The Empress wore a magnificent phoenix robe, adorned with intricate embroidery and luxurious patterns. Her hair was piled high, embellished with expensive jewellery and gold hairpins, exuding nobility and grace.
Her dignified face carried an air of majesty, while her eyes reflected both gentleness and wisdom.
Her posture perfectly demonstrated the dignity and superiority of the royal family.
She walked in slowly, followed by the chief palace maid, Hongxiu. All the concubines immediately rose and greeted her: “Greetings to the Empress, may the Empress be blessed with longevity and peace.”
“There’s no need for formalities. Sisters, please sit down,” the Empress said, as she took her seat in the highest position. Then she inquired, “Who is kneeling below?”
Though the Empress had arrived last, she was well aware of what was happening in Kunning Palace. She always kept her dignity intact, making her entrance last to maintain her authority.
After all, which concubine could make her wait?
It was only because Lin Guifei had punished Yun Meiren in her palace. Normally, the Empress wouldn’t intervene with His Majesty’s new favourite. She had to maintain a gentle and virtuous image to secure her position in His Majesty’s eyes.
Besides, even if she didn’t take action, others would. Hadn’t Lin Guifei already stepped in today?
However, the Empress wouldn’t tolerate Lin Guifei punishing a concubine in Kunning Palace, especially if it could lead to misunderstandings with His Majesty.
“Empress, you may not know, but Yun Meiren failed to follow the rules, and Lin Guifei has just ordered her to kneel for half an hour,” Zhang Zhaoyuan explained after the Empress entered.
“Oh? Is Yun Meiren the new beauty favoured by His Majesty just yesterday?”
“Yes, Yun Meiren stayed overnight in Qianqing Palace and violated palace rules,” Zhang Zhaoyuan continued.
“His Majesty had informed me about this matter. Now that Lin Guifei has already punished her, and considering Yun Meiren is weak, she doesn’t need to kneel any longer. From now on, she just needs to devote herself to serving His Majesty.”
The Lin Guifeit’s face darkened instantly, and though she seemed to want to say something, she remained silent in the end. Like the Empress, the longer she had accompanied the Emperor, the more she understood that showing jealousy toward His Majesty’s new favourite without proper reason would only provoke his annoyance.
Neither Lin Guifei nor the Empress wanted to lower their own status and get into unnecessary trouble.
Unless His Majesty grew tired of the new favourite and withdrew his favour, only then could she do as she pleased.
Yun Mengqing breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the Empress’s words allowing her to stop kneeling. She wasn’t the type to endure hardship, and having only knelt for a brief moment, her legs were already bruised.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. You are the mother of the nation, a role model for women across the land. You are dignified, virtuous, noble, and generous. I admire you greatly.” After standing up, her eyes were filled with respect and gratitude towards the Empress.
The Empress felt pleased by the praise, but Lin Guifei’s glare was as sharp as a sword.
Lin Guifei had fought with the Empress for many years and detested it when others praised her as the “mother of the nation.” After all, she had given birth to the eldest prince. How could someone who was unable to bear children be the Empress? How could she hold on to the Empress’s throne so firmly?
Yun Mengqing, however, paid no attention to what Lin Guifei might be thinking. Seeing Lin Guifei’s displeased expression only lifted her mood. She sat back in her seat, deciding to remain as unnoticed as possible.
After all, when paying respects to the Empress each day, only the main concubine of the palace was allowed to speak. The lower-ranked concubines were not permitted to talk unless a higher-ranking concubine called on them to do so, just as she had been called upon earlier.
Any feedback from lower-ranking concubines must be reported to the head of the palace first, and then the head of the palace will report to the Empress. They are not allowed to bypass ranks. If anyone dares to bypass the rank and complain, they will be immediately demoted one rank, and the crime will be: disrespecting a superior.
In such situations, favour from the Emperor becomes crucial, as whispers in his ear are always useful.
It is clear that the hierarchy in the harem of the Qi Kingdom is extremely strict.
However, even the strictest hierarchy is fragile in the face of Emperor Shengwu’s favour.
Liang Pin was fully aware of the tension between the Noble Consort and the Empress, and she had always sided with the Empress.
Smiling at the Empress, she said, “Your Majesty is in charge of the entire harem, and only you have the right to punish the concubines. Now Lin Guifei has punished Yun Meiren in your palace without fully understanding the situation. Poor Yun Meiren is weak and has to suffer.”
