The clamor below the dais continued unabated, but Luo Wushuang sat enthroned on high, watching the spectacle with the detached air of a spectator at a play.
Only when the commotion finally subsided did she speak, her voice steady and unhurried.
“Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial!”
“I am here, Your Majesty!” An elegant, elderly official stepped forward from the ranks.
As her gaze flickered toward the Prince of the Western Regions, who was partially hidden behind the crowd, Luo Wushuang couldn’t help but twitch her lips.
She had made up her mind. She would keep this Western prince here first, just so her sister could see what a rare, bizarre specimen he was.
“The Princess of the Western Regions and the Prince of Baiyue are to be settled in the State Guest House,” she commanded. “As for the Prince of the Western Regions, he shall remain in the palace for the time being.”
Luo Wushuang was so preoccupied with how to use this “creature” to amuse Liqian that she failed to realize the impact of her words.
The moment she finished, the court erupted in a silent uproar.
This was especially true for the envoys of Baiyue, who had just been secretly rejoicing that the King of the Western Regions had sent such a disaster of a prince. Who could have guessed that the Empress Regnant actually had such… unique tastes?
The Baiyue envoys weren’t the only ones stunned; the Western Regions’ own envoys were equally bewildered.
Though they had brought a prince along, they hadn’t pinned any hope on Lou Yanshi. Their true gambit was their princess. Hadn’t the rumors said the Empress preferred women?
This… this was not according to the script at all.
Even more confused than the foreign envoys were the veteran ministers of the Kingdom of Liang. They suddenly felt a wave of vicarious embarrassment for their sovereign’s aesthetic judgment.
Yet, amidst the shame, a realization dawned on them. No wonder the Empress had rejected all the handsome men they had sent her way before. It turned out they simply weren’t her “flavor.”
A few of the more opportunistic ministers were already beginning to wonder where they could scout a troupe of “beauties” that matched the Empress’s specific preferences.
Unaware of the shifting expressions below, Luo Wushuang’s mind was filled only with the image of that “goofy creature” making her sister laugh. Having given her orders, she dismissed the court, eager to present the oddity to Liqian.
Perhaps it was due to her excitement, but as she rose, her knees suddenly buckled.
The weakness passed quickly, so fast that Luo Wushuang almost thought she had imagined it. But then she remembered the same thing happening yesterday while she was holding Liqian. Her brow furrowed.
For the first time, she didn’t head straight to the bedchamber after court. Instead, she summoned the Imperial Physician and stopped at the side hall. She needed to know if she had been targeted by some subtle, unknown method.
Luo Wushuang closed her phoenix eyes, carefully considering Liqian’s recent health. Only when she was certain her sister seemed fine did she breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Over the years, she had offended countless people. If she were being assassinated or poisoned every day, she wouldn’t find it strange. But no one—no one—was allowed to lay a finger on her sister.
Otherwise…
Her eyes snapped open, a cold, murderous light flashing within them.
***
While Luo Wushuang was brooding in the side hall, Shangguan Liqian was waiting at the Phoenix Hall. Seeing that the Empress had yet to return, she assumed the meeting with the foreign envoys was not going well.
She figured that since she was idle anyway, she might as well go out and meet her. Perhaps she would catch a glimpse of the high-spirited, majestic monarch in action.
At the thought, a faint, involuntary smile touched Liqian’s lips.
Wushuang had become so gentle lately that Liqian had almost forgotten her “fearsome” and authoritative persona. It was funny, really. She used to wish Wushuang would be softer, but now that she was, Liqian found herself missing her fiercer side.
Liqian felt that love was making her a bit irrational, but she indulged in the feeling nonetheless. Regardless of which version of Wushuang it was, she loved them all.
Combining her past and present lives, she had spent nearly a decade in this palace. The only path she was truly familiar with was the small trail she had walked with Wushuang countless times—the path leading to the Hall of Pure Harmony.
Calling it a “small trail” wasn’t quite accurate. How could a path frequently used by an Emperor be small? It was wide enough for several carriages to drive abreast with room to spare.
The palace maids followed closely behind Liqian, terrified that something might happen to the woman whom the Empress held in the palm of her hand.
Beyond the maids, Leng Yu was hiding in the shadows, feeling as if she were facing a great enemy.
Why am I so unlucky?!
This was the first time Shangguan Liqian had left the Phoenix Hall since the Empress granted her freedom of movement, and of course, it had to happen on Leng Yu’s shift.
Thinking back to the last time Liqian had tricked everyone in the palace and nearly escaped—and remembering the Empress’s terrifying reaction afterward—Leng Yu sharpened her focus to its absolute limit.
The distance from the Phoenix Hall to the Hall of Pure Harmony wasn’t far. Liqian, knowing her own history of “incidents,” behaved perfectly to put her attendants at ease.
As the Hall of Pure Harmony came into view, not only the maids but even the hidden Leng Yu breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Good, good. She didn’t cause any trouble this time…
However, they soon realized they had relaxed far too early.
After asking the servants about Luo Wushuang’s current location, Liqian walked gracefully toward the side hall… and ran right into him.
It was the “goofy creature” the Empress had specifically ordered to be kept under watch so he wouldn’t wander: the Prince of the Western Regions, Lou Yanshi.
At the sight of the riotous explosion of colors before her, Liqian’s brow instinctively furrowed.
What is this thing? Why is he dressed like that?
She wondered if he had offended Wushuang and was being humiliated by being forced to dress this way.
The palace servants outside the side hall quickly bowed when they saw her. “Greetings, Miss Shangguan.”
Even though Liqian had agreed to be Wushuang’s Empress Consort, she still wasn’t used to seeing so many people kneeling before her. She gave a slight nod, signaling for them to rise, before turning her attention back to the prince.
Lou Yanshi, who had been gloating about being the only one allowed to stay in the palace, had been frowning with his “exquisite” eyebrows since the moment he saw Liqian.
Seeing the servants bow so respectfully, a spark of realization lit up his mind. He guessed her identity based on what his father had told him.
This must be the ‘favored pet’ the Empress keeps hidden in the palace, he thought.
Lou Yanshi sized her up without the slightest hint of politeness.
The powder on her face wasn’t as white as his. Her rouge wasn’t as heavy as his. Even her clothes had fewer colors than his.
His final conclusion: What an ugly woman!
He pulled a pearl-encrusted mirror from his robes and began admiring his own reflection, completely ignoring everyone else.
He had expected the woman the Empress kept hidden to be some peerless beauty. And yet, this was it?
Liqian couldn’t begin to fathom the prince’s train of thought—then again, few people could. After a moment of curiosity, she ignored him and moved toward the entrance of the side hall.
Seeing that she wasn’t awestruck by his beauty and was, in fact, ignoring him, Lou Yanshi’s competitive spirit flared instantly.
“Stop right there!” he snapped. “You’re not allowed in!”
