The Fearless Empress - Chapter 9

The young empress returned to her palace to catch up on sleep, her eyes so heavy with exhaustion that she could barely keep them open. Half-asleep, she was pulled up by her maidservant.

The maidservant said, “His Majesty has summoned Lady Li.”

Yesterday, it was Lady Mo, and today, another one, Lady Li.

The young empress woke up instantly, rubbing her bleary eyes. “Why did His Majesty summon Lady Li?”

“This old servant doesn’t know. I’ve sent someone to inquire,” the maidservant replied, her face clouded with worry. “If His Majesty summoned Lady Li, it means he’s taken an interest in her.”

The empress gave her a deep look, her eyes filled with disdain. Cheng Sangyi’s mind was always occupied with state affairs, what kind of interest could he possibly have?

She said, “His Majesty must still be half-asleep, dreaming of summoning Lady Li.”

“Even half-asleep, he is still the Son of Heaven,” the maidservant advised earnestly.

The empress fell silent. She saw the emperor’s face every night she just kept it to herself, never making a fuss.

Now that she was awake, she couldn’t go back to sleep. She changed into casual attire, picked up her hand warmer, and hurried to the heated hall.

All four consorts were there, even Lady Mo. The moment she sat down, Lady Mo burst out angrily, “That wretched girl was the one who sent me a message yesterday, saying His Majesty was going boating. And now, today, he summons her instead! How shameless!”

The empress blinked and said, “You were the one who threw yourself at him. You’re not exactly innocent.”

Lady Li might be shameless, but you’re not much better.

The Noble Consort propped her chin on her hand and remarked, “Lady Li was sent into the palace by the Empress Dowager as an entertainer. I heard she can’t carry a tune, and her dancing is so bad it could make children cry. What could possibly make His Majesty summon her?”

The Virtuous Consort was equally puzzled, even the dried meat in her hand losing its flavor. “Perhaps His Majesty has finally awakened to romance?”

The empress didn’t even lift her eyelids, replying lazily, “Six out of seven senses awakened, how splendid.”

Leaving one still completely clueless.

With Cheng Sangyi’s temperament, he wouldn’t come to his senses anytime soon.

The Bright Consort glanced at Lady Mo with an almost indifferent expression. “Is being summoned by His Majesty really such a big deal?”

“Why won’t he summon me, then?” Lady Mo pouted, her face filled with righteous indignation.

The Worthy Consort burst into laughter. “As if he’s ever summoned you before. Think about it, you’ve been in the palace for two or three years. Have you even seen His Majesty once?”

“N-no, that’s why I’m angry!” Lady Mo crossed her arms and glared at nothing in particular.

The empress massaged her temples, feeling slightly irritated. “Is being summoned really a good thing? It might just bring trouble.”

With Cheng Sangyi’s temperament, summoning someone out of the blue couldn’t possibly mean anything good.

After a long silence, the Noble Consort spoke again. “Lady Li bears a slight resemblance to Rong Han. Could it be that he’s missing her?”

The empress said nothing, reclining lazily against a soft pillow. Her striking features carried a delicate flush, and the slight lift at the corners of her eyes added a touch of allure.

The Noble Consort stole a glance at her, but the empress’s expression remained unreadable, not a single ripple of emotion crossing her face.

“Your Highness claims to adore His Majesty. Why not go to the front hall and see for yourself?”

“I can go to the front hall?” The empress was surprised, blinking in confusion. “I don’t know these rules.”

Not that it mattered she could always see him at midnight anyway.

The Noble Consort added, “Your Highness can go if you wish, though you’ll likely be turned away. Look at Lady Mo, she used to go every day. Did she ever get to see him?”

Lady Mo twisted her handkerchief in her hands, her face burning with embarrassment. “Not once. I don’t even know what His Majesty looks like.”

The empress: “…” Then where does all your enthusiasm come from?

Not even having met once, yet you’re so eager to push forward. Putting that aside, it’s been three years without a single meeting, what keeps you tirelessly striving like this?

Forget three years, I doubt I could last even three months.

The Noble Consort was the first to laugh, saying, “Miserable? Before I entered the palace, I could see her a few times a year. But since joining the harem, I’ve seen her fewer times than I can count on one hand. What’s so great about her? What emotions can a cold-blooded person have?”

“Exactly, she probably has some hidden illness,” the Virtuous Consort boldly chimed in.

The Bright Consort whispered, “Could she be twisted by her unrequited love for someone else?”

The Wise Consort patted her chest in alarm, “Don’t speak nonsense! His Majesty is perfectly healthy. Isn’t that right, Empress?”

As for whether the Empress truly knew the Emperor’s condition, perhaps only she could say.

Under the gaze of the others, the young Empress remained composed and unruffled, smiling playfully, “How would I know whether she’s well or not? Only she knows her own condition. Tell me, do you think she really has some hidden ailment?”

Her face was powdered, concealing the dark circles under her eyes. As she spoke, a faint smile curled her lips, her dimples evoking tenderness.

Just as her words faded, a eunuch entered with a report.

Eager for gossip, the Noble Consort asked, “What did you find out?”

“His Majesty met with Consort Li, asked her a few questions, then dismissed her. He didn’t summon any officials either, staying alone in the hall,” the eunuch reported.

The young Empress made a sound of surprise but said nothing more. The Silent Consort then asked, “What was Consort Li’s expression when she left?”

“They say her face was pale, and she was trembling.”

“Oh? So she was caught doing something shady by His Majesty,” the Silent Consort gloated, barely restraining further mockery.

