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"Aunt Yu" advised, "Forcing things is never as good as letting them happen naturally. One day, when the Emperor has thought things through and Miss Mei Shuang understands, everything will fall into place."
"Empress Dowager Mingxi" sighed helplessly, "Originally, I wanted Shuang'er to talk about Consort Chen's matters, but now I'm worried about both of them... Go check on Consort Chen and see how she is. I promise I will give her justice."
After giving her instructions, "Empress Dowager Mingxi" closed her eyes. The soft and surprised call of "Mother" echoed in her ears, stirring her heart. Memories flooded back...
On a stormy night, the flickering oil lamp on the table cast shadows in an abandoned cottage. Accompanied by the crisp cries of a baby, a weak voice whispered, "Take good care of her..."
...
Time passed without her noticing until she heard "Aunt Yu" gently calling, "Empress Dowager..."
"Empress Dowager Mingxi" suddenly opened her eyes and felt tears at the corners. She lifted a silk handkerchief to gently wipe away the moisture and sighed hoarsely, "As one grows old, one tends to reminisce about the past..."
"Aunt Yu" said, "It has been confirmed regarding Consort Chen. That night, she drank quite a bit of sour plum soup to cool off. Her stomach got chilled, and after eating something that clashed with the sour plum soup, that’s what happened..."
"Empress Dowager Mingxi" nodded, seemingly unsurprised. "Does the Emperor know?"
"He knows..."
After leaving the Empress Dowager's presence, Mei Shuang found that the sun had already begun to set in the west, casting a red glow halfway up the mountain. She stood there staring at the sunset for a moment, feeling a heaviness in her heart—mainly because of that dreamlike call of "Mother," which left her feeling quite unsettled.
Here, she felt like an orphan without support. Life was full of unexpected surprises with no one to confide in; this damn life was truly distressing.
Feeling agitated, she decided not to return directly to the rear garden but instead turned towards the Imperial Garden.
The Imperial Garden was a place frequented by the concubines for walks and leisure. To avoid running into them, Mei Shuang specifically asked Cui Xin where concubines rarely went. Cui Xin pointed towards the lakeside behind the Imperial Garden.
By the lakeside, the willows swayed gently, summer lotus flowers bloomed abundantly, and a light breeze stirred, creating a vibrant scene.
Mei Shuang walked to a nearby bench, sat down lightly, and gazed at the beautiful scenery before her. She couldn't help but softly recite, "The lotus leaves reach the sky in endless green, reflecting the sun, the lotus flowers are uniquely red."
Before she could finish, a lazy voice came from behind her. "What a lovely poem."
Upon hearing the tone of Eastern Language, Mei Shuang tensed up. Damn it, this guy was indeed accurate; they would meet very soon.
She remained still, pretending not to hear, and as she stood up, she said to Cui Xin, "It's a bit hot here; let's go for a walk over there."
Just as she stood up, Anriyan had already blocked her side.
Mei Shuang had no choice but to raise her eyes to meet his gaze.
This time Anriyan wore traditional Han clothing—a moon-white brocade robe and a light folding fan—looking cultured and elegant. However, in broad daylight at such close proximity, Mei Shuang noticed that his eyes were an unusual amber color and appeared almost inscrutable when viewed against the light.
Clearly, Anriyan was also taken aback by Mei Shuang's stunning beauty at such close range. She wore a light-colored garment draped with sheer fabric that flowed to the ground, her long hair casually cascading over her shoulders. Her porcelain-white profile glowed with an ivory sheen under the sunset's rays, especially her strikingly clear black-and-white eyes that narrowed slightly in the sunlight, exuding a sense of coolness mixed with vigilance.
Indeed, she was an extraordinary woman; no wonder so many men were captivated by her.
After exchanging glances for a moment, Mei Shuang looked away and spoke with a tone that was polite yet cold. "Your Highness the Envoy..."
Anriyan smiled slightly, his pearly white teeth gleaming in the twilight. "Miss Lin, I told you we would meet again very soon."
His charming smile was hard to accept; upon hearing his words, which carried an implicit meaning that made her uncomfortable, Mei Shuang felt quite displeased. She glanced at Cui Xin beside her and thought to herself that Anriyan's intentions were not good. It was as if they had agreed to meet here; if this reached the ears of the Empress of the Great Qin Empire, damn it, wouldn’t she be falling back into her old habits of being frivolous?
She replied coldly, "Meeting again is purely coincidental; I ask Your Highness the Envoy to step aside..."
Anriyan quickly realized that this seemingly quiet woman was not so easily swayed. Judging by her expression, he must have come across as one of those lecherous men who were adept at seduction.
He closed his folding fan, and his tone became serious. "I didn't expect to encounter Miss Lin while enjoying my time in the palace today. I have a few questions I would like to ask you, if you don't mind."
Mei Shuang instinctively wanted to refuse, but after glancing at Anriyan, she hesitated.
In fact, she had thought about what to say if she encountered Anriyan again. After all, from a broader perspective, it was certain that the Great Qin Empire and Yamataikoku would maintain friendly relations. If she were still viewed as an enemy by Yamataikoku due to the Eastern Kingdom's affairs, it would be unwise.
Moreover, since the other party had questions, why not take this opportunity to gauge their attitude?
