Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 27
by Little PandaVolume 2: Power Over Court and Country
The Deposed Empress 02
Covering The Heaven With One Hand
After Xin Lan organized the storyline, she began to reflect on the incident of Consort Liu’s miscarriage.
The original host’s framing was both simple yet complex in nature.
The original host wanted the child in Consort Liu’s womb, so naturally paid extra attention to Consort Liu, occasionally sending her nourishing medicinal foods.
That day, the original host had just delivered the medicinal food, dined together with Consort Liu, and then took her leave.
Just as the original host returned to Changqiu Palace, palace servants came reporting that Consort Liu had miscarried.
The original host was greatly shocked and immediately turned back, rushing to Consort Liu’s residence.
When she arrived, the Emperor was already there, accompanied by the Noble Consort (highest-ranking consort below Empress) and Consort Man.
To check the Xin family’s power, the Emperor made constant moves in court politics, and the same occurred in the imperial harem. Among the high-ranking consorts alone, there were four: Noble Consort, Consort Man, Consort Xi, and Consort Xian.
The first three had grievances with the original host and couldn’t wait to see her misfortune. Consort Xian had no conflicts with the original host, as she was physically frail and typically stayed out of affairs.
Later, the Imperial Physician discovered harmful ingredients for pregnant women in the food, and the Emperor was furious.
The original host immediately admitted fault while explaining her ignorance of the situation, emphasizing that she had shared the meal to ensure its safety and had absolutely no intention to harm the child.
At this moment, the two consorts added fuel to the fire with their mocking and suspicious remarks, further angering the Emperor.
In this situation, the original host was undoubtedly in a very difficult position.
Finally, she was confined for three days, returning to her palace.
However, on the second day of her confinement, Consort Liu’s maid, who had been transferred to the Justice Department, confessed the “truth” under torture.
The maid said it was the Empress who made her do it, giving her a pill that could induce miscarriage, which she put in the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. The Empress threatened her family’s lives, so she dared not disobey.
Thus, the Emperor was greatly angered and wrote an imperial decree deposing the original host.
Xin Lan didn’t know how many conspirators were behind this incident, but it was certainly the work of those people.
Noble Consort, Consort Man, Consort Xi – it was one of these three, and of course, the Emperor couldn’t be excluded.
But would the Emperor really be so cruel as to use his own child to bring down the original host? Moreover, the Xin family was still a towering tree (meaning a powerful and influential family), and someone could replace that position.
Xin Lan didn’t think so, and the reason was simple: there was not yet a prince in this imperial harem.
It was truly perplexing.
An emperor with numerous consorts, yet not a single one could bear a child – this was far too strange.
It was understandable that the original host couldn’t conceive, as she had been sterilized, but what about the others? It couldn’t be possible that every single one had been sterilized.
Xin Lan pressed her temples. Although she felt it unlikely, she couldn’t be entirely certain.
After all, either the Emperor himself couldn’t impregnate anyone, or he didn’t want anyone in the harem to conceive. However, both these theories were disproven by Consort Liu’s case.
If the Emperor didn’t want anyone pregnant, why would he allow Consort Liu to conceive? Given her low rank, any child born to her couldn’t be recorded under her name and would necessarily be raised by another consort. With the Empress being childless, by protocol, the child would have to be given to her.
But the Emperor didn’t want any woman from the Xin family to bear his child, or else the Xin family’s power would rise further. If that child grew up to inherit the throne, the Emperor would likely die of anger. The Xin family was a thorn in his flesh, an increasingly intolerable presence.
If for this reason, killing his own child wasn’t entirely impossible.
Xin Lan absently swayed on the swing, suddenly feeling that survival-horror worlds were better – though human hearts were still unpredictable there, at least they weren’t this complicated.
“My lady, the room has been cleaned. Would you like to rest inside?”
Chunyue (meaning Spring Moon) asked respectfully, but Xin Lan shook her head.
“No, I’ll stay here for a while.”
Though the situation appeared restrictive with limitations everywhere, it was actually tolerable with considerable freedom of movement.
As for these two maids, while they were absolutely loyal in the original host’s memories, Xin Lan needed to evaluate them herself.
For what she planned to do next, she needed completely trustworthy people by her side.
The two maids busied themselves with tasks, and when Xin Lan saw them exhausted, she wanted to help draw water from the well, but Chunyue hurriedly stopped her.
