Chapter 236

Chapter 236

Not arranging for her to live together in Jingren Palace was precisely to avoid having her constantly hovering around under her nose, which the Imperial Noble Consort found annoying.

Just sending occasional gifts to show care was enough—the servants wouldn’t dare slight her.

But now, with her frequently visiting like this, even if the Imperial Noble Consort disliked it, she couldn’t just turn her away.

After all, no matter what, she couldn’t let rumors spread about discord between the Tong sisters.

They were both daughters of the Tong family—they rose or fell together. If Noble Lady Qing lost face, the Imperial Noble Consort wouldn’t look much better either.

The Imperial Noble Consort naturally had to look out for her little sister—at least when others were watching.

Otherwise, if word got out that the sisters didn’t get along, it would make them look bad. Not only would it reflect poorly on the Imperial Noble Consort herself, but it would also tarnish the family’s reputation.

So when Noble Lady Qing came to Jingren Palace for a visit, the Imperial Noble Consort truly couldn’t just turn her away like she could with other concubines.

The Imperial Noble Consort’s earlier words had hinted that Noble Lady Qing shouldn’t visit so often unless necessary.

Whether Noble Lady Qing understood or not was unclear, as her face showed no sign of offense.

"Thank you for your concern, elder sister. The rare tonics and medicines you sent have helped Ru Ying recover greatly. That’s why I came to pay my respects and express my gratitude—it’s only proper." Ru Ying—that is, Noble Lady Qing—answered softly, her voice warm and deferential.

She appeared utterly deferential toward her elder sister.

Compared to the Imperial Noble Consort’s noble and haughty demeanor, Noble Lady Qing was more softly elegant.

At first glance, the two sisters didn’t look particularly alike, but upon closer inspection, similarities could be seen in their eyes and brows. Perhaps because she had only recently recovered from illness, her delicate looks held a touch of frailty.

There were no sharp edges where there shouldn’t be—she was like polished jade—smooth and glowing.

Though not as dazzling as the Imperial Noble Consort at first sight, she had her own quiet grace and charm, equally a beauty in her own right.

Noble Lady Qing wore a jade-green qipao with silver-threaded butterfly embroidery. The sleeves were layered three times, the outermost edge trimmed with plain, soft gauze, making her gestures even more fluid.

The hair ornaments on her twin buns weren’t excessive—each piece was finely made but not flashy. Her entire ensemble accentuated her elegant air while remaining appropriate for her status, with nothing out of place.

Clearly, she knew exactly how to dress in a way that highlighted her beauty without drawing too much attention.

Hearing Noble Lady Qing’s words, the Imperial Noble Consort barely reacted, her gaze utterly unsurprised.

These days, every time her younger sister came to visit, it was always like this—as if she genuinely wanted to connect with her big sister.

The Imperial Noble Consort couldn’t recall when she and this sister had ever been so close.

Since entering the palace, Noble Lady Qing had never once asked her to arrange opportunities to meet the Emperor. Instead, she seemed solely focused on fostering sisterly affection.

The Imperial Noble Consort had never imagined her family would send a sister to shoulder her duties so soon.

She had only been in the palace for a few years—still young and in her prime.

She had assumed that even if they wanted to "shoulder her duties," it would only be when she grew older and her beauty faded. At that time, to secure favor, they might send someone to "lighten her load." Though unpleasant, she could understand that logic.

After all, by the time she aged, her youngest sister would just be entering her prime.

The Tong family always made thorough preparations in such matters.

The Imperial Noble Consort had only just entered the palace when her youngest sister was born. The time from her infancy to adulthood was more than enough for them to raise a replacement who could secure their position in the imperial harem and uphold the Tong family’s glory.

As for Ru Ying, she was the choice made by the Tong family in their growing impatience.

The Imperial Noble Consort was childless, so how could the Tong family afford to wait any longer? If the Imperial Noble Consort had indeed adopted the Fourth Prince, it might have been better.

At least she’d have had a prince to lean on for the time being. Affection might have blossomed over time, and the child would remember the bond.

A prince born to a low-ranking mother would have been the best support once the Imperial Noble Consort had her own child.

Unfortunately, the Fourth Prince ended up being raised by the Empress Dowager instead. The Imperial Noble Consort also committed some blunders, losing face and favor in the Emperor’s eyes.

