Chapter 75: Three-Day Return Visit

The next morning, when Chu Jinyao woke up, she felt discomfort all over her body, especially in her lower back.

 

Still groggy, she propped herself up from under the covers, and to her surprise, realized that her skin was bare—she wasn’t wearing any underclothes.

 

Panicked, she quickly pulled the covers up to shield herself. As she was processing her confusion, she heard footsteps approaching from outside the bed curtains. Moments later, the innermost curtain was lifted, and the bed dipped slightly. Qin Yi sat down at the bedside, looking at her with a leisurely expression, and asked, “Do you remember what you said yesterday?”

 

Chu Jinyao held onto the blanket, shook her head blankly, and looked at him in confusion.

 

What did she say? Did she say something offensive while drunk that angered the Crown Prince? But even if she did, why was it that part of her body that hurt so much!

 

Qin Yi sighed, his tone carrying a hint of both regret and resignation. “Seeing you like this, I’m sure you don’t remember a thing. Otherwise, how could you have dared?”

 

Hearing that, Chu Jinyao cautiously asked, “Your Highness, after we returned yesterday… what did I do?” Whatever she did, it must have been serious to warrant such a statement.

 

Qin Yi didn’t answer but smiled wordlessly. Then, he suddenly leaned down and brushed a kiss against her lips. The room seemed to darken momentarily, and because Chu Jinyao had just woken up, her reaction was a bit delayed. By the time Qin Yi pulled back, she finally realized what had just happened.

 

Her face flushed, and she hurriedly adjusted the blanket around her, leaving her exposed arms to the air.

 

After kissing her, Qin Yi didn’t immediately move away. He stayed close, watching her with that dangerously intimate distance, his gaze making her blush even more. Finally, Qin Yi mercifully shifted away.

 

There were serious matters to attend to today. Chu Jinyao had to meet the Empress, perform the formal gift-giving ceremony, and then return to her parental home. With so many responsibilities ahead, Qin Yi decided not to complicate things further.

 

Once Qin Yi left the room, Chu Jinyao stayed dazed for a long time, and then she pulled the blanket over her head.

 

Oh heavens, what just happened? The Crown Prince… he…

 

The entire morning, Chu Jinyao avoided looking in Qin Yi’s direction, feeling too embarrassed to meet his eyes. She couldn’t even remember what she had eaten during breakfast. And when Qin Yi finally put down his chopsticks, she let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

 

With the meal over, it was time for her to leave and present herself before the Empress. However, before she could even rise to take her leave, Qin Yi interrupted her.

 

“Quickly go and return,” he instructed.

 

Chu Jinyao paused and tried to explain tactfully, “Your Highness, today is my first time formally presenting myself to the Empress. I also have to perform the gift-giving ceremony before the entire palace…”

 

“I know,” Qin Yi said, cutting her off. “Just tell the Empress that I said to come back quickly.”

 

Before Chu Jinyao could fully recover from her embarrassment, Qin Yi added, “You still need to leave the palace later for the return visit to your family. Going back and forth is troublesome, so don’t be late.”

 

“…Oh,” Chu Jinyao replied flatly, her face expressionless.

 

Once Chu Jinyao left Ciqing Palace, she hurried to Kunning Palace. Today was a busy day, as she had to pay respects to the Empress and then return to her family home for the three-day return visit, leaving her pressed for time.

 

Because of the formal gift-giving ceremony, many of the concubines and consorts in the palace had arrived early to watch the spectacle. Life in the palace could be monotonous, so whenever there was a major event, it became a grand occasion for everyone.

 

Although the grand ceremony was held two days ago with only the highest-ranking individuals in attendance, today was different, and Chu Jinyao got a full view of the Emperor’s harem for the first time. She couldn’t help but marvel inwardly—wasn’t it said that Empress Xiao Qi reigned supreme over the palace, her authority unmatched? So why were there so many beautiful women in the Emperor’s harem?

 

It didn’t take long for her to figure it out. The Emperor was indeed passionate, but no one said he reserved his affections for just one person.

 

The Empress sat at the central seat of honor, surrounded by numerous attendants holding fans and trays. Seated in the circle of chairs around her were many stunning women, each with their own unique beauty. Some were curvaceous, others slender—there was a variety of beauty on display.

