The Fearless Empress - Chapter 3

The new sketchbook pleased the young empress greatly, and she treasured it like a precious gem, tucking it beneath her pillow.

The second day of the lunar month passed uneventfully.

By the third day, as dawn broke, the young empress hurried to the warm pavilion with her maids in tow.

Inside, the charcoal burned fiercely, making it feel like spring. The warmth enveloped them as soon as they entered, and the empress shed her heavy cloak before settling beside the noble consort.

The noble consort, now twenty-six, wore a delicate bamboo-green jacket. Her slender hands cradled a warming stove, which she considerately passed to the young empress with a smile. “How was your meeting with Her Majesty the other day?”

“She’s so beautiful,” the young empress replied cheerfully, her cloud-like hair framing a radiant face, her delicate eyes crinkling with joy.

Seeing her unguarded innocence, the noble consort sighed softly. “Those meddling civil officials, what good did they do by forcing you into the palace? And you, why chase after a reputation for virtue? In a den of wolves like the capital, survival alone is enough.”

The young empress, though confused, wisely refrained from pressing further. Fewer questions meant fewer mistakes.

The other three consorts arrived one after another and took their seats. The virtuous consort spoke first: “How did it feel to be given the cold shoulder by Her Majesty?”

The female emperor only summoned them for family banquets to maintain appearances. Once there, she barely spoke a word, sometimes even asking, “Which palace do you belong to?”

The virtuous consort suspected the emperor had face blindness after all these years, she still couldn’t distinguish the four of them!

The young empress, with her clear eyes, lips as red as ripe fruit, and skin so fair it seemed translucent, simply smiled again. “She’s so beautiful.”

The virtuous consort clicked her tongue. “If you like her, prepare to spend your nights alone. Her heart belongs to her ‘white moonlight.'”

“Is her white moonlight beautiful?” the young empress asked curiously.

The doors of the warm pavilion were shut, and the five women gathered around the stove, their slender figures revealed as they shed their heavy cloaks.

Graceful and peerless in beauty.

The noble consort, being the eldest and the emperor’s cousin, knew more than the others. “You may not know this, but after Her Majesty was born, she was raised by Empress Duanxian. When the empress was diagnosed as infertile, the late emperor, to console her, sent Her Majesty to her. She was raised there for years. To be frank, the current empress dowager is my aunt. I often visited the palace back then even the little clothes she made for Her Majesty were never discarded.”

Empress Duanxian registered Her Majesty as her own, making her the sole legitimate heir and significantly bolstering her claim to the throne.

Later, Empress Duanxian passed away, and the empress dowager bore a son. Mother and daughter grew increasingly distant.

On his deathbed, the late emperor summoned both siblings. No one knew what was said, but afterward, Her Majesty ascended the throne.

By tradition, the emperor’s birth mother was to be honored as empress dowager, but she refused the decree, insisting on accompanying the late emperor to his mausoleum.

Soon after, Her Majesty sent her younger brother now the Prince of Lin to guard the late emperor’s tomb.

The rift between mother and daughter grew irreparable, and the empress dowager never returned to the palace.

After finishing her tale, the noble consort glanced at the stunningly beautiful young empress. That face was impossible not to admire.

Yet the female emperor remained unmoved.

The young empress listened quietly, her dark jade-like eyes calm. She recalled a winter long ago when a pair of siblings went hunting in the mountains. The elder sister shot a deer.

The deer was beautiful, and she had gone to see it.

In the end, their mother told their father that the younger brother had made the kill.

The young empress was lost in a whirl of thoughts, remaining silent. That deer, much like the throne, was something her mother preferred her son to obtain.

The mother-daughter bond had never been strong, so naturally, her mother favored the child she was closer to.

But why should something her elder sister worked so hard for be handed over to her younger brother? Just because he was younger? Or because he was a boy?

The young empress sneered, her eyes lifting slightly at the corners. Outwardly, she remained composed as she said lightly, “The Empress Dowager won’t stay away forever.”

After all, the Empress Dowager still had to fight for her younger son’s future.

It would be best if the female emperor never bore an heir, passing the throne to her brother instead then their mother would be even more pleased.

“You’re right about that. But let’s not talk about her today. Did you all hear that Su Shi has returned?” the Noble Consort said gently. “This Su Shi is the Tanhua scholar personally chosen by Her Majesty. I heard she’s quite beautiful.”

The young empress wasn’t particularly interested. No matter how good-looking Su Shi was, could she compare to the emperor? She picked up a handful of nuts and slowly shelled them, listening as the others began discussing.

“Su Shi is the daughter of Grand Tutor Su. I heard her literary talent is extraordinary. Wasn’t she sent out on disaster relief recently? She’s back already?”

“You said Her Majesty personally chose her as Tanhua, does that mean Her Majesty likes her?”

The Noble Consort tilted her head, rolling her eyes. Her crimson-lacquered fingers brushed her own cheek before pointing at the young empress’s face. “Is she prettier than her?”

Gu Yunru had entered the palace bearing the title of the most stunning beauty in the capital. Had the emperor even glanced at her?

No!

The young empress’s lips curled into a faint smile as she pushed the Noble Consort’s hand away, murmuring, “I’ll make Her Majesty like me.”

“Dream on!” The Noble Consort scoffed, stuffing a shelled nut into the empress’s mouth. “Lady Mo said the same thing when she entered the palace. It’s been two years, and she still hasn’t even seen Her Majesty’s face. She just cries all day, saying we’re making no progress. She wants to pick flowers? Pah! She’d better watch out or she’ll break her legs.”

The Bright Consort’s eyes darkened as she nodded in agreement. “Your Highness has great ambitions. If you succeed, we’ll surely congratulate you. Wait, weren’t you and Tanhua Su quite close? Didn’t you grow up together?”

