Chapter 387 Yearning and Ambition
In the corridor outside the hall, Liu Qing pursed her lips and stood bored in the shadow by the door, her eyes wandering, not knowing what she was thinking about.
A second-class palace maid named Xingzhi moved quietly to her side and gently tugged at her sleeve.
"Aqing, my legs are sore from standing. I don't have anything to do right now. Do you want to go to the bathroom?"
Liu Qing was feeling that standing in the corner was boring. Upon hearing this, she glanced at her brother who was standing solemnly with his hands lowered, his eyes on his nose and his nose on his mind.
Seeing that he didn't stop her, she nodded and followed Xingzhi to the secluded bathroom.
After entering the small toilet compartment, Xingzhi closed the door.
After making sure that there was no one else inside, he lowered his voice and asked with great concern:
"Ah Qing, does the back of your head still hurt? I heard you fall down with that loud thud just now. It was scary to hear."
When Liu Qing heard her mention this, she felt aggrieved again and rubbed the back of her head and muttered:
"So what if it hurts? The one who bumped into me was Sister Qingmei, one of the Empress's most trusted head maids. Can I still argue with her or hit her back?"
Xingzhi leaned closer, her tone filled with a sigh of sympathy.
"Ah, who says it's not true? We, the second-class palace maids, are just runners in the eyes of our masters. How can we compare to the first-class favorites around the Empress? Even if we suffer losses and are insulted, we have to swallow our anger and endure it."
She changed the subject, somewhat puzzled, "But you... you're different! How well does the Empress treat you? She's even closer to you than to the other palace maids! The Empress often rewards you with gifts and allows you to serve the young prince closely. Who in the palace wouldn't appreciate this favor? I think, in the Empress's heart, your status isn't necessarily lower than Qingmei's! Maybe... it's even higher!"
She paused, then lowered her voice a bit. "Besides, your brother is the chief steward of Wan'an. So, why should you bear this humiliation in vain? If it were me, I wouldn't be able to swallow this."
When Liu Qing heard this, a strange light flashed in her eyes.
Yes, the Queen is good to Qingmei, but she is also particularly kind to me.
Moreover, the Queen owes the Liu family five lives...Does she owe Qingmei this?
Thinking of this, a feeling of unwillingness and resentment surged in my heart.
Why should she let Qingmei fall to the ground for nothing and make a fool of herself in front of so many people?
Qingmei even stepped on her!
Xingzhi sighed, leaned close to Liu Qing's ear, and confided a more "secret" palace secret:
"My dear sister, you entered the palace late, so there are some things you don't know yet, right? Do you know that Qingmei and Qingzhu are both 25 years old this year? Why aren't they on the list of those leaving the palace?"
She deliberately kept the secret a secret before speaking mysteriously, "I heard... because they were both already the emperor's women! How could they be allowed to leave the palace and marry again?"
Liu Qing suddenly looked up, her eyes widened, and her face was full of disbelief.
"How...how is this possible? The Emperor dotes on the Empress so much, favoring her exclusively in the Pepper Chamber and forcing all the concubines out of the six palaces. How could the Emperor possibly...favor the maidservant beside the Empress?"
Xingzhi poked her forehead with an expression that said, "You are too naive."
"You! How can you be so stupid? The emperor is the true dragon emperor, ruling the world, how could he have only one woman? Besides..."
Two blushes appeared on her face and her voice became ambiguous.
"The Emperor is in his prime, full of vigor and vitality, and that kind of thing... well, I heard the demand is huge! Our Empress is ethereal and beautiful, so naturally she is constantly favored. But think about it, the Empress gave birth to five little princes in a row, and carried them for ten months. How much time did that add up? Could the Emperor, at his age, really have endured it forever? I guess, when the Empress was pregnant, she must have offered her most trusted childhood sweetheart to the Emperor to consolidate her favor and prevent him from being seduced by other seductresses. Otherwise, where would Qingmei get the confidence to walk with such a breeze, even bumping into you and acting like nothing happened?"
Liu Qing's heart started pounding when she heard this. This explanation seemed... to make sense?
She fell into deep thought, muttering, "Then... since they are favored by the Emperor, why are they still serving as maids beside the Empress? They can't even win the lowest status of a concubine or a concubine?"
Xingzhi curled her lips, her tone full of disdain.
"Don't you understand? It must be that their skills are not enough! They can't compete for the favor of our queen. Or maybe... the queen has some leverage over me? Who knows. Anyway, if I win the emperor's favor..."
Her eyes were wandering, with a hint of longing and ambition.
"I'm sure I won't be as useless as those two..."
Xingzhi rambled on and on, but Liu Qing couldn't help but recall the scene she had witnessed beneath the Bixi Palace wall on the night the Emperor returned to the capital.
The tall and handsome emperor pressed the empress tightly against the palace wall covered with vines.
His profile was clearly defined in the moonlight, filled with obsession and intense love. He held the Empress tightly in his arms, and eagerly kissed her lips and neck...
The scene was filled with a blushing aggression and possessiveness, yet it was impossible to look away.
At that time, she thought that since the queen could be so favored by the emperor, she must be the happiest and most enviable woman in the world.
I don’t know what she was thinking about, but Liu Qing’s face suddenly turned red, and even her ears felt hot.
She suddenly came to her senses and realized what she was thinking. She was immediately embarrassed and pushed Xingzhi away in panic.
"Hurry... stop talking! We've been out for too long, let's go back!"
After saying that, she hurriedly opened the door of the bathroom and walked out with unsteady steps, her heart still pounding.
Xingzhi followed closely behind.
…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
