The Fearless Empress - Chapter 10

Since ascending the throne, Cheng Sangyi had never set foot in the imperial harem, let alone visited the empress’s chambers in the dead of night.

Almost as soon as she gave the order, a eunuch was dispatched to the Peppercorn Palace to deliver the message.

The palace had already extinguished its lights, but when the messenger knocked on the door, lanterns were hastily lit both inside and out.

The night-duty court lady, Li Yao, hurried into the hall, unable to conceal her excitement. “Your Highness, Your Highness. His Majesty is coming!”

She called out several times, but there was no response from behind the tightly drawn brocade curtains.

Growing anxious, Li Yao mustered her courage and stepped forward to pull the curtains aside.

What she saw left her stunned, the grand phoenix bed was empty. The empress was nowhere to be seen.

Where had Her Highness gone?

Li Yao’s mind went blank. Instinctively, she yanked the curtains open wider, climbed onto the bed to search, and after confirming no one was there, she scrambled down to look elsewhere.

After scouring every corner, she finally accepted that the empress had vanished.

Had she left on her own?

Or had she been abducted? It was impossible to tell at the moment.

“Quick, summon Madam Gu immediately tell her something has happened!” Li Yao felt a chill run down her spine. If the empress had disappeared on her watch, she would not escape death.

By her calculations, the emperor was already on his way.

What should she do?

Swallowing hard, Li Yao ordered the lanterns to be extinguished and the curtains drawn shut, pretending the empress was still asleep.

Madam Gu arrived, hastily dressed and yawning. “What’s going on?”

“Madam Gu,” Li Yao whispered, pulling her aside to the phoenix bed and lifting the curtains. “Her Highness is missing. Do you know where she might have gone?”

“Missing?” Madam Gu’s drowsy eyes widened instantly. She reached out to feel the bed, her heart sinking. “Where, where is she?”

“Li Yao, how could you let this happen?”

Li Yao’s face turned deathly pale. Trembling, she stammered, “Her Highness dislikes having us attend inside the chamber at night. We stand guard outside. We had no idea where she went.”

“Madam, this isn’t the time to assign blame. His Majesty will be here any moment. The priority is how to stop him from discovering the truth. If Her Highness doesn’t return, we won’t be able to explain this to the emperor.”

For a consort to vanish from her chambers in the middle of the night anyone hearing of it would speculate the worst.

Madam Gu gasped. “Why is His Majesty coming? Has he received some news?”

Li Yao’s lips trembled. Meeting Madam Gu’s gaze, her legs nearly gave way. “We might not live to see morning.”

“Send some people to search the gardens,” Madam Gu suggested.

But Li Yao shook her head. “Why would Her Highness wander the gardens at this hour? Here’s what we’ll do have someone prepare hot water. Say that upon hearing of His Majesty’s arrival, Her Highness insisted on purifying herself with a bath. We’ll buy as much time as we can.”

For now, this was the best plan. Li Yao thought carefully, the emperor was known for his aloofness. He wouldn’t barge into the bathing chamber to investigate.

The two women split up to carry out their tasks. Madam Gu ordered the hot water prepared, while Li Yao discreetly sent servants to search for the empress.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the emperor’s procession arrived.

The gates of the Peppercorn Palace swung open. Cheng Sangyi swept his gaze across the courtyard, noting the empress’s absence.

“Where is the empress?”

“Your Majesty,” Li Yao stepped forward, kowtowing with her forehead pressed to the back of her hands, sweat dripping down her back. “Her Highness is purifying herself in the bath.”

Cheng Sangyi glanced down at her. “Why are you so nervous?”

“T-This humble servant is overwhelmed by the honor of standing before Your Majesty’s divine presence.” Li Yao dared not lift her head, shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Cheng Sangyi smirked, clasped his hands behind his back, and chose not to press further. With that, he stepped across the threshold.

The hall was silent, its furnishings unchanged. Cheng Sangyi glanced around everything was arranged conventionally, with nothing of particular interest.

Seated in the main position, Cheng Sangyi found the deep night eerily still, the silence inside and out as heavy as death.

Outside the hall, Li Yao was helped up by a palace attendant. “Hurry the Empress along,” the attendant urged. “It wouldn’t do to keep Her Majesty waiting.”

Li Yao nodded in quiet thanks before turning to rush into the bathing chamber.

Time seemed to crawl. Cheng Sangyi rested her chin on her hand, gazing idly ahead.

After waiting for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, there was still no sign of the Empress.

Impatient, Cheng Sangyi asked, “Where is she bathing?”

“Just next door, separated by a single wall.”

Cheng Sangyi strode toward the closed door, but Li Yao frantically blocked her path. “Your Majesty, please wait just a little longer. Her Highness will be ready soon.”

“Is your Empress truly inside?” Cheng Sangyi asked with a faint, mocking smile.

The crime of deceiving the sovereign was undeniable. Li Yao closed her eyes in despair but insisted, “Y-yes, Her Highness is there.”

Cheng Sangyi stepped around her and pushed open the door.

