Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sure enough, after exchanging that wooden slip, Destiny had prepared good fortune for Bi Tao.

A newly assigned servant in her palace had actually served Empress Rouyi and remembered the movements of the Moon Shadow Dance. With the help of this veteran servant, Bi Tao quickly mastered it.

At the palace banquet, everyone was drinking wine and eating crab. As the event drew to a close, a young eunuch leaned in toward His Majesty the Emperor and asked in a low voice which consort’s palace he would visit tonight.

Just as His Majesty the Emperor was about to say my name, Bi Tao suddenly stepped out from the crowd.

She shed her outer robe, revealing a sheer, gauzy long dress. “This concubine has learned a new dance and would be honored to perform it for Your Majesty.”

Under the moonlight, Bi Tao danced gracefully. The fabric of her dress was thin and translucent, revealing large patches of skin as white as snow. His Majesty the Emperor was momentarily entranced.

The other Imperial Consorts were all quietly curling their lips in disdain.

One fiery-tempered consort cursed under her breath, “The Moon Shadow Dance is supposed to be ethereal and cold, yet she performs it in such a loose, seductive manner!”

The consort beside her glanced at me and quickly covered the woman’s mouth. “His Majesty likes it; what can be done?”

And His Majesty the Emperor certainly did like it.

As the dance ended, Bi Tao suddenly collapsed onto the ground. His Majesty the Emperor hurriedly stood up. “What happened?”

Bi Tao lifted her eyes, a single, pitiful tear rolling down her cheek. “This concubine wanted to perform this dance for Your Majesty and practiced day and night. I accidentally injured my ankle and only just finished the dance by enduring the agonizing pain.

“I know I cannot compare to the grace of Empress Rouyi, but if I can resemble her even slightly to bring a smile to Your Majesty’s face, I would be willing to do so even if it meant my body were ground to dust…”

Moved by her words, His Majesty the Emperor stepped forward and swept Bi Tao up into his arms. “It is rare to find such devotion. Has your frame not grown thinner?”

Bi Tao smiled and playfully thumped His Majesty the Emperor’s chest. “Your Majesty always teases me. If Your Majesty prefers a fuller figure, I shall simply eat more to gain it back.”

The two departed amidst flirtatious banter. Nestled in the Emperor’s arms, Bi Tao did not forget to cast a mocking glance back at me.

I knew what that look meant.

She was saying that since she could beat me once, she could beat me many more times.

It was no wonder Bi Tao was so arrogant.

Since childhood, she had been inferior to me in every way. She found the zither tedious, dance exhausting, and needlework a strain on her eyes.

Thus, whether in beauty or talent, she was always overshadowed by me. If her mother, Concubine Wang, had not been our father’s favorite, the opportunity to enter the palace would likely never have fallen to her.

Now, she had finally managed to best me.

Sure enough, in the days that followed, His Majesty the Emperor stayed in Bi Tao’s palace every night and never visited mine again.

A month later, Bi Tao was exceptionally promoted to Noble Concubine.

That day, she came to my palace with a smile, watching me lower my head and deferentially call her “Your Ladyship,” before letting out a triumphant laugh.

“Eldest Sister and I entered the palace on the same day. Now I am already a Noble Concubine, while Sister is still merely a Noble Lady.

“But who is to blame? In the palace, it has always been the winner takes all. Sister has failed to live up to expectations, so do not blame me for being heartless.”

She ordered the eunuchs and maids by her side to take away the pearls and kohl from my dressing table. “Since His Majesty does not come here anyway, it would be a waste of such beautiful things to leave them with Sister. They might as well be given to me.”

After Bi Tao left, my maid Pei’er was so angry her eyes turned red. “Back during the selection, His Majesty was stunned by our Mistress at first sight and didn’t even give her a second glance. It was only because our Mistress recommended her that she got her first night of favor. If I had known this would happen, we shouldn’t have helped her!”

I smilingly stuffed an osmanthus cake into Pei’er’s mouth and patted her bulging cheeks. “I didn’t recommend her back then so that she would be grateful to me.”

Pei’er blinked her eyes.

On the day of the selection, as the foremost beauty of the capital, I was the most prominent among the newcomers. Whether it was the Emperor’s favor or the attention of the other Imperial Consorts, everything was focused on me.

