Chapter 20

In the afternoon, the sunlight was warm and gentle, filling every corner of the bedroom. Su Jingyao was peacefully napping on the couch. Her long, silky black hair spread across the pillow, and her fair face glowed softly under the sunlight. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slept.

After finishing his evening meal, Jun Zechen came to Xiyan Palace from Yude Palace. He didn’t announce his arrival and quietly entered the bedroom. He walked to the bed, took off his robe, and lifted the blanket. Then, he gently pulled the sleeping woman into his arms.

Su Jingyao stirred slightly as she was embraced. Half-awake, she let out a soft murmur, “Mmm…” before falling back to sleep. Over the past few days, she had noticed Jun Zechen’s affection toward her, but she didn’t believe he truly loved her deeply.

It was just a fleeting attraction. After all, a man like him—a Crown Prince who might become Emperor—would never give his heart away so easily. As he held her close, Jun Zechen’s hand unconsciously caressed the soft skin of her waist.

Her skin was smooth and delicate, as if a gentle pinch would make water seep out. Her faint fragrance filled his senses, lulling him into a peaceful sleep. About half an hour later, Su Jingyao naturally woke up, as she had a strict daily routine.

As she moved slightly, Jun Zechen also opened his eyes. She hugged him tightly, resting her face against his chest.

“You don’t want me to get up?” Jun Zechen teased with a playful smile.

In the past two days, this little woman had always woken up and immediately gone about her activities—reading, writing, arranging flowers, painting. She had many hobbies. Su Jingyao rubbed against his chest and looked up at him with bright, watery eyes. In a soft, playful voice, she said,

“Your Highness has been very kind to me these past few days. I don’t want to let go.”

Jun Zechen chuckled, pinching her cheek.

“I visit you often. Why are you suddenly so clingy today?”

Su Jingyao sat up slightly, her eyes still fixed on him. Pouting a little, she made a cute, spoiled expression.

“I heard that the five new concubines will be entering the Eastern Palace this afternoon. I’m afraid I won’t see Your Highness for a few days, so I just want to spend more time with you today.”

Jun Zechen liked how she acted spoiled and openly sought his attention. He admired her honesty—she didn’t hide her desire to be favored. To him, this made her real and even more lovable. He sat up, leaned against the headboard, and looked at Su Jingyao with a teasing expression.

“I have to go to the imperial study later to discuss state affairs with my father. Come to Yude Palace for dinner tonight. Are you satisfied now?”

Su Jingyao felt a little shy under his gaze. She lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and gently bit her lip, not daring to look at him. Jun Zechen chuckled, reached out, and pinched her soft cheeks before getting out of bed. After he left, Su Jingyao slowly sat up as well.

She stretched lazily, her slender waist swaying slightly like a willow branch, showing off her graceful charm. Then, she casually ran her fingers through her long, waterfall-like hair. The silky strands wrapped around her fingers, making her fair skin look even more radiant and beautiful.

“Master, the five selected women have entered the Eastern Palace, and the Empress’s decree for their titles has also been announced,” Miaoyun reported softly from the side.

Su Jingyao raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat indifferent.

“Oh? What titles did they receive?”

“The highest rank belongs to An Jinyan, the daughter of the Marquis of Pingyang. She has been granted the title of Liangdi (Third Rank Concubine). Bai Mengli, the daughter of the Assistant Minister of the Secretariat, has been granted the title of Liangyuan (Fourth Rank Concubine),” Miaoyun explained in an orderly manner.

“The other three women come from different cities. Shen Biwan and Shangguan Yi have better family backgrounds, so they were granted the title of Zhaoxun (Seventh Rank Concubine). The last one, Tang Suxi, is just the daughter of a county magistrate, so she was given the title of Fengyi (Ninth Rank Concubine).”

Among them, Su Jingyao only remembered An Jinyan because she played an important role as a supporting character in the novel. As for the others, she had no real impression of them.

“Where will they be staying? Did the Empress arrange their residences, or did the Crown Princess?” she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

“Lady An was personally granted a palace by the Empress. She will live in Xiyan Palace, which is quite close to the Crown Prince’s Yude Palace. The other residences were arranged by the Crown Princess.”

“Lady Bai will stay in the main hall of Yufu Palace. Lady Shen will stay in the side hall of Yufu Palace. Lady Shangguan will live in Xingyun Pavilion. Lady Tang was assigned to Shuyu Pavilion, the most remote residence.”

Su Jingyao nodded slightly.

“Find a way to place one of our people inside Xiyan Palace.”

“Yes, Master.” Miaoyun nodded without hesitation.

She didn’t know why her mistress was so concerned about Lady An, but she understood that every order from Su Jingyao had a deeper purpose. Lady An came from a powerful family and was granted a palace by the Empress, which meant she had already gained the Empress’s favor.

If she were to bear a royal heir, she could easily rise in status and even surpass Su Jingyao. For Su Jingyao, any potential threat needed to be dealt with in advance. She couldn’t just sit back and wait to be plotted against like a helpless fool.

