"Mother, you left the palace so late without sending anyone to call me. I would have felt more at ease if I were by your side."
"Sister Sheng looks quite well, Mother. Please don’t worry too much."
"A few days ago, Father Emperor gifted some ginseng and poria cocos. I’ll bring them to Sister Sheng later."
…
When Xu Rusheng opened her eyes again, she felt the world spinning. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
She had returned to Fengyi Dian—this was the side hall of Fengyi Dian where she had lived in her previous life.
Qingbi walked in and, seeing Xu Rusheng awake, beamed with joy.
"Are you feeling better, Miss? Yesterday, Her Majesty the Empress brought you into the palace."
Qingbi, who had followed her into the palace yesterday, still felt as if she were dreaming.
The imperial palace—a lowly maid like her had actually set foot in the imperial palace.
Xu Rusheng looked at her with amusement.
"Where is my aunt?"
Xu Rusheng was eager to find Empress Wen. Having been reborn, Empress Wen was the person she most wanted to see. In their previous life, they had spent decades together, and the bond between them was deeper than that of mother and daughter.
Just as she spoke, Empress Wen stepped inside, followed by a smiling young woman in yellow. Her features were exquisitely beautiful, with a dignified air subtly present in her expression.
Xi…
Xu Rusheng silently called out her name in her heart—her dear sister, the one who had laughed and cried with her in their previous life, only to be sent away for a political marriage and die in a foreign land as Grand Princess Zhou Xi.
"Auntie."
Xu Rusheng first greeted Empress Wen, then turned to Zhou Xi with a bright smile.
"Thank you, Grand Princess, for coming to see me."
The harmonious atmosphere in the side hall was soon broken.
"I heard that my sister-in-law brought a child back in the middle of the night yesterday. Mother waited for a long time but didn’t see you bring her to pay respects, so she specifically sent me to take a look."
An extremely flamboyant voice sent Xu Rusheng’s blood running cold, her hands and feet turning icy.
Princess Chunyi!
A flash of bright red caught her eye as a haughty, opulently dressed woman adorned with large red peonies strode in.
Zhou Xi suppressed her smile and bowed lightly.
"Greetings, Aunt."
Princess Chunyi glanced at her and snapped irritably,
"What’s the use of hiding in Fengyi Dian all day? You didn’t come from the Empress’s womb. It’s a shame how much your mother has sacrificed for you."
Empress Wen frowned and spoke directly.
"All of His Majesty’s children are my children. What business is it of yours? Go flaunt your authority in the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace. Don’t come here to cause a scene."
Princess Chunyi shrieked, pointing a finger with bright red nails at Empress Wen.
"Wenxi, don’t get too arrogant. Your father is dead, and your brother will be killed by His Majesty sooner or later. You’ll get what’s coming to you then."
Xu Rusheng caught a glimpse of yellow outside the hall and let out a loud wail, her face streaked with tears.
"It’s all my fault. Please don’t be angry, Princess. Don’t scold my auntie. Wuwu, Auntie, I’ll leave the palace right away."
Her perfectly timed performance was just witnessed by the Emperor, who strode in and asked curiously,
"What’s going on here, Chunyi? You insisted on coming to see the child, but now you’ve frightened her to tears."
Princess Chunyi angrily withdrew her hand, stamped her foot, and turned away without a word.
The Emperor sighed and stepped forward to take Empress Wen’s hand, but she brushed him off, gently comforting Xu Rusheng instead.
"A Sheng, don’t cry. From now on, you’ll stay in Fengyi Dian with your auntie. No one can drive you away."
The Emperor quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Alright, alright, she can stay here. She can play with Xi and Han."
Then he turned to tease Xu Rusheng.
"You do bear some resemblance to your auntie. What’s your name?"
Xu Rusheng was very familiar with the Emperor. Like emperors throughout history, he was hypocritical and suspicious.
She replied earnestly, trying hard to appear genuinely like a child.
"In reply to Your Majesty, my uncle, this subject's daughter is named Xu Rusheng, ten years old this year. I fell ill, so my aunt brought me into the palace."
Princess Chunyi sized up Xu Rusheng, feeling disdainful in her heart.
How could Brother Jingyuan, such an elegant and charming gentleman, have fathered such a foolish and ugly, clumsy girl?
