Chapter 127

Feng Yaoguang sat on his horse, looking up at the azure sky, and subtly curled his lips. This little girl sure knows how to talk. Even her flattery is so smooth that it doesn’t come off as sycophantic.

Yan Donghuang neither agreed nor disagreed.

The carriage started moving slowly, gradually picking up speed, and soon arrived outside the Crown Princess’s residence.

Yan Donghuang got off the carriage and entered the residence with Feng Yaoguang. Madam Cui came to report, “Your Highness, Miss Qi is in the residence and has been waiting for a while.”

Yan Donghuang walked towards the residence. “Did she say why?”

“Miss Qi didn’t say.”

Yan Donghuang instructed, “Take her to the Qingluan Courtyard.”

“Yes.”

Yan Donghuang arrived at the Qingluan Courtyard and had just sat down when Qi Fangfei arrived. “Greetings, Crown Princess.”

“No need for formalities,” Yan Donghuang gestured, “Sit.”

Qi Fangfei shook her head. “I won’t sit. Yesterday, Princess Jinyang sent an invitation, asking me to visit her residence today to admire the flowers. I don’t know how to respond and seek your guidance.”

Yan Donghuang’s expression remained unchanged. “Respond as you see fit. Whether you become a companion reader or a lady-in-waiting in the future, you will have to interact with nobles and officials and deal with both praise and criticism.”

Qi Fangfei was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I understand. I will take my leave.”

“Ziying, accompany Miss Qi to Princess Jinyang’s residence tomorrow,” Yan Donghuang instructed. “No poison, but use any other means necessary to protect her.”

Yuan Ziying was delighted and quickly bowed. “Yes, I have never attended a flower-viewing banquet at a noble’s residence. It should be lively.”

Yan Donghuang lowered her eyes and took a sip of tea.

As a future lady-in-waiting, Qi Fangfei needed the courage to face everything. This was the path she chose, to be fearless and undaunted.

Having chosen Qi Fangfei, Yan Donghuang naturally had the responsibility to protect her. This was the duty of a future ruler. Giving them the opportunity to challenge societal norms while also providing strong and unwavering support would inspire more women to bravely choose the path of a lady-in-waiting despite its thorns.

…

Princess Jinyang and the eldest prince, Yan Zhang, were born to the same mother. She was six years older than Yan Donghuang and the oldest princess in the royal family, now twenty-five years old. Married for seven years, she had two sons and a daughter and had a harmonious relationship with her husband, making her one of the few happy royal family members. However, whether prince or princess, few could stay out of the struggle for the throne.

After the crown prince was deposed, Yan Zhang, as the emperor’s eldest son and the son of the noble consort, was considered the most likely candidate for the heir.

Unexpectedly, Yan Donghuang emerged and took the position. If it were just a competition among princes, even if Yan Ming had become the heir with Yan Donghuang’s help, Princess Jinyang might have accepted it without much resentment. However, with Yan Donghuang as the heir, it was hard for her to accept. Why could a princess defeat the princes and take the high position?

They were taught from a young age that men were superior to women.

Women were praised for being gentle and virtuous. Yet Yan Donghuang, as a woman, competed for the throne. How could Princess Jinyang reconcile this?

Knowing she couldn’t compete for the throne herself, she wanted her brother to take it. They shared the same mother and their interests aligned. Her invitation to Qi Fangfei was to win over the future lady-in-waiting of the future empress.

After entering the residence, Qi Fangfei and Yuan Ziying were led to the Meixiang Courtyard, which was separated from the plum garden by a wall. Every year in December and January, the fragrance of wintersweet flowers filled the courtyard.

Princess Jinyang sat alone in the Meixiang Courtyard. When Qi Fangfei arrived, she was admiring a painting of a thousand-mile landscape.

“Princess, Miss Qi is here.”

Princess Jinyang looked up and smiled gently at Qi Fangfei. “Miss Qi, please sit. Ah Xiang, serve tea to Miss Qi.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Princess Jinyang.” Qi Fangfei performed a proper bow before sitting on the stool brought by the maid.

“I invited you today to admire the flowers and to discuss something important,” Princess Jinyang said with a meaningful look. “I heard you are responsible for selecting a companion reader for the Crown Princess. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Princess Jinyang,” Qi Fangfei said humbly. “As a subject, I must follow the Crown Princess’s orders.”

