Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 26
by Little PandaVolume 2: Power Over Court and Country
The Deposed Empress 01
Covering The Heaven With One Hand
In that moment, Zou Yunfei’s mind raced through several solutions, which then turned into a tangled mess of threads, leaving his mind in chaos.
Xin Lan lifted his chin at him and moved his neck slightly.
A warning alarm went off in Zou Yunfei’s heart, and without hesitation, he pulled Shen Shuiyan behind himself.
“Oh my, how deeply affectionate and righteous, hm?”
Xin Lan raised her eyebrows in surprise at Zou Yunfei’s action.
“Can we resolve our conflict outside? Once we’re out, I’ll submit to whatever you decide. Everything before was my fault.”
Zou Yunfei took a deep breath and looked at Xin Lan with utmost sincerity.
This scene was quite interesting – to an outsider, it might appear as if Xin Lan was the aggressive main wife, and Shen Shuiyan behind Zou Yunfei was a pitiful white lotus.
Xin Lan let out a contemptuous laugh, showing disdain.
“Sorry, we’re at capacity. If you want to leave, let the person behind you die here. I’ll give you this chance to consider – how about it?”
Xin Lan casually threw out this multiple-choice question, leaving Zou Yunfei stunned for a moment.
Shen Shuiyan pretended to look lost and distressed, frowning at Zou Yunfei with glistening eyes.
Zou Yunfei’s heart ached at the sight – if Shen Shuiyan hadn’t come here for his sake, why would she have to face such a situation?
But he didn’t want to die…
Zou Yunfei looked at her, made up his mind, and suddenly lunged to attack Xin Lan.
Xin Lan’s figure swayed to dodge and caught Zou Yunfei’s attacking fist, violently twisting his arm.
“You really do love being presumptuous, seems you never learn your lesson.”
Xin Lan said coldly, watching Zou Yunfei clutch his arm as he fell to the side.
“Please let her go? Take her outside.”
Knowing he was no match, though unwilling in his heart, Zou Yunfei tried to steady his breathing and pleaded with Xin Lan for Shen Shuiyan’s sake.
Xin Lan pressed down the corner of her lips, coldly looking at Zou Yunfei, feeling somewhat displeased.
This person’s behavior was truly nauseating – who was he trying to move?
Even if the original owner were standing here, she would only become angrier at his actions.
Who was he trying to touch with his deep affection? Compared to his previous actions, this display of profound love was truly ironic.
Xin Lan looked toward Shen Shuiyan, only to find she wasn’t moved at all, instead watching Zou Yunfei with eyes that were watching a good show. When she noticed Xin Lan looking at her, she flashed her a smile.
The slight dissatisfaction in Xin Lan’s heart suddenly vanished – fortunately, this academic star wasn’t so easily fooled.
“Forget it, I’m tired of acting with you, let’s go.”
At Xin Lan’s words, Zou Yunfei froze, confused, but suddenly he realized something and stared at Shen Shuiyan behind him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Where was Shen Shuiyan’s previous pitiful expression? It had been replaced with a bright smile.
“You deceived me!”
Zou Yunfei exclaimed in shock and anger, staring intensely at Shen Shuiyan.
“So what if I deceived you?”
Shen Shuiyan walked past him, showing him a disdainful smile.
Provoked by her, Zou Yunfei reached out to grab her, but Xin Lan quickly pulled him back and dislocated his other arm.
“You’ve been deceiving me all along! Why would you do this to me! What did I ever do wrong to you!”
Zou Yunfei roared, remembering his previous emotional state, feeling as if he’d been slapped several times, his face burning with shame.
How laughable – while he was moved by Shen Shuiyan’s actions, she was probably laughing at his foolishness.
“Have you forgotten how you treated Xin Lan before? How dare you complain about my deception now? It’s just tit for tat – I treated you the same way you treated her. Besides, you deceived her for so long, while I only deceived you for a day or two.”
Shen Shuiyan said coldly, still feeling it wasn’t enough punishment, the time was too short.
