Chapter 329

Chapter 329 "A princess sent from a thousand li away—how could she be returned intact?" The Sixth Prince showed a hint of distress on his face. "Could it be that the Yu Dynasty Emperor is unwilling to accept the sincere intentions of our Xia Dynasty?" The Sixth Prince had originally come with a diplomatic mission, addressing the Xia Dynasty Emperor with formal titles. Now, in his urgency, he had even blurted out "Imperial Father." The Emperor's smile did not waver in the slightest. "How could that be? It's just that I am quite satisfied with the Empress and have no plans to take in new concubines for the time being." The Sixth Prince smiled. "Third Imperial Sister married far away to the Yu Dynasty many years ago. She must often miss her family back home. Now that two younger sisters will be by her side for life, she will surely be overjoyed." The Empress could not even muster a perfunctory smile. Her clear, cold gaze rested on the Sixth Prince, a chilling sharpness hidden deep within her eyes. "If you truly had my interests at heart, why didn't you send them in earlier years? Now that I have already become a woman of the Yu Dynasty, I have not dreamed of my family for many years. I can barely even recall what my younger sisters look like anymore." The Empress looked at the Sixth Prince with a cold gaze. "It has been too long. Sixth Brother, you have changed so much from those days. Had you not come as an envoy, I might hardly have recognized you." The Sixth Prince pretended not to hear the coldness in the Empress's words, smiling shamelessly. "Precisely because of that, from now on, Third Imperial Sister will have her two younger sisters for company, and will only grow more at ease and content." The Emperor lowered his gaze, concealing the emotions in his eyes. "This concerns a marriage alliance between two nations—a matter of great significance. I must give it due consideration." "Of course, of course." After all, he had come to deliver brides for a marriage alliance, so the Sixth Prince dared not press too hard. If the Yu Dynasty Emperor flatly refused, his mission would fail, and he would certainly face punishment upon returning home. Because both the Luosha Kingdom and the Xia Dynasty had presented women at the same time, today's banquet had stolen the Empress Dowager's thunder. However, the Empress Dowager had also keenly sensed something amiss. She dared not voice any complaints, but quietly probed the Emperor. "Yuan'er, tell me in secret—what are your plans regarding the Xia Dynasty?" "You have always favored the Empress. Now the Xia Dynasty has sent the Empress's own younger sisters for marriage alliance. If you refuse outright, are you not afraid of making the Empress lose face?" The Empress Dowager had suddenly grown clever, even learning to test the Emperor with her words. The Emperor looked at her with a somewhat surprised expression. The Empress Dowager continued to rack her brains. "How is it that I remember the Empress's younger sisters were already married off years ago? Could I have misremembered?" "These two princesses the Xia Dynasty suddenly sent—I fear they intend to use their wombs to bear a prince for the Empress to raise." "Emperor, you must not go along with their wishes. If the Yu Dynasty Emperor were to have Xia Dynasty imperial blood, then when I die, how could I face the ancestors of the Xiao family?" The Empress Dowager's thinking was still quite traditional and conservative in certain matters. At this moment, she was even considering whether she should summon the courage to invite the Retired Emperor out of seclusion to intervene. The Emperor suddenly asked with curiosity, "So Mother still cares about the opinions of the Xiao family ancestors?" The Empress Dowager was choked speechless for a moment, then said angrily, "Unfilial son! What do you mean by that?!" In private, the Empress Dowager often called the Emperor an unfilial son or a disobedient child to vent her frustrations. The Emperor paid it no mind, calmly smoothing his sleeve. "It was just idle talk on my part." The Empress Dowager gave a satisfied light snort, though she had forgotten the original purpose of her conversation with the Emperor. After the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet concluded, everyone inside and outside the palace awaited the Emperor's response. A wave of opposition arose in the imperial court, while