The banquet had started. Unlike regular banquets, the guests were served fresh fruits, light dishes, and sweet fruit wine. Everything was meant to be mild-tasting.
A maid presented a small tube filled with many polished bamboo sticks. The sticks were beautiful because of their careful engravings of all sorts of flowers.
It went without saying that the tube of bamboo sticks was taken to Ning Xueyan first. The maid knelt respectfully in front of her, held the tube high, and waited for her to pick a stick. This meant that whether or not she wanted to perform, whether or not she was ready to perform, she would have to show the guests something after drawing a lot.
On the surface, this was a show of respect. In reality, they were forcing her to perform.
Ning Xueyan knew that Wu Yao wouldn't give her a chance to reject performing. She could guess as much after experiencing their little scheme with the zither.
Thus, she smile
Nearly everyone was looking at Ning Xueyan. Not even her status as the Crown Princess stopped them from giving her mocking looks. How could a person of her caliber become the Crown Princess and the future Empress, the Mother of the Nation? What a joke!"Your Highness, look..." Commandery Princess Muling turned around and looked at Ning Xueyan with a conflicted expression."Your Highness, should I go there and shut him up? How could he criticize the Crown Princess as he pleased?" Ya Moqin said angrily, looking indignant on Ning Xueyan's behalf.Emotion rippled in Ning Xueyan's eyes. She was quite speechless at their performance. "Eldest Young Lady Ya, let him criticize as he pleases. I don't know what does this has to do with me."In Commandery Princess Muling's opinion, if Ning Xueyan was clever, she would have said the maid took the wrong paper instead of refusing to admit that it was hers. Even though no one wrote their names dow
Ning Xueyan stood up slowly. She wasn't tall, shorter than Ya Moqin even. Yet, when her face darkened and her beautiful eyes turned fierce, Ya Moqin felt a stab of uncertainty. Even the famous scholars were looking around. They were beginning to question their criticism of the poem. If the Crown Princess had truly written the poem, was it right for them to criticize her like this?Their fear was largely derived from the Crown Prince's ruthless reputation. Even if they were determined to become righteous scholars, they had to worry for the lives of their families."Eldest Young Lady Ya, you're just a daughter of the Grand Tutor Ya's Manor. You have no right to discipline my maid." Ning Xueyan looked at Ya Moqin with a grim expression. "Since when do you have the right to discipline someone from the Crown Prince's Manor?"Ning Xueyan was so frank that she sounded like she was reprimanding Ya Moqin. However, no matter how one looked at it, Ya Moqi
"Lanning, help Eldest Young Lady Ya up." Ning Xueyan's eyes were unfathomable. A beautiful gleam was dancing in her pupils. Like the surface of a lake in autumn, those eyes were beautiful but cold.Lanning answered her master's command and helped Ya Moqin to her feet.It went without saying that Ya Moqin wouldn't struggle at this time. She covered her face with her handkerchief, putting on a show of remorse as if she was truly sorry for her slip of tongue earlier. She acted as if she had misspoken out of agitation.Behind her handkerchief, a resentful smile appeared on her face. Ning Xueyan had no choice but to let her off now, but she would never let Ning Xueyan off.However, what Ning Xueyan said next turned her legs soft. She nearly fell."Eldest Young Lady Ya, please leave and get some rest. I'll forgive your slip of the tongue. The imperial family requires their daughter-in-law to be magnanimous, dignified, and re
Ning Xueyan took the stage with two of her maids. It was her privilege as the Crown Princess. No one could criticize her even if she brought twenty maids, let alone two.Lanning took out the antique zither called Mark of the Moon and carefully put it down.Immediately, shocked whispers resounded. "Mark of the Moon?" someone said. "It's really the Mark of the Moon!" another said. Comments and laments abounded.The women's stunned whispers alarmed the men as well. When the famous scholars heard that it was the Mark of the Moon, a few couldn't help standing up and craning their necks for a better look.The Mark of the Moon was so famous that everyone couldn't help but focus on it."Is this really the Mark of the Moon?" a scholar asked the scholar beside him."It must be. The Crown Princess wouldn't use a fake." The other scholar nodded while staring at the zither on the stage. However, the stage was so far aw
These scholars might be famous and distinguished. They might look down on many rules and societal norms as men in the prime of their youth, but they were still ordinary people at the end of the day.When something threatened their lives, even the lives of their families, they would still panic and do something unexpected.The cowardly scholar was a good example.When he saw Wu Yao refusing to let them go, he panicked and cried, "Once the Crown Princess finishes her performance, we'll all die with her! We must leave now!"His voice was loud, and the men and women were only separated by a short distance. They used a path near the women's area on their way out, and the commotion they made had drawn the women's attention. Therefore, everyone at the banquet heard his words.When the women processed those words, they exchanged looks. They didn't know what the scholar meant. Could there be another meaning to Ning Xueyan's per
Ning Xueyan had committed the crime of trying to assassinate the Emperor. One careless mistake, and even Ao Chenyi might be implicated. Everyone knew that they must steer clear of her at this time.The situation was finally under control. No one dared to run after seeing the noble young lady lay dead on the floor without knowing why. They were afraid that the blood-thirsty troops from Prince Yi's Manor would kill them too. These people had killed the lady without asking questions. That was enough to prove how bold they were.Even though most people at the banquet were educated people, they knew they couldn't do anything about the armed guards in front of them.A more courageous scholar tidied his robe and stepped forward to talk to the first batch of guards. "Sir, the Crown Princess performed the Song of the Witch to curse the Emperor. We tried to run away because we didn't dare to stay behind. We wanted to report the matter."Afte
