Chapter 264: End of the Main Story

When the Empress Dowager let the Emperor leave, she hadn’t actually been placated.

It all came down to one thing—the Emperor was no longer the Young Emperor who deferred to her on every matter. He now stood firm, both as an emperor and as a man. Consort Hao’s title must have already faced a round of criticism at the Ministry of Rites, but the Emperor certainly hadn’t listened.

The most likely scenario was that the Emperor not only ignored the dissent but also ordered the news suppressed. Not even the Empress Dowager or the Empress had heard that he had decided on such a shocking title for Mrs. Jiang.

“The Emperor has a mind of his own now. I can no longer control him. I only hope he still knows what he’s doing.”

The Empress Dowager sighed.

…

Bihua Palace was filled with a festive atmosphere as everyone congratulated Jiang Xian.

The palace maids and eunuchs, having little to no education, didn’t notice anything odd about the title. All they knew was that not only had their mistress been made a Noble Consort, but a Noble Consort with a title! This was more honorable and prestigious than the previous Noble Consort. How could a title bestowed by the Emperor be anything but good? It had to be the very best!

“Congratulations, Your Ladyship!”

“You are now the Lady Noble Consort. This servant is the Chief Eunuch of your palace.”

“May Your Ladyship forever enjoy the Emperor’s favor!”

Princess Yongping, who had just been carried in, hugged Jiang Xian and chirped in her sweet, childish voice, “Congratulations, Mother-Consort! Mother-Consort, I want cake.” She snuggled closer, ready to be doted on as usual, but the material of the Noble Consort’s ceremonial robes was too stiff. When she looked up in a daze, her little cheeks were already covered in indentations from the silver ornaments on Jiang Xian’s dress.

“Let Nanny Mu take you for some cake. I need to change out of these robes first.”

Jiang Xian was halfway through changing out of her ceremonial robes when the Emperor’s arrival was announced from outside.

The Emperor had arrived…

‘But I have to finish changing into my regular clothes!’ Jiang Xian had to call Zhenqiu over. “Inform the Emperor of my situation. Ask him to forgive me for being late to receive him.”

Zhenqiu hurried out, and then hurried back in.

“The Emperor said that Your Ladyship should take your time and not to worry.”

Despite his words, Jiang Xian moved quickly. Xie Che had just sat down in the inner room and taken a sip of tea when she emerged, now in a regular palace dress, to greet the Emperor and pay her respects.

“No need for such ceremony. Please, sit.”

Jiang Xian gave her thanks, took a seat to the side, and began to quietly prepare tea for him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Xie Che staring at her, his eyes full of anticipation, just waiting for her to ask about her new title.

‘If humans had tails, the Emperor would undoubtedly be wagging a big one furiously behind him right now.’

“Your Majesty, please have some tea.”

Jiang Xian presented the freshly brewed tea with both hands.

Xie Che took the teacup and looked at her expectantly. “Besides offering tea, is there nothing else Xian’er wants to say? Today is your special day. Ask me anything, and I will tell you the truth.”

“Your Majesty doesn’t usually lie to me.”

“…”

‘That’s true, I suppose.’

He was tired of all the scheming and backstabbing at court, so Xie Che was particularly candid and direct in the harem. He rarely spoke in riddles to trick his concubines. If there was something he wouldn’t or couldn’t say, he would simply refuse to answer rather than spin a tale to appease someone. “Today is different.”

“It is a little different,”

Jiang Xian agreed, but didn’t elaborate.

The fragrance of tea quietly filled the room. It was a tranquil, beautiful scene, yet Xie Che felt like a large dog being ignored by its master, anxiously eyeing its leash. ‘Why hasn’t she asked me about it?’

Just as Xie Che was about to burst, Jiang Xian finally spoke. “Oh, by the way.”

“Yes?” His eyes lit up.

“Your Majesty probably hasn’t dined yet, has he? Drinking only tea won’t satisfy your hunger. We should have a meal brought in first.”

With just one sentence, the light in Xie Che’s eyes dimmed again.

‘In the eyes of the ancients, who lived in a world where men were superior to women, he had just done something utterly world-shaking. He was dying to share his ‘victory,’ but he couldn’t exactly share the thought process with the Empress Dowager, lest he genuinely anger the old woman into poor health.’

‘Is Xian’er really not the least bit curious?’

The Dog Emperor looked crestfallen.

The Dog Emperor said stubbornly, “Fine, let’s eat first. See if there’s anything you’d like. I’m not that hungry.”

The words had barely left his lips when a strange sound rumbled from his stomach.

The entire room fell silent for three seconds.