a considerable number of others chose to support the alliance. Both the Luosha Kingdom's envoy and the Xia Dynasty's envoy kept their eyes fixed on the Emperor, waiting to see what reply he would give. "If His Majesty does not accept the two princesses from the Xia Dynasty, then so be it. But if he does accept them, how to bestow their ranks becomes a major matter." Xie Run peeled a freshly delivered lychee as she spoke. Her newly dyed red fingernails cracked open the lychee shell, falling upon the translucent white flesh—a sight of striking beauty. Lady Lu, curious about the Emperor's attitude toward the two Xia Dynasty princesses, had come to Zhaohua Palace early in the morning. Xie Run said slowly, "No matter what, the Xia Dynasty's national strength is not something a small country like the Luosha Kingdom can compare with." "The Luosha Kingdom's princess was granted the rank of Consort Li. The Xia Dynasty's princesses cannot possibly be ranked lower than the Fei rank. To demonstrate goodwill between the two nations and to preserve the Empress's face, they would likely be granted even the rank of first-grade Fei." "What?" Lady Lu opened her mouth in surprise. "Then the palace would suddenly have three more at the Fei rank?" If that were the case, the Six Palaces would surely undergo great upheaval. Previously, the Nine Concubines each occupied their own palace. Now, with Fei-rank consorts arriving, they would naturally have to yield their residences. But making those senior consorts submit to newcomers who had just entered the palace—they would surely harbor resentment, and who knew what conflicts might arise. Xie Run pondered for a moment. "That may not necessarily be the case." Lady Lu looked at Xie Run curiously. Xie Run continued, "The Xia Dynasty sent two princesses. If only one is given a rank higher than Consort Li, that would already be considered showing face to the Xia Dynasty. Granting both the Fei rank would be excessive favor—the Emperor would not be willing, and the court officials would be even less so." With so few consorts in the harem, if the Xia Dynasty alone occupied one Empress and two Fei, the Emperor would have to be out of his mind to make such an arrangement. Then it would truly fulfill the saying that the Emperor's entire harem had been taken over by Xia Dynasty women. Moreover, the Empress might not be willing either. Lady Lu blinked her eyes. "Sister Xie, I heard the Empress Dowager summoned the Emperor to Cining Palace. Do you think she's also trying to persuade him?" "Probably so." Xie Run shook her head. "If the Emperor has already made up his mind, no amount of persuasion will change it. And if he hasn't, then it's even less advisable to rush him." Say too much, and one risks incurring the Emperor's displeasure. That was exactly the Empress Dowager's problem—she never read the situation clearly, which was why she'd grown so estranged from her own son. Come to think of it, Xiuyuan Hua was somewhat similar to her, except that Xiuyuan Hua lacked the Empress Dowager's beauty and fortune, never encountering a sovereign like the Retired Emperor who would give his heart and soul for a beauty. Lady Lu had initially treated this matter as mere entertainment, but upon hearing that three Fei ranks might suddenly appear in the harem, she immediately grew tense. "Sister Xie, do you think the Emperor will agree?" Xie Run paused, peeled a lychee and fed it to Taotao, who had been waiting eagerly, then took the handkerchief Dantao handed her and gently wiped her fingers. "Whether the Emperor accepts the Xia Dynasty princess hinges on the Empress." Though Xie Run kept quiet and unobtrusive, she saw many things with clarity. Inside Fengyi Palace, the Empress's expression was extremely poor. Since returning from the birthday banquet yesterday, she had coughed up blood and nearly fainted. But she dared not faint, so she forced herself to maintain her composure and ordered the news sealed. Today she had excused the Six Palaces from their morning audience and remained alone in Fengyi Palace in quiet solitude. Nanny Li was so furious over the news from yesterday's banquet that several sores had broken out at the corners of her mouth. She repeated over and over, "How could they do this?!" "How dare they do this?!" Nanny Li was nearly crying with rage. "You are the Empress of the Yu Dynasty, no longer that princess who was bullied in