“My lady shouldn’t endure such hardship, let your servant handle it. Though this place is beneath you now, your servant can only keep it clean to make your stay more comfortable. Please don’t worry too much, when your innocence is proven, we can leave.”
Chunyue said this with tears in her eyes.
They all knew these were just comforting words. Once entered, there was little chance of leaving unless the Emperor favored her again. But they also knew how much the Emperor despised his deposed Empress – perhaps leaving was impossible.
“Mm.”
Xin Lan nodded, not dismissing the maid’s well-intentioned comfort. Since she couldn’t help, Xin Lan just sat nearby, continuing to space out.
After being accustomed to a colorful life of entertainment, arriving in this era of scarce recreational resources inevitably felt boring. When Xin Lan first went to ancient dimension planes, she was shocked by their backwardness. Although she thought her interstellar era was just an ordinary civilization, suddenly returning to ancient civilization was quite uncomfortable.
Then later, when she entered the cultivation realm dimension, seeing a series of existences that defied scientific and gravitational principles, she had quietly reconstructed her worldview.
Xin Lan wanted to find a book to read. They had built-in translators that could convert unfamiliar text in their minds into their most familiar writing system. However, in their hurried packing, they barely had time to bring many clothes, let alone books.
Xin Lan swayed on the swing, observing this world enclosed by palace walls.
Occasionally, a bird would fly by, perching on the eaves to groom its feathers.
The slanting evening sun indicated the day was coming to an end.
Xin Lan walked around the courtyard, easing the discomfort from sitting too long.
Ling Jiu: Host, there’s something! Hehua is talking to someone, saying your attitude is very calm, as if nothing happened.
Xin Lan slightly furrowed her brows. Hehua?
Wasn’t she the maid the original host brought from home? She should be a Xin family servant who followed through the prince’s mansion and into the palace – how could she possibly betray them?
Xin Lan: Track the location of the maid she’s talking to, see where she goes finally.
Ling Jiu: Got it!
“Chunyue, where’s Hehua?”
“Sister Hehua went to get the evening meal.”
Chunyue lowered her head, thinking how just before today, her mistress would have been waiting in Changqiu Palace to be served. Now they had to fetch meals themselves, and who knew what kind of food it would be – certainly incomparable to before.
Thinking of this, Chunyue became sad again, turning away to hide her face as her eyes quietly welled with tears.
Shortly after, Hehua returned carrying a food box.
She placed the box on the round table and began setting out its contents one by one.
“This…”
Chunyue frowned; these dishes were even worse than what servants used to eat, yet now they were serving them to their mistress.
Simple tofu dishes and plain rice – Xin Lan showed no reaction to the modest fare and asked Chunyue and Hehua to sit down and eat together.
“My lady, how could we?”
“Sit down. Things are different now, no need to stand on ceremony.”
With such meager portions, Xin Lan knew these two maids intended to eat her leftovers. She wasn’t that inhumane – since their circumstances had changed, there was no need to follow such strict protocols.
Chunyue and Hehua sat down stiffly, and for a while, only the sound of chopsticks clicking against bowls could be heard.
At this moment, Ling Jiu informed Xin Lan about the palace maid’s information.
Xin Lan’s chopsticks paused briefly, then naturally continued as she picked up a vegetable to eat.
Though bland, compared to the cafeteria food from her previous mission, the taste was much more normal.
After dinner, Hehua cleared the dishes while Chunyue went to boil water.
Xin Lan stood in the main chamber, which wasn’t dilapidated, just completely unadorned.
Chunyue finished heating the water and invited Xin Lan to bathe.
When Xin Lan returned to the main chamber in her robes, the two maids prepared to leave.
“Wait a moment, I have something to say.”
“What are your instructions, my lady?”
The two maids stopped and turned to face Xin Lan.
“Hehua.”
“Your servant is here.”
“Kneel.”
Hehua was startled and, looking up to meet Xin Lan’s calm-as-water eyes, hurriedly knelt down.
Chunyue didn’t understand what was happening – everything had been fine just moments ago, why had her mistress suddenly turned stern?
She stood in place with lowered head, listening to Xin Lan’s voice that betrayed neither joy nor anger.
“Do you know what kind of person I despise most?”
“Your servant is foolish and doesn’t know.”
Hehua pressed her forehead to the ground, keeping her body very low.
“Those who are disloyal, unfilial, and without righteousness.”
