The First Night

In the large Jingyang palace, the Empress strolled around in a list less manner. Head Maid of the Empress, Chun Er was worried to death.

It was the ending of winter but the weather was still cold and it was easy to get sick if one was not careful. This was especially the case of the Empress as her body became weak after giving birth to her only son Dongfang Jinye three years ago. The new year celebrations would start in a month at the end of the winter. If the Empress caught a cold at this moment, she definitely would not be able to recover in a month because of her frail health and would be unable to participate in the new year celebrations. Chun Er opened her mouth and wanted to tell the Empress that they should return, lest the Empress falls sick. But before she could speak, the Empress spoke first.

The Empress said, "I was engaged to the Emperor, who was the Third Prince then, when I was five. I became his first wife when I was fifteen and he was eighteen then. The next year I gave birth to Xianmin. After her birth, I was unable to get pregnant for a long time. Eight years layer, a long time after His Majesty was enthroned, Jinye was born. Every one was happy because of his birth, happy that the empire had a legal heir, happy that His Majesty had a legitimate prince."

Hearing the Empress speak in such a way made Chun Er very worried. It has been such a long time since she heard the Empress address herself as 'I'. In fact, it was the first time. The Empress always addressed herself as 'This Palace' in front of everyone or 'This Concubine' in front of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

The Empress stopped talking for a while and sighed deeply before continuing. "Before Jinye was born, Imperial Consort Shu gave birth to the First Prince, Dongfang Jinrui when His Majesty was still the Third prince, Prince Qingxi of First Rank. Imperial Concubine Ling had the Second Prince, Dongfang Jinzhi right after His Majesty ascended the throne and she also has the Fourth Prince Dongfang Jinlin. The Third Prince prince, Dongfang Jinfeng, was born by Imperial Consort Chun. My Jinye is the Fifth Prince and is only three years old this year. So, for a long time, Xianmin was my only child. She was pampered by me and is very arrogant. I always thought that my daughter will be married to the man she likes and if she doesn't like anyone, then she can be single like Princess Rongxian."

"In my heart, my daughter is the most precious to me. Till today, I always thought that I'm powerful enough to protect my dear ones. Only now did I find out that I'm pathetic. I accompanied His Majesty for twelve years, but I was unable to occupy his heart. I can't compare to Imperial Concubine Ling in beauty nor can I compare to Imperial Consort Shu in dancing. I served the Empress Dowager diligently but she still blackmailed me for her own daughter. On one hand my father is forcing me to help him get rid of the left prime minister and on the other hand the Empress Dowager is forcing me to give up my daughter. For the first time, I realised that in my whole life, there was no one who truly loved me. All of them only care about themselves."

The Empress's eyes flashed with viciousness and hatred, "Since they don't care about me, then they can't blame me for what I'm going to do."

***

"So, you are saying that Imperial Consort Shu and Imperial Concubine Ling are the most favoured in the harem?" asked Jiang Yunyao as she munched on a osmanthus cake enjoying the sweet sour taste in her mouth.

"Yes, Your Highness. Imperial Consort Shu and Imperial Concubine Ling are birth mothers of the First Prince and the Second Prince, Fourth Prince respectfully. Apart from them, there's also Imperial Consort Chun who gave birth to the Third Prince, Noble Consort Jia who is the birth mother of Second Princess, Noble Consort Ke, birth mother of the Third Princess and Imperial Noble Consort Xi, eldest daughter and the daughter to the first wife of the left prime minister. All these imperial consorts followed the Emperor from when he was Prince Qingxi of first rank so they are different from other imperial consorts. As for the Empress, I heard that after she gave birth to the Fifth Prince, her health has been weak and she easily falls ill. So, she has been very careful since and His Majesty rarely spend nights in her palace. The Emperor is also fond of Imperial Concubine Yu, Noble Concubine Dun, Noble Concubine Yong and Noble Lady Liang. There is also an Consort Yuan who is currently carrying an royal child and Imperial Noble Consort Wenxi who is the eldest daughter of the leader of the mangolian tribes." Seeing her master's happy expression, Jiang Yu Heng let out a soft sigh that she had not known she was holding.

Jiang Yu Heng was originally worried that her mistress would be unwilling to fight for the Emperor's favour. For the past three months, she never made any moves towards the Emperor and was only enjoying life in the palace. Finally, the servants could look forward to their future now that she was planning to make a move.

