chapter 2

Chapter 2

Three months after entering the palace, I saw the Emperor for the first time.

He didn’t look at all like the stern, bearded, middle-aged figure in the storybooks. On the contrary, he was very young.

If I were as educated as my eldest sister, I would surely use phrases like “as pure as a clear breeze and bright moon” or “as radiant as the sun and moon embracing the heart” to praise him.

Unfortunately, I’m not cultured, so all I could say was “wow” to express my amazement at the Emperor’s looks.

The Noble Consort pushed me in front of the Emperor and said with great enthusiasm,

“This is a newcomer to the palace. Your Majesty hasn’t given her a rank yet.”

The Emperor had probably forgotten me. He looked at me for a long time before he remembered, and pointed at me hesitantly.

“You are… are you from the Zhao Shilang family?”

Hearing this, I frowned and replied gloomily,

“Your Majesty, I am Jiang Ning. My father is Jiang Zhenghai, the General of Martial Might.”

Only then did the Emperor suddenly realize.

Seeing this, I felt rather upset. My father always said he had a lot of face before the Emperor, but the Emperor didn’t even remember he sent his own daughter into the palace.

Perhaps to comfort me, the Emperor, urged by the Noble Consort, bestowed upon me a set of Head Ornaments and gave me the title of Concubine Rong.

After the Emperor finished issuing the decree, the Noble Consort and I looked at him eagerly again.

“Your Majesty, is there anything else?”

The Emperor looked a little confused by the question.

He nervously asked us, “Anything else?”

The Noble Consort was about to speak, but suddenly remembered she should remain dignified and reserved. She pinched my arm, signaling me to ask for something else while the Emperor was still here.

I cheerfully lifted my face and gestured to the Emperor.

“A chef! I want the best cook in the palace.”

The Noble Consort nodded in satisfaction.

The Emperor was even more stunned this time.

He probably hadn’t expected anyone to be so eager for a reward, let alone specify what they wanted.

But the Emperor was still the Emperor. He quickly recovered from his shock.

He looked at me appraisingly.

“According to palace rules, only those of Third Rank or above can be granted an Imperial Chef.”

As he spoke, a sly glint flashed in his beautiful eyes, like a cunning old fox.

“But… if Concubine Rong works hard, it’s not impossible to be promoted to Consort Rank.”

When I heard this, my eyes instantly filled with determination.

The Noble Consort looked at the Emperor, then at me, and finally could only hold her forehead and sigh repeatedly.

“Your Majesty, stop teasing Ah Ning.”

The Emperor laughed heartily at her words, leaving me completely confused as I stared at the two of them.

After that, it seemed as if the Emperor had finally found some amusement.

He started visiting the Noble Consort’s palace every day, and would sometimes tease me a bit.

Every time he came, the Emperor would bring me delicious pastries.

But at night, they would always kick me out, and even if I wasn’t full, I couldn’t stay for a late-night snack.

One day, I couldn’t resist and sneaked back. But Jing Rong, the Noble Consort’s maid, refused to let me in no matter what.

I could only sit on the steps, sulking and refusing to leave.

The Emperor was surely eating delicious food with the Noble Consort behind my back-just because my rank was low, they wouldn’t let me join.

My desire to become a Favored Consort grew even stronger.

Thinking about this, I actually fell asleep.

The next morning, the Emperor came out looking very satisfied, but when he saw me sitting on the steps, he was startled.

I glared at him, feeling wronged, then ran inside crying to find the Noble Consort for comfort.

When the Noble Consort found out, she couldn’t stop laughing.

Her beautiful, lustrous fingers tapped me on the forehead.

“You, you… How did our palace end up with such a delightful character as Ah Ning?”