Chapter 61:

Time flies. Before we know it, the New Year is here, and the palace is already filled with a joyous atmosphere.

In the twelfth lunar month, red lanterns have already been hung throughout the palace, and everyone is busily preparing.

Not long ago, the Emperor mentioned the incident at Huici Palace, and remarked that the New Year was just around the corner. That matter was always considered inauspicious and its outcome would not be announced until after the New Year festivities were over.

Some people secretly scoffed, while others appeared deep in thought.

Layue, however, paid no heed to all that. As the New Year approached, she was genuinely delighted. The New Year meant she would soon see her family again.

On the third day of the first lunar month, each family was allowed to send female relatives to visit their daughters serving in the palace. In previous years, her grandmother and stepmother had come. This was actually the first year since her rebirth, so Layue felt a strange mix of disbelief and joy.

Tomorrow would be New Year’s Eve. In their country of Nanqin, there was a tradition of staying up all night to welcome the New Year. The custom began with the reunion dinner, which was to be eaten slowly, from the time the lamps were lit until late into the night. The palace concubines would also gather together joyfully, and the palace music and dance troupe would perform exquisite dances to entertain the guests.

Moreover, some bold concubines would perform artistic displays at the banquet, adding to the refined atmosphere.

It was said that the tradition of staying up all night on New Year’s Eve expressed both nostalgia for the passing year and hope for a bright future in the new one.

Previously, Consort De had asked Layue whether she would like to perform an act at the banquet, but Layue had politely declined with a smile. She had no interest in doing so.

Besides, standing out too much might not necessarily be a good thing.

In addition to the palace concubines, many officials from the imperial court would also attend this farewell banquet for the old year and welcome the new. However, there was a clear distinction between the two groups.

Layue knew that the concubines were already distant from the outside officials, and with her father holding a low rank, meeting him would be even more difficult.

Nonetheless, she had never made any requests to the Emperor. Layue understood there was a line in the Emperor’s heart that she must not cross, or she would fall into irreversible danger.

It was acceptable to act coquettish, playful, or even sulky, but always within limits.

After all, even Lai Xi, the Emperor’s close attendant, had expressed some doubts about her being favored. No one could understand why the Emperor was so fond of her. Few knew that in their private moments, Layue acted like any ordinary wife would with her husband, doing everything a woman might do for her husband.

But it was something the Emperor could never truly perceive.

“Your Highness…” Jin Xin entered the room carrying several sets of clothes.

“What is it?”

Jin Xin smiled. “Your Highness, these are the new sets of clothes from the seamstresses. They were made after taking your measurements a few days ago. Would you like to try them on? If they don’t fit well, I can have them adjusted immediately.”

Layue carefully unfolded the clothes. There was an ivory-yellow one, a rose-red one, a deep blue one, and a dark purple one.

According to palace regulations, Layue’s New Year attire should have been completed much earlier and would never be delivered as late as the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month. These new sets, however, were specially ordered by the Emperor after he noticed Layue organizing her new clothes a few days earlier. Therefore, they had been rushed through production.

“Even so, I think the craftsmanship is better than the sets that were previously delivered as a matter of routine,” Jin Xin remarked.

“Although the seamstresses may prioritize their work based on who is favored and who is not, they still have to consider rank. My rank is not high, yet the previous sets were still made with effort. These new ones are even better simply because they were personally ordered by the Emperor. Since I am currently favored and the Emperor himself has spoken, they naturally put in extra effort.”

Layue was not complaining; she was simply explaining the situation objectively to Jin Xin. Although Jin Xin was clever, she had only entered the palace less than half a year ago, and it was impossible for her to fully grasp all the intricacies of palace life.

Looking at it now, Jin Xin had already done quite well, adapting far better than Layue had expected.

“I understand, Your Highness. Which one shall we wear tomorrow night?”

“In the middle of winter, the colors and styles are pretty much limited, so there’s not much novelty. However, we cannot neglect the importance of New Year’s Eve either. Let me think.”

The Empress Dowager was elderly and would certainly wear dark colors, so Layue must not wear the same shade. She also needed to avoid clashing with Consort De, Consort Qi, and Consort Hui.

After a moment of thought, Layue began to smile. Why had she forgotten that she was no longer an innocent girl? What did it matter if she clashed with others? As long as she wore her usual colors, no one would dare criticize her.

With a delicate finger, Layue made her choice. “Let’s go with the rose-red one.”

The dead tend to prefer bright colors, she thought mischievously.

Jin Xin reminded her, “Your Highness, you usually wear this color. Wearing it again might seem unoriginal. What about the Emperor?”

Layue shook her head with a smile. “The Emperor won’t choose anyone tonight. It doesn’t really matter what I wear.”

