Chapter 41

Tang Xia nodded. But she did not sleep well.

When Tang Xia woke up the next morning, Anran held a basin of clear water for Tang Xia to refresh herself.

It was Lyuyou who usually did this, so Tang Xia was still not accustomed to being served by another maiden.

“After I refresh myself, go with me to check on the imperial guard.” Tang Xia said in a cold voice.

Anran froze for a moment, then continued her actions, “Why do you want to check on the imperial guard, Your Grace?”

Being afraid that Tang Xia would blame her for meddling too much, Anran added, “The imperial guard barracks is an important place, with many guards in the imperial harem, so it may be difficult to get in without an appropriate reason.”

Tang Xia glanced at the floor then froze her eyes.

“Right. I could get into the military camps because of the decree of Helian Jue. How could I look for Chu Tiankuo again after Helian Jue handled the matter properly for me?”

“Is waiting for Chu Tiankuo to appear my only choice?”

Tang Xia wore a trace of disappointment in her eyes, making Anran feel sorry for her, “It is said that several men from the imperial troops would attend the banquet this evening. I’ll cover for you. But I’m not sure if the man you’re looking for would attend the banquet.”

Anran’s words brought back the glow from Tang Xia’s disappointed eyes.

Tang Xia was a hundred percent sure that Chu Tiankuo would come.

Tang Xia went around to the side of her jewelry box, then put the note given by Chu Tiankuo into her sleeves with her slender fingers twining the large cuff when Anran wasn’t looking.

“Please pick the dress you will wear for the banquet, Your Grace.”

Tang Xia chose a beautiful vermilion long-sleeved dress with drapes around its waist extending downward.

After doing a little make-up, Tang Xia’s delicate face became more coquettish in a moment.

As Xiao Xiazi waited outside for a long time, Tang Xia needed to rendezvous with Yi Jiazi first, according to what had been said last night.

As Yi Jiazi waited outside the hall for a long time, she forced a smile to her mouth at the sight of Tang Xia walking towards her elegantly.

“I, Jiazi, pay my respects to you, sister.” Yi Jiazi bowed to Tang Xia respectfully with her purple tippet moving along with her actions.

As a breeze swept by, warmth turned into coldness when it touched Tang Xia’s face.

“Let’s go.” Tang Xia raised her chin haughtily and said to Xiao Xiazi.

“Wait.” Behind her, Yi Jiazi said in a gentle voice which showed neither happiness nor anger, “I have bowed to you, why not bow back to me, sister?”

Tang Xia knew that Yi Jiazi was stirring trouble. As her ignoring Yi Jiazi was already putting on airs, she could not do that again in front of so many people after Yi Jiazi questioned her shamelessly, in fear of being called out.

“Why should I bow back to you?”

As Tang Xia turned around, she said in an extremely cold voice with no smile on her mouth.

Yi Jiazi smiled gracefully, “It is the rule in the imperial harem. Although your status is higher than mine, you should bow back to me after I bow to you.”

Yi Jiazi added as if she was not satisfied, “Are you so happy to attend the banquet with the emperor that you forgot the rules?”

Such words would let the slaves accuse Tang Xia of being unruly.

Tang Xia forced a smile, choking back her nausea, then walked towards Yi Jiazi and said elegantly, “I guess it is you who is too happy. If I didn’t hear it wrong, what you said was ‘I pay my respects to you’. Since you were showing respect, why should I bow back to you?”

Yi Jiazi altered her expression, wanting to fight back, but was stopped by Tang Xia.

“Or do you want to deny what you said, and it was me who heard it wrong? Are you forcing me to bow to you?”

Yi Jiazi’s face darkened, with a trace of maliciousness flickering in her peach blossom eyes, “Of course not. Both of us are imperial concubines chosen by the emperor, so we should help each other. Why ruin the friendship between us just for the etiquette?”

Tang Xia looked away wearing a smile with mockery.

“It is so disgusting of her to turn her coat at this time, saying that we should not ruin the friendship between us.”

“What do you mean by saying so? I heard from the emperor that the kings from different countries are gathering in the banquet. What you said cannot be heard by the envoys from other countries, otherwise they would regard us as ignorant of etiquette.”

Yi Jiazi froze for a moment, forced a smile, then looked at Tang Xia with some resentment.

“It is not what I mean. I hope you can give me justice, sister.”

Yi Jiazi said in a weak voice, showing a look like Tang Xia was doing evil.

“What a green tea bitch.”

Tang Xia wore a bigger smile with a glow flickering in her peach blossom eyes in the sunlight. As a breeze swept by, her hair was blown into the air then hung behind her shoulder, attracting others’ attention continuously.

“Justice? That is quite simple. It seemed like a breeze swept by when you bowed to me so that I did not see it clearly. If you bow to me again, I will forget that you do not understand etiquette. What do you think?”

As Tang Xia squinted her eyes, her cunning smile in her eyes was like the shiniest star in the sky, which was caught by Yi Jiazi.

“If you do not want to bow to me, that is okay. I don’t like forcing others to do what they are unwilling to do. But,” Tang Xia added, “I’m not sure what the emperor would think of you if he knows what happened.”

