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Consort Chen, breaking her usual indifference towards Queen Meiru, approached the Empress as soon as she saw her.
"I've heard that the Empress hasn't been well these days. It's rare to see you, and today is truly a delightful occasion..." Consort Chen said with a bright smile from a distance.
This sudden change in Consort Chen's behavior took Queen Meiru by surprise. She paused, feeling puzzled, but maintained a calm demeanor. "I've heard that many flowers have bloomed in the Imperial Garden this early spring. I came to take a look..."
As she spoke, several concubines who had noticed the Empress and Consort Chen together began to gather around them in small groups.
Having grown accustomed to Consort Chen's arrogance towards the Empress, the sight of these two seemingly incompatible women standing together in harmony was intriguing. Consort Chen appeared quite pleased, which piqued the curiosity of the concubines, who came under the pretense of greeting Queen Meiru but were essentially there to gather information.
Unexpectedly, with just one sharp glance from Consort Chen, the concubines quickly understood and dispersed.
It was then that Mei Ru realized that Consort Chen had something to say to her privately.
"Consort Chen, my dear sister, thank you for your concern. I haven't been out for several days. The sun is just right today; why not accompany me for a walk..." Mei Ru said gently.
Her words were appropriate and her demeanor composed, which suddenly made Consort Chen feel a pang of jealousy.
This former illegitimate daughter of Mei Manor had never caught her eye before. After all, how could someone of such low birth, who was often treated like a servant by the legitimate daughter, be so fortunate as to easily become the Empress who commands the harem? Indeed, the saying that environment shapes people was true; in such a short time, this illegitimate daughter had developed an air of authority befitting the central palace. Now she was even being "accompanied" by herself. Before entering the palace, if she had wanted to stay by her side, Consort Chen wouldn't have even bothered to give her a disdainful glance.
Though feeling resentful inside, Consort Chen still forced herself to maintain the enthusiasm she had tried so hard to project. "The Empress is wise; I lament my own shortcomings..."
Mei Ru remained unperturbed. How could she not know that behind Consort Chen's smiling facade lay deep-seated hatred?
In fact, before entering the palace, Consort Chen had already harbored grievances against both daughters of Mei Manor. As for Queen Meiru now, it was needless to say that she was once an inconspicuous illegitimate daughter.
Even the legitimate daughter of Mei Manor, Mei Shuang, who was also the Empress Dowager's designated Empress Candidate, had always been a thorn in Consort Chen's side.
Unexpectedly, a sudden incident plunged Mei Shuang into the Cold Palace, leaving her reputation in ruins and with no chance of recovery. For this reason, Consort Chen had briefly entertained dreams of whether the position of the Central Palace would fall to her. Consort Chen always believed that in terms of virtue and talent, she was not inferior to any noble lady. Mei Shuang had merely been fortunate to receive the Empress Dowager's favor, but her character was flawed and could not compare to hers.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. The Consort she longed for ultimately fell into the hands of Mei Ru, a lowly daughter of Mei Manor, which greatly touched the sensitive nerves of all the concubines at that time.
Thus, Consort Chen had always hated Mei Ru for usurping her position and felt that she was unworthy of being a Consort due to her humble origins. The sarcasm and ridicule in her words never ceased.
Today, however, Mei Ru's seemingly obedient demeanor was intriguing; let’s see how she performs.
Mei Ru gazed straight ahead with a faint smile playing on her lips, strolling leisurely without haste. The implication was clear: if you don’t speak up, I won’t bother to ask.
Consequently, Mei Ru's calm demeanor appeared to Consort Chen as overly deliberate, as if Mei Ru were mocking her for lowering herself from her lofty status as a Consort to curry favor with her.
Consort Chen sneered inwardly; let her maintain her airs for now—let’s see how long she can keep it up.
After walking for a while and avoiding all the concubines, even the two personal maids beside them kept their distance. Consort Chen then pointed at the blooming red peonies by the roadside and smiled lightly. “Empress, look at the majesty of this king of flowers. This color—tut tut—it truly matches the palace attire you wear...”
Consort Chen was known for her sweet tongue; phrases like "king of flowers" and "matching" made Mei Ru stop in her tracks. Even before seeing the peony, she felt as if she had just drunk honey.
Following Consort Chen's delicate gesture, she spotted a particularly striking peony among the blooming flowers—a rare double peony.
Mei Ru was pleasantly surprised; this was an auspicious sign! She reached out to gently touch the soft petals, unable to take her eyes off it.
Consort Chen's lips curled slightly upward as a trace of disdain flickered in her eyes. She sweetly suggested, “Empress, why don’t I pick this peony for you to wear...”
Today, Consort Chen was so obedient and considerate. Mei Ru pondered for a moment and nodded with a smile, "Thank you, sister..."
Just as Consort Chen's fingers, painted with bright red lacquer, touched the stem of the peony, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, why is it a double peony?"
"What's wrong?" Seeing Consort Chen's face suddenly change, Mei Ru felt a bit puzzled.
Consort Chen hesitated for a moment and said awkwardly, "Which one should I pick?"
