CH 8

Chapter 8 : 名正言顺的皇位之位

Perfectly Justifiable to the Empress Position

At night, Li Xia Palace.

Bai Muyao is dressed in a bright yellow floor-length,silver silk, hundred flowers, flying butterfly dress. Her head is covered with exquisite jade bead hairpins. Her lustrous face looks especially dignified and beautiful under the delicate make-up.

A forty-something years old woman was helping Bai Muyao to wash up and remove her make-up and also to take off her formal dress and ornaments. 

“Niang Niang, on the day you receive the title as a concubine, why did you go and clash with Lan Guìrén when she came to block people in our chambers?” Chen Mama watched Bai Muyao grow up since she was still a child so she knew very well that she was not someone who easily acted on impulse. 

On that day, if they had ignored Lan Guìrén, the matter would not have gotten so big too. 

In fact, if they had not gone out that night, the emperor would probably have only condemned Lan Guìrén alone.

Now, when it’s perfectly all right, her good status as concubines has been reduced to that of Guìrén for no apparent reason and they have been grounded for thirty days. 

Bai Muyao smiled faintly at the bronze mirror, “Mama, do you know why the emperor came to Li Xia Palace that day but he did not come to my main hall and my bedchamber?”

Chen Mama frowned slightly, “Could it be that His Majesty did it on purpose?”

Bai Muyao nodded her head. Her every frown and every smile is elegant and calm, “His Majesty has only been on the throne for half a year, the foundation of the royal court is not stable and it was only under the pressure of the Empress Dowager and the ministers in the court that His Majesty took in two concubines, this ben gong and Liu Zhi Lan Pin Fei, but how could a man like him be willing to be forced by others?”

“Does Niang Niang mean that the Emperor is deliberately doing this and then taking this opportunity to pressure us?” Chen Mama removed the last hairpin from Bai Muyao’s bun. Her long and silky black hair instantly fell out, making Bai Muyao’s gorgeous face unrivally lovely.

“In the imperial harem, the queen position is vacant, how many people’s eyes are staring at this position, but now there are only two people in this huge harem, this ben gong (me) and Lan Guìrén. Both of us entered the palace on the same day. If on the first day of entering the palace, this ben gong suppressed Lan Guìrén, then how will the emperor balance it in the future?”

When Chen Mama heard this, her heart was so surprised in shock, she was afraid that at that time, the emperor would definitely be defensive towards Niang Niang and favor Lan Guiren to make up for the balance in the harem, thereby once Lan Guiren was thus favored and became pregnant before Niang Niang, then the battle for the queen throne would be even more difficult.

Thinking of this, Chen Mama could not help but admire Bai Muyao’s meticulous mind for being so thoughtful.

The battle for the queen throne in the palace has always been a dangerous one, and ever since ancient times. How many women have fought for that position, strive for it and be badly bruised, also how many of them have fallen into the abyss? Forever, they would never be able to turn over or to free oneself. 

“Mama, for several days, you go and inquire about the formal wife’s daughter of Lu Dingyuan, Lu Yunluo for this ben gong.” 

Chen Mama was shocked in her heart and looked around before she said in a low voice, “Niang Niang, this Lu Dingyuan is a traitorous minister, and absolutely must not be mentioned again.” This Lu Dingyuan had colluded with foreign traitors on the day of the late Emperor’s death, and even the late Emperor’s death couldn’t be not connected with him. The first day the Emperor ascended the throne, he gave orders to behead him, and since then, no one in the royal court had been allowed to mention his name again.”

They have only been in the palace for a short time, and they are already talking about the affairs of the state or imperial government. If someone with an interest in the matter hears about this, they will probably make a fuss out of it.

“This Ben Gong is asking you to check on his former wife’s daughter, Lu Yunluo.

After all, she was ‘the crown prince’s concubine’ (Tai Zi Fei) before the emperor ascended the throne. Although the emperor had banished her to the cold palace on the first day of his accession to the throne. But after all, he didn’t abolish her, and according to the laws of Dong Lan Kingdom, she occupies the rightful (perfectly legitimate) position as the Empress.”