Chapter 41

“Empress Sister, I’m done writing.” Yuwen Luo ran over holding his exam paper.

Si Yunqin took it, looked it over, circled a few mistakes, and explained the meaning of what the Grand Tutor had taught him once more.

She spoke simply and clearly, explaining it in a way a child could understand.

Yuwen Qiyue listened from the side and noticed how patient Si Yunqin was when teaching Yuwen Luo.

After finishing the explanation, she handed the paper back to him. “Alright, our Emperor still has one day to play. Try not to get scolded by the Grand Tutor tomorrow.”

“I-I won’t! The Grand Tutor said I’m very smart.” Yuwen Luo protested defiantly.

The corner of Si Yunqin’s mouth lifted. “Oh? Then who was it last time that couldn’t answer the Grand Tutor’s question?”

The little brat sure cared about his face. Who did he learn that from?

“Th-That was because I wasn’t ready.”

“Alright, alright, I understand. Go play now. Your little friends are coming to the palace today to play with you, right?” Si Yunqin remembered that Shen Yanxin had allowed the companions to enter the palace at set times to keep Yuwen Luo company.

Of course, that rule had been made because Si Yunqin had said children should play with other children. After weighing the pros and cons, Shen Yanxin had ordered that the companions be allowed in.

Ever since the companions had joined him, Yuwen Luo had indeed become much happier.

If the Late Emperor’s teachings had been followed, this wouldn’t have been the case. Both the Late Emperor and Shen Yanxin had believed that an emperor must be ruthless to remain clear-headed.

But having seen Yuwen Luo’s joyful expressions so often, Shen Yanxin couldn’t bear to be so harsh with a child.

“Imperial Sister, I’m going now.” Yuwen Luo even ran over to hug Yuwen Qiyue.

Yuwen Qiyue smiled and nodded. “Go on, Your Majesty.”

Watching the little figure run off, Si Yunqin ate some fruit and said to Yuwen Qiyue, “Come on, let’s go find Senior Sister and Consort Chen to play mahjong. Tomorrow we won’t have time.”

“Does the Empress Dowager have orders for tomorrow?” Yuwen Qiyue couldn’t think of what else might keep Si Yunqin busy.

“No, it’s that Grand Consort Xi wants to test my painting skills tomorrow.” Si Yunqin made a troubled face. “I have no talent for painting.”

“I think Yunqin’s paintings are quite good.” This was the place where Si Yunqin usually taught Yuwen Luo, and she often painted and read here, so there were a few of her paintings on the desk.

Yuwen Qiyue picked up one of them. “Yunqin sells yourself short.”

Si Yunqin ate the last piece of fruit. “My paintings are all formulaic. Senior Sister’s paintings are the real thing.”

Especially her figure paintings—they were simply superb.

Of course, Si Yunqin only thought this to herself and would never say it to Yuwen Qiyue.

“Fengyu’s paintings? I haven’t seen them.” Yuwen Qiyue closed the painting, looking curious.

“I’ll take you to see them another day.” Si Yunqin stretched lazily. “Alright, let’s go play mahjong.”

Si Yunqin had someone clean up the fruit plate, then pulled Yuwen Qiyue along to the Bright Palace.

The reason they went to Bright Palace was mainly because it was remote; no one would know what they did there, and even loud noise wouldn’t disturb others.

Yuwen Qiyue followed her briskly to Bright Palace.

When they arrived, Xi Fengyu was playing chess with another consort from Bright Palace. Consort Chen hadn’t arrived yet.

They were playing Go, and the game had just started, so the two of them gathered around.

Adhering to the fine virtue of not speaking during a game, Si Yunqin struck up a conversation with Yuwen Qiyue instead.

“Elder Sister Qiyue, why did you return to the palace at this time? There aren’t any major events in the palace lately, are there?” Si Yunqin pretended not to know and asked.

“The Empress doesn’t know?” The consort playing chess with Xi Fengyu was surprised.

“What should I know?” Si Yunqin asked with a curious and bewildered look.

