Double Queens GL - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ye Guichen returned to Changle Hall. The palace felt desolate, and the midwinter chill made the atmosphere exceptionally lonely.

“A-Meng, have the servants add more charcoal to the brazier, and warm some wine for me,” Ye Guichen said. Sleep would likely elude her tonight; she needed the wine to help her rest.

“Of course.” A-Meng immediately ordered the charcoal and warmed a small pot of red wine, knowing her mistress was struggling through a difficult night.

When A-Meng brought the wine in, she saw Ye Guichen standing by the window. She was still in her heavy ceremonial robes and full makeup, looking noble, beautiful, and utterly untouchable.

“Miss, let me help you out of those robes.” A-Meng knew the Empress’s ceremonial dress was incredibly cumbersome.

“Very well.” Ye Guichen stood still as A-Meng divested her of the layers, changing her into simple house clothes and washing away the cosmetics to reveal a fresh but still stunning face.

“Drinking on an empty stomach makes it easy to get drunk. These side dishes will help,” A-Meng said thoughtfully as servants brought in small plates of food.

“You know I won’t get drunk, nor can I afford to. I wouldn’t dare,” Ye Guichen said with a faint smile. After more than ten years in the palace, self-restraint was etched into her very bones. She could not afford a single mistake.

“Miss…” A-Meng felt a pang of sadness. How much better would it have been if her mistress had never entered the palace? Perhaps then she wouldn’t have to live so guardedly.

“There are no outsiders here. Sit and drink with me.” Ye Guichen pulled A-Meng down. In this vast palace, A-Meng was the only one she could truly talk to.

“When the new one arrives like jade, one only hears her laughter, never the tears of the old,” A-Meng muttered as she poured the wine. Thinking of Yang Zhao and Liu Henning enjoying their wedding night while her mistress drank alone filled her with indignation.

“A-Meng, do not say such things again. I don’t want to hear it,” Ye Guichen said. She had already accepted reality; she didn’t want to slip back into resentment. She had her pride—she refused to become a stereotypical “bitter woman of the deep palace.” If all else failed, she would be like the plum blossoms, blooming alone in the bitter cold.

A-Meng saw the frown on Ye Guichen’s face and quickly fell silent.

“It is best not to speak of it at all, lest you slip up in front of others. We live in the palace, not a common household. Caution is never a mistake,” Ye Guichen advised. She knew A-Meng meant well, but in this palace, her only currency was her impeccable reputation. If Yang Zhao sensed her resentment, he would only grow to loathe her.

“I understand,” A-Meng nodded. She couldn’t afford to be the reason her mistress tripped.

“You have been with me since childhood. I trust you, and I am grateful for your loyalty,” Ye Guichen said softly, patting A-Meng’s hand. “But this matter is over. Let it stay in the past.”

A-Meng looked at her mistress—the one who should be the most heartbroken was the one providing comfort. She felt that Yang Zhao was a fool for wounding such a heart. To her, her mistress was a radiant pearl, and the Emperor was simply blind.

“Miss, now that you are both Empresses, who is in charge? Who will manage the inner palace?” A-Meng asked.

“I expect we will find out tomorrow,” Ye Guichen replied calmly. Since Yang Zhao had considered deposing her, he clearly intended for Liu Henning to hold the superior position.

“I doubt she can do a better job than you,” A-Meng muttered.

“If I can keep the title but be relieved of the tedious duties, that would be a blessing in disguise,” Ye Guichen mused. She wasn’t someone who obsessed over the burden of power.

“True, but only if the new Empress is a good person,” A-Meng warned. “If she isn’t, we’ll be like ants in the palm of her hand, crushed at her whim.”

Ye Guichen went silent. Liu Henning looked kind, but in the palace, the kinder someone appeared, the more dangerous they could be. Her eyes flashed with a rare, sharp glint. She was not a defenseless victim; having grown up in the palace, she knew how to protect herself if pushed.

…

The Morning After

The next morning, the decree arrived as expected. Ye Guichen was titled the Empress of the East Palace, with all her previous stipends and treatments remaining unchanged.

“East Palace? Then the new one must be the Empress of the West Palace?” A-Meng whispered after the decree was read.

Ye Guichen shook her head. Since ancient times, the Empress resided in the Middle Palace (Zhonggong), which was the position of true authority.

She wasn’t surprised. She had lived in Changle Hall (located in the East) since she was six. When she was first crowned, Yang Zhao claimed it was because she was used to the residence, but now she realized he had been saving the Middle Palace for Liu Henning all along. She gave a small, cold laugh.

“Dress me,” Ye Guichen commanded. “We are going to Changqing Hall to pay our respects to the new Empress. And bring the Imperial Phoenix Seal.”

A-Meng was horrified. “The Seal? Miss, you aren’t going to just give it away, are you?”

“The Middle Palace is the senior position. It is only right that she holds the Seal. Keeping it would only cause friction; giving it over voluntarily shows our ‘sincerity’ and leaves a good impression,” Ye Guichen explained tonelessly.

When they arrived at Changqing Hall, the hour was neither too early nor too late, yet they were informed the new Empress was still asleep.

The favored are always fearless, Ye Guichen thought. She would have never dared to sleep in so late for fear of leaving a bad impression on her husband.

“I should go wake her,” Liu Yan said, seeing Ye Guichen sitting perfectly upright, her poise every bit the “Mother of the World.” Compared to the dignified Empress Ye, her own mistress—still snoring in bed—seemed quite unregal.

“No matter. I will wait,” Ye Guichen said with a gentle, patient smile.

Liu Yan was impressed. The rumors of Empress Ye’s virtuous and accommodating nature were clearly true. Up close, she realized Ye Guichen was a “true beauty” without equal. While she remained loyal to her own mistress, she had to admit that the woman before her was a different kind of masterpiece altogether.