Zou Yunfei’s eyes reddened, his blood rushing up.
“You’re actually doing this for her! You never stood up for justice before, now you’re putting on an act to survive? I knew you first! What right do you have!”
Zou Yunfei spoke, half in fury and half in mockery, nearly spitting blood.
“Yes, and after knowing you for so long, I’ve only now realized how disgusting you are.”
Shen Shuiyan delivered another devastating blow, standing beside Xin Lan and holding her hand.
Her palm was cold, and Xin Lan massaged it gently.
Seeing their behavior, Zou Yunfei suddenly understood something, and his gaze toward the two became even more disgusted.
“Shen Shuiyan, I’ve only discovered your true face today. If you didn’t like me, why didn’t you refuse? You just enjoyed watching people revolve around you and praise you, right? So you’re actually a filthy woman-loving wh*re, always acting up in front of me…”
He was speaking without restraint, but before he could utter more vulgar words, Xin Lan silenced him with a slap.
“Didn’t your mother teach you to eat sh*t at home instead of spewing filth here?”
Xin Lan found it laughable – Zou Yunfei had been the only one interested in Shen Shuiyan, never even confessing his feelings, and she never begged for his attention. What idiotic logic was this? Not only was his mind defective, but his eyes were also bad, unable to distinguish between intentional flirting and mere politeness.
Shen Shuiyan wasn’t even focused on Zou Yunfei’s insults, but rather on the phrase “likes women.”
Her eyes brightened slightly as she discretely squeezed Xin Lan’s fingers.
“I didn’t always like women – it’s thanks to you that I discovered how wonderful Xin Lan is. Compared to you, she’s countless times better. I willingly choose to like her and wouldn’t spare you a second glance.”
Shen Shuiyan was always precise and ruthless in stabbing people’s hearts, and when Zou Yunfei spoke this way, she followed his words to step on him further.
Shen Shuiyan moved in front of Xin Lan, leaning forward slightly, signaling with her eyes for cooperation.
Xin Lan received the signal but before understanding how to cooperate, Shen Shuiyan came close and kissed her lips, like a dragonfly touching water (idiom for light and brief contact), but that moment of contact felt overwhelmingly real.
Xin Lan froze, and System Ling Jiu in the system space also froze.
?????
This scene provoked Zou Yunfei’s eyes to redden further. The person he loved showed him no mercy, betraying and mocking him. He had been played like a jumping clown, his sincere feelings trampled. Worse still, the person he loved had fallen for his ex-girlfriend who had repeatedly humiliated him – a woman.
Yet he couldn’t even beat this woman. His arms were twisted, standing there like a pitiful bug, watching these two women mock him.
His rationality had been completely burned away, and he revealed a twisted smile.
“If I can’t be well, neither will you.”
“There are people gath-“
Zou Yunfei suddenly shouted, but Xin Lan, knowing his intention, grabbed his hair and smashed his head against the wall.
Blood left a red mark on the wall as Xin Lan released the nearly unconscious man.
“Does it hurt? Someone once suffered a hundred times more than you.”
Xin Lan whispered in his ear, her voice ice-cold.
It wasn’t hunting season yet, so she couldn’t kill him.
But that didn’t matter – sometimes living is more painful than death, especially when waiting to die.
Xin Lan cut Zou Yunfei’s tongue with a knife, watching as his eyes widened, unable to cry out in pain.
She treated him like the criminal from that day, stabbing his body until it was covered in blood, and dragged him into the women’s restroom.
A trail of blood extended along the hallway floor.
This should have been a chilling scene, but Shen Shuiyan stood there without fear.
She touched her lips, appearing lost in thought.
Xin Lan threw him onto the bathroom floor, dusting off her hands.
Ling Jiu: Bingo, congratulations host, mission completed! I’ve already submitted it, you can see the evaluation results once we leave.
Ling Jiu wished for an S-grade rating, as it would earn the most points. The points would go to the host’s account, while the system had a supplementary card allowing reasonable use of 30%, with the option to spend more if the host permitted.