“It’s nothing much. When Father was alive, he betrothed me to the Eldest Son of the Wen Clan. We were to marry when I turned eighteen. Now that I am eighteen, I naturally returned to the palace to fulfill the engagement.” Yuwen Qiyue answered frankly.

Si Yunqin looked as if she had just learned this, then asked with feigned curiosity, “What does the Eldest Son of the Wen Clan look like?”

Yuwen Qiyue seemed stumped by the question and shook her head lightly. “I don’t know.”

“Huh? You’ve never met?” Si Yunqin pretended to be shocked. Xi Fengyu almost wanted to applaud her—the opera troupe would be missing a great talent if she weren’t there.

“Of course not. The engagement was arranged by Father and the Wen Clan Patriarch. I was young then and couldn’t leave the palace, so I never saw him. Besides, without the Three Letters and Six Rites, private meetings would be improper.” Yuwen Qiyue tilted her head slightly to look at Si Yunqin, as if puzzled by her surprise.

Si Yunqin snorted lightly. “That rule really is unreasonable.”

“Indeed it’s unreasonable. Not being allowed to meet before marriage—how would you know if the person you’re marrying is a human or a ghost?” Consort Chen’s crisp voice came from the doorway. Consort Chen wasn’t from a noble family and had never read any of those female precepts books. She had always scorned such rules. In the past, when she couldn’t read many books, she already hated them. Now that she had read more, she disliked them even more.

“Consort Chen is here.” Si Yunqin smiled at her.

“Fengyu said there was good food in her small kitchen today, so she invited me to breakfast. Here I am.”

Si Yunqin’s eyes curved. “What a coincidence, I’m here to freeload too.”

Just after she said that, a palace maid came to invite them to eat.

Xi Fengyu’s chess game with the other consort wasn’t finished. The two exchanged glances. “Let’s leave it for now. We’ll continue after eating.”

“Alright.”

Yuwen Qiyue was also pulled along to breakfast.

While eating, Si Yunqin didn’t forget to pry into Yuwen Qiyue’s marriage engagement.

It was actually quite simple. The Late Emperor owed the Wen Clan a favor, and the Eldest Son of the Wen Clan and Yuwen Qiyue were born two months apart, so a childhood betrothal was arranged.

Wasn’t that just using a daughter to repay a debt?

Si Yunqin thoroughly despised this practice. Not only she, but Xi Fengyu also despised it. They kept it to themselves, though—they couldn’t say it out loud.

Who knew if walls had ears?

“Elder Sister Qiyue, do you want to marry?” Si Yunqin looked at Yuwen Qiyue with sincere eyes and asked seriously.

Yuwen Qiyue was taken aback by the question, then shook her head. “It’s not up to me to want or not want.”

Si Yunqin glared at her with a mixture of frustration and disappointment. “Forget everything else—don’t weigh pros and cons, don’t consider the bigger picture. Just tell me: do you want to marry that Eldest Son of the Wen Clan?”

Yuwen Qiyue put down her chopsticks, elegantly wiped her mouth, and seemed lost in thought.

But after a long silence, she looked at Si Yunqin in confusion. “I don’t know.”

“If not him, I’d have to marry someone else. My marriage has never been my own decision.” Yuwen Qiyue said softly.

“Marrying the Eldest Son of the Wen Clan would at least let Luo’er gain the support of the Wen Clan. The Wen Clan is one of the Five Great Clans. Even Grand Ancestor Taizu rose to power with their help…”

“Stop.” Si Yunqin waved her hand. “Don’t say that. Everyone knows that.”

“As I said, don’t consider that. Just think simply: do you want to marry this person?” Si Yunqin asked again.

Yuwen Qiyue fell silent. She couldn’t help but think about what Si Yunqin had said that morning. If she couldn’t meet the person who could make her heart flutter, she didn’t want to settle for a lifetime of being a dutiful wife and mother.

