Chapter 12: The Tenth Concubine Gains Favor

Before long, Xiao Ji returned to the elegant private room in the pavilion.

The thank-you banquet was already drawing to a close. Xie Linyuan lazily rose to his feet, ready to leave.

Xiao Ji told Jiang Chuyue: “You head back to the residence first, I still have official duties at the Ministry of War.”

Jiang Chuyue clenched the handkerchief in her hand, wanting to ask about the whereabouts of that young lady. But her lips parted slightly, and in the end, she didn’t ask.

She had no right to ask.

She was just an outsider.

Xiao Ji rode away on horseback. Xie Linyuan, however, did not hurry to leave. He strolled over to Jiang Chuyue’s side and said in a low voice: “Miss Jiang seems absent-minded—could it be you have something on your mind?”

Jiang Chuyue forced a smile: “I’m just a young lady from the boudoir, what could I possibly have on my mind?”

Xie Linyuan’s dark eyes glimmered with mischief as he leaned in.

He was tall, like a mountain looming over her with an oppressive presence. Word by word, he asked: “Do you have feelings for Xiao Ji?”

Jiang Chuyue’s mind went blank with a buzzing sound.

She froze, lips parting, not expecting Xie Linyuan to suddenly say such a thing.

Her hidden feelings had been exposed without warning.

Jiang Chuyue pretended to be calm, her hand tightening in her sleeve: “Your Highness jests—Xiao Ji is like an elder brother to me.”

Xie Linyuan deliberately dragged out his words, his tone wicked: “I was only joking.”

Jiang Chuyue was flustered and embarrassed, thinking the man before her was utterly hateful. She gritted her teeth and said: “It’s getting late, Grandmother is still waiting for me at home. I’ll take my leave!”

She fled onto the Xiao family’s carriage like a frightened rabbit, escaping in haste.

Xie Linyuan sneered: “Bolder than anyone, yet afraid of me.”

The steward from the prince’s residence drove the carriage over, and Xie Linyuan departed.

The dark carriage rolled into a long alley.

Just then, it happened to pass by a carriage from the palace.

Xie Linyuan was resting with his eyes closed when he heard the shrill voice of a eunuch outside: “This servant, Zhou Dequan, greets the Regent Prince. May the Regent be at peace!”

Xie Linyuan ignored him.

Zhou Dequan was a boot-licking eunuch who often ran errands outside the palace for the emperor. Today, their paths crossed by chance, and Zhou offered his respectful greetings.

The carriage continued at a slow pace when suddenly a gust of wind blew a portrait from Zhou Dequan’s hand into Xie Linyuan’s carriage.

The portrait depicted a graceful Jiang Chuyue.

Zhou Dequan exclaimed: “Ah! I’ve disturbed Your Highness! This is a beauty I’ve just found for His Majesty. Please return the portrait so I can deliver it to the palace.”

The carriage stopped.

Xie Linyuan lifted the curtain, his dark eyes swirling with hidden currents, and asked: “Where did you get this portrait?”

Zhou Dequan didn’t dare lie and told the whole truth: “It was given to me by a woman surnamed Wang. I thought the young lady in the picture was so beautiful that I planned to present it to His Majesty.”

For years, Zhou Dequan had been seeking beauties outside the palace for the emperor. Whether willing or not, any woman of exceptional looks would be forced into the palace to serve him.

But recently, the emperor had become picky. Zhou had collected many portraits of beautiful women, yet the emperor dismissed them all as ‘vulgar and unworthy’.

Today, Zhou encountered Madam Wang, who respectfully handed him a portrait, saying this was ‘the second young lady of General Xiao’s household’.

The woman in the picture was so stunning that even Zhou, a eunuch, felt his heart stir. Delighted, he hurried to take a shortcut back to the palace to deliver it.

Who knew he would run into the Regent?

Zhou raised his chin, his tone tinged with arrogance: “Your Highness, this servant is working for the emperor. Please don’t make things difficult for me. For the Second Miss of the Xiao family to serve the emperor would be her great honor—”

Before he could finish, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his throat.

He tried to speak but no sound came out.

When his fingers touched his neck, they came away bloody.

The Regent’s shadow guard had struck silently, severing his throat.