Xin Lan nodded, and Ling Jiu didn’t ask if she wanted to log out now.
Obviously, Xin Lan wanted to wait until they left this place before logging out.
“Stay here and savor the taste of despair.”
Xin Lan said coldly.
Just like the original host had experienced – collapse and despair.
Being mocked and abandoned by someone you like, being forcibly dragged into a room and violated, seeing hope but the person you once foolishly loved didn’t help, watching her being tortured, full of hatred and pain, finally being cruelly killed – how much must that young girl have wished for Zou Yunfei’s death then?
Zou Yunfei’s eyes were full of venom, but Xin Lan turned away without another glance at the person on the floor.
Xin Lan left the bathroom, where Shen Shuiyan was waiting by the stairwell.
The commotion had already attracted attention from many people, those still alive peeking out from classrooms, but upon seeing the blood trails, they indifferently withdrew their gazes.
They wouldn’t know that they wouldn’t be here to see the outcome.
When Xin Lan and Shen Shuiyan went downstairs, Xu Deng and the others sighed in relief.
“Can we leave now?”
“Of course.”
Xin Lan nodded.
While walking downstairs, neither Xin Lan nor Shen Shuiyan mentioned the kiss, tacitly pretending nothing had happened.
Shen Shuiyan was contemplating certain matters, while Xin Lan regarded the kiss as merely Shen Shuiyan’s way of angering Zou Yunfei. Apart from being momentarily stunned and slightly awkward, she hadn’t taken it to heart.
The assembled map revealed a route, and strangely enough, the matching map fragments didn’t need any glue to stick together. They merged naturally, showing no signs of ever being separated.
They passed the teaching building and administration building, descended the steps, and continued forward.
There was a small lake in the school, with a circular path lined with cobblestones along the embankment, and willow trees planted on both sides.
The climate here wasn’t cold enough for the lake to freeze in winter, and the water’s surface rippled in the wind.
“We need to walk to the end from here.”
Xin Lan said, following the map forward.
“Eh? Is there a path here? Wasn’t this supposed to be circular?”
“Just follow along.”
Zhou Chun responded to Qi Xiao’s question, the two walking hand in hand at the back.
Xin Lan held the map while walking in front with Shen Shuiyan, with Xu Deng in the middle. This formation made Xu Deng feel better – at least she wasn’t alone at the back, watching coupled pairs in front of her.
“When we get out, let’s have a proper meal together.”
Shen Shuiyan suddenly said.
Xin Lan hesitated, unsure whether to agree or remain silent.
“I know a really good hotpot restaurant. I’ll treat you when we get out.”
Shen Shuiyan, not noticing Xin Lan’s silence, said with a smile.
Perhaps she hadn’t figured everything out yet, but that didn’t stop her from making the invitation.
She had always been a well-planned person, believing some things didn’t need to be rushed – understanding would come eventually.
“Sure.”
Xin Lan replied.
Though she knew she wouldn’t be able to have that hotpot meal.
This world’s mission would be complete once they exited, with no follow-up, meaning she couldn’t share a meal with Shen Shuiyan even if she wanted to.
Mission executors could stay in the world, but there were time limits. However, with enough points to pay for the stay, one could remain as long as desired – provided that world had enough time available for extended stays.
The length of stay was determined by the subsequent plot – mission personnel could stay only until the timeline where the follow-up story reached.
Shen Shuiyan, completely unaware, continued walking forward with high spirits.
Xin Lan remained silent, feeling oddly guilty about standing up this sister-friend.
However, this guilt only lasted a minute, as she wasn’t one to be easily sentimental. She could clearly distinguish between what was a mission and what was reality.
At the end of the cobblestone path appeared a small descending staircase.
According to the map, past the stairs was an underground tunnel-like area leading to an iron door.
The iron door appeared poorly maintained, covered in rust spots. When Xin Lan opened it, her hand accidentally got covered in rust particles.
Following through the iron door, a cold wind blew through the narrow passage.
