"Heh, you're angry?" Then, she slapped me across the face. "Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, Zi Wuxue, I hate your indifferent attitude. I really want to destroy it."
"You want to kill me?" I shook off her hand and fell heavily onto the car floor in the darkness. My wrist was in excruciating pain, but I chose to ignore it for now.
"I did want to kill you, but now I've thought of another way. I don't want you to die; I want to see you suffer a fate worse than death."
I could feel the hatred and chill emanating from Xuanqin. It seemed that I wouldn't have an easy time while she was transporting me; at least, as she said, I would suffer a fate worse than death.
But I was wrong. During the days she sent me here, she didn't mistreat me or cut off my food. She still covered me with that black cloth. I didn't know where I was. I only knew that it was getting colder and colder around me. My injured hands were numb and I couldn't feel them anymore. I started to worry that they might never be usable again.
"Alright, we're here," Xuanqin said with delight, then pushed me to the ground.
Cold! A chill rushed into my body. Even though I had learned martial arts, I still couldn't resist this cold. Something cool sprayed onto my face and then melted into water, letting me know that I was lying on the snow.
I felt the blindfold being removed, but I still couldn't see anything. It was still pitch black all around me. I struggled to prop myself up with one hand and grabbed at the snow on the ground to make sure I was in the snow.
"See that? What a beautiful view! From now on, you will—" he whispered in my ear—"and enjoy it while you're buried here."
"Why did you bring me here?" I knew Xuanqin didn't know I was blind, so I lowered my head to keep her from noticing.
"This is within the Snow Kingdom. Although the elder instructed me to send you on your way, I've thought about it, and perhaps this place is more suitable for you."
With a "haha," the carriage drove away, accompanied by laughter.
I groped my way to my feet, my feet crunching in the snow. I was only wearing a thin coat, so my body couldn't withstand the cold. I stumbled through the darkness, falling countless times, until I finally sat down under a tree.
I wrapped myself up, reaching out to catch the snow. Snow, snow, am I going to stay with you? The cold in this snow is nothing compared to the pain that the snow brings me, which hurts me to the bone.
Mom, I miss you so much. Xue'er, I really miss you.
Hot tears welled up in my eyes and dripped onto my stiff hands. I'm so tired, so tired. Let me sleep for a while.
I gradually closed my eyes. Even if I die, I am not afraid, because dying in the snow is also a kind of fate.
Chapter Ninety-Two
The space was pitch black, there was no sound, and I was all alone in the dark space. My lonely heart was as hard and cold as if it had been soaked in ice water. I thought I was dead. Is this cold world the world after death?
Just as I was lamenting the passing of my life, my body gradually warmed up, and my head began to throb violently, so much so that I felt I might as well be dead. Gradually, my head also started to throb, and my whole body felt as if I were in a hot spring, warm and comfortable. At that moment, I felt as if I were still alive.
I don't want to think about anything else; I just want to quietly immerse myself in this moment of happiness.
"Why aren't you awake yet?" A soft, delicate voice rang in my ears. Who was it? Xiao Wu? No, it didn't sound like her. Xuan Qin? Ha, how ridiculous. She'd love for me to die; why would she save me? The voice sounded unfamiliar, but I no longer had the energy to think about who it was, and I drifted back to sleep.
I slowly opened my eyes. It was still pitch black all around. My body felt weak and I couldn't muster any strength. I tried to prop myself up, but I found that there was something soft beneath me. I grabbed it and it really was soft. I felt like I was on a bed.
I groped around in the air until I touched something that looked like a pillar. I sat up against the pillar, touching it with my feet until they were hollow. Then I carefully touched the ground. When the coolness of the ground reached my soles, I realized that I was really in bed.
Who saved me? Jue? Xiao Wu? And who was that delicate voice? Everything is so blurry to me, and my head is heavy. If I think too much, it hurts.
I struggled to my feet, my body swaying slightly. I then groped around with my hands and slowly walked. I had never been blind before, so this feeling was inevitably unsettling. The air was still very quiet, which made me even more panicked by my blindness.
I don't know what to do. Should I shout?
