The three young ladies waited patiently in the grand hall, each lost in her own thoughts and anxieties.
Chen Xiuzhen kept frowning, her thin brows constantly tightening. If she returned without securing a match, what would happen in her family? Her father, the current patriarch, would become the laughingstock of the clan. Her second uncle- who only needed the slightest excuse, might finally take the chance to dethrone him.
Her life was nothing like the easy, pampered days of a typical rich young mistress. She was the only daughter of the current patriarch, the elder of two sons, and the second branch had always been envious. Her second uncle had a son, and many believed the patriarchal seat should belong to the one with a male heir. The only way to strengthen her father's position now was to acquire royal support. And for that… she had to marry a prince. Any prince.
But the Crown Prince was already out of the question. And with her reputation and figure, who would want her?
Mu Lingling, the second young miss of the Mu family, an ancient and respected lineage, stood not far away, her eyes lowered, cold sweat forming at her forehead.
Only one of the three seemed calm and completely uninterested. Tang Ruyan stood a little farther from the other two, one hand on her hip, the other fidgeting restlessly.
What's taking the empress so long? If I can just fail the next test and get eliminated, I can go home faster. Who knows what those two idiots, Xiao Lan and Da Bao, are doing without me… Without me, how will those fools earn any money?
Just as she worried about her business, the grand hall's massive doors suddenly swung open.
The Three young ladies straightened at once. Believing it was the Empress's entourage, they bowed respectfully.
But the sound was not right. Heavy armor. Firm footsteps.
Tang Ruyan lifted her head- and what she saw shocked her.
Four imperial soldiers, fully armored and carrying swords, marched in. They were led by a man dressed in a purple robe, wearing a tall ceremonial cap that looked almost comical on his small face. But Ruyan quickly realized what he was.
A eunuch! So… is the Emperor coming instead of the Empress?
But no one followed the group.
The purple-robed man stopped before them and greeted them in an excessively gentle voice.
"Three honored young ladies, please rise."
The three stood straight again, exchanging doubtful glances.
What's going on? Why are soldiers here?
Before they could make sense of anything, the eunuch suddenly announced in a loud voice:
"Her Majesty has arrived!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" the entire hall echoed. Even the maids hidden near the pillars dropped to their knees.
A fragrant breeze swept through the room as a procession of maids entered, led by a woman in her thirties, but rather looked like a young lady in her twenties, wearing an exquisitely embroidered golden robe. The long tail of the robe glided across the polished floor with every elegant step.
She ascended the raised platform and seated herself upon the throne-like chair resting at its center. Her maids immediately arranged the folds of her robes with flawless precision.
The presence of this woman alone brought an immense pressure to the room.
Another maid stepped forward, filling a jade cup with tea and presenting it with both hands. Xu Yulan accepted it with practiced grace. She inhaled the aroma, took a light sip, then set the cup down with a soft clink and waved her hand.
"Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" everyone responded, standing straight and fixing their attire.
The soldiers rose as well, gripping their swords, vigilant and ready.
Tang Ruyan stole a glance at the Empress.
Well… I came all the way here. I can't leave without seeing what she looks like, right?
But the moment she looked up, her eyes widened with genuine wonder.
Wahh… how beautiful!
The Empress resembled a celestial fairy descended to earth. Her aura and gentleness felt refined, yet Ruyan sensed the authority hidden beneath every subtle movement. The phoenix crown atop her head gleamed, adding to the pressure of her presence.
When the Empress's eyes shifted toward her, Ruyan quickly looked away.
Xu Yulan examined each of the three young ladies. Her gaze lingered longest on Ruyan, who was busy looking at anything but the Empress. Her carefree posture and casual behavior in the presence of royalty revealed her lack of education and humble background. Xu Yulan's lips twitched ever so slightly, but she said nothing.
Instead, she turned her attention to the eunuch.
"Eunuch Liu, announce the details you have brought."
Details? the three young ladies frowned.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Eunuch Liu bowed and began:
"The Young Miss of the Feng family was killed yesterday."
The entire hall froze. Then came the murmurs- soft at first, then rising like waves.
"Young Miss Feng? That gentle lady?"
"Oh no, she is dead?!"
"You didn't know? The kitchen maids were whispering this morning…"
"Really?!"
Tang Ruyan's eyes narrowed.
Young Miss Feng? Then… was that body I saw being carried out by the soldiers really hers?
Mu Lingling felt her heart thunder painfully.
Feng Huiwui… is dead?
Feng Huiwui is dead…
The sentence repeated endlessly in her mind. Her forehead grew slick with cold sweat, her eyes darting around like a trapped animal.
Even Chen Xiuzhen felt a chill.
Feng Huiwui is dead? How? Why?
A thousand questions spun in her head.
When the murmurs grew too loud, the eunuch cleared his throat sharply.
"Ehem."
He bowed once more to the Empress.
"Your Majesty, the investigation is complete."
"Oh?" Xu Yulan's voice turned cold. "Have you identified the killer?"
If Feng Huiwui's case isn't handled properly, that old Minister Feng will never let me sleep in peace.
A headache tightened her temples.
Who would dare commit murder inside my palace?!
"This…" The eunuch hesitated.
Under Xu Yulan's sharp stare, he fumbled out:
"The killer… is here with us."
