The Emperor and his mother worked fast. Already, there was a reasonable amount of women who left. The concubine I talked to days ago was nowhere to be seen, and I was sure she was gone. I felt uncomfortable greeting new concubines because I was used to the old ones. Some chose to remain. A part of me hoped that they would tell the new ones about what had happened to the late empress.

As I sat on my throne in the hall, I tried my best to listen to what the eunuchs were saying to the girls outside. There was a lot of muffled voices. I gently tapped my fingers on the armrest. Chang Ying sat on the lower level to the right of me.

Without acknowledging her, I continued to look straight ahead.

"Your Majesty." Chang Ying turned her head to look at me. She was still hostile towards me, and so was I to her. It was easy to feel the tension between us because we were way too obvious.

"Speak." I faced Chang Ying. The dangling jewellery from my headpiece moved, and this was why I loved to turn around and move my head. I loved my headpiece, especially the golden dangly things.

Chang Ying lifted the lid of her cup to slowly drink her water, before handing it back to her maid. She looked at the curtains hiding the women. "Do you have an idea of the number of concubines you will be accepting, Empress?"

"No," I shook my head. "That is not one of my concerns. His Majesty, I believe, doesn't care about the quantity. I suppose he prefers quality. Me, personally, I am looking for virtue and compassion..."

I'll also be looking for the ones that will be submissive enough to not cause any trouble. The harem was hard. Not all of them will be able to meet the Emperor, nor lay with him. One of the women outside will perhaps get the title of 'Imperial Noble Consort'. If that is the case, I didn't want Chang Ying to befriend her.

I did want to bring up Chang Ying's motives, but I chose not to. Chang Ying will befriend another concubine and in that case, I'm going to intervene. Who says I wasn't afraid of bringing down Chang Ying as well?

Li Shu had his head down. He waited for my approval, which was immediately granted as I curtly nodded my head. He stepped aside and peeked his head out. "Summon the Imperial concubines to seek audience!"

They walked in three single-filed lines in complete sync. A mix of different coloured attires was almost blinding to see. I blinked my eyes a few times. The frown on my face slowly turned into a kind smile. I was welcoming them, not interrogating them.

Gracefully, they kneeled and kowtowed. "Happiness and peace to the Empress! Greetings to Imperial Noble Consort Lu!"

I nodded at the eunuchs on the side and waited for them to step back. While they kept their heads down, I took a few sips of tea. With absolutely no idea on how to do this, I was slightly nervous. To remain neutral, I had to be kind. I was reluctant to play the 'nice empress', but I certainly didn't want to make enemies in the beginning.

However, I didn't want to completely disregard my 'rude empress' role. Chang Ying scanned her eyes over each one of them. Sneaky, but I wasn't stupid. Like a predator to its prey, she was picking out the potential victims to manipulate them. She can do whatever she wants, but I hoped she knew she can't overthrow me.

"Rise," I instructed as I set down my tea.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," they said in unison, before getting up at the same time. I noticed a lot of youthful faces. Some still had their babyface.

I had completely forgotten that some were probably fifteen. The Emperor was definitely over twenty, or even thirty. Even though he looked young, he wasn't. These girls were very young...

Chang Ying didn't notice me unintentionally glaring at them in thought, but Snoopy caught on.

She slightly jerked her face towards the girls, indicating me to stay focused. They faced me but didn't make eye contact with me. Ah, yes, it wasn't courteous to make eye contact with authority. Stupid rule, but they followed it.

"Chang Ying," I eyed one of the girls in front of me. "What are we looking for to bring to the harem?"

Chang Ying blinked twice, then faced me in confusion. I cocked an eyebrow. She pursed her lips and scanned the crowd once more. "Virtue. Empress, we are looking for virtue and compassion. We must not bring chaos to the harem because we want the best for His Majesty."