“Your servant has absolutely no divided loyalties!”
Hehua knocked her head on the ground several times with loud thuds, appearing completely loyal, as if the sun and moon could bear witness (meaning one’s sincerity can be verified by heaven).
“Hehua, how many years have you served me?”
Xin Lan showed no reaction to her words, simply asking this question.
“Your servant has been by your side since before you married, it’s been eight years now.”
“Eight years…”
Xin Lan drew out her words, seemingly sighing.
“Eight years – even a stone would have warmed up after being held for so long (meaning even the coldest things would have shown warmth after such long care). The Xin family treated you well, and I believe I treated you decently too…”
“My lady has always treated me extremely well.”
Hehua’s body was extremely rigid, her voice trembling.
“Then why did you turn your elbow outward (meaning to betray one’s own people to help outsiders)? Hmm?”
Hehua’s heart sank, and her palms began to sweat cold.
She didn’t dare raise her head, only continuously kowtowing.
“Enough, your kowtowing is giving me a headache. Tell me the reason – what benefits did she promise you to betray me?”
Xin Lan sat in the main seat, her expression mild yet commanding natural authority.
Ling Jiu, used to her previous violent ways of dealing with people, felt anxious despite not being involved.
Chunyue’s expression had changed since Xin Lan first mentioned disloyalty, looking at Hehua in disbelief.
“My lady, I didn’t, I really didn’t.”
Hehua looked up, her face streaked with tears, a large purple bruise on her forehead, looking quite pitiful.
“You didn’t betray me, or there were no benefits?”
Hehua fell silent, meeting Xin Lan’s gaze, and cried even harder.
“My lady, I have no intention of betraying you, I just… I just… said some trivial things, that’s all! Please believe me, I truly haven’t betrayed you.”
“If you did it, you did it. If you didn’t, you didn’t. What hardship forced you to betray me? Let’s hear it.”
If this were the original host, being betrayed by Hehua who had accompanied her for eight years would have been extremely painful, but Xin Lan remained coldly indifferent.
In the original storyline, the original host never knew about this betrayal until her death.
Hehua wiped away her tears and began choking out the story’s circumstances.
It was simple, not complicated at all, with no threats or enticements, which made it somewhat laughable.
Hehua had fallen in love with a palace guard, and they had “turned the red waves” – to put it crudely, they had been intimate.
If this were discovered, Hehua would lose her life, and the guard’s fate wouldn’t be any better, so they kept it secret.
Somehow Consort Xi learned about their affair and used the guard’s life to threaten Hehua, which led to her betrayal.
From Hehua’s perspective, it was perhaps a dilemma – choosing between her lover and her mistress.
“So you betrayed me for a man?”
What a great love, Xin Lan thought expressionlessly.
“Your servant really hasn’t done anything for Consort Xi, she only occasionally asked about your recent condition, and I tried to speak well of you, truly, my lady, Hehua isn’t lying!”
“If you liked that guard, why didn’t you tell me? Would I have kept you from marriage?”
“He… he said it wasn’t the right time yet, that he would come to marry me when he saved enough money…”
“Oh Hehua, I thought you were a clever girl, how could you do something so foolish? Do you even know which official commands his patrol unit?”
“No.”
“Do you know his background?”
“He told me his name is Chang Yan.”
“Where is he from? How old is he? What siblings does he have? Are his parents alive?”
Hehua was rendered speechless by these questions, stammering that she didn’t know.
Xin Lan rubbed her head, feeling a throbbing headache coming on.
“How did you not consider this might be Consort Xi’s scheme? That the guard might be her man? You knew well of my old grudge with Consort Xi, and you knew how many people were watching me. How could you still do such a thing?”
“Your servant… your servant…”
Hehua seemed to realize something, her face gradually turning pale.
“Enough, I don’t want to hear more. The matter of Consort Liu’s miscarriage – were you involved?”
“No, how would I dare do such a thing! I knew you wanted that child, I would never ruin my lady’s affairs! My lady, please spare me, I truly never revealed any important information about you! My lady, I…”
“Whether you did or not, betraying me for a man is an established fact. Think carefully about what you need to confess to me, every single thing, don’t miss anything.”
Xin Lan stood up, and Chunyue quickly rose to support her arm.
Hehua collapsed in place, looking lost and soul-scattered.
When did her mistress discover this? How did she know?
