Chapter 22: The Consort Actually Cared About Her
When Gan Qiongying woke up, it was already afternoon.
Hangover and overthinking, coupled with her dream of fleeing for her life last night—running from start to finish—made this sleep particularly exhausting.
In her dream, she felt someone was waiting for her. Clutching a small bundle of valuables, she sprinted along a country path, lifting her skirt as she ran, while a large group of horses chased her from behind. Many people with blurred faces gradually closed in.
The scene felt so real that when Gan Qiongying woke up, even her calves were sore.
It was as if she had been pedaling an invisible bicycle in bed for hours.
Shaking her legs, she stood up and called for someone to attend to her. Soon, Silver Moon and Manyue entered together.
Upon seeing Gan Qiongying, Manyue immediately knelt and greeted her, her voice trembling with tears. “Last night, I heard that the Princess’s carriage fell into the river. I was so frightened, Princess…”
“Enough, what river? It was just a ditch, nothing serious. Stop crying, I’m annoyed.”
Gan Qiongying was indeed annoyed because she always felt her dreams were strange. Previously, after getting drunk and falling asleep at Zhongli Zhengzhen’s banquet, she dreamed of being dragged behind a horse. She had thought it was a case of “daytime thoughts, nighttime dreams.”
She had been frightened by the original storyline’s ending for her, Princess Duanrong.
But the dream she had last night seemed connected to the one at the banquet.
Because the road where she was dragged behind the horse was the same one where she fled with her bundle.
Gan Qiongying frowned and rubbed her temples.
Seeing this, Manyue immediately fell silent. Gan Qiongying gestured for her to rise, and Silver Moon casually helped her up. It was clear that Manyue was still somewhat inconvenienced due to the previous “punishment” incident.
But she quickly stepped forward and began massaging Gan Qiongying. Her technique was evidently excellent, and Gan Qiongying handed the task over to her, letting out a comfortable sigh.
Among her maids, it had to be said that Manyue was the most devoted. At this moment, the little girl’s round face was tightly scrunched up, her tear-streaked cheeks unable to hide her worry. Clearly, upon hearing about the carriage accident last night, she had rushed over without even taking time to recover from her injuries.
Once her headache eased slightly, Gan Qiongying pulled Manyue’s hand away.
The human heart is not made of wood or stone; genuine concern can always move people.
Thus, even if it didn’t align with her character, Gan Qiongying held Manyue’s hand and said stiffly in a low voice, “You still give the best massages…”
Then, to make up for it, she added awkwardly, “Once you’ve recovered, come back to serve me. It’s not like I’ll make you do heavy work.”
“Yes!”
Manyue replied loudly, even forgetting to express her gratitude. The moment she held Gan Qiongying’s hand, tears streamed down her face.
Gan Qiongying had only intended to prevent Manyue from feeling disheartened, but the real Princess Duanrong would never say such things, let alone hold hands with a maid while gazing tearfully at each other.
So she scoffed and said, “Go cry somewhere else. Where’s the Consort?”
“Reporting to the Princess, he left an hour ago, saying he was going to inspect the shops. He should be back soon.”
Gan Qiongying nodded upon hearing this. Remembering Lihua’s unmasked face last night, she asked another question, “Did he seem unusual in any way?”
Silver Moon, while helping Gan Qiongying freshen up, replied, “Reporting to the Princess, this servant did not notice anything different about the Consort.”
She paused before adding, “When the Consort was dining, I noticed his eyes seemed a bit red, perhaps because he didn’t sleep well last night.”
Gan Qiongying was cleaning her teeth with a toothbrush, then rinsed her mouth with saltwater before letting out a soft snort.
Indeed, she hadn’t slept well, but his red eyes were likely from crying.
After washing up, Gan Qiongying stepped outside and saw that the sky was already darkening, the sun about to set behind the western hills.
She ate a meal that combined breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and had to admit that the Consort’s residence was truly too simple.
