After Xunxue returned, she smelled the clear fragrance of peonies in the room.
The two pots of Yao Yellow sent by Xue Ying had already bloomed. Known as the “King of Flowers,” the Yao Yellow overflowed with a crisp fragrance when in full bloom. Its tender yellow petals were neat, full, and incredibly eye-catching.
Xunxue knelt by the Empress’s legs, taking the beauty-hammer to gently massage them, and muttered softly, “Eunuch Xue is nothing but a sycophant, using these things all day to curry favor with Your Majesty.”
Qi Yue raised a hand and tapped the center of Xunxue’s brow. “Are you not a sycophant as well? Eagerly running over, insisting on hovering right before this Empress’s eyes.”
“This servant… this servant is different from him!” Xunxue nuzzled against Qi Yue’s palm. “This servant is our Zhengyang Palace’s person, wholeheartedly good to Your Majesty.”
Qi Yue gave a soft laugh and said nothing more.
Pinned in her hair was a real peony. The ink-dark hair contrasting with the pale yellow flower made her look all the more delicate and tender.
Xunxue said, “Your Majesty, this peony is not suitable for you to wear.”
“Oh?” Qi Yue smiled. “Then tell me, what is suitable?”
“This servant thinks it is plum blossoms.” Xunxue spoke with utmost seriousness. “Peonies are far too opulent and rich.”
“Since that is the case…” Qi Yue plucked the peony from her hair. “Then this Empress will not wear it.”
Xunxue pursed her lips and began to smile. Like a silly child.
Qi Yue closed her eyes and dozed off.
At the New Year’s Eve banquet, Noble Consort Yan dressed herself up as gorgeously as a flowering branch, taking her seat right beside Li Yi.
Li Yi wore a bright yellow dragon robe tonight. Since Noble Consort Yan was not the Empress, she could not wear bright yellow, so she very calculatingly chose a pale goose-yellow. From a distance, with Li Yi tall and handsome, and Noble Consort Yan bewitchingly graceful, the two looked like a match made in heaven.
Only Noble Consort Yan knew that Li Yi didn’t care about her in the slightest. Today, she had racked her brains, spending a full shichen to paint on a beautiful makeup look, yet he completely failed to take it to heart.
This cold, ruthless man likely only had state affairs in his heart.
However—Noble Consort Yan looked down. The consorts seated below were all prominent figures in the palace. Among them, Consort De, Consort Li, and Consort Xian held the highest statuses, while the rest of the concubines were also beauties picked one in a hundred. Yet when these noble women looked at Noble Consort Yan, without exception, they revealed feelings of envy or jealousy.
Noble Consort Yan poured a cup of wine for Li Yi. So what if she couldn’t get this man’s heart? Anyway, he was a man of cold heart and cold nature; no one would ever be able to get his heart.
Noble Consort Yan was only responsible for liking Li Yi, and then sitting high above, letting other women envy and resent her. That was enough.
Noble Consort Yan shot a look at Noble Lady Wu below. Catching the hint, Noble Lady Wu stood up and said, “This Concubine toasts His Majesty and Her Highness the Noble Consort. Over the past year, His Majesty has been exceptionally hard at work handling state affairs, and Her Highness the Noble Consort has been busy with harem matters, never having a moment of leisure. This Concubine must toast you both.”
Following that, a few concubines who usually flattered Noble Consort Yan chimed in one after another, recounting just how hard the Noble Consort worked every day.
Consort De rolled her eyes at Noble Consort Yan and said in a bizarrely sarcastic tone, “Your Majesty, the Noble Consort truly is quite hardworking, well worthy of your praise. However, if the Noble Consort feels it is too taxing and she cannot handle it all, this Concubine could certainly share the burden for her.”
Li Yi’s ears ached from the clamor of these women’s voices. The palace hall was also thick with the scent of women’s rouge and powder, filling him with endless disgust.
Li Yi said, “Since the Noble Consort is so heavily burdened, Consort De, Consort Xian, you two should help the Noble Consort out more.”
Noble Consort Yan was itching to fiercely clutch all the power in the palm of her hand; how could she possibly let outsiders intervene?
Immediately, Noble Consort Yan’s face turned ugly. She forced a smile at Li Yi. “Your Majesty, this Concubine does not find it taxing. Consort De and Consort Xian cannot even manage the affairs of their own palaces properly; how could they possibly share this Concubine’s burden?”
“May I ask the Noble Consort, when have we ever failed to manage the affairs of our own palaces?” Consort De shot back. “If you’re afraid we’ll snatch your power, just say so directly. If you really just said it, we wouldn’t bother meddling in other people’s business anyway.”
