Double Queens GL - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

“Um…” On the way to the Eastern Palace, Xiao Xuan watched Zhang Qingyu, who still had a face like thunder. She felt that no matter how upset her mistress was, they were about to arrive at the Eastern Palace; she had to manage her expression. One couldn’t exactly throw a tantrum in front of the Empress, could they?

“If you have something to say, say it directly! Stop hesitating all day!” Zhang Qingyu snapped. Since being framed by Yu Changping, she had a ball of fire trapped in her chest with no way to release it, making her tone impatient.

“We are almost at the Eastern Palace. Your current expression doesn’t look like you’re going to pay respects…” Xiao Xuan reminded her tactfully.

“Then what does it look like?” Zhang Qingyu retorted crossly. She was in no mood to worry about her appearance.

“It looks like you’re coming to collect a debt from the Empress! Like you’re ready to eat someone alive!” Fearing Zhang Qingyu wouldn’t understand the subtle hint, Xiao Xuan spoke plainly.

“I do want to eat someone! I want to swallow that little wench Yu Changping whole!” Zhang Qingyu said venomously. Since entering the palace, she had never been this livid.

“Let’s suppress this for a moment. After paying your respects to the Empress with proper decorum, then we can go to Anshou Hall to settle the score with Lady Yu,” Xiao Xuan urged. She truly feared her expressive mistress would carry that sour face into the Eastern Palace.

“I’m not stupid. How could I possibly give the cold shoulder to the Empress of the Eastern Palace!” Zhang Qingyu huffed. She wasn’t a total “idiot beauty”; she understood the stakes. It was just those little wenches in the palace slandering her.

Xiao Xuan thought to herself: Mistress understands the logic, but she might not be able to hide the emotion. Although Zhang Qingyu’s face softened slightly, she still looked quite displeased.

Strangely enough, the moment they reached the gates of Changle Hall, Zhang Qingyu instinctively became dignified. She followed every protocol to the letter, not daring to be as unrestrained as she was at the Central Palace. The Empress of the Eastern Palace truly possessed a regal aura that carried a strong deterrent effect. Xiao Xuan had worried that after spending two days acting casually with the new Empress, her mistress might forget her place, but it seemed she had worried for nothing.

“Your Highness, Lady Zhang is here to pay her respects,” a servant reported.

At that moment, Ye Guichen was discussing the new seasonal clothing, food arrangements for each hall, and the upcoming ancestral sacrifices with the Bureau of Palace Services. Fortunately, they were almost finished, leaving only a few minor details to settle.

“Have her wait a moment,” Ye Guichen said coolly. She continued giving instructions to the female officials of the Six Bureaus.

After waiting for fifteen minutes, Zhang Qingyu saw the officials emerge. They bowed to her and departed. Zhang Qingyu had seen Ye Guichen’s style of governing the harem before and envied it immensely, wondering when she would ever be that grand. By contrast, Liu Hening at the Central Palace often made her forget she was an Empress; Liu Hening simply didn’t act like one.

“Her Highness bids you enter,” Ye Meng said, coming out to greet her.

Zhang Qingyu didn’t dare act out in front of Ye Meng, the Empress’s closest confidante. She had once thought of sucking up to Ye Meng to get on the Empress’s good side, but she soon realized that “like master, like servant”—Ye Meng, like Ye Guichen, seemed to have no favorites among the women and treated everyone with the same icy impartiality. Since she couldn’t win her over, Zhang Qingyu gave up. She felt that while Ye Guichen appeared gentle and polite to everyone, she was actually quite devoid of human warmth. At least if she couldn’t be bribed, no one else could bribe her either.

Because Ye Guichen was close to no one and showed no favoritism, her prestige was absolute. Everyone respected her.

Entering the hall, Zhang Qingyu saw Ye Guichen drinking tea. Even the way she held her cup was elegant and full of poise. Zhang Qingyu desperately wanted to be a woman like her—with that status, that grace.

“Qingyu pays respects to Your Highness. May you enjoy eternal peace,” she said, bowing perfectly.

“Lady Zhang looks to be in good spirits. You must be fully recovered,” Ye Guichen said softly.

“This servant is usually as strong as an ox; a little illness now and then is no matter,” Zhang Qingyu said, feeling a bit embarrassed by her own bluntness.

“Lady Zhang is as true to her nature as ever,” Ye Guichen said with a slight smile.

Before today, Zhang Qingyu would have taken “true to her nature” as a compliment to her honesty. But now, she suspected Ye Guichen was subtly implying she was a “blockhead.” She was becoming paranoid about her own intelligence, and she blamed every bit of it on that wench Yu Changping. She wanted to tear her apart right now!

“Haha,” Zhang Qingyu laughed awkwardly.

“Hmm?” Ye Guichen raised an eyebrow slightly. Had she said something wrong?

“Your Highness must be busy. This servant won’t disturb you further,” Zhang Qingyu said, standing up to take her leave. She was dying to find Yu Changping and settle the account.

“Very well. You may go,” Ye Guichen replied. She felt a flash of displeasure. Usually, concubines stayed until she dismissed them; this was the first time someone had been so eager to leave. On the surface, she remained unruffled, merely taking a sip of tea.