Even though the Emperor did not truly hold it against her, sparing the Tong family and still granting the Imperial Noble Consort her status and honor, winning back his favor was now nearly impossible.

Thus, the Tong family had no choice but to send in another candidate.

They were sisters, after all—if Ru Ying could bear a prince and have him adopted by the Imperial Noble Consort, it would serve the same purpose.

The Tong family must have a prince.

More accurately, the Tong family wanted to secure their lineage’s enduring prestige by becoming the maternal family of the next heir to the throne.

Having already enjoyed such privilege, how could the Tong family bear to let it slip through their fingers? They would only seek ways to prolong this glory.

How could the Imperial Noble Consort not understand her family’s intentions? Even if she was displeased, she was powerless to resist.

Now that the girl was here, she still had to keep up appearances with her, ensuring no rumors of sisterly strife spread. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be the Imperial Noble Consort who became a laughingstock—the entire family would be mocked as well.

"How thoughtful of you," the Imperial Noble Consort said indifferently, making small talk with her.

At this point, the Imperial Noble Consort no longer believed her sister truly wished to bond with her.

Her Jingren Palace had seen enough activity lately—everyone had an agenda, all for the sake of the upcoming imperial excursion.

If Noble Lady Qing kept feigning ignorance, the Imperial Noble Consort was content to continue this charade. It was merely a waste of time, after all.

If the other refused to speak up, the Imperial Noble Consort could pretend not to know.

She couldn’t possibly be expected to start scheming for someone who still pretended ignorance—since when was that her duty?

The one who should be anxious wasn’t her—it should be Noble Lady Qing.

Sure enough, after beating around the bush, Noble Lady Qing finally broached the real subject.

"Sister, this is an embroidery piece Ru Ying recently worked on—a little diversion. I brought it to seek your guidance. Mother always praised your needlework back home, and Ru Ying admired it greatly, so I thought to show it to you, though it’s hardly worthy of you."

As she spoke, her attendant presented the embroidery, which was then handed to the Imperial Noble Consort’s maid and placed before her for inspection.

The Imperial Noble Consort didn’t believe for a second that this was truly about seeking embroidery advice. Sure enough, upon seeing the design, the meaning was crystal clear.

It depicted a young deer grazing on lush green grass, full of vitality. The fawn looked adorable and lively, a seemingly simple piece that clearly required great effort.

The request for guidance was a ruse—the subtext was obvious.

The Mulan autumn hunt—wasn’t the main quarry deer?

A young deer.

The Imperial Noble Consort composed her expression, appearing to focus solely on the embroidery as she pointed out minor flaws, avoiding any other implications.

Noble Lady Qing smiled and agreed, "Sister is truly skilled. After your guidance, Ru Ying also feels that making the changes you recommended would improve it greatly."

There wasn't a trace of forced cheerfulness in her expression, looking every bit the devoted younger sister.

To anyone watching, it might seem as though these two sisters genuinely shared a close bond—where the younger sister would listen to the elder without the slightest disagreement.

Though neither sister explicitly mentioned anything about accompanying the Emperor, the understanding hung unspoken between them.

Noble Lady Qing, as before, made her exit with practiced timing, never crossing that invisible line or testing the Imperial Noble Consort’s patience.

On her way back to Consort Duan’s palace, she was intercepted by Noble Lady Wan, who had come looking for her.

Noble Lady Wan also resided in Consort Duan’s palace and usually maintained cordial relations with Noble Lady Qing. She would often visit to chat and pass the time together.

Today seemed no different.

However, Noble Lady Wan’s words carried veiled attempts at fishing for information, clearly trying to find out whether Noble Lady Qing had brought up the matter of accompanying the Emperor during her visit to the Imperial Noble Consort.

Though she tried to mask it, Noble Lady Wan couldn’t entirely conceal her transparent envy, evidently convinced that the Imperial Noble Consort would surely include her own sister in the list of consorts to accompany the Emperor.

While others racked their brains and schemed for this opportunity, Noble Lady Qing, with the Imperial Noble Consort as her sister, only needed to mention it casually—no need to fight like the rest.

Noble Lady Qing pretended not to notice anything, responding ambiguously to Noble Lady Wan’s probing and feigning ignorance of her transparent envy.

