Chapter 326

Chapter 326 After walking for a while, Xie Run grew tired and found a pavilion near the water to sit and rest. She used her fan to stir the water in the pond, and said softly, "Did you hear the Empress's rebuke of Xiuyuan Hua today?" Lady Lu thought for a moment, couldn't help but laugh out loud, and felt a hint of envy as well. "Xiuyuan Hua probably didn't catch half of what was said. It's just that she has a good brother who is valued by the Emperor, and because of that, she's favored too." Being favored wasn't just about whether the Emperor slept with you. Someone like Hua Yu—even if she didn't serve in the imperial bedchamber, the Emperor would still visit her courtyard from time to time to sit for a while. That also counted as being favored. After all, if the Emperor didn't sleep with you yet still came to see you, wasn't that a sign that he kept you in his heart? Xie Run played with the water and said softly, "I, however, heard another meaning in the Empress's words." Lady Lu looked at Xie Run curiously. Xie Run said, "In a few days, Xiuyuan Hua will likely be promoted to the Fei rank." Lady Lu's face showed surprise. "Really?" She carefully recalled what the Empress had said, but truly couldn't discern that meaning from the words. Xie Run then analyzed the Empress's words for Lady Lu. "The Empress has always known the Emperor's intentions. She told Xiuyuan Hua to learn how to manage Fanghua Palace—she's probably received word that Xiuyuan Hua will soon become the true mistress of Fanghua Palace." Lady Lu was surprised and confused. "But... unless Xiuyuan Hua becomes pregnant or renders great merit, the Emperor can't directly promote her from Xiuyuan to the second-rank Fei position, can he?" It might have been possible during the Retired Emperor's time, but the current Emperor was a man of great principles who rarely made exceptions for anyone. If he made an exception even once, it would truly send shockwaves through the Six Palaces. Xie Run smiled. "That depends on how the Emperor treats Xiuyuan Hua in the coming days." In truth, Xie Run had a vague sense of things. This lifetime had diverged too much from the original script—many things no longer matched up. In the original script, the Retired Emperor was dead, and the Emperor had ascended the throne only after defeating his brothers in struggle. At that time, the throne was not as stable as it was now. After the Emperor ascended, the neighboring Xia Dynasty sharpened their weapons and prepared their horses, wanting to tear a piece of flesh from the Yu Dynasty while they had the chance. In the first year of the Emperor's reign, the Xia and Yu Dynasties fought no fewer than fifty battles of varying sizes. Though the Emperor ultimately won, the continuous wars drained the Yu Dynasty's treasury, severely damaging its strength. It took several years of diligent governance to restore the prosperity that had existed before his ascension. In this lifetime, the Retired Emperor was still alive, the Emperor had ascended smoothly, and the Xia Dynasty had not revealed its wolfish ambitions. But just because Xia wasn't making a move didn't mean the Emperor didn't want to. A newly ascended emperor most needed achievements to consolidate his position and power. The fastest and most conspicuous way was a victorious battle. From the moment the Emperor had Hua Yu's brother, General Hua, temporarily serve as the Prefect of Yunzhou, Xie Run had sensed this. Everyone thought the Emperor was showing favoritism toward General Hua, deliberately taking the position of the original Prefect of Yunzhou and giving it to him. In truth, the Emperor had General Hua govern Yunzhou because he wanted to make a move against Xia. Lady Lu didn't think as deeply as Xie Run, but she said keenly, "Sister Xie, would you like me to make some inquiries?" Xie Run nodded slightly. "There's much news in the harem, and I can't tell truth from falsehood. If you can obtain accurate information, that would be a good thing." Lady Lu smiled confidently. "Sister Xie, rest assured. I may not be good at other things, but I'm quite skilled at gathering information." Before long, the Empress Dowager's birthday arrived. Xie Run rose early that day, needing not only to dress herself but also to dress Taotao. The senior palace maids of Zhaohua Palace were bustling about in a flurry. Xie Run dressed Taotao in a red outfit embroidered with exquisite little tigers—fierce and imposing, yet with a hint of adorable clumsiness. This was Xie Run's suggestion, with the pattern drawn by Lady Lu, and finally made by the embroidery workshop. Around his neck was a several-jin-heavy necklace set with large rubies and sapphires. On each of his chubby little hands was a gold bangle. Sitting there, he looked like a lucky doll from a New Year painting, radiating joy. Xie Run also dressed herself with care, adding a touch of brightness and vibrancy, so as not to diminish the reputation of a favored consort. As the Empress Dowager had admonished. She was, after all, the only first-rank Fei in the Emperor's harem. If she dressed too shabbily, people might think the Emperor was mistreating her. And with envoys from the Xia Dynasty present today, Xie Run had to dress even more formally. When Xie Run arrived at Cining Palace, she found that the other consorts had also tacitly brought out their finest jewelry to adorn themselves. Even Ritualist Hui, who always favored a cool, understated style and preferred white jade ornaments, had changed her usual ways—she wore a pale yellow outer robe, blood-drop-shaped ruby earrings dangling from her ears, and her hair styled in a spiraling serpent bun adorned with matching gold and jade pieces. She looked both noble and ethereal. Xie Run had always admired the harem women's skill at dressing up. As soon as she arrived, the other consorts naturally came forward to pay their respects. Xie Run swept her gaze across the room—almost everyone had arrived, leaving only the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager absent. Across the hall, at a row of tables, sat many unfamiliar faces—men and women whose clothing and style differed from that of the Yu Dynasty. There was no need to guess—they were the people of Xia. Taotao rarely attended such occasions. He had a bit of a gregarious streak, completely unafraid of strangers—in fact, the more people he saw, the happier he became. No sooner had he sat down than he squirmed to get down and walk around, his hands constantly reaching for the table, trying to grab the novel trinkets he'd never seen before. Neither Nanny Xu nor Zihu could hold him back. Xie Run glanced over and said with a helpless smile, "Forget it, don't restrain him. Let him get down and walk around." With that, he casually picked up a piece of pastry prepared in advance and stuffed it into the child's hand. Once he had the pastry to eat, Taotao calmed down considerably. As Xie Run was wiping Taotao's mouth, he vaguely caught sight of a figure hurrying over from the lower seats.