Li Yao could no longer stop her. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead everyone in the palace would be doomed.

She wanted to cry but couldn’t. Then, suddenly, the door behind her creaked open, and a hand reached out, seizing Cheng Sangyi’s arm and yanking her inside.

A playful, melodious voice teased, “Was Your Majesty too impatient to wait?”

It was the Empress’s voice. Li Yao jolted upright, scrambling to look, but the door slammed shut, leaving only flickering shadows.

The Empress had returned.

She wouldn’t have to die.

Inside, the young Empress pressed against the Emperor’s shoulder, her smile radiant as a lotus blossom. Her bold fingers traced Cheng Sangyi’s jaw before her thumb settled audaciously on the soft corner of her lips.

“Empress, you are far too insolent,” Cheng Sangyi said, her eyes dark with anger, though her pale cheeks flushed like twilight.

She clenched her jaw, turning her face away to escape the Empress’s touch.

“The matrons told me that since we’re married, we can be intimate,” the young Empress murmured, her tone sweet but her expression utterly serious.

Her thumb lingered, stroking the warm curve of Cheng Sangyi’s lips, sending her pulse racing.

“Shameless.” Cheng Sangyi tried to push her away but was startled to find the petite Empress surprisingly strong. “I’ll call for the guards,” she snapped.

“Go ahead. Do you think they don’t know what we’re doing in here?” The Empress smirked, pleased with herself.

She loosened her grip slightly, letting her hand drift to Cheng Sangyi’s waist. Through the fabric, her fingertips traced idle patterns. “What are you afraid of? You’re the Emperor, and I’m the Empress. Where’s the impropriety?”

Cheng Sangyi scoffed. “The Gu family raised a daughter with no restraint.”

“If you didn’t marry me for this, then why did you?” The Empress tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. Among her fox kin, marriage was about mutual joy.

If affection faded, they simply parted ways.

She pressed closer, her youthful voice laced with a sultry edge that sent shivers down the spine.

Cheng Sangyi’s fury gave way to humiliation in an instant. Trembling with rage, she hissed, “I’ll have you deposed.”

The Empress’s heart lurched, her brow twitching. “Then what reason would you give?”

For taking liberties?

The question gave Cheng Sangyi pause. What reason could she give for deposing the Empress?

She couldn’t think of one. Disrespect before the throne?

Cheng Sangyi knew those old ministers wouldn’t believe such a clumsy yet truthful excuse. She snorted coldly, “Let go. Speak properly to Us.”

Unable to depose the empress, she could only endure. “Remove your claws from Our person.”

“You came looking for me in the middle of the night just to find me in the bathhouse?” The young empress obediently released her, then suddenly remembered something. “Are you leaving tonight?”

“Empress, you ask too many questions.” Cheng Sangyi sidestepped two paces, her heart pounding wildly.

After moving about, her tense body gradually relaxed as she steadied her breathing. Just as she was about to speak, that head leaned in again.

“Keep your distance from Us,” she said displeased.

The young empress frowned, instinctively seizing her wrist and pinning it against the doorframe. “Why are you being so fierce?”

Without hesitation, she pressed her lips to the corner of Cheng Sangyi’s mouth.

For a moment, Cheng Sangyi’s mind went completely blank. She instinctively resisted, only to realize she couldn’t push her away no matter what.

Fortunately, the empress’s kiss was as light as a dragonfly skimming water. She glared fiercely. “You came here yourself, I didn’t force you.”

Cheng Sangyi leaned against the door, breathing rapidly. “Empress, do you realize the grave mistake you’ve made today?”

“Then punish me.” The young empress smiled faintly, utterly unconcerned by her anger, even winking at her provocatively.

Under such brazenness, imperial authority and stern rebukes had lost their effect. Cheng Sangyi’s usual methods were useless now, it could even be said her defenses had completely collapsed.

Observing her flustered expression, the young empress thought she looked exactly like those illustrations in books bashful and tearful.

No, wait. There were no tears. Only fury.

The empress smirked triumphantly. “Why did you come looking for me in the middle of the night?”

Cheng Sangyi, normally supremely authoritative, found her composure utterly shattered by that smug expression. For some reason, her legs felt slightly numb, and she even forgot why she’d come.

After a long pause, she finally rallied herself, straightening her posture. “The Empress has behaved improperly before the sovereign. You shall copy the Rites and palace regulations to rectify your character.”

The young empress had been punished though it was unclear what kind of punishment this was, punished she had been.

Ignoring her dazed expression, Cheng Sangyi turned to open the door.

As the door suddenly swung open, the empress snapped out of her trance and snorted. If there wasn’t even a proper punishment, then she might as well go all out.

She reached out, embracing Cheng Sangyi from behind and pulling her back against the doorframe.

The doorframe creaked. The palace maids looked up abruptly to discover their empress pressing the emperor against the frame, passionately kissing the corner of her lips.

On the ground, Li Yao who had narrowly escaped death stared in shock at the scene before her: their empress domineeringly kissing the emperor.

So, His Majesty came in the middle of the night because he missed the empress?

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