As if reading her mind, Ruyi spoke her thoughts. "I know it's hard to accept, but you have to trust me. I never wanted to keep this from you; I just wanted to tell you when the time was right. I know best how well Ruyi treated you, and I promise to do the same. But I need your trust and support. And you can't tell anyone that I am not the Xu family daughter, or that I am Li Mei."
"She died, how can you be her?" Xiao Lan asked again in disbelief. "I heard she had an affair and was executed."
"Nonsense!" Ruyi retorted, agitated, before calmly sitting Xiao Lan down. "I was wronged. They framed me." Slowly, she recounted the entire story to Xiao Lan without leaving out any details.
"It's too much; they think they can decide who lives and dies, just because of their positions," Xiao Lan said angrily, touching Ruyi's shoulder. "Lady Mei, you've suffered. I'm so sorry for everything you've endured. I promise you, I'm with you, no matter what."
Ruyi turned to Xiao Lan, her voice firm, I want revenge. I want them to suffer, I want them to feel every pang of pain I felt, I want them to die a horrible death, and even after death, I'll never let them go, never give them another chance at life. Sun Jun! Jing Yan! I can't wait any longer."
"What do you plan to do, Lady Mei?" Xiao Lan solicited.
"I had another chance at life for a reason; I want to use it to bring them to their knees. I want them to wish they were dead, even if I die, I won't regret it. Now, I'm Ruyi. Li Mei is dead; I promised Ruyi, I'll protect her family; my promise still stands. Even though I'm using her identity, I promise I won't let any harm come to her people."
"Alright, that's all I care about; since you've promised, then I'll help you," Xiao Lan said. "Miss Ruyi must have chosen you for a reason."
"Thank you," Ruyi whispered silently, smiling at Xiao Lan.
"The celebration is in two weeks; what are you going to do about His Majesty's request?" Xiao Lan questioned.
"Don't worry, I have my ways," Ruyi said with a faint smile.
---
The day everyone had anticipated arrived, just like yesterday. The streets buzzed with excitement, the air thick with the sweet scent of flowers and the distant sounds of celebratory music. Lanterns of every shape and sizes swayed gently in the breeze, their light reflected in the decorations adorning every corner of the palace. The city had transformed into a festive atmosphere, a proof of the Emperor's rule and the people's love for him, promising an unforgettable experience.
Since the previous day, Ruyi had been in the pavilion, her fingers dancing over the guqin strings. They moved perfectly, creating a warm melody. Every maid and servant who passed by admired her skill and dedication.
"She's been practicing for days now; I'm sure she's going to play well later today," one servant said to another.
"Our young Lady is so good; His Majesty would surely be impressed."
"Yeah," another agreed, "with her skills, impressing everyone is a piece of cake."
After a moment, she paused and walked towards the yard, where a lychee tree stood. Xiao Lan followed, carrying a small box and a knife. Ruyi took the knife and began picking as many lychees as she could. Suddenly, she brought the knife to her wrist and made a cut.
"Miss Ruyi!" Xiao Lan yelled in panic as blood dripped on the floor. "Are you alright? Why would you do that?"
"I'm fine, just do as I say," Ruyi instructed, "call my mother."
Xiao Lan nodded and ran towards the inner chamber. She met Lady Ling checking out a piece of jewelry with her husband.
"What's the matter, Xiao Lan?" Lady Ling asked. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
"Madam, it's Miss Ruyi, she…she's hurt, blood," Xiao Lan stammered, struggling with her words.
"What did you say?" Lady Ling gasped, rushing towards the scene with Xu Huai.
Ruyi clutched her hand, groaning in pain. As soon as her parents appeared, tears streamed down her face. "Mother, it hurts," she sobbed.
Lady Ling held her hands tenderly, shouting at the top of her voice, "call the physician!"
Minutes later, the physician was seen attending to Ruyi's hand.
"What do we do?" Lady Ling asked, her voice filled with worry. "Ruyi is playing the guqin at His Majesty's ceremony later today. How is she supposed to play with her wrist like this?"
"I'd advise that she put it on hold for now," the physician advised.
"This is all my fault. I didn't know Miss Ruyi was going to pick lychees as a gift for His Majesty. If I had known, I would have handled it," Xiao Lan said, tears pouring down her face.
"I wanted to do it myself. Since it was a gift for His Majesty, I wanted to be the one to pick the lychees. I already promised His Majesty I'd play on his birthday. I can't just go back on my words. I suppose I'll have to play regardless," Ruyi said, her voice thick with emotion.
"It's better if you don't play at all. The cut to your wrist is deep. If you force it, I'm afraid you might never play again, as it may cause permanent damage."
"What?" Lady Ling exclaimed, fear evident in her voice. Her eyes welled up with tears, but Xu Huai, her loving husband, consoled her, pulling her into his embrace.
"What do we do?" Xu Huai asked the physician
"I advise she puts playing on hold for now till her wrist heals on its own; if not, it'll be a big problem," the physician responded. "But I'll prescribe some medicine for her to take. She should feel better after taking it."
"Alright, thank you, physician Ji," Lady Ling appreciated the physician while Xu Huai escorted him out.
"What's going to happen now since Miss Ruyi can't play?" Xiao Lan asked.
"It's alright, I would talk to Her Grace about it; she would surely help us out, put your mind at rest," Lady Ling assured before leaving the room.
"Miss Ruyi, what next? you scared me; you didn't tell me you were going to do that to yourself," Xiao Lan pointed out.
"I told you I have my ways. This is the only way I can't play, but instead of playing, I have something else on my mind," Ruyi said with a sly smile.
"Really?" Xiao Lan asked with enthusiasm, "thank goodness," she said, jumping with excitement.
Later that evening, the palace buzzed with excitement. Nobles from far and wide had gathered for the special occasion, the Emperor sat in his gracious robes, a yellow robe with dragon motifs, a jade belt accentuating the robe. His hair was arranged in an updo, topped with a mian (ceremonial hat) adorned with jade and pearls, a symbol of his authority. While his boots were embroidered in golden thread. The Imperial Noble Consort wore a Phoenix coronet, her rich crimson silk robe embroidered with phoenixes, jeweled ornaments adorning her hands and neck.
The guests rose to their feet, bowed, and chanted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! May you have ten thousand years of prosperity and good health!"
Emperor Hong chuckled, nodding his head. "Please be seated. Thank you all for attending my birthday ceremony. I am happy. Today, let us feast and celebrate together." Two servants poured wine into small cups for the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort. Emperor Hong raised his cup. "I call this wine the Imperial jade dew, it was specially prepared by Prince Jun. Try it; it's a good wine."
Sun Jun smiled proudly from his seat, while Jing Yan looked at him with reverence. He yearned for the Emperor's favour, believing his beloved brother was unfit to rule due to his disability, while the other was simply uninterested in politics.
Before the guests sat a banquet of food from various hometowns: roasted meats alongside intricate vegetable carvings, baozi and jiaozi, colourful fruits arranged in artistic display, sweet and sour mandarin fish, pork and shrimp dumplings, and longevity noodles. A feast for the celebration of an empire.
Consort Yao stood before the crowd, her voice smooth and persuasive. "Thanks to Prince Zhao, all of your favorite hometown dishes have been prepared. He knows how much you miss home, and he wanted to make sure you feel connected to it again; feel free to dig in." Her words were carefully chosen to not only highlight Prince Zhao's thoughtfulness but also to win the hearts of the people for her sons.