Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 27

Power Overwhelming the Court

Deposed Empress 02

Covering the Sky with One Hand

After sorting out the plot details, Xin Lan began to recall the matter of Consort Liu’s miscarriage.

            

The entire process of how the original owner was framed was simple yet complex.

The original owner had wanted the child in Consort Liu’s womb, so she had naturally paid closer attention to her, occasionally sending over some nourishing medicinal meals.

On that day, the original owner had just delivered a medicinal meal and dined with Consort Liu before rising to leave.

            

No sooner had she returned to Changqiu Palace than a servant rushed in to report that Consort Liu had suffered a miscarriage.

Shocked, the original owner immediately turned back, rushing to Consort Liu’s quarters.

By the time she arrived, the Emperor was already there, flanked by the Noble Consort and Consort Man.

            

To keep the Xin family in check, the Emperor had been making constant moves in both the imperial court and the harem. In terms of high-ranking consorts alone, there were four: the Noble Consort, Consort Man, Consort Xi, and Consort Xian.

The first three had friction with the original owner and wished nothing more than to see her fall. Consort Xian had no grievances with her; being sickly and weak, she rarely got involved in palace affairs.

Later, the imperial physicians discovered harmful ingredients for pregnant women in the food. The Emperor was furious.

            

The original owner quickly apologized, explaining that she had no knowledge of it and had even dined on the same meal to ensure its safety, proving she had no intention of harming the imperial heir.

At that moment, the other two consorts stood aside, pouring oil on the fire with mocking and suspicious remarks, stoking the Emperor’s anger further.

In such a situation, the original owner had undoubtedly felt extremely aggrieved.

            

Ultimately, she was confined for three days and returned to her palace.

However, on the second day of her confinement, Consort Liu’s maid, who had been transferred to the Palace Discipline Office, revealed the ‘truth’ under torture.

The maid claimed the Empress had ordered her to do it, giving her a pill that could cause a miscarriage and instructing her to slip it into the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. She added that the Empress had threatened her entire family’s lives, leaving her with no choice but to obey.

            

Because of this, the Emperor flew into a rage, issued an Imperial Edict, and deposed the original owner.

Xin Lan didn’t know how many instigators were behind this affair, but it had to be the work of those few people.

Either the Noble Consort, Consort Man, or Consort Xi. Of course, the Emperor couldn’t be excluded either.

            

But would the Emperor really be ruthless enough to use his own child to bring down the original owner? Especially when the Xin family was still a towering tree, and someone else from their clan could easily take her place.

Xin Lan felt he wouldn’t, and her reason was simple: there wasn’t a single prince in the harem yet.

This was truly baffling.

            

An emperor with a crowd of consorts, yet not a single one could give birth to a child—this was far too bizarre.

The original owner’s inability to conceive was easy to explain—she had been sterilized. But what about the others? Surely they hadn’t all been sterilized.

Xin Lan pressed her temples. Although she felt it was unlikely, she couldn’t be entirely certain.

            

After all, either the Emperor himself was incapable of fathering children, or he simply didn’t want anyone in the harem to conceive. Yet both theories were disproven by Consort Liu’s pregnancy, making them invalid.

If the Emperor didn’t want anyone to get pregnant, why would he let Consort Liu conceive? Her rank was low, so her child couldn’t be registered under her own name; the child would inevitably have to be raised by another consort. Since the Empress had no children, by virtue of status, the baby would surely be handed over to her.

But the Emperor didn’t want a woman of the Xin family to carry his child. Otherwise, wouldn’t the Xin family’s power rise to the next level? If that child grew up to inherit the throne, the Emperor would probably die of anger. The Xin family was a thorn in his side and a splinter in his flesh—an increasingly intolerable existence.

            

If that was the underlying reason, then killing his own child wasn’t entirely impossible.

Xin Lan absentmindedly swayed on her swing, suddenly feeling that the survival worlds were better. Although human hearts there were just as unpredictable, it was still better than this intricate web of schemes.

“Master, the room has been cleaned. Would you like to head inside to rest?” Chun Yue asked respectfully.

            

Xin Lan shook her head. “No, I’ll stay here for a bit.”

Although the situation looked bleak and highly restrictive, it was actually quite manageable, with plenty of room to move.

As for the two maids beside her, the original owner’s memories painted them as fiercely loyal. To Xin Lan, however, she still had to reserve judgment.