 

In the early days of the dynasty, the founding emperor had been strict, limiting the number of consorts and concubines to only a few ranks, with a cap on the total number. But just as the founding emperor had been disciplined, his descendants grew increasingly indulgent. By the time the throne passed to the current Emperor, the number of consorts in the harem had multiplied exponentially. Today, only those of the rank of “Nine Consorts” or higher were eligible to attend the ceremony, yet even so, Kunning Palace was filled to capacity. One could only imagine how many lower-ranking consorts there were.

 

While Chu Jinyao marveled at the spectacle, her actions remained impeccable. She wore her formal phoenix robe and, under the guidance of the palace attendants, performed four deep bows to Empress Xiao Qi. She then received a tray of food prepared by the female officials of the Palace Bureau of Food and carefully presented it to the Empress, retreating afterward. This act symbolized filial respect and duty to her mother-in-law.

 

Empress Xiao Qi looked at the food before her, her thoughts unreadable. Instead of eating, she smiled and said, “Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince has already taken a wife. It’s no wonder we old ones must step aside for the new generation.”

 

She gazed at Chu Jinyao’s phoenix robe, her eyes flashing with a mix of emotions.

 

When Empress Xiao Qi had entered the palace to become Empress, everything had been rushed, and her enthronement ceremony had been a mere formality. It was nothing like the grandeur and meticulous preparation that had gone into Chu Jinyao’s wedding. The entire court had followed every step of the Crown Prince and his bride’s ceremony. For a woman, who wouldn’t long for a grand wedding? While Chu Jinyao and Qin Yi might have found it exhausting, to the women of the harem, it was a matter of great envy.

 

Empress Xiao Qi had once comforted herself, believing that her hurried entry into the palace was a necessity, as she was with child at the time. What difference did a grand ceremony make, as long as she was still the rightful Empress? Yet now, watching Chu Jinyao’s wedding, seeing how the court and palace placed such importance on the couple’s marriage, a long-buried thorn in Empress Xiao Qi’s heart began to ache again.

 

Just as the Crown Prince’s formal robes closely resembled those of the Emperor, differing only in a few details, the Crown Princess’s phoenix robe was similarly reminiscent of the Empress’s own. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, and the Crown Princess was a future Empress in waiting.

 

Seeing Chu Jinyao in her robe, which so closely mirrored her own, Empress Xiao Qi felt a sudden surge of bitterness. It gave her the illusion that Chu Jinyao was there to replace her.

 

And this woman wasn’t even her own daughter-in-law, but someone left behind from the previous Empress.

 

Empress Xiao Qi couldn’t help but think, since she had taken over her elder sister’s life, shouldn’t everything—everything—belong to her? Why, after all this time, should it go back to the previous Empress’s lineage?

 

The title of Crown Prince was one thing, but the future Emperor and Empress? Those would belong to her son!

 

In front of the harem’s gathered concubines, Empress Xiao Qi refrained from accepting the offerings. Instead, she continued to make comments about time’s passing. Several of the consorts exchanged knowing glances, subtly smiling at each other.

 

Chu Jinyao had anticipated that Empress Xiao Qi might make things difficult for her, especially with no outsiders present. Now that it was happening, she wasn’t rattled. She kept her head respectfully bowed and responded gently, “Your Majesty, you overestimate me. I’m new to the capital and don’t know much. Being able to meet someone as revered as you is already my great fortune. My mother and grandmother both instructed me, telling me how Your Majesty has managed the harem flawlessly for over a decade and is a remarkable figure. They told me to learn from you, Your Majesty. In the future, I will rely on your guidance.”

 

Chu Jinyao’s strategy was simple—delay. She was already the Crown Princess. As long as she avoided making mistakes and didn’t fall out of favor, she didn’t need to stir the waters to secure her position. She had no hand in court politics and couldn’t intervene in them. If Qin Yi were to lose his standing, there would be nothing she could do about it. But if he ascended to the throne, all she had to do was maintain her current course, and she would become the Empress. Therefore, before Empress Xiao Qi, Chu Jinyao had no desire to stand out, curry favor, or make enemies. If she could leave the impression that she was weak and harmless, it would be even better.

 

While the other consorts thought Chu Jinyao was merely being humble, Empress Xiao Qi was reminded of her background.

 

From what Empress Xiao Qi had heard, Chu Jinyao was originally the daughter of the legitimate wife of the Marquis of Changxing, but due to a wartime mix-up at birth, she had grown up in a farmer’s family. She had only been brought back to the Marquis’s household three years ago, and of those three years, one had been spent preparing her dowry.

