Zhuang Luoyan chose to walk to a quiet place, primarily to avoid other concubines, but she did not expect to encounter one there—especially not a familiar face.
Since Consort Yuan was demoted to Lin Pin, she had voluntarily requested a month of house arrest. Zhuang Luoyan did not expect to run into her here. Lin Zhiqi, now demoted, no longer carried the noble air she once had. She wore a simple gauze dress, and even her gaze seemed dry and vacant, as though her demotion had drained all her vitality.
Zhuang Luoyan had heard that when Consort Rou, Lin Qingyin, first entered the palace, she had been just a low-ranking lady-in-waiting, while Lin Zhiqi had already been a second-rank Zhaoyi. But because Lin Qingyin shared the same surname as her and had caught the Emperor’s favor, Lin Zhiqi had not spared her any trouble.
Now that Lin Zhiqi had been demoted, Lin Qingyin was now Consort Rou. Zhuang Luoyan couldn’t help but wonder if the roles had been reversed back then.
“Greetings, Consort Lin,” Zhuang Luoyan said, smiling gently, but to Lin Zhiqi’s eyes, it was nothing but a mocking smile from a higher position.
“How can I compare to you, Zhaoyi?” Lin Zhiqi said flatly, performing half a curtsy. When Zhuang Luoyan politely stepped aside, Lin Zhiqi’s lips curled in a sarcastic smile. In the palace, who didn’t have graceful manners? But behind closed doors, which woman’s actions were ever without shame?
“I heard the Emperor is very fond of you, and you’ve received many gifts—headpieces and jewelry. It seems you’re the most favored in the harem,” Lin Zhiqi remarked, the mocking smile on her face deepening as she spoke of being the Emperor’s favorite. After all, she had once been the one who enjoyed such favor, only to see her position and favor fade. Now, not even her title could be kept, and she wondered what others thought when they saw her downfall.
“Being the most favored in the harem?” Zhuang Luoyan smiled, but she dared not embrace such a title. She had seen the fates of the women who had been called “the most favored” before, and few had good outcomes. Zhuang Luoyan believed she still had some years to enjoy in the palace, and this title was not for her.
Lin Zhiqi glanced at her indifferently, noticing that Zhuang Luoyan didn’t seem at all pleased by the mention of being the Emperor’s favorite. She grew more wary of Zhuang Luoyan. Such a woman, who showed no emotion in her face, was the most dangerous in the harem. Who had told her that Zhuang Luoyan lacked wit?
The Empress, Consort Shuguifei, Consort Ning, Consort Xian, or even the demoted Consort Ronghua, Ye Shuyi? Lin Zhiqi bitterly smiled. Others saw the rivalry between the Lin and Zhuang families in the court, but with a little provocation, they went after Zhuang Luoyan. Who lacks intelligence?
“Most favored in the harem…” Lin Zhiqi laughed tiredly, her voice weary. “Who is more favored, and who isn’t? Many women have basked in glory, but how many truly retain it until the end?”
Zhuang Luoyan noticed that Lin Zhiqi’s expression seemed off. It wasn’t hatred or unease, but rather a sense of resignation, as if she had lost hope. Her features, though somewhat weathered, were still quite beautiful, except her skin lacked the tender youth of younger women.
“Today you smile. Tomorrow, when others smile, you’ll never know what will happen to you,” Lin Zhiqi suddenly lifted her head to meet Zhuang Luoyan’s eyes. “I lost, and I have no regrets. Can you keep smiling while you win?”
Zhuang Luoyan met her gaze, silent.
Lin Zhiqi scoffed and looked away, pointing to a patch of flowers and plants. “A month ago, I remember the peonies were blooming beautifully there. Now, the balsams are in bloom. Who can say which flower is better?”
Looking at the balsams, Zhuang Luoyan tilted her head and smiled faintly, still silent.
“I’ll be watching you,” Lin Zhiqi suddenly leaned close to Zhuang Luoyan, her eyes tired but tinged with a touch of bitterness and madness. “I want to see you go from being the most favored to reaching my point. Maybe… you’ll be even more pitiful than I am.” With that, she laughed softly and was helped away by a palace maid.
Zhuang Luoyan looked back at her retreating figure and raised an eyebrow. Perhaps she should tell Lin Zhiqi that she never compared herself to flowers.