            

The things she planned to do next required people by her side she could absolutely trust as her own.

The two maids busied themselves. Seeing how exhausted they were, Xin Lan wanted to help draw some well water, but Chun Yue hastily ushered her away.

“How can Master suffer such hardship? This servant can do it. This place does Master an injustice now, so this servant can only clean it as thoroughly as possible to make you comfortable. Master, please don’t worry too much. When your grievance is cleared, we’ll be able to leave.”

            

Chun Yue said this, but her eyes turned red.

They both knew these were merely comforting words. Once inside, there was likely no way out unless the Emperor favored her again. But they also knew just how much the Emperor disliked this deposed Empress; it was highly possible she would never leave.

“Mhm.”

            

Xin Lan nodded, not rejecting the maid’s well-meaning comfort. Since she couldn’t help, she simply sat nearby and continued to space out.

After getting used to a rich and colorful entertainment life, coming to an era with such scarce entertainment resources made it hard to avoid feeling bored. When Xin Lan first went to an ancient world, she had been shocked by the backwardness. After all, she had assumed her own interstellar era was just a normal civilization, so suddenly returning to an ancient civilization was quite difficult to adjust to.

Later on, she had reached a cultivation plane. Seeing a series of existences that defied science and the laws of gravity, she had quietly reconstructed her worldview.

            

Xin Lan wanted to find a book to read. She had a built-in translation device, so any unfamiliar characters in a book could be converted in her mind into the script she was most familiar with. However, during their hasty packing, they’d barely managed to bring enough clothes, let alone books.

Xin Lan swung gently, looking at the world enclosed by these palace walls.

An occasional bird flew past, landing on the eaves to preen its feathers.

            

The evening sun cast its fading glow, signaling that the day was drawing to a close.

Xin Lan walked around the courtyard to ease the discomfort of sitting for too long.

Zero Nine: [Host, something is going on! He Hua is talking to someone. She said you are behaving very calmly, like nothing is wrong.]

            

Xin Lan frowned slightly. He Hua?

Wasn’t this the maid the original owner had brought from her family home? As a maid of the Xin family, she had followed her into the Prince’s estate and then into the palace. How could she possibly betray her?

Xin Lan: [Locate the maid talking to her and see where she ends up.]

            

Zero Nine: [On it!]

“Chun Yue, where is He Hua?”

“He Hua-jiejie went to fetch dinner.”

            

Chun Yue kept her head lowered. Only yesterday, Master had been sitting in Changqiu Palace waiting to be served. Why did they have to fetch the meals in person now? And who knew what the food would even look like; it certainly wouldn’t compare to before.

Thinking of this, Chun Yue couldn’t help but feel sad again. She turned away to hide her face, her eyes quietly welling with tears.

Not long after, He Hua returned, carrying a food box.

            

She placed the food box on the round table, setting the dishes out one by one.

“This…”

Chun Yue knitted her brows. This fare was even worse than what they, the servants, used to eat, yet now it was being served to Master.

            

A simple fare of tofu, some vegetables, coarse tea, and plain rice. Xin Lan showed no reaction upon seeing it, telling Chun Yue and He Hua to sit down and eat with her.

“Master, how can we do that?”

“Sit down. Things are already like this, so there’s no need to fuss over etiquette.”

            

With only these few dishes, Xin Lan knew these two maids wanted to wait until she finished to eat the leftovers. She wasn’t that heartless; besides, in this environment, there was no need to adhere to so many rules anyway.

Chun Yue and He Hua sat down hesitantly. For a moment, only the clinking of chopsticks and bowls filled the room.

During this time, Zero Nine relayed the details of that other palace maid to Xin Lan.

            

Xin Lan’s chopsticks paused for a brief second, but she naturally picked up a piece of green vegetable and continued eating.

Although it was rather bland, compared to the school cafeteria food from her last mission, the taste was much more normal.

After finishing dinner, He Hua cleared the dishes while Chun Yue went to heat some water.

            

Xin Lan stood in the main room. The building wasn’t dilapidated; it simply lacked any decoration.

Once the water was hot, Chun Yue came to invite Xin Lan to bathe.

Draped in her inner robes, Xin Lan returned to the main room just as the two maids were preparing to leave.

            

“Wait a moment. I have something to say.”

“Does Master have any other instructions?”

