Chapter 175 – The Concubine’s Counterattack: The Most Favored Empress – A Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Who Share the Same Misery (05)
Although everyone was eager to find out what method Bai Tang—who had suddenly appeared midway—used to captivate the emperor so thoroughly, to the point where he secretly kept him in his own palace residence and shielded him from the outside world. Apart from the imperial physicians and a few relevant personnel, no one else was allowed to catch even a glimpse.
First there was Ma Aoshan, now there’s Bai Tang—one favored by the Empress Dowager, the other by the Emperor himself. What chances were left for the rest of the palace maids who had worked so hard to study palace etiquette, waiting for their titles?
Though everyone in the Palace of Cultivated Elegance (Chuxiu Palace) was practically tearing their handkerchiefs in jealousy, they couldn’t reach into Luo Dai’s Chengan Hall. Let alone spying—even just trying to bribe the palace staff going in and out of Chengan Hall for information would lead to immediate consequences. Luo Dai would find out right away, and the offender would be thrown out of the palace. From then on, no girl from that family would ever be eligible for palace selection again. It was essentially cutting off a whole family’s future prospects.
“Sigh, let’s just hope that whoever is living in Chengan Hall now is easy to get along with,” the young palace women sighed.
With the Emperor protecting him like this, Bai Tang was surely a high-ranking consort. He might even end up managing the inner palace.
Some of them had more calculating thoughts. The whole world knew the Emperor was filial toward the Empress Dowager. But how would Bai Tang get along with Ma Aoshan? In their first clash, Bai Tang lost and ended up in the Cold Palace. In the second, Ma Aoshan lost and was sent to the Buddhist Hall. What about the next time?
They were just waiting for the snipe and the clam to fight, so the fisherman could reap the reward.
Bai Tang, buoyed by Luo Dai’s promise and surrounded by the best imperial doctors the world could offer, was recovering swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.
That day, Bai Tang woke early. Luo Dai had already left for morning court.
With Luo Dai’s affection, Bai Tang quickly regained his cheerful and energetic personality. After being cooped up in the palace for so long, he was feeling restless and wanted to go out for a walk.
After finishing his breakfast and taking his medicine, he refused to let a large group of palace maids and eunuchs follow him. Hugging his little husky, he left Chengan Hall.
Xiao Fangzi had been assigned by Luo Dai to care for Bai Tang. Seeing Bai Tang heading toward the Imperial Garden, he tried to dissuade him but failed. Left with no choice, he followed at a distance with a few attendants to ensure Bai Tang’s safety.
When they arrived at the Imperial Garden, the system (in husky form) wriggled free to run joyfully through the flowerbeds.
“Woof woof woof…” Tang tang, over here! That pavilion is where I got the pastries.
Bai Tang sat briefly in the pavilion the system had pointed out, but quickly grew bored—there was nothing interesting to see in the bare Imperial Garden. He figured he might as well walk around a bit more.
So, he got up and headed in the direction of the Plum Blossom Garden.
The entire courtyard was filled with blooming plum blossoms. A faint fragrance drifted through the cold wind and reached Bai Tang’s nose.
He felt refreshed, both in body and mind, and his spirits lifted.
As he looked at the well-grown trees, he suddenly had the impulse to climb one and sway on the branches.
Bai Tang: …I’m not a squirrel. Why would I have that kind of thought?
Xiao Fangzi and the others, seeing that Bai Tang was only walking within the inner palace and not heading toward the front court, finally relaxed.
From their observations, the young master Bai Tang was very easy to get along with. Lively and cheerful, he always made the emperor laugh, and never barked orders at the palace staff. Naturally, they liked having a master like him.
“Ah—ow~”
A faint, delicate female voice drifted to Bai Tang’s ears. Xiao Fangzi and the others, trailing from a distance, didn’t hear it—but Bai Tang, with his sharp hearing, did.
He walked toward the sound, rounded a thick plum blossom tree, and saw a richly dressed woman who had fallen to the ground.
Bai Tang quickly rushed over and helped her up. “Madam, are you alright?”
As people age, they tend to suffer from insomnia. Lately, the Empress Dowager had often been reminded of the late emperor, so she’d come out alone to stroll through his favorite Plum Blossom Garden. She hadn’t brought any attendants.