"Is there any difference?" Mei Ru straightened her back, her expression turning slightly unpleasant as she felt that Consort Chen's behavior was somewhat pretentious. She spoke of picking flowers for her but seemed to be weighing reasons to avoid it.
"Then, Empress, which one do you prefer?" Consort Chen asked with a smile.
Mei Ru casually pointed to one of the flowers above.
Consort Chen carefully picked it and had Mei Ru sit on the stone bench nearby while she gently pinned it into her hair.
After ensuring everything was in place, Consort Chen smiled and clapped her hands, "It looks truly beautiful."
Then she turned around decisively, pinched off the remaining flower, tore it apart, and threw it on the ground.
Mei Ru frowned in confusion and said, "What's wrong? It's such a nice flower; it's a pity to break it."
Consort Chen smiled lightly, "Empress, there's no problem with wearing a peony, but wearing this double peony is quite particular. The peony is the king of flowers and complements the Empress perfectly. However, although these double peonies are born from the same root, if the Empress wears one and someone else notices and wears the other like you do, wouldn't that be disrespectful to the Empress by trying to stand shoulder to shoulder?"
"Born from the same root," "shoulder to shoulder," such sensitive phrases made Mei Ru's heart sink suddenly. The implications behind her words were quite clear.
According to Consort Chen's temperament, it was unlikely she would inquire about her well-being multiple times in her own palace unless she had discovered something.
Mei Ru remained calm, gently adjusting the peony on her head, and smiled lightly. "Consort Chen, you flatter me. It's just a flower; how can it compare to anything? All the sisters in the palace look beautiful with their hairpins..."
Consort Chen fixed her gaze on Mei Ru's face. The way she adjusted the peony and the slight tightening of her lips revealed her insincerity.
Consort Chen smiled gently. "Empress, if someone were to take a liking to the peony on your head, would you be willing to take it off and give it away?"
Mei Ru's expression suddenly changed.
Consort Chen stepped on the already crushed peony on the ground, lightly grinding it underfoot. "Empress, no matter how beautiful this flower is, it has fallen to the ground and cannot compare to the one you wear on your head. There's really no need to feel regret."
Consort Chen stood aside, her foot crushing the peony into a pulp, its bright red juice resembling blood. She sneered, "It looks quite disgusting now..."
---
It was already late at night, yet Weiyang Palace remained brightly lit.
For Queen Mei Ru, this would be another sleepless night.
Consort Chen's words still echoed in her ears.
Mei Shuang had indeed returned and seemed to have some unresolved entanglement with the Emperor. Could it be that Consort Chen's earlier ominous words were true? Did this Mei Shuang still have a chance for redemption?
Although she was puzzled by Consort Chen's words, her maidservant spoke with such conviction that it was hard not to believe.
Since the last failed assassination of Mei Shuang outside the palace, she had not heard any news about her. It is said that no news is good news, but unexpectedly, when news finally arrived, it was like a bolt from the blue.
In the palace, the only one who could turn the tides was the Emperor. If he were to change his mind now, it would surely lead to disaster.
The key question, as Consort Chen had said, was where could Mei Shuang be now? Moreover, Consort Chen's people had only seen Mei Shuang once.
Thinking of this, she could only place all her resentment on that certain someone from that night; his betrayal had caused her to lose a precious opportunity.
Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that she was about to go to Dazhao Temple to pray for the Empress Dowager. She certainly would not let that damned person who ruined her plans get away.
---
The sky was clear and the sun bright.
The morning sun released a gentle glow, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers—truly a rare good day.
When she saw the Emperor leading a grand procession of concubines and palace maids along with eunuchs, she felt a bit nervous due to the overwhelming display.
At the forefront stood Xiao Luo in his Bright Yellow Dragon Robe. Next to him, slightly behind, was Queen Meiru. The young women adorned in splendid attire behind them must be Xiao Luo's concubines.
Everyone stood in their designated places; some had calm expressions while others wore smiles. Each one was beautiful as a flower, and with the gentle breeze, their garments fluttered gracefully. The sound of their ornaments clinking together was also melodious and pleasing to the ears.
With so many wives, it was no wonder that when she saw the Emperor that day, there had been a hint of darkness in his eyes.
As Mei Shuang's gaze fell once more on Xiao Luo, her eyes brightened slightly.
Perhaps due to the connection between mood and weather, under the gentle sunlight, the emperor's sharply defined facial features appeared significantly softened, and his previously icy aura had diminished considerably. At least, when he heard Li Gonggong say that someone had arrived, the expression in his eyes softened a bit.
Mei Shuang felt somewhat relieved; it was truly good when the emperor was in a good mood.
However, when Mei Shuang gathered her courage and appeared before everyone, she instantly became the center of attention.
The most common reactions were surprise and confusion, but they all conveyed the same signal: who was this masked woman?
When Xiao Luo turned around and saw Mei Shuang wearing a silver tailcoat mask, his originally gentle gaze turned first to astonishment and then darkened.
It was indeed a case of "you have a clever plan, I have a bridge to cross." This woman's intelligence should not be underestimated. However, judging by the mask, Nangong Nuo's assistance was certainly involved.
He coldly remarked, "What? Is this outfit something to be ashamed of?"
Mei Shuang knelt respectfully and replied, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."
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