Even if a woman is like a flower, she blooms for her beauty, not to care about how others compare her. Loving oneself more, when the flowers fade, there will be fewer regrets, wouldn’t that be better?
Just as Zhuang Luoyan was about to leave, she heard a faint sound behind her. Turning around, she saw someone she hadn’t spoken to in a long time—Zhuang Wanqing.
“Sister,” Zhuang Luoyan lowered her eyelids, seeming like a respectful younger sister.
“Zhaoyi,” Zhuang Wanqing said coldly, performing a curtsy. “Just now, I saw Consort Lin pass by with a smile on her face. Did you have a pleasant conversation with her?”
Everyone in the harem knew that Lin Zhiqi and Zhuang Luoyan didn’t get along. Zhuang Wanqing’s words seemed more like a veiled taunt.
“I’ve heard that you and Consort Lin have had pleasant conversations several times,” Zhuang Luoyan replied, knowing that Zhuang Wanqing had also been troubled by Lin Zhiqi when she was still Consort Yuan. Now that Lin Zhiqi had been demoted, Zhuang Wanqing’s feelings were unclear.
Zhuang Wanqing didn’t expect Zhuang Luoyan to respond this way. After a brief pause, her expression darkened. “Why do you have to mock me?”
“Didn’t you just say that?” Zhuang Luoyan smiled. “Did you forget?”
“I don’t want to fight with you,” Zhuang Wanqing said with a bitter smile. “Since I was young, I’ve never been valued at home. When I was sent to the palace, my mother was only then given some attention. Yes, I’m a concubine-born daughter, and my looks can’t compare to yours. Since you entered the palace, my mother’s life in the household has only become more difficult.”
“I used to hate you,” Zhuang Wanqing said, her expression sorrowful as though recalling something painful. “I hated that despite your beauty, your character was difficult and troublesome, making things difficult for me at every turn. But now, with my mother gone, there’s nothing left for me to fight for. Even though our relationship has never been good, in the end, we are both daughters of the Zhuang family. Life in the palace is too hard, and I no longer want to face the schemes and struggles alone.”
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Luoyan raised her head and carefully observed Zhuang Wanqing. When she saw that Zhuang Wanqing did not seem uncomfortable under her gaze, she smiled and said, “What you said isn’t true. As sisters, we should support each other.”
“Since you think so, I feel relieved,” Zhuang Wanqing said, a faint, barely noticeable smile appearing on her face. Then, lowering her voice, she added, “You should be careful of Consort Shuyi and Consort Ning.” After a glance around, she hurriedly left.
“Master, this…” Yunxi, the maidservant who had been brought out of the Zhuang residence, understood the complicated relationship between the legitimate and illegitimate daughters of the Zhuang family. Now, seeing Zhuang Jieyu act this way, she wondered if it was a gesture of goodwill or something else.
“She just said a lot of things, but in reality, she said nothing,” Zhuang Luoyan said indifferently with a faint smile. “I don’t believe Zhuang Wanqing is truly offering goodwill. If she were, she wouldn’t be so calm about it. Besides, which woman in the harem doesn’t need to be cautious, especially Consort Shuyi and Consort Ning, who are favored by the Emperor?”
Zhuang Wanqing, as a mere junior consort in the palace, had unstable foundations. Even if she attached herself to a higher-ranked consort, she was still just a pawn. Whether her goodwill had an ulterior motive or not, Zhuang Luoyan wouldn’t take it too seriously.
“So, what should we do?” Yunxi whispered.
“What should we do?” Zhuang Luoyan leaned down and picked a balsam flower. “What’s wrong with chatting casually when we run into each other as sisters?”
Yunxi widened her eyes slightly. Was her master implying that today’s events should be ignored, that Zhuang Jieyu’s gesture of goodwill wasn’t worth paying attention to?
“Let’s go. I’m tired,” Zhuang Luoyan said. She didn’t want to form any alliances with Zhuang Wanqing. Moreover, Zhuang Wanqing was just another foolish consort who had fallen for the Emperor’s charm.
In this world, the most dangerous allies weren’t those who were incompetent; they were the ones who wore a sheep’s disguise but carried a knife behind their back. Zhuang Wanqing could never truly cooperate with her, and she didn’t trust the so-called sisterhood in the harem. Such “sisterhood” was as unreliable as business friendships.
