Family Matriarch Cheng Wan of the Sikong Mansion walked in together with Concubine Liu Yu, the mansion’s only concubine. Si Yunqin stood up politely and gave them both a well-behaved smile. “Mother, Aunt Liu, what brings you here?”
“The palace instructors will be arriving tomorrow to teach you etiquette. We came to remind you of a few things. You’ve grown up accustomed to freedom, and your father and I seldom restrained you. It would be terrible if you accidentally offended one of the palace ladies.” Cheng Wan spoke to Si Yunqin gently.
Si Yunqin went over and linked her arm through hers. “Mother, do you think your daughter is that clueless? Please rest assured, I know my limits.”
But hearing this only brought an involuntary sadness to Cheng Wan’s heart.
Si Yunqin quickly helped her sit down, then respectfully invited Si Xiaoyu’s birth mother, Aunt Liu, to take a seat as well. “Mother, Aunt Liu, Second Brother had Sister buy these just now—they’re still warm. They’re newly released pastries from Spirit Gathering Studio, and they taste excellent.”
She truly couldn’t bear to see Cheng Wan cry in front of her. Cheng Wan was a standard noble lady, gentle and graceful to the core. Si Yunqin had once even complained to Si Xiaoyu about her biological father.
Had he saved the world in his previous life, to be able to marry such a lovely wife and beautiful concubine in this one? Her own mother was gentle and dignified, while Aunt Liu was as gorgeous as a flower. How did they both end up marrying her father, that brute?
Cheng Wan took the pastries Si Yunqin handed her, but she really had no appetite. The palace had deep walls; once she entered, who knew how long it would be before they could see each other again.
The conversation inevitably circled back to the original topic. Si Yunqin could only try her best to soothe her. “Mother, your daughter isn’t going to the palace to walk through fire or tread on blades. I’m sure the Empress Dowager is merciful and won’t make things difficult for me. Besides, Father and my brothers all hold positions in the military; I won’t be miserable.”
“But it’s the Imperial Palace after all, with strict rules. You’re used to being free; how will you ever feel at ease?” Aunt Liu also chimed in with a soft sigh.
Liu Yu held a certain status in the Si family. Though she was born lowly, Si Yan respected her, and Cheng Wan truly treated her like a sister. Si Xiaoyu was born before Si Yunqin, but Cheng Wan never mistreated Si Xiaoyu. As a result, the Si household was harmonious.
Of course, that didn’t stop Si Yunqin from still thinking her father was a scumbag.
“Mother, Aunt, Yun Yi is an Imperial Bodyguard in the palace. He can look after her a bit. Don’t worry too much. Besides, our Yunqin is about to become the Empress. She’ll be of noble status; few in the world will be able to bully her.” Si Xiaoyu also helped Si Yunqin coax the two elders.
Cheng Wan sighed. “How could I not know? But His Majesty is only a three-year-old child right now. How can he give Qin’er happiness?”
Si Yunqin felt both touched and exasperated. She listened to Cheng Wan and Liu Yu give her many instructions, consoling them and acting spoiled until she finally managed to send the two elders off. Then she let out a heavy sigh.
Once Cheng Wan and Liu Yu were far away, Si Yunqin pulled Si Xiaoyu’s hand. “Sister, come with me to the training ground. A few days ago, Second Brother got a fine bow. Since he’s out for a banquet today, I’ll use it quietly. If I wait until he comes back, he won’t let me play with it.”
“You really want to use it? Is Second Brother more precious about that bow than he is about you?” Si Xiaoyu gently flicked her forehead.
Si Yunqin’s eyes fell on the blooming peach blossoms beside her. She broke off a peach branch and casually tucked it into Si Xiaoyu’s hair. “The imperial decree said the Empress Enthronement Ceremony will be held early next month. I don’t have many days left at the mansion, nor many days left to use Second Brother’s bow. I have to take advantage while I can.”
Si Yunqin always had her reasons. In the past, Si Xiaoyu could never argue with her. Hearing her say this today, Si Xiaoyu felt a bit more sorrowful.
Knowing there was no room to change things, she could only accompany her to the training ground for one more round.
Once she stepped into the training ground, Si Yunqin felt as free as a wild horse let loose.
She took the longbow, nocked an arrow, and drew the string. Her father, Si Yan, had once been a Grand General who fought alongside the Late Emperor to conquer territories.
He prioritized martial arts in teaching his children, so the Sikong Mansion was once mocked by civil officials at court as being a household of brutes.
It was clear that none of the four siblings were weak in martial arts.
The arrow struck the bullseye dead center. Si Yunqin was in good form today. Si Xiaoyu accompanied her in archery and also hit the bullseye.
Afterward, Si Xiaoyu practiced swordsmanship with Si Yunqin for a while, until Si Yin called them to dinner before they put away their swords.
