After Rebirth, My Wife Turned Out to Be Myself - Chapter 20

Meanwhile, on the other side, Xie Anyu, still dressed in an Imperial Guard uniform, ran with her head down.

Just now, she had instinctively refused the Deputy Commander’s invitation to have an audience with the Emperor.

Anyu herself couldn’t say why.

What her eldest brother had said kept echoing in her mind—

“You… also shouldn’t place your heart on her.”

Xie Anyu stopped in her tracks and mumbled, “Eldest Brother talks nonsense. My heart is clearly on myself, how could it be on her…”

She hated… that person, she didn’t have time for anything else.

Thinking this in her heart, she couldn’t help but recall the Female Emperor’s smiling face and gentle voice—

“Consort Wan… eat slowly.”

“Consort Wan’s pillow is nice.”

“Only one copy of the rare book. I’ll say it again, no staying up late to read, otherwise it will be confiscated.”

Always smiling gently, the reflection of herself in those eyes seemed particularly different.

Actually… the sickly Emperor wasn’t that annoying…

Xie Anyu hugged her head and shook it, “No, no, she just covets my pillow, and the rare book is just bait, just to lure me into helping her.”

Her own words seemed to resonate with her. Xie Anyu lowered her gaze.

That’s right, after half a month of getting along, thinking about it seriously, she knew that Emperor Ruiming was different from what her father said. On the contrary, she had a lot on her mind and was a person with strong planning skills.

For example, this time the property confiscation, she clearly just sat in the palace, yet the Xu family suffered a great loss. Minister Qian was locked up in the Censorate Office, and that manor was confiscated and returned to the state.

And the Xie family and she were just one part of the Emperor’s plan, a sharp blade for Her Majesty to punish corrupt officials this time!

Xie Anyu shed the panic brought by first hearing the words ‘love and affection’, and pouted, “Eldest Brother thinks I’m stupid. I’m going to leave the palace in the future and become a general.”

How could she place her heart on the Emperor?

“And even if it were the first stirrings of love, I should like men, right? Eldest Brother is really worrying for nothing,” Xie Anyu shook her head with a world-weary air.

Yes, she would never like the Emperor.

As for her being close to the Emperor now, it was because the Emperor might be a good emperor, and she, being in the palace, happened to be a ‘bridge’ between Her Majesty and the Xie family.

Being close had its reasons.

It wasn’t that if they got along a little better, it was love and affection. It wasn’t strange for girls to get along well.

That’s right, Xie Anyu, upon first hearing about love, after struggling all the way, decisively chose the easiest method—

Avoidance.

Xie Anyu was happy, her small hands behind her back, swaggering towards her Wanyi Palace.

However, she hadn’t gone far when she stopped upon passing the Imperial Garden.

Xie Anyu had been in the palace for half a month, and while she didn’t come to the Imperial Garden every day, she came every few days.

For no other reason than that the Imperial Garden wasn’t far from Wanyi Palace, and besides going to the Martial Arts Ground, she would come to the Imperial Garden to stretch her limbs.

Usually, the Imperial Garden was very quiet.

Today, there were many more people.

Xie Anyu tilted her head, her small hands behind her back, and looked.

It was a group of men.

About three to five people, each with their own attendants and maids, sitting in separate corners, some holding umbrellas, some serving.

Xie Anyu looked closely. It was the first time she had seen men wearing so many colors.

Unlike her eldest brother, who always wore elegant and simple robes, or her second brother, who always wore armor, even her most flamboyant younger cousin didn’t have as many colors as these people.

However, although their clothes were flashy, these people were all exceptionally good-looking.

Coupled with the attendants following behind each person… Anyu also guessed their identities.

They must be the ‘male consorts’ of the harem.

But… what were they all gathered here for?

Xie Anyu’s ears were sharp, so she could hear their conversation clearly from a distance.

“Will Her Majesty really come?” Someone was already getting impatient, not knowing how long they had been sitting there.

“Who was it who spread the word in the palace that Her Majesty likes to come to the Imperial Garden to admire flowers after morning court and after meals?”

“Exactly. I’ve been waiting here for two days and haven’t seen a trace of Her Majesty…” Someone sighed.

Although they were complaining, none of them intended to leave early.

This was the current situation in the harem.

Selections were held every year, including sons of officials and commoners with good talent and appearance. But people came to the palace every year, and every year no one heard of anyone gaining favor in any palace.

Whatever rank they entered with, that was still their rank now.

So how could they not be anxious?

Before, Her Majesty stayed in the Imperial Study all day. Because she was in poor health, let alone engaging in sexual relations, she wouldn’t even flip a name tag.

But now it was different!

Her Majesty seemed to have changed. Haven’t you heard the rumors? Her Majesty often comes to the Imperial Garden now, and inquiries by palace servants also say that Her Majesty no longer stays in the Imperial Study all day reviewing memorials.

Isn’t this an opportunity for all the men in the harem?

Therefore, they naturally had to find every way to be seen by Her Majesty.

If the Emperor was greatly pleased, perhaps their ranks could also be raised. You know, those in higher ranks in the palace also received more monthly allowance.

So even though they complained verbally, everyone still waited obediently.

But waiting didn’t mean doing nothing.

“Her Majesty’s birthday is also approaching. What have you all prepared for Her Majesty? Zither, Go, calligraphy, painting… Her Majesty must be tired of those, right?”

