Chapter 191 - 190

It was the night of the fifteenth. Earlier in the afternoon, the Imperial Garden had already become lively.

Although the Emperor would definitely spend the evening with the Empress tonight, that didn’t stop the concubines from making their presence known to him.

In the Harem, from the Sixth Rank upwards, there were quite a few "warblers and swallows."

Even Consort Ning and Consort Hui Pin, who usually kept a low profile, changed from their usual dignified attire.

They switched to fresh and stunning autumn garments.

Xia Ruqing hadn’t left her room yet. She was still getting dressed, with Zi Yue picking out earrings for her.

Honored Lady Xi and Honored Lady Lan had already arrived.

"Why have you come?" Xia Ruqing asked.

Honored Lady Lan said, "Consort Yun has gone to Xifu Palace, and it’s boring for just the two of us to stay there."

Honored Lady Xi nodded heavily. She suddenly said, somewhat embarrassedly, "I heard... the mooncakes here at Elder Sister Xia’s are delicious. I... I wanted to come and try one!"

Xia Ruqing was exasperated. "Mine and yours are made from the same batch. What difference could there be?"

"Of course there’s a difference! Elder Sister Xia, your craftsmanship is delicate. Others may not know, but we do!" Honored Lady Lan chimed in.

"How could you possibly only eat the mooncakes made by the Imperial Kitchen? Surely you have your own homemade ones!" Honored Lady Xi added.

"Elder Sister Xia, please let us try some!" Honored Lady Xi pleaded, shaking Xia Ruqing’s arm.

A wave of helplessness washed over Xia Ruqing.

While it’s true ’one does not slap a smiling face,’ such ’intimate’ actions with someone she wasn’t close to were just so awkward.

Yet... food is different from other things; one cannot be careless with what they eat. That was an unspoken rule in the palace from time immemorial.

No matter how harmless Honored Lady Xi seemed, Xia Ruqing couldn’t give her anything to eat!

Therefore, Xia Ruqing had to say, "The chrysanthemums didn’t bloom well this year, so I didn’t collect many petals. I only made one mooncake, about three or four inches in size. The taste wasn’t quite right, so I’ve already given it to Zi Yue and the others."

Continuing, she said, "If you really want to try them, how about I make some properly tomorrow?"

Honored Lady Xi thought about it and decided to let it go. "It’s so troublesome to make them. Let’s not bother!"

Xia Ruqing shamelessly thought to herself:

So be it then. I never planned to make any for you to begin with!

In fact, Honored Lady Xi wasn’t really that eager for mooncakes. Primarily, she wanted to get closer to Xia Ruqing. The colder Xia Ruqing was towards her, the more she wanted to approach. Conversely, Honored Lady Xi didn’t spend much effort on Honored Lady Lan, who always followed her silently.

This was probably just her innate desire to conquer.

Isn’t there a song lyric that goes, "What one can’t have is always in turmoil; those who are favored have nothing to fear"?

COUGH COUGH...

I digress!

That evening, the three of them agreed to go to the Imperial Garden together.

Lady Xia wore a light blue palace dress. Her hair was adorned with a white jade hairpin, a pair of Southern Pearl Flower earrings set with gemstone fragments, and a few medium-sized silk hair ornaments. On her ears, Zi Yue had chosen light blue gemstone fragment earrings that perfectly matched the color of her dress. With her naturally slender frame, she appeared elegant and modest under the moonlight’s pure glow.

Honored Lady Lan wore a new beige autumn palace dress. Although somewhat shy, she was indeed attractive and looked quite beautiful.

Honored Lady Xi, needless to say, was striking. She wore a goose-yellow palace outfit, and her hair ornaments—reportedly gifts from Consort Yun—sparkled enchantingly. Her vivacious personality was also evident. Her large, pitch-black eyes sparkled like black gems. Whether bubbly and lovely or innocently charming, her crisp, bell-like laughter was extremely endearing. Even Zhao Junyao had praised her twice, saying she was simple and straightforward.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Garden, most people had not yet arrived. Xia Ruqing had no choice but to sit in her assigned spot and wait. Such was the lot of those with lowly status.

