Chapter 116: Unpopular

Chapter 116: Out of Favor

Does His Majesty favor Concubine Lian, or Su Jiaojiao?

Su Jiaojiao had gone to Cool Breeze Pavilion much earlier than the usual bedtime, so when she lazily rose from beneath the canopy, it was still early, far from the time to rest.

She had spent a long time in the small kitchen preparing water chestnut cake with Yu Ye and had missed her own evening meal. After all the effort, both Su Jiaojiao and His Majesty had yet to eat, and now they felt hungry. So, she had dinner sent to Cool Breeze Pavilion in the evening.

The palace servants serving His Majesty swiftly delivered the food from the kitchen to Cool Breeze Pavilion. The conspicuous procession happened to catch the eye of Concubine Lian.

Ever since arriving at the summer palace, His Majesty had punished her over the incident involving Noble Consort Shu. By her reckoning, it had been quite some time since she last saw her cousin, the Emperor.

Previously, her cousin had denied her audience due to her arrogance, and now, with Beauty Yu’s miscarriage, he refused to see anyone else. But after so many days, however great his displeasure, it should have subsided by now.

Consort Mi had been punished for harming Beauty Yu, and Noble Consort Zhen, who was close to her, would hardly be received favorably by His Majesty. If she went to see him now, she might significantly diminish Noble Consort Zhen’s standing in his heart, preventing her from constantly working her charms on him and becoming an eyesore.

As Concubine Lian watched the servants carrying food into Cool Breeze Pavilion, she couldn’t help but recall her past interactions with Su Jiaojiao.

That woman was nothing but skilled at shedding tears, fair-faced, and adept at seduction.

Thinking she could beguile His Majesty for a while, she had become emboldened enough to act rudely toward her, repeatedly targeting her.

She was the one who had known her cousin since childhood, the one who adored him and cared for him in every way. How could he not appreciate her virtues? He must have been bewitched, which was why he showed greater favor to Su Jiaojiao.

Lvwan, noticing her mistress staring in the direction of Cool Breeze Pavilion, whispered, "Your Highness, do you miss His Majesty? Why not go and see him?"

Rou Xin, standing slightly behind Lvwan, flickered her eyes and stepped forward, curtsying as she said, "This humble maid notes that His Majesty is only now summoning dinner, likely delayed by state affairs. If Your Highness were to bring him a bowl of mung bean and lily soup to beat the heat, he would surely appreciate the gesture."

Concubine Lian frowned slightly and said coolly, "His Majesty is about to dine. Where would I find the time to prepare soup? What nonsense."

Rou Xin glanced at Lvwan and eagerly smiled. "Sister Lvwan had this servant prepare such a soup for you this evening—perfect for summer. It should be ready by now. Your Highness need only bring a bowl as it is. If His Majesty asks, you can say it was your first time cooking, with us guiding you step by step. He wouldn’t suspect a thing."

Lvwan looked at her, pleased that she had come up with this idea to please their mistress and even credited her in front of Concubine Lian. Rou Xin had always been clever, and it was rare for her to show such "filial piety," knowing full well that her position beside their mistress was due to Lvwan’s support and always repaying the favor.

Sure enough, Concubine Lian hesitated slightly upon hearing this. "Mung bean and lily soup?"

"Yes, Your Highness. This is a ready opportunity. The harem has been quiet for so many days. As His Majesty’s cousin, accompanying him now would be most fitting," Lvwan chimed in. "The soup is fragrant and refreshing, just warm enough. If His Majesty has some, it will warm his heart, and he’ll naturally think of your kindness."

Hearing this, Concubine Lian no longer hesitated and said firmly, "Quickly pack a serving into an ornately carved tiffin—not a drop spilled. Lvwan, you go and fetch it personally. I’ll wait here."

"Yes," Lvwan smiled, turning to hurry back to Huaqili.