After some thought, she agreed.
Anriyan felt a surge of joy in his heart.
Since meeting Mei Shuang at Miaochun Tower, he had been inquiring about her background.
Ever since Mei Ru was taken by the emperor of the Great Qin Empire, Yamataikoku's intelligence on the Great Qin Empire had been significantly reduced. However, there were still other sources of information. There was enough evidence to prove that this woman named Lin Yuxiang was actually Qianjin Meishuang, the legitimate daughter of the Left Minister's Residence. She had lost her memory after being cast into the Cold Palace on her wedding day and had awakened as her current self, which could be described as a complete transformation—capable of anything. Moreover, even the emperor of the Great Qin Empire favored her greatly; being able to rise from the Cold Palace in such a short time indicated that this woman was not simple.
As these thoughts quickly filtered through his mind, Anriyan changed his mind. He casually glanced around and said, "It's getting late today; I'll ask Miss Lin another day."
Watching Anriyan's figure depart gracefully, Mei Shuang stood there for a moment before muttering two words: "Boring."
Just as she was about to turn away, she noticed Anriyan subtly gesturing with his fan towards one side. Following his gaze, she saw two maidservants under a nearby weeping willow looking this way. Upon noticing her gaze, they quickly averted their eyes and pretended to engage in conversation as they approached.
Cui Xin whispered, "Those are people from Consort Chen Palace."
Seeing this situation, Mei Shuang realized that she had drawn Consort Chen's attention. It went without saying that trouble stemmed from that Sour Plum Soup incident; she was being followed and monitored. It seemed that what was meant to come would eventually arrive; she just didn't expect it to happen so soon.
As the two maidservants reached Mei Shuang's side, one of them suddenly slipped and flailed her arms as if about to fall. Instinctively, Mei Shuang reached out to support her. The maidservant managed to grab Mei Shuang's wide sleeve just in time to avoid falling.
After getting back on her feet, the two maidservants hurriedly thanked Mei Shuang before leaving in haste.
Mei Shuang avoided the direction Anriyan had left and prepared to take a detour back from another path. Along the way, Mei Shuang was lost in thought.
The sun gradually disappeared, twilight began to fall, the earth stopped absorbing heat, and the breeze carried a hint of coolness. Turning past the forest ahead would lead them to the back garden.
Mei Shuang took a deep breath when suddenly something seemed to rush past her in the forest.
Startled, she quickly asked Cui Xin beside her, "What was that?"
Cui Xin, with keen eyes, also saw it but couldn't make out what it was, feeling a bit tense. "Could it be a wild rabbit?"
"Oh," Mei Shuang sighed.
The two continued forward, and just as they reached the edge of the forest, they saw the same scene again. This time they clearly saw it was a large cat, entirely white.
Cui Xin hurriedly led Mei Shuang to run ahead. Mei Shuang asked, "What's wrong?"
Cui Xin looked somewhat anxious. "That's the big cat from Consort Chen Palace. It looks gentle, but it's actually quite temperamental. It's better if we don't provoke it."
"It's just a cat, not a wolf," Mei Shuang said dismissively as Cui Xin pulled her along.
Perhaps hearing the commotion, the White Cat, hidden in the low bushes, poked its head out. It was completely white without a single stray hair, but its mouth was bright red—a striking contrast of red and white that was eye-catching. Especially those eyes, one blue and one green, glaring at Mei Shuang and Cui Xin, filled with an eerie hostility.
Through the gaps in the low bushes, Mei Shuang spotted a vividly colored bird on the ground. It turned out that this cat had rushed over earlier to hunt the bird.
Seeing that the cat had stopped eating and was now staring at them, Cui Xin panicked and pulled Mei Shuang to run away.
Startled by her sudden action, Mei Shuang complained, "What are you afraid of?"
Before she could finish her sentence, she caught a glimpse of a white shadow darting past her like an arrow. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she saw that white shadow pause momentarily before turning back and charging directly at them.
Suddenly, both of them were startled and exclaimed.
Cui Xin instinctively let go and pushed Mei Shuang away, while also dodging to the side. The White Cat surprisingly leaped through the space between them.
Seeing that the two had successfully evaded, the White Cat stopped, yawned widely, and then slowly crouched down before launching a second attack.
In her panic, Mei Shuang felt her mind go blank. This was no ordinary cat; it was clearly an experienced boxer in the ring, adept at both offense and defense.
As the White Cat sprinted forward and jumped into the air, Mei Shuang stumbled over a stone beneath her feet. In an instant, the White Cat was right in front of her, and she could even see its sharp claws reaching for her like a deadly weapon.
Suddenly, the cat let out a piercing cry, its hefty body tilted to one side and fell to the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
The sound of the White Cat's cry was even more chilling than its earlier attack. Especially in the dim light, Mei Shuang felt goosebumps all over her body. She looked at the approaching figure while gasping for breath and wiped the sweat from her brow.
Cui Xin hurried over to help Mei Shuang up, and Anriyan also came closer.
Before Mei Shuang could express her gratitude, she noticed that the White Cat was still undeterred. It didn’t dare come too close but refused to leave, circling around the three of them. Occasionally it would stop and inch forward again, with its clear target being Mei Shuang.
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