The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 80 The Arrogance of No One

Perhaps it was because she had made too much noise last night, but Xu Jiaojiao's back was aching terribly, and she felt dizzy and weak all over.

She sat on the stool with her eyes closed, letting Lianye do her hair and makeup, and almost fell asleep during the process.

"My lord, you're all dressed up. Let's go to Mingkun Courtyard to pay our respects and express our gratitude..."

Seeing that she was really tired, Lianye handed her a cup of warm milk to help her wake up.

Unlike its usual sweet aroma, when Xu Jiaojiao picked up the milk, she found it had a pungent, fishy smell that made her feel nauseous.

She was instantly wide awake, suppressing her nausea, and put down the milk: "Let's go."

The thought of stepping into Mingkun Courtyard and hearing those women speak with barbs and veiled barbs made Xu Jiaojiao feel annoyed and restless.

Strange, she wasn't like this before, why is she so agitated today?

Xu Jiaojiao suppressed her annoyance, attributing it to the hot weather and her lack of rest, which made her feel unwell.

Upon arriving at Mingkun Courtyard and entering the room, the women who had been chattering all fell silent.

All sorts of scheming glances fell on Xu Jiaojiao. She subtly furrowed her brow, stepped forward, and bowed slightly: "Greetings, Your Highness. May Your Highness be well."

The princess nodded slightly: "Get up."

She paused, then took a phoenix hairpin from her hair and handed it to Granny Wang: "Sister Xu is a beauty of unparalleled grace and deeply favored by Prince Chen. Today, she has been promoted to the rank of Consort, which is truly a joyous occasion and worthy of celebration."

This phoenix hairpin was part of my dowry, and I bestow it upon my younger sister as a special gift. I hope she will not disappoint the Prince's kindness and will soon bear him an heir.

Xu Jiaojiao bowed calmly to express her gratitude: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I will remember your teachings and never fail to live up to your guidance and the Prince's affection."

Lianye, standing to the side, carefully accepted the phoenix hairpin by presenting it above her head with both hands.

All the women in the room were staring at Xu Jiaojiao; the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Xu Jiaojiao lowered her eyes and sat down on her own.

Some couldn't contain themselves and couldn't help but purse their lips and mutter under their breath, "She's just a concubine, what a big shot she is. I wonder who she's putting on that sour face for?"

Although the sound wasn't loud, everyone inside the room could hear it clearly.

Xu Jiaojiao raised her eyelids and glanced over, her eyes revealing a sharp yet indifferent edge, which made the person who spoke feel a tightness in their throat and break out in a cold sweat.

Indeed, power and money are the best at nurturing people.

She had only been promoted to concubine for a short time, and now no one could tell that Xu Jiaojiao was once just a maid who could be trampled on by everyone.

The atmosphere inside was tense.

Xu Jiaojiao looked away and took a sip of tea.

Normally, she wouldn't say a word, but today she didn't want to see these women's jealous and sarcastic faces.

She put down her teacup, gave a cryptic chuckle, then stood up and looked at the princess: "Your Highness, I am feeling a little tired and would like to take my leave."

She had barely sat down, barely even warmed the chair, when Xu Jiaojiao left again.

This woman is really arrogant!

She's just a concubine, yet she dares to be so arrogant and spoiled. She's truly a fool who doesn't even know her own limitations!

The princess's hands, hidden in her sleeves, tightened slightly, and a vein throbbed on her forehead.

She suppressed her anger and smiled gently and kindly: "It's unbearably hot today. It's kind of you to come and pay your respects to me every day. The sun will become even more scorching soon, so all of you sisters should go back together."

Having received the message, Xu Jiaojiao bowed slightly and turned to leave. The others exchanged glances and followed suit, taking their leave one after another.

After everyone had left, the princess's eyes suddenly darkened.

"Granny Wang, how is Madam Su now?"

Sensing the annoyance in the princess's tone, Granny Wang immediately replied, "A few days ago, news came from the Protectorate that Miss Su's health has improved recently, and she is very likely to go on the autumn hunt."

The princess's eyes flashed, all the hostility in them vanished, replaced by a playful smile.

The autumn hunt is less than two months away. She'll use that opportunity to send Su Shi to Prince Chen. She wants to see if Xu Jiaojiao will still be as arrogant as she is now...

Inside the Stone Warm Pavilion.

During this period of time, under the care of the physician, Zheng Antong's hysteria seemed to have improved significantly, and he rarely acted crazy and hurt people anymore.

Perhaps due to the great blow, Zheng Antong has changed from her former arrogant and domineering self to a quiet and silent person who is completely different from before.

Upon hearing from the servants that Xu Jiaojiao had been promoted to a concubine, a ripple appeared in her eyes, which had been as calm as still water.

Green Lotus cautiously observed her expression. Seeing that she had no reaction, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and tentatively asked, "Is Master hungry? How about I go to the kitchen and get some food?"

Zheng Antong nodded slightly: "Okay."

Since being demoted to a concubine and losing all her support, Zheng Antong has not had a proper meal. The food she receives from the kitchen every day is either cold or unpalatable "pig swill." She hasn't seen meat in a long time, and even the top maids in the Prince's mansion eat better than her.

After receiving the message, Lü Ping left. Zheng Antong slowly raised his head. His usually round and bright eyes were now slightly bulging and bloodshot, giving him a somewhat frightening and menacing appearance at first glance.

She walked expressionlessly to the cabinet, took out a needle and thread, and began to knit clothes stitch by stitch like a puppet.

Looking at the clothes that were beginning to take shape in her hands, she gave a strange smile and kept muttering, "Thirty-four days... thirty-four days..."

……

Since Qixi Festival, the backyard has been unusually peaceful.

Although the exceptional promotion of Xu Jiaojiao to the rank of concubine caused some ripples, Prince Chen publicly declared that Xu Jiaojiao had repeatedly risked her life to protect him, so outsiders stopped saying anything more.

As for the women in the inner quarters, most of them were afraid of Prince Chen's majesty and dared not make any moves against Xu Jiaojiao, who was currently enjoying great popularity.

Days passed by, and the night air gradually grew cooler.

Looking at the leaves in the yard that were already turning yellow, Xu Jiaojiao sighed at how time flies; it seemed like autumn had arrived in the blink of an eye.

These days she has become increasingly lazy, often sleeping for half a day at a time, and her body has become increasingly plump.

As dusk approached, Lianye entered the courtyard carrying a basket of jujube cakes: "Master, here are the jujube cakes you requested. How do you like them?"

Xu Jiaojiao picked up a piece, took a small bite, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction: "It tastes good."

Although I didn't eat the lotus leaves, I couldn't help but shiver from the sour smell.

My master has recently developed a craving for sour foods.

Xu Jiaojiao nestled in the hanging basket, staring blankly at the sunset on the horizon, her mind wandering to all sorts of random thoughts.

Coincidentally, after Qixi Festival, the tea shop she co-owned with Jia Rong suddenly became incredibly popular, as if it were under a spell.

The two of them opened several branches, squeezing out other tea shops in Kyoto to the point of almost going out of business.

During this period, the tea shop's business even surpassed that of the pastry shop, and Xu Jiaojiao and Jia Rong made a fortune. Xu Jiaojiao's happiest moment every day was holding the account book and calculating on the abacus...