Everyone involuntarily shuddered, with Qi Xiao muttering in the back about how creepy it was.
But no matter how creepy, they had to move forward, as this wasn’t yet the map’s endpoint.
When they reached the so-called endpoint, Xin Lan breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the rules weren’t so cruel as to trick them when they were about to escape.
Not far ahead was a light source, similar to what Xin Lan had seen in the extra game.
“That should be it, let’s go.”
As they approached, a voice belonging to the rules echoed in their minds.
“Congratulations to the team that has successfully reached the exit. Please accept my blessing.”
A faint light glowed around Xin Lan and the others, disappearing in an instant.
“Whether through strength or luck, victory alone proves you deserve a smooth life ahead. Now go.”
The next moment, Xin Lan felt as if something was pushing her forward.
When the light vanished from her eyes, she found herself in a familiar place.
Ling Jiu stretched lazily beside her and walked up to open the mission room’s door.
“We’re back! Ah, so tired!”
Ling Jiu flopped onto her sofa, happily taking a sip of cola.
Xin Lan walked out and sat silently in her chair.
“Host, we got an S rating as expected. Oh, wait, there’s another line above.”
Ling Jiu pushed up her glasses, numbers flashing rapidly in her eyes.
“We got a buff from the mission world – our points are multiplied by 1.2. Oh ho, what a profit!”
Ling Jiu checked her savings and quickly ordered a box of mixed-flavor chips and a box of Sprite mixed with Cola – this was the joy of being a shut-in.
“Sister Lan, want some chips?”
Ling Jiu tore open the package, stuffing some in her mouth while offering the bag to Xin Lan.
Xin Lan took a piece, her expression serene.
“What’s wrong? You’re not still thinking about that hotpot, are you? We can go out for hotpot tonight?”
“All you think about is food.”
Xin Lan gave her a finger flick on the forehead.
She just… hadn’t gotten to say goodbye.
Never mind.
They wouldn’t meet again anyway.
“Host, would you like me to help you schedule a memory dilution process?”
“No need.”
Previously, dilution was necessary because playing villainous roles inevitably left many unpleasant memories. This mission had none, so let it be.
“I’m going to sleep. When I wake up, I’ll take you for hotpot.”
“Long live Host!”
Ling Jiu nodded, curling up on the sofa to watch TV and drink soda.
The system didn’t need food for operation, and these things couldn’t provide energy for the system since she couldn’t digest them. The food’s energy would temporarily stay in the body before being expelled through a special method.
This had its advantages – a shut-in system didn’t have to worry about gaining weight no matter how much she ate or drank. Theoretically, the system would only get fat from overcharging.
Xin Lan returned to her room and lay down after taking a shower.
She wasn’t really sleepy – thoughts flitted through her mind until nothing remained.
Ling Jiu sat cross-legged eating chips, with a large box of newly arrived mixed flavors beside her feet, when suddenly a beeping sound echoed in her mind – a communication request.
Ling Jiu blinked in confusion – a high-authority ID they’d never seen was contacting her?
“Hello, this is Face-Slapping Department System G09 Ling Jiu.”
“Hmm? Yes, we did participate in the Ex-Girlfriend series mission, with Host Xin Lan who just transferred from the Villain Department.”
“A routine investigation of transferred members? You want my evaluation of the host?”
“Oh okay, my host is excellent, with great potential.”
“You want to know our next mission location? I haven’t determined it yet. Senior, is this part of the investigation too?”
“Ah, so you’re the commander in charge of this series. Understood, I’ll message you when I set the next location.”
“Goodbye, Senior.”
Ling Jiu sighed in relief – being suddenly contacted by a senior was quite bewildering.
With such a high rank, this senior should be retired already.
For systems, retired seniors weren’t like old fogies – quite the opposite. They usually had the best performance, having completed many missions with excellent results, to the point where they no longer needed to guide hosts. They became independent entities, commanding certain departments or mission series, or simply traveling around freely.
