this summer day in the Capital City, it has already turned cold in the evening, in the elegantly beautiful imperial garden, even the air carries a sweet scent of fragrant grass. Right now the palace lanterns are hung high, the already extraordinary scenery of the garden in the morning, because of the lighting, has an additional touch of enjoyable fun within peaceful seclusion, and above the crystal clear pond, the water sparkles under the lighting of the palace lanterns, a beautiful atmosphere like a fantasy has been formed within this entire garden.
The palace maids are either holding the lanterns, or carrying plates, or respectfully standing there, shuttling around the imperial garden, serving every women of noble status within the courtyard, by the thicket of trees, sat at the stone table inside the jade veranda, light chuckles and shallow frowns, smooth and pleasant speech[1], everywhere is overflowing with the cheerful chatting and laughter of women.
“Lady Consort Li, I see that you’ve been dazing off here the entire time, what are you thinking?” Thin robes exposing her shoulders, the speaker has an enchanting figure, extremely charming, her speech full of smiles as she approaches the beauty in a palace outfit, sitting by the pond.
Consort Li docilely raises her head, seeing the approaching person, she slowly stands, greeting: “So it’s [Older] Sister Consort Yin ah, I only feel that this pond looks particularly beautiful at night, thus lost in admiration.”
Sounding a few laughs, Consort Yin shows a look of awareness: “This pond indeed holds a different charm during night, but Consort Li……is not actually infatuated with the scenery of this pond right?”
“Sister must be joking.”
“Whether I am joking or not, Consort Li knows very well in your own heart, your mood, is it not the same as everyone else within this back palace?” Consort Yin is plain-spoken and straightforward, whatever she thinks she would immediately blurt out, she sends Consort Li an eye signal, the corner of her lips casting towards the side, pointing towards the person stood in the heart of the garden.
Consort Li follows her in looking, eyes also darkening, her original look of gentle grace, actually carrying a trace of distortion, a sort of resentment silently diffusing into the open air.
His majesty the Emperor once said: Obtaining the world is not the highest point of my life, obtaining Consort Ying has completed my lifelong aspiration.
Using those words to sum up Consort Ying’s doted situation is not at all an exaggeration. Ever since Consort Ying entered the palace, the Emperor’s eyes no longer held other people, towards the usual consorts this is natural, but even the Empress is not an exception.
“Such beauty like that, even the heavens and earth will be overshadowed by it ah.” Consort Yin says, with both envy and jealousy, her tone ceasing to be relaxed, and instead every word deep and heavy.
Consort Li does not say anything after her, absentmindedly looking ahead. Consort Ying sits by the stone table, at the same table, other than the Empress, there are also a few women of the senior official families, and right now, all eyes seems to be set on Consort Ying alone, such glory equal to that of heaven and earth, making the other people on the table dejectedly overshadowed, the women in the entire garden are all put to shame.