When Bai Fuxue woke again, Xiao Shizhi was already attending the morning court session.
Supported by Songluo, Bai Fuxue struggled to sit up, her bones aching as if they’d been shattered.
If this weren’t ancient times, she’d suspect Xiao Shizhi had dragged her into an alley and beaten her half to death last night.
Songluo couldn’t stop grinning. “Congratulations, Your Highness! When His Majesty departed this morning, he specifically instructed this servant to inform you of a magnificent reward awaiting you.”
Not just silks and satins, but countless jewels and gems and a phoenix hairpin.
One must understand that only the empress was permitted to wear phoenix motifs. The young emperor’s lavish gift was certain to stir countless hearts.
Bai Fuxue: “…”
After finishing a bowl of chicken and jade-like rice porridge with some side dishes, Bai Fuxue felt half-full.
Her memory of last night was completely blank she’d blacked out from drinking.
A throbbing pain pulsed at her temples, the unmistakable ache of a hangover.
Li Dequan hurried over. “This humble servant pays respects to Your Highness!”
Seeing the emperor’s chief eunuch, Bai Fuxue set down her spoon. “What brings you here, Eunuch Li?”
Beaming, Li Dequan replied, “Your Highness need not rush back to the Pearl Mirror Palace. His Majesty has decreed that you may reside temporarily in the Purple Palace.”
“This is an extraordinary honor! Since His Majesty ascended the throne, no one has received such privilege, not even the empress.”
Bai Fuxue’s heart sank.
Staying with Xiao Shizhi would mean accompanying him through endless memorials every day.
The Mid-Autumn banquet was over it was time to relax.
After all this time together, Bai Fuxue had realized Xiao Shizhi was psychologically twisted.
Misery loves company.
Bai Fuxue immediately declined. “The state has its laws, the household its rules. Hierarchy must be respected. As merely a favored consort, how could I presume to linger in the emperor’s bedchamber?”
Li Dequan’s expression froze, disbelief in his eyes.
How could any consort in the world not want to spend every day with the emperor?
Seeing Lady Bai’s resolute expression, devoid of any hidden agenda, Li Dequan realized she genuinely didn’t want to stay.
Songluo whispered urgently, “Your Highness! Opportunities like this don’t come twice. How can you refuse His Majesty’s generosity?”
Bai Fuxue stood firm. After breakfast, she immediately returned to her own palace and secluded herself.
With autumn arrived, ice was no longer needed, replaced by chrysanthemums in full bloom. Osmanthus cakes were served while the pomegranates and pomelos in the courtyard ripened.
Reclining on her familiar daybed, Bai Fuxue felt completely at peace.
Life was perfect except for missing that big feline companion.
Frustrated, Songluo complained, “Really, Your Highness! You didn’t seize such a perfect chance. His Majesty might visit other consorts’ palaces now.”
Bai Fuxue lounged lazily. “Let him. I’m surprised he has time for such distractions.”
Has he finished reviewing the memorials? Completed the ministerial consultations? Made progress on the water conservancy projects? Advanced the new rice varieties research? Established the intelligence network in the Northern Court?
If none of these are done, how dare he frolic with other consorts? Is he trying to hasten the Great Xia Dynasty’s downfall?
After the morning court, Xiao Shizhi returned exhausted to the Purple Palace, only to be pounced on by the large feline.
Xiao Shizhi stroked Tangyuan’s head while glancing at the chief eunuch nearby.
Li Dequan immediately knelt down. “This servant deserves death. I failed to keep Consort Bai from leaving.”
Xiao Shizhi stroked Tangyuan’s furry head and pinched the kitten’s small ear, her expression instantly darkening.
“What did Bai Fuxue say before she left?”
Li Dequan spoke with difficulty: “Her Ladyship said, Your Majesty already has this cat for company. This humble consort lacks Tangyuan’s obedience and cleverness, nor do I possess its ability to charm and please. Lingering around Your Majesty would only cause annoyance.”
Tangyuan: Meow!!
The morning passed swiftly amidst reviewing memorials and summoning ministers.
At noon, Xiao Shizhi took a brief stroll in the imperial garden before returning to her study to resume work in the afternoon.
Whether due to exceptional adaptability or not, Xiao Shizhi had already grown accustomed to working over twelve hours a day.
She fucking loved this life dancing with death.
During the evening meal, as expected, a palace maid from the Empress’s quarters arrived at the Purple Palace Hall.
Xiao Shizhi set down her brush and raised an eyebrow. “Her Majesty the Empress invites me to dine at Peace Palace?”
The maid knelt on the floor and softly confirmed.