The two maids stopped and turned to stand before Xin Lan.

            

“He Hua.”

“This servant is here.”

“Kneel.”

            

He Hua was startled. Looking up, she met Xin Lan’s eyes, which were as calm as still water, and she hastily knelt.

Chun Yue didn’t understand what was happening. After all, everything had been fine just a moment ago. Why had Master suddenly turned so cold?

She stood in place with her head lowered, hearing Xin Lan’s voice, which betrayed neither anger nor joy.

            

“Do you know what kind of person I detest the most?”

“This servant is foolish; this servant doesn’t know.”

He Hua pressed her forehead to the floor, keeping her posture as low as possible.

            

“Those who are disloyal, unfilial, and unrighteous.”

“This servant has absolutely no divided loyalty!”

He Hua kowtowed repeatedly, her head striking the floor with loud thuds, looking for all the world like a loyal servant whose devotion could be witnessed by the sun and moon.

            

“He Hua, how many years have you been with me?”

Xin Lan didn’t show any reaction to her words, only asking in a conversational tone.

“This servant has been by Master’s side since before you married. This is the eighth year.”

            

“Eight years…”

Xin Lan trailed off, letting out what sounded like a sigh.

“Eight years… Even a stone would have been warmed after all this time. The Xin family has treated you well, and I believe I haven’t treated you poorly either…”

            

“Master has always treated this servant wonderfully.”

He Hua’s body was incredibly stiff, and even her voice trembled.

“Then why did you help an outsider against me, hmm?”

            

He Hua’s heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat began to pool in her palms.

She didn’t dare look up, only kowtowing relentlessly.

“Enough. All this kowtowing is giving me a headache. Tell me the reason. What kind of benefits did she promise to make you betray me?”

            

Xin Lan sat in the main seat, her expression indifferent, yet she possessed an imposing dignity that needed no anger to be felt.

Zero Nine, accustomed to her past style of violently tearing people apart, felt her own heart flutter with anxiety even though it had nothing to do with her.

As early as when Xin Lan mentioned disloyalty, unfilialness, and unrighteousness, Chun Yue’s face had slightly shifted. She stared at He Hua in disbelief.

            

“Master, this servant didn’t, this servant didn’t!”

He Hua looked up, her face covered in tears, showing a large purple bruise on her forehead that made her look quite pitiful.

“Is it that you didn’t betray me, or that there were no benefits?”

            

He Hua fell silent. Meeting Xin Lan’s gaze, she wept even harder.

“Master, this servant never had the heart to betray you. This servant only… only spoke of some trivial matters, that’s all! Please believe me, Master, this servant truly didn’t betray you.”

“What’s done is done. What kind of difficulties did you have that forced you to betray me? Why don’t you tell me and let me hear them?”

            

If it had been the original owner, being betrayed by He Hua—who had accompanied her all this way for eight years—would have caused her immense pain. Xin Lan, however, was completely calm and indifferent.

In the original plot, the original owner hadn’t even known about this by the time she died.

He Hua wiped her tears, choking back sobs as she explained the ins and outs of the matter.

            

It was simple, not complex at all. There was no coercion or bribery, which made it seem somewhat laughable.

He Hua had fallen in love with an imperial guard in the palace, and they had even overturned the red waves¹ together—to put it bluntly, an illicit affair.

If this became known, He Hua would lose her life, and the guard’s fate would be no better. Thus, both of them acted in utmost secrecy.

            

Later, their affair was somehow discovered by Consort Xi. Consort Xi used the guard’s life to threaten He Hua, which was why she committed this betrayal.

From He Hua’s perspective, it was a difficult dilemma: her lover on one side, and her master on the other.

“So, you betrayed me for a man?”

            

What a grand and noble love, Xin Lan thought expressionlessly.

“This servant truly didn’t do anything against Master for Her Highness Consort Xi. She only asked how you were doing lately, and this servant tried to mention only the positive things! Truly, Master, He Hua didn’t lie to you!”

“If you loved that guard, why didn’t you tell me? Would I have forced you to stay by my side and forbidden you from marrying?”

            

“It was him… He said it wasn’t the time yet, and that he had to wait until he’d saved enough money before coming to marry me…”

“He Hua, oh He Hua. I thought you were a clever girl, so how could you do something so foolish? Do you know which official he serves under, or which patrol unit he belongs to?”