Just as I was hesitating, I heard the door open. I panicked, my steps faltered, and I almost fell to the ground.
"Girl, are you alright?" I felt my hand being supported by a soft hand, and a light, melodious voice rang in my ear.
"Who are you? Where is this?" I panicked a little, looking in the direction of the voice, and blurted out some incoherent words.
"Don't worry, young lady, I'm not a bad person. It was the princess who saved you in the snow. Come, let me help you sit over there." As she spoke, the maid helped me turn around and helped me sit down on the edge of the bed, and even covered me with a blanket.
"Princess? Which country's princess?" I was a little confused. When I came to this world, I only knew what countries were and what famous people in the martial arts world were. I didn't bother to find out what famous people were in each country. Now that this girl is talking about princesses, I really can't remember ever hearing Xiao Wu mention princesses before.
“My princess is the princess of the Snow Kingdom, young lady. Please have a seat. I will go and inform the princess right away.” After saying this, the footsteps left.
I felt relieved and sorted out what had just happened. I learned that the Snow Kingdom princess found me lying under a tree in the snow and rescued me. So, that delicate voice must have belonged to the princess. I really didn't know whether I should feel lucky or not. After all, I survived, but once again I was involved with royalty.
The door opened, and footsteps increased, all approaching me and stopping in front of me. I heard her say, "Are you alright, young lady?"
Yes, it was that voice. I smiled; after all, she was my savior. "It's alright," I said, then tried to stand up, but the maid beside me quickly helped me. I knelt down and said, "Thank you, Princess, for saving my life."
The princess quickly helped me up, her voice slightly trembling as she said, "Oh dear, young lady, what are you doing? Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda, why do you need to do this?"
Following their gestures, I sat back down on the bed, and the princess had a chair brought out for me to sit on.
"Why did the girl faint in the snow?" The voice was melodious and rhythmic, like heavenly music, without the slightest hint of intrusion, only curiosity.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that right now, Zixue," I said with a bitter feeling in my heart, but I still answered with a smile.
"Your name is Zixue, that's a lovely name. From now on, Jing'er will call you Sister Xue," she said with a charming smile.
"Okay, then I'll call you Jing'er. Jing'er, can you tell me where this is?" I'm still confused.
"What, can't you tell, sister? This is the palace." Jing'er was a little surprised, because only the palace has such rooms, so it's obvious no matter how you look at it, but she still answered my question.
I pursed my lips and said with a wry smile, "I can't see."
"What?!" Jing'er exclaimed, waving her hand in front of my eyes, then said with a guilty tone, "I'm sorry, sister, I didn't mean to."
"It's alright," I said, feeling her hand. She seemed to know and immediately took my hand. I said, "Jing'er didn't know, so there's no need to blame yourself."
"Where are you from, sister? Your family must be worried about you. Tell them, and Jing'er will take you home."
"Home..." I felt a pang of sadness. Yes, here, where is my home? My home is far away, and I don't know if I can ever go back. Maybe I'll never be able to go back. I never thought that I, Zixue, would have a time when I have no home to return to.
"I have no home. My family is all far, far away. I can't find them anymore," I murmured softly, but Jing'er could still hear me.
Then, Jing'er gripped my hand tightly, her voice choked with sobs, "I'm sorry, sister, I'm so sorry, Jing'er didn't know..."
I turned to Jing'er, knowing she had misunderstood me, but I didn't explain. I just said, "It's alright, everyone says Jing'er doesn't know about these things, no need to apologize."
I heard the sound of her handkerchief; she was probably wiping away tears. What a sensitive girl! Then I heard her exclaim, "Look at me! I was so focused on talking to my sister that I forgot she hasn't eaten yet. She must be hungry!" This little girl is so adorable, even though she's a bit dazed.
"Okay, don't rush me, I didn't say I was hungry," I said, gently tugging at the hem of her clothes.
"No, my sister has just recovered and needs to eat something to nourish herself." Then she said, "Qingya, quickly, go and tell the imperial kitchen to get some bird's nest porridge for my sister."
"Yes," followed by the sound of footsteps disappearing.
"May Your Majesty be blessed!" came the clear, elegant voice from outside the door, startling me and Jing'er beside me.