Lin Guifei raised her eyebrows and mockingly said, “Yes, the Empress is truly generous. Even a beauty who breaks the palace rules can be let off so lightly.
I, on the other hand, must educate the eldest prince. Rules are best taught through both word and example. Liang Pin and the Empress, having never raised a prince, would not understand the care and effort that goes into it.”
Liang Pin’s expression darkened, and the Empress’s face stiffened momentarily, but they both quickly regained their composure.
The Empress kept her calm and graceful smile as she responded, “Your Highness, raising the prince is indeed a difficult task. Defei is always thoughtful in her words, respectful in her behaviour, and modest.
His Majesty and I both agree that Defei has done an excellent job raising the prince. If Your Highness is concerned that the eldest prince’s behaviour may be lacking, perhaps he could spend more time at Defei’s Jingyi Palace. That way, he can also strengthen his bond with the second prince.”
T/N The author doesn’t mentioned Defei’s surname, it’s a type of consort rank; Virtuous Consort 德妃; défēi
Defei rose and expressed her thanks to the Empress for her praise, even though she understood that the Empress was using her to satirise Lin Guifei.
She had been injured when giving birth to the second prince, and in recent years, she no longer vied for favour with the other concubines. She spent most of her time fasting and chanting Buddha.
Moreover, she often showed kindness to the servants in the palace, bringing water to them in the summer and quilts in the winter. To the servants, she was one of the few kind-hearted concubines.
However, Lin Guifei couldn’t stand the hypocritical behaviour of Defei.
It didn’t matter if Defei appeared to have no desires; who knew what kind of person she truly was behind closed doors?
At that moment, the Empress used Defei to mock Lin Guifei, intending to remind her that there was more than just the eldest prince in the palace.
Lin Guifei’s eyes flashed with contempt as she said, “That won’t be necessary. Naturally, I will ensure my own son is well educated. I’m a bit tired today. I’ve already paid my respects, so I’ll return to my palace to rest. I take my leave.”
Not wanting to continue speaking with the Empress, Lin Guifei rose and left the palace. Yun Mengqing observed her departure, thinking that this morning’s silent battle was finally coming to an end.
Sure enough, not long after, Defei, Shufei, and Rong Fei all began to take their leave. As Consort Shu reached the door, she glanced at Yun Mengqing before turning and leaving with an indifferent expression.
T/N The author doesn’t mentioned Shufei’s surname as it is a type of consort rank, Pure Consort 淑妃; shūfēi. The author also doesn’t mention what type of consort rank Rong Fei is.
This morning’s greeting allowed Yun Mengqing to observe the power dynamics within the harem. The Empress was dignified and virtuous. As the mother of the nation, she had a prestigious family background, but she was childless and out of favour.
Lin Guifei had the eldest prince and also came from a distinguished family. The tension between the two was irreconcilable. Defei had the second prince, and while her family background was average, she currently appeared to live a simple and desireless life.
Shufei was renowned for her beauty and talent, and had long been a favoured concubine in the harem.
Rong Fei had given birth to the eldest princess but had not been favoured for many years. However, thanks to her daughter, she was able to see the Emperor once a month. Her father was a general and a subordinate of Lin Guifei’s father, so Rong Fei and Lin Guifei were in the same faction within the harem.
The other concubines ranked above were more or less supported by influential families. Even concubines who hold the title Lady of Beauty like An Meiren, who had some favour, were aligned with the Empress.
T/N Lady of Beauty (美人; měirén)
Lower-ranked concubines who wanted to live well had to rely not only on favour but also on aligning with those of higher rank. However, His Majesty had become increasingly reluctant to promote ranks, making it extremely difficult for concubines to rise in status.
The Empress, seeing the high-ranking concubines leave one by one, had nothing to say to the concubines of lower rank. “Everyone, you may leave. I’m also feeling tired.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We take our leave.”
Yun Mengqing had been punished by being forced to kneel earlier, and she was struggling to walk, her knees aching. Supported by Qing Yuan, she walked slowly, becoming one of the last to leave Kunning Palace.
Not long after leaving the palace, Yun Mengqing saw An Meiren waiting ahead. Yun Mengqing was not intimidated by her and continued walking at her own pace. When she passed by, she had no intention of greeting her and continued walking forward.