“This servant has behaved improperly before Your Majesty, a crime punishable by death!” Liang Yuyin fell to his knees with a THUD, taking the blame. Xie Che actually went along with the ruse, nodding. “To be on duty while starving is also a testament to your loyalty. Go receive ten strikes with the plank, and I’ll reward you with two extra dishes.”

‘The Chief Eunuch is practically his god-grandson,’ she thought. ‘Ten strikes would be just for show.’

Liang Yuyin expressed his gratitude and withdrew.

Jiang Xian, who had taken it all in, quietly watched him leave. As she drew her gaze back, her eyes met Xie Che’s.

She gave him a little blink.

What was there for Xie Che not to understand?

‘This wicked woman was doing it on purpose.’

The dynamics between people were so difficult to fathom. He thought back to the first time he saw her, an ethereal beauty in the Plum Garden, and how she had then clung to him, professing her love so ardently… Without that fierce, relentless pursuit, how could he, the mighty Emperor, have ever taken notice of a lowly concubine with no connections? No matter how beautiful, she would have just been another face in the background of the harem, one of the countless masses.

But now, he knew her personality was cool and distant, and that she only seemed to find pleasure in seeing him flustered and put on the spot.

‘To think that he, the Son of Heaven, was the one everyone else always exhausted themselves trying to please!’

The mighty Emperor…

“Xian’er, aren’t you going to ask me why I gave you the title ‘Hao’?”

The mighty Emperor shamelessly leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder. For a man nearly six-foot-three to act so coquettishly was a shocking sight; the Palace Attendants all bowed their heads. But then they heard Consort Hao let out a light laugh. “If Your Majesty wishes to say, you will say it. Whatever title you give me, I will love it.”

‘This whole thing is like stressing over the contact name your boyfriend gives you on his phone.’

‘The man has already prepared the dowry and the house, set up her pension plan, and piled mountains of gold and silver before her… She wasn’t about to get hung up on the symbolic meaning of a nickname. Judge a man by his actions, not his words. It had to be something good.’

‘A cool-headed, hardcore professional never wastes energy on pointless internal strife.’

Jiang Xian’s nonchalance was clearly genuine, not a bluff. Xie Che felt a pang of defeat, yet he was also drawn to her carefree spirit. Deciding not to wait any longer, he pulled her into his arms, his fingers brushing against the soft, delicate skin on the nape of her neck. “I decided long ago to give you a title,” he whispered. “The Ministry of Rites prepared a list, and I thought of a few myself. At first, my favorite was Chen.”

‘How great is Chen? It refers to the Emperor’s own residence.’

‘He just wanted to spend all day with Xian’er.’

The key to lasting affection is irreplaceability. No other woman could assist him with matters of state the way Xian’er did, allowing him to focus without distraction, making her indispensable. “But then I reconsidered,” he continued. “No matter how grand, a residence is still just a residence. You haven’t found anything you truly enjoy doing in the Imperial Palace, and I think your ambitions might be far greater, as vast as the boundless sky. Any other title would have been a limitation. I’ve already said many flattering things in the edict for your promotion; this title is my hope for you.”

“You are different from the others. It’s not because you are more beautiful, and it’s certainly not because you are more virtuous or demure than the other concubines.”

Xie Che took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

‘Xian’er was like a beautiful piece of jade, but also like a sharp blade.’

‘To keep her hidden away in a room just to be admired would be a waste. He was not a man so small-minded. When he cherished someone, he would clear the obstacles from their path and let them spread their wings and fly.’

“The title ‘Chen’ doesn’t suit you. If you’re unhappy being confined to a room, then we shall look to the world outside.”

“I only ask one thing of you. That you stay by my side, no matter what.”

—————–

The news of Consort Hao’s title spread throughout the court and beyond.

Seeing that the Emperor would not rescind the order, everyone had no choice but to accept it. A new kind of Noble Consort had emerged in the harem—one who was favored above all in the Six Palaces, yet whose ambitions lay far beyond them.

Years later, young concubines entering the selection to vie for favor would spend vast sums of silver to buy intelligence, studying the Emperor’s preferences in hopes of being chosen.

The role model for a favored concubine was, naturally, Consort Hao.

One had to wait seven consecutive days in a blizzard for a chance encounter with the Emperor. One had to dance high atop a pillar on silk ribbons. One needed the courage to block a sword for the Empress Dowager, the meticulousness to manage everything perfectly while attending the sick, and the ingenuity to present preventative medicinal formulas…

A well-informed person scoffed, “That’s all ancient history. They say Consort Hao is building a navy now.”

“Huh???”

‘Your Ladyship, stop making the competition impossible!’

This was definitely not in the job description for a favored concubine!

Consort Hao, single-handedly, raised the competitive bar so high that no new concubines were ever chosen to enter the palace again.

But as far as the woman herself was concerned, she was just a dedicated professional starting a new project.