"I heard that you rescued a girl in the snow. When you got to the gate, I heard you ordering people to give her food. How come you're so big and still so loud and boisterous?" The voice was deep, resonant, and magnetic, with an air of dominance that belonged to royalty.
"Royal brother," Jing'er called out shyly and affectionately.
Chapter Ninety-Three
Two years have passed, as easily as turning the pages of a diary, yet as difficult as climbing a mountain. In these two years, I became the high and mighty Imperial Consort of the Snow Kingdom, enjoying lifelong favor. During these two years, Jing'er and I became close sisters, confidantes of the Snow Kingdom's princess. My relationship with Jing'er was unintentional, yet it aroused suspicion from the Snow Kingdom's emperor, Jing'er's brother. During that time, he kept a close eye on me. But later, perhaps because I did not do anything to harm Jing'er, he became less wary of me. I just don't know if he secretly had someone monitoring me. In this harem, I nipped my naivety in the bud, living in constant turmoil, scheming against others, guarding against others, and using my brain to retaliate.
A soft, sweet voice called out "Your Majesty" pulled me back from my reverie.
Her eyes sparkled, and a gentle breeze carried a faint fragrance. The ethereal scent brought a unique aroma to the woman who wore a rose-red brocade jacket with gold thread trim, a blooming ice lotus embroidered at the collar, a rose-purple long skirt, and a peacock-blue floral satin inner skirt. Her slender hands were naturally folded in front of her abdomen.
"What is it?" A slight smile played at the corners of his lips, softening his otherwise dignified and serious expression.
"Your Majesty, Consort Rong requests an audience." Shanzhu blinked her bright eyes, a hint of mockery flashing in them as she spoke of Consort Rong.
"Oh, that's really strange. What is she doing here?" She smiled faintly, without any hint of anything unusual, as if she were simply asking, "What should I eat today?" This was something I learned in the harem: no matter how sad, happy, or curious I was, I couldn't show my emotions on my face. I had to remain calm and not let anyone see my thoughts.
"She's just jealous of the Emperor's favor towards the Empress. Last night the Emperor stayed at Ronghua Palace, and now she's probably here to show off," Shanzhu said with a hint of disdain, her sarcasm even more pronounced.
"Mangosteen," I called softly, tossing away the remaining petals in my hand, a subtle yet stern and intimidating sound.
"Yes, Your Highness, this maid deserves to die!" Shanzhu knelt down in fear. This Your Highness was good to them, the palace maids. Unlike other palace mistresses, she didn't take her anger out on them for no reason. She never punished them for minor quarrels. Unless they really did something wrong, she would have them dragged out and given a few lashes, but they weren't too severe. Afterwards, she would even send people to deliver Jade Ling Cream to the maids. She was truly a good mistress. But seeing Consort Rong's smug look today, she forgot her mistress's bottom line for a moment.
"Alright, get up, Mangosteen. Don't blame me for being strict with you. You should know that the harem is a place where you have to fight to the death. Most of the trouble comes from your mouth. Silence, silence. Don't forget what I warned you about." I brushed away the flower petals on my skirt, stood up, and put my hand on Mangosteen's hand.
"Yes, Your Majesty, Mangosteen will not make a mistake again." A glimmer of light flashed in Mangosteen's eyes, and her heart became even more determined to protect Your Majesty's safety.
"Summon Consort Rong," I said, walking to a fox fur chair in the hall and sitting down. My voice was neither loud nor soft, but cold and icy.
She stepped gracefully into the hall, dressed in a bright red palace gown that trailed on the ground. Her slender waist was cinched with a cloud-patterned sash, making her appear even more delicate. A seven-jeweled coral hairpin adorned her hair, highlighting her radiant beauty. Her face was incomparably beautiful, and her long, dark hair was styled into an elaborate and elegant cloud-like bun. A small, bright pearl, as lustrous as snow, shimmered among her hair, adding to her alluring and captivating charm.