“Zither, Go, calligraphy, painting…” One of them sneered lightly, “Every year Young Master Xu’s brilliance is before us, let’s not make a fool of ourselves by presenting ours at Her Majesty’s birthday banquet.”

“But doesn’t Her Majesty like these things?” Another shook his head.

Xie Anyu listened carefully. Birthday? The Emperor was having a birthday soon?

Did everyone in the harem have to give gifts?

A hint of hesitation arose in Xie Anyu’s heart.

The Emperor liked those things… but zither, Go, calligraphy, painting… she didn’t seem to know any of them.

She could only write decent characters, but poetry and essays… she wasn’t very good at them.

“It’s not necessarily Young Master Xu who stands out. Have you forgotten, this time a Lady Consort Wan also came to the palace.”

Xie Anyu:!

They were talking about her!

“This Lady Consort Wan is also quite skilled. A young lady, yet she can charm our Female Emperor so much that she doesn’t even review memorials. I sent someone to inquire, and Her Majesty has dinner with Lady Consort Wan five out of ten times,” the ‘young master’ who said this was both envious and jealous.

Gaining imperial favor meant being above others in this palace.

“That Lady Consort Wan is backed by the Xie General’s Manor. Her status is not something we can compare with,” one who was relatively calm said.

“So what? She’s a woman, and Her Majesty is also a woman. Without the ability to produce heirs for the royal family, she’s not much of a threat.”

Xie Anyu: “…”

What if she couldn’t produce heirs? Xie Anyu muttered inwardly, as if saying that little babies could come out of their bellies.

But she also couldn’t imagine the sickly Emperor with a big belly.

Just thinking about it, she even felt the image was too abrupt, making her unhappy.

Just then, a sound came from behind—

“Grand Consort Qin arrives—”

The attendant’s shout was not low. Anyu turned her head to look.

A group of maids carefully surrounded the beautiful woman in the center and slowly walked over.

Why call her a beautiful woman? It was because although this Grand Consort Qin was the late Emperor’s noble concubine, she was not old at all. The Prince under her knee was now twelve years old, and this Grand Consort Qin was only in her thirties.

However, perhaps due to her rank, her attire was relatively more mature, and the colors she used were mostly dark. Rather than saying she was still charming, it was better to say she was dignified and elegant.

“Who is that?” Suddenly, Grand Consort Qin also noticed Anyu’s fixed gaze, was surprised for a moment, and then asked the maid beside her.

The maid just glanced and said, “Lady Grand Consort, that is an Imperial Guard in the palace.”

Anyu: …

Oh right, she was still wearing the Imperial Guard uniform at the moment.

In front of her were the group of male consorts, and behind her was Grand Consort Qin. Anyu, wearing the Imperial Guard uniform, stood alone in the middle.

“I know, but since when were there women in the Imperial Guard?” Grand Consort Qin’s eyes were sharp, and with just one look, she saw that the Xie Anyu in front of her was a young lady.

The maids were also surprised upon hearing this and quickly blocked in front of Grand Consort Qin.

Xie Anyu knew she couldn’t escape, so she bowed and said, “Your subject-concubine Xie Wan… greets the Grand Consort.”

Grand Consort Qin’s gaze shifted, “Consort Wan?”

“…Yes.”

The servants present were also surprised. Consort Wan? Wasn’t that the one who had been most favored in the palace recently? They heard that Her Majesty allowed her free access to the Martial Arts Ground…

Looking at her attire, it seemed that Consort Wan being favored was true.

Grand Consort Qin was about to say something, but the ‘young masters’ over there had already noticed this side and stood up one after another, respectfully coming over to greet her.

“Greetings to the Grand Consort!”

A large group of people.

Grand Consort Qin: “Dispense with the formalities. I just came to the Imperial Garden for a walk. You may all do as you please.”

“Yes.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Anyu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. When the Grand Consort left, she would also find an opportunity to slip away.

Just as she was thinking this, Grand Consort Qin suddenly said, “Consort Wan, accompany me for a walk in the garden.”

Xie Anyu:!

“…Yes.” Xie Anyu pursed her lips.

Grand Consort Qin walked in front, and Xie Anyu followed closely, dressed in her Imperial Guard uniform, with a group of maids following behind to serve.

So many people walked along the stone path, and the young masters watched blankly.

What did the Grand Consort just call that ‘Imperial Guard’?

“She’s Consort Wan?!” One young master looked astonished.

Ah?

Consort Wan?

The one rumored to be the most favored?

The young masters exchanged glances.

They thought they had just lost to a woman, but they didn’t expect that she didn’t even dress like a woman.

Does Her Majesty… like this kind?

Everyone felt shocked.

…

Before long, the news reached Xie Wan’s ears.

“Your Majesty, Lady Consort Wan has been taken back to her palace by Grand Consort Qin,” Zhaoxia reported in a hurry.

Lady Consort Wan had learned very little about palace rules. What if Grand Consort Qin was displeased and made things difficult for Lady Consort Wan?

Xie Wan was also stunned for a moment.

However, she wasn’t particularly worried.

Grand Consort Qin had been able to stay in the palace for so long because she was best at assessing the situation.

If she was smart, she wouldn’t do anything to little Anyu.

However…

She should also go see little Anyu.

After all, whether it was confiscating the manor or her eldest cousin entering the court, she had to thank her meritorious subordinate.

“Prepare the imperial carriage. Let’s go see the Grand Consort’s palace.”

“Yes!”