The final two words were held between her teeth and uttered so softly as to be nearly inaudible, yet they immediately drained the color from Consort Shu’s face.
Qin Chang Ge paid her no further attention, only smiled and said: “Let’s return to the main topic. Several days ago, the Palace Affairs Bureau submitted the detailed list of gifts to be bestowed for the Lantern Festival for my review and seal. I must be getting old and muddled—I momentarily forgot the rankings established for princes, princesses, and the imperial harem after His Majesty’s ascension… Oh my… In our Xiliang dynasty, what rank does a Grand Princess hold?”
A Beauty surnamed Yang in the assembly immediately laughed mockingly: “Your Majesty the Consort is so noble that you forget such matters. A Grand Princess holds First Rank.”
Having spoken these words, she still hadn’t realized her error, though some others in the assembly had already begun to frown.
“Oh,” Qin Chang Ge’s eyes sparkled as she said, “Thank you for enlightening me, sister… To be honest, I’ve always been confused about these ranks and imperial decrees. I barely know my own rank.”
Beauty Yang laughed again: “Your Majesty the Consort holds First Rank with supreme imperial favor—that could never be forgotten.”
“Oh.” Qin Chang Ge immediately smiled: “Never to be forgotten? Then I truly don’t understand—why am I standing while you, a mere Fourth Rank Beauty, dare to remain seated?”
Without waiting for the stiffened Beauty Yang to respond, she swept her gaze around and smiled: “What I understand even less is why a dignified First Rank princess, equal in status to the Empress, kneels while you all dare to remain seated?”
“The harem rules of our Xiliang imperial court are truly eye-opening. Just because the Empress Dowager is kind and the Empress merciful, do the consorts no longer know their proper directions—north, south, east, and west?”
All the consorts froze in their chairs. After a long moment, some began to stand with pale faces, and more and more followed suit. Only a few high-ranking consorts like Concubine Yao and Consort Shu continued sitting rigidly, though they squirmed restlessly as if sitting on needle cushions, their expressions showing slight unease.
Emperor Xiao Jue most despised disorder in the harem and domestic unrest, so he governed the consorts very strictly with clear hierarchical distinctions. If he learned of such disrespectful behavior, mild punishment would be confinement while severe punishment could mean demotion in rank.
The Empress Dowager had already shown some anger, but hearing that final statement, she moved her lips slightly and said no more. The Empress turned her head to glance at the Empress Dowager, held back her response, and said in a measured voice: “The Consort speaks truly, but what did you mean by ‘knowing only left, right, west, east, south, and north’?”
“Not knowing up and down!”
The voice accompanied the person’s arrival. The young Emperor, wearing a purple-gold crown and black robes embroidered with golden dragons that gleamed brilliantly, strode through the entrance with an upright bearing and crisp steps. His entire presence carried the sharp, astute energy of one long experienced in battlefields, his movements seeming to stir small whirlwinds.
The sunlight from outside the hall came flooding in with his forceful pushing open of the latticed doors, streaming in so bright and white that people couldn’t open their eyes. Yet even this paled compared to his dazzling, imposing heroic presence.
The consorts fell to their knees in unison with a rustling sound.
Xiao Jue didn’t look at them. His face, handsome as a heavenly deity, bore obsidian-like eyes with compelling brilliance. His long eyebrows slightly furrowed as he first paid respects to the Empress Dowager, ignored the Empress entirely, went directly to help Wen Chang up, personally seated her in a chair, then laughed heartily toward Qin Chang Ge: “You usually can’t be bothered with such matters, yet unexpectedly raised this question today. Well said!”
Qin Chang Ge smiled and performed a light bow. The Empress had already asked with cold laughter: “His Majesty arrives quite early today. Did you come together with the Consort?”
Xiao Jue’s smile vanished as he turned back coldly, staring at the Empress with a gaze like ice shards cutting through air.
The Empress involuntarily fell silent, pressed her lips together, and shrank back. Then, remembering her dignity, she straightened her back. Xiao Jue had already turned his gaze away and said indifferently: “After finishing reviewing memorials in Jingyi Study, I went to the Grand Princess’s palace to celebrate her birthday. Learning she had come to thank the Empress Dowager, I came over as well. Empress, are you satisfied with this answer?”
The Empress’s face paled as she cast a pleading gaze toward the Empress Dowager.
