As dawn broke in the east, the sky just beginning to lighten, a graceful figure glided from a shimmering, secret realm high above, glowing like moonlight with traces of starlight trailing behind. She descended swiftly into the rear mountains of the imperial palace.
"Qing is back," Mei murmured.
Outside the imperial carriage returning to the palace, Mei, strikingly beautiful and resembling Qing, looked up at the streak of light entering the palace. Though she appeared no older than a woman in her thirties with flawless skin, her heart eased with relief. She knew her daughter was a powerful figure in the cultivation world, but a mother's worry only faded upon seeing Qing safely return.
Eager to share the news of her daughter's safe arrival with Emperor Ren, Mei was stopped by a gentle hand.
It was Jian.
"Empress, His Majesty is weary. Please do not disturb his rest," the chief eunuch said softly.
Mei suppressed her excitement, her gaze lingering on the bright yellow curtains of the imperial carriage. A pang of disappointment and worry stirred within her. The emperor had coughed up blood last night. What was his condition now?
"I shall take my leave," she said quietly, her heart heavy with unspoken concerns.
As she turned to go, a charming voice called out from the carriage, sending a shiver through her. The yellow curtain parted, revealing Yu Fei, dressed in vibrant robes, emerging slowly. Her enchanting face, with its fox-like eyes, bore traces of tears. She curtsied gracefully, carefully drawing the curtain back in place.
Wiping her eyes, Yu Fei instructed the nearby maids and eunuchs, "Prepare hot water and the ceremonial robes for the emperor's ritual. His Majesty is resting. Do not disturb him. And keep your tongues still, or face punishment."
She issued commands with the authority of a palace mistress, arranging every detail meticulously. Only then did she seem to notice Mei standing silently nearby, her expression shifting to one of feigned surprise.
"Greetings, Sister Empress!" Yu Fei said with a smile, offering a half-curtsey. "I didn't see you there. My apologies for not greeting you first. I was so concerned for His Majesty that I overstepped. Please forgive my lapse, Sister. I beg your understanding."
Mei remained silent, her eyes flicking to Jian, who stood impassive, as if the matter didn't concern him.
Realization dawned on Mei. She forced a strained smile, her gentle and refined features barely masking her displeasure. "You've been thorough," she said to Yu Fei.
"Does Sister have business with His Majesty? Care to share with me?" Yu Fei asked, her eyes fixed on Mei's stiff smile, her tone innocent yet probing, as if oblivious to the tension.
Mei's smile vanished. "No need," she replied coolly, her face taking on the same icy demeanor as Qing's. The air grew heavy.
Her noble and aloof aura, born of her destined phoenix fate and scholarly lineage, made both Jian and Yu Fei lower their gazes, not daring to challenge her further. Mei's voice, devoid of warmth, cut through the silence. "Haven't you already arranged everything?"
Yu Fei and Jian froze. The maids and eunuchs around the carriage, who had been silent since Mei's arrival, stood like statues. Their deference was clear, their eyes subtly directed toward the empress.
Yu Fei, sensing the shift, felt a chill. The palace staff's loyalty to Mei was unmistakable, their silence a testament to her authority. Jian, too, averted his eyes under Mei's cold stare.
Mei was no weakling. She was the emperor's lawful wife, daughter of the great Confucian Sheng, mother of Qing and Li, and the true mistress of the palace. As long as she lived, she was the sole empress, the embodiment of imperial dignity and the voice of countless scholars in the court. Even Emperor Ren, though weary of her influence, dared not slight her openly.
"Did you hear Consort Yu Fei's orders?" Mei asked, her voice commanding. The maids and eunuchs, as if suddenly animated, responded in unison, "Yes!"
"Carry them out," she instructed.
Mei gave Yu Fei a final, icy glance, lingering until the consort's charming facade faltered. "They say only new faces bring smiles, while old ones are forgotten," Mei said softly. "I, an aging flower, need not trouble His Majesty further."
Her gaze shifted to Jian, who felt a chill run through him and bowed deeply, avoiding her eyes. Without another word, Mei turned, her long phoenix robe trailing behind her as she departed.
Yu Fei and Jian stood in silence, the weight of Mei's presence lingering.
"What a move! What strength! This is my true rival, my empress sister," Yu Fei muttered, forcing a sweet smile that seemed more like a grimace to Jian. "We have time, don't we?"
"Indeed, my lady," Jian replied, bowing slightly.
