Chapter 19: The Struggle of Women

  From the moment I heard the imperial edict, my heart went cold. Why? Why didn't the imperial edict come a little earlier? If it had, I wouldn't have said what I did about Xuan Yuan's Mu Bai Tang. - Uncle Ha Ha -

  Everyone thought we were already married, but only the two of us knew that it wasn't true. Although we had slept in the same 'bed' before, we didn't have a real husband-and-wife relationship and hadn't even held a wedding ceremony to worship heaven and earth.

  After seeing off his father-in-law, the hall was unusually quiet, with only Xuan Yuan's sound of fanning himself with a folding fan.

  "What's going on here?" Xuan Yuan Qi finally couldn't stand our indifference and broke the silence.

  "In any case, I won't agree, and I absolutely won't let those two 'women' enter the Mu Wang Fu."

  "Do you want to let the Emperor assign a crime of disrespect to you? You've finally come back after ten years, and now you're going to be dealt with so easily over such a simple matter?"

  "What about me and Ling Xue..."

  "Don't drag me into this!" I endured and finally burst out: "Who you want to marry is your business!" I got up and walked out, originally today I had mustered up the courage to speak out, but now something like this happened, I felt so embarrassed.

  "Ling Xue..." Xuanyuan Mu wanted to chase after me, but was held back by Xuanyuan Qi, that half-baked prince.

  "Tomorrow 'flower' sedan will be carried into the Wang's mansion, you'd better think of a solution!"

  "Just let them come, I can't control that much, they want to come and I won't stop them, but if they want me to acknowledge them, there's no way, I only have one wife, Ling Xue!" After finishing speaking, Xuan Yuan Mu chased after me.

  I heard his words and my anger dissipated by half, but then I thought about it, why should I be angry, I'm not even related to him?

  "Snow......" Xuan Yuan Mu grabbed my wrist, looked around and saw no one, then hugged me: "How about we worship heaven and earth tonight, our 'cave' room?"

  I struggled free from his arms and shook my head: "I was just... joking..."

  "You..."

  He wanted to say something, I covered his mouth with my hand: "Don't say anything, the priority is to deal with those hiding in the dark, our things can be postponed, the emperor sent two concubines for no reason, there must be a purpose, we all need to be careful."

  Xuanyuan's eyes were fixed on me, his pupils had also turned yellow, his face was solemn and he said angrily: "You're deceiving me!"

  I don't know what's going on in my mind? Although it's painful, I don't want to admit it. Maybe the insecurity since childhood makes me retreat from his feelings. Sometimes when I see him paying attention to me, I tell myself that he is just using me.

  I don't believe in all emotions, including kinship and love.

  The two side consorts entered the 'door', without a wedding, without fanfare, and the Wang Fu immediately cleaned up two rooms. Not even a maid was prepared, not to mention that I didn't give them any face, there were no personal maids serving by my side, so none were prepared for them either.

  "After all, I've never been a real young lady, look at this room, it's really making me want to vomit, how can it match up to the prince's taste." Yang Qingdai said while touring my room and clicking her tongue.

  I was too lazy to bother with them, and thought of turning around and leaving, but then I remembered that this was my room, why should I leave, so I sat back down.

  "When she was in our house, she wasn't even as good as a servant girl!" Mei Ling Hua's face turned dark and she glared at me fiercely.

  I smiled lightly and said, "What brings you two to find me? If it's just making small talk, I don't have time for that. I still have a lot of things to attend to."

  "We're looking for Third Master Wang, you must know where he went?" Mei Linghua asked me with wide eyes.

  I knew from her eyes that she really liked Xuan Yuan Mu. I heard Xuan Yuan Qi say before, ten years ago, the two of them already knew each other, at that time she was probably only twelve or thirteen years old. Ten years of feelings, for him, she didn't marry, what would it be like? I couldn't imagine.

  "I don't know!" I replied indifferently, with a sour feeling in my heart.

  "I'm telling you, we are the emperor's appointed side consorts, and the emperor is standing behind us. You want to monopolize Xuan Yuan Mu, but there's no 'door'." Yang Qing Dai said with a pout.

  I thought Yang Qing Dai was something special, but after a few sentences I realized she's nothing out of the ordinary.

  "Yes, of course I know, is it Princess Ce?" The implication was clear: even if the emperor himself were to back her up, she would still be just a concubine.

  "You..."

  "Someone's coming!" I shouted loudly in the room, I still didn't believe it, as a proper queen consort, I shouldn't be intimidated by those two, even ghosts don't scare me, what do I have to fear from you?

  "Your Highness!" an old woman outside responded.

  "These two unacknowledged concubines of the late king, relying on imperial favor to bully me, have been locked in their own courtyard by me. Don't let them out unless necessary. If they want to appeal to the emperor for justice, let them go!" I loudly ordered. Who dares to oppress me in my own mansion?

  "You, you... Mei Lingxue, wait for it..." The two side consorts were taken away by the 'attendant' guards.

  An imperial edict arrived, summoning me into the palace to accompany the empress. I was just thinking of going to look for her, but unexpectedly she came looking for me instead.

  The night was dark and deep, Xuan Yuan didn't put his heart at ease, he followed me into the palace because it was an imperial summons from the empress, so he could only wait in the front palace while I entered the back palace alone.

  "Empress Dowager?" In the palace of the Purple Emperor, I saw the emaciated Empress, who had aged and withered greatly in just a few days.

  "How did you get here?" The queen asked in surprise.

  "A pang struck my heart: 'Wasn't it your imperial decree?'"

  Could it be that I've fallen into a trap? I turned around to look at the little Xuan Yuan Zi following behind me, and my heart grew increasingly uneasy.

  "What is the imperial edict that has been issued?" The empress stood up and thought for a moment before saying, "Since that's the case, stay behind and keep me company!"

  I looked at Xuan Yuan Zi on the bed, so thin and pale, her face was as white as if she had no blood.

  "If someone takes him out, there might still be a glimmer of hope."

  The queen heard this and suddenly let out a cold laugh. "We mother and son are destined to die in this deep palace, tonight you stay here, don't say anything, don't ask anything, remember my words, I'm doing it for your own good!"

  The queen suddenly whispered in my ear: "The more you know, the faster you die."

  A flash of fear crossed my heart, the imperial edict was not issued by the Empress Dowager, and the Empress was so cooperative, it must have been issued by the Emperor. But why did the Emperor ask me to come to the palace at this late hour?

  I'm so tired, these past few days because of Little Xuan Yuan Zi's ghost I haven't rested well. Tonight I'll be keeping the Empress company again, she's guarding Xuan Yuan Zi, but I won't be able to sleep either and can only stand guard beside her.

  Xuanyuan Zhi's soul stood there, tugging at my hem and refusing to let go. He seemed very afraid of the palace, not willing to return to his own 'flesh' body at all.