Zhou Dequan’s eyes bulged, blood spilling from his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Xie Linyuan lowered the curtain: “Throw the body to the mass grave for the dogs.”

The shadow guards swiftly removed the corpse, leaving only a fresh pool of blood.

The carriage rolled on.

Inside, Xie Linyuan examined the lifelike portrait. Jiang Chuyue was smiling sweetly in the painting, but the artist’s clumsy hand failed to capture her true charm.

He casually tore the portrait into pieces.

---

Jiang Chuyue returned to the Xiao residence.

She had guessed correctly—the girl outside Fanlou had indeed left a deep impression on Xiao Ji.

Baozhu, ever well-informed, quickly discovered her background.

The young woman’s name was Jiang Caiyue, daughter of an eighth-rank county deputy from Lixian in the south. Her father had been wronged and killed, and Jiang Caiyue had come to the capital to petition for justice.

Pursued relentlessly by her father’s murderers, she had been lucky to meet Xiao Ji, who intervened. Thanks to his help, her father’s name was cleared.

Baozhu sighed as she told Jiang Chuyue: “Jiang Caiyue is so grateful that she wishes to marry the general in return. The steward has already gone to bring her here—she’ll enter the residence by nightfall.”

The Xiao household was finally about to welcome its tenth concubine.

Jiang Chuyue closed her eyes, feeling a dense, sour ache in her heart. But she could do nothing—not even reveal a trace of emotion.

A young girl’s hidden love was like the blossoms of spring: they bloomed and withered, and in the end, turned to dust.

---

Concubine Jiang entered the residence.

She quickly became favored by Xiao Ji. For several nights in a row after finishing his official duties, he stayed in her courtyard.

One evening, Jiang Chuyue, Xiao Ji, and the Xiao matriarch shared dinner.

At the table, the old lady noticed Xiao Ji’s new robe and asked curiously: “I’ve never seen you wear this before. When was it made? Why don’t I remember?”

Normally, Xiao Ji was too busy with work to handle his daily needs, so the old lady and Jiang Chuyue took care of them.

What he wore—everything from the fabric choice to the embroidery pattern down to the cuffs—had always been decided by Jiang Chuyue.

But today, his frost-colored narrow-sleeved robe was unfamiliar.

Xiao Ji replied: “Grandmother, this was made for me by Concubine Jiang.”

The old lady nodded: “Concubine Jiang is dutiful and gentle—more sensible and considerate than your previous concubines. You shouldn’t keep adding one after another; the rear court of our general’s residence will run out of space.”

Xiao Ji lowered his eyes: “Grandmother is right.”

She continued: “You have ten concubines, yet there is still no child in the Xiao household! If your health is failing, call the imperial physician. A man should not cling to his pride—continuing the family line is most important.”

Though he had many concubines, strangely, none had conceived.

Over time, the noble families of the capital came to believe Xiao Ji was impotent, and none would marry their daughters to him as his principal wife.

The old lady’s hair had gone whiter from worry, fearing the Xiao family line would end.

Xiao Ji ladled her a bowl of soup: “Rest assured, Grandmother, I am in good health.”

She shook her head.

Then, turning to Jiang Chuyue, who had been quietly sipping her soup, she said: “Yue girl, I’ve looked carefully—there’s a young man from the Sun family in the south of the city, about your age, with good character. In a few days, I’ll take you to meet him.”

After being tricked once by Madam Wang, the old lady was now cautious in choosing a husband for Jiang Chuyue.

She had inquired thoroughly: the Sun family’s son was gentle, studious, a licentiate, with kind parents, a simple household, and a stable income. If Jiang Chuyue married him, she would surely live well.

Jiang Chuyue glanced secretly at Xiao Ji across the table. His expression was calm as he picked up his chopsticks, betraying no emotion.

It seemed he didn’t care about her marriage.

Jiang Chuyue forced a smile and said to the old lady: “I’ll follow Grandmother’s arrangements.”

Clack—

Xiao Ji suddenly set down his jade chopsticks.

Frowning in displeasure, he said: “Grandmother, marriage is no trifling matter. Xiaoyue is still young—her marriage should be considered slowly.”