Double Queens GL - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Most people living in the palace were well-informed. Hearing that Ye Guichen was still in charge of the inner court, they realized that the former Empress had not truly lost power. Truly, the older the ginger, the spicier it gets.

“Your Majesty, Consort Su, Imperial Concubine Li, Lady Wang, Lady Zheng, and others have arrived to pay their respects,” a palace servant reported.

Ye Guichen had just finished her breakfast.

“They moved much faster than I expected,” Ye Meng said with a laugh, her tone laced with a hint of mockery.

“Show them in,” Ye Guichen said calmly, her expression unruffled.

A dozen or so young and beautiful women entered, respectfully paying their respects to Ye Guichen.

“Sit down, all of you. Serve tea.” Ye Guichen’s attitude toward these women remained unchanged. Her tone and pace were perfectly measured—a fraction softer and she would seem weak; a fraction firmer and she would seem overbearing. She was gentle yet retained her natural authority.

“I caught a bit of a cold a few days ago and have been recovering in my chambers. I didn’t dare come to pay my respects for fear of passing the illness to Your Majesty,” Su Qingqing spoke first, finding an excuse for her absence over the past few days.

“Your health is what matters. Formalities are secondary. Is the Consort feeling better now?” Ye Guichen replied as if she believed the excuse, turning the conversation toward Su Qingqing’s well-being.

In the first two years of their marriage, while the previous Emperor and Empress were still alive, Yang Zhao and Ye Guichen had been quite affectionate. After Yang Zhao became Emperor, he no longer favored her alone. Ministers and others were constantly sending beauties to the inner court, and Su Qingqing was one of them. As Emperor, Yang Zhao naturally enjoyed “distributing his rain and dew” equally among various beauties. Naturally, his level of affection varied; since entering the palace two years ago, Su Qingqing had been one of his favorites and had been promoted the fastest.

Initially, as the number of times Yang Zhao stayed in her palace dwindled, Ye Guichen felt heartbroken but still held onto hope. It wasn’t until Yang Zhao attempted to depose her that her heart truly died. She used to harbor a hidden hostility toward Su Qingqing while forcing herself to act magnanimous. Now, looking at her again, she felt no ripples of emotion—she had finally become truly magnanimous.

“I am much better, fully recovered,” Su Qingqing said quickly. Strangely, although Ye Guichen was always polite and gentle, Su Qingqing still felt a sense of awe and fear toward her. It was likely because Ye Guichen came from an elite background and was raised in the palace; every gesture she made possessed an innate elegance and nobility.

“That is good,” Ye Guichen said with a slight, comforted smile.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.” Seeing that Ye Guichen’s attitude was no different from the past, Su Qingqing felt slightly relieved.

“By coincidence, I also broke out in a rash a few days ago…” Imperial Concubine Li chimed in, afraid that someone else would snatch all the good excuses. It was fine if one or two people said it, but if everyone did, it would become awkward even if Ye Guichen didn’t call them out.

“It is the height of winter, and the weather is freezing. You must all take care of yourselves. Later, I will have the imperial physicians prepare some preventive medicine to be sent to each hall,” Ye Guichen said with a smile. She wanted them to stop right there, lest they exhaust their wits looking for excuses. They might not find it tiring, but she was bored of hearing it.

“We thank the Empress for the medicine,” the group of concubines rose to give thanks.

“By the way, have you gone to Changqing Hall to pay your respects yet?” Ye Guichen asked.

“Not yet. We specifically came to pay our respects to Your Majesty first,” Lady Wang said, clearly trying to signal their loyalty to Changle Hall.

“She is the Empress of the Middle Palace, and her rank is above mine. In the future, when you pay your respects, go to Changqing Hall first, then come to Changle Hall. Today the situation was unclear and you didn’t know, so it doesn’t matter. Just remember it for the future. I have just returned from paying my respects at Changqing Hall myself,” Ye Guichen stated. Since Yang Zhao wanted to elevate Liu Hening’s status, she would follow his lead—she would help him elevate her.

The women looked at each other in surprise. They had assumed Ye Guichen would be resentful, but she appeared completely unbothered, as if she were perfectly willing to accept a lower status. They couldn’t tell if she was truly this virtuous or simply incredibly patient. Either way, it was intimidating.

“Understood,” they answered obediently.

After some idle small talk, Ye Guichen dismissed them.

Once they left Changle Hall, they headed together to Changqing Hall. In truth, they didn’t want two Empresses—who wanted yet another master to please? However, they were genuinely curious about this new Empress who had been betrothed to the Emperor for years and whom he had never forgotten. Previously, the Emperor had forbidden them from disturbing her, so they hadn’t seen her yet. Now, though she held the title of the Middle Palace, she had no real power, appearing to be an Empress in name only. This was why, after some private discussion, they had gone to Ye Guichen first.

…

“Miss, a group of concubines has arrived, saying they wish to pay their respects,” Liu Yan told Liu Hening.

After breakfast, Yang Zhao had left Changqing Hall to attend to government affairs. Having nothing to do, Liu Hening had begun transcribing Buddhist scriptures.

