The Empress

Chapter 9: Reunion of the infamous beauties

Once all of them have stepped into the imperial palace area, a loud commotion can be heard coming from the imperial palace heading towards the groups.

"Your Majesty!!! You must stop running around! His Majesty will be mad at us if anything happens to you!"

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The group of guests are now watching as a beautiful woman is running excitedly towards the newly arrival. She then stops exactly in front of Madame Red and hugs her tightly. Both women are laughing as they are assessing each other. Her eunuch, maidservants and guards have stopped running too and gladly sighed once she has stopped running. One of her maidservant is holding onto an umbrella but she took it before closing it down and passes it to another maidservant.

"No worries. The weather is not too hot. We do not need it... Imperial General, excellent job! You can go now. This empress do believe that the ones that you have been waiting for will soon arrive any moments now... Off you go..."

The beautiful woman is, in fact, Empress Huihuang of the Kingdom of Long. A youthful beauty despite being a 35-year old married woman with 2 grown children of her own. Everyone in the 3 Kingdoms knows that she is quite well loved and greatly pampered by Emperor Long Feng.

Imperial General Bing Xiaji smiles at her and says, "This general will be going now, Your Majesties, my ladies, my lords and honourable guests. Lady Red, Lord Yujinxiang and Lord Lipin, you are invited to Xuehua Palace for an afternoon tea organized by Her Royal Highness."

Lady Red laughs and says, "Little White invited the three of us? My goodness, Imperial General. You have become her personal messenger now. Hahahahaha!"

Imperial General Bing Xiaji laughs too and says, "This general is willing. I will be going now."

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With that, he slightly bowed and left the honourable guests to be personally welcomed by Empress Huihuang and Senior Princess Long Xuanlu whom by now gently wipes off the sweat on the empress's face.

"Hui’er... You should not be running around in your condition. My brother will be absolutely mad if something happens to you."

Madame Red is smiling as she watches both of her best friends standing in front of her, "Hui’er... Xuan’er... It has been a while since we've last met. Is Hudie here too?"

Senior Princess Long Xuanlu hugs her tightly and says, "She will be here soon with her girls. Yaorao1 Pavilion has been personally invited by Mudan as the main performing group for the wedding reception. I am so glad that you have been doing well, Lian’er. Your daughter has grown up to be a beautiful lady just like you. Lipin is looking good as well. You only need a husband now. Hahahahahaha!"

"Indeed... Hahahahahaha!" Empress Huihuang is laughing too. She then looks at the group coming from the Kingdom of Leng.

"Ahhhh... Emperor Leng is here too together with his whole family. You and your family members must have been tired from your journey. My maidservant will show you to your accommodation so that you and your family can take a good rest before lunchtime."

She then gestured one of her maidservants to be the guide for the invited guests from the Kingdom of Leng. Emperor Leng is dissatisfied with the cold treatment from Empress Huihuang but he just stays silent as he continued to stare at his former empress who completely ignores him from the very beginning since she has arrived in this damnable Kingdom.

"Lian’er, we should talk more... Little Red, you can guide the Chancellors and the rest of your group to our palace, right? All of you will be staying there. Nanny Lei is there to welcome all of you. Xuan’er... Lian’er... We shall go to the Peach Blossoms Yard. Hudie will soon be there too after her girls have settled down in their courtyard."

"Noted, Your Majesty. Let us go. I know the way. Senior brother, what are you waiting for?" Lady Red asked the handsome man standing next to her.

Yujinxiang smiles at Senior Princess Long Xuanlu, "Royal aunt, it has been a while. Is my cousin sister here?"

"Yujin, your cousin sister is not the type to stay in one place. As her Sect leader, you should know this. Ever since her father has suddenly shown up, she has been missing more and more frequently. Obviously, she is at her cousin's place. After all, her beloved is there as well." Senior Princess Long Xuanlu replied him nonchalantly.

"She is the one who left your uncle?!?!?! Oh, my! I have heard about you, Your Royal Highness! You are so beautiful! No wonder his uncle is in love with you!" Lady Red look at her with amazement in her eyes.

"She is amazing right. My uncle is absolutely helpless against her and my cousin." Yujinxiang laughs.

"All of you should be going now... These old ladies have to gossip about the good old days." Senior Princess Long Xuanlu dismisses the others with a smile on her lips.

Empress Jiaohua watches all three of the older women happily chatting with each other. They are still looking as beautiful and youthful despite being in their mid-30s. They are the infamous beauties that she has heard all these years. Each of them possessed a different type of beauties so seeing them together amazes her endlessly.

Empress Huihuang is quite a seductive beauty with her voluptuous body and fair skin but she is obviously a wise woman with a strong personality. Senior Princess Long Xuanlu is a beauty with a calm personality yet she is somewhat cold and distant towards strangers.

Madame Red or Empress Xue is still a beauty like she has been in the past, unchanging beauty despite all the hardships that she had faced since then. Seeing how the emperor is affected by sight of her confirms that he still has a slight feeling towards his former empress, but he is an egotistical man, he had done a grave mistake that cannot be undone. She is not jealous of it. Far from it. She is even willing to step down if Madame Red wanted to come back but seeing her happy with her people shows that she is not willing to ever come back to the Kingdom of Leng. A loss... A huge loss for the Leng family and the Kingdom itself.

Emperor Leng and the ones from the Kingdom of Leng are being hoisted away by one of Empress Huihuang's maidservant to their place of stay for the time being. As he passes by Madame Red, he tries to say something, "Xue Lianhua, you..."

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She looks at him with a slight smile on her face before she put one finger on her mouth as a gesture to stop him from saying anything further.

"Your Majesty, there is nothing more to be said between the two of us. Your Kingdom is yours. And, my Kingdom is mine. That's that. For you, there is no more Xue Lianhua from the Kingdom of Leng. I am now known as Madame Red of the Kingdom of Xi. Your so-called sworn enemy..."

Imperial Noble Consort Wan and Noble Consort Meili both smiles while they look at her adoringly. In the past, she will not dare to go against him. Now, she shuts him down immediately. Retribution indeed.

The younger generations specially those from the Kingdom of Leng seem to be at a lost seeing how the older generations acted with each other. What is wrong with all of them they thought to themselves? The beautiful older women are being somewhat hostile towards their father, Emperor Leng. But one is smiling from ear to ear as if she is enjoying the current debacle. Her mother did not fail her. She has completely crushed the despicable emperor without mercy. Senior Princess Long Xuanlu acts nonchalantly while she calmly stands there. These 3 older women are a force to be dealt with. Both imperial concubines wonder about the fourth woman…

"It seems that I’ve arrived too late to enjoy the fun..."

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A beautiful woman in white is seen to be approaching them with a gentle smile on her face. Her alluring outfit made the men enamoured by her. She looks somewhat innocent, but her aura betrays her. She is a femme fatale for sure despite looking like an innocent beauty. She is true to what the rumours have said about her. A white lotus with thorns.

"Hudie, you are here... The four of us are together once more."

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1. ** Enchanting