 

In aristocratic families, girls were meticulously educated from a young age, with their formal debut into society often happening before they turned ten. Chu Jinyao, on the other hand, had only returned at the age of thirteen. By then, the prime years of her education had been lost. What could a girl raised in the countryside possibly know of courtly intrigue and subtle manipulation? Judging by her words today, she merely repeated what her elders had hastily taught her. She was nothing like the girls who had been groomed in noble circles their entire lives.

 

Empress Xiao Qi, who had always surrounded herself with the most prominent and cunning of women, couldn’t help but feel disinterest. Compared to seasoned opponents like Noble Consort Shu and Noble Consort Li, who could engage her in a battle of wits, dealing with someone like Chu Jinyao felt like a waste of time.

 

Thinking this over, Empress Xiao Qi smiled at her own folly. Why bother?

 

With a casual lift of her chopsticks, Empress Xiao Qi tasted two mouthfuls of the food Chu Jinyao had presented and then covered her mouth with a handkerchief. “Very well, I see you’re a good child. I know now. Time is running short, and you still need to return to see your parents. I won’t keep you any longer.”

 

With that, Chu Jinyao bowed and took her leave. The other consorts also stood to pay their respects, calling out, “Safe travels, Your Highness.”

 

As Chu Jinyao turned to leave Kunning Palace, she accidentally brushed her sleeve against someone, startling a woman who immediately shrank back several steps.

 

Her reaction was so abrupt that it even startled Chu Jinyao. Concerned, she asked, “Madam, are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine,” replied the woman, her hair neatly coiled but her demeanor far from that of a confident consort. She kept her head bowed, hands nervously placed over her stomach, not daring to make eye contact with Chu Jinyao. She was a delicate-looking woman, with thin eyebrows and downturned eyes, giving her a pitiable appearance. Chu Jinyao couldn’t help but think that the Emperor’s tastes were quite varied. However, the woman’s overly startled reaction raised concern.

 

Feeling guilty, Chu Jinyao said, “It seems I’ve startled you. Shall I call for an imperial physician to take a look?”

 

Though Chu Jinyao had only brushed against her lightly, the woman’s fearfulness made her feel as if she had committed a grave offense.

 

At the mention of calling a physician, the woman became even more frightened, shaking her head frantically. “No, no need. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.” She bowed deeply to Chu Jinyao, apologizing, “I’ve disturbed Your Highness. Please forgive my offense.”

 

Her response left Chu Jinyao at a loss. By this point, they were at the door, far enough that none of the other high-ranking women inside noticed the exchange. Chu Jinyao guessed this must be a newly favored consort with a low rank, still doing the work of a palace maid. No wonder she was so nervous. To someone like her, Chu Jinyao would seem like an intimidating figure.

 

Seeing no reason to prolong the encounter, Chu Jinyao simply nodded and continued on her way. After leaving Kunning Palace, she boarded her sedan chair and quietly called over one of her attendants. “The woman we encountered just now—who is she?”

 

The attendant replied, “That was one of the Emperor’s newly favored concubines, originally a palace maid serving Consort Hui. After catching the Emperor’s eye, she received his favor but has yet to be granted an official title.”

 

“Ah,” Chu Jinyao mused. “She hasn’t been given any formal rank?”

 

“No, Your Highness, the Emperor has not yet bestowed any title upon her.”

 

Just as I thought, Chu Jinyao mused. A former palace maid, favored for a single night, only to be forgotten once the Emperor’s initial interest faded. What a pitiable fate.

 

Ordinarily, Chu Jinyao wouldn’t have paid her much attention. After all, the palace was full of tragic figures. What had truly piqued her curiosity was the woman’s reaction to being touched—such an extreme response just from a simple brush of the sleeve. And more importantly, the woman had instinctively placed her hands protectively over her abdomen.

 

Pondering this for a moment, Chu Jinyao decided to push the thought aside for now. Matters of the Emperor’s harem were none of her concern. At most, she would mention it to Qin Yi in passing and leave it at that.

 

When Chu Jinyao returned to Ciqing Palace, Qin Yi was already gone. Feeling a little sour, she glanced around and asked, “Where is His Highness?”

 

“His Highness is in the study,” a young eunuch reported cautiously, seeing the slight displeasure on her face. “Shall I inform him that the Crown Princess has returned?”

 

He told her to return quickly, yet here he was! Huffing in frustration, Chu Jinyao changed out of her formal attire. When she emerged from the inner chambers, she found Qin Yi waiting for her on the sitting couch. Seeing her, he closed the book in his hand and set it aside.