“Have them come in first. I’ll go out once I finish this scroll,” Liu Hening instructed, seeing she was nearly done.

“The Empress is transcribing scriptures; please wait a moment.” Liu Yan invited the women in and served them tea and pastries.

Soon, fifteen minutes passed. When they paid respects to Ye Guichen, they were never made to wait this long. They began to think this new Empress was quite arrogant.

After nearly half an hour, Liu Hening finally emerged. She was dressed exactly as she had been when she saw Ye Guichen that morning—no makeup, elegantly simple. The only difference was that her hair was no longer loose but tied back with a simple ribbon. She looked naturally ethereal and refined. The single dot of red cinnabar between her brows added a hint of vivid beauty and a celestial aura. Without a trace of rouge or powder, she looked like a living painting.

When Liu Hening appeared in such a state, Su Qingqing and the others were stunned. She was a stark contrast to Ye Guichen’s dignified, mother-of-the-nation persona. Liu Hening didn’t look like an Empress at all; she looked like an immortal who had accidentally wandered into the mortal world.

“Greetings to the Empress.” After Liu Hening took the main seat, the concubines snapped out of their daze and hurriedly stood to bow.

“I don’t care for these empty formalities. In the future, you don’t need to bow here. It’s better to be at ease,” Liu Hening said. She scanned the room—fifteen women in total. Looking at these ladies, each with her own unique charm, she felt as if she were admiring flowers in a garden—it was a delightful sight. There were so many beauties that Liu Hening felt a bit dazzled, thinking that life in the palace might not be as boring as she had feared.

Aside from the “Empress”—that is, Huazhao—everyone else seemed to have plenty of free time. If she could be surrounded by these beauties every day, it would be a wonderful thing. The ever-adaptable and optimistic Liu Hening had already found her fun in the palace. Of course, it would be even better if these beauties weren’t as stiff as Huazhao. They were all young and pretty; surely they were naturally lively. Liu Hening believed that after spending some time together, they would show their true personalities. They didn’t seem as “tightly wrapped” as Huazhao, who kept herself hidden behind layer upon layer of reserve. Thinking of Ye Guichen, the corners of Liu Hening’s mouth curled up slightly. There was the King of Flowers, and then there were all these different blossoms—it was as if her back garden had been filled with rare specimens.

“We are of humble rank; we wouldn’t dare be so presumptuous!” Su Qingqing, being the highest-ranking among them, spoke first. Having been in the palace for two years, she knew how to act with a certain level of decorum—and even if she hadn’t known, she had naturally learned a bit from watching Ye Guichen.

“What is your name?” Liu Hening had only glanced at her before, but now she studied Su Qingqing closely. This “flower” was truly vibrant. That was her first impression—vibrant. It was different from Huazhao’s bright, dignified beauty. Huazhao’s beauty was cool; Su Qingqing’s was direct and passionate.

Su Qingqing felt Liu Hening watching her with a gaze full of appreciation and fondness—but it was a very clean, pure kind of appreciation. Usually, only men admired her looks, while women rarely looked at her with such genuine delight; most women didn’t care for her type of appearance. Her mother used to say her looks were too “showy” for a wife and lacked dignity, fearing she couldn’t manage a household, but that being a concubine would be too insulting. So, she was sent to the palace—where she ended up as a concubine anyway, albeit to the most noble man in the world. However, after entering the palace, she realized there was always someone better. Ye Guichen’s beauty had already overshadowed hers, and looking at this new Empress today, she felt even more ordinary.

“This servant is named Su Qingqing,” Su Qingqing answered truthfully. She began to understand why the Emperor liked this new Empress. There was something about her that made one feel at ease, like clear wind or a bright moon in the mountains.

“How interesting! Your name is like a fresh leaf supporting a new flower. Green leaves (Qing) and a vibrant blossom—a perfect match,” Liu Hening praised lavishly.

Su Qingqing never thought her name was anything special, but under the new Empress’s praise, it suddenly felt grand. Since the praise extended to her beauty as well, she felt a bit embarrassed. Su Qingqing had grown up among the common folk and had only been in the palace for less than two years; she was only eighteen. She wasn’t yet very cynical and relied on her intuition. Her intuition told her this new Empress was genuinely likeable.

“The Empress flatters me,” Su Qingqing said with a shy, modest smile. What young girl doesn’t like being praised?

“You are so young and possess such delicate beauty; this is the loveliest and most beautiful time for a woman. You must not learn from Huazhao. Huazhao keeps herself too restrained. What’s the point of grooming oneself so perfectly and rigidly? You should follow your true nature. I bet you were at your most beautiful back when you were still in your family home,” Liu Hening said, taking Su Qingqing’s hand with an expression of complete sincerity.

Su Qingqing’s lip twitched slightly. She wondered if the new Empress was trying to sabotage her. It was one thing to praise her, but why did she have to drag the other Empress down to do it? The new Empress might not be afraid of offending Ye Guichen, but Su Qingqing certainly was! As the saying goes, “Excessive courtesy hides a sinister intent.” It seemed this new Empress wasn’t such a “good person” after all!