Double Queens GL - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Since the Empress was waiting of her own free will, Liu Yan felt it would be truly improper to let her sit there. If word got out, people might think her mistress was intentionally snubbing the senior Empress. Thus, Liu Yan went inside to wake the new bride on the phoenix bed.

“Miss, wake up…” Liu Yan gently shook her mistress.

“No… I’m still so sleepy…” Liu Henning murmured, her brow furrowing with dissatisfaction. Her beautiful eyes remained tightly shut; she clearly had no intention of rising.

“Miss, don’t sleep anymore, wake up!” Liu Yan persisted, shaking her even harder. She had to get her up.

“Has the sky fallen?” Liu Henning asked petulantly, finally forcing her eyes open with great reluctance.

“The sky hasn’t fallen, but you can’t keep a fellow Empress waiting outside forever! You’ve just become Empress yourself; you should at least try to get along. She doesn’t know your temperament yet—if you make her wait like this, she’ll think you’re putting on airs!” Liu Yan started her habitual nagging.

Empress? What Empress? Liu Henning was still dazed from sleep, but the realization hit her quickly: she was no longer at the Liu estate in Jiangdu; she was in the palace.

“Ye Guichen? Why is she looking for me so early?” At the thought of that beauty, Liu Henning woke up instantly. She was curious—the woman had acted like a total stranger last night, yet here she was today.

“She says she’s here to pay her respects. I must say, with that dignified grace and composed manner of hers, she really looks exactly like an Empress should,” Liu Yan couldn’t help but praise.

“Right? I think Junshen’s Empress is truly beyond reproach. She’s beautiful and sensible; if I were a man, I’d want to marry a woman like that too. Unlike Junshen, who isn’t satisfied even with her,” Liu Henning said. She seemed genuinely pleased to hear Liu Yan praise Ye Guichen, as if it confirmed her own good taste, before moving on to complain about her new husband. She suspected that if Junshen ever lost this beauty’s heart, it wouldn’t be easy to win back.

“Didn’t you say yourself that he wouldn’t mind adding another unique flower to the garden?” Liu Yan noted. To her, the Emperor’s mindset was understandable—if one can have both fish and bear’s paw, why choose?

“True. I should clean up quickly; I can’t keep a beauty waiting.” Liu Henning rinsed her mouth, washed her face, and chewed on a few fresh, green mint leaves to freshen her breath.

“Let the servants do your hair and makeup,” Liu Yan suggested. Neither of them grew up in the palace, so only the local staff knew exactly what style a new Empress should wear the morning after her wedding.

“How long would that take? I’ll just change my clothes.” Liu Henning hated the restrictive palace robes and felt much more comfortable in her own attire.

“Miss, this is the palace, not home!” Liu Yan said, her head aching.

“Didn’t Junshen say I could do as I pleased after the wedding?” Ignoring Liu Yan’s protests, Liu Henning picked out an elegant, plain white outfit she had brought from Jiangdu. Without even pinning up her hair, she ran out with her tresses flowing loose, unwilling to let the beauty wait a moment longer.

…

The Confrontation of Styles

Though Ye Guichen maintained her mask of infinite patience and gentle virtue, she was inwardly fuming. She had never been made to wait like this; Liu Henning certainly had an enormous ego.

Just then, she saw Liu Henning rush out. Her hair was loose, she clearly had just rolled out of bed, and she was dressed in pure white. It didn’t look like the day after a grand wedding; it looked like she was in mourning. She hasn’t a shred of an Empress’s dignity, Ye Guichen thought sharply.

Yet, as she looked closer, the outfit seemed to suit Liu Henning perfectly. Because of the ethereal quality in her eyes, the white clothing gave her a clean, otherworldly aura—as if she were untouched by the dust of the mortal world. So this is why Yang Zhao loves her, Ye Guichen realized. For this breath of air that isn’t stained by the secular world.

Liu Henning saw Ye Guichen sitting there, her posture perfectly straight, her makeup flawless—exquisite, dignified, and seemingly unapproachable. To Liu Henning, Ye Guichen looked like the most magnificent, vibrant peony in the garden—regal, self-possessed, and proud. It made Liu Henning want to reach out and touch those brilliant “petals.” This version of Ye Guichen was different from the cold, lonely figure she had seen in the snow; every facet of this woman was a delight to behold.

“Guichen pays her respects to Your Majesty,” Ye Guichen said, standing up to perform the formal greeting.

Liu Henning rushed forward to catch her arms and stop the bow. “You are an Empress too, why are you paying me respects?”

“Your Majesty is the Empress of the Middle Palace. Your status is above mine; it is only right that I pay my respects,” Ye Guichen said mechanically, sticking strictly to protocol.

“Did Junshen say the Middle Palace is above the East Palace? He didn’t. Since he didn’t say it, there is no difference. We are equals. Let’s sit and talk,” Liu Henning said. She felt Junshen was being meddlesome by creating these “East” and “Middle” distinctions, making “Huachao” feel so uneasy.

“The Middle Palace has been the senior rank since ancient times. Even if not stated, it is common knowledge. Your Majesty need not go out of your way to be ‘considerate’ of me,” Ye Guichen replied, sitting down but maintaining her stiff, formal tone.

“Huachao, let’s not talk about such depressing things. How old are you?” Liu Henning ignored the talk of ranks and asked something she was actually interested in. She took Ye Guichen’s hand in hers, her tone intimate.

Ye Guichen was caught off guard. This woman was holding her hand, using her intimate childhood name, ignoring her formal points, and asking her age. What is she playing at? “I was born in the year of Yisi (23 years ago). I came today to hand over the Imperial Phoenix Seal to Your Majesty’s care,” Ye Guichen answered, trying to return to her objective.

“So Huachao is one year older than me,” Liu Henning said, as if she hadn’t heard the part about the seal. “You’re only twenty-three; you should be more lively.”

Ye Guichen felt a surge of irritation at being repeatedly ignored.

“Your Majesty is the head of the Middle Palace; the Seal should rightfully be in your keeping,” Ye Guichen repeated patiently, her voice remains silky smooth despite her mounting annoyance. She was determined not to lose her temper.

“Huachao, you are clearly unhappy, yet your face remains so gentle. Are there two people living inside you?” Liu Henning asked with a smile, looking directly into her eyes. She found herself liking “Huachao” more and more; this woman was clearly fascinating.

Ye Guichen’s face froze for a split second. She felt a sense of exposure and humiliation, like her mask had been ripped off. A truly “clever” person would see through a facade but never speak it aloud. This Liu Henning was a wildcard—far more dangerous and unpredictable than she had anticipated.

“Your Majesty is overthinking. I am not unhappy,” Ye Guichen denied with even greater sweetness, making herself look like the innocent victim of a baseless accusation.

“Fine. If Huachao says she isn’t, then she isn’t,” Liu Henning said indulgently. She figured the Empress simply didn’t like people knowing she had two sides.

In Ye Guichen’s eyes, this “indulgent” tone was the ultimate insult. It was as if Liu Henning were saying: I see through your act, but since you’re lying, I’ll just play along. It made her want to explode with rage, but she could only offer a generous, albeit slightly awkward, smile.

Liu Henning was confused. She could sense the Empress was even angrier now, but she didn’t know which word had caused it. A beauty’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, she thought, impossible to fathom.

“Now, what were you saying about the Seal?” she asked, trying to be a “good girl” and bring the topic back to appease her guest.