Pressing Her to Marry? They Picked the Wrong Person

Early the next morning.

All the consorts and concubines came to pay their respects at the empress's palace.

"My sisters, the Mid-Autumn palace banquet is only two days away. Although Noble Consort Gao has shared the work with me, I still feel something may be amiss. Here is the booklet of arrangements. Have a look and see if there is anything else that could make it shine."

Empress Zhang sat in the seat of honor, smiling at the dozens of consorts and concubines below. She was dignified and magnificent, every inch an empress. Di Yunqian's second empress, she had borne the second prince and seventh princess.

The eldest prince, meanwhile, had been born to the late former empress.

Xiuyan, the empress's personal palace maid, distributed the prepared Mid-Autumn booklets to the consorts and concubines below.

Noble Consort Gao, seated first to the empress's left, was strikingly beautiful. She picked up a booklet with her jade-like fingers, her nails painted red, and read it carefully without saying anything.

The banquet was being arranged by the empress and Noble Consort Gao. How would the other consorts and concubines dare offer guidance? They only needed to familiarize themselves with the details so they would make no mistakes when the time came.

After a brief look, Consort Rong, one of the three consorts, spoke. "Your Majesty is too modest. The arrangements are excellent. With Her Noble Consort Highness working alongside you, beauty has been added to beauty. I fear our little cleverness would be of no use."

The others chimed in. "Indeed, the empress has already arranged everything properly. When the time comes, we shall simply follow Your Majesty's instructions."

The empress's smile softened as she listened. "You are too kind, sisters. If you think of any good ideas later, do feel free to tell me. We should all work together to ease His Majesty's worries."

All the consorts and concubines except Noble Consort Gao rose and curtsied.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Somehow, the group began talking about the marriages of the princes and princesses.

Noble Lady Fu said, "Of the princes, the eldest and second have already married, and the fourth prince will soon come of age. I wonder when he plans to take a wife?"

Consort Rong, the fourth prince's birth mother, smiled as she replied, "There is no hurry for him. We shall make arrangements once he has a woman of his own choosing."

"So the fourth prince has a woman he likes?" Noble Lady Fu seemed curious.

Consort Rong shook her head, her smile neither too broad nor too faint. "When a son grows up, his mother can no longer decide for him. I truly don't know whether he does. If you're curious, Noble Lady Fu, shall I ask him for you next time?"

The words were clearly a riposte to Noble Lady Fu's ill intentions. Noble Lady Fu immediately gave an awkward laugh. "Your Highness jests. I was only asking."

From among the crowd, someone suddenly said, "It seems the sixth princess will come of age next year too, won't she?"

"..."

The words brought a sudden chill to the room.

The speaker also realized she had said the wrong thing and promptly shut her mouth.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from outside.

"The sixth princess arrives!"

At the sound, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing as if by unspoken agreement.

The smile on the empress's face also stiffened awkwardly, but she soon put on a perfect smile again and rose to greet her in person.

"Qingyu, you're here."

Di Qingyu wore a magnificent pale-purple palace gown. She had few dangling ornaments or hairpins in her hair, only a brown rattan hairpin. She was still wrapped in a thick fur coat, which made her look even more petite and slender.

"Your daughter pays her respects to Mother Empress."

"Quickly, dispense with the formalities." The empress personally reached out to help Di Qingyu up. Drawing her toward the seat of honor, she frowned and asked with concern, "Why are your hands so cold? Have your attendants not been taking proper care of you? Dongqin, quickly fetch the hot-water bottle I recently acquired for Qingyu."

The palace maid Dongqin said, "Yes."

Di Qingyu smiled faintly and did not refuse. "Thank you, Mother Empress."

The empress pulled Di Qingyu down to sit beside her at the seat of honor. She gazed at Di Qingyu with immense affection, holding her hands to warm them.

"I wanted to ask you here for a chat these past few days, but I was afraid the cold wind and rain on the way would trouble you, so I didn't summon you. The weather is fine today, and you've finally come to sit with me."

"I was feeling unwell a few days ago, and I was thinking of Mother Empress all the while. Now that the weather has improved, I came at once." Di Qingyu smiled and nodded, raising a hand to cover a light cough while unobtrusively withdrawing both hands. She turned to the consorts and concubines in the hall. "I heard quite a lively conversation inside just now. What amusing things were you discussing, Your Highnesses? Qingyu would like to hear them and join in the fun."

Her gaze happened to sweep over a woman at the very end. She had never seen her before, so this was presumably Jieyu Wei, who had joked about her likes and dislikes.

Di Qingyu withdrew her gaze and looked at the others.

The consorts and concubines dared not leave her unanswered. "Sixth Princess, we were only chatting. We came mainly to hear what Her Majesty had to say about the Mid-Autumn palace banquet."

"Yes, yes."

The consorts and concubines dared not mention her marriage, thinking only of avoiding the subject with her.

But unexpectedly-

"Oh, just now I believe I heard someone say that the sixth princess was about to come of age and should get married."

Noble Consort Gao, who had been silent all along, her head lowered as she played with her painted nails, suddenly spoke up.

"..." What was she trying to do?!

The others all wished they could cover her mouth, and each lowered her head like a quail.

Even the empress took a small breath. "Qingyu, they were only..."

