The Fearless Empress - Chapter 2

The imperial harem was nothing like what the Marquis’s wife had described.

The Marquis’s wife had said, “Everyone in the palace schemes against each other, resorting to any means to win favor. They treat you kindly to your face but plot against you behind your back, wishing you dead.”

The young Empress felt she must be hallucinating surely the Marquis’s wife had been mistaken!

“Your Majesty, you probably don’t know that the Emperor has a white moonlight. The rest of us are just decorations!” The Noble Consort lifted her teacup, her voice cool, her eyes curved in amusement.

The Virtuous Consort chimed in quietly, “That one was exiled from the capital after her family was convicted of crimes.”

The young Empress widened her eyes, so excited she nearly let her fox tail show. She asked, “If the Emperor likes her, why doesn’t he summon her back?”

The Noble Consort scoffed. “Too proud to admit his mistake. He issued the edict himself, how could he take it back? I grew up with her. She only has two things left now.”

“What two things?” the young Empress asked, puzzled.

“Beauty and cunning.” The Noble Consort nodded at her and added, “You were chosen as Empress by the court officials. Who knows if she had a hand in it? Being loved by her is the worst luck imaginable. Oh, and don’t imitate the Silent Beauty, throwing yourself at the Emperor every day.”

The young Empress frowned in confusion. The ladies of the palace were truly strange. Logically, they should all be vying for favor, yet they seemed to avoid it like the plague.

The five of them sat chatting in the warm pavilion as light snow drifted outside, the faint chill kept at bay by the roaring brazier within.

A eunuch hurriedly knocked on the door and announced from outside, “His Majesty has issued an edict summoning the consorts to the Purple Palace.”

The Noble Consort, being the eldest, composed herself and asked with dignity, “For what reason? Did he specify which consort?”

“The Grand Princess has arrived, and a family banquet has been prepared,” the eunuch replied cautiously.

The young Empress leaned against a pillow, the vibrant red plum blossoms outside the window casting a rosy glow on her delicate face, though the flowers paled in comparison to her radiance.

She listened quietly to the exchange, gradually realizing that the four consorts weren’t fawning over the Emperor they were avoiding him.

The Noble Consort frowned and shrank back. “I won’t go. My winter plum painting isn’t finished yet.”

The Virtuous Consort pretended to lower her head. “Her Majesty hasn’t met the Emperor yet. Why don’t you go?”

“Virtuous Consort, don’t push the Empress around just because she’s young and unaware,” the Sage Consort interjected. Dressed in a simple blue brocade gown, her graceful figure resembled a beauty from an ancient painting. Her furrowed brows added a touch of melancholy, like autumn flowers withering.

The young Empress blinked innocently. “Should I go, then?”

For some reason, the four looked at her as if she were their savior and chorused, “Brilliant idea.”

Just moments ago, it had been lightly snowing. A few snowflakes drifted onto the phoenix carriage, landing on the young Empress’s face and melting instantly. She wiped away the moisture and gazed up at the falling snow, smiling as she reached out to catch the flakes.

When the carriage stopped outside the Purple Palace, the young Empress instinctively hopped down, her trailing skirts sweeping the ground. Almost immediately, the Marquis’s wife’s words echoed in her ears: They say you’re composed, yet here you are, acting recklessly.

She quickly straightened up and glanced around. The attendants on either side were bowing their heads, they couldn’t have seen her jump down.

Relieved, she followed the eunuch into the palace.

Su Shi, this year’s top scholar, happened to witness the scene from a few steps behind and froze. She instinctively asked the eunuch guiding her, “Who was that just now?”

The eunuch glanced ahead and said, “It’s the phoenix carriage of Her Majesty the Empress. She must be coming to see the Emperor.”

Su Shi straightened her back. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, stirring the snow from the trees, the flakes swirling toward the slender and aloof Su Tanhua.

Blinded by the snow, she steadied herself, only to find that graceful figure had already vanished.

