“Chapter 159: Southern Tour”

"Chapter 159: Southern Tour"

"After safely giving birth to the fifth prince, Consort He was promoted by the Emperor to the second-rank position of Shufei, leaping to become Lady Shufei, much to the chagrin of Consort De."

"In Guangyang Palace, Consort De said to her maid Haitang, 'I gave birth to a son, and so did she. I have been with His Majesty since the Qiandian period. Why is she Shufei, while I am only Consort De? My son Xing is even older in age!'"

"Haitang consoled her, 'You and Lady Shufei are both in the rank of fourth consort. In reality, there is no difference in status. Even if Shufei precedes De, she is still a foreign woman in His Majesty's heart and will never surpass you. Besides, as Consort De, if His Majesty had named her Consort Xian or Consort Liang, wouldn’t that be worse?'"

The Noble Consort suggested, "Then the Emperor could promote me to Shufei and make her the Noble Consort."

Haitang was taken aback by this but quickly changed the subject, "Mistress, you should focus on the Third Prince. He will be attending Chongwen Academy next August. We should carefully select his study companions."

The Noble Consort was receptive to this idea, nodding, "You're right. I'll have my aunt send a request to the palace to help me gather information."

The Noble Consort's complaints might only be known within Guangyang Palace, but the Emperor’s favor towards the fifth prince was evident throughout the entire palace.

Not only did he elevate Consort He to Shufei, but he also celebrated the fifth prince's full-month ceremony and named him Huan.

However, since the fifth prince was born to Shufei, a princess of a foreign nation, his favor didn't concern the other consorts much. They were slightly envious but hoped to bear imperial heirs themselves, dreaming of being promoted, even if they couldn't raise their children due to their lower status.

They were aware that the triennial selection was due next year, and with newer, fresher beauties entering the palace, the Emperor might forget about them.

But this time, their worries were premature.

The Emperor rejected the Ministry of Rites' proposal for the selection of new consorts, telling Jiang Hui, "We won't hold the selection next year. I plan to visit the southern regions."

Jiang Hui was surprised, pausing her orange peeling, and asked softly, "Does Your Majesty intend to make a southern tour?"

Xiao Sheng took the orange from Jiang Hui, peeled off the greenish skin, removed the white pith, and handed it back to her, replying, "Yes. Reports from local officials are not enough. I need to see for myself, especially the situation in the Jiangnan region."

Hearing this, Jiang Hui realized that although the Emperor had not yet discussed this publicly, he had already made up his mind, and even objections from ministers wouldn't deter him.

She nodded, "When does Your Majesty plan to start the journey? If it's next spring, I need to start preparing now – clothes and accessories for the journey, selecting palace attendants and consorts to accompany... everything needs planning."

Xiao Sheng took the orange Jiang Hui was holding and broke off a segment to feed her. After watching her eat it, he chuckled, "No need to rush. We'll probably set off in April, starting from Shangjing, passing through Jinzhou, Jingzhou to Xuzhou, and if time allows, we might visit Yunzhou as well. We should be back in Shangjing by September or October at the latest."

After swallowing the orange, Jiang Hui inquired, "Which consorts does Your Majesty plan to take along? I should inform them early to prepare civilian clothing."

"I plan to take only you, Hui'er," Xiao Sheng replied, feeding her another piece of orange, smiling.

Jiang Hui snatched the orange, reciprocating by placing it in the Emperor's mouth, softly saying, "My book with Consort Jieyu Lu is not yet completed, and I'm also concerned about leaving Nian'er and Huayang in the palace."

Xiao Sheng frowned, considering Nian'er's frail health. The journey, mostly spent in a carriage and during the hot summer months, might be too much for him, even with an imperial physician's care.

Leaving Nian'er in the palace would naturally make Jiang Hui uneasy and want to stay behind.

Sighing softly, Xiao Sheng finally said, "Then Hui'er, you decide. Just one or two others will suffice."

The news of the Emperor's intended southern tour spread, and the consorts who frequented Fengyi Palace to serve Jiang Hui were hopeful of being chosen. They eagerly anticipated Jiang Hui's decision, as it was their only chance to be close to the Emperor outside the formal confines of the Two Instruments Hall.

This left Jiang Hui experiencing the pleasure of being surrounded by beautiful consorts.

However, her mind was not on selecting consorts for the journey.

One rainy day, the Emperor stayed alone in Jianzhang Palace. After putting Huayang to sleep, Qiu Kui entered with an umbrella, briefly stood under the eaves, then entered the inner chamber and whispered to Jiang Hui, "Mistress, we received a message from Wuyou Palace. Princess Huaiqing seems to want to accompany the Emperor on the southern tour."

Sitting at the dressing table, being attended to by Wan Song, Jiang Hui wasn't surprised, "She's nearly ten now and will leave the palace in six or seven years. Such informal opportunities are rare, and the Emperor will likely agree."

As Wan Song removed the jade comb from Jiang Hui's hair, she hesitated before asking, "Mistress, I remember the deposed Queen Wang sending someone to follow County Princess Guiren. It's been some years; she must be thirteen or fourteen now. If the Emperor passes through Jinzhou next year and Princess Huaiqing accompanies him, with you not present, could that allow County Princess Guiren to succeed in her plans?"

"County Princess Guiren?" Jiang Hui gently smiled at her reflection in the mirror, not worried, "She's still young. Ever since Sun's exile to the cold palace, you must have noticed that Huaiqing is not so thoughtless."

Pausing, Jiang Hui continued, "Moreover, I have always said that if County Princess Guiren learns too much, she may not survive in the Emperor’s presence."

"But..." Qiu Kui shared the same concern, "I know County Princess Guiren is young, but I worry that if Princess Huaiqing accompanies the southern tour and interacts with her, she might hatch other plans..."

Jiang Hui stood up from the dressing table and sat on the stepped bed. Her gaze swept over the hanging sachets on the inner pillars, and she said calmly, "I'm not afraid of her scheming, I'm afraid if she doesn't scheme at all."

Whether she referred to County Princess Guiren or Princess Huaiqing, both Qiu Kui and Wan Song exchanged glances, each with their own thoughts.