I did not know what Qi Sheng and Jiang shi were talking about inside the hall when I suddenly heard Jiang shi raised her volume and squealed: "There is no need for you to care about me anymore. You just take me for dead."
I was a little curious, so I could not help drawing near to the door of the inner hall, bending my palms like a horn over one ear to eavesdrop their conversation. Qi Sheng"s voice was a little low, and I could not hear what he said. After a while, Jiang shi said slowly, "If you don"t cherish the affection, I will give it up. Please leave me alone."
There was a silence falling into the hall, and then I heard Qi Sheng"s footsteps towards outside.
I tiptoed to sneak away, and when I just left the hall, Qi Sheng appeared in front of me. I pretended to enjoy the moon, until Qi Sheng came to my side. And I said with a surprise: "Well, finished?"
Qi Sheng, with a sullen face, did not answer, but sized me up with a slight bow of his head.
I frankly admitted my behavior, "I just heard Jiang shi"s few words, could not even connect them into a sentence. Not any words of yours were heard, so you may rest a.s.sured!"
Qi Sheng just walked away without any replies.
I looked back at the hall, quickly clasped hands and had a slight bow towards the direction of it. Poor Jiang shi, face the truth right now. After I had a solid foundation having the power in my grip, I would keep my words to let Qi Sheng marry you only.
Amida Buddha, G.o.d bless me!
On the conferring ceremony on the 19th of the eighth month in lunar calendar, I wore the Empress" dress, wearing a phoenix crown and bright shawl in Daming Palace. I knelt, paid a formal etiquette to Qi Sheng again and again, and after several times, I didn"t finish the legal process and get my "working certificate" as an Empress until I almost fainted.
Qi Sheng took my hand and led me out of Daming Palace step by step. And then we looked down at the crowd offstage.
In the high voice among the civil and military officials and hundreds of soldiers, for the first time I truly experienced what it felt like to hold exclusive domination of the world. All through a man"s lifetime, the loftiest dream was nothing more than to sleep with the beauties after drunk and reign over the country after awake.
What a f.u.c.king good feeling!
Of course, it would be better if Qi Sheng was not around!
In the evening of the conferring ceremony, the Emperor was supposed to rest at the Empress" Palace. Lv Li was very excited while I was depressed.
Lv Li threw the rose petals into the tub, while saying with eyes brimmed with tears, "You put it up with for so many years and finally get it through. How nice it would be if your grandmother could see the conferring ceremony!"
What? How could Lv Li"s words be heard so weird? It seemed that my grandmother had pa.s.sed away from what she said, however she was hale and hearty!
I glanced at Lv Li, opened my mouth, but swallowed my words.
Lv Li scattered a full basket of petals in my wooden bathtub, however she thought it was not enough, and grabbed another basket from the side, pouring into the bathtub.
I couldn"t bear it anymore. And I talked to Lv Li: "Lv Li, could we stop pouring petals into it? Are you washing me or the petals?"
Lv Li, whose eye circle was not red immediately, stared at me, like a parent looking at the spoiled child, inculcating me: "Your Highness, what a crucial time it is now! How could you have time to joke with me? The Emperor should come in a minute! How could we not make you sweet-smelling after washing? Concubine Li"s skin is white and delicate. How could it be? She soaks herself in the goat"s milk every day! With regard to Concubine Huang"s big b.r.e.a.s.t.s, do you know how much papaya she eats every day? And Concubine Chen.. "
"Enough! Shut up!" I stopped her at once. "Pedals, pedals it is, OK?"
Lv Li was satisfied with what I said. She poured half basket of petals into the bathtub , and then whispered in my ear: "Your Highness, I have prepared some wine for you and the Emperor. When he comes, you can invite him to drink with you."
I was frozen for a minute, and then understood what Lv Li meant. Jesus! Just shut up please. One night romance after drunk was totally enough! I have never heard this trick could be played over and over again!
When she saw that I did not speak anymore, she sent away some maids beside and advised me in an earnest att.i.tude: "Your Highness, I know the Emperor disappointed you before, but only when you give birth to an Emperor"s heir, can you keep the post as the Empress solid! Because of this, Family Zhang have greased Doctor Song"s palm and informed him of it!"
Doctor Song, who was good at gynecology in the Imperial Hospital?
I felt a chill on my back. While thinking that I would have to bear a child for ten months, I felt a pain in my stomach. No, that was impossible! An heir was a must, but that can"t be me to give birth to. No matter who gave birth to the child was acceptable, as long as the child"s mother"s family was humble!
The best result was, Qi Sheng and Jiang shi had a child, who could be at least looked as the fruit of their love.
Qi Sheng came very late. I had been napping in the inner hall for half a day.
Lv Li kept petting me, "Your Highness, wake up! The Emperor is coming!"
A tingle suddenly woke me up. I lifted my eyes only to see that Qi Sheng had put on his daywear and came in from outside the hall in mighty steps.
Lv Li led maids forward to help Qi Sheng change clothes.
