Empress, Can I? [Transmigration + GL] - Chapter 47

Early the next morning, Chenxiang came as usual to attend to the Emperor and Empress’s morning routine.

To her surprise, Nuanxiang stopped her outside the palace doors.

“Her Majesty has ordered that since she slept late last night, she’ll be rising later today.”

Chenxiang wasn’t convinced. “When has Her Majesty ever not said that? It would be strange if she actually rose early. I’ll go attend to Her Majesty the Empress first.”

Nuanxiang grew anxious and grabbed Chenxiang’s hand as she reached for the door. “Don’t go in!”

Seeing Nuanxiang’s genuine urgency, Chenxiang was slightly taken aback and was about to ask further when Xuan Jingchi’s voice came from inside:

“Chenxiang, you’re getting bolder by the day, daring to criticize me! Didn’t I rise early today?”

Chenxiang paused, then laughed. “Indeed, Your Majesty rose early.”

Only when she heard Xuan Jingchi speak did Nuanxiang finally relax.

Chenxiang pushed open the door to find the Empress already risen as well. Both women were fully dressed.

Nuanxiang followed into the chamber and went straight to tidy the bed. When she saw the few spots of bright red blood on the sheets, her face flushed crimson.

She stood frozen for a moment before regaining her composure.

Scolding herself inwardly, her first thought was: Whose blood is this—Her Majesty’s or Her Majesty’s?

After assisting the Empress with washing her face, Chenxiang combed her hair while remarking, “Your Majesty, your complexion is exceptionally radiant today! More beautiful than the autumn begonias in the courtyard! Perhaps Your Majesty should stay at Chenyuan Palace from now on. With Your Majesty watching over her, Her Majesty rises early too.”

Xiao Yueli’s face colored unnaturally at the compliment about her complexion, growing even redder at the suggestion she reside permanently at Chenyuan Palace.

“Excellent idea, Chenxiang! Truly excellent!” Xuan Jingchi nearly embraced Chenxiang on the spot, wanting to praise her as a godsend.

Xiao Yueli frowned. “Impossible! It’s unheard of for someone from the rear palace to reside long-term in the Emperor’s quarters.”

Xuan Jingchi waved this off. “I don’t have any other consorts, so there’s no need to talk about ‘sharing the imperial favor.’ If you won’t move here, then I’ll move to your Phoenix Palace instead.”

Xiao Yueli exclaimed, “Absolutely not! That would be even more improper!!”

“What’s against the rules? Rules are made by people. Alright, it’s settled then. You’re moving in here.” Xuan Jingchi acted swiftly, turning to Chenxiang and Nuanxiang, “Go fetch Xiao Fu and Xiao Rong now. Have them come serve Her Majesty.”

When Xiao Fu and Xiao Rong arrived at Chenyuan Palace and saw Xuan Jingchi, Xiao Fu immediately said, “Your Majesty, it’s been so long since you visited Phoenix Palace. Xiao Fu has been waiting to hear more stories from you.”

Xuan Jingchi replied, “That’s why I’ve brought you here to serve Her Majesty. From now on, you’ll live here, and I can tell you stories often.”

Xiao Fu was overjoyed. “Wonderful! Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you!”

Xuan Jingchi smiled faintly, then suddenly instructed Nuanxiang to summon all the palace servants.

Before the assembled crowd, the emperor declared loudly, “Listen well, everyone. Starting today, Chenyuan Palace has another master—my Empress. You must serve Her Majesty with even greater care than you serve me. If Her Majesty loses so much as an ounce of weight, I’ll hold you accountable.”

The servants exchanged uneasy glances. What if Her Majesty ate slightly less or fell slightly ill? That ounce would be lost without fail!

This imperial decree was truly difficult to fulfill!

They bowed their heads even lower in unison: “As you command!”

Xiao Yueli: “…”

When this person became unreasonable, they were utterly unreasonable—showing definite potential to be a tyrant.

After the crowd dispersed, Xiao Yueli shook her head. “Your Majesty should choose your words carefully. If the court historian Cheng Minzhi hears of this, he’ll surely record another entry.”

Xuan Jingchi laughed brightly. “No matter! Let him record it! I don’t care if he writes another line. So what if it says I’m a tyrant? For my Empress, I’ll gladly play the tyrant once.”

Xuan Jingchi changed into casual attire, preparing to practice swordplay at the Archery Pavilion.

As she looked at the row of South Sea pearls newly adorning her collar, she recalled that day when she had stormed out of the palace in a fit of pique. She paused, feeling as though a lifetime had passed.

“Your Majesty?”

Xiao Yueli approached, personally fastening the buttons at her neckline. Softly, she asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Xuan Jingchi smiled slightly. “I was thinking how incredibly fortunate I am. Otherwise, how could I have won the Empress’s favor?”

Xiao Yueli gazed at her tenderly. “Your Majesty was chosen by the gods, beloved by all. It is my honor to have earned Your Majesty’s favor.”

Xuan Jingchi suddenly remembered how she had once declared, to deter others from finding handsome young men for her, that the only one worthy of her favor was the Empress.

Unable to resist, she took Xiao Yueli’s hand, cradling it in her palms. “With you by my side, what more could I ask for?”

“Giggle, what a lovely ‘With you by my side, what more could I ask for?'”

