A noble woman wearing a black cloak and a veiled hat entered the Buddhist hall. Once inside, the middle-aged attendant following her carefully removed the veil. A face of supreme elegance and dignity was revealed—the mistress of the back palace herself, Empress Xie.
The nanny holding the hat retreated outside, leaving only mother and son in the hall. Empress Xie looked at the man kneeling on the prayer mat. Since she had entered, his expression remained indifferent—devoid of sorrow, joy, or worldly desire.
It was that same “dead” look that infuriated her every time she saw it. Her son, once so brilliant and proud—how did he suddenly become like this? Why was Heaven doing this to her? She felt heartache and regret, but also resentment. He had been a single step away from the throne when he abruptly turned his back on the world. Did he have any idea what that meant for her?
She had fought Consort Wang for years. If the position of Crown Prince fell to Prince Duan, would there be any path of survival left for her? She desperately wished that his cold face would be stained by worldly ambition—whether for power or for a woman.
Suppressing her irritation, Empress Xie asked softly, “Tingyu, did the assassin wound you?”
Prince Yu took up his brush and wrote two characters: “Unscathed.”
“I petitioned His Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly and recommended the Chief of the Court of State Ceremonies to lead the case. Do you know who His Majesty chose instead?”
Prince Yu did not react.
The Empress continued, “He chose Wang Fu! The people who tried to kill you are clearly from the Wang family, yet the Emperor ordered the Wang family to handle the trial. Isn’t that blatant protection? His Majesty has already sided with them. Tingyu, time is running out. Once Zhao Tingduan is officially named Crown Prince, everything will be too late.”
Prince Yu remained motionless. The Empress’s eyes reddened with rage. He truly didn’t care; his heart belonged only to that damned Buddha! She felt a surge of fury so strong she wanted to smash the golden statues.
Taking a deep breath to steady her trembling hands, she spoke again. “If you don’t care about your mother, do you not even care about that girl from the Lin family? Do you truly believe that if the Xie family falls and you lose your status, she will survive? Her father’s house is a den of wolves; she won’t have a way out, and neither will her mother.”
She stared at him, unblinking, but his expression didn’t flicker. Her heart sank to the very bottom, replaced by a searing, concentrated anger. She turned and stormed out of the hall.
Outside, Nanny Yu hurried forward to replace her veil.
“I have been deceived,” the Empress hissed, her voice trembling with rage. “I actually thought Tingyu had developed feelings for that Lin girl and showed her favor accordingly. I was curious what made her so special that she could make him break his rules. Now I see she is special—especially bold! She lied to the entire manor, and she lied to me!”
Nanny Yu gasped. The audacity of the girl was staggering. The price for playing the Empress was not something she could afford.
“I want to see both Lin daughters,” the Empress said, her tone calm but her eyes filled with murderous intent.
Under the scorching sun, Lin Yao knelt on the ground with Lin Siyuan in front of her. Sensing the impending disaster, Lin Siyuan was trembling so violently she looked ready to faint.
Soon, a pair of feet moved past Lin Yao. They paused briefly. The boots were exquisitely crafted with phoenix patterns—the status of the wearer was unmistakable. The feet continued forward, the rhythmic thud-thud of her steps striking terror into their hearts.
“Princess Consort, come in. I have words for you.”
“Yes…” Lin Siyuan’s voice shook as she struggled to climb to her feet and shuffled inside.
No one spared a glance for Lin Yao. All the clever excuses she had prepared didn’t even get a chance to be aired. The wait was agonizing. What was happening to her sister? How would the Empress treat her?
Before long, screams erupted from inside.
“Ah… ah… no…!”
It was clear she was trying to suppress it, but the pain was too much to bear. Listening to the cries, Lin Yao couldn’t take it anymore. This was her fault. Lin Siyuan was suffering for her lies!
Lin Yao scrambled up from the ground. The doors were shut tight, guarded by two stern-faced nannies. Lin Yao gritted her teeth and approached.
“The Empress is disciplining the Princess Consort. Please wait here, girl,” one nanny said expressionlessly.
“I must see Her Majesty. I have something to say,” Lin Yao insisted.
“We only follow the Empress’s orders. Go back to your knees.”
No matter what she said, they wouldn’t let her pass. The other nanny moved to force her back down. As Lin Siyuan’s screams grew weaker and more pained, Lin Yao realized the Empress might actually kill her.
Lin Yao looked up sharply at the woman holding her down. “Nanny Qi, you have a daughter who was sold by your husband. You’ve been searching for her for years. I know where she is!”
In her previous life, Lin Yao had encountered the daughter by chance. She hadn’t wanted to bring up knowledge from her past life for fear of drawing suspicion, but she was out of options. She couldn’t watch Lin Siyuan be tortured to death because of her.
Nanny Qi’s face transformed instantly. It was eerie—she had only searched in secret. How could a girl locked away in a manor know her business?
“Nanny Qi, please let me see the Empress. I will tell you where she is,” Lin Yao pleaded. “Your daughter has a dark red birthmark on her shoulder, doesn’t she?”
Nanny Qi’s eyes wavered with a desperate struggle. Disobeying the Empress meant a severe beating or death. But she thought of her daughter every single night. Even the smallest sliver of hope was worth it.
She gritted her teeth and nodded. Helping Lin Yao up, she led her toward the door. The other guard, Nanny Yun, blocked them. “Qi Shu, do you know what you’re doing? Do you know the consequences of defying Her Majesty?”
“Sister Yun, help me. I will take full responsibility for the consequences,” Nanny Qi begged.
Nanny Yun stared at her for a long moment before stepping aside coldly. “If you want to seek death, I can’t stop you.”
Nanny Qi pushed open the heavy doors, and Lin Yao rushed inside. The room was thick with a strange, heavy scent. Her elder sister lay weak on the floor, her face as pale as a ghost, gasping for breath.
“Lin Yao, have you come to take her place?” a majestic, icy voice rang out.
Lin Yao looked up. A noble figure sat there, her face half-veiled in shadow and half-lit by the sun. Her voice was calm, but she sounded like an executioner.
“Your… Your Majesty… it is this servant’s fault… I should be the one punished,” Lin Siyuan’s weak, trembling voice rose from the floor. “Lin Yao, get out!”
Lin Yao’s tears fell instantly.