Qi Sheng waved his hand and asked Lv Li and other maids to stay outside the hall. His eyes pa.s.sed over the wine pot on the table and he craked a sarcastic smile at the corners of his mouth. He came to me and sat down in front of me, scoffing, "You needn"t pretend to play dumb after drinking wine, I will only sit here for a while and leave."
I was a little stunned at that time. Qi Sheng filled the two gla.s.ses in front of us with wine, drank a gla.s.s first, and kept silence for a while, then started talking to me: "When I was nine years old, I knew I would marry Zhang shi."
What the h.e.l.l! Were we going to have a heart-to-heart talk by drinking? I quickly filled him up with wine again, without saying a word, just quietly waiting for his follow-up.
Qi Sheng looked at me and gave me a mocking smile. "It"s said that it was because someone praised me in the presence of Emperor Cheng, so he handed over the throne to my father. He wanted to transfer the throne to me through the hand of my father. It"s not like that at all."
In the spirit of being a good listener, I opened my eyes widely promptly and asked, "Oh really? What was that?"
Qi Sheng pulled the corner of his mouth, "Zhang shi"s grandfather Zhang Sheng was Emperor Cheng"s favorite general. When Emperor Cheng went out the Palace, dressed like a common people, he often visited Zhang"s residence. At first I just thought it was because of Zhang Sheng was his favorite general, later I knew, he went there every time just because he wanted to meet a particular person."
A guess came into my mind. Jesus! Did Emperor Cheng go to Zhang"s residence to carry on a clandestine love affair? With whom? Was it Yan shi, who was known as a beauty in her youth-hood.
Qi Sheng drank a gla.s.s of wine, cast his sight on me and said, "So, he went there for many times, and finally he met the one. It was a harsh winter. She was throwing s...o...b..a.l.l.s in the garden with Zhang shi, who was then only a five - year - old. Emperor Cheng stood silently watching for a long time until she found him and took Zhang shi to greet him. She said seeing Zhang shi recalled her memory of the time when she was at her age, so she was filled with childishness and played together. She also smiled to invite Lord Ninth and me to play with them. At that time, my temper was wilder than Lord Ninth, and I was also fond of playing so I was already very tempted by her invitation, but Lord Ninth shook his head and said he would accompany Emperor Cheng and refused to play with us."
I was muddled after hearing the story. Qi Sheng had already drunk a lot of wine. When he told the story at this point, he stopped, although the line of his sight was cast on me, it seemed to have been through me, fell in a very far place.
Qi Sheng said with a self-deprecating smile, "From then on, Emperor Cheng obviously treated me differently from other imperial grandsons. He asked me with a smile, how was Zhang shi. I replied the girl was delicate and insolent, who could be a trouble. He was not happy with my answer at that time, saying that Zhang shi was a lovely little girl. Whoever could marry her must be very blessed. After that, every time Emperor Cheng asked me how Zhang shi was, I kept speaking well of her."
I finally understood part of the story, and suddenly felt sympathetic to Qi Sheng. Gaining favors by relying on women was a disgrace to anyone.
Seeing that Qi Sheng was a little drunk, I filled him with wine again and advised him: "What gone is gone, just forget it. Cheers!"
Qi Sheng did not drink wine, struggling to stand up by holding the table and staggering to the hall outside.
I followed behind and hurriedly said to Qi Sheng"s eunuch: "Be quick to hold the Emperor. Send him to the Youlan Hall on the northeast corner, do you get it?"
Qi Sheng turned his head and glanced at me coldly, hurling a few words at the eunuch: "Return to my own bedroom."
Then he walked away without looking back.
I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Lv Li was so remorseful that she couldn"t help preparing to hit the wall, muttering: "I should be blamed for this. What a good opportunity, why drinking wine!"
Considering that she would not be able to really hit the wall for a while, and not to hit to death, and that there was more hard work to do tomorrow, I ignored her and went to bed.
The second day, the rumor that the Emperor and the Empress was in discord widely spread in the harem.
Bathroom Lord came to report to me the summary of the conferring ceremony. I sent all the people away, and squatted down to explain to him that the triangle relationship was the most stable relationship in the world by a few chopsticks.
"You see, if this is Qi Sheng and this is Jiang shi, then this one is me. The three of us make the triangle in the harem, which would be unstable with the loss of any piece. I made a triangle shape with chopsticks and put it in front of him. Then I took two more sticks from my hand and made another triangle by sharing the chopstick representing Qi Sheng.
"This triangle is the relationship in the imperial court, representing Qi Sheng, you, the Lord Ninth, Chu w.a.n.g and Family Zhang. If one is loss, there will be a b.l.o.o.d.y battle."
He looked up at me and asked, "What about Zhao w.a.n.g? Which one represents him?"
I couldn"t help but smacking, "Can we not mention that unlucky dog?"
He just looked at me without a word, whose eyes revealed his insistence.
I had no choice but to add one more chopstick, simulating it on the two triangles on the ground, and saying: "The relationship between the four angles is the most unstable in the world. And Zhao w.a.n.g, who is now the fourth side, whether to place him in the harem or the court, could be the unstable factor. Let"s not talk about him first!"