Chapter 58: Birthday Gift

Chapter 58: Birthday Gift

"The gifts I’ve given you, you are not allowed to give away to others."

After leaving Fengyi Palace, Su Jiaojiao glanced at Ling Xiao, who was receiving gifts from Yu He not far away, and caught Yu He’s eye.

She gave a modest curtsy, smiling faintly as she watched Yu He enter Fengyi Palace without saying a word.

Upon returning to Pixiang Palace, Yu Ying asked, "What did the Empress bestow upon you? Was there anything that seemed suspicious?"

Ling Xiao shook her head and said softly, "When Yu He handed the gifts to me, the boxes were open. Inside were two jade bracelets and a set of jewelry. The designs were exquisite but not particularly rare. It didn’t seem tampered with."

Yu Ying felt slightly relieved and said, "Even so, we must not let our guard down. I’ll examine them more carefully later. No matter what, anything bestowed by the Empress cannot be used. Whether we use it or not, it could easily lead to trouble, giving others leverage over us."

Ling Xiao nodded, handing the tray to Yu Ying and adding in a low voice, "Besides the items, check the bottom of the boxes as well. Today at Fengyi Palace, the Empress implied warnings to our mistress. I can’t shake this sense of unease."

In the minds of most people, the Empress was known for her kindness and benevolence. During daily greetings at Fengyi Palace, many would argue and quarrel, but the Empress always handled matters fairly, never showing favoritism.

But today was the mistress's birthday, and the Empress had made those remarks in public, which made Ling Xiao feel uneasy.

Ling Xiao had served the Empress Dowager before and had seen the Empress many times. Though she didn’t know the Empress well, one thing stood out in her memory.

The Empress was a composed person, cautious in her actions, and would never reveal her true intentions until the very last moment.

Back when Noble Consort Wang and the Empress were both in the Crown Prince’s residence, Noble Consort Wang had looked down on the Empress, relying on her prestigious Wang family background and never regarding the Empress highly.

After entering the palace and being granted the position of one of the four consorts, she was second only to the Empress in the harem. Later, after giving birth to the eldest prince, her ambitions grew even more evident.

Even so, the Empress remained calm and composed, seemingly unfazed by Noble Consort Wang’s provocations, firmly holding her position as Empress.

Because of this, Ling Xiao was particularly wary of the Empress, believing today’s warning was deliberate.

Inside the hall, Su Jiaojiao sat in the main seat, calmly sipping tea. She glanced at the sky outside and said softly, "Shangshi Bureau will probably arrive soon. Today is my birthday, and His Majesty has said he will come. The lunch will surely be more extravagant than usual."

Yu Ye smiled and said, "How much can you and His Majesty possibly eat? The leftovers will surely benefit us servants. Thanks to you, I’ll feast today."

Su Jiaojiao smiled at her, "Have I ever treated you so poorly that you’re this eager for today?"

Then, she suddenly remembered the incident where Yu Ye had nearly been manipulated, her expression darkened as she asked softly, "Has Qiaoer contacted you recently? What did she say?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Ye immediately became cautious, stopping her work to approach Su Jiaojiao.

She leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Qiaoer has been in contact with me, but she hasn’t made any requests recently. However, she has inquired about Pixiang Palace twice in the past few days. I’ve always remembered your instructions and haven’t revealed anything substantial, just spinning tales to mislead her."

Yu Ye sighed and said bitterly, "If it weren’t for your foresight, I might have been fooled by her. Qiaoer and I have known each other for so long, but she only brought up Pixiang Palace twice recently, and her tone was so natural, like casual conversation. If I hadn’t been on guard, I might have fallen into her trap. Those in the palace are truly cunning. Seeing me as gullible, they aim to use me against you."

The mastermind behind Qiaoer remains unknown. But one thing is certain: this person is not simple and has considerable influence in the palace. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to recruit Qiaoer and lay such a long plan. Noble Consort Wang and Min Jieyu are impulsive and unlikely to orchestrate such a scheme. Concubine Lian has not been in the palace long and hasn’t developed her influence yet. Could it be the Empress?

To patiently lay such a long plan without rushing to act, the Empress seems the most probable suspect.

But deducing that the Empress is behind Qiaoer seems too easy, as if the answer is being handed to us. Su Jiaojiao finds it hard to believe that it’s truly the Empress.

If it were the Empress, would she set up such an obvious trap?

The more obvious it is, the more suspicious it becomes.

But if it’s not the Empress, could it be Noble Consort Wang?

Su Jiaojiao lowered her gaze, deep in thought, feeling the onset of a headache.

Although Noble Consort Wang's current behavior paints her as a cruel and ruthless person, Su Jiaojiao always remembers the inscrutable demeanor she displayed when trying to win her over during the Spring Banquet.

Everyone in the palace is intricate, and despite Noble Consort Wang's cruelty, she has managed to maintain her position in the harem, relying not just on her family background and the eldest prince.

At this point, even Su Jiaojiao felt a bit uncertain.

As noon approached, Pixiang Hall became increasingly lively.

Su Jiaojiao was a favored consort at the peak of her influence, and many in the palace sought to curry her favor. From the Empress down to the selected rank consorts, nearly ninety percent of the palace consorts sent gifts to Pixiang Hall.

Throughout the day, Yu Ying and the palace servants were busy receiving and sending off visitors, with people almost wearing down the threshold, making it a bustling scene.

