CH 52

The Gilded Cage Chapter 52

Standoff (2)

Qi Chenxiang felt her eyelids twitching. She almost could not maintain her usual demeanor.

Anyone can see Zhao Yue’s motive. She wants to take the chance while the Emperor is drunk to create an "encounter" with him. It is just like what she did on the streets previously. What a crass and disgusting woman!

Qi Chenxiang had always been dignified and proper. She never considered Zhao Yue, a woman born of a military family, to be worthy of her concern. Now that Zhao Yue was standing in her way, Qi Chenxiang felt provoked and furious.

As she was still young, she had not yet learned to keep calm like her aunt, the Empress Dowager. Initially, she stood there and tried to resist her anger. In the end, she could no longer hold back and said with a serious expression, "Madam, are you alright? The weather is so cold. If you continue to sit on this windy porch, you might catch a cold.”

Zhao Yue sat up slowly upon hearing her. She looked at Qi Chenxiang with a vague smile. "Oh, it’s Lady Qi of the Qi family. Today is the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, and I have recently returned to Chang'an. I haven't been so happy for a long time, so I drank a little too much. I feel a little tipsy, so I came here to rest out my tipsiness."

It was obvious that Zhao Yue was well prepared. Everything from her hairdo to her clothes were carefully selected. Looking at her pink cheeks, it was hard to tell whether she applied blush or was really drunk.

Qi Chenxiang was a sheltered young lady. She had never seen such bold and shameless behavior. It made her uncomfortable and caused her cheeks to flush.

"There are so many empty rooms. If you are truly drunk, why not enter any one of them to rest? Instead, you insist on lingering here near the Emperor,” Qi Chenxiang said and glanced at Liu Kang, who was nearby.

Liu Kang stood still some distance from them. She did not know whether he had not noticed the unusual situation or was refusing to get involved.

Zhao Yue smiled. She was not annoyed when Qi Chenxiang insisted on voicing things out loud. Instead, she calmly indicated to the maid beside her to help her put on the heavy outer robe. However, she still did not close the front of her robe.

"Since you want to voice things out in the open, I won’t hide it anymore.” Zhao Yue stood up and began walking toward Qi Chenxiang. She used her slightly taller figure to look down at her and said, “There is no one in the kingdom that doesn’t know what the Qi family is aiming for. However, don't worry. I’m not foolish and will not block your path."

Qi Chenxiang was startled. For a moment, she did not understand what Zhao Yue meant.

Zhao Yue couldn't help but smile upon seeing her confused expression. A hint of mockery flashed through her gaze as she said, “It is fine that the Qi family wants the Empress position. As for the others, one should know not to be too greedy. An Emperor can’t be expected to have only one woman. There are three palaces, six residences, and countless beauties everywhere. I’m only seeking a spot for myself. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

Qi Chenxiang was stunned for a while and did not know what to say.

She knew what Zhao Yue said was right. Since she wanted to marry the Emperor, she shouldn't expect to be the only woman in the harem. Even so, she still felt embarrassed that someone exposed the truth in her face.

Furthermore, no one knew what the Emperor thought of this. Everything was just an arrangement between her father and the Empress Dowager. She was not the Empress yet, but she was already facing provocation from other women.

All of this hurt her dignity.

She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "But madam, you are widowed recently. It is shameful to do such a thing before the end of the mourning period. Aren’t you afraid that people will laugh at you? Everyone says that the daughter of the Zhao family is greedy for power and position and doesn't abide by womanly virtues. I didn’t believe it before, but today I can see that the rumors are true!"

"I have explained to the Empress Dowager about the mourning period. I returned to my family after my late husband’s demise. Now, I’m the daughter of the Zhao family, so I do not need to observe the mourning period. As for those rumors…" Zhao Yue ceased to smile and stared at Qi Chenxiang coldly.

"Who are you to say that I’m greedy for power? If your family does not crave for power, why do you need to marry the Emperor? Why does it matter whether one abides by womanly virtues? You should ask the Empress Dowager about what happened to the palace ladies who abide by womanly virtues.”

Although Zhao Yue was high born, she was frequently looked down upon for coming from a military family. She had accumulated this indignity for many years. Furthermore, she could not deny that she was greedy for power and position and had always wanted to climb the social ladder since she was a girl. When she first chose the Cheng family, she took a fancy to their family status. She hoped that her late husband could make steady progress in the social ladder after their marriage. Unfortunately, she did not expect her late husband to be weak, incompetent, and mediocre, wasting many years of her youth!

Now that she was back in Chang'an, her return coincided with the new Emperor's ascendance. She would never let go of this opportunity. If she succeeded, she would not only be able to protect her elder brother and the Zhao family, she would also obtain honor and favor for herself.

……

"You!" Qi Chenxiang had never argued with people like her before. Her face flushed with anger, and she could not speak for a while.

Zhao Yue saw Liu Kang glancing their way with a frown from time to time.  She knew that if she continued to remain here, she would embarrass herself. Therefore, she closed her robes with a smile and said, "Each according to her ability".

Then, she turned and left.

A blast of cold wind blew, shaking the lanterns hanging from the eaves of the corridor. The light from the lanterns flickered on Qi Chenxiang's face.

She stood there in silence. After a while, she finally calmed her expression and left.

...