Unfortunately, with the weather starting to warm, some of the snow on the ground had begun to melt, making the path slippery. She slipped and fell, and was now regretting not bringing anyone with her. Since few people visited the Plum Garden, she could only wait until someone from Cishou Palace noticed her absence and came to look for her.
“My… my ankle. I think I twisted it,” the Empress Dowager said, letting Bai Tang help her to a nearby stone bench.
She looked up—the view was filled with plum blossoms but not a single person in sight. A trace of worry appeared on her face.
“Um, Madam, please wait here just a moment. I’ll go get help. Please don’t wander off, okay?”
The boy’s soft and sweet voice carried a gentle warmth that made people feel instantly at ease.
Although the Empress Dowager didn’t know who the young man was, she was at least relieved that someone had found her—she wouldn’t have to wait half the day in the Plum Garden. A smile appeared on her face.
“Good child, go slowly—be careful not to fall.”
“Okay, I got it,” Bai Tang replied. Seeing that her clothes were wet, he took off his own cloak and draped it over her shoulders.
“Madam, please don’t go running off, alright~”
Still worried, Bai Tang gave her a few more reminders before going off to find help.
Xiao Fangzi and the others knew Bai Tang didn’t like being followed. When he entered the Plum Garden, they weren’t concerned since there was only one path in and out. They waited at the entrance, afraid he’d notice them. However, to their surprise, Bai Tang came back out rather quickly—and he looked a bit anxious.
They didn’t manage to hide in time and ended up bumping right into him.
“Eunuch Xiao Fangzi… Eunuch…” the boy called out between breaths as he ran out.
Xiao Fangzi noticed Bai Tang’s cloak was missing and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He feared something might have happened to him.
“Young Master, what’s wrong? What happened?” he asked urgently.
He looked Bai Tang up and down. If anything had happened to him, wouldn’t the emperor skin him alive?
“No, I’m fine. There’s a lady inside who fell—go, go check on her quickly!”
Bai Tang’s health wasn’t the best, and now he’d caught a chill. His throat was sore and his voice slightly hoarse.
In the imperial palace, people without status or rank were not allowed to wander freely. Even the palace maidens needed the Empress Dowager’s permission to visit the Imperial Garden, and had to be accompanied by the supervising matrons of Chuxiu Palace.
Xiao Fangzi’s expression turned serious. Since the palace maidens hadn’t yet received titles, the woman inside must be one of the late emperor’s former concubines.
Bai Tang was worried that it wouldn’t be good for the woman’s injury if she stayed out too long, so he refused Xiao Fangzi’s offer to go alone and instead led the group back to where the Empress Dowager had fallen.
“Madam, are you alright? I brought help.”
Bai Tang ran up to the Empress Dowager, his face full of worry as he looked at her pale complexion.
“Your servant greets the Empress Dowager!” Xiao Fangzi immediately recognized her—how could he not?—and the entire group dropped to their knees at once.
Bai Tang, however, was still a little dazed.
That lady… is the Empress Dowager?
He had never met the Empress Dowager before, and she had never seen Bai Tang either—naturally, they didn’t recognize each other.
Xiao Fangzi ordered someone to bring the Empress Dowager’s phoenix palanquin and sent another person to the Imperial Medical Bureau to summon an imperial physician.
The Empress Dowager leaned on Bai Tang’s arm to get into the palanquin. When they returned to Cishou Palace, they found the palace in chaos—the attendants were panicking because she had gone missing. Upon seeing her return, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Empress Dowager…”
“Your Majesty…”
Granny Jin had gone out to coordinate with the guards to search for the Empress Dowager, leaving only second- and third-rank maids behind in the palace.
Although the palace staff clearly cared about her, Bai Tang found their chatter noisy and overwhelming. Seeing that the Empress Dowager’s face didn’t look well either, he grew irritated.
“What are you all shouting for? Quiet down. Do what you’re supposed to do.”
Although young, Bai Tang’s soft voice carried an unexpected air of authority. The palace maids immediately fell silent. Even the Empress Dowager’s expression eased, and with the noise gone, her headache also lifted.
When Luo Dai heard from the servants that the Empress Dowager had injured herself in the Plum Garden, he rushed straight to Cishou Palace after court.
Upon entering the inner chamber, he immediately saw Bai Tang sitting at the Empress Dowager’s bedside. The two were chatting and laughing together, the atmosphere light and cheerful.