The humidity coming from outside was seeping in. Even with the curtains closed, sunlight was still shining through the sheer fabric. I wasn't mad at it because it brought in light. I quickly took the fan in front of me and fanned my neck. Snoopy rushed to take it from me to fan me herself.

"Correct... I believe that is the most important characteristic to have when you move into the Palace" I said, loudly. "All of you must understand one thing... Not all of you are able to move up a rank. Not all of you are able to produce an offspring."

I felt weird knowing that they were still looking away from me. I seriously didn't like it. I thought it was more disrespectful to look away from the speaker. "Also, I'd like you all to look at me."

The concubines looked up, attentively listening to whatever I said. Odd. Their nervousness was too much. I made eye contact with almost every one of them, but I didn't understand how much control I had.

One concubine blinked rapidly. One's chest was moving at an abnormal rate. Even when I first came here, the concubines near me were not as nervous as they were. Did I look scary? I knew I looked a little scary, but not in any way able to give one of them a panic attack. I indicated a 'come here' sign to Snoopy.

She leaned towards the right side of my ear. I blocked my mouth with the palm of my hands and whispered in her ear, "Why do they look so uncomfortable? Am I ugly?"

Snoopy stifled a laugh as I turned my ear towards her. The concubines watched us in distress. I knew their knees hurt, and I did feel like it was rude to keep them waiting.

"Your Majesty, they know what you did to the late empress," Snoopy whispered, trying her best not to laugh. "They also know about the times where you fought against the assassins... Empress, I believe you have nothing to worry about."

A blush quickly crept to my cheeks. I let out a goofy chuckle, ignoring Chang Ying's stare. Snoopy went back to her position.

I nodded to myself. "Well, I didn't know there were so many senseless chatters about what I did."

"That is off-topic," I swatted my hand. I couldn't stop the annoyed look on my face. They might as well all know that I wasn't even born here due to the excessive amount of gossip done by the palace servants. "I assure you that I will not tolerate any harassment nor any sort of bullying in the Palace. However, I do have to say, competition is deadly."

"You win some and you lose some," I sipped from my teacup once more. "I won't assist you with every path along the way. Although I want everyone to be equal and fair, it is hard to enforce the idea of equality here."

They listened, staring at me like I was a cult leader.

I lingered my eyes on the same concubine I was staring at before. "I'll give everyone a chance, and try to give everyone a chance. I am not an enemy."

To lighten up the mood, I clapped my hands and grinned. The sound of the clap startled them.

"Shall we begin?" I held up my grin while my hands clasped each other.

All of them were pretty and worthy of being here. But I needed to protect my title. Many of them were able to handle the constant questions and were kind. I was sure they were pretending but that didn't matter. I grilled them and waited for one of them to turn against me.

None of them did.

After constant interrogation of the two rows of girls, I saved the best for last. The girl in the middle front, watched me as I asked questions. It was creepy to continuously stare at me without breaking the stare. I don't even think she blinked.

"I have a question," I knitted my eyebrows. "Every time I ask someone a question, why do you stare at me?"

Two girls were snickering while the girl in the front looked down. She fidgeted with her hands. I already knew who to eliminate.

I shook my head, avoiding more anger to build up. "Don't laugh at that. I was asking a simple question."

"I apologize, Your Majesty! I was wrong!" they exclaimed, kowtowing to me. I cleared my throat and looked away from them to acknowledge the concubine in front of me once more.

She looked lost in her own world.

I nodded for her to speak. She blinked a few times before kowtowing to me once more. Most of these women in front of me were from the nobility. They were all, in the officials' eyes, superior to me. Me, not a noble, was the Empress. In this case, they should understand that I am not supposed to be messed with.

Knowing that I was able to get this title with low socio-economic status, should say something to them. I don't understand why the late empress always felt threatened by me. The officials liked her more than me.

When the concubine straightened her back, she had a slight smile on her face. "Your Majesty, your great heroism inspires me. That is why I can't help but look at you... Your beauty is unmatched to us."

