The Great Chu Kingdom was in the midst of the coldest winter month, with fierce gusts and blizzards ravaging the imperial palace last night, leaving everything cloaked in a blanket of silver.
Now, the heavy snow had stopped, the sky was overcast, and a cold wind whistled through the air.
However, outside the Chengqian Palace in the imperial palace, two rows of small girls were lined up.
At a glance, they were all little girls around three or four years old.
Some were dressed in thick cotton clothes warm enough to wrap them, while others wore only three thin garments.
Without exception, they all stretched their necks, eagerly waiting for a palace attendant from Chengqian Palace to summon them in.
At the end of the line stood a little girl who was the most adorable and lively-looking.
Her skin was tender enough to burst, as white as snow, with a round chubby face and little nose tinged with a rosy blush from the cold.
A tiger hat wrapped around her little head, and some of her black velvet hair clung to her forehead, making her eyes look even more bright and shiny, like two black pearls.
Her clothes were plain but clean and tidy.
At this moment, the little girl, with her small hands that had dimples, was holding a cold sweet potato to eat.
She was quiet and obedient, unusually well-behaved for a three-year-old.
Not far away, two eunuchs were shivering from the cold.
They looked up to see two little girls wiping their tears as they were led out of Chengqian Palace by a palace attendant.
One of the eunuchs tucked his hands into his sleeves for warmth and said to his companion, "The Emperor has been on the throne for over two years, and he's been making such a vigorous effort to search for his wife and child for almost a year now, yet he's found nothing. Why does he persist?"
His companion sighed, "You don't understand, do you? Back then, when the Emperor was fighting wars everywhere, his wife and daughter stayed by his side, bearing the hardships. When turmoil hit, the family was forced to separate. Now that he holds great power, he surely wishes to find them again!"
The little eunuch clicked his tongue, "In my opinion, there's an eighty percent chance he won't find them! The world was so chaotic two years ago; a woman with a child not yet a year old might have died long ago!"
"Hush! Do you want to die? The Emperor has left the position of Empress vacant, without appointing any concubines in the harem, which shows his deep affection for his wife, saving it exclusively for her!"
"What's the use of that? All the Emperor remembers is the child has a red birthmark on her ear. After all this time, every child meeting the criteria still isn't the one, cast doubt that perhaps the Emperor is just putting on a front for the world!"
The two eunuchs laughed after speaking.
They turned their heads to see the little girl at the end of the line, who still hadn't finished eating.
Her face was round and white, her expression well-behaved, her dark eyes always focused on her sweet potato.
Her fingertips were turning red from the cold, yet she ate contentedly.
The eunuchs walked over and snatched the sweet potato from the little girl's hand, holding it high in the air.
They were feeling cold and miserable and themselves not full, yet watching a child eat!?
"Bringing food into the palace is a serious crime; you're not allowed to eat it!" one eunuch reprimanded arrogantly.
Anyway, they reckoned that today's lineup of girls didn't include the Emperor's own flesh and blood.
So, with their pent-up, frosty resentment, they found an easy target to vent on!
The little girl spoke in a soft voice, her dark, round eyes wide open, "Give it back!"
The little one in front had a lively and tender white appearance, looking as if she came from a good family, yet with clothing material not expensive, making the two little eunuchs bolder.
They tossed the sweet potato back and forth, taking advantage of their height over this little three-year-old child, refusing to let her reach it!
The anxious little girl stretched out her soft and small hands, jumping with her little body trying to grab it.
"You bad ones, you'll die soon!" she huffed angrily, hands on her hips, defiantly glaring at the little eunuchs.
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Reading Guide:
1. First published on QQ Reading, with four stable updates daily, plus occasional additional updates
2. The protagonist, in her childhood, will utter some unclear syllables; feel free to ignore if unappealing
3. The background is fictional, please do not scrutinize the details, the full text is offered for free
4. Don't step on, don't compare to my previous two books, they are all my creations, I love them all, thank you for your support
5. In this book, the Emperor has no harem and only loves the protagonist's mother, with a family support group consisting of the protagonist's uncle, little uncle, and brothers