The only other uneasy person in the crowd was Commandery Princess Muling. She couldn't help glancing at Wu Yao before looking away again, no longer trying to get close to the latter. She had been carefully and discreetly making her way toward Wu Yao earlier, but that would be a bad idea now.Even though Wu Yao didn't seem directly involved in the incident, it wouldn't stop others from wondering if the woman who had always kept a low profile was truly innocent. One could tell that the scholars on the stage were suspecting something by how they didn't even look at Wu Yao.Wu Yao ordered her servants to rearrange the tables and chairs and invited everyone back to their seats.Ning Xueyan walked down the stage with Lanning and Qingyu and returned to her seat. The first batch of imperial guards exchanged looks when they realized that the commotion was over, ready to leave.However, the trouble was far from over. Something happened just
"Master, I have asked around. Even though most people aren't very clear about it, I still learned a clue or two. It seemed that the Empress was involved in Prince Xiang's attempted assassination of the Emperor. That was why the Emperor died so easily. Honored Consort Shu happened to be guarding the door that night, so she discovered this and exposed the matter.""Prince Xiang's men didn't manage to get out in time. When they were detained, the Empress was still inside the Emperor's room. Then, Prince Xiang's men accused the Empress of killing the Emperor and vice versa. Both sides turned on each other to no avail. Prince Xiang and the Empress are currently imprisoned to be punished after the Emperor's funeral," Lanning said.Ning Xueyan's shapely eyebrows wrinkled as she sank into contemplation. The Empress' intention to kill the Emperor was apparent from the moment she summoned Commandery Princess Xianyun to the palace. It was Ao Mingyu's assassination of
"What will you do now?" Ning Xueyan had to take two quick steps to catch up with Ao Chenyi's pace. "Destroy the nine barbarian states alongside Wen Xueran?""No." Ao Chenyi raised an eyebrow and smiled mysteriously. "I'll negotiate with Wen Xueran."Confused, she repeated, "Negotiate?""The people of the nine barbarian states have always been different from those of the central plains. They're valiant and barbaric. For many years, they have wanted to invade us. If it weren't for the princes of Annan holding down the front, the nine barbarian states would have attacked us a long time ago. Annan troops have fought the nine barbarian states more than our troops did, and they have a better chance of winning too."Ao Chenyi said calmly. He didn't like the nine barbarian states in the slightest. If it weren't his father forbidding him from going to the faraway hinterland of the nine barbarian states, where death was almost certain, he wo
It didn't take long for Qingyu to return from the Lord Protector's Manor with a new piece of news. It was said that there had been a haunting in the prayer hall of the manor.Rumor had it that an older maid became ill from the fright of seeing a ghost.A long time ago, the Cloud Reflection Courtyard was said to be haunted too. No one dared to come close at that time, not even during the day. Even though the rumors died down later on, a few people who were deeply affected by the events said that the situation was still grave then.Therefore, even though only a maid had seen the ghost, the rumors spread like wildfire in the manor.The prayer hall used to be Madam Dowager's favorite spot. It was later used to imprison Madam Ling for some time. Now that Madam Ling was dead, everyone feared that she was the ghost. It was said that Madam Ling was an evil woman when she was alive. Even in death, she might become a malicious ghost. The sit
Ao Chenyi was so close that his handsome face was all that Ning Xueyan could see, and he didn't look all that happy. Then, she realized that she had been holding tightly onto a strand of his black hair.She flung her hand and hastily released the strand of hair in her hand. She even caressed the hair on his temples with a wide smile. "Why are you here? When did you come? Why didn't you wake me up?"Ning Xueyan looked truly confused as if she really didn't know that she had grabbed Ao Chenyi's hair until it hurt."Playing dumb, huh?" he said coldly, frowning at her. His slender fingers reached out and lightly pinched the wing of her nose."Ouch!" Ning Xueyan held her nose pitifully. Her limpid eyes seemed glazed over as if brewing tears."Now you know it hurts!" Ao Chenyi's thin lips were curved into a smile. He was satisfied to see her not daring to voice her frustration.Ning Xueyan nodded firmly without
"Can you remember it now?" Ao Chenyi narrowed his eyes and knocked on their table with his slender fingers. His voice sounded a tad threatening."I… I really can't remember." Ning Xueyan felt like she had thought of all the possible answers but she was still coming up empty. She had no choice but to admit her fault."You really can't remember?" His beautiful eyes curved into a charming arc and his expression was sinister. Sure enough, this was a bad situation to be in. She didn't even hesitate to grab his hand with a bright smile on her tender face."Even if I can't remember, you can still remind me, right?" She knew it would pay well to cajole this man.Ao Chenyi wasn't polite with her either. He turned his hand over and pinched her soft face. His expression had improved considerably. There was a faint smile on his face as he asked, "If I tell you, can you really understand and remember what it is?""Of course I can!"
