Volume 1 Chapter 1

Volume 1 Chapter 1

Southern Dynasty, Weiyang Palace!
A magnificent golden palace, with glazed tiles, vermilion lacquer, intricately carved beams and painted pillars, grand and imposing, exuding magnificent majesty.
Suddenly, the once quiet palace echoed with a piercing scream, “Ah! Help! Empress Dowager, spare me!”
The palace guards at the entrance heard this voice and their hearts trembled, but they remained rooted to the spot, like wooden statues, not moving a step. It wasn’t until a figure in bright yellow hurriedly approached that they all knelt down and paid their respects, “Greetings, Your Majesty!”
The Emperor didn’t even look at them. He rushed inside in a hurry, and shortly after, a furious roar echoed, followed by a resounding slap.
“Smack!”
“Your Majesty!” The palace maids inside Weiyang Palace all knelt, and the tall and handsome Emperor looked coldly at the pitiful and disheveled woman he had slapped to the ground. Her magnificent palace attire was strewn all over the floor. The woman lay motionless on the ground. The enraged Emperor thought she was pretending and showed undisguised disdain, “Leng Jinghua! Your actions only make Us despise you even more! We advise you to restrain yourself, or We won’t show you any mercy again!”
“Your Majesty…” The woman in his arms clung to the hem of his robe, frightened and trembling like a startled deer. Her appearance filled the Emperor with heartache. He cast a disdainful glance at the people in the room and then left with the woman in his arms.
“Empress Dowager!”
“Consort!”
As soon as the Emperor left, the eunuchs and maids rushed forward. The old eunuch who had been kneeling on the side quickly helped the fallen woman to her feet. It was only then that he saw a pool of blood on the ground, and her face, already pale, was now covered in blood on one side. He panicked and quickly shouted, “Someone, fetch the imperial physician! Quickly, send for the imperial physician!”
Someone immediately hurriedly ran out. The old eunuch, looking at the unconscious Empress Dowager, felt his heart pounding, and with trembling hands, he reached out to test her breath. He froze in place, unable to believe what he was seeing, and mumbled, “Empress Dowager… has passed away…”
“What?” A group of panicked palace maids turned their heads, shocked by the eunuch’s expression. He didn’t seem to be feigning, and they were all frightened, dropping to their knees, their cries of grief and despair filling the air.
Leng Jiu finally had some awareness left. He could hear the wailing sounds around him and couldn’t help but sneer internally. Could it be that he had truly arrived in the Underworld? But the pain in his forehead and cheeks made it crystal clear that he was still alive. Opening his eyes, he shouted irritably, “Why are you crying? I’m not dead yet!”
His angry shout silenced the crying in the hall. Everyone watched as the Empress Dowager opened her eyes, and their tears of sorrow turned into tears of joy. They rushed over, some even crawling, and exclaimed excitedly, “Thank goodness! The Empress Dowager is safe!”
“We thought we lost you!”
Empress Dowager? Everyone referred to him as “Empress Dowager”? Leng Jiu’s eyelid twitched. Was this some sort of palace masquerade? He was about to ask when suddenly, a ghostly pale face with blood-red lips appeared within a foot of him. The pale face, crimson lips, and two streaks of tears on it were overwhelming. The strong scent of cosmetics made it hard for him to breathe. “Empress Dowager!”
The crimson mouth opened, and Leng Jiu suddenly felt everything spin. Then, in a resplendent and dizzying moment, he passed out. He wasn’t sure if it was from sheer disgust or the excessive blood loss.
Waking up in an incredibly opulent bed, still a little pale, Leng Jiu scanned the palace maids and eunuchs who stood in a line at the foot of the bed.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Empress Dowager!”
“Where is this?”
“Weiyang Palace!”
“What dynasty?”
“The Feng Imperial Dynasty!”
Feng Imperial Dynasty? Leng Jiu almost bit her tongue. She might not be well-versed in history, but there was no record of such a dynasty. She distinctly remembered being ambushed on a cruise ship, which exploded, and her body was lost at sea. In other words, she was dead. So, if she had truly transmigrated, she raised an elegant eyebrow, it meant she could live her life anew here.
Behind the Palace of Weiyang Palace lay a vast garden filled with precious and exotic flowers. It was meticulously cared for, and flowers bloomed year-round, creating an enchanting landscape. Leng Jiu immediately fell in love with this place.