the Xia Dynasty's harem. How dare they treat you with such contempt?!" A layer of gloom hung over the Empress's pale face, her gaze cold and hollow. Tinghe, standing nearby, couldn't help tugging at Nanny Li. "Nanny Li, stop talking!" "Do you want to make Her Majesty even more miserable?" Nanny Li secretly wiped away her tears and dared not speak further. Just then, someone announced: "Your Majesty, Princess Cirui of the Xia Dynasty requests an audience." The Empress's previously indifferent eyes snapped upward, a sharp glint like a cold sword shadow in her gaze. "Who did you say requests an audience?" The palace maid relaying the message was cowed by the Empress's imposing presence, her voice trembling involuntarily. "It... it is Princess Cirui of the Xia Dynasty, Your Majesty's own younger sister." "She came alone?" "Yes." The Empress clutched the bedcovers tightly, then quietly released them. Leaning back against the chair, she said in a calm tone, "Bring her in." Soon, Princess Cirui was escorted inside. She was tall and slender, dressed in a moon-white gown embroidered with golden threads, showing not a trace of princessly luxury or nobility. Instead, with her head lowered, she appeared somewhat timid and cowering. The moment she entered, she knelt before the Empress's bed and said in a low voice, "Elder sister..." The Empress said coldly, "All of you, leave." Nanny Li and Tinghe immediately withdrew with the other attendants. Only then did the Empress ask, "You've come at just the right time. I have many questions for you as well." Princess Cirui kept her head lowered, tears silently falling to the ground. The Empress pretended not to see and asked coldly, "Before I married into this dynasty, Imperial Father had already betrothed you to General Ba. Over the years, letters from the Xia Dynasty have all said that you and General Ba were a loving, harmonious couple. So why have you now come to the Yu Dynasty for a marriage alliance?!" "Could it be that you think that since I've become Empress, you covet the wealth and power of the Yu Dynasty, and so came of your own accord?" Princess Cirui suddenly raised her head, tearful eyes fixed on the Empress. "Elder sister, must you truly wound your sister's heart like this?!" "It's not I who wounds your heart—it's that you suddenly appear in the Yu Dynasty, about to enter the Emperor's harem. What you trample is not just my feelings alone." Princess Cirui wept, "I beg you, elder sister, hear my defense!" "I came to the Xia Dynasty because I had no other way out—I had no choice but to come!" Princess Cirui sobbed, "Less than half a year after I married, my husband died of illness. But to keep you from worrying, I concealed it in my letters all these years." "What?" The Empress was taken aback and immediately asked, "Then all these years..." Princess Cirui's face was full of dejection and helplessness. "Not long after I became a widow, I heard that Mother Consort was unwell, so I was summoned to the palace to attend to her." "A while ago, I happened to hear that you had become Empress of the Yu Dynasty. I was overjoyed, thinking that Mother Consort and I might have better days ahead. But a month ago, I was suddenly summoned by the Crown Prince, who brought up the matter of the diplomatic mission." The Empress slapped the bed. "You are a widow. Sending you here for a marriage alliance is an insult to the Emperor as well. What exactly are they trying to do?!" "The older Imperial Father grows, the less he follows propriety, and the Crown Prince is cold and heartless..." Cirui trembled as she wept. "Imperial Father said that the one to marry through this diplomatic mission was Thirteenth Sister, but considering the deep bond between you and me as sisters, he followed the ancient customs of the pre-Qin era and made me a concubine-consort accompanying the bride. He said I wasn't sent for a marriage alliance, but only to keep you company..." "At the birthday banquet yesterday, Sixth Imperial Brother hastily mentioned the matter of offering up a daughter, but in truth, the Imperial Father and the Crown Prince had already made everything clear in their correspondence. I fear it will have been submitted by today." The further Princess Cirui spoke, the lower her head sank, the less she dared to speak. All the backbone in her seemed to have been crushed by these few words. The Empress was stunned speechless: "Absurd!" "Is the Imperial Father so old and senile? Who gave him such a rotten idea?!" Princess Cirui kept her head lowered: "It was the Crown Prince." The Empress was so angry her fingers trembled, and it seemed another surge of blood was rising in her throat. The Xia Dynasty Emperor had many children but doted only on the Crown Prince; all his other children were like weeds in his eyes. Back then, the Crown Prince had seized hold of Princess Cirui and their birth mother, forcing the Empress to willingly go and marry into a foreign alliance. The Empress had thought that by marrying into the alliance herself, she could secure a place for her sister and mother to spend their remaining years. Who would have thought the Xia Dynasty Emperor and Crown Prince would break their word, go back on their promises, and have no integrity whatsoever. Princess Cirui said softly, "Sister, four years ago, our mother enjoyed favor for a few days and gave birth to an Imperial Younger Brother, then fell out of favor again... The Imperial Younger Brother was taken to be raised by Noble Consort Jiang, who taught him not to acknowledge his birth mother." "They know our mother misses the Imperial Younger Brother, so they use this as leverage, sending me here as a concubine-consort, only to use your influence to bear an Imperial Prince with Xia Dynasty blood." If the Empress could have a child of her own, the Xia Dynasty would never have shamelessly sent two princesses; instead, they would have wholeheartedly repaired their relationship with the Empress and supported her offspring to ascend the throne. But unfortunately, the Empress had no son. Even though the Yu Dynasty's Empress was a Xia Dynasty princess, she could not bring much benefit to the Xia Dynasty, nor could she set the Xia Dynasty's mind at ease. The Xia Dynasty now only wanted an Imperial Heir with their dynasty's bloodline, to be adopted and raised under the Empress's care. Princess Cirui's personality was not as forthright as the Empress's, but she was no fool either. "The Crown Prince knows that you, Sister, have a resolute character and act decisively, and would never support Chenghuan to rise to power, so he insisted on bringing me instead." Princess Cirui smiled bitterly: "They think that since you, Sister, value bonds of affection, once I enter the Yu Dynasty's harem, you would look after me no matter what, and my chances of conceiving an Imperial Prince would be far greater than Chenghuan's." Chenghuan was the Xia Dynasty Emperor's favorite princess—clever and quick-witted, yet also vicious and cunning. All the princesses without power in the Xia Dynasty harem had been bullied by her. The Empress had also formed a grudge with her in the early years. The Xia Dynasty sending both Princess Chenghuan and Princess Cirui was a bet on two horses. On one hand, they hoped Chenghuan's beauty and intelligence would win the Yu Dynasty Emperor's favor; on the other, they thought that if Chenghuan proved useless, they could exploit the Empress's love for her sister, hoping she might bear a son. Their calculations were extremely shrewd, but they treated everyone else as fools to be deceived. The Empress's chest churned with anger and blood, but in the end she held it back, and said with a calm expression, "Rise first." Cirui stood up, trembling. The Empress beckoned to her. "Come here." Cirui walked to the Empress's bedside, and her hand fell into the Empress's. The two sisters had been apart for eight years now, and when their hands touched, both felt a daze. The Empress sighed softly: "Eight years have passed in the blink of an eye. You are still just as you always were..." The Empress paused. "What you confessed earlier was the Xia Dynasty's plan. Now I ask you—what is your own wish?" Princess Cirui was silent for a long time before she said, "In eight years of separation, you, Sister, have become very different from when you left the palace." "Sister, you have grown so thin." At that one sentence, both sisters shed tears at the same time. The Empress was strong-willed by nature. She turned her face away and wiped the tears from her cheeks, then said in a low voice, "Since the Imperial Father and the Crown Prince have sent you here for a marriage alliance, I fear they have left you no path of retreat." If Princess Cirui were to be sent back to the Xia Dynasty like this, the days ahead would be hard to bear indeed.