Although the previous dynasty was being hypocritical, things were still going well on the surface.
The emperor, as the grandfather, bestowed many gifts upon Huo Xiaolong and Lan Tingche, which made things less peaceful in the harem.
"He Yi, what are you doing here?"
Amidst the flowers, a woman with several pink hairpins tucked in her hair blocked the way of a group of people. She pointed at He Yi and finally managed to utter a sentence.
This was the palace's back garden, and it was just as Cen Ang was showing Chunying and He Yi around that this person suddenly appeared, which was rather disappointing.
Today, He Yi was dressed in a sky-blue silk dress that just covered her feet. Her hair was styled in a lily-shaped bun. Because of the light color of her clothes and the fact that she had been applying many elixirs and ointments to her face over the years, she looked like a young woman in her twenties.
Especially when she stood among the flowers, with the stray hairs at her temples swaying in the wind, her bright eyes and white teeth made her seem as lively as she had been back in the mansion.
"Who is it? Do you know her, little sister?" Cen Ang asked from the side.
"I recognize it."
He Yi whispered in Long'er's godmother's ear.
She then slowly stepped forward, her eyes scanning the woman in front of her from top to bottom in a way that made people uncomfortable.
"It really has been a long time, sister."
"Consort Qing, if you wish to catch up with Madam He, you may accompany me to the Empress's residence. I cannot delay my duties," the young eunuch interjected.
He knew all too well what kind of person Consort Qing was; she had neither brains nor beauty.
"How...how could she possibly come to the palace to see the Empress!?"
The woman pointed at He Yi, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes immediately appeared on her face. In their forties, they had all aged.
But on what grounds?
He Yi doesn't seem to have changed much?
Just like when she was a young girl, despite living such a life in the mansion, she still tried her best to save herself and get herself out of the cage.
"Madam He is the biological mother of the Prince of Zhenbei, and is a titled Lady bestowed by the Emperor. The Prince of Zhenbei has just arrived in the capital to report on his duties. What do you think?"
He Yi smiled when she heard this. She knew her elder sister's petty scheming too well. She probably had a lot of trouble getting into the palace. Now that she had been made a Noble Lady, she must be relying on a powerful patron. Otherwise, with her brains, she wouldn't last more than a year in the palace.
But she insisted on provoking her.
Especially when the young eunuch said that she was a second-rank imperial consort, He Yi deliberately showed off the jade pendant at her waist. The jade pendant was emerald green all over and looked priceless. In addition, the clothes she was wearing were embroidered with the best silk from Jiangnan.
He Qing didn't say anything more, then withdrew her hand, steadied herself, and followed the group with the maid's hand.
"I haven't seen my sister for many years, and she has become much more mature and composed."
Only the maidservant next to Consort Qing knew how much it hurt when her hand was being poked by her mistress.
"I never expected that my sister, who eloped with someone back then, would be able to return to the capital. It has indeed been many years since we last met. You must have suffered a lot," Consort Qing said with a forced smile.
He Yi smiled upon hearing this, and then said
"I still have to thank you, sister. If you and my stepmother hadn't refused to give me a way out back then, I wouldn't be a second-rank noblewoman today."
"you!……"
The woman gradually approached He Qing, then whispered in her ear.
"You must send a message to Father, tell him that I have returned, as has my stepmother. If I have the chance, I will definitely go back to pay my respects to the two elders."
For some reason, after hearing these words, He Qing gradually walked behind, her hands trembling uncontrollably, and she pulled the little maidservant along...
"Back to the palace! Back to the palace!"
She had to write home to tell her parents that He Yi had returned, and that this bitch wouldn't let them get away with it.
The woman's gaze was fierce, but the trembling in her hands seemed out of place with her eyes.
He Yi turned around, smiled at He Qing who was fleeing in panic, and then went to Fengyi Palace with the little eunuch.
"Long live the Empress!"
At that time, few of the concubines in the harem knew Cen Ang. Coincidentally, the current empress was one of them.
The woman stood there, just as she had always, attracting everyone's attention.
She was somewhat unsure how to speak to Cen Ang with the air of someone in a superior position, so she simply smiled, raised her hand, and said...
"Rise."
Beside the Empress sat a woman adorned with jewels and jade, dressed entirely in gold, even her armor was made of gold. Her arrogant demeanor was exactly like Xiao Lanyi's.
"Where is the Prince of Zhenbei?" Xiao Lanhua asked.
"Long'er has been summoned by the Emperor to the Imperial Study to report on his duties."
“This is our Imperial Noble Consort, Xiao Lanhua.”
The women stood up and bowed to her again.
May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace.
"No need for formalities. Has my sister-in-law arrived yet?"
“I’ve arrived. I’m currently helping General Xiao tidy up the marshal’s residence. I’ll come to pay my respects to Your Majesty tomorrow,” Cen Ang replied hastily.
Xiao Lanhua nodded; she was getting a little anxious.
I wonder if my brother has suffered any new injuries, and what about my little nephew? He must be a very handsome child.
"I just heard from a servant that Madam He and Consort Qing are sisters?"
Cen Ang had never met He Qing. While Aunt Cen was wielding great power in the palace, the little girl was probably still vying for hairpins in the He family mansion.
"Yes, she is my elder sister."
"but……"
He Yi didn't continue, she just shook her head.
She already had a bad relationship with her elder sister, and anyone could find out that the Vice Minister of Rites had a deceased illegitimate daughter in his household, so there was no need to hide it.
So what if she eloped with Huo Shuwen?
Going back a bit, her husband is now a third-rank general.
Later, her daughter became the Prince of Zhenbei.
She herself owns half of the shops in the border town.
The Empress wisely refrained from asking. The woman's face was pale, and she looked very weak, especially her lips, which were chapped and dry, a condition that even rouge couldn't conceal.
"Is Her Majesty the Empress feeling unwell?"
The current empress is the daughter of the Minister of Rites, and her name is Wei Shuyi.
Shedding the golden robes of her predecessors, her black hair now streaked with gray, she gazes towards the eastern fence.
Her delicate eyebrows resembled distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn water, and her pale face showed only signs of fatigue.
The woman shook her head and said...
"It's nothing, it's an old problem."
She could not remove the golden robes of her predecessors, nor could she escape the four-sided world that her family had designed for her.
What's the point of living a life like this, whether you're alive or not?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
