Chapter One

his what happened I was so shameless back then!" Upon hearing this, Yun Qianyue paused in her step and asked casually with a smile."Yes, His Excellency said that you were shamelessly persistent at tha...Volume 1: Smiling at the Splendor Chapter 1

Liyun slowly opened her eyes and was momentarily stunned by the scenery before her.

Near the lake, there stood a pavilion where cool winds gently blew. Red railings, green planks, winding corridors, verdant trees, and jade-like flowers made for a luxurious sight to behold. Especially rare and precious were the flower species planted along the railings; they were almost extinct in modern times. The pairs of emerald mandarin ducks and red-crowned white cranes swimming in the lake added an extra layer of rarity and beauty. Not to mention the various precious items set up on the artificial hills and pavilions.

She couldn't help but stare, wondering if there were still such places in this era where everything relied heavily on chemical technology and scientific advancement Even Suzhou gardens or imperial gardens left behind in Beijing could not match the beauty here by half.

Jolted out of her reverie, she heard a discontented female voice muttering beside her.

"Miss, you should teach those women who don't know their place a lesson! Who are you Nowadays, someone actually dares to hit you! Today's poetry recitation event also has the Empress present. They are truly audacious!"

"If I may speak frankly, Miss, you seem to be increasingly lenient towards those women these days. If this continues, Prince Consort’s soul will eventually be enticed away by those lowly women."

"The prince clearly saw that you were at a disadvantage just now and walked off without a second glance. Truly infuriating."

"I think you should make the prince understand who he is marrying. If this continues, even a blade of grass will dare to bully you."

"…"

"Miss, why haven't you said a word for such a long time Did you hear what I just said"

"Miss"

The agitated voice disrupted the momentary amazement brought by the scenery. Li Yun turned her head absentmindedly in the direction of the sound and saw a young girl, dressed as a maid in ancient attire, standing beside her.

The girl was about twelve or thirteen years old, holding a fan gently waving it back and forth. Her eyes clearly showed anger, with an indignant expression on her tender face. Seeing Li Yun's dazed look, she seemed to be slightly stunned.

Li Yun looked at the girl in confusion, looking even more dazed for a moment.

The girl was momentarily stunned but quickly regained composure, replacing the indignant expression with one of nervousness and uncertainty. "Miss, are you... feeling unwell"

Li Yun remained silent as her blurry gaze gradually sharpened, her eyes flashing with clarity as she stared straight at the girl.

"M-Miss," the girl quivered under Li Yun's intense gaze and stopped fanning, stepping back a pace and kneeling down on the ground. Her knee hit the floor with a "thud". The originally composed tone turned tremulous. "Forgive me, Miss! I was in such a rage that I spoke ill of the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince Li Yun's gaze darkened slightly. Was this some kind of acting performance Who had given someone so much courage to act in front of her They must be desperate for life! She watched the girl with pursed lips, noticing the glossy black obsidian stones on the ground reflecting dazzling light under the sunlight. Her eyes fell upon the continuous flow of blood from the girl's forehead, her mind racing.

But if this was an acting performance, why wasn't there any lighting or crew around If it were a performance, wouldn't the girl be overacting by bleeding profusely like that With a disfigured bloody mess on her forehead, she would inevitably leave permanent scars unless she stopped bleeding and bandaged herself immediately. Were there people who still resorted to self-harm for money or survival in today's day and age

If this is not acting, then where am I

"Please forgive me, Miss! I won't dare do it again." The girl didn’t see Li Yun speak and began to kneel down and bang her head on the ground. Her forehead collided with the obsidian stone, making a crisp sound; after just a few moments, fresh red blood dyed the obsidian stone black, contrasting vividly.

Li Yun's gaze was fixed tightly on the bright red blood drops on the obsidian stone, her pupils gradually contracting. Suddenly, she lifted her head and looked up at the sky along the ray of sunlight falling to the ground. It was noon; the sun was shining brightly, its golden rays scattering across the earth. She only glanced once before shifting her gaze back to the girl continuously banging her head.

"Please forgive me..." The girl seemed oblivious to the pain and continued to bang her head while pleading for mercy.

"You... stand up first." Li Yun spoke. Her voice was hoarse but contained a hint of tenderness, which in turn carried an air of confusion. Although she only said a few words, her tone was soft and pleasant like the singing of orioles; if not for the slight hoarseness, it would have been very pleasing to the ear. As soon as she finished speaking, she abruptly withdrew her gaze from the girl and looked at herself. This unfamiliar voice could never be the one she had grown accustomed to over twenty years.

She was wearing an ancient-style robe of soft purple silk embroidered with large camellia flowers. The leaves were not intricate but lifelike, sewn meticulously with shimmering threads that indicated it was crafted by a master seamstress. Her skirt reached down to her feet, and the hem was clearly visible, adorned with golden borders made from real gold thread.

After she withdrew her gaze, she saw that one of her hands was propped up on a white jade table, sitting in an intricately carved chair also made from white jade. Her hand was delicate and soft; her wrist was fair, and there was an emerald bracelet emitting a verdant glow, clear and round, obviously priceless. A pair of jade beads with gold tassels hung at both sides, finely crafted and highly valued.

She stared blankly for a moment, her momentarily lucid mind once again clouded.

"Miss, have you forgiven your servant" The girl suddenly lifted her head, looking at Li Yun with surprise. Seeing no response from Li Yun, the expression of joy immediately froze and she lowered her head, timidly murmuring, "If Miss hasn't pardoned my crime, I dare not stand up."

Upon hearing this, Li Yun’s hand involuntarily clenched tightly, and she lifted her head to look at the kneeling girl in front of her again.