Su Shi was surprised. Everyone said the Empress was dignified and virtuous, how could she act so improperly?

While she was still puzzled, the young Empress entered the grand hall.

The wall lamps inside were tall, their flames blazing, filling the hall with bright, shimmering light.

The radiant glow fell upon the face of the female Emperor.

The young Empress felt her heart skip a beat. No wonder the Noble Consort had said the Emperor only had two things left: beauty and cunning.

The Emperor was strikingly beautiful her phoenix eyes reserved, her skin snow-white. Even under the bright light, her brilliance was undeniable. Dressed in simple, unadorned robes, she stood within the majestic palace, her regal bearing unmatched.

One glance was enough to captivate for eternity. The young Empress immediately brightened, tilting her head to examine her closely.

The Emperor also looked up, her gaze inching forward like a graceful yet imposing presence. Anyone else would have been intimidated into lowering their eyes, but this young girl before her stared back boldly, as if unafraid.

A sharpness lurked between the Emperor’s brows as she turned to the court lady beside her. “Which palace is she from?”

Grinning like a fool.

The court lady lowered her eyes and explained, “Your Majesty, this is the Empress.”

The Emperor didn’t believe it. Everyone said the Empress was the most virtuous and talented woman in the capital so what was this before her now?

She looked up again, studying the young Empress more carefully. Clad in a misty red dress, she resembled a sunset veiled in rain, a rare beauty.

Those old fools must have been swayed by her looks!

The young Empress was led to sit beside the Emperor. Tall and straight-backed, the Emperor’s posture was impeccable. The young Empress had initially intended to lean casually, but seeing the Emperor’s elegant bearing, she unconsciously straightened up as well.

Once seated, the young Empress stole glances at the Emperor, then subtly leaned closer, brushing against her shoulder as she whispered, “You’re really beautiful.”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed, frost gathering in their depths. The young Empress, earnest, added, “Truly, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

The Emperor rebuked her sharply, “Shameless!”

Scolded for no apparent reason, the young Empress blinked innocently, pressing her lips together, her expression cooling slightly.

She still didn’t understand human customs that praising someone could earn reprimand. Disheartened, she muttered, “Then, I won’t compliment you anymore.”

If she refrained from praising the Emperor, that would count as knowing propriety.

The Emperor glared at her coldly, her chest rising and falling slowly. But soon, the young Empress smiled again, beaming at the Emperor.

Though the Emperor was slender, she was slender in a beautiful way. And from this close, she could even catch the faint fragrance of her.

The Emperor’s breath hitched, and she promptly ignored her.

With the return of the Grand Princess, the Emperor held a family banquet in her honor. The hall was filled with members of the imperial clan, all too intimidated by the Emperor’s majesty to speak.

The stern-faced Emperor and the breathtakingly beautiful Empress sat side by side, softening the atmosphere in the hall somewhat.

The Grand Princess stood and raised her cup to the young Empress, bowing formally. “I returned two days late, missing Your Highness’s wedding. Today, I offer my apologies.”

Seeing this, the young Empress hastily raised her wine cup and downed it without hesitation.

From the Emperor’s vantage, she could only see the hands holding the cup each finger slender and fair, the misty red sleeves accentuating their delicate beauty.

Her gaze, habitually lowered, drifted over the Empress’s slender waist. For a fleeting moment, she found herself distracted, but she quickly averted her eyes as if she had seen nothing.

The young empress regretted drinking it all in one go the moment she finished, it was too spicy, leaving her mouth parched and her forehead burning.

Despite this, she maintained proper decorum, sitting upright as she took a deep breath, trying to ignore the heat surging through her body.

The family banquet soon ended, with the imperial relatives hastily dispersing even the eldest princess departed swiftly.

The empress rose, and the young empress followed closely behind, never leaving her side.

As they stepped out of the grand hall, the empress turned right. The young empress trailed after her, prompting a displeased remark: “Why are you following me?”

