Xue Ying’s mother and Empress Dowager Qi were cousins, though their relationship could hardly be considered close. When the late Emperor was still alive, the Xue family became implicated in the princes’ factional struggles, and their entire clan was sentenced to execution. Empress Dowager Qi pleaded for mercy before the Emperor, sparing Xue Ying’s life and having him enter the palace to become a eunuch.
Xue Ying was already sixteen the year he entered the palace. At that time, Empress Dowager Qi was the Empress, shielding the sky with one hand in the inner palace. Though he had never suffered any real hardships, he possessed quite a bit of cunning, and relying on Empress Dowager Qi’s protection, he climbed the ranks step by step.
After Empress Dowager Qi passed away, Zhengyang Palace’s status plummeted. The snobbish dogs in the Internal Affairs Department, who dished out treatment based on status, disrespected Zhengyang Palace several times. The supplies sent to Zhengyang Palace were all the leftovers picked over by Noble Consort Yan’s Yuhua Palace.
At first, Qi Yue kindly and pleasantly reminded Xue Ying a few times. Xue Ying did not take it to heart, instead believing that Qi Yue lacked ambition, hadn’t learned half of Empress Dowager Qi’s strengths, and had merely been raised to be soft and spoiled.
When the Imperial Kitchen once again gave Aunt Yun attitude and delivered meals that did not suit Qi Yue’s tastes, Qi Yue overturned all the food. She summoned the head of the Imperial Kitchen and forced him to eat every last bite of the food off the floor. Then, Qi Yue summoned Xue Ying. In front of everyone, Qi Yue didn’t say a single word; she simply smashed a tea set to pieces.
That tea set was the very one Xue Ying had gifted to Empress Dowager Qi to show his filial piety, which later fell into Qi Yue’s hands.
That day, Xue Ying knelt in Zhengyang Palace for two shichen (four hours). From then on, the Internal Affairs Department never dared to disrespect Zhengyang Palace again.
And it was also from then on that Xue Ying became a “cheap bone” in Qi Yue’s eyes. Whenever Xue Ying came to Zhengyang Palace to pay his respects, before leaving, he was required to kneel beneath a peach tree in the courtyard for at least half a shichen. Sometimes, if he caught Qi Yue in a bad mood, no matter how busy Xue Ying was, he would have to kneel until the third watch of the night.
After hearing this from Aunt Yun, Xunxue laughed. “This Eunuch Xue really is something else. Her Majesty spoke to him nicely to discuss matters, and he ignored her, insisting on waiting until our Empress got angry. Look at him now, having to kneel every time he visits Zhengyang Palace. Kneeling for so long, he probably has to wear very thick kneepads.”
Opening the window, one could vaguely see the blue-grey figure kneeling beneath the peach tree not far away. Xue Ying had draped a cloak over himself, his back completely straight, looking quite imposing.
For no particular reason, Xunxue felt a deep disgust for this eunuch.
After maliciously making fun of Xue Ying for a bit, Xunxue added, “Don’t look at how glorious he is now as the Head of Internal Affairs. In my eyes, he isn’t even qualified to carry Her Majesty’s shoes.”
Aunt Yun said indifferently, “That is only natural. The mistress of our palace is the mother of the nation, a true phoenix. How could a mere slave like him ever dare to touch her?”
Xunxue felt slightly poked by Aunt Yun’s words. Aunt Yun then instructed, “Prepare some hot tea for our Empress and send it over quickly.”
Xunxue went to the tea room. The medicine bottle Eunuch Fang had given her was hidden right in her sleeve. She hesitated for a long time, but ultimately, Xunxue did not take it out.
When she delivered the tea, Qi Yue was still sitting on the couch, flipping through a worn-out book.
Xunxue smiled. “Your Majesty, would you like some tea? The water was melted from the snow on the plum blossom petals, and the tea leaves are Cloud Mist tea.”
Qi Yue nodded, extending a plain, soft white hand.
As she passed the teacup into Qi Yue’s hands, Xunxue deliberately used her fingertips to lightly stroke the back of Qi Yue’s hand.
Qi Yue didn’t notice. She took a sip of the tea and continued sitting there, flipping through her book.
Noble Lady Wu did not return to Qinping Palace. Dragging her two sore legs, she led her flock of palace maids straight to Noble Consort Yan’s Yuhua Palace.