Was that man really sent by Consort Xi as a trap?
Was it all fake?
Xin Lan sat in the inner chamber, removing her outer robe, which Chunyue took and placed on the screen.
“My lady…”
Chunyue hesitated, then directly knelt down.
“No matter what, Chunyue will always follow my lady, never betraying you.”
“Silly girl.”
Xin Lan stroked Chunyue’s hair, her tone somewhere between a sigh and contentment.
Chunyue raised her face, her gaze gentle yet determined.
Looking at Xin Lan’s face, beautiful as peach and plum blossoms, she couldn’t help feeling dazed.
Her mistress was truly beautiful, with looks befitting a favored consort rather than an empress. Such a smile could steal one’s soul, a beauty that even women couldn’t resist, far surpassing the Noble Consort’s looks. But previously, as an empress needing to maintain dignity, and feeling her smile wasn’t intimidating enough, she rarely showed such expressions.
“Rest well, my lady. I’ll be in the outer chamber, call me if you need anything.”
“Go on.”
Xin Lan sat on the bed, pulling up her blankets.
She had thought that even if there were traitors among the original host’s people, it shouldn’t have been Hehua, but she had guessed wrong.
Could love really possess such magical power?
Enough to make people lose their minds, betray trust, and abandon faith – it was truly terrifying.
The concept of love was exceptionally foreign to Xin Lan.
In the interstellar era, most marriages used genetic matching for selection, ensuring the birth of superior offspring.
Of course, free love was also supported.
Xin Lan was an Alpha, and following normal development – if she hadn’t died in that battle – she would have returned for genetic matching and had an Omega spouse.
The spouse might have been male or female.
Male Alphas had the ability to impregnate others, but female Alphas didn’t. They could make their partners submit absolutely through pheromones and use external fertilization technology to help bear their children.
In the interstellar era, although there were six genders, female Alphas were very rare, numbering about one-third of male Alphas.
But Xin Lan died for her country in that battle.
So naturally, she never had the chance to experience “wife, children, and warm kang” (referring to domestic happiness), and had no real feelings about love.
After all, previously, busy with training and fighting, there was no time to consider such trivial matters, and in her era, few people would speak the word “love.”
Most people found their other half through genetic matching, then married once confirmed. One person could only have one partner, being faithful to each other. Of course, not everyone followed this – while law forbade polygamy, some people did dishonorable things without marriage.
Later, playing villains in various worlds left no time for romantic love. Xin Lan had considered it, but seeing everyone as still water (meaning emotionally unmoved), she felt nothing and didn’t force herself.
Ling Jiu: Based on my experience, love has the power to turn people into fools. Do you still plan to use her?
Ling Jiu finished eating melon (meaning watching drama unfold) in the system space and answered Xin Lan’s internal question.
Systems exist in their hosts’ deep consciousness and can hear when hosts question or sigh internally.
Ling Jiu had worked in the face-slapping department for quite a while, witnessing much romance with two previous hosts, especially the first one. Seeing those men made dizzy by her host, Ling Jiu didn’t know whether to feel sympathy or sighs of emotion.
Xin Lan: Let’s see how things go.
Xin Lan was short-handed now. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t give people a chance to reform, but someone with a record couldn’t be trusted. What if that man said a few words and made her dizzy with infatuation again? That would be pointless.
Chunyue could be trusted. When the original host first entered the palace, she witnessed a matron beating Chunyue, accusing her of being lazy and stealing food. The original host pitied her and brought her to her own palace. Later, discovering that while Chunyue wasn’t particularly shrewd and quick-witted, she was efficient and hardworking, she kept her as an attendant. Four years of service made her, like Hehua, one of the original host’s trusted confidants.
Who wouldn’t like such a maid? No crooked thoughts, wholly devoted to serving – isn’t that a kind of wisdom in itself?
Ling Jiu, hugging a little yellow chicken pillow, wanted to suggest that Xin Lan could make others dizzy with infatuation to achieve her goals, given her natural advantages. Her first host had taught her that being beautiful meant you could do anything you wanted. Xin Lan was indeed beautiful, but Ling Jiu dared not say this, knowing true strong ones often disdain using their looks and prefer others to focus on their abilities rather than appearance.
Asking Xin Lan to seduce someone… Ling Jiu shuddered, remembering how Xin Lan had pinned down and trampled that skin ghost, even tearing it apart with her bare hands.
