Other than the Emperor, only the Empress is entitled to use bright-yellow ceremonial regalia. At this hour, the Emperor should still be in court, so the person arriving could only be the Empress.
In the inner palace, Concubine Su is close only to the Empress. The Empress must be here to support Concubine Su. Serena Feng stood with a faint smile, completely unruffled. The young eunuch behind her, seeing this, slipped away on his own initiative to fetch reinforcements.
"Her Majesty the Empress arrives!"
The eunuch's shrill voice rang out. Concubine Su's face lit up with delight, a strange smile appearing as she shot Serena Feng a triumphant look. She turned gracefully and knelt down, her voice trembling with emotion: "This humble concubine greets Her Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty live for thousands and thousands of years."
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress..."
Everyone present knelt down—except Serena Feng, who remained standing, conspicuously alone.
"Serena Feng, how dare you! Why do you not kneel before Her Majesty the Empress?" The Empress's sharp gaze swept over her, and the matron behind her stepped forward to scold Serena.
Serena Feng smiled slightly and replied calmly, "I would kneel to Your Majesty, but I'm afraid Your Majesty cannot bear it."
"Cannot bear it? In this world, aside from the Emperor, whose courtesy could I possibly not bear?" The Empress stood there, radiating natural nobility, her gaze toward Serena filled mostly with contempt.
"Your Majesty is right. But today, I truly cannot kneel to Your Majesty. Though you are honored as the Mother of the Nation, you are not the most exalted woman in the realm." Serena had long understood just how much the Empress despised her—and how much she wished her dead.
On the way back from Shandong, she had run into the Empress’s men more than once. The more the Empress tried to prevent Imperial Noble Consort Helena’s child from being born safely, the more Serena was determined to see that child delivered.
“Oh? Is there a woman in this world more exalted than I am?” the Empress said with contempt, clearly dismissing Serena Feng’s words.
Serena Feng didn’t mind at all and simply smiled. “Your Majesty, the most exalted woman in the realm isn’t the Empress, but the Empress Dowager. You may be honored, but you can never outrank Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. Only when you reach that position can you truly claim to be the most exalted woman.”
The Empress Dowager is the final destination for women of the inner palace. Having a son as Emperor is entirely different from having a husband as Emperor; only when your son sits on the throne do you become a woman whose honor is unrivaled.
Serena’s words hit the Empress’s deepest longing. Of course she wanted to be Empress Dowager, but the Emperor was not short-lived—what could she do? Suppressing her thoughts, the Empress said, “Miss Feng, you’re not wrong. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is indeed beyond compare, but what does that have to do with your refusal to salute me?”
“It has everything to do with it. Your Majesty, do you recognize this?” Serena pulled a hairpin from the center of her bun and placed it in her palm.
“The Mother of Eastlyn Phoenix Hairpin?” The Empress exclaimed, her expression changing as she looked at Serena.
Of course the Empress knew the Phoenix Hairpin was in Serena’s possession, but after it was used that one time, it had disappeared. The Empress thought it was lost, or perhaps reclaimed by Ninth Royal Uncle. She never expected...
...that it would still be in Serena’s hands.
“Your Majesty has a keen eye. Indeed, this is the Phoenix Hairpin personally decreed by the late Emperor, bearing the title of Mother of Eastlyn.” Seeing the Empress’s expression change, Serena broke into a radiant smile.