“This servant takes her leave.”

Xiao Xuan felt exhausted. Her mistress had no sense of propriety. It was lucky the Empress was virtuous enough not to care, or she could have been punished for being disrespectful.

…

“It seems Lady Zhang has indeed defected to the Central Palace,” Ye Meng said crossly after Zhang Qingyu left in a hurry. “Her seat wasn’t even warm before she rushed off, yet she stayed for dinner at the Central Palace yesterday.”

“Why bother getting upset over an ‘idiot beauty’?” Ye Guichen replied. While she was annoyed by the lack of etiquette, stooping to that level would be beneath her.

“A mere Lady doesn’t even put you in her eyes. I’m unhappy,” Ye Meng muttered.

“No one bothers to weigh a feather. If it truly becomes an eyesore, a simple breath will blow it away without any effort,” Ye Guichen said. Her meaning was clear: Zhang Qingyu was insignificant. In her eyes, only one person was worth her enmity; the others didn’t matter.

“True,” Ye Meng agreed, feeling better.

…

“Are we going back to the Central Palace now?” Xiao Xuan asked as they left.

“No! I’m going to Anshou Hall to settle the score!” Zhang Qingyu snapped. She had no interest in playing at the Central Palace; she had suffered a huge loss of face and was fuming. If she didn’t deal with Yu Changping today, she wouldn’t be able to breathe.

She led Xiao Xuan toward Anshou Hall with murderous intent.

“Are you going to hit her?” Xiao Xuan asked.

“Hit her? I’m going to beat her to death!” Previously, Zhang Qingyu felt she couldn’t bring herself to hit someone so weak, but now she felt she could do it without any guilt. Since she was a higher rank, the girl just had to take it!

“She set you up first, and your rank is higher. Giving her a lesson is only right—just don’t actually kill her!” Xiao Xuan said. Her mistress’s reputation was already ruined as “stupid and cruel,” so they might as well live up to it and get some revenge.

…

Meanwhile, at Anshou Hall, Yu Changping was carefully breaking off a tiny piece of the ginseng root hair to give to Shou’er.

“Take this to the Imperial Kitchen. Have them stew a chicken soup with it. You must watch them personally to ensure they don’t swap it for something else,” Yu Changping instructed. In this weather, a bowl of ginseng chicken soup would be perfect. She sniffed the root; even a tiny hair smelled incredibly potent. It would be very nourishing.

Shou’er thought to herself: If someone wanted to swap it, they’d swap it for something better. The root hair was barely thicker than a strand of human hair; no one would bother stealing it. But she didn’t say that aloud. She knew her mistress was obsessed with her health, so she obediently took the tiny hair to the kitchen.

Yu Changping lay on her couch wrapped in thick quilts, missing the warmth of the other halls.

…

At the Central Palace, Liu Hening waited for Zhang Qingyu to return, but instead, she received a visit from Yang Zhao. She didn’t find him annoying, but she found the beauties more interesting. She thought about how all the women in the palace probably longed for him to visit. Surely Huachao (Ye Guichen) felt the same way? Huachao was so beautiful; how could Yang Zhao bear to neglect her?

Liu Hening felt that her own arrival and appointment as Empress must have hurt Huachao deeply. She simply wanted Huachao to be happy.

“Junshen, why don’t you go see Huachao today?” she suggested.

“Hmm? Did Huachao say something to you?” Yang Zhao asked, surprised. No woman in the harem had ever pushed him toward someone else.

“Huachao is so well-behaved; you know she would never say a word. But you shouldn’t bully her just because she’s quiet! Since you insisted on me entering the palace and becoming Empress, she must be feeling wronged. I want you to be better to her,” Liu Hening said.

“Ning’er, you are so kind to think of her. You and Huachao are both my wives; I am glad you can support one another. I have indeed neglected her lately. I will take your advice and stay at Changle Hall tomorrow night.”

Yang Zhao realized it had been a while. He had been staying with Liu Hening for the past month, hoping to conceive an heir. He was over thirty and only had three daughters; he was desperate for a son. When he had first gotten engaged to Liu Hening, the fortune teller said her horoscope was excellent for “prospering her husband and bearing sons.” Indeed, less than a month after their engagement, he—one of three potential heirs—had been chosen. He believed she brought him luck, even though he’d had to temporarily break their engagement and marry Ye Guichen to secure his position. He always intended to bring Liu Hening back once the world was his.

“Don’t wait until tomorrow. Today is a good day. Go now,” Liu Hening insisted.

“What woman pushes her husband out the door like this?” Yang Zhao laughed, both touched and exasperated.

“But you are Huachao’s husband too!” she said righteously. She couldn’t stand the thought of Huachao being lonely. She was even a bit jealous of Yang Zhao—he could visit Huachao whenever he wanted, while she was restricted to the 8th and 23rd! If she were Huachao’s husband, Huachao would surely be so gentle with her!

“Fine, fine. I will go tonight, but I’ll stay here with you during the day.” Yang Zhao thought of Ye Guichen’s stunning face. She was perfect in every way—too perfect, which made him feel a bit less “at home” with her than he did with Ning’er.