I really don't understand Song Jiaye.
If you say he loves the empress, he completely neglects her, visiting her only once or twice a month.
If you say he doesn't, he keeps talking about what she likes to eat and what colors she prefers.
Speaking of the empress, Li Qiyu, she is also a remarkable figure.
Living in ancient times, she could fight on the battlefield. Despite being a woman, she received more respect than many men. General Li really doted on this daughter of his.
It's a pity that Li Qiyu fell in love with Song Jiaye. She supported him to the throne, but now all she has is the empty title of the empress.
She is quite good-looking, but unfortunately, she is blind.
I don't hold any grudges against Li Qiyu. On the contrary, I'm really grateful to her. I heard that on the day I crossed over, there was a fire in the Palace of the Lady of Hunan. The emperor rescued me, and she went to save the emperor and got burned in the process.
If Li Qiyu hadn't saved the emperor, and if the emperor had died in my palace because of me, I would surely have become the target of everyone's blame. Even if I hadn't died in the fire, I would have been burned to death for causing the emperor's death.
The evil feudal society was really inhumane.
Due to this relationship, and since I hadn't seen the empress since I crossed over—don't ask me why I didn't go to pay my respects to the empress. As I said, the empress is just an empty title with no real power. Now it's Concubine Yu who holds power in the harem. Moreover, the empress is disfigured and generally doesn't like to see people, so there's really no such arrangement in my schedule.
When I said I was going to take burn ointment to see the empress, the maid secretly asked me, "Your Highness, should we give the real medicine or the fake one?"
"Is there a difference between real and fake medicine?"
"The real medicine is the best burn ointment that can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. As for the fake one... I can ask the imperial physician to add something to it. It'll surely make the empress's face rot so that she can never show it in public again."
I looked at the maid who came up with this idea and felt a chill down my spine.
I'm at least a law-abiding citizen from the 21st century. I can't do such immoral things. I refused the maid's suggestion and sent her to clean the toilet.
I went to the empress's palace.
The empress's palace was really deserted. Probably because no one had come for a long time, the guards were slacking off. They left the door half-closed and slipped away to drink.
Since there was no one to announce my arrival, I had to push the door open and go in myself.
Inside the palace, there was a whole new world. The empress's palace was full of ginkgo trees. Now that it was autumn, the ginkgo leaves had turned yellow and were falling one by one. It was really beautiful.
The empress was practicing swordsmanship under the ginkgo trees.
I had never seen such a beautiful dance. As the sword blade passed by, the yellow ginkgo leaves fluttered like butterflies. She was holding a wooden sword, but she showed the power of an iron sword. When she struck, the sword blade went deep into the wood. Even a hard ginkgo tree was split by her, which showed her great strength.
This was a person with real skills. I was completely stunned by her sword dance.
Li Qiyu then noticed me. She called out, "Who?"
and turned her head.
Her appearance was really both terrifying and amazing.
It was like hell and heaven, like a plain and a ravine.
One half of her face was handsome, and the other half was terrifying. If this was in modern times, it would be considered a work of art, and surely many photographers would scramble to take pictures of her.
Li Qiyu obviously didn't want others to see her like this. After all, who would want others to see them in such a pitiful state? She picked up the veil on the table, put it on, and looked at me coldly, asking, "Lady of Hunan, what are you doing here?"
Her words were full of hostility.
We're all sisters. I don't want to compete with her for the emperor's favor. If there's anyone to blame, it's that stinky man.
I presented my greeting gift. After all, I had just seen her sword dance, and I was really afraid that if she got angry, she might cut off my head. So I wisely kept a distance from her.
"You're not welcome here. If you're here to watch my joke, you can leave."
How could I be here to watch her joke? I'm totally her fan! Don't you know how cool that sword dance you just did was! I'm sure that if Li Qiyu were in modern times, with her unique temperament and outstanding appearance, she could definitely become a star with countless fans.
Being trapped in this harem is really a waste of her talent.
"I just heard that you were injured, so I came to see you. You don't have to be hostile to me. If you need any help in the future, just come to me."
After saying this, I felt like a fool. She's the empress, and there's the Li family behind her. Where would she need my help?
"I... I didn't mean anything else. I just wanted... wanted to see you."
I don't even know how I left the empress's palace. I left the ointment and fled.
This word might not be very appropriate to describe it, but I was really as excited as a fan seeing their idol. Because of Li Qiyu's sword dance, I was completely captivated by her charm. Just like a fan seeing their idol, I was so excited that I fled.
Back in my own palace, I tossed and turned and couldn't sleep well. My mind was full of the scene of Li Qiyu practicing sword under the ginkgo trees. Sometimes when I was walking, I couldn't help but make a few sword moves. The new maid beside me, named Xiaoxin, was often startled by me and would scold me, "Your Highness, be more steady."
Of course, I only act like this in front of Xiaoxin. In front of Song Jiaye, I'm still very steady.
However, this man is as hard to serve as a boss.
I think I've been very considerate and caring to him. I'm more perfect than a robot, but Song Jiaye would still suddenly say something.
"I think you've changed."
"Your Majesty, what do you mean? I've always been in the palace. I haven't been anywhere."
"I can't really explain it. It feels... you're more considerate than before. This should be a good thing, right?"
I rolled my eyes silently in my heart. Thinking of the crazy things the original owner had done as told by the servants before, it seems that Song Jiaye likes this kind of woman. Now that I'm not acting crazy anymore, he misses it.
I didn't know what to say, so I decided to play dumb and just laugh.
But after Song Jiaye drank a couple of sips of wine, he suddenly said something that was really confusing.
"She's changed too."
"She?" The only one Song Jiaye could be referring to in front of me was the empress. I asked him, "Your Majesty, do you mean the empress?"