar with anyone there and unwilling to join the crowd, sought out a quiet spot by the lakeside. The tranquil view gradually eased the irritation she felt because of Consort Su.

“A humble concubine pays respects to Talented Lady Chu,” came a respectful greeting.

Chu Qingwan turned to see a woman bowing to her. Recognizing her, Chu Qingwan returned the greeting and sat beside her.

Her eyes flickered slightly as she motioned for the woman to rise, then asked with some puzzlement, “Lu Baolin, what brings you here?”

Lu Baolin stood and came to Chu Qingwan’s side. “I saw Talented Lady Chu here from the pavilion and thought to come greet you.”

Chu Qingwan looked at Lu Baolin, still unfamiliar with her, wondering why she had made a point to say hello.

Lu Baolin gave no explanation but instead turned to look at the lotus-filled lake. “These lotuses are called Mandarin Duck Feathers. Consort Yu is particularly fond of them, so the Central Secretariat Palace has specially assigned palace maids to tend to them carefully.”

Chu Qingwan tilted her head. If Consort Yu was favored, it was natural that what she cherished would be given special attention by those below.

Why then did Lu Baolin deliberately mention this?

It seemed casual, for when other consorts approached, Lu Baolin excused herself naturally and left with them.

Chu Qingwan frowned slightly. After a moment, she turned quietly to Song Xia and asked, “Has anything happened near this lake?”

Song Xia thought for a moment before hesitating. “Yes, there was one incident, but it was several months ago.”

Chu Qingwan waited silently for her to continue.

Lowering her voice, Song Xia said, “It was Consort Rong.”

“Several months back, Consort Rong, who was pregnant, accidentally fell by the lakeside after paying respects. By the time she was brought back to the Palace of Tranquil Fortune, the child could not be saved.”

“An investigation later revealed that rain had fallen the night before, making the ground slippery, which caused the accident.”

Song Xia bit her lip at the word ‘accident.’

Chu Qingwan caught the implication and felt a slight sinking of her heart. According to Lu Baolin, the Central Secretariat Palace had people specially tending to this lake—how could there be slippery conditions causing a consort to fall?

Moreover, would a pregnant Consort Rong truly be so careless?

Chu Qingwan did not know the truth, nor was the matter hers to concern herself with. She only wondered why Lu Baolin would bring this up to her.

Thinking of Consort Rong, Chu Qingwan’s eyes trembled faintly.

Seeing her mistress fall silent, Song Xia, unsure of her thoughts, quietly reminded her, “It’s getting late; lunch should be arriving at the palace soon. You should head back early.”

Chu Qingwan agreed and was about to leave with Song Xia when she suddenly heard the sound of clapping hands nearby.

Startled, Chu Qingwan recalled the palace etiquette and knew what it signified. She turned to see the imperial carriage approaching swiftly. Without time to think further, she bowed respectfully alongside Song Xia.

A clear voice broke the silence of the Imperial Garden: “A humble concubine pays respects to His Majesty and wishes him well.”

Everyone instinctively softened their breaths. Chu Qingwan subtly lifted her eyes to scan the speaker—Du Cairen, who had entered the palace with her.

She remembered that when she first arrived at the Imperial Garden, Du Cairen had been lingering in the pavilion.

Wei Ziming tilted his head to glance at the imperial carriage. Upon hearing a knock from inside, he raised his hand, and the carriage immediately halted.

Du Cairen finally relaxed her tight grip on her handkerchief. She lowered her face slightly, allowing those above to fully admire her delicate features. Her slender waist and graceful posture shone even as she bowed.

The embroidered sunshade curtain was lifted, revealing the person inside, whose brows were light and eyes gentle, exuding humility and warmth, yet daring no one to meet his gaze directly. Xu Yanheng nodded lightly.

“Rise.”

He swept his gaze over the consorts outside and raised an eyebrow. “Why are you all here?”

Chu Qingwan, supported by Song Xia, stood quietly at the back. Her rank was not the highest, nor was it her place to answer.

Unexpectedly, Du Cairen spoke first, a flush coloring her cheeks.

“I have just entered the palace. Seeing the beauty of the Imperial Garden, I lingered for a moment longer. I didn’t expect to have the good fortune to meet His Majesty here.”

Consort Qiu, whose turn to speak had been interrupted, looked displeased but suppressed her irritation in Xu Yanheng’s presence.

Chu Qingwan pressed her handkerchief lightly to her nose, knowing that as new consorts it was best to make a lasting impression on the emperor, but wondered if Du Cairen was being a bit too forward.

Xu Yanheng’s tone was ambiguous. “Is that so?”

A coincidence?

He was on his way to pay respects at Cining Palace and happened to pass through the Imperial Garden at this time. Xu Yanheng remembered the veiled remarks made by the Empress Dowager earlier at Cining Palace. For others, today might be mere chance, but was it the same for Du Cairen?