Moreover, the Shangshi Bureau sent waves of delicacies, keeping the people of Pixiang Hall busy until they finally had a moment of respite at lunchtime.

Su Jiaojiao did not partake in the external commotion, instead, she sat quietly in front of the bronze mirror, placing the plum blossom hairpin bestowed by the Emperor in her hair and applying the hibiscus lip balm, adding a touch of allure to her delicate and cool demeanor.

When Shen Huai left Taiji Hall and arrived at Pixiang Hall, he specifically excused the palace servants at the entrance from announcing his arrival and quietly entered.

Upon entering, he saw Su Jiaojiao gently smoothing her hair in front of the mirror, completely oblivious to his presence.

He watched for a while before leisurely speaking, "Does it look good?"

Su Jiaojiao was slightly startled, and upon seeing that the Emperor had already entered the hall, she quickly stood up to greet him, chiding, "Why didn't Your Majesty have someone announce your arrival? The plum blossom hairpin you bestowed is, of course, the most beautiful."

She joked, "If Jiaojiao had been caught in an ungraceful moment in the hall by Your Majesty, you might never come to Pixiang Hall again."

Shen Huai smiled noncommittally, simply taking her hand and leading her to sit on the couch in the main hall, saying in a deep voice, "Cai Shan."

Cai Shan, who was waiting at the door, immediately flicked his whisk towards the outside, and two maids carrying trays entered.

The brocade boxes on the trays were crafted from precious materials, square-shaped, with their lids open.

Shen Huai leaned back lazily and said, "Take a look, see if you like them."

Su Jiaojiao obligingly put on an expectant expression and looked at the trays carried by the two maids, seeing a perfectly round pearl the size of a pigeon egg in the first box.

In the slanting sunlight, it gleamed with a bright luster, without a single flaw.

It was truly a rare treasure.

Cai Shan smiled on the side and said, "Consort Zhen, this pearl from the East Sea is exceedingly rare. Only three were offered as tribute this year. These three were cultivated from the same oyster, reportedly harvested from the deep sea."

Su Jiaojiao nodded happily and looked at the second brocade box, where a jade bracelet lay quietly.

Although it was jade, it was not a transparent emerald green, with minor impurities in the center, but overall, it was still a fine jade piece.

With such a precious pearl in front of her, she didn't give much thought to the jade bracelet, but Cai Shan seemed to hesitate for a moment before bowing and retreating.

Su Jiaojiao glanced at him with some confusion, but before she could ponder further, she stood up to express her gratitude, her eyes curving into a smile, "Jiaojiao thanks Your Majesty for the gifts."

Shen Huai smiled faintly and said, "Today is your birthday, no need for formalities."

He asked, "Do you like the birthday gifts I gave you?"

Su Jiaojiao said softly, "The pearl is large and immaculate, of course, Jiaojiao adores it, but most importantly, it is Your Majesty's heartfelt intention."

"It's just a pity that such a large pearl, if I were to sleep with it every night, I would fear it might roll away, and it can't be made into a hairpin to wear on my head."

Her voice was sweet as she gently tugged at his sleeve, pleading, "Your Majesty, please give Jiaojiao some advice."

Shen Huai smiled lazily, flipping his hand to tap her palm, ostensibly chiding but with a tone of indulgence: "I gave you a birthday gift, and now you're still expecting me to come up with ideas for you."

He said lightly, "If it's to accompany you while you sleep, use the pearl as a canopy, hanging it above the bed. When the moonlight streams through the window, it will cast a silvery glow, bright as the moon, perfectly matching your name."

Su Jiaojiao's eyes lit up, but only for a moment before she timidly lowered her voice: "Using the pearl as a canopy, wouldn't that be too lavish?"

Shen Huai took her hand and led her to the side hall for lunch, saying indifferently, "The things I bestow upon you, how you use them is your affair. Storing them in the treasury is fine, but hanging them above the bed is not?"

With that, he paused and casually added, "The things I give you, you must not give away."

Su Jiaojiao was momentarily stunned but didn't think much of it, assuming that His Majesty simply didn't like her giving his heartfelt gifts to others. She nodded and said in a coaxing tone, "What Your Majesty bestows, Jiaojiao wouldn't dare to part with. I'll wear the bracelet on my hand right away and never take it off."

The lunch table today was specially replaced with a larger one, significantly wider than the usual dining table.

His Majesty personally accompanied Consort Zhen on her birthday, and the people from the Shangshi Bureau went all out to impress, bringing everything from the sky and the sea to the table.

Including cold dishes, hot dishes, soups, and desserts, there were dozens of dishes in all.

When the Shangshi Bureau delivered the dishes today, Su Jiaojiao had already ordered that all the dishes must be tested under Ling Xiao's supervision before they could be left. This made things much easier now.

Su Jiaojiao first served His Majesty a bowl of peony head soup, then served herself a bowl, smiling and saying, "This one, Your Majesty, is served by Jiaojiao herself."

With that, Su Jiaojiao picked up her own bowl and took two sips before using a handkerchief to wipe the soup from her lips: "All the dishes have been tested in advance, just in case you're concerned, Jiaojiao has also sampled them."

Shen Huai smiled faintly, "With you here, I naturally feel assured."

Before he could take a sip of the soup, a eunuch from the imperial court rushed in, bowing and saying urgently, "Your Majesty, it's urgent! Noble Consort Wang sent word that the eldest prince fainted immediately after taking medicine in the Yutang Palace! Please go and see."