The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 281 Throw it away
"What is Consort Wen doing?" Consort Xian's gaze swept over Consort Wen from head to toe, scrutinizing her.

Consort Wen's smile froze. "Since entering the palace, I have been learning etiquette from the palace matrons. Firstly, I really didn't have time, and secondly, I was afraid that I didn't know anything and might offend Your Highness."

Consort Wen deliberately raised the pitch of "Imperial Consort" slightly.

The expression on Consort Xian's face softened a bit. "It seems that Consort Wen has learned all the rules of the palace."

Consort Wen listened to her sarcastic words without any particular reaction, not even blinking. She simply had someone behind her bring over a food box. "Yesterday, I received a letter from home. My brother also sent some cured meat with the letter. I specially brought some for Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will not find it offensive."

Consort Xian glanced indifferently at the food box that Green Pine had placed on the table, pondered for a moment, and said, "Xia Fuchuan, accept it."

Upon hearing this, Consort Wen's worried expression softened into a faint smile. "Then I won't disturb Your Majesty's rest any longer. I'll come to pay my respects to Your Majesty another day."

Consort Xian did not move her body, but merely nodded slightly.

Consort Wen seemed completely unperturbed by her arrogance, and curtsied before leaving.

As soon as she stepped out of the main hall, Green Pine couldn't help but say, "He's just a nobody, why should Your Majesty be so humble? Why bother with such a petty person?"

Consort Wen stopped abruptly, turning her head with a cold expression. "Green Pine, you've been in the palace with me for some time now, yet you still haven't taken the palace rules to heart at all. You should know what to say and what not to say. If someone with ulterior motives hears this, how can I, a mere consort, protect you?"

"This servant knows she was wrong," Green Pine said, lowering her eyes in apology.

"There must be no next time," Consort Wen said angrily, her eyes turning cold.

After she finished speaking, she couldn't help but turn back and glance at the main hall of Jingyang Palace. In just one glance, she saw Xia Fuchuan carrying the food box she had just left and coming out.

However, the direction he went was not towards the small kitchen in Jingyang Palace.

Those food boxes are filled with food, and it's all raw food. If they're not taking it to the small kitchen, where are they going to send it?

Consort Wen took a step in the direction Xia Fuchuan had left, somewhat puzzled. But the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. So she waved to the people behind her, signaling them not to follow, and quickly followed him on her own. After only a few steps, she caught up with Xia Fuchuan. She looked around to make sure no one had seen her coming before hiding behind a pillar.

"Take this thing outside Jingyang Palace and throw it away. Be careful to find a secluded place where no one can see it," Xia Fuchuan instructed earnestly.

The palace maid took the food box from Xia Fuchuan's hands, lifted the lid and glanced at it, almost exclaiming in surprise, "Eunuch Xia, such good cured meat, we can't even eat it every day, why are you throwing it away? Is there something wrong with this meat?"

Xia Fuchuan's face darkened. "Just throw it away when I tell you to. Why are you making such a fuss? Do you think I need to explain anything to you?"

The palace maid, terrified, bowed low, saying, "This servant wouldn't dare!"

Xia Fuchuan lost all patience. "Go throw it away quickly. The Empress said that the smell makes her nauseous. Go throw it away right away."

"Yes." The palace maid shuddered in fright.

Xia Fuchuan glanced around, his expression a mixture of impatience and wariness. After scanning the area and finding no one around, he walked towards the main hall... "Have you thrown everything away?" Consort Xian picked up her teacup, took a sip, and spoke in a casual tone with a hint of arrogance.

"Your Highness, rest assured, this servant has taken care of everything." Xia Fuchuan smiled obsequiously, not forgetting to bow and scrape as he refilled the teacup that Consort Xian had just taken a sip. "Actually, Your Highness, if you didn't like Consort Wen, you could have just let her take that thing back then. Why bother with her?"

"Heh." Consort Xian sneered. "What do you know? She's been in the palace for so long, and the only time she came to my room to pay her respects was on the first day. Although we live in the same palace, we never even see each other. Today, the Emperor just made me a Consort, and she's already rushing to curry favor with me. I want her to know what she is, and what her Mobei is. Even if my father is gone, she's still not worthy to carry my shoes."

"Yes, Your Majesty is right." Xia Fuchuan tapped Consort Xian's shoulder repeatedly.

"Didn't they say that cured meat was sent from the Northern Desert? The Northern Desert sent her to the palace not so she could eat and drink well and enjoy a life of luxury. The Northern Desert hoped that she could win the Emperor's favor, whisper sweet nothings in his ear, and allow the Northern Desert to live a few years of peaceful and good life." Consort Xian clicked her tongue and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "But she's quite ambitious. She's been in the palace for so long, and let alone serving the Emperor, I'm afraid the Emperor doesn't even know what she looks like."

"Your Highness is absolutely right. With so many beauties in the harem, why would the Emperor care what a princess from a barbarian land looks like?" Xia Fuchuan chimed in.

Consort Xian turned her head, raised her finger and pointed at his forehead, "Your mouth is really getting better and better at making people happy."

"This servant is only telling the truth. If Your Majesty is pleased to hear it, then this servant is pleased as well..."

As the two were talking, Wu Jixiang walked in from outside. He knelt on one knee and said, "This servant greets Your Highness the Imperial Concubine. May Your Highness be blessed."

Consort Xian seemed somewhat surprised, her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, and she stood up in a flustered manner, "Is there something wrong, Eunuch Jixiang?"

The imperial decree promoting her had barely been issued when Wu Jixiang followed closely behind. Could it be that the emperor had changed his mind and wanted to rescind the decree?

Wu Jixiang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, His Majesty sent me to inform you that he will be having dinner with you at Jingyang Palace tonight. Please prepare accordingly."

"What?" Consort Xian couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips, her expression one of excitement and bewilderment. "Your Majesty... did you really say that?"

Before Wu Jixiang could speak, Xia Fuchuan spoke first, saying, "Since Eunuch Jixiang has come in person, how could there be anything wrong?"

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wu Jixiang said slowly. “Then Your Majesty should proceed with the preparations. This servant has other duties to attend to, so I will take my leave now.”

Yes!

Wu Jixiang came in person, so how could he be wrong!

"Xia Fuchuan, go and see off Eunuch Jixiang."

Watching Wu Jixiang leave Jingyang Palace, Consort Xian hurried to her dressing table and carefully adjusted her hair ornaments. This one wasn't good, that one wasn't good either. She changed several hairpins, but none of them satisfied her.

These are all styles from six months ago...

(End of this chapter)