The girl's attire, though also made of fine silk and brocade, was now clearly inferior when examined closely. The jewelry she wore was even more incomparable to what the young miss had on. Her gaze narrowed slightly as she remained silent.

Hearing no words of forgiveness from her mistress, the girl seemed hesitant to speak further and kept her head lowered without a sound. Blood drops fresh and red were dripping from her forehead; yet she did not seem to feel any pain, kneeling motionlessly.

"Repeat what you just said," Li Yun asked calmly. This time, her voice had lost its hoarseness, adding an undertone of gravitas along with a subtle but palpable pressure directed at the girl.

Over the years of struggling through blood and storms, she had cultivated within herself the ability to remain calm no matter where or when she was. No matter how turbulent her thoughts might be, no matter how radically different from her past understanding everything before her appeared, she could quickly steady herself, remaining unchanged amidst myriad changes, waiting for further developments.

Hearing this, the girl's body trembled again, seemingly filled with endless regret and fear. "Miss, I was wrong! I will never speak ill of His Highness Prince Taizi again. I am willing to accept punishment by being sent to the laundry room. Please spare me for my only grandmother who relies on me!"

"I said, repeat what you just said," Li Yun's voice suddenly deepened further.

The girl seemed about to beg and her body recoiled sharply upon hearing this. Her words abruptly halted.

"Speak!" Li Yun stared intently at the girl. She wanted to know where she was, why she had ended up here, and why she wasn't herself anymore

"Y-Yes... I will repeat it," the girl trembled fearfully, keeping her head lowered without moving for a moment before hurriedly repeating what she had said when Li Yun first woke up.

It took several minutes to finish. After finishing, she lay still on the ground, cold sweat drenching her thin clothes. She now realized more clearly how heinous it was to malign Prince Taizi, and if His Highness heard of this, where would she be Not even a dozen heads could atone for such a grievous offense.

"Hm!" After listening to the end, Li Yun's eyes turned deep and her voice was devoid of emotion. However, inside her heart were waves rolling tumultuously. Such a small body, such slender and fair hands, such attire and appearance—could this really be her Suddenly, a strange feeling arose in her heart, making even the picturesque scenery around her seem to lose its color. Could she possibly be dreaming

Thinking of this, she suddenly curled her hand into a fist, pressing it hard against her palm, causing piercing pain that shot through her. She seemed not to feel any pain and pressed harder twice more before releasing her grip, quietly twisting towards her waist. Through the soft fabric of her clothes, she felt another sharp pain shooting up from her waist.

Her expression changed abruptly. A chill rose in her heart. This wasn’t a dream!

The girl didn't dare speak anymore; silence fell around them again, save for the gentle breeze that wafted through.

"Tell me what happened just now all over again. Prince Regent… really saw me being bullied and still ignored it" After some time, Li Yun carefully chose her words, her deep voice tinged with a slight tremor.

"Miss" The girl was taken aback; she acutely sensed that something was amiss about Miss today and suddenly looked up.

"Speak!" Li Yun withdrew her hand nonchalantly. She needed to figure out what exactly was going on first.

“...Yes!” The girl immediately lowered her head, not daring to think too deeply as to why Miss wanted her to repeat something that had clearly just happened. She hurriedly said, “Miss didn’t feel well today and originally planned not to attend the poetry appreciation meeting, but thinking Prince Regent was also there, she decided to come. However, that hateful Young Madam of the Rong王府 (Royal Honor王府) and the County Princess from the Xiaoqin王府 (Filially Devoted王府) suddenly teamed up with Princess Qingwan to bully you, trying to push you into the water when you weren’t paying attention. They only hurriedly left once Miss Jingshi from the Chancellor’s Residence and Xianer, the Young Lord of Ran王府 (Dyeing王府), announced their unexpected presence at the poetry appreciation meeting. I noticed that they came with ill intentions today and tried to advise Miss to leave early for Empress Dowager’s place, but she refused to listen. When have you ever suffered a loss Now you almost fell into the lake; Miss doesn’t know how to swim otherwise it would’ve been a huge problem. Fortunately...”

“Why do I feel slightly dizzy” Li Yun felt cold inside as she frowned, carefully asking. Since she hadn't fallen into the water and was not immersed in it, why did she feel dizzy as if she had just woken up after sleeping for a long time.

"Miss bumped your head on the railing by the lake, naturally you would be dizzy," the girl immediately replied.

"No wonder I can't quite recall what happened! It turns out I hit my head." Li Yun rubbed her forehead, looking pale. She curled her hand into a fist and tucked it back into the sleeve of her robe as her body trembled slightly. Her voice sounded indifferent. But only she knew how much effort she was putting in to barely support herself from falling off the chair.

If this wasn't happening in a dream, then she must have bumped into a ghost.

But is there such a thing as seeing ghosts during broad daylight She looked up at the blazing sun.

"Miss, you said that you can't recall" The girl was alarmed and her expression changed dramatically.

"Hn!" Li Yun gave no clear answer.

"Then other than this incident, what else do you not remember" The girl lifted her face, which had patches of crimson from the bloodstains. She seemed oblivious to it as she anxiously asked.

"I also don't recall..." Li Yun pondered how to extract more information without alerting anyone.

Just as she started speaking, a light laugh was heard not too far away, followed by the clear and melodious voice of a man filled with teasing. "Little Moon, everyone else has gone to the garden, why are you hiding here being so idle I just saw that even His Highness, the Crown Prince has gone to the garden! If you don't go now, be careful he'll get distracted by all sorts of flowers and forget who you are."

Upon hearing this, Li Yun suddenly turned her head in the direction of the voice.

—— Words from the Author ——'s there to look at" Nan Lingrui knew what Yun Qianyue was thinking; his expression almost made him jealous of the man called 'father' as well."How can it not be worth looking at It’s much better than...