Chapter 22:The First Court Session—A Return to Power

The Hall of Eternal Governance was abuzz with tension as Empress Ming stepped into the chamber for her first official court session since her return. The concubines, noble ladies, and high-ranking palace officials were already seated, their gazes sharp with curiosity and anticipation. At the head of the hall sat Empress Quin, her golden phoenix crown glinting under the lantern light.

For years, Empress Quin had ruled this court unchallenged, her authority absolute. But now, the woman she had carefully removed had returned—not as a fallen consort, but as an empress once more.

Draped in celestial white robes embroidered with silver cranes, Empress Ming moved with effortless grace, a quiet confidence radiating from her every step.

The palace women exchanged glances. In contrast to Empress Quin's extravagant attire of deep crimson and gold—symbols of dominance and control—Empress Ming's refined elegance spoke of a different kind of power: one that did not need to be flaunted to be felt.

As she took her seat beside Empress Quin, the chief attendant stepped forward.

"His Majesty has decreed that from today onward, Empress Ming shall once again preside over the affairs of the inner palace."

A pause. Then, the concubines and noblewomen all rose to offer their formal greetings.

"May Your Majesties be blessed with wisdom and prosperity," they intoned, their voices unified. But beneath their deference lay hidden calculations. Would Empress Ming be merely a figurehead, or was she here to reclaim true power?

Empress Quin's lips curved into a practiced smile. "The Empress has been absent for many years. If she requires assistance in understanding palace matters, I will naturally support her."

A gracious offer—on the surface. But in truth, it was a subtle declaration: Empress Ming's absence had left her inexperienced, while Empress Quin had ruled unchallenged.

The court awaited Empress Ming's response.

She did not hesitate.

"Many years have passed, but the foundation of the inner palace remains unchanged." Her voice was calm but carried a quiet steel. "Since His Majesty has bestowed this responsibility upon me, I shall fulfill my duties without burdening Her Majesty further. After all, you have worked tirelessly in my absence—perhaps it is time you take a well-earned rest."

A sharp intake of breath echoed across the chamber.

The words were gentle, yet the meaning was razor-sharp—a direct response to the ginseng gift. Empress Quin was the one who needed rest.

Empress Quin's fingers tensed around her silk sleeve, but she forced out a chuckle. "Then I shall look forward to seeing how my imperial sister manages these affairs."

The exchange was subtle, but the court understood—Empress Ming had not returned as a passive figurehead.

She had come to rule.

The Emperor's Reminiscence

That evening, the Emperor sat alone in his study, an old painting unfurled before him.

It was a portrait from his youth—Empress Ming, painted in the prime of her beauty, standing beneath a plum blossom tree, her eyes filled with quiet warmth.

A soft sigh escaped his lips.

He had once loved her with all the fire of his youth, but politics and ambition had pulled them apart. His advisors had pressed for a more politically advantageous match, leading to Empress Quin's rise in power. And now, after so many years, she had returned—not as a forgotten memory, but as a presence that could not be ignored.

Outside, the soft scent of plum blossoms drifted through the night air.

For the first time in years, he felt a familiar ache—a longing for something he had once lost.

Empress Quin's Fury

Meanwhile, in Jade Harmony Palace, Empress Quin's anger boiled beneath the surface.

Lady Shu knelt beside her, her head bowed. "Your Majesty, Empress Ming's first court session was… well received."

Empress Quin gripped the jade ornament in her hand so tightly that it cracked.

"She dares act as if she never left? As if she still holds favor?" Her voice was cold as ice.

Lady Shu hesitated before speaking. "His Majesty has been… reminiscing about the past. The painting of Empress Ming has been moved back into his study."

The words sent a sharp pulse of rage through Empress Quin.

For years, she had ensured that Empress Ming was nothing more than a shadow in history—her memory buried, her influence erased.

And yet, she had returned.

With calculated precision, she had shattered the illusion that Empress Quin alone ruled the inner palace.

The final insult?

She had won the Emperor's thoughts once more.

Empress Quin's grip tightened, her nails pressing into her palm.

"This is far from over," she murmured, eyes burning with cold fury.

If Empress Ming thought she could reclaim what was lost, she was sorely mistaken.

A Mother's Guilt

Late into the night, in the secluded Hall of Serene Harmony, Empress Ming sat before a dimly lit lantern, her heart weighed down by emotions she had long buried.

Across from her stood Crown Prince Li Feng, her son—the child she had once left behind.

Now a grown man, he carried himself with the dignity befitting an heir to the throne. Yet, beneath his composed exterior, there was a quiet distance in his eyes—a distance that had not been there in his youth.

The silence between them stretched.

Finally, Empress Ming exhaled and lowered herself to a deep bow.

"Feng'er… I owe you an apology."