Yi Jiazi bit her teeth resentfully and closed her cherry lips tightly, showing a wronged look, “You are right, sister. I’ll bow to you again.”

Yi Jiazi emphasized the word ‘again’. What she meant was quite obvious.

Tang Xia forced a smile and bowed to Yi Jiazi immediately, “Don’t be so polite. I will return your salute. You shouldn’t speak without thinking anymore.”

A trace of a smile flickering in Tang Xia’s eyes darkened Yi Jiazi’s face.

They did not talk anymore and walked to Xingyun Tower in tandem.

Xingyun Tower rose straight up, but Tang Xia did not come to scrutinize it.

Standing beside Tang Xia, Yi Jiazi wore a mocking smile on her mouth, “Do not gaze around, sister. As the master of Jiaofang hall, do you want to be regarded as a bumpkin who is curious about Xingyun Tower by the people attending the banquet?”

Tang Xia raised her thin eyebrows, then fixed her eyes on Yi Jiazi’s delicate face.

Yi Jiazi entered the hall coquettishly with a smile.

At the sight of his two imperial concubines, Helian Jue who had been in the hall strode towards them.

“Jiazi, why are you so early? Did you sleep well?”

Tang Xia froze her look for a moment as Helian Jue’s deep and soft voice surprised her.

It seemed that Yi Jiazi was also quite surprised but said nothing, then walked to the side of Helian Jue with a smile on her mouth, “I had a good sleep. To be loved by Your Majesty, I am more than content.”

Helian Jue put on a contented air with a slight smile in his mouth.

Tang Xia slowed her step to follow Yi Jiazi, then found that there was a man in blue wearing whiskers and a felt cap with a heroic smile in the hall.

“Jiazi.” The man said in a deep voice.

Yi Jiazi bowed to him immediately with a glow flickering in her eyes, then wore a smile on her mouth, “King Nanchen, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“He is the king of Southland.” Tang Xia pondered for a moment then figured out what was going on.

King Nanchen strode towards Yi Jiazi but stopped in front of Tang Xia.

“This is…” King Nanchen froze his look as if he was stunned by Tang Xia’s beauty and could not look away.

Helian Jue distanced Tang Xia from King Nanchen impatiently but wore a smile on his face, “She is my imperial concubine – Yue Ji.”

Tang Xia bowed to King Nanchen, “I, Yue Ji, pay my respects to you, King Nanchen.”

King Nanchen looked at Tang Xia with surprise in his eyes. The candlelight in Xingyun Tower made Tang Xia’s face appear gentler as Tang Xia’s smile was like an ice-melting ball of fire that could also attract King Nanchen’s heart.

Tang Xia then smiled politely, with a glow flickering in her peach blossom eyes, which attracted King Nanchen’s eyes again.

“What an enchanting beauty!” King Nanchen thought.

Helian Jue timely interrupted the greedy desire in King Nanchen’s eyes, “Please be seated.”

King Nanchen’s mouth crumpled, then he fixed his eyes back on the seat, “Right, right. I was busy in welcoming your imperial concubines, I totally forget my wine.”

King Nanchen hastily gave himself an out while Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows disgustedly.

“What a nuisance.” Yi Jiazi looked Tang Xia up and down as the candlelight made Tang Xia’s red lips more coquettish which could attract people’s eyes for a long time.

Then Yi Jiazi took her seat elegantly.

Tang Xia wore an indistinct smile with mockery and pretended to walk to the side of Yi Jiazi accidentally. She opened her red lips elegantly, “Indeed, its true that men from Southland are lustful while the women are cunning.”

Yi Jiazi expression changed, “How could you say such a thing!”

What Yi Jiazi had said attracted the eyes of Helian Jue and King Nanchen.

“What is wrong?” Helian Jue asked in a soft voice. However, no warmth could be seen in his handsome face and the disgust in his eyes was so much that it could seemingly eat Yi Jiazi alive.

Yi Jiazi turned a blind eye to Helian Jue’s look, then covered her red lips with her slender fingers, wearing tears in her eyes and fixing her eyes on Tang Xia.

“How you could say that men from Southland are vulgar, sister? King Nanchen, who is both brave and wise in battle, now is regarded as vulgar. Are you unhappy because the emperor welcomed me first?”

While Yi Jiazi prepared a good reason for Tang Xia’s ‘wrongdoing’, Tang Xia wore an indifferent smile on her mouth with mockery.

“What do you mean, sister… I’m happy for you that the emperor can value you so much.” Tang Xia frowned her eyebrows showing a wronged look, “What I said was that King Nanchen has manliness, he deserves to be the king of Southland and to come from the same country as you, because both of you look so alluring.”

Tang Xia also wore tears in her eyes, “How did my words turn into ‘men from Southland are vulgar’ like you said?”

Helian Jue frowned his eyebrows in displeasure, then looked at Yi Jiazi with killing intent in his eyes.

“Alright. I’m afraid that Jiazi did not sleep well, so she could not hear Yue Ji’s words clearly.”

As Helian Jue’s words were in favor of Tang Xia, Yi Jiazi could not say anything else and went back to her seat quietly.