Ling Jiu pushed this matter aside, watching TV while waiting for Xin Lan to wake up and take her for hotpot.
When Xin Lan woke up, it was just dinner time.
She wore a khaki knit sweater, her long hair tied in a low ponytail with some strands falling on both sides. Combined with her striking face, it gave off a gentle impression.
Ling Jiu was almost in disbelief at first glance, feeling that this beautiful and elegant woman couldn’t be her host, as Xin Lan’s brutal image was deeply rooted in her mind.
“Aren’t you coming?”
Xin Lan fastened the watch on her wrist, looking at the still motionless Ling Jiu.
That gaze made Ling Jiu shiver – it was still the same host after all.
The nearest hotpot restaurant was very popular, with familiar hosts meeting up for hotpot, accompanied by their respective systems.
Some systems were humanoid like Ling Jiu – only by staring at their eyes could one tell the difference between them and humans.
Some systems were obviously systems at first glance – some were rabbits, some were spheres, some were chicks, and some more extravagant ones were dragons, phoenixes, flood dragons, tigers, and leopards.
Each host came from different planes of existence, wearing different clothes – some in qipaos with folding fans, others in nano-combat suits. At the table next to Xin Lan sat two hosts, one wearing a deep V-neck short dress, the other in wide-sleeved robes, both sweating profusely while eating hotpot. The sight created a sense of temporal displacement (describing a surreal mix of different time periods).
“Table for two?” asked the smart ordering system.
“Yes.”
“Please place your order.”
“Jiu’er, what would you like?”
“Let’s start with lamb rolls, beef rolls, tripe, shrimp paste, potato slices, lotus root, youtiao, mixed mushroom platter, and QQ noodles to fill our stomachs, plus a large bottle of coconut milk. We can order more after – is that okay, Host?”
Ling Jiu’s eyes sparkled looking at Xin Lan, who couldn’t input the orders as fast as Ling Jiu listed them.
“Of course, it’s not like it’ll kill you.”
Xin Lan smiled – why was this new system such a big eater?
But since it was her system, she had to feed it properly.
In the bustling hotpot restaurant filled with steam, Xin Lan, having finished eating, watched Ling Jiu struggling to keep up with the food and helplessly began cooking meat slices for her, not noticing the gaze from behind.
At that table sat just one person, who raised her cup in a distant toast to Xin Lan before silently lowering her head to eat hotpot.
This was also a way of keeping their promise to eat hotpot together.
She had wanted to go say hello, but there were still things she hadn’t figured out.
Going over to greet now would feel neither here nor there (meaning lukewarm or indifferent), with both parties at a loss for words.
After returning from the hotpot restaurant, Xin Lan specifically rested for a few days before letting Ling Jiu pick the next mission.
Numbers flashed in Ling Jiu’s eyes as she spotted one on the mission panel.
“Host, is an ancient timeline okay?”
“Mm.”
“Although it’s not as intense as the last one, it’s a career-based face-slapping mission. I think you’ll like it.”
Xin Lan remained noncommittal as she pushed open the mission room door.
Wu Kingdom, Fourth Year of Yuanling.
“The Empress has violated palace rules, shown malicious intent, and poisoned the royal heir. Her crimes are unforgivable. From this day forward, she is stripped of her position, reduced to a commoner, and banished to Biyue Palace. By imperial decree.”
Upon arrival, Xin Lan heard the shrill, piercing voice listing the crimes, while the original host’s emotions churned in her mind, giving her a headache.
The eunuch announcing the decree saw the deposed Empress still sitting in her redwood chair, head slightly lowered, and felt displeased.
“Xin shi, why aren’t you kneeling to receive the decree?” (shi – formal address for women in ancient China)
Xin Lan frowned at these words – what she hated most about this feudal backward country was all the kneeling.
Since she was now a deposed Empress anyway, she waved dismissively at the eunuch.
“I heard you. Just put it there.”
“Are you defying the imperial decree?”
The announcing eunuch was angered by her flippant attitude and scolded harshly.
