As the Empress gradually grew older, the Qi family would not allow Noble Consort Yan to control the inner palace in her stead for long.
Li Yi prided himself on being an accurate judge of character. He knew perfectly well that this little girl, Qi Yue, was no gentle saint. The Empress’s throne simply could not be left to a brainless, vicious little girl like her.
Xunxue knew Li Yi’s intentions in planting her by the Empress’s side. Xunxue was one of the elite shadow guards cultivated by Li Yi’s trusted confidants; though young in age, she had learned quite a lot of deadly skills.
Li Yi could not tolerate Empress Qi. With Xunxue staying by the Empress’s side and following Li Yi’s arrangements, there were plenty of ways to ensure the Empress passed away in an “accident.”
Xunxue had not interacted much with the young emperor before her, nor did she truly know his temperament. She had only heard from her peers that the Holy One was cold-faced, hard-hearted, and notoriously difficult to please.
After weighing her words, Xunxue said nothing more.
When she stepped outside, a very tall eunuch stopped her. “This thing, place it in the Empress’s tea every day. One pill a day is enough.”
Xunxue lowered her eyes and said, “Yes, Eunuch Fang.”
She did not need to ask what exactly the Emperor’s head eunuch was giving her; she only needed to do it covertly.
By the fourth day, it was Xunxue’s turn again to serve Qi Yue as she woke and dressed. Qi Yue’s icy little hands rested in Xunxue’s palms. “The plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden should have bloomed by now, right? This Empress wishes to go see them.”
Since the beginning of winter this year, it had already snowed twice. Who knew why there was so much moisture in the air, but today brought yet another heavy snowfall.
Xunxue wrapped Qi Yue in a fox fur cloak. The cloak had been left to Qi Yue by the late Empress Dowager; its fur was silver-white, making her delicate features appear exceptionally clear and striking.
Xunxue asked, “Your Majesty, do you intend to walk all the way there? There is too much snow accumulated on the ground. Be careful not to let the snow water soak through your boots.”
“It has been a long time since I took a walk.” Qi Yue was in a rather good mood these past few days. She held her hand warmer, surrounded by a flock of palace maids, while Xunxue walked at the very front, holding an umbrella for her.
The plum blossoms had indeed bloomed, and beautifully so. Qi Yue raised her hand and snapped off a branch. Red blossoms against pale, flawless hands—just this scene alone was so beautiful it made it impossible to look away.
Xunxue smiled at Qi Yue and said, “Your Majesty, this flower is truly beautiful. When we return, we can place it in a vase with water to keep it fresh, and the whole palace will be filled with its fragrance.”
Just as her words fell, Xunxue’s smile froze.
She watched as Qi Yue plucked off the petals one by one, letting the mutilated pieces fall haphazardly to the snow-covered ground.
A stifling ball of frustration always weighed down on Qi Yue’s chest. She had not been born a girl with a sweet temper, and dark, destructive urges often surfaced in her mind. Whenever she saw certain things, she just couldn’t help wanting to ruin them.
Just as her fingers were turning icy cold, Xunxue stepped forward and caught Qi Yue’s hand. “Your Majesty, you have stood here for so long, your hands are about to freeze stiff.”
Displeased, Qi Yue snatched her hand back and—smack—slapped Xunxue across the face.
Aunt Yun scolded, “Why aren’t you kneeling? Her Majesty’s phoenix body is not something a lowly maid like you can just casually touch!”
Xunxue dropped to her knees with practiced swiftness.
Only after warning Xunxue did Aunt Yun turn back to Qi Yue. “Your Majesty, she has not been in the palace for long and does not yet understand the rules. Please spare her this once.”
Xunxue suddenly recalled the rumors in the palace. Back when Empress Dowager Qi was still alive, the Empress had relied on her favor to do as she pleased, beating who knew how many palace maids to death.
In the two years since Empress Dowager Qi’s passing, although the Empress had restrained herself quite a bit, there were still a good number of maids who had been carried out of Zhengyang Palace as corpses.
People said that the Empress put on massive airs and was terribly moody—smiling sweetly one second, and having someone dragged out to be beaten to death the next.
Xunxue’s current status was nothing but a palace maid, while Qi Yue was the lofty, exalted Empress. In comparison, Xunxue was just the trampled, dirty slush on the ground, while Qi Yue was the blooming red plum blossom at her fingertips.
For her to presumptuously touch Qi Yue, no matter the reason, getting beaten was nothing unusual.
Qi Yue pressed a hand against her chest, suppressing the displeasure in her heart. She furrowed her brows as she looked down at Xunxue.
“Raise your head.”
Xunxue obediently raised her head.
Having lost her parents at a young age, Qi Yue had tasted her fair share of bitterness before being brought into the palace. She was highly observant and excellent at figuring out what others were thinking.
She could tell that Xunxue was different from the other maids. From Xunxue’s eyes and expression, Qi Yue could see what Xunxue thought of her.
Xunxue did not view Qi Yue as some mentally ill lunatic, nor did she feel that Qi Yue was ruthless and vicious.
