Days bled into weeks, weeks into months, slipping away like sand through fingers, carrying with them my remaining youth and vitality. The Plum Blossom Courtyard remained the most desolate corner of the mansion, seemingly forgotten by the entire world. But the flame of unwillingness in my heart did not extinguish; instead, under suppression, it burned ever brighter, illuminating the only path forward – revenge.
I could not sit idly by. I began to search, like a hibernating viper, patiently seeking any possible opportunity. No matter how faint the glimmer, I had to grasp it firmly.
I knew Huo Linyuan was not invincible. Beneath his cold exterior lay deep ambition and... perhaps a subtle, unnoticed weakness. He was solely focused on consolidating power in the court, eliminating rivals, willing to pay any price. And I, the sole survivor of the Shen family, this very identity, might hold some exploitable value. My unjustly deceased father seemed to possess some secrets capable of shaking the court's foundations.
I started paying closer attention to every movement within the mansion, straining my ears to catch snippets of gossip from the servants. I pored over the dust-covered scrolls in the mansion's library, trying to piece together the truth behind the Shen family's downfall and the complex relationship between Huo Linyuan and his political rival – the current Prime Minister, Lin Ruhai. I recalled my father having some clandestine dealings with the Lin family; this could be the fulcrum to shift the game. It was an extremely dangerous endeavor; one misstep could lead to utter ruin. But I had no other choice. I had to dance on the razor's edge, fighting for a slim chance for myself, for the Shen family.
I needed a catalyst, an opportunity to re-enter Huo Linyuan's sight, no longer just as the blurry substitute in his eyes. An opportunity to make him realize I was not useless, that I could even become an unexpected, poisoned pawn in his hands.
Opportunity often arrives at the most unexpected moments, like a night-blooming cereus quietly unfurling in the darkness.
In early summer, the mansion hosted a grand flower-viewing banquet, inviting numerous dignitaries and their families from the capital. This was the only chance I'd had in my three years of confinement to leave the Plum Blossom Courtyard and appear before others. Madam Qin, Huo Linyuan's principal wife, hailed from a prestigious family. She was dignified and prudent, but also deeply calculating. Ostensibly polite yet distant towards me, she often secretly indulged Lady Liu and others in their bullying. Allowing me to attend this banquet was likely not out of kindness; perhaps she merely wanted my identity as a "remnant of a fallen dynasty" to highlight her own current nobility.
I cared little for her motives. I only needed to seize this chance.
I deliberately dressed in plain, worn elegance, like a winter plum blossom battered by wind and rain, possessing a broken yet pitiable beauty. Blending in with the numerous serving maids, carrying tea, I moved among the guests, my eyes constantly scanning for one target – the Prime Minister's only son, Lin Zixuan.
Lin Zixuan had been a classmate and friend of my elder brother, and had visited my home several times in our childhood. He had a gentle temperament and brilliant talent, starkly different from his scheming father. More importantly, I remembered, he had harbored a faint... hazy affection for me. That might be the only emotion I could exploit, the most crucial link in my plan for revenge.
Calculating the angle and timing, as he chatted amiably with several young masters from noble families, I approached with the tea tray. With a staged "stumble," the entire tray of tea tipped, splashing precisely onto Lin Zixuan's moon-white brocade robe. The warm tea soaked his lapel, startling the surrounding conversation.
"Aiya!" I cried out, hastily kneeling, my voice laced with just the right amount of panic and trembling. "Forgive me, Young Master! This servant... this servant didn't do it on purpose!"
The surrounding chatter instantly ceased. All eyes focused on us, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a hint of schadenfreude.
Lin Zixuan didn't get angry. Instead, he bent down and gently helped me up. "It's alright, it's just some tea. There's no need for this, miss." His voice was still gentle, like a spring breeze caressing a lake.
His gaze fell upon my face, a flicker of surprise crossing his features, followed by a probing look of... recognition? "You are..."
I lowered my eyes, long lashes trembling, my voice choked with an irrepressible sob, as if suffering a great injustice. "This servant... this servant is from the Shen family..."
"The Shen family?!" Shock and disbelief flooded Lin Zixuan's eyes. He gasped, "You are... Shen Tang?!" He actually remembered my maiden name!
