“Miss, please follow me.” The eunuch who served the Empress had been waiting here for a full hour, ever since the Cao family’s carriage set off.
“You have worked hard, Chief. The morning frost and dew are heavy in autumn, and I have heard you suffer from pain in your legs. Thank you for your trouble.”
At Lingyun’s signal, Bao Yan stepped closer and quietly slipped half a pouch of silver into his hand.
“You are too kind, Miss. It is quite rare for the Empress to summon an unmarried young lady to the palace. This truly shows just how highly the Young Duke is regarded in Her Majesty’s heart!”
Lingyun nodded quickly. “The General grew up in the Empress’s palace since he was small, so the bond between them is very close.” She walked respectfully behind the eunuch, not daring to lift her head.
The palace was filled with people and carried an air of immense authority; she dared not make the slightest mistake. Especially since she had been summoned by the Empress before she was even married.
Before long, they arrived at the Empress’s palace.
Inside Yitai Hall, seated upon the main throne, was a beautiful woman wearing a phoenix robe and a golden crown.
Her demeanor was gentle, calm, and dignified so different from the fierce, decisive, and powerful reputation she held outside these walls that it was hard to believe they were the same person.
“I, your subject, pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress.” Lingyun knelt gracefully and respectfully, keeping her eyes lowered almost to the hem of her dress.
In her past life, she had never been exposed to such grandeur or high status. Even until just before entering the palace today, she had felt no unease.
But now, standing in the presence of the Empress herself, she finally felt the immense pressure. The awe-inspiring power of the imperial family was undeniable.
“Rise quickly. If you kneel too long, I fear Bo’er will feel sorry for you and blame me!” The Empress spoke with a smile, and a maid stepped down from the dais to help Lingyun to her feet.
As she lifted her head, Lingyun saw a tall man standing beside the Empress. She looked closely it was Zhou Hongbai.
Did he really not trust her enough to let her come alone?
“Hongbai arrived early this morning. Since you are an unmarried young lady, it is only proper and harmless for you two to meet here, under my roof,” the Empress explained.
For the entire morning, Lingyun was overwhelmed by the Empress’s kindness and attention. But deep down, she felt uneasy something about it all seemed too good to be true. When things appear abnormal, there is surely something hidden behind them.
“Very well. I am tired now. Hongbai, you may escort Yun’er out of the palace.”
After lunch, they were politely dismissed. Zhou Hongbai took Lingyun’s hand and led her away.
“Something felt… wrong about the Empress today. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something was off,” Lingyun said, glancing back toward Yitai Hall. Its golden plaque still shone brilliantly, yet the person living inside was nothing more than a precious bird in a gilded cage.
Power and freedom were always opposites, never meant to exist together.
“The Emperor and Imperial Consort Dong were childhood sweethearts. But for the sake of imperial power and duty, he married the Empress instead. Over all these years, the Empress has never borne a child, so she raised me by her side from the time I was small,” Zhou Hongbai explained.
The red walls of the palace aged people faster than anything else. How much sorrow and grief could time and beauty endure? Lingyun felt a heavy sadness in her heart.
At this moment, she finally understood why Aunt Peng was always so sentimental and prone to melancholy. Surrounded by such sights and feelings, how could one not be sad?
“Wait for me here. I will go to the training ground for a moment and then come back to fetch you. Is that alright?” Hongbai held her hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
This man, who was usually so decisive and ruthless in battle, now looked so reluctant to part.
For the first time in his life, he truly understood the feeling of not wanting to let someone go.
“Very well. I will take a walk in the Imperial Garden. Do not worry about me.” Bao Yan had gone to collect the gifts bestowed by the Empress. Besides, the training ground was dusty and windy, and it was natural that he did not want her exposed to it.
“I will be back within an hour, I promise.” Zhou Hongbai turned to leave.
But when he saw her pouting face, looking unhappy that he was leaving, he couldn’t resist reaching out and pinching her cheek gently.
“You !” Lingyun pretended to be angry.
Zhou Hongbai just smiled happily at her. “What is it?”
He turned and strode away, where A Zhan was waiting to receive him, moving with smooth, practiced ease.
He escaped quickly, but Lingyun still managed to catch him. She reached out and pinched him hard in the waist and lower back.
“Zhou Hongbai! Don’t let me catch sight of you again!” Lingyun stood there, wanting to shout after him, but remembering where she was the forbidden palace she quickly covered her mouth with her hands.
“General… your waist…” A Zhan glanced back. He noticed that the General was walking rather strangely, perhaps because his back was hurting.
“You had better keep your mouth shut! If you really want to talk, I will give you plenty to talk about later!” Zhou Hongbai said through gritted teeth. He looked at A Zhan with the exact same expression Lingyun had just given him.
“General, if you and the Third Miss are arguing, please don’t drag me into it! Please, leave me out of it!”
A Zhan ran away faster than a rabbit. Within less than a quarter of an hour, they reached the training ground.
“Be quick about it. I am leaving in half an hour.” Zhou Hongbai simply could not bear to make Lingyun wait too long. Besides, it was not proper or safe for her to be wandering alone inside the palace.
Meanwhile, Lingyun was enjoying herself freely. In the Imperial Garden, the bright, vivid colors of summer had faded, replaced by the flowers of autumn.
They bloomed with a wild, enchanting beauty. She saw green chrysanthemums for the first time their petals a rare, pure shade of green. Such flowers were almost unheard of in the mortal world; outside the capital, one would never see them.
In her past life, all this joy and beauty should have been hers. But everything had been ruined because of those three people. Thinking of them, hatred once again filled and consumed her heart.
“So that is her, is it?”
Lingyun was admiring the flowers, completely unaware that a young girl was standing right behind her.
She looked about fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in purple silk, her hair adorned with pearls and jade.
Her lips were painted a deep, bright red too mature for her age giving her a slightly comical appearance.
“Yes, Your Highness. I heard that the Empress summoned her, and the Young Duke was worried she wouldn’t know how to handle things alone, so he went along with her. Actually, their marriage arrangement was made more than ten years ago. Both the elders who agreed to it are gone now, yet she still clings to the Young Duke and refuses to let go. It is truly annoying!”
The maid beside her spoke in a deliberately affected, artificial voice. Lingyun stood a short distance away and heard nothing of their conversation.
But the moment she turned around, she found herself facing a pair of burning, intense eyes eyes that seemed to hold wild leopards, ready to leap out and devour her at any moment.
Lingyun ignored her completely and walked straight ahead. Just then, she met Rouge returning with the gifts.
“Who was that young lady standing behind us? Her clothes and ornaments were very fine and expensive,” Lingyun asked.
Bao Yan shook her head. “I do not know, Miss. But I have met several palace maids along the way; I can go and ask around to find out who she is.”
In the afternoon, Lingyun returned home by carriage. On the way in, the carriage had been empty; on the way back, it was completely filled with imperial gifts. Bao Yan had no choice but to sit outside or walk alongside after all, those two were sitting inside the carriage.
Even if there had been space, it would have been too awkward for her.
“Today, while I was walking in the Imperial Garden, I met your Ninth Sister. We didn’t speak, but…” Lingyun trailed off.
But Zhou Hongbai was clever and perceptive. How could he fail to understand what she meant?
“She has always had a sharp tongue and a bitter temper. I hope she didn’t make things difficult for you?”
“Not really. We didn’t exchange a single word, so there was no chance for her to cause trouble.”