But soon, she became optimistic again—it didn’t matter, they had plenty of time ahead.
Shortly after, two lovely maids approached her from either side, bowing respectfully.
“This humble servant is Chun Chou.”
“This humble servant is Qiu Si.”
“Greetings, Wangfei.”
Xiang Zhile suppressed the excitement in her heart, her hands trembling slightly as she gently helped them up.
Chun Chou, Qiu Si.
In her previous life, these two maids had been utterly loyal to her, yet she had failed to cherish them.
Knowing she wouldn’t stay long in the Regent Manor, Xiang Zhile had dismissed the maids and matrons who had accompanied her from Xiang Fu after the wedding ceremony, fearing they would be implicated when she escaped.
Despite knowing this was improper, Yan Junnuo had indulged her, letting her do as she pleased.
The next day, he assigned Chun Chou and Qiu Si to serve her.
It was only after she fell into hardship that she learned these two were Anwei specially dispatched by Yan Junnuo to protect her closely.
But at the time, she had believed they were sent by Yan Junnuo to spy on her and found them a nuisance.
Taking advantage of Yan Junnuo’s mission to the border, she fled the Regent Manor.
She even lured the two to Yan Beimo, who had them executed and sent their heads to Yan Junnuo, far away at the frontier.
As the Regent Prince of Da Huang Guo, Yan Junnuo was only two years older than the new emperor, Yan Beiqi.
In terms of seniority, Yan Junnuo was Yan Beiqi’s Xiao Huangshu.
Back then, Yan Junnuo’s father had few sons: the eldest, Yan Junao (born of a concubine), the second, Yan Junyong (also born of a concubine), and the youngest, Yan Junnuo (born of the empress).
Yan Junyong died in a Qiu Shou shortly after coming of age, leaving no heirs.
The old emperor, Yan Junnuo’s father, sensed something amiss from Yan Junyong’s death.
He took the three-year-old Yan Junnuo under his wing, personally educating him.
Years passed, and Yan Junnuo gradually revealed his talent for governance, leading the old emperor to consider passing the throne to him.
However, fate had other plans. Not long after, the old emperor fell gravely ill and never recovered.
Feeling his end near, he intended to name his legitimate son, Yan Junnuo, as the new emperor before his death. But Yan Junnuo was only eight years old at the time. Perhaps out of protection for his young son, or perhaps because the eldest prince, Yan Junao, met the criteria for succession in both age and lineage, Yan Junao ultimately ascended the throne.
To protect his youngest son, the late emperor left a Mizhi stating that if the elder brother died, the younger brother could succeed; if the elder brother refused to yield, the younger brother could serve as regent; and the monarch must not execute the regent.
The Mizhi was made in duplicate: one copy held by Yan Junnuo, the other by Yan Junao, each stamped with a unique, imperially exclusive watermark to prevent forgery by future generations.
Yan Junao, originally the eldest prince born of a concubine, understood the brutality of royal strife. After ascending the throne, he decreed that, aside from the empress, no concubine in his harem was allowed to become pregnant. Any violation would result in immediate execution.
Thus, all concubines abandoned their ambitions for favor, and the harem of the Da Huang Guo emperor achieved an unprecedented harmony.
Empress Zhong bore Yan Junao two sons: Yan Beiqi and Yan Beimo.
Understanding the stakes, the two brothers naturally aligned themselves against Yan Junnuo.
When she sought out Yan Beimo, the relationship between Yan Junnuo and the new emperor, Yan Beiqi, was tense and volatile. The slightest misstep could give Yan Beiqi grounds to launch a major offensive.
However, when Yan Junnuo saw the severed heads of Chun Chou and Qiu Si, he rushed back from the frontier without regard for anything else. Upon learning she had suffered humiliation, he slaughtered everyone in the Goulanyuan.
When Yan Beiqi learned of this incident, he predictably flew into a rage and nearly issued an imperial decree to have Yan Junnuo punished by military law. Fortunately, Yan Junnuo held a solid position at court—while many envied him and wished for his death, even more supported him. Under pressure, Yan Beiqi ultimately only ordered him to forfeit six months’ salary and receive thirty military cane strikes as punishment.
Reflecting now, Xiang Zhile felt she truly deserved her death in her previous life—she was utterly unworthy of Yan Junnuo.
By the time everything was washed and tidied up, it was already noon. The manor’s kitchen sent over the day’s lunch, mentioning that Wangye would arrive shortly.
Xiang Zhile looked at the lavish spread on the table—it was abundant, but every dish was prepared according to her taste. Her palate leaned heavily toward spicy flavors, yet Yan Junnuo suffered from a stomach ailment and couldn’t eat such food. His condition, which now caused occasional spasms and sharp pain, would later worsen, even showing signs of vomiting blood.
In her past life, she had never cared about his well-being, believing that her own suffering—having her purity taken and living in shame within the manor—was torment enough. Why should she concern herself with the man who stole her innocence, whom she didn’t love at all?
If in this life she continued down the same path, then her rebirth might as well have been in vain—she might as well have slit her throat again.
With these thoughts, Xiang Zhile instructed Chun Chou and Qiu Si, “Have someone clear all these dishes away. I’ll be back shortly.”