Chapter Five: Hated by Others

After all, there is only one emperor; with every new person who enters, the favor bestowed upon each diminishes, especially when the newcomer is a foreigner. Minister Jiang performed a deep bow. "Your Majesty, this young woman is the most beautiful in all the Great Ying. Only someone as noble and exalted as Your Majesty is worthy of possessing her. Do you not agree?"

Before the emperor could respond, Noble Consort Wen spoke up in a gentle, delicate voice, "The Great Ying is most considerate, but your land lies upon the grasslands, and your cuisine and climate are vastly different from those of Fengling. I fear this young lady might not be able to adapt to life in our palace."

With someone breaking the silence, the other concubines quickly joined the fray, presenting a united front.

"Your Majesty, this is not the season for selecting new companions. If someone is brought in without reason, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager will have questions."

"Furthermore, Your Majesty is wise and compassionate. Minister Jiang keeps emphasizing this woman's beauty—could it be he is insinuating something?"

"Though Fengling and the Great Ying are allied, rules cannot be broken. Traditionally, when the Emperor selects a consort, the woman's lineage is investigated for three generations. Only those with a spotless reputation may enter the palace."

Hua Rong sat quietly in her seat, feeling like a hapless melon-thief caught in the middle of a chaotic field.

No wonder these are the women of the king—sharp-tongued and quick-witted, eager to see this beauty expelled from the palace, yet outwardly presenting their arguments with impeccable logic.

Poor Minister Jiang was so boxed in that his mustache bristled with fury.

The emperor listened in silence, raising his wine cup to his lips as his gaze fell upon an unremarkable corner. His voice was cold and deep. "Consort Rong, what do you think?"

Uh-oh!

Caught off guard, Hua Rong almost choked on her snack. She coughed twice, helplessly rising to her feet. "Your Majesty, do I look as though I have anything to say?"

This wretched emperor! Could she not just quietly spectate and eat her melon in peace? Why must she pay a price for her silent amusement?

The emperor tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. "Well? What say you?"

His tone was mild, yet it bore the weight of mountains.

Cold sweat broke out on Hua Rong's back.

All eyes swiftly turned to her—some jealous, some admiring, others curious...

Minister Jiang narrowed his eyes. "Your Ladyship, do you have any insights? Do you too believe His Majesty should not accept this woman?"

Hua Rong cast a pleading glance toward the emperor, but he only regarded her coolly before folding his arms, content to sit back and watch the spectacle.

How she hated him in that moment!

If she wasn't mistaken, the emperor had just tossed her a burning coal to juggle!

If she mishandled this, would she not once again face the threat of execution or exile?

Minister Jiang pressed relentlessly. "Your Ladyship, if you have something to say, do speak plainly."

Hua Rong gritted her teeth, wishing she could pluck out every hair in Minister Jiang's beard.

She pondered deeply, mustering every ounce of her wits, and finally concocted a plan.

"Your Majesty, this woman must not be admitted to the palace."

The emperor raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Hua Rong swallowed, solemnly weaving her tale. "Just now, I cast a divination and discovered that this woman's fate is at odds with Your Majesty's. Should the two of you be joined, it would thin the bonds of kin and bring harm to your offspring. The lineage would be weak, the fate darkened. Calamities would converge, and the years ahead would be fraught with peril, clashing with the very stars..."

"Nonsense!" Minister Jiang was livid, his face darkening as he knelt. "Your Majesty, before this woman traveled to Fengling, her fate was divined by our grand master. She is a woman of great fortune, destined to be a perfect match for Your Majesty!"

Hua Rong countered unhurriedly, "Minister Jiang, you are mistaken. As the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' In Fengling, we follow the divination methods of Fengling."

Minister Jiang's eyes widened. "You!"

"Enough," the emperor interjected. "Consort Rong is a master of divination; her words do not err. Minister Jiang, your country's goodwill is noted, but fate cannot be forced. This young woman shall be returned to the Great Ying."

With the emperor's decree, Minister Jiang could only concede, no matter his frustration. He shot Hua Rong a venomous glare, grinding his teeth.

That wretched woman! She had ruined his plans!