The moment Noble Consort Yan called Noble Lady Wu inside, Noble Lady Wu instantly burst into tears. “Your Highness, this Concubine… this Concubine has suffered a monstrous grievance!”
Noble Consort Yan sat gracefully in the highest seat. She lazily lifted her eyelids. “Bullied by Consort Liu again? Look at your useless appearance, it simply makes this Consort sick.”
Noble Lady Wu said carefully, “It wasn’t Consort Liu… it was the Empress.”
From behind Noble Lady Wu, Wan’er spoke up. “Your Highness the Noble Consort, today our Noble Lady saw that the plum blossoms in the Imperial Garden were blooming beautifully, and thinking that only you were worthy of them, she took this slave to pick some. As a result… we ran into the Empress. This slave was beaten into this state, and our Noble Lady was also bullied.”
Noble Consort Yan’s pure gold nail guards tapped lightly against the table, her expression gradually turning gloomy. “Before beating a dog, one must look at its master. The Empress has been behaving herself in Zhengyang Palace for so long; for her to suddenly stir up wind and waves now, is she trying to make this Consort look bad? Noble Lady Wu, speak clearly!”
Wiping her tears, Noble Lady Wu sobbed, “When this Concubine went to pick flowers, my mind was entirely full of thoughts of Your Highness. But the flowers had all been picked by the Empress. This Concubine was truly anxious and argued back a few sentences with the auntie by the Empress’s side. As a result, the Empress came over, and without distinguishing right from wrong, beat my maid Wan’er, and even punished this Concubine by forcing me to kneel…”
Noble Lady Wu extended her hands; her originally fair, delicate ten fingers had become bruised, purple, and swollen. “This Concubine’s hands were trampled on by the Empress! The Empress even said that in this inner palace, she is the most noble, and even if Your Highness the Noble Consort went there, she wouldn’t give you a shred of respect!”
Noble Consort Yan swept a disgusted glance over Noble Lady Wu’s hands. “Idiot! To use this Consort’s name to provoke the Empress for no good reason, did you really think this Consort would clean up your messy aftermath?”
Noble Lady Wu’s eyes grew even redder, and more tears fell. “Your Highness the Noble Consort…”
“This Consort advises you to play fewer of your petty little tricks!” Noble Consort Yan threw a teacup onto the floor. With a sharp crash, it terrified Noble Lady Wu so much her soul nearly left her body.
Then, Noble Consort Yan commanded, “Go back to Qinping Palace and nurse your injuries! Once there is any movement, this Consort will naturally call for you. But if you dare use this Consort’s name to do anything else…”
Noble Lady Wu hurriedly knelt down. “This Concubine… this Concubine absolutely wouldn’t dare!”
Noble Consort Yan rolled her eyes. “Go back!”
Once Noble Lady Wu left, Noble Consort Yan’s head maid, Lülu, said, “Your Highness, who in the palace doesn’t know that you hold His Majesty’s greatest favor right now? For the Empress to bully Noble Lady Wu like this, she is clearly trying to humiliate you.”
Noble Consort Yan’s face was dark. “How could this Consort not know? But she is the Empress, after all. Noble Lady Wu was trying to stir up trouble on both sides, wanting this Consort to clash with the Empress—she harbored no good intentions either. The aftermath of this matter must be manipulated by this Consort alone; we cannot let that cheap tramp Noble Lady Wu reap the benefits.”
She stood up and took a slow lap around the room. “Go tell the small kitchen to make some pastries and ginseng soup. This Consort will be going to Hanyuan Hall shortly.”
Lülu asked, “Your Highness, you are going to see His Majesty?”
“Although this Consort is only a Noble Consort, everyone in the entire inner palace knows that this Consort is far more noble than the Empress.” Noble Consort Yan adjusted the hairpin in her hair. “His Majesty certainly thinks this way as well. With such a perfect opportunity, this Consort must ensure His Majesty becomes even more disgusted with Empress Qi.”
Lülu smiled. “Your Highness is absolutely right. The Empress was forcefully shoved onto His Majesty by the late Empress Dowager anyway. Now that the Empress has lost her virtue, and His Majesty despises her so much, perhaps by next month, the Phoenix Seal will be completely in your hands.”
Translator’s anecdote:-
Our little assassin Xunxue is out here entirely forgetting her poison mission just to secretly hold the Empress’s hand!
Xunxue:- I want to hold The Empress’s hand!