Flattery will only make you more suspicious, was what I wanted to say. I let my poker face fade and let out a small chuckle. A few of the concubines nodded in unison, but I knew some of them may be troubling in the future. I let myself be complimented before speaking.

"I appreciate it," I spoke. I started to sweat. "What is your name? What are your talents?"

"My name is Hua Fa. I've practised the art of dancing and singing as a child, Your Majesty," she replied, pausing for a second before continuing what she was going to say. "I love writing, Empress, and I have studied literature for quite a while."

I raised my eyebrows, honestly impressed. "Literature? I enjoy literature as well. If I make my final decision, would you like to read some of the prints I've been holding onto?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Hua Fa exclaimed, her eyes lit up blazing with passion and she thanked me once more.

After discussing with Chang Ying, I had my final decisions. The announcement of their names was not a surprise. I chose everyone except for the two girls. I knew that these women in front of me couldn't be perfect.

After all the things I've been through, I understood that looks can be deceiving.

The Emperor would want more women in the harem. Choosing all but two wouldn't be too much of a threat for me, I wanted to convince myself. I wasn't cautious because I was jealous. I was cautious because I was afraid.

They thanked me once more. I smiled, reliving back to the time when I first came here. How I was so innocent and naive. They would share the same innocence and naivety until they realise how brutal it was. Especially with women like Niu Lin, or even clever frauds like Chang Ying. Snoopy put down my fan and held my teacup in front of me. I held it, giving her a gentle nod.

I glanced at Chang Ying, then faced the new concubines. "I suppose you all want me to give you advice or lessons, but I came into the harem unknowing what was to come. I didn't come from a noble household, nor did I come with the knowledge you all have."

"When you all first came in, you looked afraid. I am not a threat, nor shall you think I am a threat," I spoke loudly, then graciously giving them a smile. "But be sure to know that it is suicide if you oppose me."

"Empress, His Majesty has sent the troops off to the assassins' location," my eunuch informed, whispering quietly as I walked. "You have done a great job."

I nodded. "Good... It was about time. How are the officials? Have they said anything regarding me?"

"They're questioning your motives, Empress," Li Shu responded, eyeing the nearby women in the far distance. I squinted my eyes to see what was going on, but they were too far away from us. "I believe they're still suspecting that you are up to something."

Swiftly, I moved away from their view to go around the other route. Whatever was happening was not supposed to happen. The group of new concubines were talking to an older Noble Consort with two Consorts beside her, and by the looks of it, it didn't look pleasant.

I scoffed. "Up to something? They think of me as if I am powerful enough to overthrow the Emperor."

"I suggest being very careful, Your Majesty," Li Shu looked away.

"I will," I replied, fixing my eyes at the crowded location in front of me.

The eunuchs were there. It was their job to lead the new women and give them a small tour before having them settle in. Something happened. The distressed look on one new concubine, standing in front of the rest, was telling me that the Noble Consort was not warmly welcoming them.

I turned my attention to my eunuch. "I'll have to investigate this."

As we continued to walk, hidden from view, I stood behind a pavilion to listen to their conversation. The umbrellas they held up hid the newer concubines' faces. The consorts' backs were against me. There was a strong urge to quickly intervene before anyone of them got hurt.

"How disrespectful can you be?" the Noble Consort scolded, her arms crossed but I couldn't see her face.

"I apologize, milady! Please forgive me! I was wrong!" the newer concubine exclaimed, she quickly got on her knees to kneel.

The Consort next to her snickered, strutting towards the girl. I eyed her side profile. She mockingly smiled, before looking at the Noble Consort. "Sister, I believe she should be punished. An incompetent woman who forgets that we are her superiors deserve punishment."

They snickered together while the rest of the newer concubines stand in the background. The new concubine looked behind her shoulder at the others, begging for help but there was nothing they could do. My eunuch stared at me while I watched.