Besides, the people she had planted in the palace had no direct connection to her. They were all secretly arranged by Li Jin. Most of them had entered the palace as children, around seven or eight years old, and didn’t even know her personally. They only recognized her through special tokens.

She would never reveal anything about her true identity to them.

“I’ll be dining at Yude Palace tonight. Miaoyun, prepare some nail polish for me,” Su Jingyao said softly, extending her delicate fingers and admiring them. Her fingers were long and slender, as white and smooth as fine jade.

Then she added, “Use a soft pink color.”

Miaoyun was momentarily stunned before a flash of surprise and delight appeared on her face. She had originally thought that since so many new concubines had entered the Eastern Palace today, the Crown Prince would likely choose one of them to spend the night with—especially Lady An, who seemed to be the most favored.

But unexpectedly, the Crown Prince had invited her mistress to dine with him, which meant he wouldn’t be calling any other women to his chambers tonight.

“Yes, Master. Just yesterday, I prepared some crushed balsam flowers for dyeing. I’ll make sure your fingertips look beautiful. The Crown Prince will surely love it,” Miaoyun said with a smile.

That afternoon, Su Jingyao sat leisurely, letting Miaoyun paint her nails. She occasionally lifted her fingers, watching as they gradually turned a delicate pink, a faint smile on her lips. Once her nails were done, she carefully dressed and did her makeup.

She wore a pink and white flowing gown. The skirt draped gracefully like floating clouds, and the wide sleeves elegantly highlighted the delicate lines of her shoulders and upper arms. The loose, embroidered cuffs below her elbows swayed gently with her movements, making her look ethereal—like a fairy descending to the mortal world.

As she slowly stepped out of her palace, the sky outside had already been painted with breathtaking hues of red and gold. Walking gracefully through the palace corridors, she suddenly encountered a woman dressed in a light yellow gown.

Su Jingyao’s eyes fell on her. The woman’s makeup was flawless, her beauty striking and radiant, exuding a natural sense of nobility and confidence. An Jinyan hadn’t expected to run into Su Jingyao so soon.

After arriving at the Eastern Palace, she had rested in Xiyun Palace for a while before deciding to take a walk and familiarize herself with her new surroundings. And now, she had come face-to-face with Lady Su.

She stepped forward, slightly bent her knees, and greeted politely, “Greetings to Lady Su.”

“Rise,” Su Jingyao replied, her voice soft yet carrying a subtle sense of distance.

An Jinyan slowly stood up, and the moment their eyes met, her heart sank. She had always believed that her beauty was unparalleled. When she entered the Eastern Palace, she was confident that the Crown Prince would favor her. She had barely paid attention to Su Jingyao before. At the tea banquet, the only woman she had focused on was the Crown Princess.

Back then, she never considered the Crown Princess a threat. In her eyes, the Crown Princess was plain-looking and unremarkable. Although she had heard rumors that the Crown Prince deeply loved his wife, An Jinyan was certain that her own beauty would not go unnoticed.

But now…

An Jinyan discreetly glanced at Su Jingyao again. She had heard that the Side Consort was not particularly favored in the Eastern Palace. It wasn’t until a month after she married into the palace that the Crown Prince finally started visiting her chambers. Could it be that the Crown Prince truly had deep feelings for the Crown Princess and was completely uninterested in beauty?

A shadow flickered in An Jinyan’s eyes. She would never allow a mere Crown Princess to become an obstacle in her path. Despite the storm of thoughts in her mind, An Jinyan maintained her usual composed expression, even offering a gentle smile.

“Side Consort Sister is truly breathtaking. Seeing you makes me feel ashamed of my own looks.”

“There’s no need for such modesty, Lady An. You are also very beautiful. But it’s getting late, and I must go to Yude Palace to accompany His Highness for dinner, so I won’t keep you for now. Let’s chat more tomorrow morning when we greet the Crown Princess together,” Su Jingyao replied softly.

“Yes, Side Consort Sister, take care.”

An Jinyan nodded slightly, watching Su Jingyao’s departing figure with a trace of confusion in her eyes. Wasn’t Su Side Consort supposed to be unfavored? Then why was she able to dine with the Crown Prince at Yude Palace?

Moreover, today was the day when five new concubines, including herself, entered the Eastern Palace. Shouldn’t the Crown Prince summon one of them instead? An Jinyan had been certain that among the five of them, she would be the first to share his bed.

She had already seen the other women. Aside from Tang Suxi, that pitiful little pretender with a mediocre family background—whose beauty was barely comparable to her own—the others weren’t even worth considering.An Jinyan frowned, stomped her foot lightly in frustration, and huffed, “Hmph! Let’s go back!”

Her maid, Baizhi, followed behind with a sigh of quiet resignation. She knew her mistress was about to throw a fit again. An Jinyan had been spoiled growing up, making her willful and temperamental.

However, she wasn’t entirely foolish.

In front of her father and mother, her headstrong nature appeared as playful charm. But to the servants who attended her, it was nothing short of intimidating. Baizhi had been An Jinyan’s personal maid since her childhood and had accompanied her into the palace. Though her mistress had a fiery temper, she treated Baizhi quite well.