I lifted my head, tears perfectly timed to slide down my cheeks, offering a sorrowful smile. "I didn't expect Young Master Lin to still remember me."
This commotion naturally attracted the attention of the nearby Prime Minister Lin and... Huo Linyuan, who had been watching coldly from a distance.
Prime Minister Lin slowly approached, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, scrutinizing me, his eyes deep and unreadable, filled with assessment and a subtle hint of amusement. "Zixuan, who is this?"
"Father, she is... the daughter of the Shen family, Shen Tang," Lin Zixuan replied in a low voice, his tone complex, a mixture of sympathy, regret, and... perhaps caution?
"Oh?" Prime Minister Lin raised an eyebrow, his gaze towards me becoming more meaningful. "So it is the daughter of Official Shen. It has been a long time. She has grown into quite... a touching beauty." His words carried a chilling undertone of calculation, as if appraising an interesting prey.
Alarm bells screamed in my mind. I knew my actions today were too risky, successfully pushing myself into the eye of the storm. But I had no choice but to continue the act.
"Greetings, Lord Prime Minister." I suppressed the fear and revulsion in my heart, feigning a frail, helpless, and startled demeanor, curtsying slightly.
Just then, Huo Linyuan also walked over. His face was expressionless, his cold eyes sweeping over me before landing on the Prime Minister. His voice betrayed no emotion. "Prime Minister Lin, what a coincidence." His arrival made the already tense atmosphere even heavier.
Prime Minister Lin stroked his beard and smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "It is I, Your Excellency. Shamefully, I have failed to discipline my son properly, causing distress to Miss Shen." His words seemed polite but were actually probing Huo Linyuan's attitude.
"No matter." Huo Linyuan's gaze fell on me again, carrying the cold indifference of assessing prey. "My cousin is mischievous. It was her lack of manners that inconvenienced Young Master Lin."
Cousin? He actually... acknowledged my identity in public? Although just a "cousin" living under his roof, in this rigidly hierarchical General's mansion, it was a tremendous elevation. This sudden change caught me completely off guard.
My heart pounded with uncertainty. I looked up at him, trying to decipher something from those bottomless eyes. Why would he do this? Was it to distance himself, or... did it hold a deeper meaning?
He avoided my gaze, speaking coolly to the Prime Minister. "Since it was a misunderstanding, there's no need to dwell on it. The flower viewing banquet isn't over. Please enjoy yourself, Prime Minister Lin." His tone was distant and cold, as if I were an insignificant presence.
With that, he turned to leave, without another glance at me.
"Your Excellency, please wait," Prime Minister Lin called out, a warm smile on his face, but calculation glinting in his eyes. "It's rare to encounter Miss Shen here today. This old man and Official Shen were acquaintances. Why not let my son accompany Miss Shen for a walk? It would be... a small gesture of hospitality."
My heart leaped at his words. What was Prime Minister Lin implying? What did he want? Wasn't he afraid of angering Huo Linyuan?
I subconsciously looked at Huo Linyuan. He paused, turned his head slightly, and gave me a deep, inscrutable look. His eyes were complex, impossible for me to read. After a moment, he said lightly, "Very well."
He actually... agreed?!
Hadn't he always kept me under strict watch, like a treasured object, forbidding any contact with outside men? Why was he acting so abnormally today? Was he not afraid Lin Zixuan and I might rekindle old feelings? Or perhaps... he had completely lost interest in me, not even bothering with my potential usefulness anymore?
My mind reeled with immense doubt and unease, but I could only suppress the turmoil within. Under the varied gazes of the crowd, I followed Lin Zixuan, slowly walking towards the depths of the garden. Each step felt like walking on blades, heavy and arduous.
I knew this was far from over; it was merely the beginning of something more dangerous, more treacherous. I had successfully caught the attention of the Lin father and son, and also aroused deeper suspicion in Huo Linyuan, and... perhaps a new, inexplicable interest?
It seemed this seemingly useless, discarded pawn of mine finally had a chance to stir the waters on their meticulously arranged chessboard. But was this glimmer a sign of hope, or... bait leading to a deeper hell? I didn't know, nor did I dare to dwell on it. I could only take one step at a time, struggling desperately in this dark mire, searching for that single thread of survival.