The Fearless Empress - Chapter 6

The young empress was lost in thought, her mind wandering far beyond the clouds, filled with images of Cheng Sangyi.

The other five women each held a hand warmer and a plate of melon seeds, chatting animatedly.

Especially Lady Mo, who recounted all the rumors she had heard over the years about the emperor’s “white moonlight.”

The establishment of an empress was an innovation by Cheng Sangyi after her ascension to the throne, unprecedented in history. As a result, many used this to criticize her even the empress dowager was displeased.

At this point, the young empress finally snapped back to reality and glanced at the visibly irritated woman.

A faint smile curled at her lips, her delicate dimples faintly visible. There was no escaping the empress dowager’s influence anywhere.

Lady Mo blushed under the young empress’s gaze. She was a noblewoman from the capital who had willingly entered the palace out of admiration for the emperor.

She continued, “The separation between Her Majesty and her white moonlight was orchestrated by the empress dowager. It’s said that back then, Prince Guangling selected the white moonlight as his consort. No one expected it everyone in court believed Prince Guangling was the favored heir, yet in the end, it was Her Majesty who seized the throne.”

“After ascending the throne, Her Majesty punished Prince Guangling, and the white moonlight’s family broke off the engagement. Then, someone reported her father for corruption and bribery. Enraged, Her Majesty exiled the entire family to the frontier.”

The noble consort sat coldly on a round stool, her skin like fine jade, a faint smile playing at her eyes, tinged with frost. “The Rong family bet on the wrong horse. They should’ve just sent their daughter over and kept their heads down. But to dare dream of breaking the engagement? Utterly brainless.”

Consort Ming, with her lively, beautiful eyes, spoke softly, “Most likely, they had their sights set on Her Majesty. If they wanted their daughter to climb higher, why sit idle? Little did they know the empress dowager had a backup plan.”

The young empress suddenly understood, it was the empress dowager who had reported them. She nodded, committing it to memory.

Lady Mo frowned slightly, covering her mouth with a handkerchief before speaking, “I also heard Prince Guangling knew Her Majesty favored the Rong family’s daughter, which was why he deliberately chose her during the consort selection.”

Another shocking revelation. The young empress blinked. Having such a brother must have been truly difficult.

The women chattered back and forth, sharing everything they knew. The young empress listened carefully siblings fighting over the same woman.

The elder sister genuinely loved her, while the younger brother acted out of spite. Their mother meddled, believing the younger brother’s feelings were sincere. In the end, the woman broke off the engagement, and the mother, humiliated, sent someone to report her father’s crimes.

The young empress tilted her head slightly, her lashes fluttering. “Was this Rong girl really that beautiful?”

“I’ve seen her. She was just average. Rumor has it she was sickly fainting every few steps.”

Lady Mo spoke, her red lips parting and closing, her tone laced with bitterness.

The noble consort smiled faintly, her gaze cool. “Lady Mo exaggerates. It was an illness from birth. Yet despite your disdain, you imitate her. Look at you, playing the frail beauty.”

The young empress shifted her gaze to Lady Mo’s pale cheeks. Ah, so it was an act.

Tsk, tsk. How exhausting. Pretending to be sick is too much effort. Better to just wait at night she’ll show up eventually.

Lady Mo, struck where it hurt, flushed crimson and fell silent.

The ever-quiet Virtuous Consort, wrapped in a delicate silk coat, suddenly spoke, “Prince Guangling has fallen ill. Her Majesty has dispatched the entire Imperial Medical Bureau to attend to him.”

At the mention of political matters, the warm chamber fell into cautious silence.

Arranging matters about the white moonlight was trivial, but discussing political affairs was troublesome.

The six of them dispersed just like that. Lady Mo eagerly pulled the young empress along, saying, “Your Highness, this concubine wishes to sit with you in your palace for a while.”

The young empress hesitated before replying, “His Majesty never comes to my palace. Even if you go, it won’t make a difference.”

“You don’t understand your palace has plenty of pastries, and they’re delicious. According to the palace regulations, my share is quite limited.” Lady Mo was slightly embarrassed, subtly straightening her posture.

The young empress nodded and said, “I’ll have some sent to you. My palace is far, and traveling back and forth might expose you to the cold. What do you think?”

Lady Mo immediately nodded in gratitude and bowed to her.

Watching Lady Mo’s retreating figure, the young empress narrowed her eyes. The combined schemes of all the women in the palace couldn’t compare to the depth of the Empress Dowager’s machinations.

Lady Mo dared to gossip about the white moonlight, but when it came to political matters, she wilted, not daring to speak further. They all knew their limits.

Seated in her phoenix carriage, the young empress gazed toward the Zichen Hall, her smile fading as she rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

She asked her lady-in-waiting, “How is the relationship between His Majesty and the Empress Dowager?”

The lady-in-waiting shook her head. “Not good. When His Majesty ascended the throne, he honored her as Empress Dowager, but she refused to move to the Ci’an Palace and would not accept the decree, clearly trying to humiliate His Majesty.”

Her actions showed no regard for His Majesty’s dignity.

Could that be considered good?

The young empress smiled, her expression innocent. “Why doesn’t a mother love her daughter?”

“When Empress Duanxiao was alive, she took in the newly born His Majesty and raised her. His Majesty is the legitimate eldest daughter and, in name, has no relation to the Empress Dowager,” the lady-in-waiting whispered, cautioning the young empress. “In front of His Majesty, never mention the Empress Dowager.”