Imperial Consort Shu and Imperial Concubine Ling have a talent for dancing. Imperial Noble Consort Xi has a powerful backing. Imperial Noble Consort Wenxi's father is the leader of Mongolian tribes which is the border between Dong Yue Empire and Long Yuan country. Imperial Consort Chun excels in painting. Consort Yuan is skilled in medicine. Noble Consort Jia is skilled in poetry. Noble Consort Ke has a very beautiful face. Imperial Concubine Yu is a marvelous singer. Noble Concubine Dun is an expert in playing pipa. Noble Concubine Yong is gentle and soft. Noble Lady Liang possessed a pleasant attitude.

Sure enough, the only thing that an Emperor did not lack was beautiful women to serve him!

All the women the Emperor favours are skilled in either this or that. They were unique in their own way. Otherwise they had a powerful background. None of them can be taken easily nor can they be underestimated. All the women in the harem, including the Empress and the Empress Dowager who hold most power in the harem, had some dark secrets which cannot be exposed to the public. No one is innocent in this place.

While the people inside the Cun Shan palace were talking about this, an eunuch from the Emperor's side appeared to inform them that the Emperor chose to spend the night with Noble Lady Hai and asked her to be ready.

When Jiang Yunyao received this notice form the eunuch, she was not very shocked. With her appearance, if she was unable to even attract the Emperor, then it was waste for her to enter the palace. Seeing her servants jumping with joy, she could not help but mutter about how easily satisfied these people were.

The maids hurriedly removed her outer robes, leaving only a thin silk underlayer before guiding her to a bath filled with warm water, infused with fragrant herbs—ginseng for strength, osmanthus for beauty, and rose petals for renewal.

Steam curled in the air as she stepped in, the warmth chasing away the winter chill from her skin.

Afterward, she was wrapped in soft brocade robes before her hair was loosely arranged into a softer style, strands falling like ink against fresh snow. A touch of pearl powder was applied to her cheeks, but nothing too bold—tonight, the Emperor would either remember her or forget her forever.

Finally, she was prepared for the journey to the Emperor's chambers.

Unlike warmer nights, where a consort was carried in a quilt, tonight called for extra precautions.

Wrapped in a heavy fox-fur cloak, embroidered with white plum blossoms, Noble Lady Hai was seated in a small palanquin, carried by eunuchs across the icy stone pathways.

The wind outside was fierce, howling like a restless spirit against the darkened halls. Red palace lanterns flickered, their golden light barely piercing the thick snowfall. Each gust sent powdery flakes swirling into the night, yet inside the palanquin, she remained warm and untouched—a stark contrast to the merciless cold outside.

She wondered if this was an omen.

Was she a delicate flower, protected from the storm… or simply a woman soon to be forgotten, lost in the endless snowdrifts of the harem?

The palanquin lurched to a stop.

Inside the Qian Qing Palace, warmth enveloped her immediately. The heat of burning sandalwood, the soft glow of golden lanterns, and the subtle scent of pine and agarwood in the air—this was the world of the Emperor.

The eunuchs knelt as they unwrapped her fur cloak, revealing her thin silk gown beneath. Though the room was warm, the sudden exposure to the air sent a faint shiver down her spine.

She lowered herself to the ground, pressing her forehead to the cool jade tiles.

"Your Majesty, Your Concubine humbly greets you. May you live for ten thousand years."

Silence.

A single glance from the Emperor could determine her fate.

Finally, he spoke, his voice deep and unreadable.

"Rise," he said at last, his voice deep and slow.

She obeyed, her silk robes whispering against the floor. When she finally met his gaze, the warmth of the chamber seemed to fade away, leaving only the quiet pull of something unspoken between them.

The Emperor's eyes swept over her—her delicate frame, the way the lamplight softened the curve of her cheek, the single loose strand of hair brushing against her shoulder.

"You are cold," he murmured.

A statement, not a question.

Before she could respond, he reached forward.

The fur-lined cloak she had worn still rested on the nearby divan, but instead of calling a maid, he took it himself. Carefully, he draped it over her shoulders, his hands lingering for a brief second longer than necessary.

The touch of fur against her bare collarbone sent a quiet shiver through her, but it was not from the cold.

"Come closer," he said, the command quiet, but firm.

She stepped toward him, her silk slippers soundless on the polished floor. When she was near enough to feel the warmth radiating from his robes, he reached for her hand.

His fingers were warm and strong, a contrast to her own cool touch. He traced a slow circle over the back of her hand, his grip gentle but unyielding.

"You are colder than We thought," he mused.

She smiled slightly, though her heart pounded.

"It is winter, Your Majesty."

His lips curved, but instead of responding, he tugged her forward—closer, until she stood between his knees, until she could feel the heat of his breath against her wrist.

"Then let Us warm you."

He pulled her down gently, guiding her to sit beside him. The heavy furs pooled around them, cocooning them in warmth, shutting out the bitter wind beyond the palace walls.

And for the first time in three months, she was no longer alone.