Consort De had always been bold, and Noble Consort Yan did not wish to bicker with her in front of the Emperor. Noble Consort Yan smiled, “Your Majesty, look at younger sister Consort De, repeatedly claiming this Concubine is greedy for power. This Concubine manages the harem in the Empress’s stead only to give Your Majesty peace of mind. Where is there so much power to be greedy for?”
Li Yi was used to seeing the scheming and backstabbing among court officials; now looking at this flock of restless, petty women, he felt even more disgusted.
Not even two quarters of an hour later, Li Yi said, “I still have matters to attend to. Noble Consort, just handle everything yourself.”
Noble Consort Yan’s smile froze on her face. “Your Majesty…”
Li Yi left without looking back. These women deep in the palace were nothing more than tools used to satisfy desires and pass on the lineage. Li Yi was the Emperor; he had to bestow favor upon them, using them to keep the various family factions in check. In truth, he did not like this flock of mediocre, heavily powdered women at all.
The wind was strong at night. On the way back to Hanyuan Hall, Li Yi vaguely heard the sound of singing.
The singing was ethereal, its origin unknown. New Year’s Eve was meant to be a joyous occasion to sweep away the old and welcome the new, but this singing, accompanied by the desolate notes of a Xun, inexplicably gave rise to a sense of sorrow in one’s heart.
The palanquin came to a halt. Seeing Li Yi’s incredibly gloomy expression, Fang Lu said, “This slave will have someone investigate at once to see which palace is making a ruckus late at night and playing such an inauspicious tune.”
Having no other pressing matters to attend to, Li Yi said, “Take Me over there.”
The palanquin headed in the direction the sound was coming from. Along the way, Li Yi thought of many things.
Li Yi’s mother had originated as a lowly palace maid—stupid, clumsy, and incompetent. She was used as a pawn by other consorts and died a highly tragic death.
He saw right through the women in the harem, and being naturally cold and fickle by nature, even though Empress Dowager Qi had thrown him a lifesaving straw and helped him sit upon this supreme throne, he still felt no great gratitude toward her. When he thought of Empress Dowager Qi—a woman who appeared weak on the surface but was thoroughly vicious underneath—Li Yi even felt a degree of disgust.
As for Qi Yue, the little girl Empress Dowager Qi had coddled in the palm of her hand, he always maintained a polite, gentle facade on the surface, but in reality, he loathed her to the extreme.
The palanquin stopped at a clearing. Fang Lu said, “It should be coming from here, but the person is gone. Your Majesty, it is late and freezing; please return to the hall first, and this slave will have people investigate later.”
Not far away was a plum blossom grove. With the moon hanging high in the sky, the scenery was exceptionally secluded and beautiful.
Li Yi stepped off the carriage. “I will quiet My mind here. You all return to Hanyuan Hall first.”
Fang Lu and the group of eunuchs withdrew.
Li Yi walked deeper into the plum grove. Blooming here were red plum blossoms. The moonlight shining upon the vivid red petals gave the surrounding environment a bizarre, haunting beauty.
The sound of a flute began to play intermittently. Pushing aside a cluster of plum blossom branches, what entered his eyes was a slender woman.
In the dead of winter, the young girl held a jade flute in one hand and grasped a plum blossom branch with the other. Her long hair cascaded down, adorned only with a wreath of red plum blossoms. She wore a gold-threaded dress as thin as cicada wings, tantalizingly revealing glimpses of spring beneath. At just one glance, it made one unable to resist feeling a surge of tender pity.
Seeming to hear footsteps, the young girl slowly turned her head. Her perfectly pale face was devoid of expression, and as her eyes slowly opened, they looked like spring water laced with crushed ice.
The scene was far too stunning; for a moment, Li Yi’s mind actually went entirely blank.
He could recognize at a glance that the little girl from back then had grown up. But he never imagined that Qi Yue… was actually this breathtakingly beautiful.
He didn’t know where to look.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Yi untied his cloak and wrapped it entirely around Qi Yue. “Empress, you are dressed far too revealingly. It is not dignified at all.”
Author’s Note: Li Yi is secretly a massive hypocrite. Outside, he wishes the Empress would cover up her hands and neck completely so no one else can look. But once inside the bedroom, he hopes the Empress will dress seductively to entice him. On the surface he says no, but deep down his heart really wants it.
Translator’s Anecdote:
Our notoriously cold, woman-hating Emperor just had his brain completely short-circuit at the very first glance of his own wife. Wrapping her in a cloak while lecturing her about “dignity” is basically ancient tsundere for “I’m utterly obsessed, please do not let anyone else see you.” 🤣