“This servant… doesn’t know.”

            

“Do you know his name?”

“He told this servant his name is Chang Yan.”

“Where is he from? How old is he? Does he have any sisters? Are his parents still living?”

            

He Hua was left speechless by her questions, only muttering that she didn’t know.

Xin Lan rubbed her temples, feeling her head throb slightly.

“How did you never consider that this might be Consort Xi’s plot? What if that guard was originally one of Consort Xi’s men? You know very well that Consort Xi and I have an old grudge. Don’t you know how many eyes are watching me? How could you still do such a thing?”

            

“This servant… This servant…”

As if suddenly realizing something, He Hua’s face slowly drained of color.

“Enough, I don’t want to hear any more. Did Consort Liu’s miscarriage have anything to do with you?”

            

“No! How would this servant dare do such a thing? This servant knew Master wanted that child, so this servant would absolutely never ruin Master’s plans! Please spare this servant, Master! This servant truly didn’t reveal any of your important information! Master, 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. Do not leave out a single detail.”

Xin Lan rose. Chun Yue quickly stepped forward to support her arm.

            

He Hua slumped in place, utterly lost and helpless.

When did Master find out? How did she know?

Was that man truly sent by Consort Xi to set a trap for her?

            

Was it all a lie?

Xin Lan sat in the inner chamber and shed her outer robe. Chun Yue took it and draped it over the screen.

“Master…”

            

Chun Yue hesitated to speak, and finally knelt down directly.

“No matter what, Chun Yue will always follow Master. I’ll never betray you.”

“Silly girl.”

            

Xin Lan patted Chun Yue’s hair, letting out a sigh that sounded like a sigh, yet also like comfort.

Chun Yue lifted her face, her eyes gentle and firm.

She looked at Xin Lan’s face, which was as exquisite as a peach blossom, and could not help but be dazed for a moment.

            

Master was so beautiful. She looked like she should be a favored consort rather than an Empress. With a smile like that, she could steal anyone’s soul; even women couldn’t resist such beauty. She was far more beautiful than the Noble Consort. It was only because Master was the Empress before that she’d had to remain dignified, and she rarely smiled because she felt her smiles weren’t intimidating enough.

“Master, please rest well. This servant will stay in the outer room. If you need anything, just call me.”

“Go on.”

            

Xin Lan lay in bed, pulling up the covers.

She’d originally thought that even if there was a traitor around the original owner, it wouldn’t be He Hua, but she’d guessed wrong.

Did love truly possess such immense magic?

            

It could make people lose their minds, turn their backs on loyalty, and abandon their beliefs. It was truly terrifying.

The concept of love was completely foreign to Xin Lan.

In the interstellar era, most marriages relied on gene matching to ensure the birth of the most outstanding descendants.

            

Of course, marrying for love was also supported.

Xin Lan was an Alpha. Under the normal course of things—meaning, had she not died in that battle—she would have returned to undergo gene matching and received an Omega wife.

Her wife might have been male or female.

            

Male Alphas had the ability to impregnate others, whereas female Alphas didn’t. Instead, female Alphas could make their partners submit absolutely through pheromones, then rely on technology for in-vitro fertilization to have children.

In the interstellar world, although there were six genders, female Alphas were exceptionally rare, numbering only about one-third of the male Alpha population.

But in that battle, Xin Lan had sacrificed her life for her nation.

            

Thus, she’d naturally had no opportunity to experience the feeling of having a cozy home with a wife and children, nor did she feel anything toward love.

After all, in her past, she’d been busy with training and combat, never giving thought to such trivial matters. Furthermore, in her era, very few people ever spoke the word ‘love’.

The vast majority of people found their partners through gene matching and married once confirmed, remaining loyal to one another. Of course, not everyone was like this. While the law didn’t permit bigamy, there were always some who chose not to marry and instead engaged in despicable acts.

            

Later on, as she played the villain in various worlds, how could she have had the mind to spare for romantic relationships? Xin Lan had actually considered it, but seeing how her own heart remained as still as a quiet pool toward everyone she met, she naturally didn’t force herself.

Zero Nine: [According to my experience, love simply has the power to turn people into fools. Does Host still plan on keeping her in service?]

Zero Nine finished her gossip-watching in system space, and upon hearing Xin Lan’s internal question, she spoke up in response.