An Meiren saw Yun Mengqing approaching but watched as she passed by without acknowledgement. Quickly, she called out, “Sister is becoming quite arrogant now, passing by without even a greeting.”
“An Meiren, my mistress has an injury on her leg and needs to return early to apply medicine.” Qing Yuan supported Yun Mengqing, and after hearing An Meiren’s words, she stopped and turned her head to reply.
Yun Mengqing didn’t want to waste time entangling with An Meiren; after all, she was just an insignificant clown (跳梁小丑, tiào liáng xiǎo chǒu – meaning ‘insignificant clown’). Sooner or later, she would avenge the grievances of the original Yun Mengqing.
An Meiren saw Yun Mengqing continuing to walk forward without turning back and quickly hurried to block her way.
“Even though I know my sister was punished by Lin Guifei this morning and is in a bad mood, there’s no need to act so arrogantly, right?”
Yun Mengqing’s eyes flickered slightly. She thought to herself that An Meiren had clearly been in the palace for too long; she was becoming more cunning and was now trying to slap the label of “arrogance” on her with just a few words.
“What does An Meiren mean by that? My legs are feeling uncomfortable, so I simply want to return and rest. Moreover, ever since I fell into the water half a year ago, my body has been weak. I hope An Meiren can understand.”
When An Meiren heard Yun Mengqing bring up the incident from half a year ago, her heart was filled with bitterness. She had intended to reconcile with Yun Mengqing, knowing that she was now favoured by His Majesty. But it seemed Yun Mengqing had no intention of being gracious.
It seemed that this enmity was now deeply set.
“My dear sister, what are you saying? It was my fault back then for not finding someone to rescue you in time. Thankfully, you are now safe and well, and my guilt has lessened. I hope you can forgive me.”
Yun Mengqing was fully aware of what An Meiren was scheming. If she chose to forgive her, she would lose the leverage to bring up the past and stir trouble in front of His Majesty. But if she didn’t forgive, she would come across as petty.
An Meiren kept insisting that the incident was accidental. It was obvious that she was afraid Yun Mengqing might gossip about her to His Majesty.
Yun Mengqing leaned in close to An Meiren’s ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: “An Meiren, whether the drowning was an accident or not, I won’t pursue it any further. But don’t think you can thick-skinnedly seek my forgiveness either. From now on, let’s stay out of each other’s way.”
An Meiren’s face changed instantly. She hadn’t expected Yun Mengqing to have been pretending all this time. What a vile woman!
“My dear sister, you’ve only just gained favour; it would be wise to leave yourself a way out. Recently, I received some cakes from my palace, a special delicacy from the imperial kitchens for the sisters ranked Jiupin and above. Would you care to join me?”
T/N 九嫔, jiǔpín – This is a specific title referring to a group of concubines ranked below the imperial consorts but above other concubines. They hold a mid-level rank in the harem, higher than other concubines (such as Meiren, Cairen, or gōng nǚ) but not as prestigious as the Empress or Imperial Consorts.
Before Yun Mengqing could respond, the sharp voice of Xiao Lizi, the adopted son of Eunuch Liang An, rang out: “Yun Meiren, I finally found you.” Xiao Lizi ran over, slightly out of breath.
“Eunuch Xiao Lizi, what’s the matter?” Yun Mengqing asked.
“Yun Miren, His Majesty finished breakfast after court and went to Lingxi Palace. However, after not seeing you return for quite some time, he sent me to find you.”
Yun Mengqing raised her eyebrows. His Majesty had come to see her so early. She smiled at An Meiren: “An Meiren, since His Majesty is waiting, I will return to the palace first.”
“My sister is deeply favoured by His Majesty. Hurry back to the palace,” An Meiren replied before turning and leaving with her maid, her smile vanishing instantly.
When Yun Mengqing returned to the side hall of Lingxi Palace, she saw Emperor Shengwu lazily lying on the exquisitely carved Luohan bed, reading memorials.
She had fallen in love with this Luohan bed when she first arrived at Lingxi Palace; it was very beautiful.
The frame was made of fine mahogany, intricately carved with exquisite patterns. It was covered with a soft silk mattress embroidered with lovely designs, surrounded by beautiful cushions and pillows.
