Chapter 98: Are You… Angry?

With just a casual glance, Shangguan Liqian noticed Luo Wushuang’s predicament.

Closing her bright eyes for a moment to think, she suddenly spoke up. “The flowers in the Imperial Garden are just beginning to bloom. It might be a good time to host a Flower Viewing Banquet in the palace.”

Luo Wushuang’s eyes lit up. Using the banquet as a pretext to invite noblewomen into the palace would provide the perfect opportunity to see if there was a suitable match.

It was an excellent idea.

Why hadn’t she thought of that? Her sister was truly brilliant.

The thought that such a brilliant woman loved her—and belonged to her alone—made Luo Wushuang unable to contain her joy. After basking in a moment of secret smugness, she began to carefully consider the feasibility of the plan.

In truth, hosting Flower Viewing Banquets was a long-standing tradition in the Kingdom of Luo.

On one hand, it allowed the Emperor and the adult princes to see if any women caught their fancy, giving them a chance to find a beauty outside of the formal imperial selection process.

On the other hand, it provided an opportunity for the children of high-ranking officials to socialize. After all, the higher one’s status, the less likely they were to look toward ordinary families for marriage. This was especially true when choosing the primary mistress of a household; such a woman had to be virtuous, refined, and capable of managing the complex affairs of the inner manor.

Consequently, finding a match of equal social standing was of paramount importance. One could essentially think of these banquets as a high-society matchmaking corner for the aristocracy.

However, since Luo Wushuang had ascended the throne a few years ago, the tradition had been suspended.

To her, any “beauties”—aside from Shangguan Liqian—were nothing more than passing clouds.

Furthermore, her mind had been entirely occupied with how to whisk the person she had pined for since childhood back into her gilded sanctuary. She’d had no desire to host any banquets. Why would she want to sit there in her loneliness and watch other people flirt and cast sidelong glances at one another? She wasn’t nearly that generous.

As for after she had finally secured her prize…

Her beauty was hers alone; no one else was worthy of gazing upon that heavenly countenance!

Thus, the palace had not held a single Flower Viewing Banquet for years. If Shangguan Liqian hadn’t mentioned it, Luo Wushuang would have nearly forgotten the custom existed.

Now that she had been reminded, she suddenly unlocked a new use for the event: showing off her Empress Consort and, incidentally, helping that nuisance of a Baiyue Prince find a wife.

At the thought of the former, a flash of eagerness crossed Luo Wushuang’s eyes. She looked up at Shangguan Liqian and spoke with a solemn expression. “Sister’s idea is excellent. I shall give the orders immediately.”

Seeing Luo Wushuang’s impatient demeanor, Shangguan Liqian shook her head slightly. “There is no rush. First, have someone investigate the Prince of Baiyue’s character.”

Although the suggestion had come from her, she didn’t want her casual words to cause someone else harm. Life was already difficult enough for women in this world; if the Prince of Baiyue was not a good man, she had no intention of watching some girl be pushed into a fiery pit.

Luo Wushuang understood her concerns. Without delay, she dispatched someone to investigate the Prince’s recent activities in the capital.

Turning back to look at the still-composed Shangguan Liqian, Luo Wushuang felt her heart thumping wildly.

Her sister’s kindness was never superficial. She didn’t give charity for no reason, nor did she turn a blind eye to the suffering of the weak. Her benevolence was always perfectly measured.

I think I love her even more now. What should I do?

Meeting Luo Wushuang’s gaze—which was even more burning than usual—Shangguan Liqian arched an eyebrow, unable to read her mind for a moment.

Weren’t we just talking? Why is she looking at me like that all of a sudden?

Don’t tell me she’s getting ‘ideas’ again?

At that thought, Shangguan Liqian’s gaze instantly turned wary. She was exhausted—genuinely exhausted! Luo Wushuang could forget about it!

Luo Wushuang watched as her sister’s expression shifted through several emotions before finally settling on a hint of annoyance. She was momentarily stunned.

What happened? Had she done something to upset her sister again?

“Sister…” Luo Wushuang leaned in, wanting to ask for clarification.

But as soon as she opened her mouth, Shangguan Liqian cut her off.

“It’s getting late. I’m going to rest. If you can’t behave yourself, go sleep in the side hall.”

Luo Wushuang froze. Once the meaning sank in, she grew frantic and hurriedly promised, “I’ll behave! I’ll be very well-behaved! I swear!”

Why was she suddenly being threatened with eviction?

To prove she would be on her best behavior, Luo Wushuang did nothing but hold the other woman in her arms the moment they got into bed. She didn’t dare make another move. Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Why did Sister suddenly get angry? Did I provoke her again?

Shangguan Liqian was utterly spent; she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, having no idea that the person holding her was spiraling into overthought.

Having enjoyed a full night’s sleep, Shangguan Liqian woke up in a great mood. She even remembered to go meet Luo Wushuang as she finished the morning court session.

However, Luo Wushuang—who had spent the entire night in anxious suspense—was not in peak condition.

Seeing the obvious black circles under the Empress Regnant’s eyes, Shangguan Liqian was taken aback. “Did you go out and become a thief last night?” she asked, puzzled.

Luo Wushuang rubbed the back of her heavy head. Meeting Shangguan Liqian’s slightly worried gaze, she finally voiced the doubt that had been haunting her.

“Sister… were you angry with me last night?” Luo Wushuang’s voice was laced with a mix of caution and confusion as she recalled Liqian’s look before sleep.

Realizing why the Empress was in such a state, Shangguan Liqian sighed helplessly. She pulled Luo Wushuang toward the waiting sedan chair.

As the sedan chair began to sway, Shangguan Liqian glanced at the palace attendants outside the curtains. She spoke in a voice that was barely a whisper. “I wasn’t angry. I was just tired and didn’t want you to keep acting up.”

With those light words, Luo Wushuang’s brow instantly cleared.

So her sister hadn’t been angry after all!

Even though she knew she now held a place in Liqian’s heart—and that even if she did get angry, Liqian wouldn’t think of leaving her anymore—she was still afraid. She feared the gentle woman would revert to her old self: cold and distant, looking at her with no more warmth than one might show a stray dog. Sometimes, that look had been even colder than a look given to a dog.

Just thinking about it made her heart ache.

Noticing the joy returning to Luo Wushuang’s phoenix eyes, Shangguan Liqian sighed. Her eyes crinkled slightly, and her expression softened. “In the future, if something is on your mind, just ask me directly. Don’t let your imagination run wild; you’re only making yourself suffer for nothing.”

Hearing her sister’s tone, which sounded almost like she was coaxing a child, Luo Wushuang was delighted. She leaned her head against Shangguan Liqian’s shoulder and acted spoiled. “I saw how tired you were last night, so I didn’t have the heart to disturb you…”

The mention of her exhaustion reminded Shangguan Liqian exactly why she had been so tired all day. Her briefly softened expression turned frosty once more.

Before Luo Wushuang could finish her sweet-talking, she was interrupted by a flat, emotionless voice.

“Then you deserved it.”

Whose fault was it that she was so tired? She shouldn’t have wasted her pity on this girl.

Glancing again at the blatant black circles on the Empress Regnant’s face, Shangguan Liqian’s gaze dropped to her own slightly clenched fist.

She suddenly felt like giving her two more punches to make the color of those circles even deeper.

After a moment’s thought, she set the urge aside. This was the ruler of a nation, after all. She would let it slide this once. If there was a next time, she would not be so merciful.