            

Systems existed deep within their host’s mind. When a host posed a question or let out a sigh in their head, they could hear it.

Zero Nine had worked in the Face-Slapping Department for quite some time. Accompanying her previous two hosts, she’d witnessed plenty of love and passion. Especially with her first host, seeing how those men were left completely dazed and disoriented by her host, Zero Nine hadn’t known whether to feel pity or sigh.

Xin Lan: [We’ll see how things go.]

            

Xin Lan was currently short-handed. She wasn’t opposed to giving people a chance to correct their mistakes, but someone with a record was hard to trust. In case that man whispered a few more sweet words and left her dazed again, everything would be for nothing.

Chun Yue, on the other hand, was trustworthy. When the original owner had first entered the palace, she’d happened to run into a nanny beating her, claiming she wasn’t working hard and was stealing food. Seeing how pitiful she was, the original owner had brought her back to her own palace. Later, she found that although Chun Yue wasn’t exceptionally clever, she was quick-handed and could endure hardship, so she kept her close. Chun Yue had been serving her for four years now, becoming a confidante of the original owner just like He Hua.

Who wouldn’t like such a girl? She had no devious thoughts and served her master single-mindedly, which was its own kind of wisdom.

            

Zero Nine hugged her little yellow chicken plushie. She’d wanted to suggest that Xin Lan could make others’ heads spin to achieve her goals—after all, Xin Lan possessed natural advantages. Her first host had told her that looking beautiful meant one could do whatever they wanted, and Xin Lan was indeed exceptionally beautiful. However, Zero Nine didn’t dare say this aloud. Sometimes, true powerhouses disdained using their looks to get things done, and even preferred that others focus on their strength rather than their appearance.

Asking Xin Lan to seduce people… Zero Nine shuddered. She remembered the scene of Xin Lan pinning the Human Skin Ghost to the ground and tearing it apart with her bare hands.

It was a bit too brutal. It was entirely impossible to imagine a man approaching her; just thinking about it was terrifying.

            

Forget it, it was better if that scenario never occurred.

Xin Lan closed her eyes, no longer thinking about romance.

Chun Yue stepped out of the inner chamber, quietly closed the door, and looked at He Hua, who was still slumped on the floor, letting out a sigh.

            

“He Hua-jiejie, how could you be so foolish!”

“Chun Yue, please speak on my behalf to Master. I truly didn’t do anything to harm Master.”

“It’s best if you didn’t. If you did, it’s only adding mistake upon mistake. Do you think Master will believe you did nothing? Otherwise, Consort Xi wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to trap you. Even I wouldn’t believe it, He Hua-jiejie. I can’t help you with this matter; you must look out for yourself. With Master in her current situation, to learn that you did such a thing, how could she not be heartbroken?”

            

Chun Yue also felt chilled to the bone. She’d never expected that the person she worked with and treated as an older sister would do such a thing.

He Hua sat dejectedly on the floor, bowing her head as she wiped her tears.

Xin Lan was awakened by Zero Nine in the middle of the night.

            

She opened her eyes, her expression dark enough to look like she might devour someone.

Xin Lan: [Speak.]

If it weren’t something critical, Zero Nine definitely wouldn’t have woken her up. Xin Lan was doing her best to hold back her rising irritation.

            

Zero Nine: [He Hua sneaked out.]

Zero Nine swallowed hard. She hadn’t wanted to wake her host at all, but some people just wouldn’t behave.

Xin Lan took a deep breath and sat up in bed. She didn’t put on her outer robe—that was too troublesome—and simply went out in her inner robes to see what was happening.

            

When she went to look, the palace gates were already slightly ajar.

Zero Nine: [Isn’t Host going to go after her?]

Xin Lan: [Why go after her? Just watch what she does, and tell me when I wake up.]

            

Zero Nine: [Then why did you get out of bed?]

Xin Lan: [If I don’t catch some fresh air to cool the fire in my chest, I might not be able to stop myself from doing something rash.]

Zero Nine kept quiet.

            

After calming down, Xin Lan went back to her room to sleep. Rushing out was pointless anyway. If she wanted to see where He Hua went and what she did, she could just have Zero Nine watch her. It wasn’t as if there was anything she absolutely had to attend to in person.

When she got up the next morning, Zero Nine recounted everything from the previous night.

He Hua had gone out in the middle of the night to find her lover.

