Chapter 91: Division of Power

Chapter 91: Division of Power

In one of the most sought-after places, Yaohua Palace, Jiang Hui was accompanying the Emperor in a game of chess.

Although skilled, Jiang Hui was still no match for the Emperor and was currently deep in thought, holding a black piece.

Emperor Xiao Sheng sat across, quietly appreciating the beauty of Jiang Hui’s furrowed brows under the lamplight, without urging her to hurry.

Yet, Jiang Hui’s thoughts weren't on the chessboard.

The Empress made a mistake from the start. She shouldn't have suspected Jiang Hui of feigning pregnancy, nor should she have thought the Emperor would believe such a thing. In the Emperor's eyes, Jiang Hui remained the proud princess, unlikely to use a child to vie for favor or falsely claim pregnancy to malign others.

Therefore, the Emperor naturally wouldn't believe Consort Xu's words, and the jade and pearl hairpin found with Xiao Fangzi, in reality, held little significance to him.

Regardless of Consort He's involvement, as long as Da Zhou hadn't declared war on the Xiongnu, she would remain the secure Consort He.

What Jiang Hui wanted to observe was not the Emperor's reaction, but that of Consort He.

"Haven't you decided yet, Hui'er?" Xiao Sheng picked up a piece of peach blossom cake from a small table nearby and ate it, wiping his hands with a silk handkerchief handed by Sheng'an, before finally speaking.

Jiang Hui shifted her gaze away from the chessboard, looking up at Xiao Sheng. Suddenly, she threw the chess piece in her hand onto the board, showing her temper.

"I won't play anymore; I'm tired."

Saying this, she stood up, ignoring the Emperor and walked towards the bedroom, leaving the attending palace maids too frightened to glance at the Emperor.

Jiang Hui, usually so composed, rarely behaved this way in front of Xiao Sheng, who was startled but not angry, finding it rather novel. He asked Wan Song, standing beside him, "What happened to the Noble Consort today?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, the master spent the day painting in the garden and encountered nothing unusual," Wan Song replied with a bow, adding, "Doctor Liu mentioned that it's normal for the master's emotions to be unstable during pregnancy."

Jiang Hui, accompanied by Qiukui, entered the inner chamber. After washing up with Qiukui's assistance, she lay on the bed. Just as she drew the curtains, the Emperor opened them again, sent away Sheng'an and Qiukui, and sat beside her with a smile, "Hui'er, don't be angry. Next time, I'll let you win."

Jiang Hui ignored him, turning her back.

Xiao Sheng then coaxed, "Hui'er, come see what this is?"

After a moment, Jiang Hui turned around and saw that the Emperor was holding the painting of begonias she had done earlier in the day, now inscribed with words.

"Unless atop the mountain of jade, we'd meet beneath the moon of Yao Tai."①

The Emperor's handwriting, improved with diligent practice, complemented the painting beautifully.

"Hui'er is like a fairy from Yao Tai, even in anger you look lovely."

The Emperor, humbling himself to appease her, naturally dissipated Jiang Hui's temper. She pretended to be shy and whispered, "Your Majesty, please put it away."

Xiao Sheng's smile deepened as he tucked in the blanket for her, jokingly saying, "Wait a moment, Hui'er, I'll be right back."

He then got up to place the scroll on the table and left the room to bathe, attended by Sheng'an.

The next day, still sleepy, Jiang Hui was allowed to rest undisturbed by the Emperor's orders, while he himself, accompanied by his attendants, went to the Taiji Hall for the morning court session.

After waking up and finishing her breakfast, Jiang Hui strolled around the courtyard for a while and then spent half an hour playing with her son before settling back by the window in the warm chamber.

Holding a spoon in her hand and facing a bowl of specially prepared silver fungus soup, she asked lazily, "Is there any outcome regarding yesterday's incident?"

Yesterday, the Emperor only reprimanded Consort Xu and had Xiao Fangzi taken away by Sheng'an, but there had been no real resolution to the matter.

Qingfeng bowed and reported, "My lady, Consort He, somehow informed about Xiao Fangzi’s issue, went straight to the Liangyi Hall with her maid, Tao Ye."

"To Liangyi Hall?" Jiang Hui raised her eyebrows and asked indifferently, "Did His Majesty allow her in?"

"Yes," replied Qingfeng. "I don’t know what was said, but after Consort He left, His Majesty went to Fengyi Palace with a stern face and has not come out since."

Hearing this, Jiang Hui put down her white porcelain spoon and said lightly, "Always so considerate of me..."

Initially, when Dujuan brought the message that Lady Sun intended to use Consort He to muddle the waters, Jiang Hui instructed Dujuan to have Xiao Fangzi coax Tao Ye to take that jade and pearl hairpin, to test the waters.

Jiang Hui didn’t believe Consort He was unaware of Tao Ye stealing the hairpin. Since she didn’t stop it, there must have been a backup plan. Now it seems that plan was aimed at Fengyi Palace?

However, Fengyi Palace had already displeased the Emperor with the silkworm ceremony incident, and this time, it might not be so easy to escape blame.

Indeed, in the afternoon, the Emperor sent Anjing to Yaohua Palace with a decree stating that the Empress, being overburdened, would be assisted by Noble Consort Zhao in managing the Inner Palace Affairs Bureau after her childbirth.

Qingfeng politely escorted Anjing back to the Liangyi Hall, while Qiu Kui, Wan Song, and other maids congratulated Jiang Hui.

Shan Zha said with a smile, "My lady, this time I'm not celebrating too early, am I?"

"It's still a bit early," Jiang Hui joked. "But you can celebrate for a moment."

After expressing her joy, Qiu Kui whispered cautiously, "My lady, don’t underestimate Consort He."

"It's nothing more than revealing Fengyi Palace’s deliberate instigation through Consort Xu," Jiang Hui nodded slightly, her thoughts shifting. She softly added, "The Empress did this through Lady Sun. Since Lady Sun is unpunished, it seems Consort He has outmaneuvered the Empress using the maid Tao Ye."

Even without Consort He, with the silkworm ceremony incident, couldn’t the Emperor guess who would target Jiang Hui like this? Consort He merely handed him the knife.

However, Shan Zha wondered, "My lady, does Tao Ye have such significant influence?"

Jiang Hui smiled and said, "Consort He is a princess married through diplomacy; there must be the Emperor's people in Yufu Palace's Piaoxiang Hall. If Tao Ye stole the hairpin, the Emperor would surely know. Consort He just needed to present evidence to the Emperor proving that Tao Ye was acting on behalf of the Empress, and it would all fall into place."

Shan Zha, puzzled, asked, "What evidence?"

Note: ①A line from Li Bai's "Qing Ping Diao."