The Fearless Empress - Chapter 22.4

The Prince of Guangling didn’t leave. Instead, he even dismissed the eunuch driving the carriage and stepped onto the phoenix carriage himself. “Your Majesty, I am going out of the palace to see Su Tanhua.”

The Empress remained silent. She thought the Prince of Guangling was seriously ill and not just a little. Did he really need to come all the way to her carriage just to tell her he was going to see Su Tanhua?

“Your Majesty and the Emperor are so deeply in love. Su Tanhua must be heartbroken,” the Prince of Guangling said with a gloomy expression, stepping onto the carriage floor and crouching down to meet the Empress’s gaze. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at that righteous expression of yours. I bet you don’t even remember who Su Tanhua is anymore.”

The Empress didn’t know what to say and simply let the Prince of Guangling ramble on alone.

“I’ve heard that you and Su Tanhua grew up together, childhood sweethearts, very close. And now, when you hear her name, you don’t even react. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How sad Su Tanhua must be.”

“I remember that year when the Emperor ascended the throne, you and Su Tanhua were seen strolling through the streets, behaving intimately.”

“I’ve heard others say that Su Tanhua devoted herself to the imperial examinations because she admired you and wanted to marry you. Who would have thought that she would succeed, only for you to marry the Emperor and become Empress, enjoying wealth and glory while she was left all alone.”

Finally, the Empress tilted her head, her delicate brows slightly raised. A smile appeared on her porcelain-like cheeks, and her red lips curved gently as she gave the Prince of Guangling a charming smile. In the next moment, she decisively raised her foot and kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling off the phoenix carriage.

“Let’s go,” the Empress said cheerfully to the eunuch driving the carriage. What nonsense, all this rubbish.

The eunuchs, terrified, hurriedly pushed the phoenix carriage away. The Prince of Guangling, lying on the ground in pain, his face pale, glared at the retreating figure on the carriage and struggled to get up, looking utterly disheveled.

“Gu Yunzhu, it’s too late to pretend you don’t know Su Shi now.”

When the Empress returned to Jiaofang Palace, she was in so much pain she could barely walk. Li Yao helped her out of the carriage, her face full of worry. “Your Majesty, what happened to you?”

“My back aches,” the Empress murmured, leaning on Li Yao as she quietly asked, “Has there been any excitement in the palace lately?”

“The liveliest incident involved Lady Mo and Lady Li, they got into a fight.” Li Yao carefully supported the Empress as they stepped over the threshold.

Palace consorts received provisions according to their rank, and everyone followed the rules. Lady Mo had been living aimlessly since entering the palace, never having met the Empress, and her rations had been withheld. Someone had whispered that Lady Li enjoyed exceptionally fine meals.

The two ended up brawling over food. With the Emperor and Empress away from the palace and the Noble Consort paying no mind to such matters, their fight escalated without resolution, leaving the matter to be settled upon the imperial couple’s return.

As the Empress lay down, Li Yao placed a pillow beneath her head and explained, “Lady Li was brought into the palace by the Empress Dowager. Now that the Empress Dowager is returning, Lady Li has gained a powerful backer. Those below, quick to sense the shifting winds, naturally dare not withhold her provisions. Lady Mo, however, is different. She was sent in by court officials, her family is insignificant and holds little influence, so she’s easily looked down upon.”

Lady Mo had long wished to see the Empress, hoping to improve her circumstances and no longer endure others’ disdain.

The Empress made a soft sound of surprise and whispered, “I brought back some pearls. Give one each to the four consorts and Lady Mo, and tell Lady Mo to come see me when she has time.”

Li Yao was puzzled. “What does Your Highness intend to do?”

Lady Mo had no interest in the Empress and served no purpose staying in the palace. It would be better to seek an imperial decree allowing her to leave.

“Just carry out the order,” the Empress replied, not revealing her intentions. Her back still ached, and she had no desire to speak further.

Li Yao quietly went to deliver the message, and the Empress fell asleep as soon as she lay down.

She had just drifted off when she was awakened by a palace maid, who looked anxious. “The Empress Dowager has summoned you to pay respects. The other consorts have already been called.”

Annoyed, the Empress kicked the blankets in a fit of pique. “I’m ill and cannot get up.”

“Your Highness,” the maid fretted, “the Empress Dowager will be displeased.”

With the Empress Dowager’s authority looming, the Empress dared not refuse. The maid gently helped her up and whispered, “His Majesty said the court physician will come later to examine your backache.”

At the mention of her backache, the maid’s face flushed.

Unconcerned with the maid’s reaction, the Empress sat up and dressed herself, inwardly cursing the Empress Dowager that old woman over and over.

When the Empress arrived at the hall, it was filled with consorts. For the first time, she saw all eleven women in Cheng Sangyi’s harem.

Aside from the four consorts, the remaining seven shared similar figures delicate pear-blossom makeup, willow-leaf eyebrows, and sharply pointed chins, all bearing an identical appearance.

The scene before her evoked images of ancient paintings of court ladies, their vibrant makeup so exquisite it seemed the work of a master painter’s brush.

Over the past five years, Cheng Sangyi had not so much as touched any of them, maintaining an air of restrained shyness.

What a waste of such beauties!

The Empress watched with keen interest, her lips curving slightly. Truly, the palace was filled with lovely young women, each one a delight to behold, lifting her spirits immensely.

The consorts rose to pay their respects, their graceful movements creating a beautiful tableau in the winter light.

After they were seated, the Empress Dowager had yet to appear. The Empress noticed a woman at the far end who bore an uncanny resemblance to Rong Han so striking it was startling.