Hua Rong kept her gaze lowered, counting silently in her heart: Foreign animosity +1, domestic potential animosity +N.

Why did the path of a contented idler always have so many obstacles?

The banquet ended, and everyone began to leave.

The emperor walked ahead, followed by the bevy of concubines. Each one vied for his attention, bedecked in their finest.

"Your Majesty, I have just learned a new dance—come to my chambers and let me perform it for you?"

"Your Majesty, I have prepared your favorite pastries. Please come and try them."

"Your Majesty, I have been plagued by nightmares and cannot sleep. Will you stay with me?"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

The concubines competed with words and charm.

Hua Rong, having left the banquet still hungry, snagged a few fruits on her way out. She trailed behind the others, popping fruit into her mouth, as though watching a comedic play unfold before her eyes.

The emperor's expression remained unchanged as he ignored the clamor. Upon reaching a fork in the path, he stopped and looked back at Hua Rong. "Consort Rong."

Once again singled out, Hua Rong was just about to pop another fruit into her mouth. Startled, she quickly tucked it into her sleeve. "Your Majesty, do you have instructions?"

A fleeting, complex emotion seemed to pass through the emperor's phoenix eyes as he spoke carelessly, "Walk with me."

Hua Rong's legs nearly gave way, and Suxin hurried to steady her.

The emperor's tone was indifferent. "Is Consort Rong unwell?"

Unwell? She was beyond unwell—she was suffering heart palpitations!

Oh emperor, could you not see the looks from your concubines, eyes like laser beams ready to slice her into mincemeat?

"No, it is my greatest honor to accompany Your Majesty. I am merely overcome with joy."

"Good. Contain yourself a little—come."

With that, the emperor walked on.

Under the wolfish, tiger-like gazes of the concubines, Consort Rong had no choice but to follow.

Once they had departed, Concubine Wan voiced her indignation first. "That Hua Rong is truly cunning—she's lured the emperor away again!"

"Indeed. How could His Majesty favor such a crude woman?"

"I suspect she's simply too scheming, putting on that act just to draw His Majesty's attention."

"With the Noble Consort present, how does a mere concubine get the chance to accompany the emperor on his stroll?"

Noble Consort Wen listened, a faint smile gracing her lips. "Enough. So long as His Majesty is pleased, let it be. You may all withdraw."

With her command, the concubines curtseyed and dispersed.

Only Concubine Wan remained to pledge her loyalty. "Your Ladyship must be wary of Hua Rong. I've known her for years—she's been unruly since childhood."

Noble Consort Wen's smile did not waver. "Consort Rong is not as complicated as you imagine."

"But, Your Ladyship—"

"Enough—I am tired. I shall rest now."

"…Then I bid Your Ladyship goodnight."

Watching Noble Consort Wen leave, Concubine Wan ground her teeth in frustration. "Useless woman!"

When it came to competing for favor, she would have to rely on herself. With the Noble Consort's lukewarm temperament, even twenty years would not see her rise.

...

The winding path was secluded, filled with the scent of flowers.

Hua Rong followed step by step behind the emperor, her mind racing through the myriad ways favored concubines met their ends in all those stories she’d read.

The more she thought, the more her scalp prickled.

The emperor had already come to a halt.

Unaware, Hua Rong walked straight into a solid wall of muscle, a faint fragrance wafting toward her.

She froze, then quickly stepped back and bowed. "Your Majesty, I… ah—"

Before she could finish, an arm encircled her waist.

In the next instant, she found herself enveloped in a warm embrace.

An arrow sliced through the air, whistling past her ear.

…!!!

All color drained from Hua Rong’s face.

The emperor, holding her, took a leisurely step back and glanced toward the nearby Eunuch Li.

Eunuch Li nodded, tucked his horsetail whisk into his sash, and, with unexpected agility, darted away like a swallow.

In no time, he returned, dragging a black-clad figure behind him. "Your Majesty, the culprit is captured!"

Hua Rong stared in shock at the portly, harmless-looking Eunuch Li, now moving with the lightness of a bird.

In just moments, he had subdued the assassin and returned.

…!!!