Upon hearing this, A wu breathed a sigh of relief.
Though she didn’t quite understand, there were about seven or eight honey-like pills, each no larger than a broad bean, wrapped in fine reed paper.
A wu was slightly puzzled so she asked, “Are these edible?”
Futai coughed lightly and shook his head by replying, “No.”
Seeing his hesitation, A wu tilted her head and studied him curiously.
“Then what are they? Surely they aren’t poison?”
Futai nearly choked on his own saliva.
With a deep, resigned sigh, he said, “Your Highness!”
Glancing around to ensure no one was nearby, he hastily shoved a yellowed piece of paper into A wu’s hands.
“Your Highness, even this servant doesn’t know how to use this. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.”
With that, Futai scurried away like a startled hare.
Baffled, A wu unfolded the paper and read it.
In an instant, realization dawned on her.
She quickly peeled off the golden foil wrapping one of the pills-it looked familiar.
Lu Yunjian had once given her something similar.
Back then, Lu Yunjian had ordered her to be trained to seduce the Crown Prince, providing her with various aids, including these honey pills.
The pills were said to be made from ingredients like bitter ginseng, borneol, and raw aconite, designed to restore a woman’s tightness as if she were a maiden and even imbue her with a fragrant allure.
After carefully reviewing the instructions, she confirmed the method was the same as before: to be inserted after bathing, allowing the pill to slowly dissolve and seep in.
She tossed it aside indifferently.
What was the point?
Did she really need such tricks to win the Emperor’s favor?
The next day, Consort Hui dropped by A wu’s quarters for a casual visit.
The moment she stepped in, she gasped in admiration.
A wu’s chambers had suddenly been furnished with exquisite decor.
A wu smiled and said, “Eunuch Fu sent these over.”
Consort Hui sighed repeatedly, knowing full well these weren’t from Futai but from the Emperor himself.
Though His Majesty had yet to summon the newly entered noble consort, his heart was clearly preoccupied with her, ensuring her quarters were well-appointed.
From now on, such lavish gifts would likely flow into her residence like water.
Palace consorts who received the Emperor’s favor were also granted additional rewards, something the inner palace hadn’t seen in years.
But now, it seemed such honors would return, all centered around this young noble consort.
Still, Consort Hui couldn’t help but ask, “Little sister, are you close with Eunuch Fu?”
A wu nodded and replied “Mm, somewhat. He’s very kind and gentle.”
As she spoke, she recalled how she often snapped at him or ignored his advice, leaving him exasperated.
She added, “Even when I’m sharp with him, he never gets angry—just laughs it off.”
Consort Hui:”…..”
She fell silent, at a loss for words.
Futai was originally the Seal-holding Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the most powerful among the Twelve Directorates.
These officials acted as the Emperor’s proxies in handling the imperial seal.
Given Emperor Jingxi’s diligence in governance, this wasn’t an issue, but under a lax ruler, the Seal-holding Director would effectively become the de facto chancellor.
However, due to health issues in recent years, Futai had retained only a nominal position in the Directorate, spending his days leisurely by the Emperor’s side.
Yet everyone knew the depth of Emperor Jingxi’s reliance on and trust in Futai.
Even the Crown Prince had to show him utmost respect.
And here was A wu, a newly entered noble consort, calling him “kind” and claiming she could snap at him without consequence…
Finally, Consort Hui managed to squeeze out a sentence:
“His Majesty truly dotes on you.”
Futai’s attitude was, after all, a reflection of the Emperor’s own.
A wu pondered the matter and began to understand a little:
“It seems I should show more respect to Eunuch Fu from now on. If I ever fall out of favor, I might need to beg for his leniency.”
Hearing this, Consort Hui sighed and dropped the subject, instead bringing up their upcoming visit to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
Truth be told, A wu always dreaded these visits, fearing the Empress Dowager might show her displeasure.
Fortunately, the Empress Dowager never did she simply remained indifferent.
This suited A wu just fine.