It seemed that at this point of the letter, the Empress couldn't continue anymore. There were only tear stains on the paper, followed by wide empty spaces.Then, the Empress said how reassured she was that Madam Ming would be taking care of her newborn. Madam Ming would be a fine mother. She had also asked someone to watch over Madam Ming and the newborn. Their statuses in the previous dynasty had vanished like smoke. Time was always moving forward and the changing of imperial dynasties was inevitable.The only tragedy was the eternal separation of her from her husband, and of her from her daughters.The only reason she had written the letter was that she couldn't help herself. If she never said anything, her child would never know the truth. That would have been for the best. Yet, she couldn't accept this, so she would hand the letter to the person who would be looking after Madam Ming. If Ning Ziying's identity was revealed to the world one d
The news of Ning Zu'an's death shocked everyone in the Lord Protector's Manor. Even though the title had been passed onto Ning Huaijing, Ning Zu'an was the patriarch of the family. Even without the title, he was still the most authoritative figure in the manor.Madam Dowager collapsed as soon as she heard the news of his death. She became ill and bedridden, unable to get up.Ning Xueyan couldn't leave the palace freely due to her status as the Empress. She sent Qingyu and Mother Han to the manor and had them inquire about Madam Dowager's health in her place. Mother Han returned to Prince Yi's Manor afterward while Qingyu entered the palace to report to Ning Xueyan.It was inconvenient for Mother Han to live in the palace because she had a son to take care of. Instead of entering the palace with Ning Xueyan, she stayed in Prince Yi's Manor as the housekeeper. Ning Xueyan was prepared to release her from the manor when the situation stabilized in
"The Empress discovered a secret tunnel under Chenyuan Palace by accident. She never told anyone about it. She even killed the maid that discovered the tunnel with her and accompanied her in walking through the tunnel. In other words, she was the only one who knew about it," Ning Xueyan explained.This was the Empress' secret. To prove it, she used Yun Luoluo's incident as an example. When Ning Xueyan was drugged in Chenyuan Palace, the Empress wanted to take her to a room. There, a man would sneak into the palace through the secret tunnel.If Ning Xueyan woke up and discovered herself in disheveled clothes in the presence of another man, she would surely panic. To protect her secret, she would surely agree with whatever the Empress wanted. The Empress wanted to use Ning Xueyan to force Ao Chenyi into accepting his "affair" with Yun Luoluo.Unfortunately, Ao Chenyi had appeared all of a sudden. She didn't dare to do anything with him around, so
Ao Chenyi didn't try to persuade her this time. This had bothered her for so long that she would continue to suffer for it if she didn't cry it out now. He held her tighter and allowed her to wet the front of his robe. She didn't brawl. All she did was close her eyes and let her tears stream down her face. When her tears finally dried, she sat quietly in Ao Chenyi's embrace for a long time.It was so quiet inside the room that she could finally calm down.Her hands were being held so tightly in Ao Chenyi's hand that she could feel the callus in his palm. He was Prince Yi, the late Emperor's beloved prince who grew up to be the infamous Demon King. Those who mentioned his name would often be frightened and alarmed. Only she knew how difficult his life had been.Ao Chenyi was still young when he drew his elder brother's jealousy and suspicion. He was framed, imprisoned, and nearly died. His fiancee abandoned him at his lowest point, sought shelte
"It was and wasn't an accident. He could only blame himself. No matter what, he was the one who forced my hand and cornered me to this state. He ruined my everything. Him dying in my hands could be considered as his retribution."The Empress began to look calm again. She turned her head and stared at Ning Xueyan with a trace of sadness in her eyes. "I invited you here to ask you to let go of my family. It's all my fault and has nothing to do with my family. They're just a small and useless noble family. In exchange for their safety, I'll tell you a secret."Her voice had lost her previous agitation and anger, leaving only a sense of helplessness. She had never put any hope in her family. She thought that she would be able to help her people after gaining power but now that she was in trouble, she was worried that her family would be implicated and sentenced to death.She had resented her family countless times for marrying her off to the Empero