The maid came in carrying the tea table. "My Lady, this is your favourite tea."
'Favourite?' She thought. She never even liked drinking tea. She preferred coffee to tea.
"This is your favourite Bi Lúó Chun tea..." She trailed off when she caught sight of what the Empress was doing.
The chest? She doesn't like people going near it, she cleaned it herself when she was alone but now? She herself has always wanted to know what was in that chest, why the Empress protected it so much.
"Empress Xiuying..."
*
So this is the scared chest? The chest the Empress refused to let anyone get close to? Xiuying cleaned it herself, dusted and arranged it herself! They were a lot more, lots of Royal Chuddar for a prince and princess. She wanted a child? Or were they Xiuying's own robe? But she isn't a Royal from birth. She never loved the Emperor right? They seems to be more to this.
*
As Xiaofan was busy trying to make do with the fact that she is now Xiuying in a not too far away place, the palace pavilion, five women gathered around a big table filled with delicacies.
The day was already growing old, the sky was now black and the stars were shining brightly from above.
"I heard Xiuying has woken up...I believe it's all a big fat lie!" The first person that spoke was the third Consort, Consort Xiaolan.
"Consort Xiao'er, do not call her by her first name she might come to hunt you... hahahahha." Consort Muwen, the fifth Consort said.
"Hahahahha." Everyone else laughed.
"I don't think it's a lie, a letter was sent to the Emperor from the Eastern palace this morning... No one would dare joke with the Emperor!" Consort Liqiu(First Consort) said.
"Just because you believe it doesn't mean we should believe it as well, Xiuying is dead just waiting for her cremation." Xiaolan protested. "Besides no one wants her to wake! If I can't speak for you all I can speak for myself." She picked her wine cup up, "Ganbei" They all toasted.
The women always gathered to drink their sorrow away! Who knew that marrying the Emperor was a life time of misery? They all wanted to drink to stupor. To drink and party if possible but would be punished by the Dowager if drums were heard at night.
Consort Lanxi: "We all can go visit the Empress once the ban is lifted... But how long will the ban last?"
"Xiao Xi, the ban will be lifted soon, It is said that the dead Empress has woken. Minister Bohai won't sit by idly and not visit his child. Very soon we will be allowed to go visit her..." Consort Shan paused to take a deep breath, the rice wine was beginning to take effect. "I am... I am happy she didn't die but if she had died it wouldn't have been bad either!"
Consort Xiaolan: "Yes, it's truly a good thing! It's a thing to celebrate, thankfully she didn't die or else that little brat Meiwei would have been made the Empress!"
Consort Muwen: "I thought you wanted her dead..."
Consort Xiaolan: "Yes I want her dead doesn't mean i want Meiwei to be the Empress. I want them both dead! Those two are the beginning of all our problems here in the palace and until they are no more can we be happy!"
"It would have been much better if i was still a young maiden, better if i had married someone else. I would have birth my own child now, he or she would be calling me mother and asking for candies!" Consort Liqiu was crying miserably.
Xiaolan was the closest to her and she patted Liqiu's shoulder. She was thinking of a soothing word to make the first Consort feel better but her brain was thoroughly damaged by the rice wine.
A cold wind blew by making them shiver.
"Look... The senior consorts are all here. Meiwei has been too busy that she rarely spends time with the senior consorts... Oh my, Meiwei is truly sorry and treat you all next time."
Everyone turned to the voice, it was Consort Meiwei, the Emperor's lover. The sixth consort. Meiwei smiled at them, youthfulness written all over her face. She was the youngest out of all the consorts. Even Consort Shan was older than the Empress.
Consort Liqiu narrowed her eyes and it formed a slit, she stood up eyeing Meiwei dangerously she staggered toward her. When she got close, Meiwei momentarily drew back and fought the urge of covering her nose. Meiwei thought that Liqiu would hit her as the latter suddenly raised her hand.
Liqiu raised her two hands and used it to draw the corners of Meiwei's mouth back, forming an awkward smile.
Meiwei looked somehow stupid as her inner lip came out, she looked like a clown. Liqiu drew Meiwei's eyes this time sparing her no time to react. Meiwei now looked like an abandoned cat.
"When you... You are talking to us make sure to smile also make sure the smile is from your heart!" Consort Liqiu raised her voice, "I hate fake smiles! Make sure it's from your heart before you show it to me!" She looked like a mother scolding and at the same teaching her daughter noble etiquette.
Pfft! All the consorts laughed.
"Consort Meiwei, truth be told look just like a thief caught in the act." Consort Shan who was seething at the sight of Meiwei mocked.
"No! She is the youngest and according to some, she is the most beautiful, how can you compare her to a shop thief? No... No... She's a rich palace thief!" This time it was Consort Xiaolan.
"Hahahahha..."
"Oi! The Empress is the most beautiful and after her comes me! Meiwei comes last! She isn't even beautiful, she is just young and would have been much better off a young maiden. It is said the Emperor loves her, but he wasn't even present at their wedding and brother Mengyao had to be the acting groom. Hahahahha. Their marriage hasn't still been consummated just like ours, the Emperor is making a mockery of her! He doesn't love her! Believe me, he's using her as a camouflage." Consort Lanxi stated proudly.
*****
Ganbei: It's a way of saying cheers in Han(Korea) which means "cheers" or "dry your glass"