            

To say she was bold was an understatement. Guards typically patrolled the outer palace and rarely came to the inner harem, except for necessary nightly patrols, while others guarded the gates.

He Hua told the guard about being discovered, and the guard comforted her thoroughly. Zero Nine said the process was too sickeningly sweet for her to keep listening, so she’d directly pixelated the hugging and kissing parts, only resuming her watch after the two separated.

As expected, after parting with He Hua, the guard secretly went to Consort Xi’s palace, tossing a jade pendant so that it hung from a tree in her courtyard.

            

Xin Lan’s brow furrowed slightly. She knew this was Consort Xi’s handiwork. But if it were really as He Hua said—that Consort Xi had only asked some trivial questions—there’d be no need to go through such elaborate trouble. It had to serve some other purpose.

As for Consort Xi, Xin Lan could only describe her as someone who calculated every move.

Consort Xi’s background was not actually high. The daughter of a fifth-rank official, she had entered the palace even earlier than Consort Man and the Noble Consort. At the Emperor’s birthday banquet, a single dance had stunned the audience, and the Emperor brought her into the harem. She did not start as a primary consort. Initially, she was merely a consort of lower rank, but relying on imperial favor, she fought her way up to the position of Lady of Bright Deportment².

            

By rule, to be promoted to the rank of Consort, she had to bear an imperial prince. She had no prince, yet she had saved the Emperor’s life.

During the autumn hunt³ that year, assassins targeted the Emperor. Consort Xi blocked a blade for him. Moved, the Emperor promoted her to Consort.

Although it seemed reasonable, a closer look revealed Consort Xi’s deep calculations.

            

Consort Xi had entered the palace earliest and risen quickly. It was natural that the original owner disliked her, but Consort Xi wasn’t afraid because she saw things clearly: she knew the Emperor was dissatisfied with the Xin family. Even if the Xin family was currently at the height of its power, she believed they would eventually fall.

She wanted to be Empress, but she was patient. She appeared detached from everything, yet she had a hand in almost everything, pushing things along while keeping herself entirely clean.

When it was said that the original owner and Consort Xi had an old grudge, it wasn’t just that their initial relationship was like fire and water. Consort Xi had once mocked the Empress, implying she was unworthy of her position. Her words were subtle and insinuating. The original owner couldn’t tolerate this and slapped her on the spot. This happened in front of other consorts and numerous servants. Consort Xi, who valued her reputation deeply, was furious but could do nothing about it. From then on, she hated her to the bone.

            

Later, Consort Xi retaliated. Her method of revenge was whispering in the Emperor’s ear, causing him to cold-shoulder the original owner. He’d even pointedly left her palace to dine with Consort Xi instead.

In Xin Lan’s opinion, if the original owner hadn’t loved that dog of an emperor, how could such petty tricks have hurt her?

So how could a woman like Consort Xi ever do anything pointless?

            

Xin Lan finished her breakfast, smoothed the stray hairs at her temples, and looked at He Hua standing before her.

“Have you thought about how you’re going to explain yourself?”

Xin Lan’s face was indifferent as she set down her teacup.

            

Chun Yue had been thoughtful; when she was packing their things, she’d specifically wrapped up most of a tea brick in a handkerchief and brought it along.

When she served it, she’d mumbled about how the well water would ruin such good tea, but there was no helping it. There was no tea provided for Xin Lan in the cold palace. Xin Lan didn’t care about such details; she would drink plain boiled water just the same. However, Chun Yue wouldn’t allow it; she wanted to give Xin Lan the best possible comfort within her power. Whenever Xin Lan praised her, she would be overjoyed.

Foolish girl, Xin Lan thought.

            

He Hua still had nothing to say, offering the same explanation as the day before.

Xin Lan kept her eyes lowered. Light filtered through the window lattice, but the orientation was poor, preventing the room from being brightly lit. A persistent, chilly gloom hung in the air, mirroring the name and purpose of this palace.

“Where did you go in the middle of the night?”

            

He Hua’s heart tightened. She knelt on the floor and remained silent.

“With you like this, how am I supposed to trust you?”

Xin Lan let out a soft sigh. If only she could still refer to herself as ‘This Palace’ like the original owner had, it would certainly carry more gravity.

            

He Hua opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately kept quiet.