What I wanted was for Bi Tao to take those things away from me.

“Pei’er, let me ask you: what is the end goal of winning all the way in the palace struggle?”

“Naturally… to become the Empress,” Pei’er muttered softly. “Oh, wait-in our dynasty, it’s probably to become a Noble Consort, since His Majesty declared he would never appoint another Empress after Empress Rouyi passed away.”

Exactly. Even if one wins all the way, the final result is merely becoming an Empress.

Even someone as fortunate as Empress Rouyi was not happy. The Emperor loved her but could not favor her alone. She was exhausted by the wave after wave of conflict in the inner palace. The First Prince she gave birth to was poisoned to death by other consorts before he was three months old, and she herself fell ill and died of grief shortly after.

In the palace struggle, there are no true winners.

While I was talking with Pei’er, the young eunuch responsible for sweeping nearby remained silent.

After a long while, he walked up to me and said in an extremely low voice, “Mistress has grand strategies; I fear your mind is not limited to the palace. If Mistress is willing, this servant might be able to offer some assistance.”

I looked at this young eunuch. He wore coarse cloth clothes, yet his features were clear and refined, carrying a faint air of extraordinary character.

I dismissed the others and asked him, “Your name?”

He bowed. “This servant is called Xiao Fuzi. But if Mistress is asking for my name before entering the palace-this humble one’s original name is Fu Shouqian.”

My eyes flickered with shock.

The Fu family was once a prominent clan. Lord Fu had reached the rank of Chancellor, and his only son, Fu Shouqian, was known as a child prodigy at the age of seven, famous throughout the capital.

However, as the Emperor grew older, corruption seeped into the court and factionalism became increasingly severe. Lord Fu was caught in the middle; after being convicted of a crime, he was exiled to the distant borders and died on the way. The whereabouts of his wife and son were unknown.

I never expected that the once brilliant young master of the Fu family would now be the lowliest sweeping eunuch in the palace.

My heart stirred as I recalled the wooden slip I had exchanged in the shop that day-Sit and Discuss the Way with Worthy Scholars.

I suddenly realized that perhaps Fu Shouqian was that worthy scholar.

Thus, I looked down at Fu Shouqian and deliberately spoke with harsh severity, “I am but a mere consort of the inner palace; what grand strategies could I possibly have? If you continue to speak such nonsense, be careful I don’t have someone slap your mouth.”

Fu Shouqian showed no fear. He picked up a rag used for cleaning, dipped it in water, and drew a star chart on the floor.

“My Lady, I studied astrology in my youth. Currently, Ziwei is dim and the Son of Heaven’s power is waning. However, a star has come from the north, its radiance shimmering. I believe this star is called…”

He raised his eyes to look at me, enunciating every word: “The Imperial Daughter Star.”

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

This was a capital offense. By Fu Shouqian saying this, I either had to have him beaten to death immediately, or if we were ever discovered, my entire clan would be executed.

My fingertips were trembling.

It wasn’t from nerves, but from excitement.

I had waited so long-waited exactly for this moment.

“As you say, this Imperial Daughter Star is merely a minor star from the north. How could it possibly replace Ziwei?” I asked nonchalantly.

Fu Shouqian smiled. He picked up the rag again, and this time, he drew the current state of the realm.

“Secure the generals of Gan and Yu Provinces, use the land of fish and rice as a granary, and coordinate from within when the great army presses upon the borders. On that day, Ziwei shall be replaced by the Imperial Daughter Star.”

After he finished drawing, he shook his head dejectedly. “But I also know that all of this is far, far too difficult.”

I looked down at the map. It gradually evaporated with the water stains, but it was etched deeper and deeper into my heart.

I tilted Fu Shouqian’s chin up. They say coarse clothes and wooden hairpins cannot hide true beauty; Fu Shouqian usually kept his head down and remained silent, but when he looked up, he still possessed the jade-like face of a refined gentleman in a turbid world.

Virtuous scholars are always like this. They hide in the mountains or the bustling markets, living ordinary lives while harboring an unquenchable spark in their hearts.

Only when they meet a wise ruler can that spark start a prairie fire.

I said calmly, “From now on, in front of others, you are still Xiao Fuzi. But when you are alone with me, there is no need to refer to yourself as a servant.

