Songzhi was momentarily stunned. When the Consort had awakened previously, she had discarded everything; there was no Huanyi Incense left anywhere in the Palace of Earthly Quintessence.
Recovering instantly, Songzhi knelt to beg for mercy. "Answering the Emperor, the Huanyi Incense here in this palace has been used up. Since the Consort has not mentioned it lately, this slave forgot to fetch more from the Imperial Household Department. I beg the Emperor and the Consort for punishment."
A flash of something unreadable crossed Yongzheng’s eyes. "Fool! To forget such a small matter—Su Peisheng, drag her out and give her ten lashes." Before Yongzheng had even finished, Noble Consort Hua’s expression hardened. "It is merely a trifle. Which sister has upset the Emperor, that you must come here to vent your spleen on me? Songzhi is my dowry maid; if you do this, Emperor, where will you leave my face?"
No sooner had Noble Consort Hua finished speaking than Yongzheng stood and walked out of the Palace of Earthly Quintessence.
"Consort, it was not worth arguing with the Emperor over this slave. I shall go now and beg the Emperor’s forgiveness to keep him here."
"No need. Where the Emperor chooses to go is his own business; how could one possibly interfere? Come now, let us return to our meal."
Observing the nonchalant Consort before her, Songzhi felt a seed of doubt sprout in her heart.
"Emperor, shall we return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation?" Su Peisheng asked with a fawning smile. A single glance from Yongzheng made his meaning clear, and Su Peisheng hurriedly said, "Raise the palanquin—to the Palace of Harmonious Fortune."
News of Yongzheng spending the night at the Palace of Harmonious Fortune spread through the harem instantly, followed by the word that the arrangements for the Lunar New Year’s Eve banquet had been handed to the Empress, with Noble Lady Shen assisting. This left everyone speculating whether Noble Consort Hua had offended the Emperor.
However, seeing the overbearing aura of Noble Consort Hua, no one dared to ask, even if they were curious.
After paying her respects to the Empress, Noble Lady Cao knocked on the doors of the Palace of Earthly Quintessence for the first time in a while.
As the timid Noble Lady Cao knelt before her, Noble Consort Hua rolled a jade facial roller over her skin, speaking with feigned indifference. "This palace does not tolerate those with divided loyalties. You must understand that given your status, it would have been impossible for you to bear a princess and raise her yourself; all of this was bestowed upon you by me."
"Do not think of selling out your master once you have tasted the benefits. Keep your eyes on the head of the household and do not forget your original place."
Noble Lady Cao did not know why Noble Consort Hua would issue such a warning, but she knelt there, swearing by heaven and earth that she would remain loyal to this palace for the rest of her life.
Finding her zeal tiresome, Noble Consort Hua dismissed her with a few casual rewards.
The Empress had never expected that the hot potato she had tossed away would return to her hands. Calculating the accounts before her, Yixiu’s head throbbed with increasing intensity. "Take these to the Emperor; let him make the final decision."
Looking at the ledgers in his hand, Yongzheng felt a trace of regret for having lost his temper with Noble Consort Hua. However, matters had reached this point, and he could not bring himself to climb down, so he was forced to dip into his personal treasury.
Still, this was for the best; it saved him from having to tap into his private funds to reward others or pay for every large-scale event out of pocket, only to be whispered about for extravagance and waste later.
Watching Yongzheng’s stifled, pained expression through the system, Noble Consort Hua felt deeply satisfied.
At the Lunar New Year’s Eve banquet, Yixiu walked in alongside Yongzheng. Yixiu’s eyes immediately fell upon the massive East Pearls on Noble Consort Hua’s ears, which were even more magnificent than her own. She realized at once that they were a gift from the Emperor, and a pang of bitterness surged within her.
Yongzheng naturally noticed Noble Consort Hua below. He had expected her to be haggard in his absence, but to his surprise, the mere sight of her sitting there drew every eye in the room, as if everything had returned to the days when she had first entered the manor.
Seeking to ease the tension, Yongzheng said, "This afternoon, news of a victory arrived from the Northwest. Nian Gengyao has quelled the rebellion of Lobsang Danjin and captured all his men and livestock. What a fine Nian Gengyao, what a fine General Nian!"
"Congratulations, Emperor!" Hearing the mention of her older brother, Noble Consort Hua stood to offer her felicitations.
"Your brother is quite capable. But there is more—he says he accidentally discovered a method for smallpox inoculation in the Northwest, claiming it is safer than the current method. The memorial has been presented to the throne, and I have already dispatched men to test it."
Yixiu might have remained calm at the first half of his words, but at the second half, she could no longer maintain her composure. If this were true, Noble Consort Hua’s position would become unassailable.
Noble Consort Hua merely smiled. "It is my brother’s good fortune to be able to serve the Emperor!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
From these few words alone, everyone could infer the Emperor’s intent; if the news were true, General Nian would surely rise even higher.
Watching the unreadable expression of Prince Guo, Noble Consort Hua knew he was not as calm as he appeared.
The Empress looked at the red plum blossoms arranged on the table, feeling indecisive. She could only hope that everything would go smoothly.
As report after report of victory arrived, even the disciplined Yongzheng drank a few cups with joy. When Nian Gengyao’s memorial was presented, it included complete data, and one look told Yongzheng that it was almost certainly authentic.
If this legendary achievement were to become public, it would not only secure his place in history but also invite the praise of the people.
Noble Consort Hua watched the restless Empress with cold eyes, knowing she had not yet abandoned her plan. She would not blame herself for playing the spoiler; Noble Consort Hua would never allow the effort she had poured into this night to serve as a wedding dress for the Empress and Zhen Huan.
Yongzheng’s peripheral vision caught the red plums to the side. "Have the plum blossoms in the palace bloomed?"
Yixiu replied as if she were unaware, "They bloom in the face of the frost."
"I wish to go see them!" This time, without Yixiu’s dissuasion, Yongzheng insisted on going alone.
Su Peisheng stepped forward, asking, "Empress, what should we do? It is dark and the paths are slippery outside."
Before Yixiu could speak, Noble Consort Hua interjected, "The Emperor has just been drinking, and now he is going off to view the plums alone; I am truly worried."
"Why don’t we all go and see? Not only can we look after the Emperor, but it would also be a shame to waste these blossoms that bloom in the frost!"
No sooner had Noble Consort Hua finished than Noble Lady Li replied, "I wish to see them as well!" With both Noble Consort Hua and Noble Lady Li having spoken, Noble Lady Cao stood to echo the sentiment.
Before the Empress could say a word, Noble Consort Hua had already turned to leave. Seeing the situation, the Empress smiled. "Why don’t we all go enjoy the plum blossoms together? It will also help us sober up."
With the Empress’s word, the group stood and departed from the banquet.
Watching Shen Meizhuang, who remained oblivious in the back, Noble Consort Hua curled her lips. It seemed that the so-called "deep sisterly affection" was nothing more than this.