Li Feng's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Mother, you do not need to—"

"But I do," she interrupted softly, lifting her gaze to meet his. "When I left the palace, I did not just leave behind my position—I left behind my duty as your mother."

Li Feng's jaw tightened, but he did not speak.

She continued, her voice laced with sorrow. "I told myself that I had no choice… that the Emperor's betrayal had left me no place here. But in truth, it was my own heartbreak that blinded me." Her hands trembled slightly as she clenched them in her lap. "I abandoned you, Feng'er. I left you in a palace filled with schemes and whispers. I let you grow up without the protection you deserved—all because I could not bear to face my own pain."

A flicker of emotion passed through Li Feng's usually unreadable expression.

"Do you regret it?" he asked, his voice quiet, yet heavy with meaning.

Empress Ming's breath caught in her throat.

Yes. A thousand times over.

She reached for his hand hesitantly, unsure if he would pull away. When he did not, she grasped it gently, her fingers cold against his warmth.

"I regret many things," she whispered. "But none more than leaving you alone."

For a moment, neither spoke. The sound of the night breeze rustling the curtains filled the quiet space between them.

Finally, Li Feng let out a slow breath.

"I was angry," he admitted. "For years, I could not understand why you left me. I hated that you abandoned me, and yet, I still longed for you to return." His voice was raw, the carefully crafted composure of a crown prince slipping away.

Empress Ming felt her chest tighten.

"But I also understand now," he continued. "This palace… it breaks people. It breaks families. And yet, despite everything, you have returned."

A small, almost hesitant smile touched his lips. "That is enough for me."

Empress Ming closed her eyes briefly, swallowing back the overwhelming emotions threatening to spill.

She reached forward, pulling her son into an embrace—one she should have given him years ago.

"I will not leave you again," she vowed softly.

For the first time in years, Crown Prince Li Feng allowed himself to believe her.

For a long moment, Empress Ming held her son close, feeling the weight of lost time press heavily against her heart. The last time she had embraced him, he had been a boy—too young to understand why his mother had disappeared, yet old enough to feel the wound of her absence.

Now, he was a man. No longer the child who had once reached for her hand, but a crown prince who had learned to stand alone.

She finally pulled back, her hands lingering on his arms as she studied him. He had his father's sharp brows and steady gaze, but the quiet intensity in his eyes… that was her own.

"Feng'er," she said softly, "I cannot change the past. But from this moment on, I will do everything in my power to protect you."

Li Feng's expression was unreadable, but his fingers curled slightly—as if he were grasping onto something unseen.

"You will have to," he said, his voice even, but with an underlying weight to it. "Because the moment you returned, you became a threat."

Empress Ming's eyes flickered with understanding.

The inner palace was not a place for sentimentality. The moment she had stepped back into the court, she had disrupted the carefully built power structure that Empress Quin had controlled for years. And now, she was a target.

But she did not falter.

"Then let them see me as a threat," she said simply. "I will not cower in the shadows anymore. This time, I will fight for what is mine."

Li Feng studied her for a long moment. He had grown up without her protection, had hardened himself against the cruelty of court life, but now… for the first time in years, he saw his mother not as a distant memory, but as an unwavering force.

Finally, he inclined his head. "Then let us fight together."

Their fates had been shaped by betrayal, by lost time and unspoken wounds. But now, in the flickering lantern light, a silent agreement passed between them—

They would not let history repeat itself.

Meanwhile, in Jade Harmony Palace, a porcelain teacup shattered against the floor.

Empress Quin stood rigid, her breathing uneven as she listened to the latest report from her spies.

"She reconciled with the Crown Prince?" she repeated, her voice dangerously low.

Lady Shu, kneeling before her, did not dare to lift her head. "Yes, Your Majesty. The prince met with her privately in the Hall of Serene Harmony. Those who attended them say that… the prince has acknowledged her once more."

The words sent a chill of dread down Empress Quin's spine.

For years, she had ensured that Empress Ming was nothing more than a ghost of the past, a forgotten figure with no influence. She had cultivated the Crown Prince's resentment, allowing him to believe that his mother had abandoned him.

And now, with just a few words, a few gestures, Empress Ming had undone it all.

A slow, burning fury settled in Empress Quin's chest.

"She thinks she can return and take everything from me?" she murmured, her voice sharp as a blade.

She had spent years weaving her power into the court, into the Emperor's heart, into the very foundation of the palace. She would not let Empress Ming waltz back in and steal it from her.

Empress Quin's fingers tightened into a fist.

"Send word to my allies in court," she commanded, her voice cold and decisive. "If Empress Ming wishes to play this game, then I will show her—"

Her gaze darkened.

"—just how cruel I can be."

The battle for power was no longer subtle. The war between empresses had truly begun.