“Qi Fangfei, since I invited you, I will speak frankly,” Princess Jinyang said seriously. “You were originally betrothed to Prince Jing. Now, with your duties for Yan Donghuang, marriage seems unlikely in the next few years. Have you considered canceling the engagement?”

Qi Fangfei lowered her eyes. “This is a matter between Prince Jing and me, and no decision has been made yet.”

“Prince Jing has been demoted and is out of the succession race, but other princes still have a chance,” Princess Jinyang said, her eyes narrowing. “If you wish, I can ensure that the position of empress will be yours.”

Qi Fangfei remained silent, wanting to say she wasn’t interested in being empress. The emperor had many concubines, and the empress was just one among them. Confined within the palace walls, unable to see the outside world, what was the point of being empress?

The empress had more power than other women, but it was limited to the harem and had no influence over state affairs. Even the empress’s position wasn’t secure.

Qi Fangfei never desired the position of empress. But Princess Jinyang didn’t see it that way. She believed no woman could refuse the position of empress. She smiled faintly. “You don’t need to answer me now. You can continue as a lady-in-waiting, but remember, if Prince Chen ascends the throne, the position of empress will be yours.”

Chapter 128

Qi Fangfei understood her meaning. Not only did she want to win her over, but she also wanted her to continue working for the Crown Princess, using the power she would build in the future to pave the way for Prince Yan Zhang—all for a verbal promise of becoming the Empress.

For a moment, she couldn’t describe her feelings. Perhaps everyone thought the temptation of becoming the Empress was irresistible, and she would surely agree to her terms. Or maybe Princess Jinyang still believed that the Crown Princess ascending the throne was an unattainable dream or that she still harbored great hope for Yan Zhang to become the Emperor.

But Qi Fangfei wanted to tell her that Yan Zhang or Yan Ming could not give her what she pursued; only Yan Donghuang could fulfill it.

For this reason only, no matter how tempting the conditions offered by others were, she would not be moved.

Qi Fangfei was silent for a moment. “The Crown Princess is already the heir and has the Emperor’s support. She holds military power, and the seven generals of the Qingluan Army are loyal to her. What confidence does Prince Yan have to compete with her?”

Princess Jinyang thought she was tempted and smiled arrogantly. “Yan Donghuang has military power, but doesn’t Prince Yan also have it? Miss Qi, don’t forget that King Wuyang, who guards the southern border, is our uncle.”

Qifang Fei frowned slightly.

King Wuyang guarded the southern border against the Southern Lings. The Qingluan Army fought on the battlefield for years against the Northern Liang. And the Southern Lings and Yong Dynasty had not fought for nearly ten years. King Wuyang had been guarding the border for years and could not return to the capital without an imperial decree.

From Princess Jinyang’s words, it seemed she intended to involve King Wuyang in the fight for the throne?

“A vassal king entering the capital without an imperial decree is considered rebellion,” Qi Fangfei reminded her. “Princess Jinyang should know that vassal kings cannot participate in the fight for the throne.”

“So what?” Princess Jinyang snorted coldly. “Yan Donghuang, as a woman, can be made the heir against the rules. Why can’t King Wuyang participate in the fight for the throne? There’s no such logic in the world.”

Unfortunately, the world’s logic was not made for King Wuyang alone. Moreover, Qi Fangfei knew that Princess Jinyang’s mindset would only lead to Yan Zhang’s downfall.

“Miss Qi, think it over.” Princess Jinyang stood up. “Today, I also invited Lady Zhixuan from Prince Rong’s mansion and Miss Ruan Shu from the Minister of Personnel’s mansion. Miss Qi, let’s go enjoy the flowers and have some tea.”

Princess Jinyang told her that Prince Rong and the Minister of Personnel were Yan Zhang’s people. With the addition of King Wuyang, Prince Yan was not without leverage. And his leverage was not small.

Qi Fangfei said nothing, stood up, and walked out of the warm pavilion with her. Yan Zhixuan and Ruan Shu were admiring the plum blossoms in the garden. Both were dressed exquisitely and luxuriously, one in a light pink satin fox fur cloak, the other in a royal blue brocade fur-lined cape.

Their maids followed behind them, strolling leisurely in the cold plum garden. From a distance, the delicate and bright colors contrasted with the blooming plum blossoms, creating a unique scene.

“Zhixuan,” Princess Jinyang called out.

Yan Zhixuan and Ruan Shu turned their heads at the sound, then walked over and bowed to Princess Jinyang along with their maids.