Rather brutal – impossible to imagine any man approaching her. The thought alone was frightening.
Better not to let such scenes unfold.
Xin Lan closed her eyes, no longer thinking about matters of love.
Chunyue left the inner chamber, quietly closing the door, and sighed seeing Hehua still collapsed there.
“Sister Hehua, how could you be so foolish!”
“Chunyue, please speak to our lady on my behalf. I truly haven’t done anything harmful to her.”
“Better if you haven’t, but if you did, it’s mistake upon mistake. Do you think our lady would believe you did nothing? Otherwise, why would Consort Xi go to such lengths to trap you? Even I don’t believe it. Sister Hehua, I can’t help you with this – you’ll have to seek your own fortune. In our lady’s current situation, learning of your actions, how could she not be heartbroken?”
Chunyue felt equally disappointed, never expecting someone she considered a sister would do such things.
Hehua sat dejectedly on the ground, head lowered, wiping tears.
At midnight, Ling Jiu woke Xin Lan.
She opened her eyes, her expression as dark as if she could devour someone.
Xin Lan: Speak.
Ling Jiu wouldn’t wake her without good reason; she was controlling her irritable mood.
Ling Jiu: Hehua has secretly left.
Ling Jiu swallowed nervously, not wanting to wake her host, but someone wasn’t behaving.
Xin Lan took a deep breath, rose from bed, not bothering with a dress as it was too troublesome, simply going out in her undergarments to check the situation.
When she went out, the palace gate was slightly ajar.
Ling Jiu: Aren’t you going to chase after her?
Xin Lan: Chase her for what? Just watch what she does and tell me when I wake up.
Ling Jiu: Then why did you get up?
Xin Lan: I fear if I don’t cool down my anger in the breeze, I might do something impulsive.
Ling Jiu fell silent.
After calming down, Xin Lan returned to sleep. There was no point in pursuing – if she wanted to know where Hehua went and what she did, having Ling Jiu watch was sufficient. There was nothing urgent requiring her personal attention.
The next morning, Ling Jiu reported everything from the previous night.
Hehua had gone out at midnight to meet her lover.
She was quite bold. Guards usually patrolled the front palace, rarely entering the back palace except for necessary night patrols or guarding palace gates.
Hehua told the guard about being discovered. The guard comforted her thoroughly – Ling Jiu said the exchange was too sickeningly sweet to listen to, with kissing and touching that Ling Jiu censored, only resuming surveillance after they parted.
Sure enough, after leaving Hehua, the guard secretly went to Consort Xi’s palace and threw a jade pendant onto a tree in her courtyard.
Xin Lan’s brows unconsciously furrowed. She knew this had to be Consort Xi’s doing. If it was as Hehua claimed, that Consort Xi only asked about trivial matters, why go through such trouble? There must be another purpose.
Consort Xi could only be described as calculating to the extreme.
Consort Xi’s background wasn’t particularly high – daughter of a fifth-rank official. She entered the palace before both Consort Man and Noble Consort. At the emperor’s birthday banquet, one dance amazed all present, and the emperor took her into his harem, initially not as a consort but just a concubine. Through gaining favor, she climbed hard to the position of Zhaoyi.
Normally, to be promoted to consort, one needed to bear a prince, but she hadn’t. However, she saved the emperor’s life.
During that year’s autumn hunt, when assassins attacked the emperor, she took a knife for him. Moved by this, the emperor promoted her to consort.
Though it seemed reasonable, careful consideration revealed Consort Xi’s cunning.
Consort Xi entered the palace earliest and rose quickly, so it was understandable that the original host disliked her. But Consort Xi wasn’t afraid, as she could see the emperor’s dissatisfaction with the Xin family. Even when the Xin family was at its peak, she believed they would fall.
She wanted to be empress, but she was patient. While appearing uninvolved in matters, she actually had a hand in everything, stirring up trouble while keeping herself clean of involvement.
The old grudge between the original host and Consort Xi wasn’t just their fire-and-water relationship from the start. Once, Consort Xi mockingly implied that the empress wasn’t worthy of her position. The original host couldn’t tolerate this and slapped her in front of other consorts and palace servants. Consort Xi, caring deeply about face, was nearly angered to death but could do nothing, thus developing a deep hatred.
Later, Consort Xi took revenge by whispering in the emperor’s ear, making him show displeasure toward the original host and deliberately dining with Consort Xi instead.