Jin Xin didn’t understand.

“Don’t forget, none of us here are the Empress.”

Jin Xin was startled but soon realized the meaning.

Indeed, normally, the Emperor would spend this evening with the Empress. But the Empress was no longer here, and none of them could replace her. Even someone like Consort De was merely one of the four senior consorts.

Jin Xin smiled wryly. “It’s ironic that everyone is racking their brains trying to attract the Emperor’s attention, yet they can’t rival the late Empress Huixian.”

After Fu Jinxiu’s death, she was granted the posthumous title “Huixian.” Ironically, Fu Jinyao was also given the title “Hui,” a different character but the same pronunciation. No wonder people’s imaginations ran wild.

“If the Emperor wants to appear deeply affectionate, of course he won’t choose anyone on such an important occasion,” Layue said with a slight smirk.

Seeing her say this, Jin Xin was not surprised. In fact, she had long sensed that her mistress did not truly love the Emperor as she appeared to. Others might not know, but Layue never hid her true feelings from her.

“Your Highness should still be cautious with your words. Don’t get into the habit of speaking like this and then accidentally let something slip in front of others,” Jin Xin warned.

Seeing her like this, Layue smiled. “You’re always so anxious. If it weren’t for you, how could I speak so freely? Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

“Still, Your Highness, we must be careful at all times,” Jin Xin insisted cautiously.

Layue nodded in agreement.

“Have there been any developments with Tao’er and Guo’er recently?” she asked quickly.

“Guo’er rarely goes out, but the other day I knocked on her door for a long time before she opened it. She claimed she had been sleeping, but she didn’t look like someone who had just woken up. Looking back now, she seems more suspicious than Tao’er. Guo’er is just too inconspicuous, which makes me even more suspicious of her.”

Jin Xin had been observing them closely.

“Good. You may continue, but don’t jump to conclusions. Be cautious at all times.”

Jin Xin nodded seriously. “I understand.”

“Send Qiao Ning to me. I have something to ask her.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Qiao Ning had already sent out messages, though Layue had not asked how she managed it. She trusted that her uncle must have had a strong network if he could place Qiao Ning inside the palace.

Qiao Ning entered the inner chamber carrying a bowl of colorful, translucent eight-treasure rice porridge.

The Tingyu Pavilion had long grown accustomed to Qiao Ning’s excellent cooking skills. Not long ago, even the Emperor had visited once and tasted it, though he had shown no particular reaction. He truly couldn’t understand why Layue was so fond of Qiao Ning’s cooking. It was Lai Xi who finally revealed the truth.

“Consort Chun is still a young girl. What girl doesn’t like sweet things? And Qiao Ning’s porridge is mostly sweet.”

After thinking about it, the Emperor realized it was indeed true.

He shook his head and sighed.

Nonetheless, Layue remained as fond of Qiao Ning’s cooking as ever.

“Mmm, delicious,” Layue said elegantly while continuously praising the dish.

Everyone had grown used to Consort Chun’s behavior, and Qiao Ning wore a faint smile on her face.

For a chef, having someone appreciate her cooking was the greatest compliment. Thinking of the Emperor’s indifference, Qiao Ning inwardly scoffed. It was not a good thing to be noticed by the Emperor. She specialized in sweet dishes, and the Emperor’s lack of interest was understandable—after all, not many men preferred sweets. In her previous life at the teahouse, she had mainly made such desserts.

Since the Emperor wanted to try her cooking, she would naturally make it even sweeter and richer.

Seeing her mistress enjoying the food while the Emperor looked slightly displeased, Qiao Ning breathed a sigh of relief.

“Any news about Zhu Yuning?”

“Nothing yet. The border regions are remote, and it was originally Prince Liu’s territory. We must be cautious, so it will naturally take some time,” Qiao Ning whispered.

“Not to worry. Be careful with everything.”

Qiao Ning smiled. “I understand.”

Layue put down her bowl. “There’s one more person I want you to investigate thoroughly—Bai Xiaodie, the concubine-born daughter of the Bai family. I want to know everything about her.”

Qiao Ning did not show any confusion or hesitation. Instead, she simply and solemnly replied, “Yes,” and said nothing more.

Seeing Qiao Ning’s demeanor, Layue felt a bit puzzled. Originally, she thought Qiao Ning was just a chef, but she seemed more like a spy. She wondered where her uncle had found such a skilled person.

She spoke openly to her trusted servant, “Qiao Ning, has anyone ever told you that you seem like a spy?”

To her surprise, Qiao Ning simply smiled. “I was originally trained to be a spy, but I was a failed one. That’s why I switched to becoming a chef.”

Layue was momentarily stunned.