The Vicious Supporting Villainess’s Chronicle of Serving Pleasure (Historical 1v1, H) - Chapter 10

As the Duke Protector’s heir, Qi Yan frequently attended palace banquets; he was naturally familiar with the current empress Shen Chiying’s ways.

In his eyes, the empress had nothing to recommend her but her beauty.

She was flashy and overbearing, reeking of small-house pettiness at every turn. Even her most presentable trait—her looks—was made vulgar beyond bearing by excessive lushness and gaudy allure.

By contrast, her elder sister, Princess Duanhui, Shen Wanhua—brilliant in talent, serene in bearing—showed the poise of a great household in every word and deed. That was the true gravitas befitting a mother of the realm.

“Qi Mingzhan.” Huan Jin suddenly lifted his gaze to him, voice quenched in ice. “You overstep.”

He knew perfectly well Shen Chiying had many faults. That did not mean he permitted others to speak of his empress as they pleased.

Qi Yan was unconcerned. His fingertip flicked the embroidered-spring sabre at his waist with a clear ring. “It was a misstep in speech, Your Majesty. Only—seeing the princess waiting under the scorching sun, I felt a moment’s—”

Before he finished, the tramp of footsteps sounded outside—the Duke Protector and others had arrived, and the topic broke off.

At the same time, within the Qianqing Palace—

Shen Chiying hastily straightened her disordered lapels and called urgently for an eunuch. “Go tell Princess Duanhui that His Majesty is busy with affairs of state today and orders her to withdraw for now.”

She paused, then added, “Prepare the palanquin. Have my maids come in to attend me. I’m returning to Kunning Palace.”

“This slave will see it done at once.” The young eunuch bowed and was about to withdraw when his eye, by chance, fell on the ambiguous red marks at the empress’s neck; his expression turned flurried at once.

Sensing his look, Shen Chiying was about to anger—then a spark flickered in her mind.

“Stay. Announce Princess Duanhui in. I will see her.”

With that, she reclined on the couch again, lounging against the cool jade pillow. She lifted a hand to wipe away sweat. “Most of the ice basins have melted. Bring in new ones.”

The young eunuch blinked, not understanding the empress’s change of mind, but hurried to answer, “Yes.”

A moment later, the hall doors opened. Several eunuchs carried in ice basins, tiptoeing around the red-lacquered floor screen; Shen Wanhua followed close behind.

The basins breathed chill into the air; the moment they were set down, the temperature dropped sharply, pleasingly cool.

Shen Wanhua lowered her eyes and bent her knees in a graceful curtsey. “This subject-daughter greets Your Majesty the Empress.”

At first she had not known her concubine-born sister was in the hall; otherwise she would not have rashly sought audience.

“No need for ceremony, Elder Sister—be seated,” Shen Chiying said with feigned warmth. “You must have been waiting long outside just now? His Majesty is to blame—always tugging on me…”

She pretended shyness and broke off, then, as if by accident, tugged at her hem to expose the mottled red marks the man had left on her neck and chest.

The more she put on a show, the less Shen Wanhua believed it. In her heart, she sneered at the clumsy acting.

“In reply to Your Majesty, this subject-daughter did not wait long. I only feared disturbing His Majesty and Your Majesty,” Shen Wanhua said without a change of face.

Seeing the other unmoved, Shen Chiying blinked in surprise, then gathered her clothes back together in chagrin.

“By the way, for what matter has Elder Sister come?” Shen Chiying forced a smile. “His Majesty is busy with affairs. Why not tell me first, and when night falls—”

She paused on purpose. “When His Majesty returns to Kunning Palace, I will certainly convey it.”

Shen Wanhua had already prepared her words outside the hall. Her long lashes trembled. “The Dragon Boat Festival approaches. The Empress Dowager wishes to host a banquet at the Fragrant Islet Pavilion, and has sent this subject-daughter to inquire.”

It was a flawless excuse—the Empress Dowager Yu had personally raised the Princess Royal of Fuyang in years past, and had always been fond of this niece.

Shen Chiying suspected nothing, but still asked, “For such a small matter, sending a palace person would suffice. Why trouble Elder Sister?”

“Perhaps Her Majesty the Empress Dowager fears a mistake if a subordinate passes the word,” Shen Wanhua answered, unruffled.

“Oh.” Shen Chiying made a sound, gloom swelling in her chest.

She picked up a slice of cloud-pastry and ate it slowly, her gaze frankly roving over the legitimate sister before her.

Back then she had thought only of climbing to Huan Jin to escape a life of others’ bullying, assuming that a sister born to honor would not care if she stole such a small thing as a life-saving credit.

But Elder Sister not only cared—she loved Huan Jin deeply…

Now she was riding a tiger and could not dismount.

Back in Kunning Palace, Shen Chiying sat straight before the dressing table, letting her maids remove her hairpins and ornaments. The bronze mirror reflected a face of shifting sun and shade.

“Tell me…” she said suddenly, voice low. “Is there a way to keep Elder Sister from ever seeing His Majesty again?”

Silence snapped through the hall. Feicui and Coral looked at each other; the jade comb in their hands fell with a clack.

“Your Majesty…” Coral mustered her courage, voice trembling. “Princess Duanhui is, after all, a princess personally ennobled by His Majesty, and the Princess Royal’s daughter. You…”

Shen Chiying frowned at the fear in their reflections. “What are you flustering about? I never said to take her life—I merely don’t want her meeting His Majesty.”

For all her rank as empress, Shen Chiying had no maidservant who had accompanied her since childhood to serve as a true confidante.

Feicui was an old hand from the Prince of Xin’s residence; Coral and the several dozen others at Kunning Palace had all been assigned by the Inner Court to serve her.

In the chapbook, the two of them were loyal to her unto death, willing to do dirty work for her—thus she felt easy discussing countermeasures with them.

After a while, Feicui ventured, “Why not have the princess married far from the capital?”

Shen Chiying went stock-still, as if a ladle of clarity had poured down on her.

In the book she’d spent her days framing her legitimate sister, making chaos of everything; how had she never once thought in this direction?

Because of the northwest rebellion, the emperor did not stay at Kunning Palace for several nights in a row.

That night, clouds smothered the moon. Lightning split and thunder rolled; the rain thickened to a downpour at last, driving off the summer’s stifling heat.

Working late into the night, Huan Jin dismissed all attendants and returned to his bedchamber. His gaze cut sharp when he saw the quilt on the bed clearly risen in a mound.