“Boom—”
A sudden clap of thunder roared across the sky. After the Awakening of Insects, the spring chill intensified, and the pattering rain instantly drenched the world in dampness.
Yan Pingxiao was jolted awake by the thunder.
He opened his eyes, the depths of his dark pupils still lingering with traces of grief and shock.
This was the first time he had dreamed of her since she left.
The man got out of bed and walked over to push open the lowered window. A cold wind mixed with moisture rushed in eagerly, while in the distance lay a thick, impenetrable darkness.
Bean-sized raindrops clattered noisily against the eaves. A breeze brushed past the corner of his eye, carrying away a glimmer of tears.
He spent every day and night missing her through memories. Even in dreams, he longed to catch one more glimpse of her.
Yan Pingxiao’s sharp eyebrows and eyes gazed into the distance, filled with nostalgia, regret, and hope.
He hoped to dream of her again.
Yan Pingxiao lay back on the bed, desperately suppressing the turmoil in his heart as he tried to fall asleep. Yet no matter how hard he tried, sleep remained elusive.
Outside the window, the storm raged all night until dawn, but he never dreamed of her again.
Grand Princess’s Residence.
In the room stood a nanmu rectangular table inlaid with mother-of-pearl. From the incense burner in the corner, wisps of faint white smoke drifted upward, vanishing in an instant.
Leyang, her expression grim, was copying palace rules. Her maid, Huamei, kept her head bowed and carefully ground ink beside her.
After a moment, Leyang furiously threw a ink-stained writing brush onto the floor, splattering ink droplets everywhere.
“Please calm your anger, Princess…” Huamei quickly knelt to pick up the brush, coaxing gently, “We don’t know who reported the matter to the Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess this time. Since the Grand Princess has punished you to copy the palace rules, there’s no way to brush it off this time.”
“Don’t I know that?”
Leyang’s beautiful face was filled with rage. The day before, her cousin had punished her by making her crack a whip on the palace path—her hands nearly broke, yet the whip refused to snap.
It wasn’t until nearly dusk that Granny Zhuang from the Empress Dowager’s palace came and permitted her to return. As soon as she got back to the residence, her mother coldly scolded her, punishing her to copy the palace rules ten times and forbidding her from using a whip in the palace ever again.
Leyang reluctantly agreed. It was truly the first time she had suffered such humiliation.
Consort Xie was in charge of palace affairs. In the past, she had nearly whipped Consort Xie, yet Consort Xie hadn’t dared to punish her by making her copy the palace rules.
What kind of person was she? A mere concubine—how dare she put on airs in front of her, his own cousin?
If it had been Consort Xie punishing her instead of her mother, she would never have obediently copied these wretched palace rules.
“Has Yuzhu not returned yet?”
Huamei glanced outside. “Not yet. I’ll go check.”
Before she could step out of the hall, Yuzhu rushed in, panting heavily.
“Princess…”
Leyang asked impatiently, “What did you find out?”
Yuzhu kept her head lowered. “The palace is too tightly guarded. I only found out that the girl’s name is Nan Shu…”
“Useless!” Leyang threw the brush out once more.
“I asked you to investigate a mere woman, and you couldn’t even manage that. What use are you to me?”
Yuzhu knelt with a thud. “Please forgive me, Princess. The people in the palace are just too tight-lipped. I only know that she is Consort Rong’s cousin. Consort Rong summoned her to the palace for the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet. As for what relationship she had with His Majesty… it’s truly… truly impossible to find out…”
“Don’t be angry, Princess,” Huamei soothed her. “In my humble opinion, there’s really no need for you to take this matter to heart.”
“Why?”
Huamei noticed ink splatters on the back of her hand and took a silk handkerchief to wipe them: “Consider this, my lady. Although you admire His Majesty, you haven’t yet entered the palace. Besides you, who else in the palace cares most about His Majesty?”
Leyang’s heart stirred slightly: “Consort Xie?”
Huamei smiled faintly: “Consort Xie admired His Majesty even before entering the palace. When the deposed crown prince staged a coup, she risked her life to assist His Majesty. She must have learned about yesterday’s incident by now. My lady need only wait.”
“Wait?” Leyang looked up at her, “You mean Consort Xie will take action?”
Huamei said calmly: “Consort Xie manages the six palaces thanks to her past merits, but she must be unsatisfied with her current position as consort. She’ll be more anxious than you to eliminate all potential rivals.”
Yu Tang Hall.
Early in the morning, Nan Shu was brought to the main hall by Granny Qu. Consort Rong had already risen and was sitting before the bronze mirror doing her makeup.
“Your humble servant pays respects to Xiuyi Niangniang.”
Without turning around, Consort Rong placed a pearl hairpin in her bun and asked casually: “Did His Majesty punish Lady Leyang because of you yesterday?”
Nan Shu’s heart trembled, and she hurriedly replied: “Your Majesty, Lady Leyang was punishing palace maids. His Majesty was merely upholding palace regulations out of benevolence, not defending me.”
Consort Rong chuckled softly. Benevolent? This was the first time she’d heard someone describe Yan Pingxiao with that word.
“No need to be nervous. The reason you were brought to the palace is for the Rong family’s glory.” Consort Rong traced her eyebrows, “Since His Majesty shows interest in you, bring some pastries to him this afternoon.”
Nan Shu was astonished: “Niangniang…”
Consort Rong interrupted her, the smile fading from her lips: “Nan Shu, don’t forget how long you and your mother have stayed with the Rong family. We’ve never treated you poorly. Your mother’s health is weak – if not for the family paying for her doctors and medicine, would she still be well cared for?”
Seeing Nan Shu’s pale reflection in the mirror, Consort Rong resumed her usual kindly tone: “Very well, I’m not forcing you to do anything. If His Majesty shows no interest in you, I won’t press the matter. But since His Majesty has already stood up for you, you should make some effort to let him notice you.”
Consort Rong stood up and walked over to Nan Shu, taking her hand and patting it: “Whether you succeed or not, I won’t blame you.”
Nan Shu lowered her eyelids, well aware that Consort Rong wasn’t as kind as she appeared. Her constant mentions of the original body’s mother were clearly meant to control her through this weakness.
But Nan Shu couldn’t ignore the original body’s mother. Having borrowed this body to live again, how could she abandon its closest relative?
She could only respond softly in agreement.