Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The tea in the cup had gone cold.

After listening to my story, Consort Liu was silent for a very long time.

“You should understand now. I have enjoyed the Emperor’s favor for all these years, but my foundation has never been secure.”

I spoke softly.

“If I imitate Princess Mingyue, of course I can do it best. After all, I am the only one who truly knew her. I can imitate her to eighty percent. If the other consorts imitate me, they can manage sixty percent at most.”

“But I am old now. Princess Mingyue was only fifteen when she died. In the Emperor’s heart, she will always be a young girl.”

“Now, even if these young palace consorts resemble her only sixty percent, they will still seem more like her than I do.”

Consort Liu looked at me.

“What can I do to help you?”

“Someone has to be the most favored person in the palace.” I poured out the cold tea. “Compared to Noble Consort Lin, I would much rather that person be you.”

Consort Liu won favor with effortless ease.

For one thing, she had the advantage of being a transmigrator. Everything Noble Consort Lin knew, she knew as well.

Noble Consort Lin could make some novel little things, but Consort Liu made them even better. She even assembled a small carriage that could run through the Imperial Garden on its own without being pulled by horses, leaving the Emperor utterly amazed.

“I’m a top STEM student, after all,” I heard Consort Liu murmur to Noble Consort Lin.

At a palace banquet, Noble Consort Lin composed poetry. The moment she recited the first half of a line, Consort Liu could immediately supply the second half, delighting the Emperor.

“And my literature scores are better than yours too. Tell me, doesn’t that just make you furious?” I heard Consort Liu whisper to Noble Consort Lin again.

Noble Consort Lin was so stifled with anger that she grew short of breath on the spot. Halfway through the banquet, she had to be helped back by palace maids to rest.

The Emperor liked Consort Liu very much, but Consort Liu had one problem-she kept claiming to be ill and refused to attend him in bed.

“I can’t do it,” she said to me, dejected. “I can only be with someone I truly like.”

I did not force Consort Liu. It was already good enough that she could curb Noble Consort Lin’s momentum.

But when Noble Consort Lin barged into Consort Liu’s palace with her people that day, I finally realized there were some problems I had overlooked.

The “someone I truly like” Consort Liu spoke of was not a vague hypothetical.

“Search the place,” Noble Consort Lin ordered, one hand on her hip, directing the palace maids and eunuchs to rummage through every chest and cabinet. A moment later, a handkerchief was presented to her. On it, embroidered with delicate silk thread, was a Gentleman’s Orchid.

Noble Consort Lin smiled in triumph.

“Everyone knows that when Young General Lu returned victorious from battle, the Emperor bestowed upon him a Gentleman’s Orchid. From then on, he took it as an auspicious symbol and had it embroidered on his clothing.”

“Someone, invite the Emperor here. Let him see for himself that his newly favored Consort Liu refuses to attend him in bed, yet is perfectly willing to have an affair with another man!”