She could perform her courtesies, kowtow, and leave without any fuss.
So on this day, she accompanied Consort Hui to pay respects again.
But unexpectedly, the Crown Princess was present this time.
The moment the Crown Princess saw A wu, her expression turned ashen, as if she’d seen a ghost.
Caught off guard, A wu could only offer a faint smile.
Other concubines were present too, all secretly watching the unfolding drama with keen interest.
A wu, once a minor consort under the Crown Prince in his household, had now entered the palace directly as the Emperor’s concubine, becoming a Noble Lady.
Though a Noble Lady held only the sixth-rank position-far below the Crown Princess, who was the wife of the heir apparent, she still served the Emperor himself.
Even the Crown Princess had to acknowledge her with a slight nod, if only to save face.
Thus, when the Crown Princess and the Noble Lady crossed paths, everyone’s eyes were drawn to them.
Under the scrutiny of the crowd, the Crown Princess suddenly found herself face-to-face with A wu.
Her mind reeled in chaos, unsure how to react.
Setting aside past grievances, just recall that day when the Crown Prince had nearly stormed the palace to confront the Emperor, only to be blocked at his own gates by the Capital Garrison Commander and various military officers.
Then came the imperial decree-clear as day- banishing the Crown Prince to the northern territories so the Emperor could peacefully take this very Noble Lady into his harem.
The Crown Princess saw through it all, yet she hurried to the palace to confirm… and indeed!
Within days, this Noble Lady had entered the palace and taken up residence in Langhua Hall-none other than that wretched A wu!
From that moment, she had been on pins and needles.
Life became unbearable, prompting her to rush back to her family in tears.
Her relatives, equally alarmed, scrambled to devise strategies, ultimately deciding to maintain the status quo.
Their reasoning was this: the Emperor, having taken his own son’s concubine, was already in the wrong.
He couldn’t afford to make too much noise about it.
No matter how ruthless his methods, he couldn’t stir up major trouble now-he had to handle things quietly, avoiding attention.
Moreover, the Emperor had only one son-the Crown Prince.
The throne would inevitably pass to him someday.
As long as the Crown Prince didn’t make any grave mistakes, the Crown Princess could endure.
After much deliberation, the family concluded that the real concern wasn’t the Emperor, but the Crown Prince himself.
They must persuade the Crown Prince not to lose face over this matter.
Her father, the eldest son of the Duke of England-stroked his beard and said gravely, “At the very least, we should place a few stunning beauties in the Crown Prince’s chambers to keep his mind off the one in the palace.”
The real problem lay in the Emperor’s robust health.
With only sixteen or seventeen years between father and son, the Crown Prince’s wait would be long-likely many years of endurance.
If the Crown Prince were to make a scene and damage the father-son relationship, and if another imperial concubine were to bear another son, the situation would become unpredictable.
The Crown Princess pondered deeply and found this reasoning sound.
At this point, she no longer had the luxury of petty jealousy; her sole concern was securing her position as the future empress.
She even began to resent herself for not tolerating that wretched woman back then.
Had she endured it and kept her suppressed within the Crown Prince’s residence, how could she have fluttered straight into the Emperor’s arms?
Then, just yesterday, the Emperor summoned her grandfather.
To her shock, he exerted pressure on him.
When her grandfather returned to the estate, he wept bitterly, lamenting that their family’s lineage had lost a Duke, that he had failed their ancestors, and that he could no longer face his descendants.
For the Crown Princess, this was a bolt from the blue-an earth-shattering disaster!
The Emperor had shifted all blame onto her, using it as justification to deal a heavy blow to her maternal family.
The crux of the matter was… she had been at fault first, giving the Emperor leverage.
Though she knew he was evading responsibility, she had no way to defend herself.
Naturally, the Duke of Ying’s household harbored deep resentment toward the Crown Princess.
Having produced a Crown Princess had brought them no benefits-instead, they had lost a Duke!
