Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 137
by Little PandaThe Empress Dowager Refuses
That morning, Wan Bi had indeed gone to Qianqing Palace. She’d only been putting on a show for Yao Xi’s benefit, so the girl wouldn’t feel guilty about delaying her business. As it happened, after the morning court session ended, the Emperor hadn’t returned to Qianqing Palace. She couldn’t be bothered to ask where he’d gone — didn’t even stay for a sip of tea — and hurried back with her retinue, wanting to return early to look after Yao Xi.
Yet when she was only a dozen zhang1 or so from the gate of Longyi Palace, Wan Bi watched with her own eyes as Yao Xi struggled onto a carriage headed out of the palace. The clumsy way Yao Xi hauled herself up, hands and feet both enlisted — the pain in her body clearly wasn’t faked. Yet even in this state, she still wanted to leave the palace… A nameless emotion surged through Wan Bi, and a large part of it was guilt.
Yao Xi was confined to the palace because of her.
Wan Bi desperately wanted to see with her own eyes what Yao Xi was like beyond the palace walls — whether she was truly as deliriously joyful as a caged bird set free. But she didn’t rush after her in a carriage. She could simply ask any eunuch who’d accompanied Yao Xi outside before, and they’d know where the teahouse was.
After returning to the palace and changing into her disguise, Wan Bi headed straight for the teahouse. She even arrived a step ahead of Yao Xi. When she first entered, it wasn’t particularly busy — plenty of empty seats still. Shortly after, Yao Xi arrived too. A man leapt excitedly to his feet to greet her, and the teahouse patrons craned their necks toward the entrance, whispering about Yao Xi.
“Is it really Young Master Wan?”
“Looks like it. Didn’t wait for nothing after all.”
“He’s so handsome~” A young woman turned to instruct the maid behind her: “Xing’er, hurry to the flower shop and buy a flower basket. We’ll present it to Young Master Wan after he finishes his story.”
Wan Bi cast a cool glance at the young woman who’d spoken, mildly displeased. Her gaze shifted back to the entrance — Yao Xi had already been ushered up onto the stage by a cluster of admirers. After a few shouts of “Young Master Wan Xi is here!”, the teahouse grew ever more crowded. Wan Bi, dressed in plain cloth clothes, was quickly swallowed by the sea of people, while Yao Xi stood on the stage, luminous and striking.
Yao Xi chatted amiably with the front-row patrons, her bearing confident and unhurried — where was the slightest trace of the submissive little eunuch from the palace?
In that instant, proud as she was, Wan Bi actually felt a pang of loss. When people in the palace spoke of Yao Xi, they said “Eunuch Yao, at the Empress Dowager’s side.” As the Empress Dowager, she was always the center of attention the moment she appeared, and in others’ eyes Yao Xi was merely her accessory. But here and now, Yao Xi was the center. And she? Strip away the title of Empress Dowager, and it seemed she was nothing at all.
In this teahouse, no one had the leisure to spare a glance for the drab, heavily bearded man she was disguised as. Everyone was watching Yao Xi.
She sat in the crowd, eyes fixed unblinking on Yao Xi — a neglected bystander, watching the crowd’s adulation pour over Yao Xi, watching the sweetly smiling Tao Xiaolin mount the stage to serve Yao Xi tea. She didn’t actually recognize Tao Xiaolin, never having seen her without theatrical makeup, but someone in the crowd did.
Tao Xiaolin was, after all, a celebrated performer renowned throughout the capital. Even those who hadn’t seen her in person had heard the name. The crowd fell to chatting about her, every remark brimming with praise. What was so great about Tao Xiaolin? Hmph!
Someone noticed Yao Xi and Tao Xiaolin chatting at length like old acquaintances and couldn’t resist speculating.
“Miss Tao just bought this teahouse and declared that Young Master Wan, who’d stopped telling stories, was coming back. Obviously he’s here to support her!”
“No kidding. And Miss Tao is famous for selling her art, not her smiles. They say even after becoming a star performer, she took plenty of beatings for refusing to ingratiate herself with men. But look at how she smiles at Young Master Wan — that’s genuine affection right there! Tsk tsk. Those two definitely have something going on!”
“A talented young man and a beautiful young woman — not a bad match at all.”
Bah! Wan Bi listened to the crowd’s gossip and spat inwardly. As if Tao Xiaolin was worthy!
