Amidst the external chaos, Shao Shang remained at ease in the Palace of Eternal Peace. The deep palace walls acted like a sturdy barrier, shielding her from all the rumors, whether well-intentioned or malicious. Zhai Nanny still refused to forgive Huo Bu Yi and enthusiastically reinforced several gates of the palace. Shao Shang kindly informed her that if Huo Bu Yi truly wished to break in, even setting up the Tian Gang Bei Dou Formation paired with the Tathagata’s Divine Palm would be useless.
Zhai Nanny waited in agitation for two or three days, but Huo Bu Yi, occupied with court affairs, never found the time to kick down the gates. Instead, the Governor of Liangzhou finally returned to the Capital City to report on his duties and incidentally share the encouraging progress of land measurement in his jurisdiction.
Empress Yue was overjoyed to hear that Qu Lingjun had also returned.
It was a rather melancholic tale. Qu Lingjun’s mother had been close friends with Empress Yue in their youth, but she passed away too soon. Empress Yue often summoned Qu Lingjun into the palace to look after her. In Shao Shang’s opinion, had the age gap not been an issue, Empress Yue might have even wanted Qu Lingjun as a daughter-in-law (the Third Prince sneezed). Later, she considered the young prince from the family of the Royal Uncle’s deceased elder brother, but Qu Lingjun unexpectedly fell for the Prince of the East Sea, leading to a series of regrettable events.
Shao Shang had heard from Huo Bu Yi that when Qu Lingjun was suspected of murdering her husband, Empress Yue had even confronted the Emperor, bluntly declaring that Liang Shang was a worthless coward and that even if Qu Lingjun had accidentally killed him, the Emperor should not punish her. Fortunately, the truth of the murder case came to light within days, sparing Empress Yue the chance to escalate the argument and saving the Royal Uncle’s beard from further distress.
Now that time had passed and Qu Lingjun had finally found her place, Empress Yue eagerly arranged a welcoming banquet for her.
Shao Shang treated all this as mere gossip until Empress Yue sent someone to invite her to the feast. Having spent so many years in the palace, Shao Shang knew well that while it was fine to occasionally decline the Royal Uncle, it was best to obey Empress Yue the moment she spoke.
On the day of the banquet, Shao Shang timed her arrival perfectly, stepping into the main hall of the Everlasting Autumn Palace just as the feast was about to begin. She immediately found the Third Princess and the Fifth Princess locked in a heated verbal battle, while the surrounding tables of noblewomen watched with amusement.
The Fifth Princess glared, her voice shrill: “...And you still claim it wasn’t intentional neglect? The Empress only bore two daughters—me and the Eldest Princess. Why isn’t the Eldest Princess here today?”
The Third Princess, leaning on her round waist, slowly peeled an orange: “You’ll have to ask Father about that. It was Father who forbade the Eldest Princess from entering the palace. Why confront my mother? You’re just picking on the weak... Oh, and by the way, you were present when Father reprimanded the Eldest Princess. Why ask about it now? So young and already so forgetful—you ought to nourish your brain a little.”
In recent years, it seemed as though Empress Yue’s sharp tongue had awakened in the Third Princess, her words now laced with spice and wit. The Fifth Princess trembled with rage. The Second Princess nudged the Third Princess and whispered, “Must you say so much? Why engage in such quarrels between sisters?”
The Third Princess giggled sweetly: “I didn’t start this. Fifth Sister has been in a foul mood today—first complaining about the seating arrangement, then finding fault with the floral platters. As her elder sister, shouldn’t I enlighten her?”
The Second Princess sighed. She suddenly found herself missing the days when the Third Princess had been too tongue-tied to lift her head under her scolding.The Fifth Princess sneered, "Don’t make it sound so noble. If the Empress truly intended to plead for Eldest Sister, Father would have agreed long ago! When Third Sister was punished by Father, Mother pleaded for her relentlessly. Now, the Empress deliberately refuses to intercede for Eldest Sister—clearly, she harbors jealousy and mistreats children not her own!"
The Marquise of Xuan trembled as she waved her hand. "Fifth Princess, you mustn’t speak so recklessly. His Majesty and Her Majesty have been nothing but generous to us. Last year, on the anniversary of your late grandmother’s passing, His Majesty personally visited the Xuan family to pay respects!"
The Fourth Princess helped steady the Marquise of Xuan and said coolly, "Mother-in-law, don’t mind her. Fifth Sister loves to spout nonsense! Father reduced her fief but bestowed so much wealth upon the Xuan family. If anyone harbors jealousy, I’d say it’s her!"
