Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 250

The carriage moved slowly and swayed gently, but it was comfortable. Xie Jiu's carriage frame was spacious, so he didn't feel cramped at all and slept more soundly.

When she woke up, it was about two hours later.

"Your Highness, please have some tea and a few snacks. Lunch will be delayed until we reach the hunting grounds," Qingfang said, taking out a box containing snacks.

Xie Jiu snapped out of her daze, took the teacup, and moistened her throat before speaking.

“I’m not hungry. I ate two extra longan buns for breakfast and then slept the whole time. But you guys must have been working hard and expending a lot of energy. You should eat something. It’s hot outside, and snacks can’t be kept for long.”

The mistress and servant were always close, so Chunrong and Qingfang didn't hesitate and each ate some.

The masters eat late, so the servants will eat even later, and it's really hard to work on an empty stomach.

"Was the journey smooth sailing?" Xie Jiu asked.

Chunrong nodded, but then her eyes lit up again. "Everything is fine, but Your Highness, guess who I saw?"

Upon hearing this, Qingfang also widened her eyes and looked at Xie Jiu, eagerly anticipating Xie Jiu's guess.

"Who is it?" Xie Jiu thought to himself, amused. "Who could possibly be making you all so agitated, like you've seen a clown?"

Upon hearing this, Qingfang burst out laughing.

"He really is a clown."

“It’s Zhou Zhiqing,” Chunrong said. “He has now become the son-in-law of Xuanwenbo. This time, during the autumn hunt, he brought his new wife along thanks to his father-in-law’s connections.”

Xie Jiu's eyes showed a hint of surprise, "Didn't he marry Wu Qingchan? How could he still have the ability to marry a girl from the Earl's mansion?"

"Who knows? I just saw him being very gentle and considerate to his new wife." Chunrong said with a teasing smile.

The Earl's daughter has taken the position of the principal wife, so what about Wu Qingchan?
Was she demoted from wife to concubine, or has she already passed away?

If they stand in the way of Zhou Zhiqing marrying a woman from a wealthy family, their lives will probably not be easy.

"To satisfy men's selfishness and ambition, women must suffer." Xie Jiu's face was cold.

She thought of herself back then. Wu Que wanted to give her to Zhao Xingjin as a plaything, not treating her as a human being as his wife. Now, Zhou Zhiqing wanted to marry a noblewoman for his own advancement, and could also kick away Wu Qingchan, whom he once 'deeply loved'.

Xie Jiu suddenly felt some sympathy for Wu Qingchan.

Qingfang noticed Xie Jiu's unusual mood and quickly said, "Let's not talk about other people's business. Your Highness, please try this Golden Jade Roll. It tastes quite good."

"Okay." Xie Jiu smiled and pulled himself out of his thoughts.

Although she sympathized with Wu Qingchan's plight, she didn't want to do anything herself, since Wu Qingchan hadn't shown her the same sympathy and pity back then.

Another hour passed, and we finally arrived at the hunting grounds.

Once they arrived, they all settled into their tents. Zhao Xingjin stayed with the ministers, while the concubines followed the Empress to their respective quarters.

Xie Jiu's residence was naturally very well tidied and arranged.

The tent is built on a raft and covered with a thick carpet that is soft and quiet to walk on. The tent is carefully divided into three compartments. The outermost compartment is the living room, which is separated by a screen and a curtain. The middle compartment is a place for dressing and changing clothes. Further inside is the bed for resting.

Though small, the tent was fully equipped, even containing decorative items like vases. It was clear that it had been carefully arranged.

Upon arriving at their destination, Qingfang began unpacking, while Chunrong went to inquire about the mealtime.

Xie Jiu was favored, so naturally no one dared to neglect him, but others had to wait a little longer.

It wasn't that the kitchen staff were deliberately making things difficult for them; it was just that they hadn't arrived much earlier than them and were rushing to start cooking. They couldn't possibly take care of everyone immediately, so naturally there was a difference in speed.

The Emperor and Empress cannot be neglected, nor can Xie Jiu, the favored concubine. Consort Guo and Consort Xin are both newcomers, so let's just wait and see.

So Xie Jiu's dishes—six meat dishes, four vegetable dishes, and a soup—were all delivered, while Guo Cairen and Xin Baolin's dishes hadn't been served yet.

Xin Baolin couldn't sit still and was wandering around the camp. When he got near Xie Jiu's tent, he saw the kitchen staff bringing lunch.

She was extremely hungry and hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. She was too excited and a little reserved on the way, so she didn't dare to have any snacks.

Now that he saw someone from the kitchen, he went over and asked them a question.

"Sir, could you please ask when my meal will be delivered?"

Xin Baolin had only recently entered the palace and had just been favored once, so the people below were not familiar with her and were unsure how to address her.

Her personal maid, Dongzao, was quite clever and immediately said from the side, "You flatter me, sir. Our Baolin is young and doesn't eat much for breakfast. She's hungry now and just happened to meet you, so I asked her. If the kitchen is still busy, Baolin can have some snacks to tide her over."

Those who could accompany the emperor out of the palace were naturally those whom the emperor valued or liked. The eunuchs who served the meals knew the person's identity as soon as they heard their rank.

So he immediately smiled apologetically and said, "I hope you will understand, Consort Xin. Our kitchen is short-staffed, and this camp is not as convenient as the palace, so we are bound to be a little slow. Please bear with me and have some snacks first. I will go and urge you to hurry up."

"Ah, no need, Father-in-law, there's no need to urge them. The kitchen is busy enough, and it's hot today. Don't worry about me here; I still have many snacks to eat," Xin Baolin hurriedly said.

The eunuch naturally said something like, "Thank you for your consideration."

The conversation took place right next to Xie Jiu's tent. The soundproofing here was nothing like that in the palace, so Xie Jiu, who was wiping his hands and preparing for his meal inside, naturally heard the commotion.

I asked and heard that Xinbaolin was urging me to eat. I thought for a moment and then said...

"Please invite Xin Baolin to dine with me. There are so many dishes, I can't eat them all by myself," Xie Jiu said, adding, "Go and invite Consort Guo as well. If she hasn't eaten yet, let's have her join her."

Chunrong didn't understand Xie Jiu's intentions, but she still did as he said.

Outside, Consort Xin was about to leave when she heard that Consort Jin had invited her, and she immediately became nervous.

But I didn't dare refuse, so I had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.

Meanwhile, Guo Cairen, who had received the invitation, was in a very different mood. After thinking for a while, she prepared a gift before heading to Xie Jiu's tent.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Consort Jin." Consort Guo bowed, then looked to the side with a gentle smile, "Consort Xin is here too, it's quite lively today."

Xin Baolin immediately bowed to her, and then the group sat down.

Xie Jiu gestured for them to start eating, smiling as she spoke.

"I'm a free spirit. The rules about not speaking while eating or sleeping don't really apply to me. It's rare for me to be able to leave the palace, and I don't want to be confined. That's why I invited you all to dine together. Firstly, it's lively, and secondly, I haven't had a proper chat with you all yet. Today is a good opportunity for everyone to get to know each other better."