Yet, that face still held a touch of shyness, unmarked by the trials of life, making it unlike the true Rong Han.

She asked the noble consort, who glanced over and said, “That’s Rong Han’s cousin. She was sent into the palace a few years ago. Like the others, she has never met the emperor.”

The noble families were desperate to win the empress’s favor. While publicly decrying relationships between women as unnatural, they secretly sent their daughters into the palace, hoping to gain imperial favor.

The palace maids held their breath, and the consorts dared not make a sound. The hall fell into utter silence.

Unable to control Cheng Sangyi, the empress dowager turned her frustrations on them. The empress was exhausted and rested her cheek on her hand, dozing off. Meanwhile, the noble consort beside her was restless, her mind in turmoil. The empress dowager’s return to the palace and the Prince of Guangling’s arrival in the capital signaled that a storm was brewing in the city.

They waited for a long time, but the empress dowager still did not appear.

Finally, the noble consort could bear it no longer. She leaned slightly toward the empress and whispered, “Was there any excitement on the road? I heard the empress dowager was assassinated.”

“Nothing of the sort. It was a wandering Taoist priest who was killed. She just took the blame upon herself.” The empress straightened her back, wincing in pain as sweat beaded on her forehead. The body of the young lady from the Gu family was far too frail.

She shifted slightly, trying to maintain a dignified posture. That old hag was truly wicked!

“Why did the empress dowager summon us?” The noble consort racked her brains but couldn’t fathom the empress dowager’s intentions.

The empress tilted her head, gritting her teeth against the pain, and replied, “She suffered a setback with Her Majesty, so she needs to vent her anger somewhere.”

The noble consort’s expression eased. She had been worried that something major had happened without her knowledge.

Another half-hour passed, and the sky had darkened, yet the empress dowager still hadn’t appeared.

The empress could no longer sit still. She quietly spoke to Li Yao, “Go fetch Her Majesty. Tell her I’m in excruciating pain.”

Li Yao’s expression shifted, her brow furrowing as she gave the empress a suspicious glance before quietly slipping away.

After she left, the noble consort leaned in again. “Your Highness, where does it hurt?”

“My back,” the empress replied without concealment. It truly was her back.

The noble consort smiled ambiguously, covering her lips with her sleeve. She tilted her head toward the empress and asked, “How does it feel to… enjoy it?”

“Enjoy it?” The empress didn’t understand. “It hurts like hell. What’s there to enjoy?”

The noble consort chuckled, her hair ornaments swaying gracefully. Her demeanor was alluring, exuding a mature charm. “Her Majesty truly doesn’t know how to cherish delicate beauties.”

This gossip was truly delightful.

The empress tilted her head, her smile sweet and cloying. The noble consort couldn’t resist pinching her cheek, her fingertips brushing against the soft, smooth skin. “So tender,” she remarked.

No sooner had she spoken than a palace official entered and announced, “The empress dowager has arrived.”

Everyone rose and bowed. The empress dowager did not bid them to rise but slowly walked past them, moving at an excruciatingly leisurely pace. The empress winced in pain and muttered under her breath, “Sadist!”

After what felt like an eternity, the empress dowager finally allowed them to rise but did not offer them seats. They had no choice but to remain standing.

The empress stood at the front, her cheeks flushed, her eyes hiding a trace of discontent. She wanted to sit down, but the noble consort behind her tugged at her sleeve. “Don’t.”

“Since you are all here, there is something I wish to hear your thoughts on,” the empress dowager said sternly, her gaze cold as she looked at the empress. “Empress, since your entry into the palace, I’ve heard you have yet to receive the phoenix seal?”

The empress blinked, not understanding the old crone’s meaning. But the four consorts behind her, seasoned and shrewd, immediately grasped the situation: the empress dowager intended to seize control of the palace.

The Empress indeed did not manage palace affairs; everything was left to Cheng Sangyi to decide. Over the years, Cheng Sangyi had been open and fair, often turning a blind eye and never treating them harshly.

But if the Empress Dowager took over, would there be any peaceful days ahead?

The Noble Consort grew anxious and secretly poked the Empress in the small of her back. Hurry and think of a solution, if we don’t act now, we’re doomed.

Startled by the poke, the Empress winced in pain, unsure of what it meant. Suddenly, the Noble Consort behind her spoke up, “The Empress has just entered the palace. His Majesty said he would let her take over palace affairs in due time.”

“Is that so?” The Empress Dowager took a delicate sip of hot tea. “The Empress is still young. I will speak with the Emperor. He is already burdened with managing both the court and the inner palace. As his mother, I should naturally share his worries.”

By now, the Empress finally understood the situation, but she had no desire to take on the responsibility after all, she was illiterate. She pondered for a while but still couldn’t come up with a solution.

The four consorts grew frantic, watching as the Empress remained silent like a mute.

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager said, “Since you have no objections.”

“Empress Dowager, we have no objections. This matter should be left to His Majesty’s discretion,” the Empress replied with a cheerful smile, her young face radiating innocence.

The Empress had deftly passed the problem to the female Emperor. How could the Empress Dowager not see through her intentions? She sneered coldly, “Are you truly content with this, Empress?”

“Empress Dowager, I have something to report.”

Everyone turned to look at the speaker, it was Consort Li, dressed in a pale-yellow palace gown.

Consort Li stepped forward, knelt before the Empress Dowager, and declared clearly, “Empress Dowager, I wish to report that the Empress has been engaging in an illicit affair.”

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