The Fearless Empress - Chapter 4

“You probably don’t know this yet, but the palace maids up front sent word His Majesty flew into a rage and had many people beaten,” the Noble Consort said mysteriously, picking up a mahjong tile before abandoning the game altogether. Her long, delicate eyes narrowed slightly. “All those beaten were the maids and eunuchs serving in the imperial bedchamber.”

The Virtuous Consort froze, her expression tense. “What offense did they commit?”

“The palace maids kept tight-lipped, warning us not to approach His Majesty. I sent word to Silent Beauty instead, telling her His Majesty was in a splendid mood.” The Noble Consort smirked, her lips curling with faint mockery. “Let her suffer the consequences.”

The young Empress hastily stuffed a piece of dried meat into her mouth. Hearing this, she glanced at the Noble Consort and cautiously added, “It likely has nothing to do with major affairs.”

“Does Her Majesty the Empress have spies everywhere?” The Bright Consort smiled, her eyes darting around before she, too, abandoned the mahjong tiles. She eagerly ordered tea for the Empress, her face alight with gossipy excitement.

“I heard the Gu family sent some people to Her Majesty,” the Virtuous Consort yawned, exuding an air of lazy indifference. “The fact that Marquis Gu managed to get Her Majesty into the palace speaks volumes about his capabilities.”

The young Empress wasn’t foolish. She scoffed at the remark. “Last night, I sneaked over to see His Majesty, but he wasn’t there. I accidentally left something behind.”

“What was it?” The four consorts asked in unison, their dark, bright eyes swiveling toward her as if choreographed.

Under their scrutiny, the Empress flushed. “A picture book.”

“An erotic manual?”

“Pictures of little figures?”

“Yes. I was half-asleep at the time. When I went back to retrieve it, I heard noises through the wall and ran off in fright.” The Empress sighed mournfully, lamenting the loss of her precious book.

The four consorts were stunned speechless, exchanging bewildered glances.

The Noble Consort chuckled. “A few lashes won’t kill them. But how did Your Majesty sneak into the palace chambers?”

“Through the window, of course.” The Empress propped her chin on her hand, deep in thought. “What do you suppose she was doing out so late at night?”

“And what were you doing there in the middle of the night?” The Noble Consort feigned retreat, putting three steps between them.

The Empress pouted. Tsk, tsk. The boat of friendship capsized just like that.

“Naturally, I went to see His Majesty. If I couldn’t even catch him in bed, where else was I supposed to ambush him?” The Empress sighed dramatically at the sky. Life was so hard.

The other four abandoned their mahjong game, each grabbing a handful of melon seeds. They exchanged glances this chaotic harem seemed to be the only place where they weren’t tormented by matters of the heart.

The Noble Consort suggested, “Keep ambushing him in bed. Bring more picture books let her understand your needs.”

The Empress was baffled, her starry eyes wide and her delicate brows furrowed in innocence. “What needs?”

The Noble Consort opened her mouth, her ears inexplicably reddening, then glanced at the Virtuous Consort for help.

The Virtuous Consort stifled a laugh and cleared her throat. “The needs depicted in the picture book.”

The four watched the Empress like spectators at a play. At just fifteen or sixteen, she was pure and enchanting, her eyes clear and untainted.

Such innocence was about to be corrupted by His Majesty’s black-hearted schemes. The four sighed in unison.

The Bright Consort suddenly spoke up. “Did you understand the actions in the picture book?”

Her Majesty sat up straight, blinking her dewy, wide eyes. “I memorized all of them.”

The four consorts: “…” Memorizing was one thing but did she actually comprehend them?

Imperial Consort Ming gave an awkward laugh, dabbing the corners of her lips with a handkerchief. “It seems Palace Attendant Zhang taught you nothing, and the Gu family didn’t instruct you either.”

Noble Consort, ever the extravagant one, beckoned her lady-in-waiting over and whispered a few words.

The lady-in-waiting bowed to the group before retreating with a curtsy.

The four continued their mahjong game, with Virtuous Consort having particularly good luck today, winning several rounds in succession.

“Yesterday, on my way back, I saw the new Tanhua scholar Su,” the young Empress suddenly spoke up, causing the four to startle and nearly topple the tiles.

“You saw His Majesty’s new favorite?” Noble Consort asked with a smile, her amused expression betraying her gossipy curiosity. “Was he handsome?”

The young Empress tore off a piece of jerky and popped it into her mouth. “Not really. Not as handsome as His Majesty.”

“Truth be told, Scholar Su lacks His Majesty’s radiant charm,” Imperial Consort Ming chimed in smoothly, her gaze drifting toward the young Empress.

Sitting upright with perfect posture, the stunningly beautiful Empress nibbled on her jerky with relish, showing no discomfort whatsoever.

Imperial Consort Ming couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at her, her eyes growing increasingly complex.

Everyone said Gu Yunqi and Su Shi had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, yet this Empress Gu showed not a trace of familiarity when mentioning her old friend.

Midway through the mahjong game, Noble Consort’s lady-in-waiting pushed open the palace doors, carrying a small chest to present before the group.

With her usual gentle smile, Noble Consort addressed the Empress: “After Your Majesty reads these storybooks, everything will become clear.”

The young Empress, both puzzled and curious, wore a grateful smile as she thanked her profusely.

After returning from the warm pavilion, the young Empress opened the chest from Noble Consort to find over a dozen books inside.

