The Empress Wears Gucci

68

        "Please step forward to receive your title!" I exclaimed, watching Hua Fa with eager eyes.

          After saying everything I needed to, and reading the scroll, I smiled at Hua Fa. This time, more genuine than I did with Bao Zhai. If anyone couldn't tell, I favoured Hua Fa. An empress would be deemed weird to favour her husband's consort, but who cares.

          With Bao Zhai, it was the total opposite. 

         I realised that this wasn't the best time to do anything crazy, so I relaxed. I needed to anyways. 

         It was still early in the morning and I wanted to sew myself a perfume satchel. I wasn't the best at sewing either, but at least it came together. Promotions weren't as common as before, but it's become very common. I wondered why I was doing this. I shouldn't be too lenient. 

        The Emperor chooses, but if I ever denied, I was sure he didn't mind. 

        Never did I ever get to bring up Chang Ying to the Emperor. Whatever they were talking about, wasn't that important because Chang Ying stayed to herself. I felt bad for her. Now, she was completely alone. I had her only friend turn against her. 

        That wasn't my fault, though. She did that to herself. Cursing me with a voodoo doll? Are you serious? I should've told the Emperor before it was too late to. 

          Who even thinks of that? Voodoo dolls? I hated that stuff, it gave me the chills. I should be hating Chang Ying even more but she still gave me more than what I gave her. At the end of the day, I won. She helped me in various ways, countless times and she barely benefitted from me. Well, she would've. 

         She was a very deceitful woman. I gave props to her because what she did, was extremely hard to pull off because I sense good people. I had mixed feelings about her.

       "Your Majesty..." one of my maids whispered to me. She walked up the steps and leaned towards me.

        Still sewing my sachet, I put the needle through and eyed it carefully. "Speak."

        "The Minister of Revenue... Minister Feng wants to speak to you," she looked anxious. "May I send him in?"

        I nodded, pursing my lips as I continued to sew my sachet. I stayed silent when the footsteps started getting louder. Even with my head down, my maids could sense my energy. I wasn't to be messed with right now.

        The scent from the sachet couldn't relax me. The man in front of me is someone that was going to be trouble. Bao Zhai and him, I didn't want to think too much of them but they're living rent-free in my head.

         "Joy and bliss to the Empress!" the Minister of Revenue kneeled and kowtowed. His voice irritated me too. I hated everything about him even before knowing him. The energy he radiated was bad.

         Without looking up, I continued to sew. "What is it?"

         "Empress, what are you up to?" he wasted no time either. His tone was rushed and immediate. We both know that we were up against each other, for no reason. 

        "I am sewing a sachet," I raised an eyebrow, now looking at him. "What do you mean by that question?"

         Minister Feng cleared his throat. "What are you doing? What is your motive? You're the Empress, but you stick your nose into everything outside of the harem."

          I tried to maintain my cool but I couldn't. Dropping the sachet, I glared at him angrily. Could I punish him? Execute him? Did I have the power to? Ugh. Why am I even asking the questions I know the answer to. 

          He had the nerve to come in here and act like I was the perpetrator of a crime. I was sure the Emperor didn't know he was here. Whatever he wanted, I wouldn't give it to him. Minister Feng was another person I'll have to remove. I swear by it. 

        With my silence being extremely uncomfortable to him, he started to speak again.

         "The officials want Imperial Noble Consort Lu," his eyes dulled. "Her father was a crooked criminal but you should at least step down from your title and give it to Her Grace."

        I don't know whether Chang Ying was paying them to say these things or not, but my blood was already boiling. My eunuchs waited near me, watching the scene play out. I didn't want to remain calm. This official can seriously get hurt. He was playing with fire.

        I scoffed. "There is nobody other than me that the Emperor wants as Empress."

        Chang Ying killed someone else's child. She killed the Emperor's firstborn son. How can these officials still choose her over me? I've brought unity to the harem, I've done everything I could to satisfy the Emperor. Except for actually satisfying him... but that's irrelevant right now.

         Everything I've done was to help the Wang dynasty. To see them demean me and discredit me was starting to anger me to the point where I can't handle this any longer. 

        "You're insulting me? You're standing before me, taunting me?" I asked, standing up to walk down to face him. Fear flashed before his eyes. 

        He quickly kowtowed. "Please forgive me, Empress! I only wanted to—"

        "Enough! You say one more thing and I'll get angrier," I shouted. My anger remained but I wasn't going to be irrational. Calm and steady. The Empress Dowager spoke with calmness in her voice, no matter how angry she was. "Get up."

         "Yes... Yes, Your Majesty..." Minister Feng quickly got up and looked at me. The hatred in his eyes, the tight-lipped expression... He wanted his daughter to prevail or something, didn't he? He didn't give a rat's ass about the Emperor. 

         I scoffed. "You want to know what my motive is?"

        He is Bao Zhai's father... To eliminate both of them, would be pleasant. I'm glad he came here to speak to me because now, eliminating them would be easier than I thought it'd be. It'll be like killing two birds with one stone.

        "You think a woman like me will ever try to take a man's power?" I questioned, pacing around still studying his face. 

        Minister Feng watched me carefully. A little too carefully.

         I let out a laugh. "You make me laugh! If you wish to see, polo is always a fun activity for me... Minister Feng, isn't it?"

         Widening my eyes, I turned to look at Li Shu. "I-I didn't... mean to say—"

        "Minister Feng, the Empress just enjoys polo! Her Majesty is very dedicated to watching polo as... the Emperor..." Li Shu panicked, and he was a great actor. His eyes darted from the floor and to the minister. 

        The Minister of Revenue looked at both of us, trying to hide the satisfaction on his face. There was a little tight smirk to the left of his lips. 

        His acting was not as good as mine. He nodded his head, trying to understand us. "Yes, Your Majesty. I understand... It was very disrespectful for me to assume..."

        "Yes. It is," I laughed nervously. "I-I think you should leave now."

       "Yes, I shall take my leave, Empress. Please forgive me." he bowed deeply, before rushing out with a wide smile on his face.

        What a weird interaction.

        I guess this was my opportunity. Li Shu watched me, he was trying to figure out what I was thinking. I was glad that I had smart people serving me. That was all. The polo game was coming up. In order to take him out, I'll have to plan something carefully. Right now, I only have one person I need to worry about.

        While I faced Li Shu, I had a big smile on my face. "Li Shu, I will reward you immediately. You are extremely quick on your feet."