After sending Noble Lady Wan away, her attending maid soon approached and whispered that Noble Lady Wan had gone straight to Consort Duan.

Having just left here, Noble Lady Wan immediately sought out Consort Duan—wasn’t it obvious she had been gathering information for her and was now reporting back?

Noble Lady Qing had expected nothing less. Consort Duan, bound by her rank, couldn’t lower herself to befriend Noble Lady Qing directly.

Moreover, she knew Noble Lady Qing wasn’t some low-ranking consort like Noble Lady Wan who could be easily manipulated. As for winning her over—with the Imperial Noble Consort around, how could Consort Duan possibly play the influential patron? It would only invite ridicule.

Unwilling to lower herself yet desperate for information, Consort Duan had sent Noble Lady Wan instead, and Noble Lady Qing simply pretended not to notice.

"My lady," the maid hesitated before suggesting, "should we not… try again with the Imperial Noble Consort?"

Though she didn’t finish, her meaning was clear—she worried for her mistress and hoped the Imperial Noble Consort would, out of sisterly affection, grant her the chance to appear before the Emperor during the upcoming excursion.

Just earlier, when they were with the Imperial Noble Consort, it should have been the perfect moment to bring it up. Yet her mistress had only discussed embroidery, leaving the maid anxious—why not mention the Mulan hunting trip?

"My elder sister has her own considerations. Naturally, I will follow her lead," Noble Lady Qing replied with a smile, appearing serenely unconcerned.

Hearing this, the maid could say no more. Though they were sisters, once in the palace, even sisterhood had its boundaries.

To press further might seem like sowing discord.

Of course, Noble Lady Qing wasn’t worried. She had made her position clear today. Even if they weren’t perfectly united, the Imperial Noble Consort surely understood where her interests lay.

At this thought, a glint of derision flashed in Noble Lady Qing’s eyes—gone as quickly as it came.

Consort Ping, unlike the others, made no pilgrimage to the Imperial Noble Consort’s palace. It wasn’t out of pride—

She simply knew she wasn’t welcome there. Going would only mean facing deliberate frostiness, gaining nothing but frustration, and others would assume she was yet another favor-seeker scrambling for imperial attention.

So Consort Ping naturally avoided the Imperial Noble Consort’s path, setting her sights squarely on the Emperor. After all, having diminished in imperial favor, she needed to win it back.

If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain.

Consort Ping dispensed with the artifice of chance encounters. Rather than lingering pointlessly for an "accidental" meeting, she decided to take the initiative and seek the Emperor directly.

The pretext stood prepared—having acted improperly before, she would now express concern for the Emperor and make amends for her previous impropriety.

Of course, she couldn’t go empty-handed—all her little trinkets and gifts had to come along too; that would’ve come off as downright rude.

Besides, those lowly servants wouldn’t dare dismiss her outright given her current status—they’d surely announce her arrival.

Consort Ping had also taken great care with her makeup. Compared to her usual bold and glamorous style, she opted for a softer look this time, even adding a touch of shimmer at the outer corners of her eyes to create a soft and vulnerable charm, tugging at the heartstrings.

This had taken considerable effort. The only downside was that changing up her look was tricky—who’d mistake her for someone who always wore heavy makeup? Moreover, switching up her style could leave a fresh impression.

Especially on men.

She wore a smile the entire way there.

Upon arrival, the palace attendants indeed didn’t dare delay and immediately went to report her presence. Standing outside with graceful poise, she lazily draped her hand over her maid’s arm, occasionally brushing her fingertips against her temple, exuding effortless elegance.

Yet, that elegance gradually became harder to maintain. The eunuch who had gone to report had been gone for quite a while without returning—what could possibly be taking so long?

Balancing in her towering flowerpot heels while looking poised was no easy feat, especially with her headdress being no lightweight, studded with pearls and jade.

Earlier, she had been comfortably carried over on a shoulder sedan, not needing to walk a step. But now, standing for so long while maintaining perfect posture was becoming unbearable.

Her hand, initially resting lightly on her maid’s arm, slowly began to shift more of her weight onto the maid to ease the strain. Her eyes betrayed her growing irritation as the wait dragged on.

Finally, the eunuch emerged. Consort Ping bit back her annoyance and waited for his reply.