20demayo Chapter 431
Chapter 431
outside the door stood tang shiliang, the most trusted eunuch of the emperor, who served only the emperor and the empress dowager.
he held a large tray in his hands, on which lay a set of exquisite moon-white robes and a matching headdress. his demeanor was obsequious as he said, "miss mu, his majesty has sent me to deliver these gifts to you. in a few days, the emperor will lead his ministers to the eastern mountain imperial mausoleum to pay homage to the ancestors. his majesty said you look particularly beautiful in white."
mu qianqian's face lit up with a sweet smile, the kind of infatuated smile that one lost in the throes of love might wear—a smile that jiang xinyue would never have shown.
coming from a humble background, mu qianqian had never seen such luxurious items before. the sight of the moon-white satin robes dazzled her. she reached out to touch the fabric repeatedly, her eyes gleaming with delight. "are these really for me?"
she had never seen such beautiful clothing before.
wait, no—
she had seen something similar before.
the empress dowager's robes were far more splendid than these.
at this thought, her smile and excitement faded slightly. she took the tray from tang shiliang and said, "thank you, eunuch tang."
mu qianqian, still a low-ranking palace maid, shared a communal bed with several other maids. there was no way to hide the fact that eunuch tang had brought her such a gift, and mu qianqian didn’t intend to hide it anyway.
she basked in the envy, admiration, praise, and jealousy of her peers, her face glowing with pride.
this feeling was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
autumn leaves, golden as scattered coins, covered the ground. the eunuchs of kunning palace diligently swept the winding paths, ensuring they were spotless.
"your majesty..."
shuang jiang approached jiang xinyue and whispered, "physician yan confirmed that the wine originally contained a potent aphrodisiac, but it was later replaced with a sedative. it seems the emperor ordered the change."
jiang xinyue put down the book she was holding. "i've seen many who seek to rise in status, but someone as bold as her? this is a first."
to personally serve the emperor a drugged drink, to carry it in herself—what was she thinking? did she think tang shiliang and wang dequan were mere decorations?
"she’s truly deceiving herself."
xi que chuckled. "your majesty, i’ve grown up with you. i could recognize your face and figure from hundreds of feet away. did she really think that covering her forehead with bangs would fool me? does she take us all for fools?"
"yes, yes, our xi que is the cleverest. you even know the phrase 'deceiving oneself.'"
no doubt, meng qingyu had taught her that.
xi que seemed to catch the implied meaning in jiang xinyue’s words—or perhaps she didn’t, but the mention of meng qingyu made her blush.
however, she quickly regained her composure and leaned in mischievously toward shuang jiang. "but if the emperor didn’t favor her, why does she look so drained and listless every day? i’ve heard she even has marks on her body! many in the palace think she’s the emperor’s new favorite, and she’s been strutting around like a peacock, looking down her nose at everyone."
she imitated mu qianqian’s haughty posture, lifting her chin and pointing her nose at shuang jiang.
shuang jiang smacked her on the head and forcibly straightened her. "she dared to drug the emperor with something so harmful. did she think the emperor wouldn’t see through her scheme and turn the tables on her?"
the emperor often used the tactic of turning an opponent’s methods against them.
mu qianqian would drink the wine and pass out, only to wake up and find the emperor already dressed or gone to court. in reality, the emperor had never shared a bed with her—it was all an act.
as for why she felt sore and exhausted after each "favor," it was merely the side effects of the sedative.
mu qianqian’s actions were despicable, but the emperor’s upbringing forbade him from stooping to her level. he would never arrange for someone else to take advantage of her.
this path of ambition was one she had chosen for herself, and she would have to bear the consequences.
mu qianqian, still believing herself clever and in control, sat in a palanquin adorned in the luxurious robes and golden hairpins gifted by the emperor. like a proud peacock, she waved to the cheering crowds, her face now even more strikingly similar to jiang xinyue’s.
the emperor and empress were on the move, and the commoners made way. soldiers maintained order, while a few burly men in the crowd exchanged solemn glances and subtle signals.
the minister of rites, puzzled, turned to jiang yankun. "lord jiang, didn’t the emperor secretly summon me last night, saying that the empress dowager would remain in the palace to recuperate and wouldn’t be joining the trip to the eastern mountain? why is she here now? and she looks so radiant, not at all like someone who recently gave birth to two children."
jiang yankun glanced at the woman in the twelve-man palanquin and then back at the minister. "do you really think that’s the empress dowager?"