 

“Shall we go?”

 

Seeing that Qin Yi had come to fetch her personally, Chu Jinyao’s irritation faded a little. “Has Your Highness been waiting long?” she asked, turning to her maids. “Why didn’t you tell me His Highness had arrived?”

 

The maids lowered their heads, clearly following Qin Yi’s orders to remain silent. Not wanting to press the matter further, Chu Jinyao quickly moved to Qin Yi’s side, saying, “I apologize for making you wait. Let’s go.”

 

Today was the third day after the wedding, the day when the bride traditionally returned to her parental home, accompanied by the groom. It was a significant occasion, and the Marquis of Changxing’s household had made extensive preparations. The entire family was dressed in their formal court attire, with the Marquis leading the men to wait at the front gate, while the Old Madam Chu led the women, maids, and servants to wait at the second gate.

 

As the royal procession approached, the Marquis spotted the imperial insignia and immediately knelt, calling out loudly as the carriage stopped before the gates, “Greetings to His Highness, the Crown Prince! Greetings to Her Highness, the Crown Princess!”

 

Qin Yi alighted from the carriage and personally helped the Marquis to his feet. “Please rise, Father-in-law.” While Qin Yi remained outside, exchanging pleasantries with the men, Chu Jinyao’s carriage continued onward to the second gate.

 

Upon entering, a flurry of formalities began anew. Chu Jinyao herself assisted her grandmother in rising and accompanied her inside to talk.

 

In the main hall of Rong Ning Hall, the Old Madam Chu made a gesture as if to kneel before Chu Jinyao. “Please, Crown Princess, take the seat of honor.”

 

“Grandmother,” Chu Jinyao protested, quickly helping her up. “What are you saying? You are always my elder, and even though I am married now, I remain the daughter of this house. How could I let you kneel before me?”

 

After a brief back-and-forth, the Old Madam Chu finally took her seat at the head of the table, with Chu Jinyao seating herself opposite. The rest of the family, including Madam Zhao, Madam Yan, and the others, took their places in accordance with their ranks.

Traditionally, the seat across from the old matron was reserved for the Marquis himself, while Chu Jinyao would have sat far below. But now, as the Crown Princess, she sat across from the Old Madam Chu, even higher than her own mother and aunt.

 

Once everyone was seated, the Old Madam Chu exchanged pleasantries with Chu Jinyao for a while before asking, “Crown Princess, how have things been in the Eastern Palace these past few days?”

 

Everyone in the room understood the subtext of the question.

 

They were all waiting for news about her relationship with the Crown Prince. Feeling slightly awkward under the scrutiny, Chu Jinyao gave a brief, vague answer. “Everything is fine.”

 

Her grandmother, however, wasn’t entirely satisfied. The entire family was pinning their hopes on Chu Jinyao’s favor, hoping she would bear the next royal heir. Her evasive response wasn’t very reassuring. Just as the Old Madam Chu was about to press further, Duan Yinghua, standing among the back, sensed Chu Jinyao’s discomfort and quickly stepped in, smiling as she said, “The Crown Princess is beautiful, kind-hearted, and wise beyond her age. Naturally, she has earned the favor of His Highness. The Old Madam Chu and madam have been anxious for days, but now that they’ve seen both of you, they can finally rest easy.”

 

Duan Yinghua’s timely intervention allowed Chu Jinyao to avoid further probing questions about her private life. Grateful for the reprieve, she nodded in agreement.

 

The Old Madam Chu soon shifted the conversation to lighter topics, such as news of Chu Jinxian’s pregnancy and the recent birth of another male heir within the family. As they chatted, Chu Jinyao’s smile grew more relaxed and genuine.

 

Chu Jinxian’s pregnancy was probably the best news Chu Jinyao had heard all day.

 

Noticing the change in her demeanor, the Old Madam Chu discreetly motioned for the servants to leave the room. Though Chu Jinyao had only been married for three days, her demeanor had already changed. There was an air of nobility and elegance about her now, one that made even her grandmother more cautious in her speech.

 

Seeing this, everyone else in the room was also struck by the difference. Just a few days ago, they had viewed Chu Jinyao as a gentle, quiet girl, but now, dressed in red brocade and adorned with gold and jade, her presence was commanding. Despite her unchanged face, no one dared treat her the same as before.

 

With only close family left in the room, the Old Madam Chu leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. “Crown Princess, how is the Empress treating you? Do you need more maids sent to the palace?”