His Majesty And I ✔️

Cold Fragrance

Chapter 10

Consort Wang
Plum Blossom Palace

"Careful, My Lady," Consort Wang's court lady muttered, guiding her as they descended the stairs. It was a good day, the sun was up, clouds blue and no wind to tousle her hair. It was a good day that needed to be enjoyed with the emperor. Yet, he still wouldn't see her.

Dowager Empress Wang sat on a wooden stool, caring for her flowers. She enjoyed nurturing flowers as a hobby. Her attendants surrounded her, some holding seeds, some water and others idling, awaiting requests from her. This woman currently led the harem was the previous empress, and had up to a hundred servants under her command in Plum Blossom palace.

Consort Wang was nostalgic. This could be considered her future. Overflow of attendants and living in the most beautiful palace, the Phoenix palace.

"Consort Wang greets, Her Royal Highness, Dowager Empress Wang."

Consort Wang's retinue echoed her greetings, "Greetings to Her Royal Highness." They all folded their hands on their stomach, curtsying, while their heads bowed.

"No need for formalities," the Dowager Empress had changed from the formal robes she wore early morning when they had their usual Inner Court morning meeting. All the harem women, except the seniors, Grand Consort Shu and Grand Dowager Empress Wu were to come together at the Plum Blossom palace in the dragon hour(7am-9am) every day. In the meetings, Dowager Empress made announcements, solved grievances and concerns, and taught the women.

"How is the emperor, Consort Wang?"

Dowager Empress Wang's relationship with the emperor was non-existent. They only met in public for show.

"He attended his first morning-court today," Consort Wang reported.

It was to humour people and scorn the Dowager Empress when the dragon named Dowager Empress Wang's palace, Plum Blossom. Plums grow in winter, and the fragrance of the flower comes from bitterness and coldness. People speculated that he chose the name to define the state of their relationship or where the woman was headed in the future, isolation in the cold Frost palace.

"Is that so? I wonder how he started to recover so easily. One day he was near death and the next, he could eat and sit."

Consort Wang didn't know either.

At her silence, the elderly woman added, "He still will not see you?"

Ever since the night Princess Yang Liu caused a ruckus, she was not permitted to enter the Dragon Palace. All the reports came through the questioning of Eunuch Nam or Court Lady Nam.

Dowager Empress Wang was always direct. "If he still will not see you, then what is the difference between you and me?"

"Your Royal Highness, this servant is sorry."

"Leave it." The Dowager Empress dug a hole for her seeds. "Just concentrate on gaining favour again as a backup plan." Her gold pins rattled against each other as she speared the ground.

"What does Her Royal Highness mean?"

Dowager Empress Wang waved her hand and all the attendants dispersed, leaving them alone with their court ladies only. "Since you are useless. I shall focus on my daughter."

Princess Yang Liu was invariably a prince in the woman's eyes, what changed for the Dowager Empress to consider her a woman?

"That is true. Nothing better than to grow a bond between mother and daughter."

"Yes. Especially at a time like this." She sprinkled her seeds into a few holes, before covering them. "Yang Liu loves General Feng and like any man, General Feng may have the same feelings."