Chapter 43

43 Seemed evil, just because she’s a villainess Part III

“And these...”

“Answering Your Majesty, they are my third and fourth sister.”

“Then you can relax.” After she was satisfied with how long she made them stand, she let them sit down.

Bai Yu thought that this might be the lightest ‘lesson’ that Empress Dowager Wei could give.

“You are...”

“Answering Your Majesty, my name is Bai Hua.” She answered respectfully, even though inside she was irritated by Empress Dowager Wei’s action.

“So it was you who treated the villager.”

“Answering Your Majesty, yes, it was me.”

“Come closer.”

.....

Bai Hua stood up and walked toward the Empress Dowager before kneeling down in front of her. Her face was slightly lowered, just as Bai Yu had taught her.

Empress Dowager Wei took Bai Hua’s chin to lift her face up. The nail guards on her ring finger and little finger that were popular among the inner court women slightly pressed down on Bai Hua’s neck. The commanding eyes of the great phoenix met the peach blossom ones that remained calm.

“You are pretty...” The elder of the inner court said with a voice that gave Bai Yu goosebumps.

Was this truly the same woman who warmly held her hands?

“Do you know what pretty flowers are for?”

“Answering Your Majesty, I do not know.” Bai Hua gazed down. Even the most resolute heart, when faced with the great phoenix who had prevailed countless winters, would still lose. A person had to go through many hardships in order to have that same gaze.

“Aijia will show you.” Empress Dowager Wei let go of Bai Hua’s face. Then, Lin mama came to support her to walk out of the palace.

Bai Yu glanced at Bai Hua who was sitting still on the floor, before turning to follow the mistress of the palace to the famed royal garden.

Because numerous consorts and concubines were living in the palace, this garden had to be exquisitely trimmed and decorated. Even now during winter, where there was a layer of snow everywhere, the garden was as magnificent as ever with the plum blossoms blooming its red petals amidst the cold among other kinds of flowers that could endure the weather.

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Empress Dowager Wei guided them through the garden by herself. Bai Yu was walking beside her, reflecting how she was the most favorite, while Bai Hua and Bai Yue quietly followed.

“Yu-er, which flower do you think is the most beautiful?” the Empress Dowager asked after they had been strolling in silence for a while.

“It is, of course, the sage of winter or the plum blossoms, Your Majesty.” She could immediately answer even without looking at the garden.

“As expected of you.” Empress Dowager lovingly smiled toward her before turning to Bai Hua.

“What about you?”

“Answering Your Majesty, I like the lotus.”

“A good choice. Lotus is pretty, even though it’s born from mud.”

Bai Hua did not express gratitude. She chose to remain silent while keeping her head down to control her manners.

“You, bring that flower to aijia,” the elderly woman said to Bai Yue who had been ignored up until now. Bai Yue followed the order. She went to pluck a pink flower that Bai Yu did not know the name of.

“Aijia brings you here to tell you the meaning of flowers,” Empress Dowager Wei said to Bai Hua in the same tone she had used at the palace. Bai Yu and Bai Yue could only stand aside and watch the climax play out in front of them.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Pretty flowers are for admiring...” She held the flower in her hand, then dropped it to the ground.

“...And when bored, it can be easily destroyed!” The delicate flower was effortlessly crushed under her foot.

Bai Hua’s eyes widened as she stared at the crumpled petals under the Empress Dowager’s shoe. The implied meaning was immediately clear.

Bai Yu calmly observed the reaction of everyone around her. It was not too different from what she expected.

“Aijia’s tired.” That meant she wanted to return to the palace. But when she lifted her foot from what was left of the flower, Empress Dowager Wei stumbled back. Bai Hua immediately went to help support her, but when the Empress Dowager regained her balance again, she jerked away from the well-meaning heroine.

Bai Yu watched the two women who were opposite in age and standpoint. One never had any ill will. The other only sought to destroy. Even when Bai Yu was not wicked, others would be so instead of her.

“Yu-er, help aijia walk back,” Empress Dowager Wei called for another person instead of saying thanks to the one who helped her.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Bai Yu went with the flow. She took the elderly woman’s arm and supported her back to the palace with the help of Lin mama.