In Xin Lan’s opinion, if the original host hadn’t loved that dog emperor, how could such petty tricks have hurt her?
So how could such a calculating Consort Xi do anything without purpose?
After breakfast, Xin Lan looked at Hehua standing before her, smoothing her temple hair.
“Have you thought about what to say?”
Xin Lan’s expression remained mild as she set down her teacup.
Thoughtful Chunyue had specially wrapped half a tea cake when packing things.
While serving, she muttered about the well water ruining good tea, but there was no choice – the cold palace had no tea leaves for Xin Lan. Xin Lan wasn’t particular, drinking even plain cold or warm water, but Chunyue insisted on giving her the best possible within their means. A simple compliment from Xin Lan was enough to make her happy.
Silly girl, Xin Lan thought.
Hehua still said nothing new, repeating yesterday’s words.
Xin Lan lowered her eyes. Light filtered through the window lattice into the room, but the poor positioning prevented it from brightening fully. The room retained an undispersible chill, matching its name and purpose.
“Where did you go at midnight yesterday?”
Hehua’s heart tightened, kneeling silently.
“How can I trust you like this?”
Xin Lan sighed softly, thinking how it would be more imposing if she could still refer to herself as “This Palace” like the original host.
Hehua opened her mouth to speak but said nothing.
Even without Ling Jiu, Xin Lan could guess who she met, yet Hehua stubbornly remained silent.
Xin Lan went to the courtyard, which was untended and overgrown with weeds, looking desolate.
Chunyue stood behind her, following her gaze to the wild grass.
“Your servant will start clearing these weeds soon, then try to find some flower seeds to make our courtyard more pleasant.”
“No hurry, Chunyue, don’t trouble yourself. Let it be this way – since they want to see me living poorly, let them look their fill.”
Xin Lan felt that while they were under scrutiny and everyone’s attention, it was better to wait. When those watchful eyes turned away, that would be her time to act.
Soon, these people would be too busy to care about her, as new pieces were about to enter the game.
Speak of the devil, just after noon, the cold palace received a visitor.
The visitor was a woman with noble bearing in her facial features, wearing a blue cloud-patterned robe, followed by a maid. Upon seeing Xin Lan, she quickened her pace, clasping Xin Lan’s hand with both of hers, eyes brimming with tears.
“My dear Lan’er, you’ve suffered so.”
Lady Xin knew this couldn’t have been her daughter’s doing – after all, when that consort gave birth, her daughter could have taken the child as the legitimate eldest son. Though the birth mother’s grace was important, upbringing determined who the child would consider best. At such a crucial time, how could her daughter have acted against this?
They hadn’t expected the emperor to move so quickly in deposing the empress, leaving them no time to find a solution. Now their only option was to send the second Xin daughter into the palace. Her Lan’er was destined to be abandoned, and though Lady Xin was unwilling, there was no alternative. She didn’t know how her Lan’er would accept this reality.
“Mother, you’ve come.”
Xin Lan greeted the teary-eyed lady before her, maintaining a cold expression, unable to produce the expected scene of sorrowful embracing and crying.
Her demeanor made Lady Xin even more distressed, thinking Xin Lan was too grief-stricken to even cry.
“You’ve been wronged in this matter, I know, but you also know the emperor can barely tolerate the Xin family anymore…”
“So what is mother’s meaning in coming?”
“Long’er will be entering the palace in a few days. You two were close before…”
Lady Xin’s voice trailed off into a sigh, unable to continue.
“To Changqiu Palace?”
“Yes.”
“Daughter understands.”
“Lan’er, you…”
Lady Xin’s words of comfort were caught in her throat before she could speak them.
She looked confusedly at Xin Lan’s cold expression, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
“Things have come to this, and daughter sees clearly. Rest assured, I won’t make things difficult for Long’er. If she comes to me, I will certainly help her.”
“Good, good. You know Long’er is young and inevitably has much to learn.”
Xin Lan agreed, feeling nothing inside.
Xin Long was the original host’s niece, the eldest daughter of her eldest brother. She was only twelve or thirteen, not yet of age for her coming-of-age ceremony (traditional ceremony when a girl turns 15), yet was being sent into this man-eating palace.
Perhaps there’s no room for personal feelings in politics – such a young girl entering the palace, her husband destined to never give her the love she might still dream of.
