Chapter 23: The Empress's Invitation

  Yongshou Palace

  "Chrysanthemum fragrance, go to the palace gate and wait for Miss Leng Si. Bring her directly to see the Marquis." The emerald green bead curtain swayed gently, making a crisp sound, and a slightly aged but irresistible voice came from inside, involuntarily making people feel a sense of fear in their hearts.

  "Yes, Your Majesty." A little palace maid in a pink palace dress responded respectfully and retreated out of the main hall.

  The faint scent of sandalwood wafts around the tip of my nose, giving me a drowsy feeling. On the windowsill, several pots of peonies in full bloom emit a light fragrance. The two scents blend together to create another pleasant aroma that is not unpleasant.

  Qin Auntie is already an old lady in the palace, she entered the palace with Empress Dowager Cixi and can also be said to be one of Empress Dowager Cixi's dowry maids. Judging from her facial features, she was a beautiful woman with both inner and outer beauty when she was young.

  "Your Highness, but you have a headache, shall I call the imperial physician to come and take a look?" Reading people's expressions, guessing their thoughts, is an essential skill that everyone in this deep palace must learn, no one can understand the bitterness of it better than her.

  "No harm, I was just thinking of that little girl. You say she... Ah, never mind, let's wait till she comes and see." The empress stroked her forehead, sitting slightly on the main seat's chaise lounge, elegant and noble. Although over sixty years old, she didn't show any signs of aging. A typical melon-seed-shaped face, vaguely visible was her former self, how stunningly beautiful she was.

  The first time I saw Leng Ziyue was in the backyard of Zhongjun Houfu, she was covered in dirt and looked like a little beggar who had run out from somewhere. Her small face was scattered with scars, and her thin body also showed signs of healed and unhealed wounds. When she met her, she didn't know how to greet her, a pair of clear phoenix eyes weakly gazed at her, looking pitiful.

  As the Empress Dowager, she had never known what it meant to have a compassionate heart. Living in the inner palace, if she wasn't ruthless, she would be the one to die. Cold Zhiyue's weakness was something she looked down on, and even though she possessed beauty that couldn't be hidden by dirt and filth, it had never moved her sympathetic heart.

  Until then, her enchanting melody that attracted hundreds of birds finally made her decide to protect her and spare her life.

  It's been a whole decade since then, and it's time to verify the results she left behind.

  "Your Ladyship, Miss Leng was forced by the Princess of Beihanguo to jump off the Zhuque Platform. Although she survived, I heard from the palace that her temperament has changed greatly and is no longer the same as before. I don't know if it's true or false." Perhaps having seen too much bloodshed, Qin Ayi's remaining kindness had long been worn away, leaving nothing behind.

  She was well aware that Leng Xueyu was a pawn raised by the Empress Dowager, and would eventually become a woman who uses her beauty to do things for the Empress Dowager. If Leng Xueyu's temperament changed, it was unclear whether it was a good or bad thing.

  What's the value of living if one is just a pawn that can't be controlled by the empress dowager?

  "My ideal collaborator is not in Beihan State at all. If that princess dares to make another reckless move, don't blame me for being impolite to her. Whether Leng Ziyue has changed or not, I have my own judgment." Her whole life was spent paving the way for her son, and she understood the struggles of women in the harem better than anyone else.

  Those concubines one by one all want to support their own sons to sit on the throne, but they don't consider whether they have the ability to stir up waves under her eyelids.

  "The princess is right." Qin aunt frowned and closed her mouth.

  The tea in his hand had gone cold, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Go take a look, has that girl arrived yet?"

  No matter whether you have a sudden change in temperament as rumored, it can't change your fate. Heaven has given you such stunning beauty, and for the sake of my family, you should keep your life at all costs.

  "Yes." Qin aunt lowered her head and backed out of the beaded curtain with a slight bow.

  Hua'er gazed at the majestic palace in front of her, feeling a little scared and swallowing hard. Everyone said that the imperial palace was great, but she didn't like it. Living within these high walls, what freedom could there be?

  "Miss, Hu'er is waiting for you outside." Her status was humble, and the imperial palace was not a place she could enter. As long as in Miss's heart she wasn't a humble maid, she was satisfied, no matter how others looked at her.

