Title: 面具
Challenge: Rehearsal
Fandom: Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace
Pairing: Empress Ruyi/Qianlong Emperor
Characters: Consort Wei, Consort Jia, Empress Ruyi, Emperor Qianlong.
Rating: T
Genre: Drama/Angst
Length: 492
Content Notes: Mentions of poisoning and forced miscarriage for anyone uncomfortable with that.
Author Notes: I admit seeing the Ruyi icon of teaotter inspired this lol. I love RRLITP so much, fantastic story.
Summary:(Or, a look into something Wei might've been thinking about towards the last episodes of the amazing series that is Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. Kinda angsty fic if you look at it from a certain way.)

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THE FLOWERS THAT DAWN the side of the cup holding her jasmine tea are beautiful from a glance, yet so, so poisonous once close, a product of faux glory she’s become accustomed to if only to ensure the doses of it she sends her stealthiest and loyal of maids to mix into that which is drunk by her higher-ups Jia and Ruyi are as undetected as they are consequential, the former servant’s subtle smiles growing wider and wider in her chambers with each time she hears of Consort Jia and Empress Ruyi facing miscarriage after stillborn after frail female offspring.

The women of the harem who mocked her as she who was once their caretaker wiped every floorboard of dirt and every wall of stains from thrown tea, who taunted her as they named her Ying’er and scratched her cheeks and pulled at what little hair ornaments young female workers for the palace were granted…how lovely, it is, to see them cry as their heirs are murdered and their princesses do not survive to become the bargaining chips for important nobles and stronger kingdoms, and for them, one by one to be forced to bow in obedience and respect to Consort Wei.

Empress Ruyi is…admittedly, not cruel like Consort Jia nor jealous like Consort Chun—

No matter what occurs between them, however, the Empress continues to be held dearly in the heart of the Qianlong Emperor, and for that, Consort Wei will always hate her most.

Of course, it is not out of a desire for the Emperor that Wei wishes for Empress Ruyi’s title and her head…for who but a fool would love that which they are married to by force, and are in a sea of maidens far better and worse all competing with each other for a mere glance of the current ruler till he tires of them and retires them or, worse, sends them to the Forbidden Palace that seldom sees inhabitants leave?

She is worth far more than to be married to a mere guard with poor payment such as Ling, and she is worth far more than to be begging for the scraps of a ruler with no sense nor wit of what pertains to the female soul, whom wastes glances at roses so obviously to those not driven by carnal means filled with thorns, and ignores the lily which purely loves him and only him, Empress Ruyi become sicken in all forms as the Emperor treats her as one would the lowest concubine a region has to offer…

Only the naive would wish to continue being in such a harem, such a nightmare.

Thus, as the Emperor continues to be more bed-stricken, Wei Yanwan shall continue to dawn on her mask of being a humble concubine grateful to go from a mere maid to an established woman of China’s leader and will ensure her son Yongyan receives the crown—his rightful birthright—and rule the day.

[FIN.]
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