She frowned in confusion, she couldn’t read. What was she to do?

Her exquisitely beautiful face scrunched up like a dumpling as she set the books aside and quietly summoned her lady-in-waiting. “I’m bored. Read to me.”

The lady-in-waiting took the book, but upon seeing the title, her face flushed crimson with embarrassment.

The title read: The Scheming Little Wife.

“Where did you get this book, Your Majesty? Let’s pick another,” the lady-in-waiting stammered, hastily pulling out a different one from the chest.

Good heavens, the second book was titled: The Beautiful Empress’s Wife-Raising Diary.

Incense curled through the chamber, its sweet fragrance drifting lazily upward in ethereal wisps.

The lady-in-waiting gave an awkward cough. Might as well read, who knew what even more ‘interesting’ titles lay ahead?

As she turned to the first page, the young Empress grabbed a handful of nuts, cracking them open noisily as she listened attentively.

“She nestled into her embrace, her soft cheek brushing against her neck, lips parting slightly.”

The lady-in-waiting squeezed her eyes shut. “Your Majesty, I can’t continue. Please read it yourself.”

The Empress remained silent, instead pondering the illustrated scene: nestling into an embrace, nuzzling a neck, biting with red lips but where exactly?

Tossing another nut into her mouth, the Empress crunched loudly and asked earnestly, “Where does she bite?”

The lady-in-waiting glanced over, her heart teetering between shame and disbelief. After confirming the text, she gulped and stammered, “The, the collarbone.”

The Empress’s eyes flickered. Her jade-like fingers traced her own collarbone, then recalled how high the Empress’s collar was, how could anyone possibly bite there?

Under the nervous and embarrassed gaze of the lady-in-waiting, the young empress leisurely nibbled on nuts, her bright red lips parting slightly as she said, “I understand.”

Unbutton the collar and bite!

With a smile, she nodded and shooed the lady-in-waiting away, then picked up the book The Daily Life of a Beautiful Empress Raising Her Wife and slipped out through the window.

Once is unfamiliar, twice is familiar, and by the third or fourth time, it becomes second nature.

The bedchamber was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, the faint scent of incense lingering in the air. She quietly slipped under the covers, looking down at the book in her hands.

Just like the night before, the empress did not return, and the young empress slept alone again, waking up to find her still absent.

She returned, disheartened.

The next day, she came back.

Again, the empress was nowhere to be seen, and the young empress slept soundly through the night, lulled by the incense.

On the third night, she rubbed her eyes, determined not to sleep. If this continued, she might never see the empress again.

She stayed awake all night, but as dawn broke, no one came.

The young empress sighed, her eyes flickering with disappointment. “Three days without returning, she must be spoiled by now. Not worth keeping.”

She straightened her robes and prepared to leave, but as she reached the window, footsteps echoed from the front of the palace.

Had she returned?

A thought crossed the young empress’s mind. Lightly leaping up, she perched on a beam overhead.

With a creak, the palace doors opened, and ladies-in-waiting and maids filed in, surrounding a woman clad in imperial robes.

“The Prince of Guangling has fallen ill. The Empress Dowager wishes to bring him back to the capital for treatment. Her letter just arrived,” a lady-in-waiting said softly, careful not to provoke the empress’s displeasure.

The empress stepped around the screen, her tall figure approaching like a towering mountain, her complexion as pure as moonlight, exuding an air of cold nobility.

The ladies-in-waiting trembled in fear. The empress’s face was serene, pale as the moon, her indifferent eyes making her resemble a statue of a goddess.

The young empress watched closely. How could someone be so devoid of emotion?

Just the other day, she had shown a hint of disdain toward her, yet today, her expression was utterly detached.

Under the empress’s calm, icy gaze, the ladies-in-waiting inexplicably felt their hearts skip a beat. They quickly knelt and explained, “We have no intention of pleading for the Prince of Guangling. It was the Empress Dowager’s letter.”

Five years had passed since Cheng Sangyi ascended the throne, and five years since the Empress Dowager left the palace. This first letter demanded the return of the Prince of Guangling, a threat to the empress’s reign without even inquiring about her well-being.

Cheng Sangyi leaned back on the divan, her eyes flickering as she said, “Send all the imperial physicians to him. Order them to cure the Prince of Guangling. If they fail, none shall return to the capital.”

The lady-in-waiting was stunned. She looked up at the empress, whose indifference made her seem like an unfeeling idol in a temple. Not daring to question further, she hastily accepted the decree and withdrew.

Perched on the beam, the young empress tilted her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips. If one wasn’t ruthless, they were only paving their own path to ruin.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, she liked the empress’s decisive cruelty.

The maids stepped forward to help the empress undress. Holding her breath, the young empress watched as the majestic figure shed layer after layer, revealing a snow-white neck.

And collarbones…

She saw them.

The empress soon lay down, the brocade curtains of the imperial bed drawn shut as the maids quietly retreated.

Once they were gone, the young empress leaped down, lifted the curtains, and slowly stepped onto the footrest, her gaze settling on the empress’s sleeping face.

She leaned in, only for the other woman’s eyes to snap open. Their gazes locked.

The young empress’s eyes first filled with awe, but before she could savor the sight, Cheng Sangyi’s cold stare made her heart skip a beat.

Is there still time to run?

Yet she couldn’t resist drawing closer, her breath tightening as she leaned in without hesitation, pressing her lips against the slightly parted corner of the other’s mouth.

Kiss first, think later.

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