Compared to the Princess Manor, it was like heaven and earth.
Usually, Gan Qiongying had over a dozen dishes to choose from for every meal, even breakfast, each one a feast for the senses. It was said the chefs were from the imperial kitchens, specially assigned to her by the Emperor.
Thus, faced with the modest spread of four small dishes and a bowl of rice, Gan Qiongying sat at the table and sighed deeply.
“Princess, perhaps we should return to the Princess Manor,” Manyue said, displeased, shooting a glare at Tianjiao, who had brought the dishes. She felt the people in the Consort’s residence were ungrateful and unpleasant.
To serve such crude food was practically an insult.
But Manyue wasn’t sure about Gan Qiongying’s current attitude toward the Consort, so she didn’t dare suggest outright going back to the Princess Manor to eat. Instead, she remarked sarcastically, “I wonder if the Consort’s residence is deliberately trying to appear especially impoverished, hoping His Majesty will award the Consort a plaque for incorruptibility?”
“Might as well wait for a chastity archway instead!”
What Manyue meant, of course, was that she knew the Consort hadn’t truly consummated the marriage with Gan Qiongying. She was mocking him for pretending to be a chaste and virtuous woman.
Gan Qiongying, who had just taken a bite of food, nearly spat it out.
When it came to sharp tongues, Manyue never lost. Her sarcastic remarks always made Gan Qiongying feel that one day, she might just spit out a Tai Chi diagram.
Tianjiao, standing beside Lihua, flushed with anger but didn’t dare retort, nor did she know how to.
She could only step forward, curtsy, and murmur in defense, “The Consort eats the same every day…” Her manners were impeccable, of course.
But the reason Lihua’s attendants were so well-mannered wasn’t out of affection for Gan Qiongying—it was out of fear of death and of causing trouble for the Consort.
After all, it was an undeniable fact that Princess Duanrong had mistreated the Consort in the past.
Gan Qiongying raised a hand, signaling both to be quiet.
She wasn’t bothered by the simplicity of the dishes; she had just realized… how true the saying “from luxury to frugality is hard” really was.
In the past, even a packet of instant noodles would have tasted delicious, but after indulging in extravagance for a while, she now had no appetite for even four dishes and a soup.
Fortunately, she quickly adjusted her mindset and ate slowly.
The maids also quieted down, each standing to the side to wait.
Just as Gan Qiongying was finishing her meal, Lihua returned.
It was midsummer, and the doors and windows were wide open during the day, so Gan Qiongying spotted Lihua the moment he entered the courtyard.
What had happened between them last night had indeed been chaotic, but now, as they faced each other, both remained outwardly composed.
Gan Qiongying still had suspicions about Lihua and intended to test him, but she didn’t want him to know she had discovered his true nature. She pretended last night had truly been a drunken episode.
As for Lihua, after sobering up, he felt nothing but shame and humiliation over his mindset and actions from the previous night. Clinging to warmth from Princess Duanrong was no different from drinking poison to quench thirst, and he had no desire to recall any of it.
As their eyes met, the atmosphere grew somewhat awkward.
Fortunately, San Jiu, carrying a bowl of ginger soup, soon entered the room. He placed it beside Gan Qiongying’s hand and, though somewhat reluctant, still spoke respectfully, “Princess, this is ginger soup specially ordered by the… Consort for the kitchen to prepare, to help ward off the cold for you.”
Lihua, who had just lifted the hem of his robe with one hand to enter the room, paused. He had returned at an inopportune moment.
The ginger soup had been ordered when he woke up, thinking of Gan Qiongying mentioning that she had gotten drunk and fallen into the river the previous night, and he had given the instruction in a somewhat dazed state.
After going out for a stroll, he had regained his clarity, but now it was too late to have it taken away.
Upon hearing this, Gan Qiongying raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. She was truly astonished.
This was truly unbelievable.
The Consort actually cared about her.