Xiao Shizhi fiddled with the bracelet in her hand. It had been several months since she last visited the Empress.
To be precise, she hadn’t gone to anyone except Bai Fuxue’s quarters since transmigrating here.
Rubbing her tired brow, Xiao Shizhi felt overwhelming exhaustion.
With complexity in her voice, Xiao Shizhi said, “I’ll go now.”
She indeed had some matters to discuss with the Empress.
Walking through the spacious palace corridors, Xiao Shizhi reflected how she had been working nonstop all day, without a moment’s rest making up for all the slacking off she’d done in her previous life.
Yet after all this work, she still had to fulfill her marital duties.
Even courtesans in pleasure houses weren’t as busy as her.
With a sarcastic smile, Xiao Shizhi asked, “Li Dequan, what was Bai Fuxue doing today?”
Li Dequan bowed and whispered, “Reporting to Your Majesty, Her Ladyship lounged on the daybed until noon. In the afternoon, she picked pomegranates with some palace maids to make wine. Towards evening, she peeled a pomelo and fashioned the rind into a lantern shape. It smelled quite fragrant.”
Stealing a glance at the young empress, Li Dequan noticed the veins on Her Majesty’s forehead bulging and twitching violently.
The Empress standing on the steps faintly overheard the emperor discussing Bai Fuxue with the chief eunuch.
Her smile twisted momentarily before quickly returning to its dignified elegance.
Coming to her palace, yet still thinking of Bai Fuxue!
That vixen must be a reincarnated fox spirit, bringing disaster to the nation!
The Empress gracefully adjusted her appearance and gently took Xiao Shizhi’s hand, leading her into the palace hall.
The table was laden with exquisite dishes, each carefully prepared to suit Xiao Shizhi’s usual tastes.
The Empress smiled tenderly. “Your Majesty’s governmental affairs are exhausting. You should consume more ginseng to replenish your energy.”
She personally directed a servant to place a piece of ginseng-soup chicken into Xiao Shizhi’s bowl.
After a tiring day, Xiao Shizhi had lost all appetite.
Unlike Bai Fuxue’s quarters filled with fruity and floral scents, the Empress’s heavy wooden incense further suppressed any desire to eat.
Xiao Shizhi inexplicably recalled Bai Fuxue lounging on her daybed, even needing maids to feed her meals, and sighed with complicated emotions.
How could someone be so utterly useless?
Xiao Shizhi withdrew her thoughts and placed the bracelet on the table with a sharp clatter.
The chicken in the bowl before her still steamed with white vapor, releasing a tantalizing aroma.
Xiao Shizhi said calmly, “During last night’s Mid-Autumn banquet, while I was sobering up in the garden, I saw the drunken Bai Fuxue being taken to an abandoned palace by an unfamiliar palace maid.”
Her unfathomable gaze fell upon the Empress’s face.
“Also present in that abandoned palace was the lead dancer I had previously praised.”
The Empress’s face suddenly changed color, her fingers trembling as her chopsticks clattered to the floor.
When she and His Majesty went to “catch them in the act,” finding the palace completely empty, she immediately knew something was wrong.
Yet despite searching the entire rear palace, no trace could be found.
She had already contacted Prince Su, but with so little time, no clues had been uncovered.
Xiao Shizhi spoke lightly, “That palace maid who took Consort Bai away does the Empress know of her?”
Songluo stood behind Bai Fuxue with a woeful expression, watching her mistress soaking naked in the hot spring pool.
“Your Highness, His Majesty has gone to the Empress’s palace!”
Bai Fuxue’s body still bore marks from yesterday’s absurd events, with several abrasions on her knees and waist. What was most frustrating was that she had blacked out from drinking and couldn’t remember anything.
Who knew what madness had come over Xiao Shizhi.
The stinging pain from the inflamed marks on her body made Bai Fuxue gasp sharply.
“His Majesty may go wherever he pleases. What does that have to do with me?”
Songluo anxiously paced around before suddenly remembering the effective methods palace women used to compete for favor.
“Why don’t you send something to His Majesty, so he might remember you?”
Bai Fuxue thought for a moment, then casually pointed to the pomelo lantern hanging by the door.
“Pomelos aid sleep. Since His Majesty works hard during the day, place this by his bedside so he may rest well.”
Bai Fuxue sat alone in the hot spring, gazing at the still nearly full moon in the sky.
The person who had been intimately entangled with her yesterday was now in someone else’s bed.
Bai Fuxue couldn’t accept this.
Even if serving the emperor was just a job to her, Bai Fuxue still couldn’t bear it.