“Of course! But you’ll have to make up for the wedding night later!” Feeling exhausted, his eyes grew heavy with sleep. He wrapped his arm around her tightly and drifted off. Good night, my precious princess consort! Dong Fang Che thought to himself.
So easy-going! Princess Consort? No way!!!
In the snow-white illumination, the imperial palace stood like a snow house. Though luxurious, it seemed somewhat cold compared to an ordinary farmhouse. The freshly painted walls occasionally released a fragrant scent, and scattered guards added an air of mystery and solemnity.
From far away, a clear zither sound could be heard, sometimes melancholic, sometimes excited, as if telling a distant lover’s story.
The noble and elegant empress faced the same question. Turning her gaze to the unusually calm Dong Fang Che beside her, her heart was in turmoil.
Sitting by the ancient zither, the empress gracefully strummed its strings. Wearing a golden phoenix robe, her delicate snow-white skin appeared even more radiant under the snow-white jade. With sophisticated makeup and phoenix eyes, despite being over forty, her face still radiated charm.
Seeming to hear approaching footsteps, she raised her proud phoenix eyes, glanced dismissively, then lowered her head, softly playing the zither and muttering a poem with a hint of sarcasm: “Heavenly purple moongrass fragrant wind, lonely wild flowers dark and tragic; Each family has its own strategy, ugly daughter-in-law must bow to her father-in-law.”
What a venomous empress! Before even arriving, she had already delivered a warning. It seemed today’s morning greeting would not go smoothly.
The empress dowager merely declared, “This palace has a fine ancient zither. I wonder if the Queen of Mingqi would be willing to play a piece for me?” She avoided direct conflict with her son, instead aiming to embarrass her.
“Yes! Since the empress dowager has such refined interest today, I naturally should not decline!” Aware of the unfriendly gaze, she recognized this as a ploy to make her lose face. However, she smiled faintly, her jade-like hand gently plucking the silver strings. The melodious sound flowed smoothly, like fish in a river, clouds in the sky—free and graceful.
Ignoring the empress dowager’s surprised expression, she spoke:
“itinerant winds and rains drift vaguely, Matters of love set aside; Court struggles and royal conflicts, Who says the imperial house is without turmoil?