“It’s been a while since I sparred with Sister; it feels wonderful.” Si Yunqin wiped her sweat.
“I’ll be staying at the mansion for a few days. We can spar anytime.”
Si Yunqin shook her head. “Probably not. The Empress Dowager will send a palace lady tomorrow to teach me etiquette. I can’t be so reckless now. Leaving a bad impression on the Empress Dowager before I even enter the palace will make things difficult later. Besides, the Nacai Day[T/N: The traditional betrothal proposal and gift-sending rite] is in three days. Sister will be busy. I think I’ll be the most idle person in the mansion these few days.”
Saying this, Si Yunqin’s little face scrunched up. “Melancholy~”
Si Xiaoyu understood. What she said earlier was just a comforting word. For ordinary folks, marriage already had many rituals; for an emperor, there would naturally be even more.
Early the next morning, Si Yunqin hadn’t slept enough when Si Yin woke her up, saying the palace’s teaching madam was about to arrive.
With her eyes barely open, Si Yunqin dressed herself. After she finished dressing, Si Yin hurriedly pulled her over and combed her hair into a more formal bun to avoid losing face.
By the time she finished washing up and was a bit more alert, the teaching madam had arrived.
Si Yunqin followed the entire Si household to welcome her. A countless crowd of family members waited for a single palace lady. Si Yunqin once again felt deeply that in this era, the Heavenly Majesty was not to be defied.
Though her heart resisted, she had no choice but to follow Cheng Wan as she welcomed what would be half a month of etiquette lessons.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the person finally arrived. She was not much different from what Si Yunqin had imagined—stern, not a single hair out of place, impeccably neat.
The teaching madam exchanged a few polite words with Si Yan, and then Si Yunqin was handed over to her.
No matter how much she resisted in her heart, she still had to learn. After all, the imperial family had many rules, and Si Yunqin didn’t want to cause herself trouble later in the palace because she didn’t know them.
Although the world said she was a heaven-sent auspicious sign, Si Yunqin herself knew she was just an ordinary person with no auspicious protection.
Three days later, Nacai Day arrived. The entire mansion was on high alert. At the appointed hour, the Emperor’s Envoy stood outside the mansion gate. Si Yan, inside the gate, asked loudly, “May I dare ask your business?”
The Envoy replied, “I have been ordered to perform the Nacai rite.”
Si Yunqin pricked up her ears and listened to the back-and-forth, feeling only the cumbersome ritual and the majesty of the Emperor.
Back when her elder sister married, the groom’s family came in person. But when the Emperor took an Empress, it was a sealed envoy who came. It seemed he was still requesting marriage from her father, but the person didn’t even come; they were high and mighty above.
Of course, Si Yunqin wasn’t targeting the three-year-old Young Emperor; she was just lamenting the unassailable imperial dignity.
These matters didn’t require Si Yunqin to worry. She only needed to follow the madam and study palace etiquette.
The boring and tedious half-month finally passed. Si Yunqin let out a relieved sigh.
Now the mansion was decorated with lanterns and colored banners everywhere. Perhaps because of the atmosphere, everyone in the household wore smiles. Even Cheng Wan seemed less pessimistic.
That was good. There was no need to look at everything negatively.
Thinking that tomorrow would be the Empress Enthronement Ceremony, Si Yunqin distributed all the treasures she couldn’t take into the palace.
In the end, there was one painting left. When she unrolled it, the painting depicted a woman. Even though the portrait only captured about seventy percent of her charm, it was still stunning at first glance.
Si Yunqin rolled up the painting and put it away. After she thought Si Yin had fallen asleep, she changed into fitted martial clothing, climbed over the wall, and headed straight for the largest pleasure quarter in Heavenly Light City.
Of course, she didn’t dare enter through the front gate in such a conspicuous manner. On ordinary days it might be fine, but now she was the Empress-Designate. If the Empress Dowager found out she went to a pleasure quarter, she’d probably cut her up.
Si Yunqin crept over to the backyard, then skillfully found a luxurious room on the fourth floor. She knocked with a rhythm of three long, two short.
A woman came to open the door. Si Yunqin slipped inside, pulled down the face cloth, and showed the woman a smile. “Sister Yiyi.”
The woman called Yiyi wore a light blue gauze dress, her slender figure faintly visible, her fox-like eyes captivating enough to steal one’s soul.
“You little rascal, why are you here? Isn’t your official installation tomorrow? Why come to me today? From now on, you’ll be the Empress in the palace.” Yiyi poured her a cup of tea and gave her a playful glare. “If anyone finds out, you’ll be in big trouble.”
“I’m very careful. Don’t worry, Sister Yiyi. I just have something to give you.” Si Yunqin handed her the painting.
Yiyi took it, curious, and unrolled it. When she saw the woman in the painting, she remembered the bet she had made with Si Yunqin. Si Yunqin had lost and promised to paint a portrait for her.