Rou Xin, still standing beside Concubine Lian, watched Lvwan leave before lifting her eyes and smiling. "Your Highness, this servant wishes to speak from the heart, even if you may scold me. In truth, many palace servants believe you are just as beautiful as Noble Consort Zhen, if not more so. Though Noble Consort Zhen has a good reputation in the palace, not all servants think so. Many know she is duplicitous behind closed doors—how could she compare to you? You are His Majesty’s cousin, noble in status, with shared childhood memories. You are the most unique presence in the palace. Who could possibly surpass you?"

Concubine Lian glanced at her properly, feeling pleased, and a faint smile appeared on her face. She looked Rou Xin up and down before asking, "What is your name?"

Rou Xin curtsied. "This humble maid is called Rou Xin."

Concubine Lian raised a hand to touch the hairpin in her hair, smiling leisurely. "So you are Rou Xin. I’ve heard Lvwan praise you a couple of times."

She lowered her gaze to admire the fresh nail polish on her fingers. "She said you work efficiently and are clever—quite the promising one."

Then, she gave her a significant look.

Rou Xin immediately understood and prostrated herself immediately, bowing her head in delight. "This humble maid pledges unwavering loyalty to Your Highness, without the slightest disloyalty!"

Concubine Lian nodded in satisfaction and gestured for her to rise. "In that case, from now on, take Lvwan as your model and serve by my side."

By the time they finished speaking, Lvwan had already returned from Huaqili with the soup, carefully packed in an ornately carved tiffin. Seeing Concubine Lian, she said, "Your Highness, the soup is ready. Shall we go now?"

Concubine Yu glanced around and noticed that most of the attendants delivering meals to the Breeze-Cooled Pavilion had already left.

She figured that the Grand Eunuch must be personally arranging dishes for His Majesty at this moment, so her timing was perfect. Taking the food box from Lüwan, she said, "Let's go."

Sure enough, the Grand Eunuch was nowhere to be seen at the entrance of the Breeze-Cooled Pavilion, confirming her guess.

Cai Shan’s subordinate was waiting at the door. Upon seeing Concubine Yu, he stepped forward with a smile and said, "This servant greets Her Ladyship Concubine Yu. It's quite late—what brings Your Ladyship here at this hour?"

Concubine Yu replied with a faint smile, "His Majesty hasn't visited the rear palace in a long time, and I’ve been concerned. I happened to prepare some soup for him and thought to deliver it. Would you kindly announce my presence?"

She added, "By the way, I noticed the palace kitchen attendants coming this way earlier. It’s long past evening mealtime—was His Majesty unable to eat on schedule?"

The young eunuch knew exactly what His Majesty had been occupied with but couldn’t say it outright. He simply bowed and replied, "His Majesty was otherwise engaged earlier and only now has time for dinner, so he ordered the evening meal to be brought over."

Though aware of her request to announce her, he made no move to do so, instead bowing again with a smile. "Your Ladyship, forgive this servant, but His Majesty is currently preoccupied and may not have time to see you."

Concubine Yu frowned slightly. "The meal attendants just left—how could he still be busy? Even if His Majesty is dining, I can attend to him. Just announce my presence."

Seeing that she wasn’t picking up on his hints, the eunuch exclaimed with an apologetic bow, "It’s not that this servant dares to obstruct you, but Noble Consort Zhen is currently dining with His Majesty inside. He likely—"

"Noble Consort Zhen?" Concubine Yu’s expression darkened instantly. "When did she arrive at the Breeze-Cooled Pavilion?"

The eunuch who had just begun his shift gave an apologetic bow. "This servant isn’t sure how long Her Ladyship has been inside. I only know she arrived before the meal was served—it’s been quite a while."

Concubine Yu stared at the door for a long time. Though separated by multiple layers, she could almost hear Su Jiaojiao’s coquettish laughter and His Majesty’s voice inside. Her heart twisted with discomfort and resentment, clawed at by jealousy like a cat's scratch.

She said coldly, "Just announce me. If Noble Consort Zhen can serve His Majesty during his meal, why can’t I?"