The empress wanted to say a few words, but Di Qingyu cut her off.

"Oh? Your Highnesses are so eager to concern yourselves with Qingyu's marriage. Could it be that you've had too much time on your hands lately?"

The smile immediately vanished from her face. She turned to the consorts and concubines below, sweeping her cold, piercing gaze over them one by one, bearing down on them.

"Consort Rong, only a few days ago I saw Fourth Brother kneeling outside Xuanzheng Hall, being punished by Father Emperor over the disaster relief. I couldn't bear it, so I pleaded with Father Emperor, and only then did he get up and return to rest. I wonder, has the disaster relief matter been resolved?"

Consort Rong's expression stiffened slightly, and she went a little pale. She wanted to say something but could find no rebuttal. After all, the matter truly was a slap in the face and a humiliation, and her son owed Di Qingyu a favor.

"Consort Li, I heard Ninth Sister accidentally fell into the water recently and caught a chill. Father Emperor was terribly worried and visited her several times. I wonder how Ninth Sister is doing? Consort Li, you should keep a close eye on Ninth Sister next time..."

Consort Li, who had wanted to imitate Di Qingyu's frailty to win His Majesty's sympathy, stiffened.

"Noble Lady Fu, I went out of the palace for some amusement yesterday. Guess what I saw? Your younger brother was drunk and trying to seize a commoner's daughter in the street. Soldiers came to stop him, and he claimed to be an imperial relative, the emperor's brother-in-law. If I hadn't given him a lash on the spot to sober him up, I'm afraid he would have gone on speaking recklessly. Noble Lady Fu, you really must keep your younger brother in line from now on."

Noble Lady Fu broke out in a cold sweat as she listened. She knew perfectly well what sort of character her brother had. Not only could she not blame Di Qingyu, she had to thank her for knocking the bastard unconscious with that lash, so their father would not be impeached at court.

"Lady Jieyu Meng..."

Di Qingyu named them one by one. Her smiling words sounded like jokes, yet they sent chills through the consorts and concubines. What frightened them was not only how much Di Qingyu knew, but also that she was the daughter of a palace maid. With no mother or maternal clan to bind her, she was alone, and she also enjoyed the emperor's favor.

Although they usually heard bits of gossip, they dared not speak carelessly for fear of making enemies. Di Qingyu, however, was different. She had no ties or worries. Frail as she appeared, she was ruthless by nature, and whoever provoked her would immediately face her verbal retaliation.

And now, with that mouth of hers, she had torn into the entire harem.

After being interrupted, the empress had not said another word. She sat in the seat of honor with lowered eyes, waiting for Di Qingyu to finish. After all, these women had insisted on provoking her. If she could take them down a peg, why should the empress stop her? If she said one word too many, Di Qingyu would spare her no face and settle accounts with her as well.

Hadn't the second prince also benefited from Di Qingyu's kindness just a few days ago, allowing him to return after kneeling outside Xuanzheng Hall for an entire day?

Noble Consort Gao, who had started it all, was utterly delighted to watch Di Qingyu spill everyone's blood without leaving a visible wound. It was just a pity her belly had failed her, and she could not give birth to such a formidable creature.

Only after Di Qingyu had finished berating them did she seem to come to herself. Wearing an easy smile, she said, "Oh, I was merely chatting with Your Highnesses about the amusing things I've seen and heard lately. Since you've shown me such warm concern, how could I fail in the courtesy of responding to each of you? Otherwise, if Father Emperor heard of it, he might say that although I had received your care, I had shown no filial regard."

When she had finished, she raised an embroidered handkerchief to her mouth and coughed softly.

"Cough, cough."

The cough seemed to remind the ladies that if they spoke recklessly about her again, things would not end like this.

"Ah, yes. Sixth Princess, you are filial and clever. We could not be more fond of you. It's enough for you to discuss these matters with us, Princess; they're not important."

"Indeed. The sixth princess is still young, and His Majesty will decide her marriage in due course. We were only asking out of concern and meant nothing by it."

"The sixth princess is truly clever. That girl Wanyue has been thinking of you constantly lately. When you have time, Sixth Princess, do come and visit my palace."

The consorts and concubines knew better than to persist and immediately took the way out she had offered, smiling ingratiatingly. In their hearts, they hated both the person who had brought up Di Qingyu's marriage and Noble Consort Gao.

Di Qingyu nodded with a faint smile. "Yes. Sorry to have troubled you all to worry about me, Your Highnesses."

"All right, Qingyu is in poor health, and it isn't good for her to stay where there are many people. You may withdraw first," the empress said, stepping in to smooth things over.

Without a moment's thought, the consorts immediately rose and took their leave. "Yes, we shall withdraw."

Once the empress had given permission, they left as though their feet had been greased, afraid of provoking Di Qingyu. Noble Consort Gao left as well.

As Jieyu Wei was about to withdraw, she could not resist glancing back at the woman on the raised dais, chatting and laughing at ease with the empress. A trace of worry showed in her eyes.

But she knew this was not the time, so she could only leave.

Di Qingyu happened to raise her eyes and meet hers. Her lips curved slightly, and she turned back to the empress as though nothing had happened.

"Mother Empress, did you have something to say to Qingyu?"