Xin Lan recalled the plot’s outcome for this young empress – due to the Xin family’s downfall, she was given poisoned wine in the palace at merely fifteen years old.
After exchanging pleasantries, Xin Lan brought up her main concern.
“What! That girl Hehua? That ungrateful turncoat (meaning serving outsiders while being fed inside)!”
Lady Xin was clearly furious. She had personally chosen Hehua as her daughter’s maid, who had served for eight years, only to turn against them.
“I’ll take her back for proper punishment. Do you know who she’s sided with?”
“Consort Xi.”
“What!”
Lady Xin grew even angrier. Consort Xi had been at odds with Xin Lan since entering the palace – being disloyal was bad enough, but to side with their old enemy!
“Mother, take her away and send me someone capable, preferably obedient and with a known background.”
“Alright, I’ll have your father arrange someone to come in after I leave.”
They fell silent. Lady Xin looked at the surroundings, sighing again.
She thought of how her Lan’er was born to endless glory and wealth, meant to be cherished in palm, never meant to suffer such hardship.
“Here’s some silver. Use it as needed, and tell mother if you need anything else.”
“Very well.”
Xin Lan nodded, and Chunyue stepped forward to receive the sachet containing silver.
Lady Xin had little else to say. She had come to comfort Xin Lan but found her calm and clear-minded, requiring no further words. Though she ached for her daughter, there was nothing to be done – before family honor and survival, everything else seemed insignificant.
Having achieved their purposes, Lady Xin couldn’t stay long in the palace and departed hurriedly, taking Hehua with her.
On the table sat a food box she had brought. Chunyue opened it – the top two layers contained exquisite dishes, the third held pastries, and the bottom layer revealed banknotes, loose silver, and jewelry like bracelets and earrings – thoroughly prepared.
Xin Lan had Chunyue store everything away, her sigh dissolving in the wind.
In Lady Xin, she saw a slight shadow of her own mother – just a slight one.
Xin Lan’s other mother was also a female Alpha, explaining her bloodline’s genetics. But after age five, Xin Lan never saw that person again – she died in a foreign campaign. Afterward, her remaining mother raised her alone. Due to her deceased mother’s military contributions, her Omega mother’s status, and her genetics, she never suffered hardship. The state provided excellent compensation, and Xin Lan, excelling in studies, relied on scholarships, only spending money on mecha parts without burdening her family.
After her martyrdom, she considered staying to accompany her mother, but when she accumulated enough points to return, five years had passed.
Her name was recorded in the Empire’s general chronicles, with books vividly depicting that brutal war. After seeing the nation was safe, Xin Lan rushed home.
Thinking how devastated her mother must be, wondering how she could cope alone, she hurried back only to find no one there.
The system’s search revealed her mother had remarried two years prior.
Xin Lan observed secretly and found her mother living well, with a new life, family, and children.
She couldn’t appear openly, and her mother had accepted her death and built a new family. After watching for one afternoon, she turned and left.
With Hehua gone, only Xin Lan and Chunyue remained in Biyue Palace.
Xin Lan rarely spoke when idle. Though Chunyue wanted to console her, she didn’t know what to say. Mentioning past events would only bring pain, yet Xin Lan didn’t appear sad – sometimes Chunyue even caught her smiling, seemingly in good spirits.
Unable to fathom her mistress’s thoughts, Chunyue didn’t pretend to be clever, simply following her daily and doing needlework.
Xin Lan was too bored, so she watched television with Ling Jiu when there was nothing to do. Ling Jiu was watching silly comedy shows, seemingly laughing like a fool in the system space. Though Xin Lan usually had a high threshold for humor, Ling Jiu’s continuous laughter was contagious, making her unable to hold back her smile.
Lady Xin moved quickly, sending a new maid by the third day.
The maid had a round face, appearing naive and easily fooled, looking at Xin Lan with an innocent and guileless expression.
However, when she spoke, her demeanor contrasted with her appearance, showing unexpected steadiness.
“This servant Sitong pays respects to mistress.”
“How did you come here?”
“The Internal Affairs Bureau sent me here after I broke Consort Zhao’s porcelain cup.”
Sitong spoke calmly, giving Xin Lan an innocent and carefree smile.
Xin Lan nodded with satisfaction, concealing the gleam in her eyes as she turned away.
Soon, the show would begin.
LP: Re-translated on November 27, 2024
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