The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

58. The Empress vs the Concubine

Translator: Iris Guo

When Imperial Concubine Zhao was about to respond, the Empress Dowager put her pea green glazed porcelain cup on the teapoy. The sound she made was neither too big nor too small, but it silenced Imperial Concubine Zhao and Imperial Consort Shu immediately.

“Imperial Consort Shu is right. It’s every parent’s job to teach her children to look after the family. His Majesty is a caring son, and so are his sons naturally. However, the Princes should not only respect their birth mothers but His Majesty’s legal wife,” said the Empress Dowager slowly while looking at Imperial Concubine Zhao, “The late Empress’ death anniversary is approaching. Have you got everything ready?”

A big-scale memorial ceremony was held every year on July 7. Imperial Concubine Zhao had helped the Empress Dowager manage the Emperor’s harem for many years, and she had been responsible for arranging the late Empress’ ceremonies. However, after the Crown Prince was deposed, she wasn’t sure whether she should prepare a big ceremony this year. After all, the deposed Crown Prince was the late Empress’ only son, and her reputation was damaged due to her son’s misconduct. Besides, after the Emperor ordered others to cut down all the Magnolia liliflora, her favorite, in the Imperial Palace, she wasn’t as bold as before. She could not figure out his reason and dared not ask him rashly. Therefore, she had no choice but to turn to the Empress Dowager. However, as soon as she got out of the sedan chair, she ran into Imperial Consort Shu. No matter how badly she wanted to ignore the annoying jinx, she couldn’t just walk away.

Today, since the Empress Dowager mentioned the ceremony first, Imperial Concubine Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and hastened to ask in a low voice: “Your Grace, shall I prepare the memorial on the same scale as usual?”

“Something wrong?” The Empress Dowager fixed her eyes on Imperial Concubine Zhao.

“Nothing of course… However,” Imperial Concubine Zhao had butterflies in her stomach when facing the Empress Dowager’s eyes. She paused and nerved herself to continue, “The Crown Prince has just been deposed. Would it be improper if I hold his late mother’s memorial ceremony with a fanfare? I’m afraid that people in and out of the palace will gossip.”

“I didn’t know that Imperial Concubine Zhao even cares about the civilians now,” said the Empress Dowager indifferently with a smile while fiddling with the cup lid, “I don’t think it’s your job yet.”

“Please! Your Grace! I didn’t mean that at all!” Imperial Concubine Zhao knelt, kowtowed, and said hurriedly, “I wasn’t thinking for myself but for His Majesty! Please!”

“I know exactly whom you are thinking for.” The Empress Dowager bent over, grabbed Imperial Concubine Zhao’s exquisite chin with her withered hands, and began to look the latter up and down. Then, she started to speak slowly again when seeing Imperial Concubine Zhao’s sweaty head: “I know you have been concentrating on pleasing His Majesty, which is your merit. You have made a lot of mistakes these years in the palace, but I never intervened in your stuff or blamed you considering your love for him, and I don’t think that I will. However, you need to remember that no matter how high your status is, you are just a concubine. Furthermore, Xu Siyao is still the Empress. Although she’s gone and there’s only a memorial tablet to remind people of her, she is the only Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty. At least, His Majesty and I believe that’s the case. Nobody can challenge the dignity and prestige that the Empress deserves. Otherwise, he or she will be doomed.”