The Tyrant's Beloved Empress

34

When women gather, there is bound to be bickering, especially when it involves ladies from the Imperial harem.

Although he did not want to partake in this charade, he couldn't let himself be trampled over. He trod carefully with each word and pretended not to understand whenever it became unwise to argue. With the Grand Princess guarding by his side, he had managed to get by safely.

The Empress Dowager was getting too old to deal with these petty scuffles. After giving out the New Year gifts, she retreated back to her palace. The people in the hall continued to chatter while waiting for the Emperor's party to return.

An Chang Qing stepped out of the hall and exhaled a mouthful of heavy air. He was really not fond of having to deal with the snakes in the grass.

From afar, he saw that Taizi-fei was approaching with her entourage and his goosebumps began to form. Pretending not to see her, he turned and walked in the opposite direction. Unexpectedly, he successfully avoided Taizi-fei but crossed paths with the Grand Princess.

Having met up with her, An Chang Qing had no choice but to greet her politely, "Aunty."

The Grand Princess looked at him and smiled, "Why are you hiding from me just like Zhige? Did he teach you that?"

An Chang Qing immediately refuted, "That's not true. Wangye is very respectful of you, and he told me to do the same."

"You have a nimble mind and are a lot more eloquent than Zhige." The Grand Princess looked at him but did not reprove him for his fabricated words.

An Chang Qing smiled and accompanied her by her side.

The two walked to a small pavilion and the Grand Princess beckoned for her maid to leave. She looked at the silent An Chang Qing and contemplated her words. Finally, she sighed and said, "I... I feel bad for Zhige, having lost his mother at such a young age, that's why I've been good to him. You don't have to be cautious with me. I've asked you here only to tell you that if you're ever in trouble, you can come to me."

She smiled bitterly, "Zhige would never come to me for help but you're more tactful than him. What I said to you today, keep it in mind."

"Aunty..." An Chang Qing failed to comprehend as he looked at her. He could tell that her words were sincere but her reason was untenable. The Imperial bloodline had always been ruthless but as the Emperor's sister, she did not need to take sides. No matter which prince ascended the throne, she would not be harmed.

Even if she wanted to curry favor in advance, her choice shouldn't be Xiao Zhige who currently had zero chance of winning.

An Chang Qing pondered thoroughly but he still couldn't figure out her reason.

"When the time comes, you will know." The Grand Princess overcame her moment of weakness and said, "But I do not wish for that day to come."

She turned and looked into the distance to find that the Emperor's carriage was heading back.

"They have returned. You should go."

An Chang Qing bowed and bid her goodbye. Before leaving, he looked at her but only found that he could no longer read her expression.

...

Praying and offering tribute to the heavens and ancestors were complicated rituals. By the time it was over and the group could leave the Palace, it was already way past noon.

An Chang Qing spotted Xiao Zhige from a distance and smiled at him. As he came closer, he saw that his forehead was sweating and asked, "Are you tired?"