“Is the Public Official’s hearing impaired? When did I say I was defying the decree? I told you to put it on the ground, or if you think Changqiu Palace’s floor isn’t worthy of this imperial decree, put it on the table. Do you understand my meaning?”
Considering her deposed status, Xin Lan didn’t use the original host’s former self-address.
The eunuch was shaken by her calm gaze and slightly mocking words, instinctively shrinking back, but immediately remembered she was just a deposed Empress and had nothing to fear from her, which made him feel embarrassed and angry.
“Empress… no, Xin shi, who do you think you are, daring to disrespect the imperial decree?”
“Fine,” Xin Lan nodded, “I’ll receive it.”
Xin Lan walked over, the pearl hairpins and jade ornaments making her uncomfortable. As the announcing eunuch was feeling smug, she snatched the decree and held it.
“Received. Does the Public Official have anything else to say? If not, please leave, don’t delay my packing.”
Xin Lan curved her lips in a smile that somehow sent chills down people’s spines.
The eunuch was flushed red with anger, flicked his horsetail whisk (ceremonial whisk carried by officials), and stormed off.
Xin Lan sat back in her chair, placed the yellow imperial decree on the table, lifted her teacup for a sip, then set it down.
The reason she dared to be so discourteous was that Ling Jiu had just given her a simplified version of important background information, supporting her actions and explaining why the original host was destroyed and ended up in this situation – imperial relatives.
The original host shared her name, Xin Lan guessed that all original hosts in this series of missions would be the same.
The original host was a legitimate daughter (first-rank daughter), her father was the Left Prime Minister, her mother the daughter of the Great General of Zhenyuan, and her brother the Junior Minister of the Court of Judicature. She was extremely privileged and married the Fifth Prince at fifteen, becoming a princess consort. The powerful forces behind her gave the Fifth Prince leverage, helping him successfully seize the throne the year after their marriage.
Logically, she should have been showered with favor, being a princess consort one year and empress the next, but reality proved different.
The Emperor had been cold to her for long, and in his four years of reign, feeling restricted by her father and brother’s influence at court, he vented all his anger on her.
Cold words, favoring others, finding fault in everything she did, only visiting her palace on two prescribed days monthly, never staying the night.
The original host was heartbroken at first, but later became emotionally dead, knowing she wasn’t loved, and simply performed her role as the dignified empress.
Because the Empress wasn’t favored, others became active with schemes, deliberately poisoning the Emperor’s mind against her and secretly oppressing her.
But the original host wasn’t pushed around easily – she punished any disrespect according to rules, earning many enemies in the palace.
The Empress didn’t care – her position was coveted by many women, and whether she fought back or not, she would face jealousy and bullying, so she might as well vent her anger when provoked.
This time, she was deposed for allegedly harming the royal heir.
The original host had no children but wanted to raise a child under her care. She had set her sights on Concubine Liu’s child, who was a few months pregnant.
But at this time, Concubine Liu miscarried.
First, suspicious ingredients were found in the food sent by the Empress, then Concubine Liu’s maid claimed the Empress had threatened her family to force her compliance.
These two pieces of evidence alone weren’t enough to stand, but the Emperor didn’t care about her innocence, didn’t investigate thoroughly, and simply reached his conclusion, deposing her and reducing her to commoner status.
Given the original host’s background, this shouldn’t have happened, as the Emperor’s actions would anger the powerful families behind the Empress.
But the original host had a replacement, or rather, the Xin family had a new piece on the board to take her place as Empress.
Now she was like a discarded chess piece, though the original host didn’t know this.
Xin Lan touched the red henna on her hands and brushed her temples.
In that case, the original host should be considered an ex-wife, not an ex-girlfriend.
Ling Jiu: cough cough It’s within the scope, it’s the same thing.
Before Xin Lan could ask Ling Jiu for the subsequent plot, someone entered to hurry her, saying it was time to leave.
At this moment, two maids walked out carrying bundles, bowing slightly to Xin Lan.
“Master, everything is packed.”