“Alright, alright. This isn’t something that can be settled in a moment. Weren’t we going to play mahjong? Let’s start!” Consort Chen smiled and changed the subject.

Xi Fengyu chuckled. “Don’t rush. Let me finish this game first.”

“Senior Sister, how about I take you to Grand Consort Xi’s palace tomorrow? Let her discuss painting with you. I think you have the talent to be her close disciple.” Si Yunqin suggested with a sly smile.

Xi Fengyu quickly shook her head. “If the Grand Consort saw my paintings, she’d probably throw me out of the palace.”

Her paintings weren’t the elegant kind that literati liked. At least six out of ten were ambiguous, passionate scenes of bedroom intimacy—and all between women.

Even though Si Yunqin had been caught by Shen Yanxin and still lived well, Si Yunqin was Si Yunqin, and Xi Fengyu was Xi Fengyu. The two carried entirely different weight in Shen Yanxin’s eyes.

“Then just don’t paint those.” Si Yunqin said irritably.

“Then next time, don’t rush me.” Xi Fengyu gave her a cool glance.

Si Yunqin coughed lightly behind her hand. “That still won’t do.”

If she didn’t rush for updates, what would she have to read?

“What kind of riddle are you two talking about?” Consort Chen asked.

Si Yunqin shook her head with a smile. “Nothing. Since Senior Sister wants to finish her game, let’s wait.”

She wasn’t interested in watching the chess game, so she took a deck of playing cards from a nearby bookshelf and pulled Consort Chen and Yuwen Qiyue into a card game.

By the time Xi Fengyu and the other two consorts came over, Si Yunqin, Yuwen Qiyue, and Consort Chen already had their faces marked.

They weren’t playing for money, but there had to be some penalty for losing. Si Yunqin suggested drawing turtles on their faces. Yuwen Qiyue refused at first but was eventually persuaded.

Si Yunqin’s idea was simply that Yuwen Qiyue was too rule-bound. She even thought drawing on her face was overstepping, let alone deciding her own marriage.

It wasn’t fitting for the Grand Princess to have such a temperament.

She had heard that the Eldest Son of the Wen Clan would soon enter Heavenly Light City, and then come to the palace to present the Three Letters and Six Rites, formally setting the wedding date.

Si Yunqin wasn’t worried. She had already planned: once the Eldest Son arrived in Heavenly Light City, she would take Yuwen Qiyue out of the palace to see what this man was really like, whether he was worth entrusting her life to, and whether Yuwen Qiyue would like him.

Of course, that also required Shen Yanxin’s consent.

Having wandered the palace with Yuwen Qiyue for half a month, Yuwen Qiyue had visibly become much more cheerful.

She played mahjong with Si Yunqin and the consorts, practiced Tai Chi, discussed nail polish, hairstyles, and makeup, or chatted about folk tales.

Yuwen Qiyue realized that her father’s consorts actually had such interesting sides to them. But when her father was alive, the imperial harem had never known such laughter and joy.

Si Yunqin’s explanation to her was that people only find happiness when they gain freedom.

Although true freedom couldn’t be found in the palace, since the Empress Dowager didn’t interfere in the consorts’ private lives, they naturally became much happier.

“The Empress Dowager protected everyone, kept the entire harem safe. Now, apart from herself, everyone lives quite leisurely. The Empress Dowager is truly a great person.” Si Yunqin’s real intention was to imply how miserable Shen Yanxin was.

Of course, she also wanted Yuwen Qiyue to understand that the Empress Dowager meant no harm to the consorts, and no harm to Yuwen Qiyue either.

“The Empress Dowager…” Yuwen Qiyue murmured, then smiled and teased, “Yunqin seems to really like the Empress Dowager?”

Si Yunqin curled her lip. “Anyone might like her, but I never will! Absolutely never!!!”

If it weren’t for Shen Yanxin, would she have entered the palace? If it weren’t for Shen Yanxin, would she be this busy?

Just then, Shen Yanxin happened to be passing by and caught the Little Empress’s resolute words. She fell into thought.