“No need for formalities,” Princess Jinyang smiled. “Miss Qi is here. You can chat together.”

Yan Zhixuan looked up, her gaze falling on Qi Fangfei’s face, her tone full of naked sarcasm. “Should we bow to Miss Qi?”

Qi Fangfei was about to bow but paused at her words, her expression humble and steady. “Princess is joking. It is I who should bow to the princess.”

With that, she gracefully bowed.

“How dare I?” Yan Zhixuan said sarcastically. “Miss Qi was once the fiancée of Prince Jing. Shouldn’t I respectfully call you sister-in-law? Although the marriage didn’t happen, you unexpectedly gained the favor of the Crown Princess and were given an important position. In the future, you might be more prestigious than being a princess consort. How dare I act superior in front of you?”

Princess Jinyang lightly scolded, “Zhixuan, don’t be rude to Miss Qi.”

“Princess is mistaken,” Ruan Shu corrected seriously. “Even the highest-ranking female official is still a subject and must bow to the royal family. Miss Qi is wise and should know how to choose.”

“I see,” Yan Zhixuan’s sarcastic expression changed, and she took Qi Fangfei’s hand. “Don’t take my words to heart, Miss Qi. Ruan Shu is right. No matter how high a female official rises, she is still a subject. How can she compare to an Empress? Don’t you agree, Fangfei?”

Qi Fangfei withdrew her hand and nodded humbly. “Princess is right.”

Indeed, a female official does not have the prestige of an Empress. She did not refute this point. Although she wanted to tell them that an Empress and a female official could not be compared because there were female officials only because there was a female Emperor. If Yan Donghuang ascended the throne, Qi Fangfei would be the female official before the Emperor. No matter how high she rose, as long as she was loyal to the Emperor, she would not need to deal with the harem—even if the harem was full of beauties, they would all be men, and there would be a difference between men and women.

Being the Empress?
Impossible.

If Yan Zhang became the Emperor, there would be no female officials in the court, and she would not even have the chance to experience whether being a female official was prestigious. As for whether she could become the Empress in the end… she didn’t want to know and wasn’t interested.

Yan Zhixuan thought Qi Fangfei’s response meant she agreed to their overtures and exchanged a satisfied look with Princess Jinyang. Then, she warmly took Qi Fangfei’s hand and walked around the garden, making various promises.

Meanwhile, Yuan Ziying, disguised as a maid following Qi Fangfei, was ignored entirely, as if she didn’t exist. She couldn’t help but wonder if Princess Jinyang wasn’t worried about being overheard?

Well, there wasn’t even a wall to overhear through.

She idly admired the plum blossoms in the garden, suddenly feeling that the capital’s waters weren’t that deep. These noble girls seemed quite simple, daring to openly discuss the fight for the throne without any pretense, straightforward and honest, which was truly admirable. Did they still think that making the Grand Princess the heir was a joke?
…
When Qi Fangfei left, it was almost noon. She politely declined Princess Jinyang’s invitation to stay for lunch. After sitting in the carriage, she looked up and met Yuan Ziying’s curious eyes, smiling. “Miss Yuan, do you have something to say?”

Yuan Ziying sat down, resting her chin on her hand. “Are all the girls in the capital this simple?”

Qifang Fei paused and nodded slowly. “Indeed, quite simple.”

Three girls discussing the future of the throne seemed to make the court’s factional struggles and conspiracies among princes and ministers seem like jokes.

Qi Fangfei spoke gently. “Miss Yuan, have you just arrived in the capital?”

Yuan Ziying nodded. “Yes.”

Qi Fangfei sincerely said, “You will meet all kinds of people in the future. There are many smart people and some foolish ones. Don’t take Princess Jinyang and the princess of the Prince of Rong’s mansion as the standard.”

Yuan Ziying responded, “So, Miss Qi means they are in the foolish category?”

Qi Fangfei denied, “I didn’t say that.”

“Oh.” Yuan Ziying frowned. “Should I report today’s conversation to the Crown Princess?”

Qifang Fei was silent for a moment, raising an eyebrow slightly. “If I say not to tell, will you really not tell?”

Yuan Ziying thought for a moment and slowly shook her head. “I am the Crown Princess’s person.”

Princess Jinyang was so rude. The Crown Princess had just decided to reuse Miss Qi, yet she openly tried to win her over. It was truly disrespectful.

Qifang Fei’s expression remained calm as if she had expected this.