Changing her tune on the spot, Biyun feigned astonishment and asked, “You look unfamiliar, Milady—I haven’t seen you around the palace before. Which noble household’s young miss might you be?”
How could Nanzhi not see through Biyun’s petty little schemes? Her eyes remained placid and entirely undisturbed, not even a single brow twitching in irritation. She simply looked at Biyun with a faint, knowing smile—a gaze so piercing it made Biyun grow uneasy, harboring a gut feeling that all her guarded thoughts had been thoroughly exposed to the woman standing before her. A wave of frustrated anger surged within her, but right at that moment, Eunuch Zhang—who had been holed up inside for ages—finally emerged from the main hall.
Before Eunuch Zhang even crossed the threshold, his shrill voice preceded him: “Milady, apologies for the long wait. Her Majesty has some free time now to see you. Follow this servant inside.”
Casting a cool, dismissive glance at Biyun, Nanzhi followed Eunuch Zhang straight into the hall, leaving a seething, deeply resentful Biyun stranded behind.
Regaining her composure, Biyun trailed closely behind the two of them as they stepped inside.
The moment Nanzhi crossed the doorway, a familiar voice drifted over from within. Drawing closer and catching sight of the two figures seated by the Empress’s side, realization clicked instantly into place in her mind. So it was them.
As her eyes lowered, her mind raced through her options. The fact that she had been summoned by the Empress so swiftly was undoubtedly tied to those two.
Those two were none other than Liang Bingyue and Lu Wanyan.
Back then, after watching the Crown Prince sweep Nanzhi away, Liang Bingyue had been consumed by helpless fury, stamping her feet in vexation on the spot. “Why on earth did Crown Prince Brother have to bring some random woman back?!”
Noticing her twisted expression, Lu Wanyan had patiently and gently consoled her: “Alright, Bingyue, don’t stew in anger anymore. His Highness is a grown man; taking a fancy to a pretty face is only human nature.”
“What Lu Sister says is true. And since Lu Sister is so gorgeous, I’m sure Crown Prince Brother will grow to favor you sooner rather than later.” Coaxed by Lu Wanyan’s honeyed words in a matter of seconds, Liang Bingyue’s anger evaporated, a bright smile blossoming across her face once more.
Covering her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief, Lu Wanyan let out a soft, demure giggle. “You always know just what to say to tease me.”
A subtle glimmer flickered across her eyes before she continued: “Still, His Highness’s move is certainly quite unexpected. Her Majesty the Empress has always been deeply troubled by matters concerning the Crown Prince’s future. Now that he has finally brought a young lady home, Her Majesty is bound to be overjoyed upon hearing the news.”
At these words, Liang Bingyue’s thoughts stirred. Struck by a sudden inspiration, she grabbed Lu Wanyan’s hand and urged excitedly, “Lu Sister, come on! Let’s go tell Aunt the news right now!”
And just like that, the two of them had turned right back around and hurried back to the Empress’s Changxin Palace.
When Chief Eunuch Lin of the Empress’s palace spotted the two of them returning so soon, a look of surprise crossed his face as he inquired politely, “Why have Miss Liang and Miss Lu returned once more?”
Liang Bingyue answered him directly: “Eunuch Lin, I just remembered there’s something else I need to discuss with my aunt. Is she free right now?”
Eunuch Lin nodded. The young Miss Liang before him was the Empress’s most cherished niece; he knew better than to treat her with anything less than absolute deference.
“Please wait a moment, Miss Liang. This servant will go inside and announce your arrival.”
When Lin Quan stepped into the inner chamber, Empress Liang was currently furrowing her brows over a stack of scattered painting scrolls. Not even lifting her eyelids as Lin Quan entered, she demanded, “What is it?”
Bowing deeply with arched back, Lin Quan replied respectfully, “Your Majesty, Miss Liang and Miss Lu have returned. They are waiting outside in the hall at this moment.”
“Very well, this palace knows.” Dropping her hands, Empress Liang rose to her feet and strode toward the exit, followed closely by her personal maid, Yunshuang.
A puzzled look flashed across Yunshuang’s eyes as she threw a quick, questioning glance at Lin Quan. Lin Quan merely shook his head, and the two hurried after the Empress.
The moment Liang Bingyue caught sight of the Empress, she eagerly bounded forward like a cheerful bird, latching onto the Empress’s sleeve and calling out with practiced intimacy, “Aunt!”
Lu Wanyan followed suit, dropping into a formal curtsy: “This subject’s daughter pays her respects to Her Majesty the Empress.”
“No need for such formalities, take a seat.” Empress Liang offered a warm, indulgent smile as she walked over to settle into a chair, casting a curious look their way. “Bingyue, why did you and the third young miss of the Lu family turn back?”
“Aunt, I just saw Crown Prince Brother come back!” Liang Bingyue announced with an eager, excited flutter in her voice. Empress Liang, however, showed not a shred of surprise; she was naturally already well aware of the Crown Prince’s return.
Empress Liang’s expression remained utterly placid until Liang Bingyue leaned in closer, putting on a mysterious, conspiratorial air: “Aunt, let me tell you—Crown Prince Brother brought a woman back with him!”