As the rumors swirled, Wan Bi’s sense of loss grew heavier and heavier. Just then, Yao Xi looked her way — and recognized her at a glance. Yao Xi’s expression grew flustered, her feet shuffling slightly as though she wanted to rush over.
The grievance and disappointment in Wan Bi’s heart scattered at that single look. Everyone was watching Yao Xi, but Yao Xi was watching only her — from the moment of recognition, her gaze never drifted. Wan Bi even felt a swell of pride. So many people adored Yao Xi, yet the one Yao Xi loved was her.
She smiled tenderly at Yao Xi and deliberately lowered her voice to a masculine register. “Everyone’s waiting for Young Master Wan to tell his story! Please, go ahead!” This Yao Xi before her eyes was somewhat unfamiliar — and yet it made her love deeper still.
Yao Xi had no choice but to sit down, heart pounding. Since the Empress Dowager had spoken, she’d better perform today. It would give the patrons who’d rushed over a proper show, and it would also prove that she had nothing to hide where Miss Tao was concerned.
Sometimes excessive avoidance only made one look guilty. If she dodged Miss Tao at every turn, with the Empress Dowager’s jealous brain circuit2, she’d surely conclude that Miss Tao held some extraordinary place in her heart.
One extraordinary woman in her heart was enough — the Empress Dowager alone. As for everyone else, male or female, old or young, she’d treat them all with the same ordinary regard. After meeting the Empress Dowager, other people truly were just people to her. It was only the characters Miss Tao portrayed on stage that made her helplessly giddy. Toward Miss Tao herself, she had no special feelings whatsoever. Their first meeting had been disappointment tinged with heartache.
After steadying her emotions, Yao Xi began her storytelling.
She kept her gaze fixed on the Empress Dowager the entire time, as though the story were meant for her ears alone. Wan Bi held Yao Xi’s stare, and in the instant their eyes met, the crowd around them vanished. In each other’s eyes, there was only the other.
Wan Bi didn’t hear a single word of what Yao Xi was saying. She watched her silently the whole way through, a smile lingering at the corners of her eyes. When a short segment came to an end, Yao Xi rose and bowed to the audience. “Thank you all for coming out to support me.”
“Will Young Master Wan be coming again tomorrow?” The young master in purple, seated in the front row, stood to ask.
Yao Xi looked toward the Empress Dowager.
Wan Bi gave a faint nod. She could tell — Yao Xi genuinely enjoyed this. As for the eyesore that was Tao Xiaolin? Heh.
Yao Xi, however, had no intention of returning. She wasn’t thick-skinned enough for that. No matter how clear her conscience, she couldn’t perform storytelling in Miss Tao’s teahouse while disregarding the Empress Dowager’s feelings. She’d either find another venue or stop altogether. Either way, Miss Tao’s teahouse was off-limits from now on.
Yao Xi was still wondering how to answer the young master in purple when Tao Xiaolin walked onto the stage and offered her a towel soaked in hot water. “Young Master Wan, if it’s convenient, would you stay for lunch here? I haven’t properly thanked you yet. That day at…” Tao Xiaolin paused, feeling it inappropriate to mention the palace in public, and changed course mid-sentence. “I’m a guarded person, and I was rather rude to you that day. Please give me the chance to make amends.”
“I appreciate your kindness, miss, but I need to get back for my duties… you understand how it is. Mm?” Inwardly, Yao Xi was begging, pleading, howling — please, Miss Tao, have mercy and let me go. Stop talking to me. The Empress Dowager was watching from not far away!
Tao Xiaolin nodded with evident regret and lowered her voice. “Then might I ask you to step aside for a private word? It’ll only take a moment.”
Yao Xi wanted to weep. A private word? Even less acceptable! Miss Tao, oh Miss Tao — we’ve no grudge between us, near or far. I even helped you out. Are you here to repay a kindness or take revenge?!
“I truly have matters to attend to, miss. Whatever you have to say, we can discuss another day.” Yao Xi refused directly and without hesitation, even taking two steps back to maintain a firm distance from Miss Tao. After speaking, she glanced toward the Empress Dowager — but unfortunately, now that the story was over, many patrons had risen to their feet, and the Empress Dowager was completely blocked from view. She couldn’t read her expression at all.
Perhaps the Empress Dowager couldn’t see her either? “Just say whatever you need to say, miss.” Yao Xi stepped back a little farther from the front-row patrons and addressed Tao Xiaolin.