In the garden at this moment, there was a magnificent phoenix chair set up in the once-empty courtyard. A figure in a bright red gown reclined on it, one hand supporting her head as if in a light slumber. Her face resembled the purity of the moon, bewitching like a rose. Her fair skin had a rosy undertone, with exquisite and elegant features, but her slightly raised phoenix eyes and her lips that held a subtle, enigmatic smile gave her a touch of allure.
Her silky hair cascaded casually, like fine silk, draping all the way down to the ground. She wore only a sheer, translucent red chiffon robe, revealing her gracefully curved body, the gentle breeze causing the chiffon to flutter, teasingly exposing her skin, a combination of seduction and purity. Her captivating beauty was both enchanting and innocent, a sight that captured hearts.
Palace maids nearby sneakily glanced at the figure in the phoenix chair and couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement. It turned out the Empress Dowager could be so stunning!
Minister Lu walked over, seeing the person in the phoenix chair, and a proud expression crossed his face. He had always known that their Empress Dowager was the most beautiful. It was just that the Emperor didn’t appreciate it. If he saw her like this, well, he’d surely regret it!
He flicked his feather duster and placed a blanket over her, then asked softly, “Empress Dowager, Concubine Li wishes to see you.”
Leng Jiu slowly opened her eyes. Her long, silky lashes framed a pair of transparent, crystalline pupils that, in the moment they opened, seemed to emit a radiant light, making it impossible to look away. Upon seeing Minister Lu’s face in front of her, she couldn’t help but twitch her eyelid. “Did I tell you to stay three feet away from me next time you speak?”
Minister Lu, with his powdered old face, expressed a sense of grievance, but he obediently retreated three feet. “Does the Empress Dowager wish to see Concubine Li?”
Leng Jiu rested her head against the backrest, giving him a disdainful look. “Concubine Li? Who is she?”
“It’s the woman you were going to punish on the day you lost your memory, but later, she was saved by the Emperor and even slapped you, which caused you to lose your memory!” Minister Lu spoke with indignation, appearing as if he had been the one slapped.
Leng Jiu’s lips curled mischievously. “In that case, I really should meet her!”
“In that case, this servant will go and bring her in, and Your Majesty can decide her fate!”
Leng Jiu raised her hand to her forehead and brushed aside a strand of hair covering it. Underneath, a hideous scar was revealed. While the royal physician had assured her that it wouldn’t leave a mark once it healed, it was still there for now. This scar marred her otherwise perfect face. Since her reincarnation, this face was the one thing she was most satisfied with, but this tiny flaw had been bothering her. It just didn’t sit right.
Upon hearing footsteps from behind, Leng Jiu lowered her hair.
“I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager!”
Leng Jiu lounged lazily. “Come closer.”
After a pause, a young woman of seventeen or eighteen walked over respectfully and knelt before her. Leng Jiu scrutinized her from head to toe and clicked her tongue twice. “You’re the woman that Dragon Yi favors the most?”
She didn’t look particularly outstanding. She resembled an ordinary woman, fairly pretty but with a body that could be considered average. What was so special about her that the Emperor would go to such lengths for her, even at the cost of his predecessor’s life?
It’s worth mentioning that this body she now inhabited had a previous history with the current Emperor before entering the palace. They were childhood sweethearts and deeply in love. However, when the previous owner of this body was at the age for matchmaking and engagement, the late Emperor suddenly issued an edict to bring her into the palace. Within a year, she was crowned as the Empress, and her life took a completely unexpected turn.
The Emperor held resentment towards her due to love, but she had been striving to salvage something. Not only did she reside in the Unending Palace, which should have been the Empress’s residence, but she had also continuously plotted against the consorts who had received the Emperor’s favor. At first, the Emperor tolerated her actions, but she had gone too far, leading to the death of a minor consort. Now, the Emperor had reached his limit and killed her for the sake of a minor consort.
The palace maids spoke with an indignant tone, and some even consoled her, fearing her wrath. But she wanted to say, “What does this have to do with me? I am me, and the previous owner of this body is not me. I don’t care about these things.” However, if someone were to confront her, that would be a different matter because she had been quite bored these past few days.
“I dare not say, it’s the Emperor’s misplaced affection!” Concubine Li replied with a gentle smile. She glanced up at the Empress Dowager and widened her eyes suddenly, then quickly lowered her head. What she was thinking was known only to herself.
“So, what brings you here today?” Leng Jiu’s beautiful eyes displayed a hint of coldness, but her face wore a smile. However, she seemed dangerous no matter how you looked at her.
Concubine Li felt a chill running down her spine as she met Leng Jiu’s gaze. She suppressed that feeling and said, “I’m here to apologize. On that day, I offended the Empress Dowager and caused a rift between you and the Emperor. I also hurt the Empress Dowager. I am guilty and seek punishment.”