"Yes, I agree. What can I do? Hmm..." the Noble Consort brushed her finger to the concubine's cheek. As the concubine winces, she lets out another chuckle. "Thirty lashes would suffice? Or thirty slaps across her cheek to ruin that pretty face of hers so His Majesty won't sleep with her..."

One eunuch, the one leading the concubines, tried to approach the Noble Consort gently. "Please pardon them, milady. They don't know anything! They're new."

"Please pardon me, milady! I was wrong!" the concubine pleads, still kneeling on the ground before the three consorts.

I couldn't bear to watch any longer and quietly walked towards the scene. I was mad—very mad. The scene of the late empress slapping me across the cheek flashed before my eyes. I remembered it so vividly. It hurt. A lot. She embarrassed me in front of the women when she slapped me. People who used their title for evil made my blood boil.

The new group of concubines behind her widened their eyes. The maids of the consorts were oblivious to my presence because their backs faced me. The eunuchs stayed silent as I approached from behind before it got messy. I was thinking of every possible punishment to give to the three consorts, especially a bad one for the perpetrator.

Still, the concubine kneeling had her head down, waiting for something to happen to her. The Noble Consort raised her hand to strike.

"Put your hand down," I demanded. My face tensed when I looked at the wincing face of the new concubine. She opened her eyes to look at me. I noticed her shoulders relax.

"Joy and bliss to Your Majesty!" they exclaimed as every one of them kneeled. The newer concubines kowtowed, and the consorts bowed. Maids bowed, and the eunuchs kowtowed. Too much bowing and kowtowing... too much worship.

I started to like it.

I stood still, trying my best to calm the beast inside of me. The Noble Consort didn't meet my eyes but I hoped she felt my eyes burn the front of her head. Niu Lin did this before. I remembered that I messed up and hesitated to bow to her. But I wasn't punished. Since Niu Lin didn't punish me, this woman was even worse than Niu Lin.

No. I couldn't go ballistic.

But oh how I'd love to rip those pins from her hair.

Closing my eyes, I exhaled quietly and opened them again. "All rise."

"Thank you, Empress," they spoke in unison as they all got up.

The Noble Consort turned towards me, rushing to walk closer to me. I watched. While she stood straight in front of me, she slanted her eyebrows. Her hands started to shake. "Y-Your Majesty, I had to punish her for not bowing to us. It is crucial for a low-ranking concubine to know her place!"

"You have been in the harem longer than her, yet you are still showing a lack of elegance and respect," I took another step towards her. She hastily pushed back the front of her hanfu and kneeled. "You should be ashamed of picking on a woman with a lower status than you."

"Your Majesty, concubines should be punished for this! Because she is new, doesn't excuse—" the Consort who was busy snickering a few minutes ago, was no longer smiling.

"That doesn't excuse your behaviour!" I yelled.

Two of them, mouth opening in confusion and shock, was a sight to see. I was too angry to even enjoy it. I wanted to walk straight towards them and do something that I wished I had done a long time ago. Even though I had the tendency to be easily mad, I knew how to regulate it.

The two of them quickly kneeled before me, kowtowing again. They pressed their palms against the ground. "Please appease your anger, Your Majesty!"

I didn't tell them to get up. I turned my attention to the newer concubine who looked uneasy at this entire situation. She stared at the ground hard. The silence was a message for her to look up at me, which she did eventually.

"I believe that you all are supposed to know your place in the Palace. I believe that we all make mistakes that may eventually get us into trouble," I paced towards the concubines, walking past the still kowtowing consorts. They stiffened when they heard my footsteps. "You must master the etiquettes and courtesies before you may potentially rank up."

As I walked towards the newer concubines, I studied them before I spoke. They looked noble as well. Suddenly, I almost felt inferior. Then, I realised I was an empress so I didn't really care anymore.

My maids followed immediately, and so did Li Shu. Remaining nonchalant, I carefully fixed the pin on the side of my hair. "The most important thing is to be a benevolent, virtuous woman. Do you know why I didn't choose the two girls mocking a fellow sister today?"