His Majesty And I ✔️

Fireflies

Chapter 42

Imperial Concubine Wei
Wei Li Lian
Hougong

"My Lady, are you all right?" Ai helped her mistress climb the two stairs into her quarters.

"I can not believe they gathered there to just mock our lady! They are jealous that His Majesty was willing to compromise his duties since he is smitten by our lady." Dao grumbled. She was the one who knelt by her mistress during the one-hour kneeling punishment. Of course, most of Hougong came to watch them kneel as if they were there for a performance in a festival. It just proved they had nothing better to do.

"Leave it, Dao. Do you have to cry wolf all day upon this matter?" Li Lian sighed. When Dao was offended, it took her time to let go.

They entered the welcoming room, only to be greeted by an unwelcome visitor. All this time she had maintained her distance from Li Lian. Why did she come now?

"Noble Consort Qi, greetings." Li Lian started to curtsey.

"No, no. No need for formalities. Your knees must hurt." Noble Consort Qi seemed to be concerned. But whether that came from her heart, who would know?

"Thank you, but what has this lowly concubine done to deserve such a visit from Her Highness?"

"Come, sit. You have been through so much." Noble Consort Qi took Li Lian's arm and sat her on a small zabuton cushion. She took the main cushion that Li Lian normally sat on as the Lady of the Quarters but could not sit on when someone ranked higher than she was present, per the custom.

The cushions were a velvet red and Li Lian was the one who stitched and decorated them with an imprint of white snow lotuses.

"Your welcoming room is beautiful." Noble Consort Qi fiddled with her fingers. "I didn't see all these decorations in the previous quarters. And you just moved in, thus you haven't had much time to be sewing. Does this mean you made them for a place like this while still in the previous quarters? You knew that you would be promoted, didn't you?"

"This lady knows what she wants and what she is striving for. That's how a rising Phoenix must behave." Li Lian spoke proudly to irritate her. It had been a long day, she did not wish to entertain idle meaningless talk.

Noble Consort Qi seemed unaffected by the statement, no hint of jealousy, and basically no emotion except amusement. "I wish I could be as courageous as you." She looked around, her face taking on a layer of annoyance. "What is going on? No one has brought me tea and snacks. You don't respect me in this space?"

'Because we don't want you here. Leave, woman.' But Li Lian said, "Forgive this lady's lack of disciplining and teaching my servants well." She bowed her head so low it almost rested on her folded knees, then rising up, she sweetly smiled at Ai. "Have them prepare something, will you?"

"Yes, My Lady." Ai left to have the asked tea prepared.

Li Lian just stared at the Consort. Awkward silence and Li Lian was not worried to change that. She didn't care.

Noble Consort Qi scrutinised Li Lian. "Don't look at me like that. I did not come because I wanted to, this time."

"Then what brought Her Highness here?"

The Noble Consort shrugged. "His Majesty."

"Yuwen... His Majesty?"

"How fortunate of you, you even call him by name now?"

"Lapse of the tongue." Li Lian gained a tint of red.

"Well, yes he asked me to visit you often. He said it would be good if you had friends in Hougong, knowing that this place can be quite lonely. Who can you trust?"