Ji Fei felt listless when he woke up the next day, frustrated by his uncontrolled feelings towards the Imperial Concubine, despite having thought things through beforehand.
Three days later, the entire court, including those from the previous dynasty, knew that the Emperor favored the Imperial Concubine. He couldn’t bear to see her saddened and chose to break ancestral rules by spending three consecutive days with her. His actions prompted the Imperial Censors to protest, asserting that an Emperor should treat all fairly. Nonetheless, the Imperial Concubine did not become arrogantly superior due to jealousy.
To prevent Ye Qiu from being criticized by the courtiers, Ji Fei had no choice but to neglect her and favor others instead.
In response, Ye Qiu’s cold laughter could be heard. If it weren’t for her reluctance to see Ji Fei’s face every day, would these people really think he could stay away from Changchun Palace?
"Lady, the little eunuch from the Respect Office just came to pass on a message—the Emperor has flipped over your card today." Inside the Xianyue Pavilion, whether it was the palace maids or little eunuchs, everyone was thrilled, especially Ying Chun. She came to the palace from Qiao Qingyue’s home and naturally knew about her Lady and the Emperor’s early romance. After nearly half a month without being summoned to the Emperor’s bedchamber, she was getting anxious, whereas her Lady always remained composed.
"What’s the rush?" Qiao Qingyue stood at the writing desk practicing her calligraphy, and on hearing the message, she only paused her brush briefly before calmly writing on. Her handwriting was very beautiful, with a distinctive style and charm, no wonder Ji Fei had always so admired her.
Meanwhile, Ji Fei in the Qianqing Palace was also eagerly anticipating the evening. He deliberately favored the Imperial Concubine for three days and then consecutively favored the newly-titled Consort Hui and Consort Wang before flipping Qiao Qingyue’s card. Moreover, he specifically chose a full moon night for their union. Tonight, he and his Little Moon were finally going to be truly together. While he couldn’t yet offer her the Empress’s position, he certainly did not want to leave any regrets for their first time.
He must have been quite enthusiastic and tender tonight, unlike the previous occasions with Consort Hui and Consort Wang when something felt off. Ji Fei subconsciously ignored the satisfaction he felt with Ye Qiu, convincing himself that the lack of passion was because the women were not his beloved.
Qiao Qingyue was a Zhaoyi and according to the rules, only concubines of her rank or higher qualified to serve the Emperor in their own palace chambers. However, tonight Ji Fei did not want to slight his Little Moon, granting her the privilege to serve him in the Xianyue Pavilion and even secretly had the place decorated beforehand.
Both Ji Fei and Qiao Qingyue took their first night very seriously, and both had made extensive preparations beforehand.
Qiao Qingyue sat in a bathtub filled with flower petals, looking somewhat bashfully shy. Usually cool and calm, she couldn’t maintain her composure at this moment. However, seeing her own well-maintained fair and smooth skin, along with her curvy body, she was filled with confidence and courage.
Ji Fei would like her, Qiao Qingyue thought to herself.
"Our Lady is so beautiful!" The palace maids serving Qiao Qingyue in her bath and dressing her blushed with embarrassment. "Our Lady has such a wonderful figure. You can’t tell when she’s clothed, but look at how ample that is!" They trembled with anticipation, certain the Emperor would be pleased. Even the favored Imperial Concubine might not be as lovely as their Lady. The palace maids had never seen Ye Qiu and thought Qiao Qingyue was the most beautiful they had seen.
"Lady, this is the fragrance gifted by Persia, it doesn’t have the pungent, overpowering scent of other fragrances, surely a delicacy. Other palaces don’t have it!" Ying Chun brought over a white porcelain bottle. Upon opening it, a pale yellow paste was revealed, emitting a captivating aroma.
Qiao Qingyue smiled satisfactorily, thinking it was specially prepared by Ji Fei, for she had previously mentioned to him her dislike for strong-smelling perfumes, preferring the natural and simple scent of flowers instead.
This bottle of fragrance did not have the pungent odor typical of perfumes; it was slightly sweet but also very refreshing and pleasant to smell.
"Help me apply it," Qiao Qingyue said, lying on the soft couch, letting the palace maids massage her.
After making herself presentable, Qiao Qingyue refrained from eating anything to ensure she faced Ji Fei in her best form. Ji Fei did not disappoint her, arriving early after dealing with state affairs. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by noveⅼfire.net
"I greet Your Majesty," said Qiao Qingyue, dressed in a cloak at the entrance of the palace, welcoming Ji Fei. The weather was becoming cool now, yet even in thick clothing, she appeared delicate and slender, standing there like a white lotus, pure and apart from the world.
"My beloved, please rise," Ji Fei said, his gaze burning with passion as he watched Qiao Qingyue, almost melting with warmth.
Qiao Qingyue, who was originally feeling cold outside, blushed with a red flush on her pale little face under his gaze: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"It is so cold outside; why didn’t you wait inside?" Ji Fei said with a hint of distress, his broad hands holding her tender little hands to warm them, wishing he could embrace her right then and there.
A bit shy, Qiao Qingyue said softly, "I wanted to see the Emperor sooner."
This was the first time Ji Fei saw her so bashful, and he couldn’t help but be captivated by her: "In my presence, you never need to refer to yourself as ’I’. Little Moon, you are different to me."
Qiao Qingyue’s heart warmed upon hearing his words; all her silent endurance in witnessing him favor other women was not in vain.
Once inside the palace, Ji Fei dismissed everyone and led Qiao Qingyue by the hand into the inner chamber, which was decorated in red, with a few dishes on the table and a pot of clear wine.
As Ji Fei poured wine into two cups, he said with guilt, "Qingyue, I cannot provide you with a perfect wedding now, but I promise you, the ceremony when I confer your queenship will surely be grand and glorious."
Qiao Qingyue had endured for so long, waiting for these words. She mourned that her own power and status were insufficient and the Emperor’s foundation not yet solid; why else would she suffer so much? Even her turn to share his bed came only after he had favored others, but she knew that all he did was for her sake.
"I understand. As long as I am in the Emperor’s heart, I care for nothing else," Qiao Qingyue said, lifting her cup to drink the imperfect union wine with Ji Fei.
Moved to the core, Ji Fei acknowledged that only his Little Moon could be so considerate!
After drinking the wine, it was time for them to rest for the night. Both were agitated with anticipation; in the dimly lit room, the Dragon Phoenix candles burned slowly as Ji Fei gently removed Qiao Qingyue’s clothes amid her modest shyness.
The entrancing fragrance that filled his nostrils inexplicably reminded Ji Fei of the scent on the Imperial Concubine, causing him to frown slightly. Fortunately, Qiao Qingyue was too embarrassed to notice this moment, or else her heart would be sore again.
For both of them, the night was much anticipated, yet the experience was far from perfect.
At critical moments, Ji Fei’s mind would drift back to the scenes of him and Ye Qiu in Changchun Palace. Though it was Qiao Qingyue’s first time, she was not a fool; how could she not sense Ji Fei’s lackluster performance?