Everyone in the world knew that the legitimate daughter of the Sikong Mansion was brilliant at writing, but few knew that her paintings—especially her portraits—were also unmatched.
“Does Sister Yiyi like this painting?” Si Yunqin asked with a smile. She could thank her previous life for learning sketching, which she could use to fool people in this life.
She felt that most paintings in this era focused on artistic conception and atmosphere, and often portraits didn’t quite resemble the person. That day, after drinking too much at Yiyi’s place, she had gotten excited and bragged that she could paint a lifelike portrait.
Yiyi looked at the person in the painting, so similar to herself, and couldn’t help praising her.
“I don’t have anything to pay you with, except this wine that catches your eye. Want a drink today?” Yiyi and Si Yunqin had met because of wine, and later became close friends.
Si Yunqin quickly shook her head. “No, no. Tomorrow is the Empress Enthronement Ceremony. I’d be asking for death if I drank tonight.”
“Since that’s the case, I don’t have much to give you for your wedding. I recently blended a new incense. This box of incense and a jug of wine will be my wedding gift.” Yiyi took out the items she had prepared earlier and gave them to Si Yunqin.
Si Yunqin cherished them and put them away. “Alright. I meant to give this to you a few days ago, but I got busy and forgot. Seeing it today reminded me. Well, I’ll be off. I have to go back to sleep. I’ll have to get up early tomorrow—what a hassle.”
With that, Si Yunqin put her face cloth back on, opened the door, and snuck out again.
Yiyi wanted to say something more, but Si Yunqin had already disappeared with her agile movements.
Holding the painting, Yiyi opened the window. Seeing no trace of her, she sighed softly. Who knew if they would ever see each other again? The Mother of the Nation and a woman of the pleasure quarters were truly as different as clouds and mud.
Si Yunqin didn’t relax until she was back at the Si mansion. She quickly changed clothes and seized every moment to sleep. Tomorrow was bound to exhaust her half to death.
She had briefly learned about the Zhao Kingdom’s Empress Enthronement Ceremony. It was truly grueling. But luckily, tomorrow was only the enthronement, not the Bridal Welcoming Rite.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, a woman in luxurious robes sat by the bedside of a young child. Only after seeing him sleep peacefully did she rise with relief. She instructed the palace maids, “Take good care of His Majesty.”
“Yes, Empress Dowager.”
The woman rose. The dim lamplight shone on her cool, clear face. Her dark-colored robes made her appear even more stern, dignified, and unapproachable.
From the look of her face, she seemed to be only in her twenties.
Shen Yanxin stepped lightly out of the Emperor’s Bedchamber and headed to the Imperial Study. Piles of memorials still accumulated on the desk—all of which had to be dealt with tonight.
Rubbing her brow, Shen Yanxin sat upright and picked up the red brush again to grade the memorials.
Soon, a woman in black appeared outside the Imperial Study, requesting an audience.
“Enter. What is it?” Shen Yanxin asked coldly.
The woman knelt on the ground. “Greetings, Empress Dowager.”
“Speak.”
“Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Her Majesty the Empress went out tonight.” This person was a Shadow Guard assigned to observe Si Yunqin. Although Shen Yanxin had chosen Si Yunqin as Empress, she still sent people to secretly observe her temperament and behavior.
“Oh? Went out in the dead of night? To see whom?”
“Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Her Majesty went alone to the Fragrant Pavilion.”
Hearing this, Shen Yanxin became somewhat interested. “A woman going to that pleasure ground for what?”
“She only went to see the top courtesan Yiyi at the Fragrant Pavilion. She didn’t stay long and returned shortly after. She went straight to sleep.”
Shen Yanxin curled her lips with interest. “Interesting. I heard she wasn’t sad or resistant upon learning she would enter the palace?”
“Yes, Her Majesty has been in quite a cheerful mood lately.”
Shen Yanxin put down the red brush and closed the memorial on the desk. “Amusing. Could it be that Si Yan’s daughter is fond of women?”
“I have not heard of Her Majesty having any entanglements with women in the past. She is, however, obsessed with martial arts.”
Shen Yanxin picked up another memorial and unrolled it, the chill on her face seeming to dissipate slightly. “She’s a clever one. Even if she does like women, she wouldn’t let the world know.”
“How many days have you followed the Empress?” Shen Yanxin asked.
“Reporting to the Empress Dowager, exactly half a month.”
“No need to follow her anymore. How much do you know about the Empress’s private affairs?” Shen Yanxin asked casually.
“Your subordinate knows nothing.” The Shadow Guard knocked her head heavily on the ground.
“Mm. You may withdraw.” Shen Yanxin closed another memorial, and the faint smile on her face vanished into nothingness.
She hoped this talented woman, famed throughout Heavenly Light City, was not all show and no substance, nor just a clever fool.