But as he glanced at Mei's retreating figure, a flicker of regret stirred within him. Yu Fei, though cunning and ruthless, lacked the grandeur and poise of Mei. Had he chosen the wrong side?
Then a small boy, dressed in a pale red robe, toddled up to Yu Fei, rubbing sleepy eyes. "Mother, I'm tired. When can we go back to the palace?" he mumbled, tugging at her sleeve.
"Soon, my dear," Yu Fei said tenderly, cradling him gently.
The sight solidified Jian's resolve. Mei might command the palace, but she had no son. Yu Fei, with her young prince, held the key to the future. A son could inherit the throne, ensuring Yu Fei's rise. Unless, of course, Mei bore a son of her own, a possibility Jian dared not dwell on.
Meanwhile, as dawn's first light touched the horizon, two figures approached the palace stealthily: a fat man and a delicate girl. Wally, carrying Li in his arms, chuckled nervously as he navigated a hidden path.
"You wretch! Useless servant! Fat fool! It hurts!" Li snapped, her beautiful face twisted in discomfort. Once youthful and innocent, her features now carried a hint of womanly allure, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Nestled in Wally's cushioned embrace, his layers of fat softened the jolts of his steps, but each movement grazed a tender spot, making her wince and bite her lip.
She swung a fist at his fleshy chest. "I'll kill you! It hurts so much! I'll have your entire clan executed!"
"Heh, yes, yes! This servant deserves death! I should be ground to dust!" Wally said, his ugly face breaking into a grin that resembled a laughing Buddha, his tiny eyes nearly disappearing. "I'm guilty, utterly guilty!"
"You're still laughing, you wretch!" Li fumed, pounding harder, but her movements tugged at her sore spot, making her gasp. "Ouch, it hurts."
"Careful, careful!" Wally stopped, his face a mix of worry and guilt. "Princess, don't hurt yourself. I'm the fool who got carried away. Please be gentle."
"Hmph! It's all because of," Li's face flushed as she recalled Wally's thick, pale member, like a parody of his own body. "Because of that disgusting thing of yours!"
"Heh heh heh!" Wally's pride swelled. No business deal, not even millions in profit, compared to hearing Li shyly utter those words.
"You dare laugh!" Li glared, her anger resembling a feisty kitten, far from intimidating.
"Oh, oh!" Wally stifled his laughter, his chubby cheeks puffing out like a toad's, his expression comically strained.
"Hmph!" Li turned her face away, refusing to look at his ridiculous visage.
At the secret alley she used to sneak out, Li wriggled free from Wally's arms. "Put me down, ouch!" Her slender legs buckled, nearly collapsing, but Wally caught her. Seeing her pained yet stubborn expression, his heart ached. Hesitating, he suggested, "Maybe don't go back yet. Come to my place. I have medicine."
"You want to die, fatty?" Li snapped, forcing herself to stand. Her swollen, tender folds throbbed with every step, sore and raw. "If Mother can't find me, it's not just you who'll lose your head. My maids and nurses will too!"
"I," Wally's face twisted, but he relented. "Fine, I'll listen, Princess. But please, don't tell anyone about last night."
Last night? His massive, sweating body atop her delicate frame, their naked forms entwined, moving as one. Their breaths and moans mingled, bodies slick with heat, pressed together on that wide bed, lost in forbidden acts.
"Shut up! You're so annoying!" Li's face burned like a ripe apple. Shaking off the vivid memories, she pouted. "I know, it's our secret. No one can know, not Father, not Mother. Right?"
"Exactly, exactly!" Wally nodded, then shyly pulled out two small bundles of white silk from his robe. "These are my New Year's gift to you, Princess."
Li took them, feeling their softness, smoother than silk, with a delicate, net-like weave, lightweight yet elastic. Unfurling them, her face reddened. They were white stockings.
"You, how dare you give me something so shameless!" she stammered. Though naive about romance, her Confucian lessons had taught her that stockings were scandalous, criticized by scholars as tools of seduction. Rumor had it they were invented by her grandfather, Emperor Ming, in his youth.
"Heh, these aren't ordinary stockings!" Wally boasted. "I spent a fortune on ice spider and spirit silkworm silk, crafted over a year. They're warm in winter, cool in summer, and make your legs look beautiful. Unlike cheap ones, they don't fade or tear easily." He conveniently omitted that they were originally meant for Yu Fei, secretly kept for Li.
"Enough!" Li said, embarrassed but practical. After all, they'd already shared a bed, naked and intimate. Tucking the stockings away, she limped through the alley, ignoring Wally's concerned calls to slow down.