“A Dai~”
When Bai Tang saw Luo Dai, he called out happily, but suddenly remembered the Empress Dowager was still beside him. She was Luo Dai’s mother—would she think he was being disrespectful and start to dislike him?
Bai Tang cautiously glanced at the Empress Dowager, only to find her smiling gently, not angry at all.
“E-Empress Dowager… H-His Majesty is here.”
Having called him “A Dai” for two months, it was hard to suddenly switch. Strangely, Bai Tang found that everything before these past two months felt blurry, while every day he’d spent in Chengan Palace was vivid in his memory.
But how could the Empress Dowager hold a grudge over a simple form of address? She patted Bai Tang’s hand to show she wasn’t upset.
Truth be told, he had saved her life—how could she demand so much from him? Besides, etiquette could be learned; what mattered most was good character.
“Your son greets Mother.” Luo Dai bowed respectfully.
“Rise, rise. You’re back from court so early today.”
“There were no major matters today. I heard you were injured in the Plum Garden—are you alright?”
The Empress Dowager was quite pleased by Luo Dai’s concern.
“It’s nothing serious, just twisted my ankle. The imperial physicians are being overly dramatic.”
“It’s all thanks to this young man…” The Empress Dowager paused—she still didn’t know the boy’s name.
“Bai Tang,” Luo Dai supplied.
“Thanks to Bai Tang passing by, I didn’t have to keep freezing in the Plum Garden,” the Empress Dowager said warmly, clearly very pleased with him.
“Empress Dowager~” Bai Tang smiled. His once thin cheeks had gained a bit of roundness thanks to Luo Dai’s care, and two soft dimples appeared at the corners of his lips—utterly adorable.
The Empress Dowager felt her heart skip a beat. So this is the infamous Bai Tang everyone’s been talking about?!
She gave the boy a once-over. His features were striking, but his eyes were clear and innocent—it was easy to see he had a pure heart. All those scandalous rumors… perhaps they’d been a misunderstanding.
“Tang Tang, is your health better now?” she asked kindly.
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was still fond and affectionate toward him, Bai Tang beamed.
“I’m all better now! I don’t even need to drink medicine anymore!”
“No way,” Luo Dai interjected, showing no hesitation in revealing his fondness for Bai Tang right in front of the Empress Dowager.
“The imperial physician said you still need to take medicinal tea for another half a month. Don’t think sweet-talking the Empress Dowager means you can skip your medicine.”
He gave Bai Tang’s little nose a playful pinch.
“Mmm~ But I didn’t even cough today! Just ask Eunuch Xiao Fangzi if you don’t believe me…” Bai Tang pouted in protest.
“You little rascal, daring to talk back, huh…”
“Well, A Dai was being unreasonable, so of course I’ll talk back…”
The two started bickering playfully, completely forgetting that the Empress Dowager was right beside them. Their interactions were so affectionate, it bordered on flirtatious.
The Empress Dowager gave a light cough from the side. “Ahem, ahem~” These youngsters these days… Can’t they tone it down a little? Are they trying to rub it in to this single old lady?
“Empress Dowager~ A Dai’s being mean to me…” Bai Tang immediately sought backup, grabbing her hand and acting spoiled.
Her heart melted under his affectionate whining, and whatever prejudices she might’ve had toward him vanished without a trace.
“Alright, alright, no need to drink it,” she said indulgently.
Truth be told, the Empress Dowager hated taking medicine too. If she could avoid it, she would—so she totally understood Bai Tang’s aversion to bitter herbal teas.
However…
When the servants brought out two bowls of bitter-smelling medicinal tea and placed them in front of them, both Bai Tang and the Empress Dowager instinctively took two steps back at the exact same time.
Luo Dai, still smiling, said, “Mother, Tang Tang, time for your medicine.”
The Empress Dowager and Bai Tang looked at each other, then at Luo Dai’s unyielding smile. Under his tyrannical glare, they reluctantly picked up their respective bowls, pinched their noses, and drank the bitter tea—tears welling in their eyes.
Author’s Note:
Bai Tang: Empress Dowager ah~
Empress Dowager: Tang Tang ah~
Both in unison: Our lives are so bitter!
Luo Dai (the wicked witch): Mother, Tang Tang, time to drink your medicine!