Standing quietly at the back, Chu Qingwan listened to the exchange between the emperor and Du Cairen. Her eyes scanned the assembly of consorts of varying ranks. She exhaled softly, dismissing the unrealistic hopes stirring within her.

At the thought of encountering the emperor, she had to admit to feeling a flicker of joy.

Yet, standing so far back, she wondered whether she could do anything at all, or if the emperor even noticed her.

Suddenly, a gaze fell upon her. Startled, she lifted her head and met a pair of dark eyes. His brows curved as if smiling, but his eyes held a chill indifference. Chu Qingwan was taken aback, her breath softening as she lowered her gaze.

Today she wore not the rouge-colored skirt of yesterday but a soft lotus-colored palace gown made of delicate silk, the light hue emphasizing her fair cheeks. Her hair tresses fell lightly, partially concealing half her face, so from Xu Yanheng’s angle, only her jawline was visible.

A single glance was enough for Xu Yanheng to recognize her.

She was the Talented Lady Chu who should have been at court service last night.

Compared to the day of the selection, her attire today was more refined and serene. She was strikingly beautiful, well-suited to bright colors; Xu Yanheng still remembered her dazzling crimson dress on the day of the selection that outshone all other candidates.

Someone noticed his gaze and followed it to Chu Qingwan. Consort Qiu, having lost her chance to speak to the emperor, felt a knot of frustration in her heart. Seizing the moment, she suddenly called out,

“Why is Talented Lady Chu hiding at the back?”

Her outburst interrupted Du Cairen, who turned with the others to look at Chu Qingwan and frowned.

Du Cairen had a bad premonition about the day’s stay in the Imperial Garden—it had been planned.

She had learned the night before that the emperor would pay respects at Cining Palace today, and the Imperial Garden was the necessary path from the Heart-Nurturing Palace to Cining Palace. She had deliberately waited here, hoping for a chance encounter with the emperor.

Unexpectedly, more consorts than anticipated were lingering here.

Though she felt no pressure from the consorts in the pavilion, confident in her beauty, talent, and age, and though Consort Qiu outranked her, Qiu had long since fallen out of favor; Du Cairen had barely acknowledged her presence and would not have ignored her otherwise.

But where had Talented Lady Chu suddenly appeared from?

Du Cairen’s resentment grew. Talented Lady Chu had missed her night court service last night because of the matter of the Second Prince. The emperor might feel guilty and remember her now that he saw her again.

Chu Qingwan had not expected such a turn of events. She seemed somewhat surprised, hesitating briefly before stepping forward from the crowd. She did not answer Consort Qiu’s question but bowed once more.

“I pay respects to His Majesty and to Consort Qiu.”

Before she could fully bend her waist, a hand lifted her up.

“No need for excessive formality.”

Du Cairen clenched her handkerchief tightly upon witnessing this. Though they had both paid respects, the emperor’s response to them was not the same.

Having entered the palace together and holding the same rank, Du Cairen’s heart could hardly feel at ease.

Chu Qingwan was also surprised. The hand holding hers was warm; standing so close to a man of the court for the first time, her fingers trembled slightly.

Someone noticed and casually tilted their head.

“Have you eaten lunch?”

Chu Qingwan recognized the question was directed at her. Her eyes shone with joy and surprise, but fearing she might be overthinking, she only shook her head in response.

Xu Yanheng’s hand did not loosen; he even pressed his finger lightly before clasping her entire hand. His tone remained calm.

“Let’s go back.”

He took her hand and walked on, paying no mind to the expressions of the other consorts present.

Chu Qingwan noticed some of the consorts’ complexions shift, but she could not refuse Xu Yanheng.

Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink. At a distance, her soft voice could still be heard.

“Does His Majesty intend to accompany this humble concubine back?”

She lightly entwined her fingers with his, her eyes brimming with happiness.

She had almost given up, never expecting such a twist.

Xu Yanheng raised his eyelids. Seeing her radiant joy was no surprise to him.

Women in the harem were all skilled performers; even if only a fraction of their happiness was real, they portrayed it fully.

He lowered his gaze to the intertwined hands and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Consort Qiu, long out of favor, was accustomed to the emperor’s company with others but still felt a pang of discomfort seeing him leave with someone else.

That discomfort vanished instantly when she saw Du Cairen’s displeased expression. Covering her lips, she remarked pointedly,

“This one is proud and arrogant, unaware there are others better still.”

Du Cairen was young, and her feelings could not be concealed. Consort Qiu easily discerned her disdain.

Du Cairen’s face darkened at the sarcasm.

Yet, because their ranks differed, no matter how angry Du Cairen was, she could do nothing to Consort Qiu.

Consort Qiu sneered and dismissed her.

The consorts gradually dispersed, but Du Cairen remained where she was. Her maid looked worried.

“Mistress, what shall we do now?”

Du Cairen closed her eyes.

“What’s the rush?”