Seeing her stubbornness, the eunuch had no choice but to relent. "Very well, Your Ladyship, please wait a moment. This servant will go now."

His Majesty had indeed handled state affairs in the afternoon, but shortly after Noble Consort Zhen arrived, their passionate entanglement had been enough to make anyone blush. After such intimacy, no wonder they were hungry now.

With His Majesty and Noble Consort Zhen lost in each other's affection, why would they want to see Concubine Yu? This was just bringing trouble upon herself!

The eunuch sighed inwardly, then approached His Majesty with a bow. "Your Majesty, Concubine Yu requests an audience outside. She says she has prepared soup for you."

Concubine Yu was spoiled and wouldn’t take no for an answer, having grown up with a spoiled young mistress attitude.

If she were allowed in and saw Su Jiaojiao here, this meal would be ruined. Just the sight of her displeased face would likely kill His Majesty’s appetite.

Though Xu Qingwu shared childhood ties with him, her temperament was far from ideal—her petty moods gave everyone headaches. She couldn’t hold a candle to Su Jiaojiao’s charm.

Shen Huai was currently dining with Su Jiaojiao in high spirits. Upon hearing Concubine Yu’s name, his voice cooled instantly. "Eunuch Cai's service is sufficient here. Send her away."

The eunuch had expected this. After acknowledging the order, he retreated and relayed to Concubine Yu, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty says Eunuch Cai’s service is enough inside. Please return."

Seeing her expression darken, he wanted no further entanglement and called out, "Attendants, it’s dark—see Her Ladyship safely back."

Among the many Imperial Consorts in the palace, Concubine Yu was one of the most troublesome to deal with. Though she treated those in imperial service with courtesy, her spoiled nature and constantly seeking His Majesty's attention made her a handful. Were she an ordinary consort, it wouldn’t matter—but as His Majesty’s cousin, she couldn’t be easily offended.

Now that she was dismissed, he could finally relax.

Inside the room, Su Jiaojiao picked up a crystal shrimp with her chopsticks and placed it at His Majesty’s lips, propping her chin on her other hand as she gazed at him, utterly ignoring Cai Shan’s presence. In the Suzhou dialect's soft tones, she asked, "Your Majesty, do you prefer Jiaojiao or Concubine Yu?"

Shen Huai bopped her forehead playfully and chuckled, not avoiding the question. "You."

Her eyes curved with delight. "Jiaojiao is happy. But if you refuse to see Concubine Yu today, she’ll surely be upset. After all, she’s your cousin—Your Majesty should at least humor her a little."

His tone was indifferent, unconcerned. "It’s because I’ve indulged her too much that she’s become so insolent and overbearing. Giving her some space will do her good."

The next day, news of Noble Consort Zhen regaining favor spread throughout the Mountain Resort.

Everyone had assumed Noble Consort Zhen would fall out of the Emperor's graces due to the incident involving Consort Mi. Yet, within just a few days, His Majesty had taken her back into favor, never mentioning Beauty Yu’s recent miscarriage. He treated Noble Consort Zhen just as before, proving she still held the emperor’s heart, showered with boundless affection.

Another noteworthy matter involved Concubine Lian.

Rumors from unknown sources claimed that when Noble Consort Zhen was serving the Emperor at the Lingbo Songshuang Pavilion, Concubine Lian had also arrived—only to be dismissed without an audience.

Truthfully, it wasn’t particularly shameful to arrive when the Emperor was already occupied—after all, no one could always time it perfectly. A tactful person would simply leave upon realizing someone else was inside.

But Concubine Lian was stubborn to a fault. Knowing full well the Emperor was with another, she still insisted on requesting an audience—only to humiliate herself.

As expected, even though the Emperor had always shown Concubine Lian kindness, it was clear she could not compare to Noble Consort Zhen.

In the Qu He Garden,

Concubine Lian overheard the whispers from behind the flower bushes, her face turning pale with fury. She slammed her teacup onto the ground, the jade porcelain shattering into pieces that scattered everywhere. "Go! Drag those gossiping wretches here now!"