“Your Majesty,” Gao Dezhong said softly, seeing the Emperor engrossed in reviewing memorials. “A eunuch from the Imperial Inner Court requests an audience.”
“Let him in,” Emperor Fengjin said, not looking up from his papers. When he raised his head, the eunuch entered, holding a tray with his head bowed. He casually glanced at the tray and reached for the plaque of Tao Yu Pavilion. “Just call for Consort Zhaoyi.”
The eunuch withdrew silently, and Gao Dezhong followed, instructing another eunuch to deliver the Emperor’s order to Tao Yu Pavilion. Last night, the Emperor had stayed at Tao Yu Pavilion, and today he had summoned Consort Zhaoyi again, which was indeed rare.
“Your Majesty,” He Yu said, walking up to the Empress, “I heard that the Emperor has summoned Consort Zhaoyi again today.”
“Didn’t the Emperor just summon Consort Yanguifei to Linyue Pavilion last night?” the Empress said as she set down the Buddhist scriptures she had been reading, her tone neutral. “Consort Zhaoyi is a charming woman. It’s normal for the Emperor to visit her a couple of times. After all, she’s not the most favored among the consorts, so I don’t need to be unsettled by it. I wouldn’t want to make the Emperor unhappy for nothing.”
He Yu knew from the Empress’s expression that she wasn’t bothered by the Emperor’s actions, so she quietly withdrew.
The Empress continued reading the scriptures, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her lips. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the Buddhist teachings or something else that caused her to smile.
The Emperor didn’t visit Tao Yu Pavilion often, but each time he did, it felt different. Consort Zhaoyi might not be as talented as the other consorts, but spending time with her was very relaxed. Sometimes, he wondered if someone who cared about another would prioritize them above all else, so being with Consort Zhaoyi made him feel at ease.
The carriage stopped outside Tao Yu Pavilion, and as the curtain was lifted, he saw a figure in white, kneeling gracefully under the moonlight. Her black hair was pinned with a single jade hairpin, exuding both laziness and allure.
“My love, please rise,” the Emperor said, approaching. The familiar cool fragrance in the air immediately calmed his restless heart.
The two of them entered the pavilion together, where the ice blocks inside kept the room from feeling too warm. The Emperor sat by the window, pulling Zhuang Luoyan onto his lap. “I remember that you and Zhuang Jieyu are sisters, right?”
“Your Majesty, with all the important matters you have to deal with, I’m surprised you remember such small things about me,” Zhuang Luoyan said, trying to mask her admiration but making sure the Emperor could notice. “Yes, we are half-sisters, but we didn’t grow up together. I spent very little time with her. When we were young, she was more mature, and my father often used her as a model for me. I didn’t understand back then and had some conflicts with her. Looking back now, I regret it.”
The Emperor didn’t seem to mind and casually said, “It’s normal for half-siblings not to be close.”
Zhuang Luoyan lowered her head, a shy smile on her face, but she didn’t say anything further.
She understood the Emperor’s point. As an Emperor, he didn’t want the women in his harem to form factions. Moreover, since he was born as a legitimate son, he had seen how the power of favored consorts could make life difficult for others. It was no surprise that he said this. Of course, whether there were hidden meanings in his words, she couldn’t be sure. But one thing was certain—she couldn’t get too close to Zhuang Wanqing. After all, Zhuang Wanqing had spoken to her earlier, and now the Emperor brought it up. Was it a coincidence or a warning?
The Emperor, seeing her shy demeanor, waved for the others in the room to leave and then lifted Zhuang Luoyan in his arms, heading toward the bed.
The poetic lines “A figure like a moon by the stove, with wrists that shimmer like frosty snow” seemed insufficient to describe the woman beneath him. As he touched her smooth skin, he was satisfied and rolled over, breathing in her faint fragrance. “My love, your skin is like soft plantain, smooth as cream, your neck like a delicate worm, your teeth like a rhinoceros horn, your brow like a moth’s wings, and your smile… irresistible!”
Zhuang Luoyan pretended to be shy, burying her head in his chest. In her heart, she couldn’t help but feel that no matter the type of man, they all had sweet words for the woman in their bed.
A wise and virtuous ruler, yet here he was, playfully reciting poetry. It seemed the Emperor had his flaws too.
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1