Once she herself entered the Linjiang Houfu in the future, having to look at such a girl would be an eyesore. Keeping her in the palace would be much better.
Her mind raced with countless thoughts, and having formed an idea, she cheerfully said to the Emperor,
"Imperial Brother, I see this child has a connection with Imperial Sister-in-law. Since Imperial Sister-in-law has no children, why not grant her the title of a junzhu and let her stay in the palace to accompany Imperial Sister-in-law?"
Xu Rusheng pouted as she looked at Empress Wen.
"Aunt… even though Father did something bad to my maid, once Father and Mother return, A Sheng wants to go home."
The Emperor watched Xu Rusheng with great interest.
"Something bad? What bad thing?"
Empress Wen quickly shot him a sidelong glance.
"Your Majesty."
The Emperor caught on and burst into hearty laughter, but Princess Chunyi instantly turned pale.
Xu Rusheng felt pleased. Chunyi should already be pregnant by now. She needed to find an opportunity to expose this matter.
Then she would see how Chunyi would handle herself with a bulging belly.
The child's playful words were soon forgotten as the female official Lu Hui of Fengyi Dian entered to report.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Old Madam of the Linjiang Houfu has led the female family members and is kneeling at the entrance."
Empress Wen let out an "oh" and said lightly,
"Let her kneel. When she has knelt for two full shichen, send them back."
Princess Chunyi glared angrily.
"What do you mean, Imperial Sister-in-law? Old Madam is, after all, a first-rank lady. How can you punish her like this?"
The Emperor rebuked,
"The Empress has the authority to reward or punish the families of officials. What right do you have to interfere? If you have nothing to do, return to your Princess's Residence."
He glanced at the gaudily dressed Chunyi and scolded again,
"How long has it been since General Ning died? Can't you behave a little more properly? The Ning family are also meritorious subjects of our Da Qi. Leave them some dignity."
Chunyi left reluctantly. The Emperor rubbed his nose.
"If you like this child, let her stay in the palace to accompany you. I shall take my leave now."
Xu Rusheng looked at Empress Wen somewhat strangely. In her memory, the Emperor and her aunt's interactions were not this… peculiar.
"Aunt, His Majesty seems to be trying to please you."
Empress Wen chuckled and tapped Xu Rusheng's forehead.
"You little clever one. Calling him 'uncle' in front of others, but referring to him as 'His Majesty' behind his back."
Xu Rusheng stuck out her tongue and noticed Zhou Xi, who had been standing quietly in the background, her expression consistently calm.
Empress Wen beckoned Zhou Xi over.
"A Xi, A Sheng will be staying in the palace for a while. You must treat your younger sister well."
Zhou Xi smiled sincerely.
"Rest assured, Mother Empress."
She tilted her head to look at Xu Rusheng. Xu Rusheng met her gaze with a smile, feeling as if a lifetime had passed.
Princess Chunyi walked out of Fengyi Dian in low spirits and saw Old Madam Xu kneeling at the entrance.
Old Madam Xu felt bitter. Early in the morning, she had been summoned into the palace by an Imperial Decree from the Empress and made to kneel at the entrance of Fengyi Dian. The physical humiliation was one thing, but the dignity of her Linjiang Houfu had been utterly lost.
Princess Chunyi, thinking of what Xu Rusheng had said about Xu Jingyuan's improper conduct with the maid in her room, felt irritated. Seeing the people from the Linjiang Houfu, she initially intended to ignore them.
But her well-maintained hand touched her belly, and she turned to help Old Madam Xu up instead.
"Old Madam, please rise. The Empress is just in such a temper. You are a first-rank noblewoman; it is not proper for you to kneel at the entrance of Fengyi Dian. If the palace maids passing by see this, it would be unseemly."
Old Madam Xu was about to stand up with the support of Princess Chunyi when she suddenly heard an exclamation.
"Oh dear, my Princess! The Emperor has already ordered you to return to the Princess's Residence immediately. Why are you still here?"
Upon hearing the voice of Eunuch Yang from Tiyuan Dian, Princess Chunyi quickly released her hand.
"Thud."
Old Madam Xu, who had been halfway up, fell heavily back to the ground.