Upon hearing of the Empress’s deposition, most palace servants in Changqiu Palace had already fled, leaving only these two maids: Hehua, a dowry maid who followed her from the Prime Minister’s mansion to the Prince’s residence years ago, and Chunyue, a maid the Empress had saved and promoted after entering the palace.
Xin Lan nodded, entered the inner chamber to remove her formal attire, placed her pearl hairpins and accessories in a box, and the three of them left the palace following the eunuch.
Walking out of the magnificent Changqiu Palace, Xin Lan didn’t look back.
Biyue Palace was a homophone wordplay (諧音 – words that sound similar), not the ‘bi’ of ‘biyue xiuhua’ (閉月羞花 – idiom meaning beauty that puts the moon to shame), but the ‘bi’ meaning ‘to avoid’ (避), suggesting a palace where even moonlight couldn’t penetrate – the Cold Palace (冷宮 – where disfavored imperial consorts were banished).
Halfway there, a fragrant scent wafted over, followed by a voice tinged with mockery.
“Oh my, isn’t this our Empress? What’s with this attire? Where might you be going?”
The newcomer wore an apricot-yellow floral gauze robe, her hair in a Yunjinxiang style, adorned with a gold-plated silver hairpin set with jeweled butterflies and double flowers. She held a silk fan with gold designs and bamboo handle, covering her smile while revealing most of her face, two palace maids following behind – quite a grand sight.
“Greetings, Noble Consort.”
The leading eunuch bowed deeply, stepping aside.
Seeing Xin Lan’s silence, the Noble Consort’s maid quickly spoke up.
“Master, you may not know, but the Empress was reduced to a commoner by imperial decree this morning.”
“Oh, is that so? Ah, I received favors late into last night and woke up late, so I hadn’t heard. No wonder sister looks so diminished. Sister, you were really too petty – how could you do such a thing to Consort Liu’s child, who is also His Majesty’s child?”
The Noble Consort gently waved her fan, first showing shame then sighing, her eyes full of mock pity and derision.
This Noble Consort was the original host’s mortal enemy, desperately wanting to take her position, as being second-best was always irritating.
Xin Lan found her annoying, maintaining a blank face while waiting for her to finish.
She was just here to watch the show, but Xin Lan had no show to give.
“Do you truly believe you can take that position after I’m gone? When will you lose this naivety? Now that you’ve said your piece, you may leave. Thank you, sister, for specially coming this way to see me. I’ll be watching you closely too. Public Official, let’s go.”
Xin Lan, being slightly taller than the Noble Consort, lowered her head slightly while speaking, showing complete disdain.
The Noble Consort gritted her teeth, clutching her embroidered handkerchief tightly.
Why wasn’t she grieving, angry, or crying rivers of tears!
Why did she still maintain that aloof, emotionless demeanor (高高在上不悲不喜 – looking down from above without joy or sorrow), as if she weren’t heading to the Cold Palace but receiving courtesies from concubines!
“Xin Lan! I am the winner! Me!”
The Noble Consort spoke with hatred, but the figure ahead didn’t look back.
Enraged, she threw her fan to the ground and stomped on it several times, as if it wasn’t a fan but the person she despised most.
Xin Lan entered Biyue Palace, and after they went in, the vermillion-lacquered gates were closed.
“Master, please wait here while we servants clean up the place.”
Chunyue rolled up her sleeves, and Xin Lan nodded.
Chunyue and Hehua put down their bundles and began cleaning with well water.
Xin Lan dusted off the courtyard swing and sat down to receive the subsequent plot.
As her thoughts gradually cleared, Xin Lan didn’t know whether to call it tragic or pitiful.
The story didn’t start this way – everything had changed.
When the original host first married, she was genuinely in love with the Fifth Prince, unaware that he deliberately made her fall for him.
The Fifth Prince didn’t love the original host, only wanting to use her family’s power. After she came to the Prince’s mansion, she was virtuous and well-behaved. Before becoming Emperor, he doted on her, but after ascending the throne, his attitude immediately turned cold, though she didn’t notice, thinking he was just busy.
