Li Yi did not particularly like setting foot in the inner palace, so when Noble Consort Yan once again heard the news that he had gone to Zhengyang Palace, she began to panic.
She threw a massive temper tantrum in Yuhua Palace, beating two palace maids until they were injured.
Even her trusted personal senior maid, Xiang Qing, suffered two heavy slaps across the face, leaving her too embarrassed to step outside Yuhua Palace for two days.
Having struck Xiang Qing, who had been by her side for many years, Noble Consort Yan couldn’t bring herself to order her around again so soon. Instead, she instructed another maid to quietly summon the two spies planted in Zhengyang Palace—namely, Yu Miaowan and Geng Han.
Yu Miaowan and Geng Han knelt on the floor, not daring to lift their heads.
Noble Consort Yan ground her teeth and sneered, “How truly impressive. You two can’t even enter the inner rooms to serve and only sweep the courtyard, yet you still manage to wear fine silks and satins.”
Trembling, Yu Miaowan answered, “This was ordered by His Majesty. His Majesty said that the Empress is, after all, the Mother of the Nation. The servants in the Empress’s palace cannot look too shabby, lest they cause the Empress to lose face…”
Noble Consort Yan’s face twisted completely. “His Majesty truly cares so much about the Empress; he even spares a thought for the slaves in her palace.”
Geng Han was a bit calmer. Prostrating on the floor, she said, “His Majesty just feels a momentary flicker of pity for the Empress; it simply cannot compare to his deep affection for you. Your Highness, Noble Consort, you must remember that the Empress has no one to rely on and a frosty relationship with Duke Dingguo. You, on the other hand, hold high status and great power.”
These flattering words smoothly entered Noble Consort Yan’s ears, making her feel slightly better.
She lifted her gaze. “Do you know what moves the Empress is making? Now that she has gained favor, she will most likely try to snatch away this Consort’s power.”
Geng Han thought for a long moment before finally saying, “The Empress is on very good terms with Eunuch Xue, the head of the Internal Affairs Bureau. Eunuch Xue frequently visits Zhengyang Palace.”
“Xue Ying…” Noble Consort Yan’s face turned a bit green.
She knew that Xue Ying had been personally groomed by Empress Dowager Qi. He was deeply scheming, and Noble Consort Yan had never dared to offend him too much. However, she had no idea when that little tramp of an Empress had managed to cozy up to Xue Ying.
Noble Consort Yan cursed through gritted teeth, “Back then, this Consort tried to reel him in with a thousand taels of gold, and Xue Ying adamantly refused! What exactly does the Empress have that makes him willing to serve her?”
In order to pander to Noble Consort Yan, Geng Han smiled maliciously. “Your Highness, the Empress does have a pretty face. This servant frequently sees Eunuch Xue going in and out of Zhengyang Palace. Who knows, perhaps the Empress offered her body to that castrated man. Before she gained His Majesty’s favor, there’s no telling how the Empress must have groveled and licked that eunuch’s boots.”
For a moment, Noble Consort Yan felt both disgusted and strangely vindicated. She thought to herself that the Empress was truly filthy, and His Majesty had simply been blinded by lard—tossing aside a perfectly clean and pure Noble Consort like her, insisting on a shameless Empress instead.
She curled her lips. “The Empress has a pretty face? Just how pretty is it? How does she compare to this Consort?”
Noble Consort Yan recalled the little girl with the eerie gaze she had seen two years ago. Back then, the Empress was still young, and she indeed had ice-like skin and jade-like bones that evoked tender affection. But people’s looks could grow crooked; some were cute as children, but who was to say their skin wouldn’t turn coarse or their figures wouldn’t grow bloated as they aged?
“In this servant’s eyes, the Empress isn’t even fit to carry Your Highness’s shoes,” Geng Han smiled flatteringly. “Your Highness is of noble birth, possesses outstanding temperament, and even more outstanding looks. What does the Empress have to compare with you?”
Noble Consort Yan was the absolute reigning beauty of the six palaces, and having been lavishly praised over the past two years, she was extremely confident in her own looks. Being praised by this little maid made her feel even more deeply complacent.
“This Consort knew it.” Noble Consort Yan couldn’t hide the smugness in her voice. “His Majesty is just looking for novelty. Men—who doesn’t like a fresh, new woman? Once His Majesty gets bored of her, she’ll have plenty of time to cry.”
Geng Han repeatedly nodded in agreement.
Noble Consort Yan ordered, “Keep a close eye on things. If there is even the slightest rustle of grass in the wind on the Empress’s side, you must report it to this Consort immediately.”
