Mei Siyu, don’t blame me, Xia Wan’er, for using you. Blame yourself for being too favored by the Emperor, seriously obstructing my adoptive father’s plans, forcing yourself into danger! The reason I became sworn sisters with you was to use you to achieve my goals. You were too foolish to see through my scheme – otherwise, who would become sworn sisters with such a foolish woman? Making enemies everywhere in the palace, associating with you would only bring disaster!
Xia Wan’er withdrew from her thoughts, looking at Mei Siyu with a big smile of approval, revealing nothing unusual.
[Text: 077 Empress Dowager’s Deliberate Difficulties]
Mei Siyu saw Wan’er’s glance and returned a faint smile. Fortunately, it was poetry, her strongest skill – otherwise, she would have been truly embarrassed!
Everyone was chatting when Consort De, sitting next to the Empress Dowager, softly said with a smile, “Yu’er sister has such talent, her poem even has a masculine spirit. How admirable!”
“Indeed, which master did you study under?” everyone asked eagerly.
“Well, my father hired a teacher, but I’ve forgotten his name,” Mei Siyu hesitated. She had just read many classical texts and loved ancient poetry, essentially self-taught, but she couldn’t admit that.
“Oh, is that so? Cloud’er suddenly wants to play chess. Would sister care to play a match?” Consort De asked.
“What, Yu’er, don’t you know how to play chess?” the Empress Dowager asked, seemingly concerned.
“This… ” Mei Siyu stammered, unable to speak. How could she play chess? This was clearly meant to embarrass her, but she couldn’t directly refuse.
“What, sister doesn’t want to play with me?” Consort De’s words were provocative and infuriating. Seeing her complacent expression, Mei Siyu was furious. Why must they make her look foolish? She decided she wouldn’t back down – she had watched her godfather and sisters play chess before and knew something about it. She felt confident.
“Fine, let’s play,” Mei Siyu said irritably, sitting at the chessboard and rolling up her wide sleeves in an unladylike manner, looking more like she was preparing for a fight.
The empress dowager said beside her: “Yuer, please don’t force her. Yun’er won’t mind, right?”
