Chapter 34: Jealousy and Rivalry

Chapter 34: Jealous Rivalry

Jiang Feixue’s temperament was just as it had always been, and she behaved no differently either. She had only been in the palace for two days when she got into a fight.

The trouble began when she overheard two selected maidens discussing Ye Wanwan’s infertility. Unable to restrain herself, she rushed over and grappled with them.

For all her sweet and guileless appearance, Jiang Feixue was vicious when she fought, scratching the other girl’s face until it was covered in bleeding marks.

By the time Ye Wanwan arrived, Jiang Feixue had already been sternly reprimanded by the Empress Dowager. Jiang Feixue had yet to receive a title and could not technically be considered Zhao Yi’s consort. Picking a fight under such circumstances would inevitably invite gossip, even if the Empress Dowager protected her.

The Empress Dowager was a woman who calculated every move. Naturally, she did not want anything to go wrong, and her scolding had been particularly harsh.

Ye Wanwan did not rebuke her. Once the Empress Dowager had finished, she led Jiang Feixue outside. Jiang Feixue followed behind her with a wronged expression.

“I just couldn’t stand hearing them talk about you like that, Cousin. So what if you cannot bear children? You are the Noble Consort. Who are they to gossip about you?”

“If you understand that, then why bother arguing with them?”

Ye Wanwan fondly stroked her hair. “Xue’er, my inability to bear children is already an established fact. No matter how much you argue with them, it will not change anything. It will only make me more humiliated.”

Jiang Feixue’s eyes reddened with grievance. “Cousin, I truly feel sorry for you.”

“I know.” Ye Wanwan looked at her with a gentle, utterly sincere expression. “Precisely because you care about me, you must take better care of yourself.”

“Xue’er.” Ye Wanwan cupped her face in her hands. “Do you understand your responsibility? You are the hope of all of us.”

“The Ye family has always been held beneath the Leng family. And my body has already lost all hope. That leaves only you.”

Ye Wanwan lightly brushed her hair, her eyes filled with affection. “So you must protect yourself and make no mistakes. You are innocent and carefree, and even His Majesty will cherish you all the more for it. The Empress Dowager and I will both help you.”

Jiang Feixue was deeply moved and nodded repeatedly. “Cousin, I will do whatever you say.”

Ye Wanwan stroked her hair, her tenderness seemingly sweet enough to melt, while a satisfied smile curved her lips—a smile that came straight from the heart.

She had once been unfairly accused of beguiling and inciting Jiang Feixue. This time, she intended to make those charges fit.

So, Feixue, why set your sights on the position of Noble Consort? A person ought to have greater ambitions. Would it not be more worthwhile to bear a prince and become Empress?

In the past, Ye Wanwan had resented the Empress Dowager and rejected Jiang Feixue. She had believed herself to be the useless pawn in everyone else’s eyes, something that could be sacrificed at will. She had always seen everything clearly, yet never truly understood it, insisting on forcing herself into a dead end. In the end, she had made herself the target of everyone’s hostility and walked straight toward ruin.

This time, she did not care whether she could bear children, nor did she care who might replace her. She wanted to see who, in the end, would truly be nothing more than a pawn upon this chessboard.

—

The selection of imperial consorts was soon settled. Jiang Feixue naturally remained in the palace, and all the newly chosen women were given the uniform title of Beauty. They would be promoted only after serving the Emperor in bed.

The women in this inner palace were all the Emperor’s consorts, and jealousy and rivalry had already been unavoidable among them. The newcomers were even more like newborn calves unafraid of tigers, brimming with vigor. Each of them strained every nerve to win the Emperor’s favor and rise above the others. The palace had been extraordinarily lively these past few days.

They used every means imaginable to engineer chance encounters with Zhao Yi, impatient to distinguish themselves. And because everyone was doing the same, the rivalry became even more obvious. One day a gown was torn; the next, someone fell into a pond. Women stumbled, suffered injuries, and were beaten—every possible trick was employed, all for the sake of catching the Emperor’s attention. One spectacle followed another, more entertaining than anything performed by actors on a stage.

Zhao Yi did not disappoint them either. For three days in a row, he summoned a different woman each night to attend him. Truly, he was blessed with extraordinary romantic fortune.

(End of Chapter)