Empress Jiang Zhaowei was originally the Empress Dowager’s niece—the legitimate eldest daughter of the great Jiang family of Huaizuo, daughter of Empress Dowager Jiang’s elder brother.
Initially, when Xiao Jue appeared destined to achieve imperial success, his mother—the former Princess of Huainan, now Empress Dowager Jiang—immediately arranged for him to marry this cousin from her hometown, swearing that the two had been betrothed since childhood and even producing supposed betrothal documents and tokens.
Xiao Jue refused to be manipulated, flying into a rage and refusing to acknowledge this engagement.
Any perceptive person could see this betrothal was problematic. Consider that Xiao Jue was an unfavored concubine-born son who had been expelled from his family—would the Princess Consort ignore her own biological sons to first arrange marriage with a prestigious Jiang family daughter for this rebellious son?
However, the documents were in black and white, both the Jiang and Xiao families spoke with one voice, and the former Yuan dynasty had always promoted governance through ritual propriety and filial piety. “When the ruler demands a minister’s death, when a father commands a son’s death”—both must be received with gratitude. To violate this principle would invite universal condemnation. Xiao Jue’s disobedience to his mother’s command and refusal to marry his cousin made him appear unbenevolent, unfilial, faithless, and unrighteous—a heartless man who abandoned his devoted wife upon achieving wealth and status.
The situation reached an impasse.
Finally, it was Qin Chang Ge—who should have been named Empress—who intervened with gentle persuasion. She pointed out that the new dynasty was about to be established, yet old ministers still clung to the former court. There were also some influential scholars both in and out of government who regarded the Yuan imperial family as legitimate and wrote poems and essays mocking Xiao Jue’s illegitimate seizure of power, calling him a usurper and thief, creating continuous disturbances.
Though Xiao Jue was heroic and godlike on battlefields, he found these eloquent scholars quite troublesome. Qin Chang Ge advised that scholars were creatures who prized reputation above all—if you killed them, they felt they would be remembered through history; if you humiliated them, they believed they would be celebrated for eternity. Touch a single finger to them, and you immediately confirmed charges of cruelty, brutality, disrespect for moral principles, and destroying scholarly talent. These people had sharp tongues and loved catching others’ weaknesses, embellishing stories with flowery prose that could easily lead ignorant common people by the nose. Since he had not yet ascended the throne and popular sentiment remained unsettled, he absolutely could not make things difficult for these people, much less give them grounds for criticism. Otherwise, they would immediately brand the new emperor as cold-hearted and unfilial. Marriage was merely marriage—marry first and be done with it.
This final statement made Xiao Jue’s eyes brighten, so he acquiesced to the marriage. After ascending the throne, he followed Qin Chang Ge’s advice and established her as Empress. Conversely, Qin Chang Ge, who truly had merit, was positioned below her.
Yet worldly affairs rarely allow perfect solutions. Though she had seized the honor of being mother to the nation, she could never again capture her beloved’s heart.
The Empress Dowager received that pleading gaze but pretended not to see it, only sighing inwardly about having no capable family members—no matter how she chose, they remained inadequate.
Xiao Jue had already turned around and coldly smiled at the group of trembling, terrified consorts: “Today I’ve truly witnessed it—the noble daughters of our Xiliang families, each one so well-versed in propriety and understanding of proper boundaries.”
Ignoring the consorts’ pleas for forgiveness, he took Wen Chang with his left hand and Qin Chang Ge with his right, walking toward the exit while saying indifferently: “All of you are confined for three days. Copy Buddhist scriptures to calm your hearts and prevent daily restlessness. After three days, bring your copied scriptures to discuss and study with the Princess.”
Three days later, bringing their punishment-copied Buddhist scriptures to visit the Princess… This was clearly demanding they personally visit to apologize. The consorts turned pale with anger and bit their lips red, yet could only watch helplessly as the Emperor and Imperial Consort walked away in pleasant conversation.
From then on, Wen Chang’s days improved considerably. Though the Empress Dowager and Empress still showed no favor, there was no longer anyone adding insult to injury or making veiled mockery.
She had a reserved and gentle nature, keeping everything in her heart. After that incident, when she encountered Qin Chang Ge, neither mentioned the event, but their gazes were warm and gentle like sunlight, softly brushing past each other.
Then came that bloody, tragic night…
Wen Chang, Wen Chang—three years have passed since your departure. In the depths of night when I toss and turn, have old friends ever entered your dreams?
If not, then let me come myself—would you… be pleased?