A collective gasp surged through the hall.
"What?! The killer is here?!"
Tang Ruyan's heart skipped. Here? With us? Who?
Xu Yulan calmly lifted her cup and took another sip- then set it down with a loud thud. The echo silenced the hall instantly.
"Guards!" Eunuch Liu commanded. "Bring her in!"
All eyes turned toward the entrance as two guards dragged in a battered-looking maid, each holding her by one arm. The three young ladies instinctively stepped aside.
The guards threw the maid to the floor, bowed, and returned to their positions.
The wounded maid collapsed with a dull thud. Feeling the weight of the Empress's presence, she scrambled into a trembling bow, knocking her forehead onto the ground, her body shaking uncontrollably.
A soldier grabbed her hair and yanked her head up so everyone could see her face.
The maid cried out in pain.
"Speak," the eunuch warned coldly. "Tell us everything you know. If you do… you'll at least receive a proper burial. Otherwise…"
"Ahh!" the maid sobbed. "I-I'll tell… I'll tell!"
The soldier loosened his grip slightly, though he did not release her.
"It's… it's…"
Her terrified eyes darted toward the three young ladies standing together.
"It's her!"
Her trembling finger pointed straight at them.
---
In another side of the palace, Li Xuan sat in his long armchair, sipping tea and enjoying the pleasant weather.
He extended his empty cup to the side without looking, and the maid- Mei'er, the new girl brought in just yesterday, placed the hand fan down softly before gently pouring fragrant tea into his cup. Li Xuan inhaled the aroma, a small smile spreading across his face.
"Mm… good," he murmured, taking a slow sip.
Just as he was savoring his peaceful moment, the yard gates suddenly burst open with a loud bang, and in tumbled Xiao Lei.
"Your Highness! It's bad! It's bad!" Xiao Lei shrieked, waving his hands wildly and tripping over absolutely nothing on his way in.
Startled, Li Xuan spat his tea all over his own robe.
"Xiao Lei!" he snapped, slamming his cup down. "What mischief have you caused this time? Will you let me enjoy peace for even once!?"
But Xiao Lei completely ignored his master's irritation. Instead, he lunged forward, grabbed Li Xuan's arm, and began dragging him away.
Li Xuan stumbled after him, bewildered, as Xiao Lei practically hauled him toward the carriage waiting beyond the gates.
"Xiao Lei! What are you-"
Before he could finish the sentence, Xiao Lei yelled over him, panic exploding from every pore.
"Your Highness, there's no time! If you don't go now, your wife will be gone!"
With that, he shoved the poor prince straight into the carriage.
---
The grand hall once again erupted into a wave of shocked gasps and frantic murmurs. The maids and male servants instinctively stepped back, their eyes snapping toward Tang Ruyan as if she had suddenly sprouted horns.
Whisper after whisper rippled through the hall, and every pair of eyes seemed to burn into her face.
Tang Ruyan's own eyes flew wide.
The maid on the ground was pointing a trembling, dirt-stained finger… at her?!
"Me?" Tang Ruyan pointed to her own chest in disbelief, her voice ringing through the silence.
"Me?"
She quickly looked around. Every expression she met was filled with suspicion, fear, or morbid curiosity.
It felt as though someone had already carved the word killer across her forehead.
What in the world-?! How did I suddenly become a murderer? she tried to process the absurdity of the situation.
"Please… I don't even know the young lady!" Tang Ruyan said, lifting her chin, her tone mixed with shock and irritation.
Xu Yulan's brows drew together ever so slightly.
This girl… what kind of attitude is that?
Her eyes narrowed, clearly unimpressed by Ruyan's lack of court etiquette.
Sensing Her Majesty's displeasure, the eunuch immediately snapped. He stepped forward, pointed directly at Ruyan, and shouted, "How dare you talk back before Her Majesty! Show respect!"
"But I-" Ruyan tried to defend herself, but she didn't get the chance.
Two imperial soldiers rushed forward, their armor clanking loudly as they seized her by the shoulders. Without mercy, they shoved her down to the cold stone floor.
"Ahh!" she gasped as her knees slammed against the hard ground. The impact shot pain up her legs, and she found herself just inches from the trembling maid.
Tang Ruyan glared at the maid- ready to call her out- but her words froze.
The maid wasn't crying or panicking anymore.
She was glaring back.
A cold, sharp glare.
The kind of glare that said, If I'm dying, I'm dragging someone with me.
Ruyan felt her scalp tingle. This woman… she's seriously lying with her whole chest!
"Your Majesty…" Tang Ruyan bowed deeply, her forehead almost touching the floor. Her heart thudded violently in her chest, loud enough she was sure everyone could hear it. "She is lying… please believe me…"
Ruyan, calm down! Think! Priority is survival. Even if you have to beg, grovel, or roll across the floor- save your life first! Killing a young lady inside the palace means a clean, neat beheading!
She swallowed hard, forcing her trembling hands to press flat against the ground.
She could feel every pair of eyes boring into her- judgmental, doubtful, hungry for drama.
Her palms were growing clammy.
The maid lifted her head just enough to peek at her with a twisted smirk.
And Tang Ruyan suddenly had the terrible feeling that no matter what she said…
this accusation wasn't going to disappear so easily.