The young empress: “…” Oh no, oh no. She was about to be exposed.

“Mm, let’s not talk about her. I wanted to ask, if all of you dislike Her Majesty so much, why stay in the palace?” The young empress pursed her red lips, her eyes glistening with an innocent, harmless light.

The Noble Consort said, “The palace pays well. I get eight thousand taels a month. What would I do outside? It’d take me a year to earn that much.”

The young empress was puzzled. Just for money? What about marriage?

Her fingers, clutching her sleeve, stilled slightly. The Virtuous Consort explained, “Her Majesty gives us generous allowances. If we save up for a few years, we can retire outside the palace quite comfortably.”

“You can leave the palace?” The young empress’s eyes held a hint of allure, though her dignified posture concealed it.

“Her Majesty promised us. We entered the palace to shield her from political troubles, and when the time is right, she’ll let us go. Otherwise, why would we stay here?” The Noble Consort smiled faintly. “Your Highness, you’re the only exception.”

Trapped here by those scheming old ministers.

The young empress suddenly understood. Gazing at the radiant faces before her, she asked, “Don’t any of you want to marry?”

“The person I loved married someone else,” the Noble Consort said with a bitter laugh.

The Virtuous Consort added, “I never had anyone I loved. My so-called husband died in another woman’s bed, and they tried to force me to commit suicide for him. Pah! I’m still young, why should I?”

The young empress glanced at the Virtuous Consort, who smiled faintly and said, “I was the betrothed of the Prince of Guangling. When I sought to break off the engagement, my father and brother refused. It was only after I petitioned His Majesty that I was summoned to the palace.”

Before the young empress could inquire, the Brilliant Consort spoke first: “I discovered a secret, and my father sought to kill me. That’s why His Majesty brought me into the palace.”

“Do you have someone you love?” the young empress asked with concern.

“Not at all. After entering the palace, I realized that riches and luxuries are easily obtained, why bother with emotions?” The Brilliant Consort tilted her head slightly, her expression cool, her eyes swirling with unreadable emotions. Her high coiffure added a touch of dignified authority.

The young empress felt her heart race wildly.

After the tea gathering, the young empress sat in her phoenix carriage, clutching her new sketchbook.

The maiden leaned against the soft cushions, her delicate frame almost boneless. The winter wind tousled a few loose strands of her hair, making the pearls and jade in her hair ornaments tinkle softly. The carriage came to a halt.

The palace was silent, the wind howling. The young empress lowered her gaze to see a figure standing beside the carriage. The crimson official robe accentuated a slender waist, its red hem fluttering lightly in the cold breeze, further highlighting the graceful curve of waist and hips.

The young empress blinked. The figure clasped their hands in salute, revealing a pair of fair wrists. “Your servant, Su Shi, greets Her Majesty the Empress.”

Su Shi? The young empress, who had just overheard some gossip about her, sat up straight, her eyes roaming over Su Shi from head to toe. She blinked several times, her gaze finally settling on Su Shi’s face. After a long, scrutinizing look, she finally said, “Minister Su, greetings.”

Compared to the empress, Su Shi’s face lacked a certain charm. It didn’t carry the same majestic authority as Her Majesty.

The young empress shook her head slightly and ordered the attendants to move on. The phoenix carriage creaked as it slowly rolled forward. Su Shi looked up, using the daylight to peer at the dignified maiden inside the carriage, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Why was Gu Yun being so cold upon seeing her?

Unaware of the past between her original self and Su Shi, the young empress happily retreated to her palace upon returning. Nestled inside, she snacked on pastries sent by the Noble Consort and, right in front of her ladies-in-waiting, pulled out her sketchbook from her robes. Seeing Her Majesty engrossed in reading, the ladies-in-waiting quietly withdrew.

Little did they know, the young empress’s mind was filled with thoughts of the empress’s appearance. Remembering the admonitions of the Marquess’s wife, she grew increasingly restless. Clutching her book, she slipped out through the window.

The wind roared, the winter chill seeping into her bones. Following the empress’s scent, the young empress arrived at a grand hall.

She climbed in through the window!

The bedchamber was warmed by a charcoal fire, its coziness enveloping her. After entering, the young empress glanced around nervously, her heart pounding. She soon realized this was the empress’s private quarters.

The chamber was immaculate, its furnishings opulent. The polished green bricks reflected her silhouette. Dragons and phoenixes embroidered on the pillars coiled majestically in the air, exuding an overwhelming aura!

After circling the room, the young empress’s gaze fell upon the imperial bed. In the next moment, she burrowed beneath the covers. Greedily inhaling the empress’s scent, she rolled around a couple of times before footsteps outside made her freeze.

The footsteps paused outside the door but didn’t enter. After a long wait, the young empress sat up gleefully, pulled out her sketchbook, and tucked it under the embroidered quilt.

She would wait for the empress to return.

Night fell quickly winter days were short. Once darkness descended, maids filed in silently, lighting all the lamps in the chamber in an instant.

Curled up under the covers, the young empress grew drowsy. The sound of footsteps drew near, then faded away again.

The night passed with the lamps burning bright, but the empress never returned.

As dawn approached, the young empress awoke, rubbing her eyes. The emperor had not returned last night.

Unable to wait any longer, she couldn’t stay much longer and quietly slipped out through the window.

Not long after the young empress left, the maidservants pushed open the door, ushering the female emperor inside.

Cheng Sangyi sat on the bed, massaging her sore neck, while a palace attendant stepped forward to arrange the bedding.

The attendant reached beneath the pillow, intending to adjust its position, but suddenly froze.

“What is it?” Cheng Sangyi’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion.

The attendant retrieved a booklet from under the pillow. The cover bore no text perhaps a book the emperor had left behind.

Cheng Sangyi casually took it in hand.

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