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Half a month later, Empress Dowager Cixi summoned her to the palace. "Xizi, how do you feel about the palace?" Empress Dowager Cixi looked at Jingfen with a look of scrutiny in her eyes. "Very good." Jingfen blurted out, with a look of longing in her eyes. Jingfen understood the intrigues and schemes in the palace, but he was here. Wherever he was, that was the best place, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly unconsciously. Empress Dowager Cixi nodded approvingly: "You are worthy of being the Yehe Nara, Aunt will decide to make you the queen, okay?" Jingfen's heart was beating like a deer, she felt that her happiness was within reach, and her face was filled with excitement. "It's all up to the Empress Dowager." She knelt slightly to salute. It was a long time later that Jingfenrecalling the past and truly understood that sometimes, it is better to have no hope and longing for something than to be lonely for the rest of your life. In that way, she might not be so miserable. She frowned slightly, and a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes. The wedding ceremony was scheduled for the 27th day of the first lunar month in the 15th year of Guangxu Fourteenth Year. Just over a month before the wedding, a fire broke out in the tea warehouse of the Forbidden City. The fire was so fierce that it burned down the Hall of Supreme Harmony with the help of the wind. Empress Dowager Cixi, out of her love for Jingfen, would never allow anything unlucky to happen. She ordered the paper-painted craftsmen to work day and night, and before the wedding date, they temporarily built a paper-pasted Hall of Supreme Harmony that was so realistic that it looked gorgeous. The paper-pasted door looked extremely gorgeous. On the wedding day, the brightly lit welcoming procession slowly moved forward to the sound of drums and music. Jingfen in the phoenix carriage was surrounded by the imperial guards in front and behind, and it was several miles long. Stepping into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Jingfen repeatedly praised the paper-pasted door. She opened her eyes wide and looked at it curiously. But she didn't expect that from the moment she entered, her life would really be like this paper door, beautiful on the outside, but actually so fragile that it would break at the touch. Jingfen knelt on the yellow silk mattress in the hall, with a solemn expression, listening to the announcement and receiving the imperial decree. She lowered her head and listened quietly to the imperial decree of Aunt: "The daughter of Vice Governor Guixiang, the Yehe Nara, is selected. She is dignified and virtuous, and is appointed as the queen. Special decree." Tonight is her wedding night, but she waited until the red candle burned out on the ground, and the candle tears were like her broken heart. He slowly came in, his steps slow and heavy.
Zaitian lifted the veil, and Jingfen shyly lowered her head, her face reddening like a ripe apple.
The first words that came from Zaitian, who was enveloped in the scent of dragon's saliva, shocked Jingfen to her core: "The one I love is not you, so I will not be a good husband. In a few days, I will bring Huazhen into the palace."
" Huazhen? You like her? Then why don't you just marry her directly?"
Jingfen, usually gentle as water, nearly roared. Her eyes widened, filled with anger and grievance, her body trembling slightly.
"I cannot choose the Empress Dowager's decree, but I can choose not to touch you," Zaitian said before turning away without another glance, his sleeves swaying as he left, stirring up a gust of wind.
Jingfen lost track of how she spent that long night alone, for there had been too many days spent weeping until dawn—so many that she had long since lost count.
She lay on the bed, tears streaming down her face, soaking the pillow.
Before long, Zaitian insisted on marrying Huazhen, bestowing upon her the title of Consort Zhen.
Zaitian's heart and mind were filled entirely with Huazhen. Jingfen suddenly realized that her sisterly bond with Huazhen was completely severed. A hint of despair flickered in her eyes as she bit her lip.
She remembered many years ago when Huazhen had said, "Sister Xi is the best sister in the world."
She recalled their first meeting; at that time, she had fallen in love with him while he had loved Huazhen. Her eyes reddened, glistening with tears.
She resented Huazhen and hated her, yet little did she know that even without Huazhen, Zaitian would still not care for her.
He always regarded her as an informant placed by the Empress Dowager at his side. Although he nominally allowed her to govern, he still held onto his power behind the scenes.
One day, seeing that the weather was nice, Jingfen asked her maid Rumeng to take her cat to the Imperial Garden for some fresh air. Rumeng cradled the cat and walked lightly.
Just as Rumeng set the cat down by the flowerbed, Huazhen happened to pass by and was startled by the cat's meow. She let out a scream and clutched her chest.
Huazhen cursed loudly while Rumeng picked up the cat in defense: "This cat belongs to Her Majesty."
"To my sister?" Huazhen pondered for a moment before continuing angrily, "No matter whose it is, scaring me is a great disrespect! Throw it into the well!" She glared fiercely at the cat, her eyes ablaze with fury.
Just then, the cat leaped onto Huazhen and scratched her before darting away quickly.
Huazhen cursed again and slapped Rumeng hard across the face with great force, causing Rumeng's head to turn aside. "You lowly servant, why aren't you throwing it away!"
A palace maid informed Jingfen, who hurried to the Imperial Garden, her steps quick and her expression anxious. She asked Huazhen, "Why do you have to pick on even a cat?"
"This beast blocked my way. Sister, do you think I shouldn't punish it?"
Zaitian was absent, and the only companion she had each day was this cat. Hearing Huazhen refer to it as a beast ignited Jingfen's anger.
Moreover, Huazhen had taken it upon herself to strike one of the maids in her palace. She stepped forward and slapped Huazhen hard across the face, her palm swinging with force. "Watch your mouth!"
Huazhen was caught off guard by Jingfen's action and stood there in shock, covering her face with wide eyes filled with disbelief. Just then, they heard a voice from behind announcing, "The Emperor has arrived—"
Huazhen seized the opportunity like a drowning person grasping for a lifeline. With tears streaming down her face, she said to Zaitian, "While I was admiring the flowers in the Imperial Garden, I happened to encounter Sister Jingfen. I approached her out of goodwill to pay my respects, but she struck me and accused me of being a seductress trying to lure the Emperor!"
Jingfen was momentarily stunned; she never expected that the girl she once played with would twist the truth so maliciously. Her eyes filled with disbelief as her lips trembled slightly.
Zaitian held Huazhen close, coldly glaring at Jingfen. "As the mother of a nation, how are you any different from those common street harpies? If you dare lay another hand on Consort Zhen, you'll regret it!"
In an instant, Zaitian's figure embracing Huazhen disappeared from view.
Jingfen felt no resentment towards Huazhen for her scheming; all her disappointment was directed at Zaitian's behavior. If he still held even a shred of marital affection for her, he would have inquired about the situation from others first. Instead, he had jumped straight to blaming her without asking anything.
This could only mean that he held nothing but disdain for her. Her gaze turned dim and lifeless.
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