The words had barely faded when two figures entered—one calm and reserved, the other radiant with laughter. They were none other than Xuan Jingning and Shangguan Wei.

Xiao Yueli, seeing the situation, flushed with embarrassment and immediately withdrew her hand from Xuan Jingchi’s grasp.

Xuan Jingchi laughed heartily and invited the two into the main hall, dismissing the attendants before saying, “Sister, sister-in-law, what brings you here?”

Xuan Jingning blushed slightly at her casual address, while Shangguan Wei remained composed and unperturbed, replying, “Your Majesty, the riddle you posed to the Mo Country envoy at Yulong Pavilion has puzzled me for days. I’ve come today to seek your guidance.”

Xuan Jingchi smiled. “Sister-in-law is truly diligent in her studies.” After a moment’s thought, she called for Chenxiang. “Fetch me one qian of gold and one qian of copper, along with two bowls filled to the brim with water, placed on trays beneath them.”

Chenxiang obeyed and soon returned with the requested items.

Xuan Jingning, Shangguan Wei, and Xiao Yueli watched her curiously, unsure of her intentions.

Xuan Jingchi stepped forward and gently placed the gold into one of the bowls. The bowl, already full, overflowed immediately as the gold displaced the water, which dripped onto the tray below. She then dropped the copper into the other bowl, causing the same overflow.

Turning back, she asked, “Do you notice any differences?”

Intrigued, the three approached to examine the bowls and the spilled water. Simultaneously, they pointed to the tray beneath the copper-filled bowl and said, “There’s more water here.”

Xuan Jingchi looked at Shangguan Wei with a smile. “Sister-in-law, that is the answer.”

Shangguan Wei blinked at the water’s surface before exclaiming, “Brilliant! So gold and copper of the same weight displace different amounts of water when submerged. To determine if something is pure gold, Mo Ran need only craft a gold ball of equal weight, submerge it, and compare the overflow.” She turned to Xuan Jingchi in admiration. “How did Your Majesty conceive of this?”

Xuan Jingchi chuckled. “A deity revealed it to me in a dream.”

Shangguan Wei eyed her skeptically but sighed in admiration. “The deity must be exceedingly wise!”

Xuan Jingning added, “As a divine being, they are surely beyond the comprehension of mortals like us.”

Xiao Yueli smiled faintly. “Minister Shangguan grasped the principle instantly—such remarkable insight far surpasses ours.”

Shangguan Wei, flustered by the praise, demurred, “The Empress flatters me. This humble official is unworthy.”

Xuan Jingchi, now animated, said, “Sister, I was just heading to the Archery Pavilion to practice swordsmanship. Since you’re here, why not join me? I’d love to learn a few moves from you.”

Detecting a hint of challenge in her tone, Xuan Jingning smiled faintly. “Very well. It’s been a while since I last practiced. I’ll spar with you today.”

Delighted, Xuan Jingchi eagerly accompanied her to the Archery Pavilion, leaving Xiao Yueli and Shangguan Wei to converse. She had long heard from Wang Zhan that the Grand Princess, trained by a renowned master in her youth, possessed extraordinary martial prowess and sword skills far superior to his own.

At the pavilion, Xuan Jingchi and Xuan Jingning each selected a wooden staff. The Imperial Guards and their commander, Wang Zhan, hearing of the Grand Princess’s arrival and her impending duel with the Emperor, gathered excitedly to watch.

Assuming her younger sister’s enthusiasm stemmed from a novice’s eagerness to test her skills, Xuan Jingning smiled. “Little sister, you may make the first move.”

Xuan Jingchi rarely had the chance to spar with a true master. The last expert she’d crossed blows with was Leng Qiuci, who had soundly beaten her up.

Hearing her elder sister call for her to make the first move, she immediately raised her long staff and struck out with a single sweeping blow.

Even she was startled by this opening move—what should have been an ordinary, unremarkable strike became a fierce and powerful gust in her hands. She hadn’t realized she possessed such formidable and swift strength.

In that fleeting moment, she understood—this was a trace of divine power bestowed upon her by the gods.

Xuan Jingning watched as the staff swept forward like a raging storm, swift and precise, completely unlike the strike of a novice. It was the kind of attack only a seasoned martial artist could deliver. She was inwardly shocked and focused intently to counter.

When their staffs clashed, the impact sent a faint numbness through Xuan Jingning’s hands. “Not bad,” she remarked solemnly.

Xuan Jingchi laughed. “With the gods’ blessing, your little sister can finally exchange a few moves with you today.”

Seeing her speak and smile so effortlessly, without the slightest sign of exhaustion, Xuan Jingning abandoned all thoughts of underestimating her opponent. She channeled her inner strength, her staff darting and sweeping with unstoppable force.

Under such rapid and relentless strikes, Xuan Jingchi remained composed, dodging and countering with agile movements, showing no trace of panic.

Only then did she realize—her speed was beyond belief, her strength beyond expectation.

Wang Zhan and the others watched, eyes wide, cheering loudly. The Grand Princess’s extraordinary martial prowess was a given, but even the Emperor, whose skills had always been mediocre, had somehow become this formidable!

In the end, they roared in unison, “Chosen by the gods! Chosen by the gods!”