Chapter 17: Striving to Be a Worthy Imperial Consort

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Crash!
The Empress Dowager slammed the teacup onto the ground.
“I have spent my entire life in this harem and have never heard of such a thing as balancing merits and faults like this!”
All the palace servants knelt down in unison. “Please, Empress Dowager, calm your anger.”
Madam Huiyuan first had the broken teacup shards cleared away, then stepped forward to advise, “Your Majesty, you and His Majesty are not related by blood. If you always oppose him, it will only widen the emotional rift. It’s better to yield to him a little. After all, she is just a woman. Rou Fei is beautiful, but beauties are countless in this world. Surely the Emperor cannot keep favoring her forever, can he?”
The Empress Dowager was worried. “Ning Fei’s father holds military power guarding the border, yet his only daughter suffers humiliation in the palace. If this gets out, wouldn’t it sadden the general greatly?”
After much thought, the Empress Dowager declared, “Issue an imperial decree to bestow upon Ning Fei the title of Noble Consort Ning, reward her with ten thousand taels of gold, four estate houses, and also send her the luminous pearls from my treasury.”
The conferment of a consort requires a decree bearing the imperial jade seal, so this matter had to be approved by Duke Dugu Jin.
But the Empress Dowager was not worried.
After all, she was the Empress Dowager. If the Emperor dared to disobey her edict, how could he rule the empire with filial piety? Such disrespect would be laughable to all.
In the Imperial Study, after hearing Madam Huiyuan’s message, Duke Dugu Jin scrutinized her for a moment, then nodded. “Since it is the Empress Dowager’s will, I shall grant it.”
Madam Huiyuan breathed a sigh of relief, bowed respectfully, and quickly returned to Cining Palace to report.
Du Heng was surprised. “Your Majesty, you agreed just like that?”
Dugu Jin’s cold gaze was like a biting winter wind, chilling to the bone.
After a moment, a mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.
“Draft the decree—Bestow Ning Fei the title of Noble Consort Ning.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The decree was sealed with the jade seal and sent to Ning Fei’s chambers. With this, she was elevated to Noble Consort.
However, at the same time, another decree, personally penned by Dugu Jin, was delivered to Nicheang Palace.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Rou Fei is gentle, wise, virtuous, and capable, possessing both talent and grace. She is hereby granted the title of Noble Consort Roujia, entrusted with the authority over the Six Palaces, to live and die alongside me. So it is ordered.”
Du Heng trembled as he read the decree. How could the Emperor curse himself to death?
Yuan Peipei and the servants in Nicheang Palace were still kneeling.
Du Heng presented the decree with both hands. “Noble Consort, please accept the edict.”
Yuan Peipei smiled joyfully. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Supported by Cui Zhi and Lan Xin, she happily jumped on the spot.
The Emperor truly treated her well.
No, more accurately: the Emperor treated her the best.
“Cui Zhi, Lan Xin, help me put away the decree. I’m going to see the Emperor.”
Lifting her skirt, she ran straight out.

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This startled Du Heng.
“Oh my! Noble Consort, please be careful.”
This was the Emperor’s cherished treasure, his precious gem. If she fell or got hurt, what would happen?
Yuan Peipei had only two talents since childhood: crying fast and running fast.
In a flash, she was gone without a trace.
Du Heng struggled to keep up behind her.
Ning Fei was still angry. All the palace servants had been taken away, leaving her alone. How could she swallow such grievance?
She was just about to write a letter to her father, asking him to pressure the Emperor in court affairs. Their family was not to be trifled with; that wretched Rou Fei must be punished.
Halfway through the letter, unexpectedly, an imperial decree arrived.
She was actually promoted to Noble Consort Ning?
Surely the Emperor still had her in mind. The earlier act was merely for show, a mere formality to appease that foolish Rou Fei.
She happily accepted the decree, thinking she must personally thank the Emperor at such a time.
She even changed her clothes and tidied her makeup.
But just as she reached the front of the Qinzhen Hall, she saw Yuan Peipei like a cat, leaping straight into Duke Dugu Jin’s arms, her legs clinging around his waist, her whole body hanging on him.
Rou Fei!
“Thank you, Your Majesty, you are so kind.” Yuan Peipei tightly hugged Dugu Jin’s neck, unafraid even though his face was stern.
[Ha ha ha, villain, you’d better laugh quietly—the corners of your mouth are practically reaching the sky. Dare to laugh out loud if you can.]
[Peipei hasn’t even arrived yet, and he’s already holding out both hands, afraid he might miss catching her.]
[This plot twist differs from the original—Peipei actually became a Noble Consort, with a title!]
Yuan Peipei’s legs swung unconsciously. “Your Majesty, you’re so good to me. Peipei loves you the most!”
[Suddenly a confession?]
[Oh no, how can this villain resist?]
[Peipei, can’t you be a bit more reserved? This is too sweet, ahhh!]
Dugu Jin tightened his hold on Yuan Peipei’s hand at those words, his lips brushing her earlobe. “Peipei, be good. Say that again.”
Yuan Peipei was now like a fool who had been sold yet had to count the money for her buyer, doing whatever she was told.
“Peipei loves Your Majesty the most!”
Dugu Jin’s heart raced wildly. “Peipei must keep her word—no backing out.”
Having declared her love for him, she could not switch her affections.
And he would not allow her the chance!
Du Heng finally caught up.

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“Noble Consort, your stamina is impressive. This servant is deeply, deeply impressed.”
Breathless, yet still flattering.
Ning Fei: “!”
Did Du Heng just call that wretched woman Noble Consort?
Could it be that the Emperor had promoted that wretched woman as well?
Dugu Jin cast a disdainful glance at the panting Du Heng and carried Yuan Peipei into the Qinzhen Hall.
As the doors closed, so too did the last shred of hope in Noble Consort Ning’s heart.
She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her flesh, determined not to shed a single tear.
She was the daughter of a military family; how could she cry like those pretentious wretches?
Turning on her heel, she straightened her chest and prepared to finish the letter and send it to her father without delay.
Passing through the Imperial Garden, she overheard some young eunuchs whispering not far off.
“One is Noble Consort Ning, the other is Noble Consort Roujia. Though both are Noble Consorts, the significance is quite different.”
“I heard the decree conferring Noble Consort Roujia was personally written by the Emperor.”
“From now on, affairs of Nicheang Palace must be treated as top priority, nothing can be neglected.”
Noble Consort Ning felt her heart shatter.
All joy from her elevation to Noble Consort was utterly gone.
Inside Qinzhen Hall, Yuan Peipei sat on Duke Dugu Jin’s lap, watching him review memorials.
Some she couldn’t understand at all.
Others left her somewhat dazed.
“The Emperor works so hard, reading so many words every day.”
If it were her, she’d surely be exhausted to death.
Dugu Jin set aside the memorial he had just finished and picked up another.
“To govern diligently is the foundation of being an emperor.”
Yuan Peipei didn’t understand such grand words; she wrapped her small hand around Dugu Jin’s large one. “But Your Majesty is human too. Humans get tired. If you wear yourself out, I will be heartbroken.”
Dugu Jin had never had his hand held like this before. The warmth surrounding him felt extraordinary.
He looked at Yuan Peipei’s profile, his eyes filled with unfathomable tenderness, yet a teasing smile played at his lips. “Then Peipei must comfort me more at night. Don’t keep saying you’re tired. Be a competent Noble Consort, hmm?”