In the Great Hui Dynasty, the title of Duke was not easily attained; it was earned through the sacrifices of one’s forebears.
Even if the Crown Princess ascended to the throne in the future, her maternal family would have to tread carefully to avoid any suspicion of nepotism.
Thus, the lost dukedom could never be reclaimed.
Never again!
The entire Duke’s household was grim-faced, as if mourning a death, glaring at the Crown Princess as though she were a debtor who had defaulted.
Terrified and uneasy, the Crown Princess felt as though her own family had turned against her life had become unbearable.
Now, entering the palace and seeing her younger sister, a chill ran down her spine.
At this moment, she dared not offend A wu.
She attempted to force a smile, hoping to gloss over the situation, but her lips refused to cooperate.
She was the Crown Princess, the future empress, while the woman before her was merely a lowly bedchamber attendant.
Why should she have to smile at her?
Those around them noticed the Crown Princess’s fluctuating expression, their ears perked up, eagerly awaiting the drama.
Biting her lip, her face flushed crimson, the Crown Princess managed a stiff nod toward A wu.
A wu averted her gaze, ignoring her.
With a resounding crash, the Crown Princess felt her dignity shatter on the spot.
She was ignoring her now?
Who did she think she was?
A wu, of course, sensed the Crown Princess’s awkwardness and discomfort, but she paid no heed, feigning ignorance as she stood lightly to the side.
The Crown Princess had schemed against her; this grudge was etched in her memory, and she would repay it in due time!
A wu gritted her teeth in secret.
If only Emperor Jingxi would summon her to his bedchamber once that happened, she would whisper grievances into his ear.
She would weep and say, “The Crown Princess framed me that Nie San nearly violated me!”
Then let’s see what the old Emperor would say!
Just as the Crown Princess stood there, flushed with humiliation, the Empress Dowager spoke:
“Mingyuan, what’s the matter? Come sit by me.”
Finally granted a reprieve and a semblance of dignity, the Crown Princess forced a smile and approached the Empress Dowager, though her eyes still reddened despite her efforts.
Seeing this, A wu realized the Empress Dowager intended to shield the Crown Princess.
Seizing the moment, she quietly slipped away.
When A wu returned to her Langhua Palace, she noticed eunuchs and palace maids bustling in and out from afar.
The two palace maids beside her were also startled.
“Huh? What’s going on?” they exclaimed.
At a glance, A wu recognized one of the eunuchs as someone familiar-likely from Emperor Jingxi’s entourage and her heart skipped a beat.
So… was Emperor Jingxi finally going to summon her?
She had been in the palace for several days now, having only caught a distant glimpse of him once without exchanging a word.
She never expected him to suddenly appear now.
Naturally, she knew this was a crucial moment for her.
Joy surged in her heart, and she quickened her steps.
Upon her return, the eunuchs and maids all bowed respectfully, while a court lady guided her into Langhua Hall.
Once inside, however, she was disappointed-Emperor Jingxi was not there.
Instead, a group of court ladies stood waiting.
Before she could voice her confusion, one of them explained that they were to assist her in bathing and preparing the bedchamber, as the Emperor would be dining at Langhua Hall that evening.
A wu froze for a moment before suddenly realizing Emperor Jingxi was coming to Langhua Hall, and the palace staff were making preparations in advance.
Indeed, returning to the palace was different-such grand arrangements and fanfare!
Just as A wu was about to take a closer look, she was already being attended to by the maids for her bath and change of clothes.
The bathing ritual was particularly elaborate, involving meticulous cleansing with every detail attended to even the towels were edged with gold thread, embroidered with golden phoenixes and auspicious clouds in various poses.
After being thoroughly bathed from head to toe, A wu was anointed with fragrant ointments by the maids, who massaged it gently into her skin.
Some even knelt to tend to her long hair, trimming her fingernails and toenails with care.
Clearly, these maids had been specially trained their movements were light and precise, making the entire experience incredibly soothing.
A wu felt her body soften like a cloud, completely relaxed.