The four consorts exchanged glances. The Noble Consort said, “What did Consort Li do?”

The Emperor rarely involved himself in harem affairs. For him to summon someone for questioning today was unusual, he probably didn’t even remember their faces.

Consort Li had been sent by the Empress Dowager, something the Emperor had long known, yet he allowed her to remain in the palace. Had he called her today to reprimand her because of the Empress Dowager?

The room fell silent, expressions turning inscrutable. Even the Silent Consort stopped laughing, looking at the five women. “Is something wrong?”

The young Empress lowered her head, chewing on dried meat and sipping warm wine, ignoring the question.

What was there to overthink? A scolding was just a scolding.

The others lost interest in continuing, and the gossip session disbanded as they dispersed to gather more information.

The young Empress rode back to her palace in the phoenix carriage, gnawing on dried meat while imagining the Emperor reclining on her bed.

Lost in thought, the carriage suddenly halted. She looked down to find a woman in red robes standing before her, the Tanhua Scholar Su.

Puzzled, she observed Scholar Su’s tall, graceful figure, her gaze meeting the Empress’s. Though silent, the emotions in her eyes were unmistakable.

“Scholar Su, you should bow,” the eunuch cautiously urged Su Shi.

Only then did Su Shi bend in reverence. “Your servant Su Shi greets Her Majesty the Empress.”

The young Empress nodded. “Rise, Scholar Su. Why are you here?”

This wasn’t the outer court. Though a woman, entering the inner palace carried subtle implications.

Standing before the carriage, Su Shi remained composed, her hands clasped in perfect etiquette. “I took a wrong turn. I’ll leave at once.”

The Empress paid it no mind wrong turns happened; one only needed to correct them.

As the phoenix carriage resumed its journey, the young Empress closed her eyes, dismissing the encounter from her thoughts.

Su Shi stood motionless for a long time, his eyes filled with a mix of fascination and confusion.

How could she look at him as if he were a stranger?

Su Shi remained standing there for what felt like an eternity. Nearby, a pavilion stood by the roadside, where two people were seated. Consort Li, exhausted from walking, had stopped to rest. From a distance, she caught sight of Her Majesty the Empress and Su Shi.

If this had been a mere coincidence, Su Shi would have left immediately. But he didn’t. Instead, he stared in the direction where the Empress had departed, his gaze lingering for a long, long time.

Rubbing her sore neck, Consort Li pressed her lips together and smiled faintly. “Though I was inexplicably scolded today, I suppose I gained something from it.”

After a thorough investigation, Cheng Sangyi still couldn’t figure out how the intruder had entered the palace, nor could she find any illiterate woman among her attendants.

Frustrated, she disguised herself and went to the Ministry of Justice’s prison, slipping past the court officials to meet Zhao Kangyi.

Zhao Kangyi, a low-ranking official from the provinces, had never laid eyes on the Empress before. The moment he saw her, he panicked, utterly at a loss.

Cheng Sangyi, ever decisive, tossed the blood-stained letter at him. “Did you write this?”

Before he could respond, the eunuchs immediately searched him and found a missing piece of fabric from his undergarment, a perfect match to the bloodstained cloth.

Trembling uncontrollably, Zhao Kangyi confessed everything. “Last night, a divine maiden came to me, claiming she could save me.”

A divine maiden? Cheng Sangyi frowned. What kind of divine maiden couldn’t read?

A demoness, more like!

“Where’s the evidence?” Cheng Sangyi demanded.

Zhao Kangyi kowtowed frantically. “The evidence, the evidence is with my wife.”

The familiar phrase sent a shudder through Cheng Sangyi’s body. She clenched her legs together and asked in a low voice, “Say that again!”

“The evidence is with my wife.”

Zhao Kangyi was terrified out of his wits. The wrath of the sovereign could bring death to millions. He kept kowtowing, his forehead striking the ground repeatedly.

Cheng Sangyi stood up and left.

As she stepped out of the prison, a cold gust of wind swept over her. She abruptly halted, her cheeks burning red, the flush spreading all the way to her ears.

That woman not only couldn’t read, she didn’t even understand the meaning of “my wife.” That explained last night’s blunder.

And one more thing: she could come and go freely between the Ministry of Justice’s prison and the palace, rendering all defenses useless.

If she had wanted to kill her, Cheng Sangyi would already be dead.

The thought filled her with an inexplicable sense of humiliation.

Before leaving, she ordered her guards to search Zhao Kangyi’s residence for the evidence.

Her guards worked swiftly. Before midnight, stacks of account books were laid out on the imperial desk.

The corruption case wasn’t limited to local officials many in the capital were involved, embezzling far greater sums.

Zhao Kangyi, born into a humble family with no powerful backing, had been made the scapegoat. Such a massive scandal, pinned on one man alone did they truly take the Emperor for a fool?

Cheng Sangyi bided her time, keeping the evidence close. As she scanned the list of names, one stood out to her.

Gu Lin.

This man was the second uncle of Empress Gu Chuyun younger brother to the Marquis of Gu.

So, this was why the Marquis had risked sending a message to the Empress.

Yet the Empress had taken no action, which only deepened the mystery.

Cheng Sangyi’s thoughts were in turmoil. Could this Empress truly be as modest, virtuous, and dignified as the rumors claimed?

After a moment’s hesitation, she pressed a hand to the evidence and said, “To the Peppercorn Palace.”

The female official outside the door was taken aback, her eyes widening slightly. Visiting the Empress in the middle of the night?

Support The Fearless Empress