Bai Sheng didn't know how to comfort Consort Mei. After some thought, she said, "Your Highness, I shall speak some impertinent words, and I beg Your Highness's forgiveness. Actually, we women all have our own pursuits and life values; we don't necessarily have to depend on men.
Life is short. If you meet a lover worth spending a lifetime with, then cherish the time together, sharing meals and seasons. If you meet someone unsuitable, consider it a life experience, and then redirect all your energy to yourself, focus on yourself, love yourself, find ways to bring yourself joy, and achieve yourself.
For us women, men are merely a garnish, not an essential item."
Upon hearing Bai Sheng's words, Consort Mei's eyes brightened, and she felt her state of mind open up even more. "Your words are quite novel, and I like them very much."
Bai Sheng smiled sheepishly. "These are just some of my less mature thoughts. In fact, Your Highness has always been practicing this, just without realizing it. Living in this secluded place, practicing swordplay in leisure, savoring delicacies, drinking tea, and playing chess – life is peaceful, leisurely, and carefree. Is this not a life fit for an immortal?"
Consort Mei chuckled. "Little Sheng, if you have time in the future, come to the palace more often to talk with me. Your 'immature thoughts' are so comforting to hear, making me realize that I am such a carefree person!"
"Thank you for your approval, Your Highness. If I have time, I will certainly visit Your Highness more often in the palace," Bai Sheng said with a smile, her eyes narrowed. "Your Highness, you said your face was due to a backlash from Gu cultivation. Do you also use Gu?"
Consort Mei nodded. "Not very profound, just a bit of the surface."
It was no wonder Prince Yu also knew Gu cultivation, Bai Sheng mused. She wondered if facial disfigurement from Gu backlash could be treated.
"Your Highness, can a backlash from Gu cultivation not be healed?"
Consort Mei shook her head. "Gu cultivation is a mysterious metaphysics within the Dao of Heaven, originating from **Zhuyou**, born from willpower. This intangible willpower can only be balanced by the Dao of Heaven. A backlash is a result of this balance. What ordinary mortal can reverse the balance of the Dao of Heaven? Little Sheng, you also understand witchcraft, don't you?"
Bai Sheng smiled sheepishly. "I've only just started learning, and I only know a little. I was wondering if Your Highness's face could be healed."
"It is very difficult to heal," Consort Mei shook her head. She looked at Bai Sheng and earnestly cautioned, "Gu cultivation should be used with caution, especially when dealing with those of great evil. Furthermore, you should only use Gu to retaliate if the other party initiates malicious intent first, otherwise, it is easy to suffer backlash. Little Sheng, you must be cautious."
"Yes, my master also instructed me. Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will be cautious," Bai Sheng said gratefully. The Scorpion Gu King within her had been conserving its strength, she estimated it had become a lazy scorpion.
"Alright, let's not talk about my face anymore. It's already like this. I have completely let go of that person long ago. I will live my life happily from now on," Consort Mei said with a shrug, appearing indifferent.
Bai Sheng also smiled. "It's best if it can be healed, but if not, it won't affect Your Highness's charm."
"Hehe, Little Sheng is right!" Consort Mei bowed and smiled, patting Bai Sheng's hand. "Since you've come, please stay for lunch today."
"Yes, thank you, Consort Mei," Bai Sheng said respectfully.
After lunch, Bai Sheng and Consort Mei agreed on a method to exchange messages before being escorted out of the palace by Eunuch Zhu.
Consort Mei said to Ziqiu, "Prepare yourself. Tomorrow, I will go out of the palace to offer incense at the Imperial Awakening Temple and pray for the prosperity of our Great Xia and favorable weather."
"Your Highness is going to the temple to offer incense?" Ziqiu thought the sun had risen from the west.
"Precisely. Go and make the arrangements. Let the entire harem, including His Majesty, know that I am going to the Imperial Awakening Temple to burn incense and worship Buddha," Consort Mei said with a knowing smile.
Ziqiu responded with "Yes" and got up to prepare.
Her master never engaged in vegetarianism or Buddhist worship and always acted with discretion. Now, her master was going to offer incense and worship Buddha, and so publicly. Ziqiu speculated that her master was planning something.
Alas, she felt a little expectant!
The next day, as dawn broke, Consort Mei's carriage appeared at the palace gate, followed by more than ten guards for escort.
The Imperial Awakening Temple was a royal temple, located in the western suburbs of the capital. It took an hour to reach it.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Awakening Temple, Consort Mei, dressed in a fitted outfit, offered incense and bowed to various Buddhas and gods without much piety. Then, she and Ziqiu and Eunuch Zhu freely wandered through the temple, going wherever the crowds were.
After inexplicably touring around like this, they immediately returned to the city. Once in the city, Consort Mei said she wanted to listen to opera at a tea house, so they went to the tea house for a while. The dozen or so guards waited below the tea house.
Ziqiu was perplexed by her master's bizarre behavior. Her master was particularly uncharacteristic today. Was this… her planning something?
She glanced at Zhu Hou. Seeing his calm demeanor, she suppressed her doubts.
After returning to the imperial palace, Consort Mei did not delay and hurried to the Emperor's Xuanzheng Hall. She was stopped by the imperial guards at the steps before the hall.
Since Consort Mei had not set foot in Xuanzheng Hall for many years, and she possessed martial arts and was always bold and reckless, the imperial guards were naturally a bit nervous when she approached angrily.
Fortunately, one of the guards was an elder who recognized Consort Mei. Otherwise, these teenage guards might not have even seen Consort Mei before.
"Quickly inform His Majesty that I have something to request an audience for!" Consort Mei's voice was sharp.
Two imperial guards exchanged glances. One of them respectfully said, "Consort Mei, please wait a moment. This subordinate will inform His Majesty immediately."
"Alright, I will wait!"
After a long while, the guard who went to inform returned and bowed to Consort Mei. "His Majesty summons Consort Mei to enter the hall."
Consort Mei immediately lifted her foot and strode up the steps. Her gait was not that of a graceful concubine but more like a triumphant female general returning from the battlefield.
The two guards exchanged glances and secretly sighed. The guard who had gone to inform recalled the Emperor's surprised expression just now and felt like laughing.
At that moment, the Emperor was reading official documents and was so startled that he leaped from his dragon throne. "What did you say? Consort Mei wants to see… see me?"
After the guard replied "Yes," the Emperor's expression instantly changed like wind and clouds. He was stunned for a while before vaguely decreeing, "Summon—Consort Mei to enter the hall!"
It could be said that in the harem, Consort Mei was currently the most unfavored. After all, Consort Mei was disfigured, losing her greatest asset as a favored concubine. She had lived in Yong'an Palace for over ten years, and the Emperor had never summoned her.
However, if one were to ask who in the harem feared the Emperor the least, dared to provoke the Emperor, talked back to him, and made him furious yet was still not killed by him, it could only be Consort Mei.
In short, Consort Mei's relationship with the Emperor was extremely peculiar, so peculiar that the other concubines in the harem both looked down on Consort Mei and were incredibly jealous of her.