This was just the beginning of her misfortune – at most, she could be called a tragic political sacrifice, but the Emperor did far worse.
Deceiving her feelings with false affection was his first crime.
Secretly poisoning her upon entering the Prince’s mansion, destroying her ability to bear children, was his second crime.
With the original host childless, the Emperor, the true culprit, deliberately mocked and even despised her – his third crime.
Of these three crimes, the original host knew nothing, kept in the dark from beginning to end.
Deceiving her feelings for exploitation, poisoning the then fifteen-year-old original host, unknowingly robbing her of her right to motherhood, then mocking her inability to conceive for three to four years, taking sides with other consorts’ schemes, deliberately mentioning and favoring other women in front of her – in Ling Jiu’s words, these weren’t actions a human would take.
But the original host’s suffering didn’t end there. From the subsequent plot, she faced even more painful events.
After becoming a deposed empress, the original host lived in the Cold Palace but wasn’t too anxious, knowing she still had her family and wouldn’t stay there long.
But instead of receiving the news she hoped for, she learned that her family had sent a new girl to marry into the palace as Empress. She realized she would never return to that position – she had been abandoned.
This was logical but emotionally cruel. The original host became disheartened, having lived half her life only to end up with nothing.
She planned to live out her days in the Cold Palace, but some still wouldn’t leave her be.
The imperial examinations were held every four years, happening this year. The Third Scholar (探花郎 – third-highest scorer in imperial examinations) was talented and handsome, but when leaving the palace drunk after a banquet, he disappeared.
The Emperor sent people searching, only to find him near a rockery, disheveled, pinned down by a woman – the deposed Empress.
The original host would never leave the Cold Palace to seduce strangers, and anyone with eyes could see something was amiss.
Consequently, she was beaten to death for “defiling the palace” and “breaking feminine virtues.”
Only the Emperor could orchestrate such a scheme: knocking out the original host, disheveling her clothes, and precisely leading the drunk – more accurately, drugged – Third Scholar to that location.
And the Emperor ordered beating rather than the usual poisoned wine or silk noose (三尺白绫 – traditional suicide method for condemned imperial women) – the original host was beaten to death.
Though they say “no true man lacks ruthlessness” (无毒不丈夫 – idiom meaning great men must be ruthless), for an emperor to torture his former wife so viciously was despicably beneath contempt.
As the original host said, she lived half a life but never understood it. What seemed like a blessed life ended in such tragedy.
Thinking of the Emperor she’d only seen in memories, Xin Lan felt disgusted.
For an emperor, love wasn’t the most important thing – the throne was. To deal with such a person, one must take everything from him and ensure his death was miserable, just like the original host’s fate.
Ling Jiu: Sister Lan, if love isn’t important to scumbags, should we still proceed with our previous plan?
Xin Lan: What plan?
Ling Jiu: Stealing his woman.
Xin Lan: Of course, we must steal her this time.
Though love might not be most important to scumbags, it could still deliver a crushing blow, especially since this female lead was incredibly important to him.
That unfortunate, set-up Third Scholar was this story’s female lead.
Disguised as a man, though female, she had extraordinary talent, helping the male lead eliminate the imperial relatives and contributing greatly to bringing down the Xin family.
The male lead had previously traveled incognito in Jiangnan with her, considering her a kindred spirit. He was overjoyed seeing her in the imperial court, and upon accidentally discovering her true gender, fell deeply in love, believing she could stand as his equal – a true Empress.
In Xin Lan’s opinion, the scumbag was truly a dog.
He deliberately set up the Third Scholar – he could have arranged for someone else to deal with the original host. When the Third Scholar was drugged and confused, the Emperor rushed over, punished the original host, then took the Scholar to his palace, violated her, and made all sorts of grand promises of eternal love.
Xin Lan felt sick just thinking about it – how was this different from seduction and rape?
From any perspective, she had to steal this person away.
LP: Re-translated on November 27, 2024
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