Emperor Shengwu wore a stunning black and gold dragon-patterned brocade robe. The robe’s deep, shiny colour contrasted the golden dragon design, and it was finely tailored to fit his tall and upright figure.
The sleeves were wide and flowing, with delicate embroidery at the cuffs. A lifelike golden dragon, winding and shimmering, adorned the front and back of the robe.
Every time she saw him, he had a handsome and resolute face with clear features, bright sharp eyes, a straight nose, and thick eyebrows like swords.
Yet, she often found her eyes drawn to his strong body—broad shoulders, a solid chest, and a slim waist. His high position exuded an aura of authority.
“You’re back? Why are you just standing there? Come over,” Emperor Shengwu said, noticing her staring and not moving.
Yun Mengqing came back to her senses and hurried forward, saluting the Emperor, “Your Majesty, I’m here to see you. I was surprised to find you in Lingxi Palace, so I was momentarily stunned. Please forgive me.”
The Emperor smiled slightly, “Get up.”
He set down the memorial and looked at her for a while. This dress really suited her—beautiful and stunning. He had many more lovely dresses in his private storehouse, and she would look good in them.
“Ah, Your Majesty…” Yun Mengqing was startled by his action and exclaimed softly. But soon, she relaxed and leaned softly in his arms, her head gently resting on his chest.
Emperor Shengwu put his hand on her waist. Above her head was his breathing, and she was very close to him, smelling the mixed scent of ambergris and sandalwood on his body.
T/N Ambergris (龙涎香, lóngxiánxiāng): A rare substance used in perfumery, often associated with wealth and luxury.
Sandalwood (檀香, tánxiāng): A fragrant wood used in incense and perfumes, symbolising calmness and purity.
“Your Majesty smells so good,” she said, sniffing lightly.
Emperor Shengwu looked at her lovely appearance and felt moved. “Qingqing, don’t you know how fragrant you are?”
Yun Mengqing smiled shyly, “Your Majesty’s fragrance is different from that of women; I like it very much.”
“It’s just ambergris mixed with some sandalwood. If you like it, I will ask Liang An to send some.”
He gently stroked Yun Mengqing’s hair, “I can’t smell what you use to create your fragrance.”
“I don’t want it. Ambergris is specially provided to Your Majesty, and I like it because the fragrance is on Your Majesty. Besides, I don’t like using fragrance. As for Your Majesty saying that I smell good, I don’t know.”
Since that’s the case, Emperor Shengwu didn’t say much but asked, “Why did you come back so late today? It’s past the hour of Si.”
T/N Hour of Si (巳时, sìshí): Refers to a specific time in the traditional Chinese time system, roughly to 9 AM to 11 AM.
“Today, the ladies talked a lot in the Empress’s palace. On the way back to the palace, An Meiren stopped me and said a few words. That’s why Your Majesty waited for a long time. Please don’t be angry,” she replied, her tone soft and sweet.
Yun Mengqing’s delicate body leaned gently on him, her small hands caressing the man’s hand resting on her waist, sometimes kneading gently, sometimes lightly scratching with her nails.
This kind of touch, which feels both present and absent, makes one feel numb and comfortable.
Emperor Shengwu enjoyed this moment very much, holding the beauty in his arms, chatting about everyday matters, and relaxing both physically and mentally.
“An Meiren? I don’t have much of an impression of her. I only vaguely remember that she is a lively person. Do you have a good relationship with her?” Emperor Shengwu asked softly.
“How can I have a good relationship? Since entering the palace, I haven’t served you, so I haven’t seen the concubines in the palace. I’m not very familiar with them.”
Her response was unenthusiastic, and she didn’t want to complain at this tender moment, nor did she want to directly say that her relationship with An Meiren was not good, especially since she had acted very graciously in the Empress’s Palace that morning.
Emperor Shengwu could not see the expression of the beauty in his arms and continued, “Since you were selected to enter the palace together, you can also make plans to go out with the concubines you are familiar with. Your body is too weak; take advantage of the spring to go out for a walk; it will be good for your health.”
If she weren’t so weak, she wouldn’t be unable to endure after just a few moments in bed.
Yun Mengqing’s mouth turned down slightly, feeling annoyed. This dog emperor is such a straight man. She turned around in frustration, placing her hands on his chest and lying against him.
With a pouting face, she scolded, “Your Majesty, did you come to Lingxi Palace just to talk to me about other concubines? That’s too much!”
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