Behind them were Bai Yue and Bai Hua who were still standing in the same spot. The plum blossom eyes gazed at the backs that were moving farther away. Bai Yue saw the look on Bai Hua’s face, then decided to stir up her emotions.

“Big sister was just standing, but third sister was the one who went to help. The Empress Dowager was so unfair. Big sister too, always being pretentious, trying to gain favor at every turn. And that thing about the mud...” Bai Yue twisted her lips when Bai Hua did not show any reaction, not even moving a finger. Still, she was already satisfied, so she hurriedly followed her big sister.

Only Bai Hua was left behind. Under the long sleeves, her two hands were balled so tightly that they trembled.

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“Ah! Taizi Fei, look who bengong* sees...” A high-pitched voice sounded at the same time a woman wearing a phoenix crown appeared together with Ouyang Yongxian’s first consort.

“...Blessings to mother.”

“Blessings to grandmother.” Taizi Fei curtsied.

“Blessings from Yu-er to the Empress. Blessings to Taizi Fei.”

Their lips moved to utter sweet words, but no one cared to follow the tradition and curtsy. For Bai Yu, she was supporting the Empress Dowager so she could not bend her knees.

It was unusual for Empress Wang and Taizi Fei who ‘happened’ to be taking a stroll at the royal garden. They intentionally refused to curtsy, only slightly bowing their heads. Such actions reflected the relationship between them.

All throughout the imperial palace knew that Empress Dowager Wei and Empress Wang were balancing each other’s power.

“Did mother come to view the garden too? What a coincidence.”

“Empress must be free from royal affairs to have time for a leisure stroll.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Empress Wang stared at Empress Dowager Wei with a rebellious gaze. The two women who were two pillars of power in the inner court may use polite words, but their eyes betrayed their true intention. They could not tolerate each other’s presence at all!

They were no different from how Taizi Fei looked at Bai Yu with unfriendly eyes. It was of no surprise.

Everyone in the capital knew how much Taizi wanted Bai Yu to become his first consort, and they also knew how Bai Yu firmly refused him. The power of the Bai family and her mother’s family prevented Taizi from forcing her. Furthermore, at that time he desperately needed supports for his position, so the eldest daughter of the general of the east had the chance to become Taizi Fei.

And even after marrying into the east palace and becoming Taizi Fei, this woman still held a grudge against Bai Yu. The reason was that Empress Wang, mother to Taizi, never gave up on the plan to marry Bai Yu into the east palace.

As long as Bai Yu held her position as the combined power between the Bai family and Yue family, both Empress Wang and Empress Dowager Wei would never let her go!

If one day Bai Yu chose to marry into the east palace, it would be impossible for a woman of her status to be the second consort. And so, for Bai Yu to become Taizi Fei when there was already a Taizi Fei, one person had to die to open up the position...This world was cruel like that.

“Bengong has not seen Miss Bai for quite a while. Would you like to take a walk around the garden with bengong?”

Bai Yu suppressed a sigh. Empress Wang already had her daughter-in-law next to her, yet she made an offer. It was surely to harass Empress Dowager Wei and put Bai Yu on the spot. If she simply considered appropriateness, then Bai Yu should refuse the Empress since she originally came with Empress Dowager Wei, and she had to help her back to the palace.

But that offer was made by Empress Wang. A pillar of power in the inner court. The same pillar that supported Taizi as heir apparent.

At the same time, Empress Dowager Wei was the pillar that was opposite to Empress Wang, and her power was tied to Ouyang Mingxian, her most favored grandson who was rising in politics.

It might seem like a trivial matter, but because of Bai Yu’s status, even the smallest action could become a statement of support. And most importantly, her father had yet to choose a side.

Her closeness with Empress Dowager Wei solely came from her mother’s insistence. So now what should Bai Yu, who was stuck in the middle, do?

Wasn’t today supposed to be the ‘Crushing Bai Hua’ day? Why did she have to be in this situation? Why would a walk around the garden cause her such a headache?

Should she just faint?

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*Bengong: A first-person honorific used by the Empress and royal consort titled Fei. It means ‘I, who is the owner of the palace’