Yu Miaowan lowered her head. “This servant understands.”
Stepping out of Yuhua Palace, Yu Miaowan asked, “Sister Han, Eunuch Xue clearly respects the Empress immensely and is frequently forced to kneel in punishment by her. Why didn’t you tell the Noble Consort the whole truth?”
“The Noble Consort only likes to hear pretty words; couldn’t you tell? If we told her the truth, there’s no guarantee she wouldn’t throw a fit and smash a porcelain vase into our faces, leaving us with split heads and bleeding brows,” Geng Han replied. “The Empress thinks we look quite nice, and I agree—we don’t look any worse than those Consorts. Once we use the Empress as a stepping stone and soar to the skies, even if the Noble Consort is furious, she won’t be able to beat or scold us as she pleases. Right now, what we need to do is cherish our faces; we absolutely cannot let the Noble Consort ruin them.”
Yu Miaowan looked thoughtful.
Geng Han and Yu Miaowan quietly slipped back to Zhengyang Palace. They still had to busy themselves sprinkling water in the courtyard.
Opening the window, Qi Yue just so happened to have a clear view of the two of them.
Cold wind blew in through the open window. Draped in a snow-white light fur coat, her ink-black hair neatly bound, her exquisite face looked ever more chillingly stern in the freezing air.
In her hands, she held a string of carved white jade beads, her luminous, fair fingertips gently rotating them.
Aunt Yun stood to the side. “Your Highness, the wind is strong outside. You really should close the window.”
“This Empress isn’t afraid of the cold.” Inside a heated room, dressed in luxurious garments, even if the cold wind hit her, she didn’t feel too chilled.
Following Qi Yue’s gaze, Aunt Yun also spotted the two little maids. Since these two maids were sent by Noble Consort Yan, and had now been discovered by Qi Yue, they were definitely not going to meet a good end.
She could guess that the current Empress had already sharpened the sword in her hands until it gleamed, just waiting to strike down anyone who displeased her.
Aunt Yun noted, “Your Highness’s body is already clean now, yes? Since your time of the month has passed, you can serve His Majesty in bed. This servant feels that His Majesty will definitely come to Zhengyang Palace today.”
Qi Yue had originally been pondering other matters. Hearing Aunt Yun’s words, her expression instantly changed.
Serving him in bed was, naturally, inevitable. Every time Li Yi looked at her, his gaze was exactly like a starving wolf eyeing a juicy rabbit. Now that her time of the month was gone, she was absolutely going to fall into Li Yi’s clutches.
Not that Qi Yue was afraid of losing favor after Li Yi had his way with her body. She had complete confidence in herself and knew exactly what to do to ensure a man never got tired of her.
What she feared was that during her very first time serving him, Li Yi would torment her half to death.
Qi Yue’s slender fingers tightly gripped the window frame.
When a starving wolf catches a rabbit for the very first time, it absolutely won’t chew slowly and swallow delicately—it will undoubtedly devour every last bit of meat, bones and all.
With her delicate, fragile body, she was truly reluctant to just deliver herself right into Li Yi’s mouth.
While Qi Yue was desperately trying to mentally prepare herself, on the other end, Li Yi was hurriedly marching his way toward Zhengyang Palace.
Li Yi had calculated the days perfectly. He knew it was finally time to eat meat.
But halfway there, he bumped right into Noble Consort Yan. Noble Consort Yan was dressed up as vibrantly as a peacock; with every step she took, a delicate, fragrant breeze wafted out. Seeing Li Yi, she hurriedly dropped into a curtsy. “This Concubine greets Your Majesty. This Concubine has not seen Your Majesty for two days. This Concubine truly has such an affinity with Your Majesty; to think we would run into each other just taking a stroll.”
Li Yi: “???”
After rising, Noble Consort Yan eagerly tried to throw herself into Li Yi’s arms. “This Concubine has missed Your Majesty dearly, and has grown quite thin these past few days.”
Li Yi smoothly dodged aside, leaving Noble Consort Yan to stumble into thin air. “If you are thin, then eat more food. I have matters to attend to; continue your stroll here.”
Translator’s Anecdote:
Absolutely dying at Emperor Li Yi’s final interaction! He has a calendar marked with “EAT THE EMPRESS DAY” in bold letters, marching down the hallway with tunnel vision, only for Yan Guifei to pop out like a wild Pokémon. Yan Guifei: “I am so thin and frail from missing you ~” (proceeds to faint gracefully into his arms). Li Yi: Literally side-steps her like a matador. “Eat a sandwich then. I have a rabbit to catch.” Truly peak romance!