It wasn’t as if she could ask the higher-ranking consorts to wait for her!

Tea, fruits, and all sorts of refreshments were ready, but it was a pity she couldn’t touch any of it. At most, she could only drink some tea.

With delight, Honored Lady Xi glanced here and there. One moment she was chattering gossip with Xia Ruqing and Honored Lady Lan; the next, she would disappear who-knows-where. She never seemed to have a quiet moment.

Xia Ruqing frowned as she watched.

She’s been in the palace for two years and is still so naive? How is that possible? Surely, she isn’t actually foolish?

Honored Lady Lan also sat nearby, a look of helplessness on her face.

After some thought, Xia Ruqing couldn’t help but ask, "Honored Lady Lan, has she... always been like this?"

Honored Lady Lan was momentarily stunned. After reflecting for a while, she said, "When we first met and didn’t know each other well, she was probably shyer and not like this. But once we all became familiar with each other, she became like this."

Xia Ruqing nodded. Recalling the past, it did seem to be the case.

Yes, that’s right.

"What’s wrong?" asked Honored Lady Lan.

Xia Ruqing shook her head, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Nothing."

Guests arrived one after another. With each new arrival of higher rank, Xia Ruqing and the others had to stand up to pay their respects. They had to stand up three or four times before all the consorts and higher-ranking ladies had arrived.

Once everyone was seated, they exchanged warm pleasantries.

Soon after, an attendant announced, "The Emperor has arrived! The Empress has arrived! The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

After the arrival of these three "major bosses," everyone rose to greet them. Once they were seated again and after another round of greetings, the banquet began.

The ensuing songs and dances naturally reflected an atmosphere of peace and prosperity.

Looking at the delicacies and fine wines before her, as well as the stunning dancers, Xia Ruqing felt a sense of contentment.

Indeed, this view is slightly better than where I sat last year.

Last year, she had been in the very back corner; now, Honored Lady Xi and Honored Lady Lan were seated in those corners.

Thinking of this, she glanced towards Honored Lady Xi. Honored Lady Xi had just stuffed a piece of pastry into her mouth, her eyes glancing towards the center of the dance floor. But... her gaze didn’t seem to be on the dancing girls. It seemed to be fixed elsewhere...

Xia Ruqing followed her gaze.

She’s looking at Noble Consort Shih?

Honored Lady Xi’s expression was unreadable as she stared intently at Noble Consort Shih’s stomach, as if contemplating something.

That gaze startled Xia Ruqing; she was taken aback. She quickly turned her head back, but just then, the long sleeves of a few dancers swept past, obscuring her view.

When Xia Ruqing looked again, Honored Lady Xi was eating pastries and chatting with Honored Lady Lan, her round eyes curved into smiling crescents.

Xia Ruqing rubbed her eyes. Honored Lady Xi and Honored Lady Lan were still laughing together.

Xia Ruqing thought,

Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me!

The night was hazy, and from such a distance, perhaps she hadn’t seen clearly.

The song and dance continued.

The Empress Dowager sat at the head table, with the Emperor and the Empress seated on either side of her. With Noble Consort Shih absent, the Empress’s mood was exceptionally light. From time to time, she would tell a joke, eliciting hearty laughter from the Empress Dowager. The atmosphere was joyful and harmonious.

Suddenly, a eunuch announced loudly, "Noble Consort Shih has arrived!"

Technically, with both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager present, a Noble Consort such as herself should have entered without any formal announcement, let alone such a loud one. This was a breach of protocol.

However, with her belly nearly nine months pregnant, who would quibble with her over such a detail?

Noble Consort Shih, supported by several attendants, glided in gracefully. Before she could even offer her salutations, the Empress Dowager had already personally approached her.

"You silly child, not resting properly in your palace, but running around everywhere!" Her tone was reproving, yet laced with affection.