Qi Yue felt that Xunxue purely liked her—the simple, uncomplicated fondness one feels when admiring something truly beautiful.
At this moment, a clear handprint lingered on Xunxue’s fair face, but there was no fear in her dark eyes, only a faint trace of remorse.
Qi Yue coughed lightly and shifted her gaze away. Extending a single hand, she said, “This Empress absolves you of your crime. Get up.”
This time, not only Xunxue, but even Aunt Yun and Aunt Jing at the side were somewhat surprised.
They knew the Empress’s temperament best. The Empress was aloof and arrogant; she would absolutely never say such words to a maid who had just offended her.
Xunxue placed her hand into Qi Yue’s tiny palm and used a little bit of force to stand up.
Dusting the snow off her clothes, Xunxue pursed her lips and smiled. “Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Majesty.”
Qi Yue’s long eyelashes fluttered, and she said expressionlessly, “The next time you make a mistake, this Empress will definitely have you beaten severely with the wooden boards.”
Xunxue smiled and replied, “Please rest assured, Your Majesty. This servant will absolutely never casually offend you again.”
Qi Yue instructed the maids behind her, “Snap off some plum blossom branches to take back and keep in the vases.”
The maids gave a chorus of acknowledgment and began picking the blossoms.
Holding the umbrella, Xunxue followed Qi Yue deeper into the plum blossom grove.
From afar came a crisp and charming voice. “This Concubine feels the plum blossoms here are quite nice and perfectly match our Noble Consort’s temperament. Pick a few branches and send them to Her Highness.”
Following the voice, a woman wearing a brocade and fur-lined cloak walked over. This woman was of average height and could not be considered outstanding in a harem filled with beauties like clouds. However, she did have a touch of coquettish charm when she smiled. Because her looks were average, she could not attain the Emperor’s favor and could only cling to Noble Consort Yan.
Before Qi Yue could notice, Aunt Jing stepped forward and said, “Her Majesty the Empress is here admiring the flowers and does not wish to be disturbed right now. Noble Lady Wu, please come back after Her Majesty has left.”
Hearing that the Empress was here, Noble Lady Wu did not care much at all.
The Empress? How could she compare to the majestic and imposing Noble Consort Yan? Noble Consort Yan was the absolute hottest figure in the harem, while the Empress would sooner or later be thrown into the Cold Palace.
Noble Lady Wu gave a charming but completely fake smile. “Ah, so it is Aunt Jing of Zhengyang Palace. This Concubine did not come to admire the flowers, but to pick them for Noble Consort Yan. Her Highness the Noble Consort is particularly fond of plum blossoms. If this Concubine returns late and makes her angry, that would be terrible.”
Aunt Jing kept her face stern. “Her Majesty the Empress is always the Empress, and the Noble Consort is beneath her. Even if the Noble Consort herself came, she would have to wait here right now.”
Noble Lady Wu’s expression immediately turned sour.
Wan’er, the palace maid beside Noble Lady Wu, rolled her eyes and said, “Aunt Jing, you are a veteran in this palace, how can you be so inflexible? Our Noble Lady is picking flowers for the Noble Consort—the Emperor’s most favored Noble Consort. If word gets out that you blocked us here, never mind the Noble Consort getting angry, even His Majesty would surely be furious if he heard.”
“There is a strict order between the superior and the inferior, and the rules cannot be broken,” Aunt Jing replied. “I only know that the Empress is the most noble woman in this palace.”
Noble Lady Wu rolled her eyes.
Noble Lady Wu had some reservations about the Empress, but that did not mean she would show respect to the maids by the Empress’s side.
Who in the palace didn’t know that the Empress was entirely out of favor and that His Majesty thoroughly despised her?
Noble Lady Wu sneered, “Order between the superior and the inferior? This Concubine is the superior, and you, a slave, are the inferior. Aunt Jing, my temper is not very good. You had better not anger me.”
Noble Lady Wu thought secretly to herself: So what if I clash with the Empress? Even if she did, she could just go cry to the Noble Consort, or cry to the Emperor. The entire harem would only think that the Empress was petty and bad-tempered.
Thinking of this, Noble Lady Wu even felt a faint, rising anticipation at the prospect of clashing with the Empress. After all, the Empress had been raised single-handedly by Empress Dowager Qi. When Empress Dowager Qi was alive, she was a terrifyingly formidable figure. Clashing with and bullying the Empress would bring Noble Lady Wu a secret, twisted sense of thrill.
Translator’s Anecdote (T/N):
Ah, the sheer irony in this chapter is delicious. Emperor Li Yi confidently declares: “I will never let a brainless, vicious girl like her sit on the Empress’s throne!” Oh, Li Yi. Just give it some time, buddy. Soon enough, you’ll be on your knees practically begging your “brainless little girl” to sit exactly on that throne. Also, Xunxue being sent to assassinate the Empress but instead accidentally becoming her biggest fan is the exact kind of wholesome chaos we are here for! Look out, Noble Lady Wu—you’re about to mess with the wrong tsundere.