Even without relying on Zero Nine, Xin Lan could have guessed whom she’d met, yet He Hua stubbornly refused to say another word.

Xin Lan rose and went into the courtyard. Left unmaintained, the yard was overrun with weeds, presenting a very bleak picture.

            

Chun Yue stood behind her, following her gaze to the patch of wild grass.

“This servant will begin clearing these weeds in a moment, and then I’ll see if we can get some flower seeds to make our courtyard look a bit nicer.”

“No rush, Chun Yue. No need to busy yourself; let it be. Those people want nothing more than to see me living miserably, so let them see what they want.”

            

Xin Lan felt that since they were currently in the open and still drawing everyone’s attention, she should wait. Once those watchful eyes wandered elsewhere, it would be much easier for her to move around.

Soon, those people would have no time to focus on her anyway, because the new chess piece was about to arrive.

Speak of the devil. Just after noon, a guest arrived at the cold palace.

            

The visitor was a woman, the fine lines around her eyes carrying an air of nobility. She wore a blue cloud-patterned gown, followed by a maid. Upon seeing Xin Lan, she quickened her pace and took one of Xin Lan’s hands in both of her own, her eyes brimming with tears.

“My dear Lan’er, you have suffered.”

How could Lady Xin not know that this definitely wasn’t her daughter’s doing? Once that consort gave birth, the child could have been taken by her daughter to be raised as the legitimate eldest son. Although the bond of birth was important, upbringing was what truly taught a child who was best to them. At such a critical juncture, how could her daughter have made a move?

            

What they hadn’t expected was that the Emperor would issue the Imperial Edict to depose her so quickly, leaving them no time to find a way to save her. Now, the only option was to send a second daughter of the Xin family into the palace; her Lan’er was destined to be abandoned. Even though Lady Xin was unwilling, she had no other choice, only wondering how her Lan’er would accept this reality.

“Mother, you have come.”

Xin Lan looked at the tearful lady before her and offered a greeting. Unable to bring herself to cry in sorrow, she kept a calm, cold face.

            

Seeing her like this made Lady Xin even sadder, feeling that Xin Lan was so deeply grieved that she couldn’t even cry.

“I know you’re innocent in this matter, Mother knows. But you also know that the Emperor can barely tolerate the Xin family anymore…”

“So, Mother, what you mean is…?”

            

“Long’er will enter the palace in a few days. You two used to be close…”

Lady Xin found herself unable to continue, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Is she going to Changqiu Palace?”

            

“Yes.”

“Your daughter understands.”

“Lan’er, you…”

            

Before Lady Xin could utter her words of comfort, they were cut off by Xin Lan.

She looked at the cold-faced Xin Lan in confusion, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

“Things have come to this, and I see them clearly. Don’t worry, Mother, I won’t make things difficult for Long’er. If she comes to find me, I’ll certainly help her.”

            

“Good, good. You also know Long’er is young, and there are bound to be many things she doesn’t understand.”

Xin Lan agreed, her heart entirely unmoved.

Xin Long was the original owner’s biological niece, the eldest daughter of her eldest brother. She was only twelve or thirteen years old, not yet at the age of hair-pinning, yet she was to be sent into this human-devouring palace.

            

Perhaps there was no room for personal feelings in politics. The girl was so young when entering the palace, and her husband was destined never to give her the love she might want—though perhaps she didn’t even understand love yet.

Xin Lan recalled the follow-up plot regarding this young Empress. Because the Xin family fell, she was bestowed a cup of poison in the palace when she was only fifteen.

After some brief conversation, Xin Lan brought up her main business.

            

“What! That girl He Hua? That ungrateful wretch!”

Lady Xin was clearly furious. Initially, He Hua was a maid she’d personally chosen for her daughter. Having accompanied her for eight years, she’d actually turned on them.

“I’ll take her back and deal with her properly. Do you know whose side she joined?”

            

“Consort Xi.”

“What!”

Lady Xin grew even angrier. Consort Xi had been at odds with Xin Lan since her entry into the palace. Betrayal was one thing, but to crawl over to her arch-rival was intolerable.

            

“Mother, please take her away. Send me another maid who’s easier to direct—preferably someone obedient and trustworthy.”

“Very well. Once I return, I’ll have your father arrange for someone to be sent in.”

For a moment, the two fell silent. Looking at the surrounding environment, Lady Xin couldn’t help but sigh again.

