To Be A Virtuous Wife

93

Because the mourning period had passed, the flowers placed in the Imperial Gardens now red and purple. Han Qing He looked at the beautiful Imperial Garden and thought about when she'd entered the palace as the daughter of a common and good family to become a candidate. She had then been placed by Empress Dowager Wei to serve at the side of the Emperor. In a blink of an eye, five years had passed and she was now one of the mistresses of the palace.

As the palace maids passed her, they bowed to her. She enjoyed the feeling as others bowed their heads to her, as though if it was like this, she could forget her low birth and the unhappiness of the past. Turning back to see Feng Zi Jin blindly following behind her, she revealed a satisfied smile: "Walking the Imperial Gardens, I would think of the times I'd accompanied Ping cairen in the wang fu."

Feng Zi Jin didn't speak when she heard the words. She expressionlessly looked at Han Qing He before slowly moving her gaze away.

"From Ping cairen's expression, it seems that you don't like walking in the garden with me?" Han Qing He sneered, "Or is it that Ping cairenthinks herself higher than me?"

"Liangdi is high up in the sky. Pinqie is only a small seventh-grade cairenwho doesn't dare look down," Ping cairen uttered coldly, "Pinqie is only listening to liangdi speak."

Han Qing He was going to speak before suddenly hearing the sound of clapping behind her. Her heart jumped with joy and she took a step to the side before kneeling down.

"Qie greets Emperor," When the dark gold boots walked in front of her, Han Qing He's voice was sweet and soft as she lowered her head. But a second later, she saw a pair of gold embroidered slippers appear next to the gold boots. She paused and then added, "Pinqie greets Empress."

Qu Qing Ju looked at Feng Zi Jin and Han Qing He as they knelt on the ground. This was the first time Han Qing He used such a saccharine voice. She looked at He Heng who didn't seem to have any reaction, and said: "Stand."

"Thank Emperor, thank Empress," Feng Zi Jin slowly stood. She raised her head to gaze at the Emperor but found the Emperor's gaze wasn't on either her or Han Qing He's bodies. She lowered her face numbly, not speaking another word.

'Didn't think to encounter Emperor and Empress at such a place," Han Qing De didn't want to give up the chance to show her face in front of the Emperor. Her appearance wasn't as good as Feng Zi Jin's but she had a distinctive flavor when she smiled, "It's pinqie who has disturbed Emperor and Empress' mood."

Qu Qing Ju looked at her blooming smile. Her lips curled, but she didn't speak.

"Since you know you disturbed zhenand Empress' mood, why haven't you retreated?" He Heng's tone was icy. He looked at Han Qing He who was draped in gold and silver, his brows furrowing, "Retreat."

The smile on Han Qing He's face froze. She didn't think the Emperor would not even take the slightest bit of care. She couldn't help but turn her head to look at the Empress and found that the Empress' expression hadn't changed from beginning to end, as though she knew that she would embarrass herself. She bowed in mortification, "Qie asks to be excused."

Seeing Han Qing He retreat, Feng Zi Jin followed in leaving. Before she left, she looked again at He Heng and Qu Qing Ju, as though it was the first time she'd met them.

After both of them left, Qu Qing Ju finally smiled as she remarked: "Han liangdi has served Emperor for so many years, but her appearance hasn't changed at all." Han Qing He had been serving by He Heng's side since she was sixteen. Right now, she was just twenty one. In her previous life, it would have been the best years of her life. In this era, her age was slightly old.