The young empress smiled, rubbing her aching temples. This palace was truly chaotic, if even one’s own mother couldn’t be trusted, who could?

His Majesty is truly pitiful.

At night, the biting wind howled against the windows.

Cheng Sangyi turned her head to gaze at the crescent moon in the sky, her slender fingers clutching her sleeves, her expression tinged with melancholy.

The moon was incomplete, just as people were never whole.

Returning to her bedchamber, the palace maids attended to the female emperor’s ablutions before quietly withdrawing.

After the lady-in-waiting left, she approached again. “Your Majesty, if you don’t visit the empress soon, the court officials will submit memorials again.”

“The empress said I was ill. Why should I go? By the way, what has she been doing?” Cheng Sangyi recalled that youthful face and the words, “You’re so beautiful.”

Though she appeared naive, her mind was likely far more cunning.

“The young empress visits the warm pavilion daily to chat with the noble consorts. The noble consorts have also mentioned that the young empress admires you and praises your beauty,” the lady-in-waiting said, unable to suppress a smile. “If the noble consorts say so, it must be true. Why not go see Her Highness?”

“No need. I don’t want to deal with such matters after court,” Cheng Sangyi refused. “As long as the empress behaves, there’s no need to interfere.”

She needed a docile empress. If the empress became troublesome, she could depose her at any time.

The lady-in-waiting wanted to persuade her further, but seeing the emperor’s weary expression, she swallowed her words and silently withdrew.

Perched on the beam, the young empress overheard this, her beautiful eyes gleaming with amusement. So, she truly was indifferent to worldly desires.

Was her heart still yearning for her beloved?

The young empress quietly slipped away.

The small figure stood in the darkness, forming a hand seal with her fingers: “East wind carries enduring love, the bright moon remembers my heart run!”

The Rong family’s daughter, Rong Han, was exiled to Dengzhou, a barren land plagued by sandstorms. As convicts, they toiled daily, living in extreme hardship.

The young empress used magic to travel to Dengzhou and quietly inquired about Rong Han’s whereabouts. Exhausted from the journey, she sat on the ground, watching Rong Han spinning yarn in the distance. A dim lamp flickered in the house.

Rong Han’s once fair complexion had turned sallow, her hands roughened by labor, her eyes sunken, no trace of her former beauty remained. The young empress sighed as she observed her. Just then, an elderly woman emerged, muttering, “I told you to beg the Emperor for mercy, but you refused. Five years have passed, how much longer do you plan to stay here?”

Rong Han kept her head down, hands resting on the wooden frame, her expression grim. The woman continued nagging, “You may endure this suffering, but your brother mines every day, worn to the bone. Think of him!”

The young empress froze. Huh? Just like the Empress Dowager both willing to sacrifice their daughters to protect their sons.

Men were supposed to be strong, women delicate shouldn’t daughters be protected instead? What justification was there to shield sons? If a man couldn’t stand tall and had to hide behind his sisters, what kind of man was he? Such men, even if they became family heads or emperors, were useless.

The young empress sneered inwardly, disgusted by such dynamics, but she remained silent, listening.

The woman rambled on, but Rong Han stayed quiet, not uttering a word, a picture of resignation.

Rong Han lowered her head, lost in thought. After venting her frustration to no response, the woman shoved her daughter. “Say something! Write her a letter and beg for forgiveness! No matter how much you toil, it won’t compare to a single word from her.”

The young empress shot a sidelong glance at the woman, her lips curling in disdain. How ironic.

When Rong Han still didn’t respond, the woman shoved her harder, sending her crashing into the spinning frame.

A flicker of hatred flashed in Rong Han’s eyes so subtle the young empress almost missed it. Who does she hate? Her mother? Or Cheng Sangyi for abandoning her?

The young empress grew even more curious. If Rong Han entered the palace now, would Cheng Sangyi still care for her? After five years of labor, Rong Han was merely uglier her health intact. How is she some fragile, ailing beauty?

Rong Han picked herself up, righted the spinning frame, and resumed her work, unfazed.

Enraged, the woman kicked the frame. “Rong Han, write to her! She adored you!”

“Mother,” Rong Han finally spoke, her voice hoarse and devoid of feminine grace, “her palace is filled with beauties. Do you think this ghost of a woman would still catch her eye?”

The young empress was taken aback. This is the “white moonlight” the concubines keep sighing over? After witnessing this spectacle, she realized Cheng Sangyi’s nature might not be what they imagined, truly cold and unfeeling.

Palace life is going to be very interesting from now on.

The white moonlight had turned into a wretched shadow. Should I help the Emperor?

The young empress’s thoughts shifted. First, return to the palace steal the imperial seal and draft the transfer order.

By the time she returned to her chambers, dawn had yet to break. The young empress slipped inside unnoticed.

Cheng Sangyi had not yet awakened, and the palace maids were still keeping watch outside. She quietly approached the bedside, her gaze falling upon that snow-white visage, stirring towering waves in her tranquil heart.

With delicate hands, she drew aside the brocade curtains and stealthily climbed onto the bed. Her fingertips lightly brushed Cheng Sangyi’s face, casting a minor spell to deepen the empress’s slumber.

Once lying down, the young empress felt utterly content, turning on her side to face the sleeping ruler.

Catching sight of the empress’s profile, she couldn’t help but moisten her lips with the tip of her tongue.

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