She then prostrated herself on the ground, her shoulders trembling as if she truly believed herself to be deeply sinful.
Leng Jiu was about to speak when suddenly, a presence hurriedly approached. She decided to keep silent and waited for the drama to unfold.
“Leng Jinghua! What are you doing again?” A furious voice resounded as a figure in bright yellow rushed in. He quickly helped the person on the ground to her feet and carefully examined her. “Have you suffered any injuries?”
Concubine Li looked at him with a gentle gaze and smiled. “Why did the Emperor come?”
Long Yi’s expression immediately turned cold. “If I don’t come, something bad will happen!”
Seeing his face, Concubine Li wondered for a moment, but then she noticed his gaze on Leng Jiu. Immediately, a look of understanding flashed across her face. She turned her attention back to him. “Emperor, how am I dressed? Empress Dowager, in such attire, is it appropriate?”
Minister Lu stepped forward and positioned himself between Leng Jiu and the Emperor, taking a protective stance. “Before the Emperor admonishes the Empress Dowager, please consider your respective statuses. The Empress Dowager, in name, is the Emperor’s mother. Your tone is not respectful at all. Tomorrow, I will ask the court ministers if this is the filial piety and hierarchy of our dynasty.”
Long Yi’s eyes darkened due to Lù Gōnggōng’s words, and he glared at him fiercely, saying, “She’s worthy of it?”
Lu Chang opened his mouth to retort, but Leng Jiu’s voice rang out coldly, “Lu Chang, step aside.”
Lu Chang bowed and took two steps back, standing to the side, saying, “Yes.”
Leng Jiu looked at Long Yi. In terms of appearance, Long Yi could be considered handsome, and with the aura of an emperor, he indeed had the ability to captivate women. However, in her eyes, what kind of handsome men hadn’t she seen? His charm posed no threat to her. Her gaze then moved to the beauty leaning against him, her delicate face appearing innocent and vulnerable, a look that could indeed make a man dote on her. If she were truly like that, she wouldn’t mind. Unfortunately, a trace of smugness flashed in her eyes, but it couldn’t escape Leng Jiu’s sharp gaze. She was just a calculating woman, and Leng Jiu disliked such women the most.
Feeling the sharpness and hostility in Leng Jiu’s gaze, Long Yi immediately felt disgusted. “I warn you, she’s already pregnant with my child. You better behave, or I won’t mind relocating the Empress Dowager to the Cold Palace!”
Li Pin gently tugged on Long Yi’s sleeve, her voice sounding like she was about to cry. “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager didn’t…”
Long Yi patted her head to comfort her. “It’s alright. With me on your side, no one can harm you.”
Leng Jiu rolled her eyes impatiently and raised an eyebrow. “Are you done talking?”
Leng Jiu got up from her seat as the Noble Consort, her smooth jade-like feet stepping on the carpet on the floor. She gazed proudly at Long Yi. “I don’t want to say much to you. I’ll only tell you three things. First, I don’t like seeing people being overly affectionate in front of me. Who you want to favor and who you want to have children with is your business. You don’t need to tell me, and I don’t care to know. Second, my Weiyang Palace does not welcome anyone. From today onwards, without my permission, no one is allowed to enter. Lastly, don’t think too highly of yourself. In the past, Leng Jinghua loved you, but now, as far as I’m concerned, you’re nothing but scum. If you don’t want me to take action, then you’d better stay far away from me!”
Long Yi couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Leng Jiu and sarcastically laughed. In his eyes, Leng Jiu was just playing a game of cat and mouse. “Leng Jinghua! Do you think I’ll still fall for your tricks? You’ve played the same game so many times. Don’t you find yourself despicable?”

*Smack!*
A crisp slap echoed through the room, and everyone turned into statues, looking in shock at the side of Long Yi’s face where five distinct handprints had appeared.
Leng Jiu clapped her hands, raised an eyebrow, and smiled seductively. “Your Majesty! Do you still think I’m just playing around? This slap is repayment. From today, we owe each other nothing.”
With that, she turned and walked away, and the palace maids quickly laid out a carpet for her to walk on as she returned to the palace hall.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Li Pin was also somewhat shocked. She waited until Leng Jiu had gone far away before regaining her senses, looking at Long Yi’s face with concern.
Long Yi’s handsome face was clouded with anger, his forehead veins bulging, and his fists clenched tightly, making cracking sounds. That woman… she dared to hit him?