Tao Xiaolin hurried after her and spoke up over the noise offstage. “This teahouse was bought with your silver in the first place, and because you tell stories here, business has been especially good. What I mean is — let me manage the teahouse on your behalf, and we split the profits fifty-fifty…” Tao Xiaolin looked a little embarrassed.
“I know the silver to buy the teahouse was all yours, and the customers come for you. Asking for an equal split really is too much. But I still owe the former manager silver, and treating my junior sister3‘s leg ailment will cost a fair amount too…” Tao Xiaolin hung her head, full of apology.
“No, no need.” Yao Xi was startled. Miss Tao was truly an honest soul, unwilling to accept a favor for nothing. But how could she have the nerve to pocket half of the silver Miss Tao worked so hard to earn? “I don’t have much use for silver anyway. If I can help you, that’s enough. Please don’t give that small sum another thought, truly.”
Right now, every bit of silver she earned was meant to be handed over to the Empress Dowager. But if she took Miss Tao’s silver and immediately passed it to the Empress Dowager… ha, she’d have to be a fool to do that! “Miss Tao, I really must go.”
Yao Xi fled off the stage — only to be intercepted by the young master in purple, who hadn’t gotten his answer. “Will Young Master Wan be coming tomorrow?”
“Young Master Wan will of course be coming.” Wan Bi had appeared at the foot of the stage without anyone noticing.
Yao Xi pressed her lips together, unsure how to object. The Empress Dowager’s words were an imperial decree. In private, she and Her Highness could do as they pleased, but right now, more than a few Ning’an Palace eunuchs were disguised among the crowd. She couldn’t publicly defy Her Highness’s dignity — that would be insubordination. “Mm, mm. I’ll come.”
As Yao Xi descended from the stage, a swarm of young women surged forward, pressing in so tight around her that not a drop of water could have squeezed through. Some stuffed handkerchiefs into her hands, some pressed flowers on her, and a few seized the chance to cop a feel. Yao Xi herself didn’t mind, but she was terrified the surging mob might injure the Empress Dowager. She desperately wanted to fold Her Highness into her arms and escort her out — but that full beard on the Empress Dowager’s face… it would take genuine courage to make that move!
Wan Bi was jostled into fury by the crush of bodies. These wicked commoners!
“Ah—!” Someone stepped on Wan Bi’s foot, and then another person accidentally tripped her. She toppled forward into the crowd.
The eunuchs saw the Empress Dowager go down and brutally shoved through the crowd to reach her, but their aggressive manner only inflamed the mob further. A knot of hot-tempered men got into a shoving match with the eunuchs.
Though Yao Xi was boxed in by a wall of bodies, she could still see the Empress Dowager. Her Highness was of standard goddess height, and the ones surrounding her were all petite, delicate young women. Yao Xi watched with her own eyes as the Empress Dowager cried out and fell. Then the guards tried to force their way through, clashed with the crowd, and the panicked throng dissolved into chaos.
Yao Xi’s heart seized. Stampedes were most liable to happen in exactly this kind of chaos. She abandoned all thought of propriety and hurled herself through the wall of people, scouring the ground for the Empress Dowager.
Her Highness… Yao Xi spotted her at a glance — and nearly laughed out loud. Pfft! Her Highness really was a smart baby4 — the moment she fell, she’d ducked right under a table, so no one could trample her. Safe, certainly. But the grand Empress Dowager of Daxing, hunched over and hiding beneath a table — it was hilarious no matter how you looked at it!
Yao Xi walked over, took the Empress Dowager’s hand, and pulled her out. Then, heedless of every stare in the room, she wrapped the heavily bearded Her Highness in her arms, one hand shielding Her Highness’s head, and called out at the top of her lungs, “Excuse me — coming through!” She knew full well that someone presenting as male, publicly embracing another supposed male, would set off a firestorm of gossip. But next to the Empress Dowager’s safety, nothing else mattered.
A few young girls who’d been pining for Yao Xi heartbrokenly threw away the flowers in their hands.
“Is Young Master Wan…”
“Looks like it.”
“What a… unique taste.”
“Unique? That’s just blind!”
Footnotes
- A traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately 3.3 meters or about 11 feet.
- Modern Chinese slang for a person's particular way of thinking or mental processing.
- In Chinese performing arts and martial arts traditions, a fellow disciple who entered the troupe or school later than oneself.
- Modern Chinese internet slang for someone clever or quick-witted; a playful term of endearment.
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