The matter of Emperor Jingxi taking in the former Imperial Son eventually spread through the court.
Though there was a grand and dignified reason given, there were still those who whispered behind closed doors and some who, having caught wind of what happened that night, were eager to stir up trouble.
Soon, a few ministers submitted memorials on the issue, advising Emperor Jingxi, quoting the classics and rambling on with pedantic, sanctimonious arguments.
Emperor Jingxi simply tossed them aside without even a glance.
At this time, the Duke of England stood up and brought up a memorial submitted by Sun Wenbo, the Imperial Censorate and Astronomer Royal.
He spoke of how the girl’s birth characters matched with the Emperor’s fate, that she was a cultivator, and that bringing her into the palace to accompany the Emperor would dispel calamity and misfortune.
Then he mentioned something about the Gate of the Mysterious Female being the root of heaven and earth.
All in all, it was a speech as hazy as clouds and mist, leaving everyone thoroughly baffled.
So, the Duke of England, such an old man, a Grand Preceptor to the Emperor, was actually defending him, urging the Emperor to take his son’s concubine?
What kind of world was this??
Suddenly, everyone felt powerless.
What was the point of spouting old arguments here when no one would listen?
At the same time, some young ministers, hot-blooded and outspoken, began to defend the Emperor.
The Emperor hadn’t visited the harem in ages, nor taken any consorts.
Was the dignified Emperor supposed to become a monk?
The old officials, already surrounded by children and grandchildren, had the nerve to meddle in the Emperor’s household affairs?
The old officials and upright scholars were left speechless, faces turning red, unable to argue back—only able to mutter that times had changed, things weren’t like they used to be.
For a moment, they reminisced about the customs of the Longchang era, when young people would rush over from ten zhang away to bow to elders, and even if the old folks nagged a bit, the young would listen respectfully.
But by the Tianqi era, the young would pretend not to see them, take a detour, or just bow and run off.
The world was changing for the worse.
Now, even young ministers could argue face to face in court!
Back and forth the debate went, dragging up all sorts of old stories, but in the end, the matter of Emperor Jingxi taking his son’s concubine was left unsettled.
Some even tried to probe the Imperial Son in secret, but he acted as if nothing had happened, not caring at all.
No one dared to ask directly, and after a few sighs, everyone let it drop.
Of all this, A wu naturally knew nothing.
In the harem, consorts were not allowed to come and go freely, which was a sort of protection for her.
In this little world of hers, she could eat, drink, play, and enjoy a peaceful life, only needing to serve the old man from time to time—life was simply too pleasant.
Once the twelfth lunar month arrived, the weather grew even colder, and Emperor Jingxi would occasionally stay the night at Langhua Hall.
The rules of the harem were, of course, strict.
The Steward’s Office, Chamberlain, and Historian would always follow to Langhua Hall.
Everyone knew this was against regulations, but they all turned a blind eye.
Emperor Jingxi hadn’t visited the harem in a long time.
Now that the Emperor was willing to do so, no one had anything to say.
At first, these record-keepers were meticulous, afraid of missing anything important.
But after a while, the Emperor and his favored concubine did nothing unusual—just meals, idle chatter, tea, and occasionally the Emperor would personally teach her to read and write, then they would rest together.
Resting together naturally meant intimacy, whether once, twice, or several times—what did it matter?
So, as time passed, everyone grew lax, scribbling a few lines here and there.
Sometimes, their notes didn’t even make sense.
After all, who would really read through those thick stacks of the Imperial Domestic Record in detail?
Everyone was just muddling through their days.
As the historians relaxed, A wu felt even more at ease.
Sometimes she would have the illusion that she was just the wife of a wealthy family, and Emperor Jingxi was her husband—singing in harmony, living sweetly together.
On this day, heavy snow fell across the land, blanketing Langhua Hall inside and out in white.
A wu poked her head out to look, wondering if Emperor Jingxi would come.
If he didn’t, she thought of visiting Concubine Hui—at least they could play chess, or perhaps make a Gourd Brocade Badge together.
The gourd symbolized great fortune and abundance of descendants, and its name sounded like “fortune and wealth.”
With the New Year approaching, everyone was making various gourd-patterned decorations.
Concubine Hui was especially skilled, and her Gourd Mountains and Dragon Pattern Roundel looked truly festive and splendid.
Just then, a young eunuch in a bright red raincoat came running in, saying that the Empress Dowager had announced that, since it was snowing, everyone should gather to admire the snow and enjoy some fresh delicacies—everyone was to attend, including Emperor Jingxi.
A wu asked for details, but the eunuch couldn’t say much, so she rewarded him with some money and sent him off.
She actually wasn’t too keen on going.
The Empress Dowager was kind to her and she liked her but she didn’t want to join the crowd since Princess Dening, the Crown Princess who occasionally entered the palace, the Empress, Consort Kang and others she found disagreeable would be there and they felt the same about her.
Everyone found each other unpleasant, making things awkward—what was the point?
But there was no choice—she had to go.
A wu started thinking about how to get there in this heavy snow.
Just then, she heard noise outside, and two palace maids came running in, beaming:
“His Majesty said that since it’s snowing and it might be difficult for the honored lady to travel, he specially sent an Imperial Sedan Chair to take you to Changshou Hall to serve the Empress Dowager.”
‘Huh? An Imperial Sedan Chair?’
That was definitely not something a low-ranking concubine could sit in.
She asked curiously, “Really? Isn’t this against the rules?”
Yilan smiled, eyes twinkling: “Oh, who cares about all that? My lady, this is a gift from His Majesty. If the Emperor grants it, what rules could be more important than that?”
A wu thought that made sense, and realized that after spending time in the palace, she’d unconsciously become obsessed with rules.
She quickly washed and dressed, preparing to set off for Changshou Hall.
The Imperial Sedan Chair was made of huanghuali wood, draped with curtains on all sides, and the seat was lined with thick sable cushions—so comfortable!
A wu pressed her feet on the cloud-patterned footrest, admired the kui-patterned armrests, and marveled at how different a royal sedan chair was, even the corners were gilded with bronze!
Her heart was full of joy, though she pretended to be calm, lifting the heavy curtains to look outside.
Snow was falling, palace walls red, snowflakes drifting—what had once seemed solemn and austere was now softened.
A wu’s mood soared.
The Empress Dowager was hosting a family banquet—she wondered what they’d eat, hoping it wouldn’t just be a feast for the eyes.
But A wu quickly decided, if she couldn’t eat, she’d just look longingly at Emperor Jingxi until he gave her something—she couldn’t go hungry!
When she arrived at Changshou Hall, the other consorts had just arrived too, even the Empress had just stepped down from her carriage.
Everyone noticed A wu’s Imperial Sedan Chair, and their expressions changed—a mix of envy and faint jealousy, though they soon resigned themselves.
There was no comparison.
She was young, beautiful, and had rekindled the Emperor’s passion—who could compete?
Awu noticed the stares and knew she was the center of attention so she acted especially careful and greeted the Empress and other consorts properly.
Seeing her so well-behaved, no one could say anything, and some even praised her for not flaunting her favor, thinking her character rather good.
Inside Changshou Hall.
A wu stepped forward to greet the Empress Dowager, who smiled kindly at her and said, “It’s snowing, be careful not to catch a chill.”
A wu thanked her and stood to the side.
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