After attending him all night, he hadn’t even touched her, let alone shared a bed with her.
It seemed the Emperor probably knew she was unwilling and didn’t want to force her.
Even when she had clearly committed a grand act of disobedience, he was still tolerating her.
He arranged for her to rest elsewhere and had someone send her back according to the regular Shi Chen for an Honored Lady’s night attendance.
Pretending to have attended the Emperor, so as not to make her life difficult in the palace or subject her to scorn.
Thinking this way, she actually felt, The Emperor really is a gentleman!
If it had been any other licentious libertine, who would care if you were willing? They would have stripped you bare and had their way with you forcefully. What could you have done then?
Therefore, she felt a secret gratitude in her heart.
After all, he was the Emperor, truly... a sovereign of the realm, the one who held the heavens and the earth in his hands.
Of course, he wouldn’t be a vile and shameless person; he was worlds apart from those men.
Honored Lady Jiang was startled by her own thoughts. Worlds apart?
Since when did she think so highly of an emperor who possessed three thousand beauties?
But on second thought, she really couldn’t hate him.
Honored Lady Jiang sighed in her heart. Forget it.
Could it be that I was being too demanding?
"Hua Cha, what do you think... If I hadn’t entered the palace, what would it be like now?"
Knowing that she still had reservations, Hua Cha deliberately said, "Naturally, you would have married and had children!"
"Which affluent family doesn’t have several wives and concubines nowadays!"
"Having several wives and concubines is still considered decent. I’ve heard that some men not only have wives and concubines at home but also mistresses outside and favorites in the brothels..."
"TSK TSK. If you married into an ordinary family, it would be fine. But if you married that kind of man, you’d really suffer!"
Honored Lady Jiang was still not giving up.
"Isn’t there anyone who is truly devoted?"
All she wanted was true devotion, like the harmonious couples in stories, with hearts connected as one.
Is that really so difficult?
The corners of Hua Cha’s mouth curled with a touch of sarcasm.
"My lady, think about it. Have you ever heard of such a man?"
"If there really were such a man, it would have long become a beautiful tale. How could it remain obscure!"
Which man in this world doesn’t want to have his cake and eat it too? The truly good ones only exist in plays.
If every street were full of them, they wouldn’t be rare, and they certainly wouldn’t appear in plays.
That day, Honored Lady Jiang deeply understood what it meant to have ’plenty of ideals, but a harsh reality.’
Regarding this, Xia Ruqing, who had lived through two lives and tasted all the sweet and bitter flavors of the world, commented:
Reality is inherently harsh; those who understand the times are wise. As a little woman, she could be adaptable.
The first step was to save her life, the second to have food and shelter, the third to indulge in delicacies, and the fourth to lead a charmed life!
Everything was in order, perfectly fine!
If Honored Lady Jiang continued to fuss, there would only be three outcomes.
One, she would be tortured to death by the troublesome devils of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Imperial Kitchen.
Two, she would be hounded to death by the Empress in collaboration with other concubines.
Three, caught between two forces, she would succumb to doubt and die of depression.
In any case, no matter which way she died, it would all lead to death!
Was Honored Lady Jiang afraid of death? Of course, she was.
There are those who talk of death heroically, as if they are eager to bravely face any disaster to prove their innocence.
However, when faced with a life-and-death situation, they become cowards.
Life is only given once. Death ends everything, and regrets are common.
Honored Lady Jiang belonged to the latter type—someone who cowered in the face of death but wasn’t reconciled to it!
「Honored Lady Jiang’s attendance caused quite a stir in the palace.」
After all, among the Honored Ladies, it had been a long time since any had attended the Emperor.
More importantly, it was a woman who bore some resemblance to Consort Xian Pin who had attended the Emperor.
And her experiences were so similar to those of Consort Xian Pin.
Having entered the palace long ago, it was her first time attending the Emperor, and their features were similar.
Everyone was waiting to watch the drama unfold, whispering behind the scenes.
"Consort Xian Pin has had a child, and although her figure hasn’t changed much, she’s inevitably not as fresh anymore!"
"Who knows what the Emperor is thinking!"
"Hey! The Emperor must be pleased inwardly, showing her kindness for the child’s sake, but when it truly comes down to it, how could Consort Xian Pin compare?"
"Exactly!"
A woman who has had a child, no matter how beautiful she is, how can she compare with a flower bud that has just bloomed?
Therefore, the future seemed boundless for Honored Lady Jiang now.
Most importantly, she had the Empress to promote her!
Then... what were they waiting for?
The lesser-favored Honored Ladies couldn’t curry favor with Consort Xian Pin anyway.
It might be better... to court favor with this future "Consort Xian Pin."
That very afternoon, some of the Honored Ladies who had entered the palace together came to visit one after another.
The following day, several more came.