Jinhua Palace.
Yun Xiao lay on the soft couch, lost in thought about how to deal with Shangguan Yao. The man had provoked her time and again.
Everyone had their limits. Since he was so determined to deal with her, she certainly wouldn't disappoint him, but how could she deal with an Emperor?
That man was no weakling. His martial arts were likely formidable. In a physical confrontation, she wouldn't be his match, so she could only resort to wit. And for a man like that, what was he most afraid of?
A flash of inspiration struck Yun Xiao, and a cold smile played on her lips.
The palace had three thousand beauties, yet the Emperor was impotent. He could only look, not partake. He had no heirs to the royal bloodline. She wondered who would be more anxious.
This was a good idea, Yun Xiao praised herself, but the most pressing matter now was how to administer the medicine.
Opportunities wouldn't come to her just by sitting around. She might as well go out and find one. Yun Xiao rolled over and said, "Wanwan, I want to go for a stroll."
"Your Highness, now?"
Wanwan's face showed disapproval. Hadn't the incident with Prince Lin just happened? Wasn't Her Highness afraid?
Why was she thinking of going out again? The palace felt like a vortex now. One wrong step and trouble would follow, leading to utter ruin.
However, Yun Xiao had no such awareness. She just wanted the Emperor to suffer quickly and see if he still had the leisure to provoke her.
"Let's go. Your Highness has just suffered from the corrosive energy; shouldn't I go out to clear my head?"
"Oh, alright then," Wanwan said nothing more and followed Yun Xiao out.
The weather was indeed beautiful, the sunshine indescribably warm.
Along the way, the palace maids and eunuchs they encountered bowed respectfully and acted cautiously, their former arrogance gone.
The recent actions of the foolish Empress, coupled with the Empress Dowager's warnings, had made her an extremely authoritative figure in the palace. Although everyone inwardly disdained her, no one dared to show it on the surface.
"Greetings, Empress."
"Greetings, Empress."
Yun Xiao ignored the cascade of greetings as if she hadn't heard them. She hadn't forgotten her identity. A fool wouldn't acknowledge such formalities, and these detestable maids were merely snobbish and opportunistic.
Gradually, they reached the secluded back palace, where there were far fewer people.
Beside the Imperial Garden stood a plum grove. At this time, the plum branches swayed gently, though no blossoms had appeared. These flowers needed a night of snowfall to bloom as red as blood. Admiring plum blossoms after snow was indeed a great joy in life.
Yun Xiao played with a plum branch, her eyes slightly closed, as if sensing the biting cold and pure fragrance of the plum.
Suddenly, a small, faint voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Xiao Jiu, do you think Concubine Zhao can win the Emperor's heart?"
"Hush," came a soft hiss, followed by a whispered reply, "Our Concubine Zhao will definitely win the Emperor's heart. She is very beautiful, and her words are as sweet as honey. The reason she hasn't climbed higher is her lowly status.
Unlike Consort De and Consort Shu, she was only granted the minor title of Concubine. But as long as the Emperor meets her, he will surely be captivated."
"Really?" Another voice was clearly excited, as if seeing a bright future. "Xiao Jiu, our good days are coming soon."
"Yes, let's hurry. The Concubine asked us to prepare the finest Yun She Tea for the Emperor. I managed to get it from somewhere else. What good things they get to have.
If they knew I was using it to entertain the Emperor, they would be furious. But who cares? As long as our Concubine Zhao is favored, we won't have to be so cautious and live in fear."
"Yes, let's hurry."
The two maids spoke as they moved away. Yun Xiao's mind suddenly conjured a bold and cunning idea. This was perfect; heaven favors the determined. This was truly a great opportunity. She waved her hand decisively, "Let's go, follow them."
Wanwan and Xiuxiu had also overheard the conversation of the two young maids and wished they would leave sooner. Who would have thought their mistress wanted to follow them? The Emperor was with Concubine Zhao; why would she go there?
However, they dared not say more. Their mistress always had her own plans.
The two palace maids and two eunuchs followed their mistress with trepidation and pale faces, but their mistress was the opposite, her face beaming, as if she had accomplished something great, brimming with energy.
The two young palace maids in front chattered as they wound their way through the palace, and Yun Xiao followed them from a distance. They were completely unguarded. Wanwan gritted her teeth in annoyance, thinking, "What fools!"
Concubine Zhao did not reside in the Zhaoyang Palace or Jiaofang Palace with the other favored consorts and noble ladies. Instead, she lived in a side hall of Zhongde Palace. Two of the four Consort positions were still vacant, so Zhongde Palace had no primary occupant. Concubine Zhao, having been ostracized, was relegated to this place.
Living in a side hall, she harbored ambitions of ascending to one of the four Consort positions.
An accidental encounter with the Emperor in the garden, like a gentle flowing beauty, stirred the Emperor's heart.
The Emperor then entered the side hall of Zhongde Palace...
Yun Xiao watched the two maids go in, pacing anxiously, her mind racing for an idea. Finally, she headed straight for the back of Zhongde Palace and found a tall, dense tree. Her eyes lit up, and she became interested, preparing to climb it.
How could Wanwan and Xiuxiu let her? They colluded with the two young eunuchs and held her by the waist.
"Your Highness, please don't! The Emperor is inside!"
Although they weren't particularly intelligent, they had gathered enough from Prince Lin's visit to trouble their mistress to guess that the Emperor must be suspicious of their mistress. If their mistress provoked him now, wouldn't she be asking for trouble?
Yun Xiao turned her head, her smile as radiant as peach blossoms. The maids and eunuchs breathed a sigh of relief, but the next moment, the woman's expression changed instantly, her face clouded over, and she spoke in a chilling voice.
"How dare you, you lowly servants, stop your mistress from doing as she pleases."
"Your slaves (servants) dare not," the four immediately kowtowed. The person standing by the tree instantly leaped up and, like a nimble monkey, scrambled up the tree. A burst of laughter came from the middle of the tree.
Wanwan and Xiuxiu knew they had been tricked by their mistress. Helplessly, they looked up. They saw their mistress, with a few agile moves, reach the top of the large tree, overlooking the courtyard within the high wall. Her face was filled with astonishment, then amusement.
This made the people below restless, wondering what was happening inside.
Within the ornate bedchamber, the scene was passionate.
Yun Xiao poked her head out from the large tree, watching with great interest. Her cherry-like lips made sounds of wonder.
"I've seen the TV version, but never the real-life version. It's truly a feast for the eyes, a passionate and fiery live performance."
A cool voice brushed past her cheek, "Do you want to get a little closer?"
Sparks immediately flashed in Yun Xiao's eyes. She leaned closer to admire. "That would be wonderful," she couldn't help but agree. She finally had a feast for her eyes, a free viewing of His Great and Noble Majesty the Emperor's live performance, and at close range too.
Moreover, from this distance, it wasn't clear at all, only two white mounds were visible.