“Minister Fu, this is a matter that could cost us our heads, but in this life, I will take this gamble with you.

“I have noted what you just said. The generals of the Northern Frontier, the merchant guilds of Jiangnan, the Imperial Guard of the capital-these may be difficult, but they are not absolutely impossible.”

Tears glistened in Fu Shouqian’s eyes. Perhaps he had waited for this moment for too long. With the excited gaze of a desperate man, he bowed deeply. “I am willing to serve My Lady with the loyalty of a dog or a horse.”

The System’s voice echoed in my ear: “Noble Concubine Bi has arrived. What would she like to buy from the shop?”

My brow twitched. I dismissed Fu Shouqian. “I shall rest for a moment.”

After Fu Shouqian left, I closed my eyes on the couch and entered the System shop.

As soon as I entered, I saw Bi Tao’s radiant, triumphant smile. She looked back at me and taunted, “Oh, Sister is here. Unfortunately, Sister doesn’t have as many Gold Beads as I do this time. I’m afraid you won’t be able to buy anything good.”

The System also seemed to treat Bi Tao as a major customer, greeting her warmly. “Indeed! After Noble Concubine Bi was promoted, she received thirty thousand Gold Beads. Now, all the treasures in this shop are yours for the choosing!”

Bi Tao smiled. With her slender fingers, she picked up Zither Melodies, Singing Skills, and Ice Skating one by one. Without a doubt, these were all the skills His Majesty the Emperor liked most. She didn’t leave a single one for me, intending to block any path I had to regaining favor.

Of course, she saved the majority of her Gold Beads for the most important wooden plaque: “Pregnancy.”

“Once I give birth to an imperial heir and secure my position, Sister will become the family’s discarded pawn.” Bi Tao smiled sweetly as she tilted my chin with her lacquered nails. Then, she frowned. “Ah, no. Although I’ve taken all those skills, Sister still has this beautiful face. If His Majesty the Emperor sees it one day, he might suddenly feel like favoring you again.

“So…”

Bi Tao suddenly applied force, and her pure gold finger guards slashed across my face before I could react!

A long, bloody gash appeared on my face, and bright red blood dripped down.

Bi Tao smiled and wiped the blood off her guard. “Now, I can rest easy.”

The System’s voice rang out nearby: “Lady Qiluo, the shop has top-tier Golden Sore Ointment for scar repair. It only costs two thousand Gold Beads!”

Bi Tao’s eyebrows shot up as she snapped, “Whose side are you on anyway!”

The System chuckled apologetically. “The shop welcomes guests from all directions. Naturally, we offer our sincerity to every customer!”

Bi Tao was choked with rage. She flicked her finger guard and sneered, “Fine. Even if I can’t completely disfigure you, wasting two thousand of your Gold Beads is worth it.”

I covered the wound, but the blood seemed impossible to stop. I simply let go.

It hurt, but I felt a sense of satisfaction in my heart.

My foolish sister. The System is called ‘Palace Intrigue,’ but the true way to use it is not through palace intrigue.

Letting the blood flow down my face, I pulled out a wooden slip. “I want the palace treasure-the Ganjiang-Moye Sword.”

Bi Tao froze for a moment, then covered her mouth and laughed. “Oh, Sister is going to perform a sword dance? Wonderful, go ahead. Perhaps His Majesty the Emperor will see Sister’s heroic spirit and favor you again.”

I looked at her coldly.

She thought I chose this sword as a desperate move after she had taken all the other skills.

She was happy for me to dance with a sword because, in his old age, His Majesty the Emperor preferred soft, charming women and detested fighting and killing. To her, my move was undoubtedly a misguided attempt at flattery.

But I didn’t care.

Bi Tao didn’t know the history of the Ganjiang-Moye Sword-it was once the command sword of the Northern Frontier Commander, Xu Chifei. Wherever it pointed, soldiers would fight to the death. Later, Xu Chifei died on the battlefield, his body returned wrapped in horsehide, but any veteran of the Northern Frontier Army still held deep feelings for this sword.

This sword had been treated as a mere decoration, locked away in a high tower of the palace for twelve years.

Next month, the current commander of the Northern Frontier will come to the capital to report on his duties.

This sword will be my meeting gift to him.