The young empress’ gaze lingered on the empress’ delicate features as she licked her lips. “It’s snowing outside.”

The snowfall had grown heavier, the flakes drifting down like thick willow catkins.

The empress glanced at the heavy snowflakes in the sky and replied coldly, “They can leave. So can you.”

“They?” The young empress muttered, pouting. Everyone said newlyweds were supposed to be close, but the empress was like a block of ice, indifferent and aloof.

Unwilling to accept it, she shot a glare. “Fine, I’m leaving.”

After a few steps, she still couldn’t let it go. Turning back, she stole another glance at the empress, there was no denying how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

Her eyes traced the empress’ features before settling on her neck, where the skin was even fairer, like flawless white jade.

Slender and unblemished, it was a sight to behold.

Then, her gaze drifted lower, where the high collar concealed untold allure.

She touched her own collar in thought, why was the empress’ so high while hers was so low?

A gust of cold wind slipped beneath her neckline, making her shiver.

With light steps, the young empress finally walked away.

The empress, however, fell into silence, her expression complex. After a long pause, she ordered her attendant, “Investigate the daughter the Gu family sent into the palace.”

The Gu family had been unwilling to send their daughter, they had deceived her with an imposter!

Back in her chambers, the young empress stared into the bronze mirror for a long while.

The matron, assuming she had been slighted by the empress, comforted her, “Her Majesty has always been like this, she keeps her distance from beauty. But you’re different from the others. You’re the empress.”

The young empress rested her slender fingers under her chin, then raised them as she remarked, “Her Majesty is truly beautiful, even her hands are exquisite.”

The matron: “…”

It seemed she hadn’t been wronged, just utterly captivated by the empress’ beauty.

“Your Highness, if you admire Her Majesty, that’s a good thing. Perhaps you should think of ways to win her favor,” the matron suggested.

At this, the young empress calmly considered the empress’ temperament: indifferent to beauty, detached from desire.

Then it struck her, tomorrow was the second day of the month, which meant they could play mahjong.

But the next day, the marchioness requested an audience, disrupting her plans.

Led in by palace maids, the marchioness dismissed the attendants before speaking. The young empress stiffened, keeping her distance, afraid of revealing her true identity.

“Your Highness, I heard Her Majesty didn’t visit on your wedding night?” The marchioness sighed. “Our family went to great lengths to send you here, hoping your beauty would improve our standing. Yet it seems you’re no different from the others.”

The young empress hung her head. It wasn’t her fault, she had even praised the empress yesterday, only to be ignored.

She pressed her lips together as the marchioness lamented their family’s struggles, the mockery they endured, and the shame weighing on them.

She rambled on in a soft, fragmented voice, blinking her eyes as she tried to defend herself: “His Majesty hasn’t favored any of them either.”

“So you must stand out from them. Only then can our Gu family rise in status.” The Marchioness grasped the young Empress’s hand, affectionately stroking her cheek. “You are the Empress, the mother of the nation. You must surpass them all.”

The young Empress found herself at a loss this was too difficult. How could one stir the heart of someone so indifferent to worldly desires?

Seeing her hesitation, the Marchioness retrieved a booklet from her sleeve and discreetly handed it over. “Study this well. As Empress, you have countless opportunities to be near His Majesty. Don’t follow their example.”

Family members could not linger long in the palace. Having delivered the booklet, the Marchioness said no more and hurried away.

Now alone in the empty hall, the young Empress blinked at the booklet before her.

With slender fingers, she quietly turned a page. As the images came into view, she tilted her head slightly, yesterday’s image of the solemnly seated Empress flashing before her eyes.

“None of them compare to Her Majesty’s beauty,” the young Empress murmured softly, a thread of discontent in her voice.

After a moment’s thought, she whispered something under her breath and instantly, the faces of the women in the booklet transformed.

They had all become the face of the Empress!

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