  Chrysanthemum fragrance had taken the imperial edict early and was waiting at the palace gate, looking at the increasingly beautiful and moving Cold Qiu Yue, with an inexplicable jealousy in her heart. Women are all jealous creatures, unable to bear women more beautiful than themselves. Although she was just a small palace maid in front of the empress dowager, without power or influence, she also looked down on Cold Qiu Yue, who was merely bearing the title of a candidate for the position of young master's legitimate daughter, but in reality was not even as good as a low-ranking maid.

  "Trouble sister to lead the way." Leng Ziyue knew that the little palace maid in front of her, who was staring at her with red eyes and green eyebrows, was called Juxiang. In the past, she had not hesitated to mock and belittle her own body in private places.

  She looked down on her, and Leng Ziyue disliked her even more.

  Before figuring out the true intentions of the Empress Dowager, Leng Ziyue had to pretend to be her usual self, with a clear and innocent look in her eyes, filled with weakness and timidity, as if she would burst into tears at any moment.

  "The empress dowager is getting impatient, and you're really putting on a big show." Chrysanthemum fragrance originally still wanted to verify whether the rumors in the palace were true or not, but when she saw Leng Ziyue's eyes still flashing with fear and weakness like before, she didn't care about anything else anymore.

  She is still the same cold Ziyue who didn't dare to speak loudly in front of her, she wants to scold her and will scold her, without worrying that she would report her.

  Leng Xue's drooping eyes flashed with cold light, and when she raised her head again, she had a pitiful look on her face. She was afraid and shrank back, retreating two steps to avoid Ju Xiang, pretending not to dare look at her.

  Her vanity was greatly satisfied, and Ju Xiang didn't bother to argue with Leng Zhiyue. She knew the Empress Dowager's temper well and didn't want to be punished herself, so she moved quickly.

  One moment later...

  Leng Xueyu wore a white dress that trailed on the ground, with subtle butterfly patterns embroidered on it. Her face was pale and didn't have any makeup, her eyes shone with a hint of fear, as if she had never seen the world before. A wooden hairpin held up her black hair, a white crystal pendant hung around her neck, accentuating her slender collarbone, and a pair of crystal earrings swayed gently in the wind beside her ears.

  With a lowered head and extreme reluctance in his heart, he still bowed to the Empress Dowager and stood quietly beside her, waiting for her questions.

  "Yu'er, you've lost a lot of weight again. Haven't you been eating well?" The gentle tone was as if a grandmother was softly asking her own dear granddaughter.

  Zi Yue quietly wiped away the goosebumps on her body and responded in a low voice, "Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your concern. I will take good care of my own body."

  "Hehe, it's been a long time since we last met, and you're already so distant with me. Is it because I wasn't in the palace that you let Yuer suffer?" The empress dowager's gaze fell directly on Leng Ziyue's face, who still dared not look at her straight, nor say anything more, nor get close to her."

  Everyone lies, but she believes that a person's eyes won't lie. At this moment, Leng Ziyue's gaze is telling her that he isn't like the rumors, his timid nature hasn't changed at all.

  "Zi Yue doesn't dare, it's all Zi Yue being ignorant, and also worrying the Empress Dowager." Cold Zi Yue lowered her head, fiercely rolling her eyes. When did she also need to act like this? What kind of ghostly Empress Dowager was this? If she could hide the thoughts in her eyes, maybe she would think she really cared about her.

  Unfortunately, her eyes couldn't hide anything.

  "Alright, my dear, I won't let you suffer. That Zhang Xiao is not worthy of our family's Yu'er. Don't listen to those outsiders' nonsense. I will definitely arrange a good marriage for Yu'er, making everyone in the world envy." The empress dowager held onto Leng Ziyu's hand, speaking sincerely.

  When she first saw her, she knew that Leng Zixue would be very beautiful when she grew up. She just didn't expect to be so beautiful. She wondered what she would look like when she was all dressed up.

  "Hmm." Leng Xueyu responded in a low voice, and the fox finally showed its tail.

  The Lingyong banquet is imminent, and the four major powers who went to Qimonth are all members of the royal family. What does this old witch want to make her a pawn for which side?

  The whirlpool surrounding her seemed to be getting deeper and deeper, but unfortunately, her current strength was not enough to confront them. The only way out was to wait and see, defend when attacked, and cover up when necessary.

  As for being a chess piece, she was not pleased.

  It's only fun when you're in control of others' lives and deaths, like playing chess.