The Fifth Princess flew into a rage. "Father deposed Mother’s eldest brother without a second thought for their years of marital affection, yet you keep singing praises. No wonder outsiders say Uncle and Aunt have no backbone!"
"Fifth Sister!" Even the gentle-tempered Second Princess darkened her expression, standing up angrily. "How dare you speak ill of Father? This is outright defiance and rebellion! It seems you find life too comfortable!"
The Fifth Princess stood stiff-necked, refusing to yield. Seeing this, Shao Shang quietly slipped along the wall into the hall, finding a seat without drawing attention.
The Third Princess gently coaxed the Second Princess to sit back down. "Oh, my dear Second Sister, why waste your anger on her? You’ll only harm your own health. When ordinary princes or princesses err, they’re either stripped of rank or have their fiefs reduced—at worst, they’re beaten, scolded, or barred from the palace. But Fifth Sister is a daughter. Can Father beat her or strip her rank? She holds no princely title."
The Second Princess sat down, still fuming. The Third Princess continued, "Back then, Father could forbid me from entering the palace for months on end and strip my fief entirely. But out of respect for the Grand Empress Dowager of Huai’an, he could never do the same to Fifth Sister! Especially now, with Eldest Sister just punished, he can’t possibly punish Fifth Sister too! So, Second Sister, now you see—she has nothing to fear. Isn’t that right, Aunt?"
The Marquise of Da Yue said icily, "Third Princess is absolutely correct. Lately, my third brother and his wife fell ill again from anger—all because the Court of Justice came demanding a criminal, a disgrace to our family!"
"What happened?" the Princess Consort of Ruyang asked with a smile.
The Marquise of Da Yue, conscious of her status, remained silent. The Third Princess picked up with a smile, "It was Fifth Sister’s personal horseman-slave who broke the law and killed someone outside, and it was reported!"
"And then?" pressed the Princess Consort of Ruyang.
"What kind of man is Ji Zun of the Court of Justice? Back when Grand Aunt’s servant killed someone, Dong Xuan executed him without a word from Father. Lord Ji couldn’t afford to be outdone, could he? So, that horseman was beheaded as a public example not long ago—oh, you should have seen him! Such a strikingly handsome young man. When they stripped him for execution—tsk tsk—that physique was truly magnificent..."
Most present were married women, and they exchanged knowing glances, chuckling meaningfully at the Fifth Princess. Only the Marquise of Zhongyue, who had brought her young daughter today, covered the girl’s ears while scolding playfully, "Third Princess, your words are too crude! There are young maidens present!"
Shao Shang rubbed her ears. Nowadays, the Third Princess had a habit of steering conversations into risqué territory at the slightest provocation—even she found it hard to bear."Very well, let me say something more refined. Fifth Imperial Sister, as your Third Sister, I advise you not to grieve too much over that horse groom. I heard he bullied men and humiliated women outside, committed murder to seize property, and even took two concubines. Clearly, he didn’t have you in his heart at all." Third Princess tore off a piece of fragrant, dark-red cured meat and leisurely placed it in her mouth.
"You all..." Fifth Princess’s face turned livid with rage. "You fawning sycophants! Seeing the Yue family rise in power, you can’t wait to flatter and curry favor. What do I fear? At worst, it’s just my life. At most, I’ll be confined with Mother in the Palace of Eternal Peace. Even a deluge from the heavens couldn’t extinguish the resentment between us mother and daughter!"
At this point, no one else dared to interject. Third Princess picked up the last piece of cured meat from the plate and said idly, "Don’t try to scare people with such talk. Whether the Grand Empress Dowager of Huai’an resents or not isn’t for you to decide. Shao Shang, tell me—does Consort Xuan resent now?"
All eyes turned toward Shao Shang, who sat in a corner. Fifth Princess’s gaze turned icy. "You—you’re here too!"
By now, Shao Shang was well-versed in such battles and remained unruffled. "The Empress summoned me to attend the banquet."
She then smiled gently at the noblewomen present. "In response to the princesses and ladies, firstly, the Grand Empress Dowager of Huai’an is not confined to the Palace of Eternal Peace. Consort Xuan may enter or leave as she pleases. Over the past five or six years, unless Her Highness was unwell, we’ve traveled outside the palace to the estates several times a year—admiring spring blossoms, winter snowscapes, and escaping the summer heat."
The crowd found her words amusing and burst into laughter.
"Secondly, the Grand Empress Dowager of Huai’an does not resent. Her Highness intends to live a hundred or two hundred years and is far too busy nurturing her health to spare time for resentment." After years of facing malice, Shao Shang had long mastered the art of graceful rebuttals.
