novelraw Chapter 430 Intense Struggle
Chapter 430 Intense Struggle
She had no choice but to keep quiet.After serving Honored Lady Jiang with her washing and dressing, Hua Cha attended to her mistress with some pastries and tea.
Once properly attired, the maid and her mistress set out towards Jiaofang Hall.
「Jiaofang Hall」
As soon as Honored Lady Jiang entered, she knelt down.
"Greetings, Empress!"
The Empress was sitting lazily on the kang, sipping bird’s nest soup from a bowl.
There was no Phoenix Crown atop her head, but her brows and eyes were as commanding as ever.
She sized up the visitor. Noticing the slight pallor on Honored Lady Jiang’s face and the faint redness around her eyes, the Empress smiled, guessing that she must have accomplished the task. It was her first time, after all, and it would have been somewhat torturous. While thinking this, she beckoned her to rise.
"Sister, please sit. Yu Lan, serve the tea!"
Honored Lady Jiang bit her lip and stood up.
Despite her reluctance, she still mysteriously managed to thank the Empress and sit down.
After an exchange of pleasantries, the Empress asked Yu Lan to bring over a precious box.
The finely crafted rosewood box featured carved openwork, and its polished, rounded corners glistened with the luster of agate.
The Empress smiled.
"Today is your lucky day, and although I have nothing much to give, this set of Jade Ornaments suits you well!"
"I kept it for you as soon as I saw it!"
Her tone was caring, as if she were an older sister who holds dear affection for her younger sibling.
But in reality... AHEM!
Honored Lady Jiang was well aware of this, yet she still, as if by some divine possession, accepted the gift.
"Open it and see!" the Empress smiled again.
Honored Lady Jiang obediently opened the box.
SSSK!
She suddenly inhaled sharply, her eyes widening.
Inside the box, red velvet lining nestled a neatly arranged complete set of jewelry.
It was a Diancui Headpiece.
The jade was of the highest water, dripping with color, with dozens of pieces, each one a treasure among treasures.
"Consort Xian Pin has that Jade Hairpin on her head which her brother gave her; it also looks quite decent!"
"But... it still falls a bit short compared to this one from me!"
"This came as tribute from Duoluo Country, and there’s been nothing this fine for two or three years. Seeing that you suit Diancui, I kept it for you!"
The implication was that whatever Consort Xian Pin had, she could have too, and even better!
Honored Lady Jiang lowered her gaze to the jewelry, her eyes fixating, her fingers trembling slightly.
It’s so beautiful... I’ve never seen anything this exquisite before! So lustrous and radiant, it’s dazzling me to the point of dizziness!
She had always been clever and beautiful, one of the most renowned ladies in her locality. Whenever the jewelry shops got new designs, they would deliver them straight to her house for her to choose from.
But... I come from a small place, after all. Even if they were new designs, how truly fine could they be? My status in the palace isn’t high; I’ve never seen truly precious, top-quality items. Do the other noble ladies wear such things? What a joke! Who would dare to look up at them? That would be terribly disrespectful!
So, Honored Lady Jiang, with her hands trembling, gently caressed the jewelry.
"How about it? Is it worthy of you?" the Empress asked, smiling again.
"No wonder you’ve never seen anything like it; even I rarely come across such fine things!"
Honored Lady Jiang lowered her head, silently biting her lip, deep in thought.
The Empress wasn’t in a hurry, savoring her bird’s nest soup leisurely. As long as you’re a woman, you’re bound to love these things. High-mindedness... HA! In the palace, those two words aren’t worth a fart!
After a while, seeing that Honored Lady Jiang remained still, the Empress set down her bowl and stood up.
Approaching, she took Honored Lady Jiang’s hand with a beaming smile and said,
"All right, I’m tired too. Sister, you must be uncomfortable as well, so go back and rest!"
After saying that, she leaned in and whispered in her ear, "No need to hesitate anymore, sister; I’m well aware of your wishes!"
Having said that, she stood up and ordered, "Alright, Yu Lan, take Honored Lady Jiang back!"
Yu Lan smiled gracefully.
"Yes!"
「...」
Honored Lady Jiang’s mind cleared completely when she awoke from her afternoon rest.
Hua Cha, brimming with joy, held the brand-new Jade Ornaments, ready to help her dress up and try them on.
Upon opening the box, light from outside the window made the lustrous green jade jewelry fill the whole room with a brilliant shine.
"This whole set of twenty or thirty pieces is worth a fortune!"
"We don’t need to wear all of them at once; we can just pick one or two exquisite pieces to wear on a daily basis!"
"That way, we won’t break any rules, and it will still look noble and dignified!"
"It suits your temperament as well!"
As she spoke, she selected a delicate and unique hairpin and attached it to the freshly arranged bun. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
A touch of green on her head was like the finishing stroke to a dragon painting, casting her entire presence in a pure glow.
Clad in plain clothes with a touch of jade green, she exuded noble elegance, a sight too beautiful for words!
"My lady, you look so beautiful!"
"I used to think Consort Xian Pin was already very beautiful, but now it seems you are even more beautiful than her!"
Honored Lady Jiang suddenly panicked.
She frantically pulled the hairpin from her head and flung it back into the box, gasping for air.
"I don’t want these things!"
The collision of jade made a distinctive, crisp tinkling sound. Hua Cha hurriedly picked up the box.
She inspected it carefully and then patted her chest, relieved.
"My lady!"
"This was a reward from the Empress. Even if you don’t like it, you can’t damage it!"
"Thank goodness... it’s still fine!"
Honored Lady Jiang’s complexion was ashen, her heart seemingly torn by thousands of threads.
Noble? Arrogant? Vain? Worldly?
She struggled intensely within herself.
To sum it up in one sentence: She liked nice things but still wanted to maintain her high-mindedness.
Similar to that unpleasant saying among the common folk: ’Being a whore but still wanting to erect a shrine.’
Hua Cha had a glimmer of understanding and tried to coax her.
"My lady, I’m not sure if I should say this!"
Honored Lady Jiang’s gaze was cold.
"Speak!"
Hua Cha hesitated for a long time. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. After all, you are now part of the palace. You will have to stay here for life; there’s no way out! No woman who had entered the palace and been favored by the Emperor had ever been heard of leaving. Unless... the Emperor performed poorly and was ousted. But the Emperor... was that even possible? Even a mere Palace Attendant like me knows that the Emperor is a wise sovereign who now reigns supreme. Being ousted? Impossible! So, there’s really nothing for her to agonize over!"
Hua Cha was not new to all this; she truly had not seen someone who didn’t wish to serve the Emperor.
Honored Lady Jiang bit her lip, thought for a moment, and glanced tentatively at the rosewood box.
As if she had accepted her fate.
"Put them on me," she said.
Hua Cha was overjoyed.
"Yes!"
That’s more like it! Why should the women in the palace think so much? Just serve the Emperor well. If she has a son or daughter in the future, that means a lifetime of glory and wealth! Hua Cha thought ambitiously.
"My lady, you now have the Emperor’s favor and the Empress’s promotion! If you could take this opportunity to have a child..."
Honored Lady Jiang’s expression darkened, and she sneered in her heart. Have a child? HA! The Empress has pushed me this far precisely to use me as a tool for bearing children, hasn’t she? If I really did have a child, the Empress would probably be the first to kill me. Eliminate the mother and keep the child—isn’t that a standard trick in the Royal Family? Besides, is having a child that easy? The Emperor hardly shows any interest in me.