Before I arrived, Consort Rong was the most favored concubine in the harem. The Emperor spent every night and evening at Ronghua Palace. Perhaps it was because of the Emperor's favor that she became arrogant and started to dare to argue with the Empress, constantly challenging her. She was practically an "Empress" without the title. But after my arrival, she gradually lost favor. Although the Emperor still visited her sometimes, which of the other concubines wasn't watching her make a fool of herself? It's true, if someone came and caused her to lose favor, any proud person would find it unbearable. So, after I arrived, Consort Rong became a major enemy in my harem, opposing me at every turn. She would sow discord between me and the Emperor, sow discord between me and the Empress, and gossip about me to the Empress Dowager. Sometimes, I couldn't handle her and almost fell victim to her schemes.
After saying "Younger sister greets older sister," she got up on her own before I could tell her to get up and sat down opposite me.
"Why does my little sister have the leisure to come see her older sister today?" I rubbed the armrest of the chair, not taking her unreasonable behavior to heart, and asked in my usual indifferent tone.
"Look at what you're saying, elder sister. It seems I should spend more time with you, lest I be branded as disrespectful to the Imperial Noble Consort." Her eyes were full of charm. I'm a woman, but if I were a man, I probably wouldn't be able to resist!
"Hehe, that was my fault," I said lightly, not wanting to waste time with her in this boring place.
Time passed slowly, and neither of us spoke, each drinking our own tea. I was waiting for her to reveal the purpose of our visit. Don't think I'm stupid; I genuinely believe she came here out of kindness to kill time. Since she won't say anything, then we'll just keep at it together.
Unable to wait any longer, she said with a charming smile, "Sister, do you know that this year's talent show is full of beauties?"
"Oh, I've heard the Empress mention that before. What, are you jealous, sister?" I blew away the steam from my teacup and looked at her with amusement.
"How could that be? I heard from someone that among the imperial concubines, the prime minister's youngest daughter, Xu Jiao, is incredibly graceful and charming. I heard that the emperor is captivated by her." As she said this, she glanced at me from time to time, trying to discern my thoughts.
"It's a blessing for the Prime Minister's family that the Emperor is so smitten. My sister's looks are no less than hers." I'll stop here. I don't want to say too much, or I'll make a mistake.
“That’s right.” Every woman likes to be praised, but she didn’t forget the purpose of her visit because of the praise. She continued, “Sister, I’ve heard that Xu Jiao is a talented woman, and the Emperor is fond of her. But Xu Jiao doesn’t know what’s good for her and is talking badly about you.” She looked at me with some concern after she finished speaking.
"Go on, sister. What did she say?" I pretended to frown, looking a little displeased with Xu Jiao.
Having achieved her goal, she cut to the chase, saying, "They say that you, sister, are a scourge to the country and the people, that you must have used some kind of magic to seduce the Emperor, and that if you enter the palace, you will save the Emperor from his suffering. I know you are a good sister, but Xu Jiao is truly ungrateful, speaking ill of you like this. I am very worried." Whether her anger was genuine or not, her tone was unusually sharp.
"Alright, you can go now. I want to see what this Xu Jiao is capable of." She was secretly laughing her head off, but her face turned furious.
"Yes, sister, I'll take my leave now." After saying that, she left.
"Your Majesty, this Xu Jiao is utterly absurd! How dare she slander Your Majesty like this! Once she enters the palace, Your Majesty will surely teach her a lesson and see how she dares to speak ill of Your Majesty again!" Shanzhu said angrily beside me.
"Hehe, if I really go looking for trouble with Xu Jiao, I'll be falling right into Consort Rong's trap. Whether Xu Jiao said those words or not is not important. What's important is what other tricks Consort Rong has up her sleeve for this matter," I said, putting down my cup and patting Shanzhu on the shoulder.
"This... Consort Rong is such a scoundrel! She's plotting against Your Highness again!" Shanzhu was even angrier, her expression becoming more furious, and her face even turning a little red.
"Alright, I won't get involved in this. Let them fight like dogs. I'll just stir things up a bit more while the water's not already muddy enough. As long as they don't drag me into it, I won't bother with them." A sinister glint flashed in her eyes.
"Your Majesty is wise!" Mangosteen exclaimed joyfully, and then withdrew.
It's been two years. Is she coming? Then my mission is almost complete, right?