Everyone knew the Grand Empress Dowager’s health had been declining, so they smiled approvingly at Shao Shang’s tactful response.
Fifth Princess shrilled, "What sharp words! How dare you speak for my mother! You’re nothing but a low-born climber who curries favor with my mother to flaunt borrowed authority!"
"Fifth Princess, no matter how lowly my birth, I am one who serves your mother, appointed by His Majesty as the Palace Steward of Eternal Peace." Shao Shang remained composed. "I hold an official rank bestowed by the court and enjoy Consort Xuan’s trust. I have no need to flaunt borrowed authority." Her tone was cool, each word deliberate and firm.
The noblewomen thought to themselves, What a formidable young woman.
Fifth Princess, stung into silence, finally spat out, "Your character is vile! You’re unworthy of serving my mother!"
"Wherein is my character vile?" Shao Shang asked.
"You’re fickle and promiscuous, causing such a scandal that it tarnished my mother’s reputation! If you had any shame, you’d leave the palace at once!" Fifth Princess seized the opportunity to attack.
Shao Shang smiled faintly. "First, regarding fickleness. My first broken engagement was to honor the dying wish of the loyal General He. The second was due to Marquis Huo’s misconduct, which I could not condone. Princess, are you suggesting women should never remarry? If remarriage is commonplace, why is changing betrothals worthy of censure?"To put it bluntly, the Marquise of Zhongyue was a widow who remarried, and the Princess Consort of Ruyang had also been previously betrothed before breaking off the engagement and marrying into the Ruyang household. The difference was that others had discreetly handled such matters, while Shao Shang's affairs had become a complete mess—truly unfortunate luck.
"Now, as for being called promiscuous. Although I've been betrothed three times, I've always conducted myself with propriety and never overstepped boundaries. Fifth Princess, wouldn't you agree?" Shao Shang sneered at the Fifth Princess, her gaze blatantly conveying, 'What right does a little harlot like you, who kept a pack of male concubines before marriage, have to judge others?'
The Marquise of Da Yue even let out a cold, mocking laugh in perfect timing. The Fifth Princess, humiliated and enraged, roared, "You wretched little—"
"I think Shao Shang makes a fair point," the Third Princess interjected. "She hasn't done anything wrong. As for why there's such an uproar outside, Fifth Sister, you should take that up with the men out there. What kind of hero bullies women?"
The Fifth Princess, furious, laughed bitterly. "Fine, fine! You’ve all ganged up to humiliate me, mock me, and laugh at my expense! Very well! If you accuse me of impropriety, then I’ll give you something real to talk about—"
"And just what do you intend to do?" A familiar, icy female voice suddenly cut in. The women all rose and knelt in deep reverence.
The Fifth Princess froze for a moment before hurriedly prostrating herself—she wasn’t entirely without sense. Over the years, Empress Yue had reprimanded and disciplined her repeatedly. If not for the recent death of her beloved horseman, she wouldn’t have lost control again.
As the junior palace attendant announced, "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived," Qu Lingjun escorted Empress Yue in with graceful poise.
Empress Yue stood at the center of the hall, her gaze cold and imperious as she stared down at the Fifth Princess. "It seems you’ve grown too comfortable—reverting to your old ways, heedless of consequences!"
"No, no, Your Majesty, they provoked me—" the Fifth Princess hastily defended.
"I caught bits of what was said earlier. Spare me the excuses," Empress Yue said icily. "Your father cares for his reputation, but I have no fear of being called harsh. If you dare exploit His Majesty’s respect for the Grand Empress Dowager of Huai'an to spout nonsense and act without restraint, I’ll ensure you lose even your title as princess!"
The Fifth Princess pressed her forehead to the floor, cold sweat pouring down her back.
Out of the corner of her eye, Shao Shang sneered inwardly at her lack of spine. Had the Fifth Princess stood her ground to the end, she might have earned some grudging respect. But now, it was clear she was nothing but a coward hiding behind bluster.
Empress Yue said, "Lingjun has endured much hardship, and today we gather to celebrate her return. If you cannot find joy in this, there’s no need to force yourself. Go back and reflect."
Clenching her teeth in fury but not daring to defy the Empress, the Fifth Princess left in humiliated rage.
Shao Shang, petty as ever, took great delight in her misfortune. As she rose to return to her seat, she noticed Empress Yue’s gaze flicker toward her, lingering for a fleeting moment.
Her heart skipped a beat—what was that about?
Author's Note: I'll update daily until the end of August. Taking a break this Sunday.
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