“What?!” That piece of news finally caught Empress Liang off guard, a ripple of shock breaking across her usually composed, dignified features.
The Crown Prince hadn’t given her so much as a hint about this; he certainly knew how to keep a tight lid on things.
Empress Liang furrowed her brows slightly, the faint smile on her face cooling down by several degrees.
Observing the Empress’s reaction out of the corner of her eye, Lu Wanyan offered a smooth, supplemental chime-in with a gentle smile: “Her Majesty, it is indeed true. This subject’s daughter witnessed it alongside Bingyue. That young lady is exceedingly beautiful; it is only natural that His Highness took a liking to her.”
Liang Bingyue curled her lip in a disgruntled pout. “Who knows, she probably seduced Crown Prince Brother in the first place! The way Crown Prince Brother treated her was completely out of the ordinary—he even held her hand as she stepped down from the carriage.”
Empress Liang’s complexion shifted noticeably right before their eyes. She was stunned by her son’s uncharacteristic behavior; the Crown Prince had never shown a shred of special attention toward any woman before. Hearing Bingyue describe it like this, a spike of genuine curiosity toward this mysterious young woman flared up within her.
“Lin Quan, send someone to fetch her and bring her here so this palace can take a look.”
“This servant obeys the command.” With that, Lin Quan turned and strode out, dispatching Eunuch Zhang to invite her over.
Upon hearing those instructions, Liang Bingyue promptly abandoned any thoughts of leaving, choosing to stay right there in the Empress’s palace alongside Lu Wanyan to await Nanzhi’s arrival.
Relishing the drama, Liang Bingyue took the opportunity to paint Nanzhi in a thoroughly unflattering light before the Empress. Lu Wanyan, on the other hand, remained quietly seated to the side; listening to Liang Bingyue’s chatter, a cold, calculated current swirled darkly behind her lowered eyelashes.
By the time Eunuch Zhang brought Nanzhi back and made his report, Empress Liang deliberately left her standing outside to cool her heels for a good long while before finally granting her entrance.
Any ordinary young lady subjected to such blatant mistreatment by the Empress would have long since crumbled into a trembling mess of fear and anxiety. Yet as Nanzhi stepped into the hall, Empress Liang couldn’t spot a single trace of timidity or cowardice in her posture.
Far from feeling a shred of appreciation, however, Empress Liang’s gaze grew increasingly frigid as she took in Nanzhi’s devastatingly peerless face. Since ancient times, stunning beauties have always been the root of disaster.
Stepping forward with unruffled poise, Nanzhi dropped to her knees in a graceful bow, paying her formal respects to the regal figure seated at the head of the hall: “This subject’s daughter Nanzhi pays her respects to Her Majesty the Empress.”
Her voice was as soft and melodic as a gentle, flowing stream.
Though her posture radiated absolute reverence, the truth was that Nanzhi loathed this place with every fiber of her being. The court etiquette was suffocatingly strict, requiring mindless genuflection and bowing at every turn.
Seated upon her throne, Empress Liang maintained an indifferent expression, deliberately withholding a command for her to rise. After subjecting her to a thorough, unhurried inspection, she finally spoke in a measured drawl: “Rise.”
She quickly ran through a mental index of any imperial officials bearing the surname Nan, coming up empty. Clearly, the girl’s father held a lowly position and possessed no real political utility to the Crown Prince.
The Empress’s chilling tone washed over Nanzhi, yet the younger woman’s expression remained completely unchanged. Rising to her feet in a smooth, fluid motion, every movement she made possessed an effortless, textbook elegance that left not a single flaw for critics to latch onto.
Standing tall with an upright, graceful posture, Nanzhi cut a striking figure. Even dressed in remarkably simple attire, her ethereal, otherworldly aura commanded instant attention, causing even Empress Liang’s personal attendant, Yunshuang, to steal a few extra glances.
Clad in a pale snow-blue gossamer dress, she stood quietly in the center of the grand hall like a living masterpiece stepped straight out of a scroll. Her skin seemed to glow with a translucent radiance, making her stand out among the surrounding palace attendants like a crane amid a flock of chickens.
“Lift your head and let this palace have a proper look at you.” Empress Liang’s voice remained flat, her majestic, regal face devoid of any readable emotion. The oppressive, towering aura of authority she projected was enough to strike fear into the hearts of ordinary mortals, making them too terrified to meet her gaze.
At the command, Nanzhi slowly raised her head. A pair of crystal-clear, luminous eyes gazed directly into Empress Liang’s, causing the Empress to freeze for a fraction of a second. This girl… she doesn’t seem quite like what Bingyue described.
Staring at Nanzhi with a sharp, piercing scrutiny, the Empress noted how unperturbedly the girl stood before her, her clear, steady gaze signaling a remarkable depth of character.
It was precisely that poise, however, that made it difficult for her to rest easy letting such a woman linger by her son’s side.
Without issuing an immediate verdict, Empress Liang kept her eyes glued to Nanzhi’s face. For a fleeting second, a dazed look crossed the Empress’s eyes—as though she had caught a sudden, ghostly glimpse of a strangely familiar shadow lingering in the girl’s features.