            

To think her Lan’er had been born into endless wealth and honor, meant to be held in the palm of one’s hand. When had she ever suffered such hardship?

“Here’s some silver. Use it to grease some palms. Let Mother know if you lack anything.”

“Alright.”

            

Xin Lan nodded. Chun Yue stepped forward to receive the sachet containing the silver. Lady Xin had nothing more to say. She’d originally come to comfort Xin Lan, only to find her exceptionally calm and clear-headed, needing no comforting words. Though she pained for her daughter, there was nothing she could do. In the face of family honor and survival, everything else seemed microscopic.

Both having achieved their purposes, Lady Xin couldn’t linger in the palace and hurriedly departed, taking He Hua with her.

The food box she’d brought remained on the table. Chun Yue opened it; the first two tiers were filled with exquisite dishes, the third tier held some pastries, and when she opened the bottom tier, she found silver banknotes, loose silver, bracelets, earrings, and other items. The preparation was highly thorough.

            

Xin Lan had Chun Yue put them away, her sigh dissolving into the wind.

Lady Xin’s presence allowed her to see a faint shadow of her own mother—though only a faint one.

Xin Lan’s other mother was also a female Alpha, which was why Xin Lan carried those genetic traits. However, she hadn’t seen that person since she was five years old.

            

She’d died in an external war. From then on, her Omega mother raised her alone. Thanks to the pension from her late mother’s military rank, her birth mother being an Omega, and her own rare genetic traits, she’d never suffered. The state provided a generous pension, and Xin Lan excelled in her studies, relying entirely on scholarships. Aside from spending money on mecha parts, she rarely caused trouble for her family.

After sacrificing her life for her nation, Xin Lan had gone back to look. It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered staying there simply to accompany her mother, but by the time she’d accumulated enough points to return, five years had already passed since her death.

Her name had been recorded in the Empire’s annals of generals, and the textbooks depicted the brutality of that war in extreme detail. Seeing that the nation was safe, Xin Lan was relieved and immediately returned home.

            

She was gone, so how grieved must her mother have been? How was she to carry on alone? With these thoughts, she’d rushed back, only to find that the person who should have been there was gone.

Only after asking the system to check did she learn that her mother had remarried two years prior.

Xin Lan concealed her presence and went to look. She found her mother was living quite well, with a new life, a new family, and new children.

            

She couldn’t possibly appear openly, and since her mother had her own family and had long accepted her death, she simply watched for an afternoon before turning to leave.

With He Hua gone, only Xin Lan and Chun Yue remained in Biyue Palace.

When Xin Lan had nothing to do, she didn’t like to speak. Chun Yue wanted to cheer her up but didn’t know what to say; bringing it up would only touch on painful matters. Besides, Xin Lan didn’t seem sad; sometimes Chun Yue could even see a smile playing on her lips, as if she were in a very good mood.

            

Unable to fathom her master’s mind, Chun Yue didn’t try to act clever, simply following her daily while working on her needlework.

Xin Lan was too bored. With nothing to do, she watched television with Zero Nine. This time, Zero Nine was watching a silly comedy, laughing like an idiot in system space. Xin Lan’s threshold for humor was normally quite high, but influenced by Zero Nine’s continuous laughter, she couldn’t help but be amused as well.

Lady Xin’s efficiency was remarkably fast. On the third day, a maid arrived.

            

The maid had a round face, looking innocent and easily fooled, giving off a naive and harmless feel when she looked at Xin Lan.

Yet when she spoke, her demeanor was steady, contradicting her appearance.

“This servant, Si Tong, pays respects to Master.”

            

“How did you get in?”

“This servant broke a porcelain cup belonging to Consort Zhao, so the Imperial Household Department transferred me here.”

Si Tong spoke without any haste, even flashing a somewhat innocent and bright smile at Xin Lan.

            

Xin Lan nodded in satisfaction, concealing the light in her eyes as she turned away.

Soon, the good show would play out, scene after scene.

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The author has something to say:

            

Ten-thousand-word update~ There will be a second update at midnight tonight!

The Commander: Why haven’t I made my appearance yet? I want to rua the little tiger and huff her deeply!

Lan-jie: Sister, who are you?

            

The Commander: Yesterday it was ‘you devilish darling’, today it’s…

Xin Lan: …This familiar, saucy vibe.

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