Imperial City, Cining Palace.
The candlelight flickered dimly, and the covered corridor was quiet and secluded.
Inside the hall, the furnishings were elegant and refined. The zitan wood table and the gold-threaded soft couch radiated royal dignity, yet the spacious palace chambers felt somewhat cold and empty. Only in the corner, the Boshan incense burner released a faint, soothing scent of dragon musk that calmed the mind and soul.
Xiao Wan, clad in a scarlet palace dress, lounged casually on the phoenix couch. Her long jade-like legs lay diagonally, and her beautiful eyes were languid as she boredly surveyed the hall’s furnishings.
She rested her jade hand on the small table, letting a young palace maid carefully apply the scarlet nail dye to her fingers.
“Xiao Qin, tell me, these past years… how have I done?”
“Ah? Your Highness, do you mean…” The palace maid Xiao Qin, who was doing Xiao Wan’s manicure, shivered with a start and almost slipped up in her task.
Xiao Wan paused slightly, only then realizing she had spoken the wrong words—she shouldn’t be discussing such matters with a palace maid.
With a soft sigh, she immediately changed her words: “Mm, what I mean is, these years, how have I treated all of you, or rather, how have I managed the inner palace?”
Sure enough, hearing Xiao Wan rephrase the question, the palace maid Xiao Qin smiled once more, sincerely praising, “Your Highness has treated us so well. Besides… with such a vast inner palace, under your management it’s all in perfect order. Not a single mishap has happened all these years.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of melancholy and silent sigh flashed in Xiao Wan’s beautiful eyes, but she quickly suppressed it and replied casually:
“It’s only because His Majesty has been gravely ill that, aside from the Empress and two consorts, there are no others left in the inner palace. I merely gathered them for centralized management, temporarily closed off the other palaces, thus able to dismiss redundant officials, lower expenses and administrative difficulties, and thereby maintain order in the inner palace…”
Mid-sentence, Xiao Wan realized her thoughts had drifted back to matters of the previous court, so she quickly stopped herself and smiled, “Enough, let’s not talk about that. Let me see how your handiwork is, Xiao Qin.”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s doing your nails!”
Xiao Wan lifted her jade hand, carefully examining the faint scarlet nail polish sparkling on her fingertips. Her vermilion lips curled up slightly as she nodded, “Not bad, truly.”
Just then, a palace maid’s voice came from outside the hall: “Your Highness, Young Lord Gu has entered the palace.”
“Oh? He’s here already? Let him stroll around the palace for a while, then bring him in after a quarter of an hour.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After giving her instructions, Xiao Wan lowered her fair hand, picked up the heavy gold hairpin from the table, and lifted her loose dark hair, intending to style it herself.
But for some reason, no matter how she tried this time, she couldn’t achieve the look she wanted.
After fiddling for a while, she puffed out her cheeks, tossed aside the hairpin, and grumbled, “Forget it, I’ll carry myself however I like!”
Watching the Empress Dowager display this attitude again, palace maid Xiao Qin sighed quietly, thinking, Her Highness is sulking again. She quickly grabbed the hairpin and hurried behind Xiao Wan, softly comforting:
“Your Highness, you mustn’t be careless. As the Mother of the Nation, holding the regency, your bearing represents the face of Da Qian—no official can see you in disarray!”
“I couldn’t care less…”
“Your Highness, let me do your hair for you!”
“Fine, but be quick about it.”
Xiao Qin smiled lightly, then moved the full-length bronze mirror in front of Xiao Wan, kneeling behind her to gather her waist-length hair and deftly style it.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wan subconsciously raised her jade fingers to her lips, nibbling on her freshly lacquered nails as she pondered how to receive Gu Wangchen.
Should she present herself more as the Empress Dowager, or more as an elder?
She hadn’t seen Gu Wangchen in many years. She wondered how tall that little fellow had grown—perhaps he was even taller than her by now.
She still remembered the last time she saw him; back then, he only came up to her chest.
“Your Highness, don’t bite your nails—the lacquer hasn’t dried yet!”
“I’m not afraid. Just finish up, Xiao Qin!”
“Ugh…”
Led by a palace maid, Gu Wangchen walked through numerous covered corridors and crossed the rock gardens and pools of the inner palace. He casually asked, “Aren’t we at Cining Palace yet?”
“Young Lord Gu, we’re almost there.”
“Mm.” Gu Wangchen stopped asking, letting his gaze constantly observe the situation within the inner palace, comparing it to memories from his previous life.
Although this was his first time in the inner palace, he had seen several landmark locations just now in the supplementary volumes about the Imperial City’s harem from his previous life, which was why he asked.
It really felt like the maid was leading him in circles.
Was this at Xiao Wan’s instruction?
What was Xiao Wan’s aim?
Delaying time, or…
No, unlikely. If something happened to him in the inner palace—even if it wasn’t within Cining Palace—Xiao Wan would still be held responsible.
At that point, his father would definitely no longer remain neutral, and the Empress Dowager’s faction would be finished.
Thinking this, he calmed his heart again.
Although he didn’t know what medicine Xiao Wan had in her gourd, as long as his safety was not in danger, all would be well.
After all, he knew Xiao Wan very well, aware of this Empress Dowager’s habit of overthinking—or rather, her suspicious nature.
Before long, under the maid’s guidance, Gu Wangchen finally arrived at Cining Palace.
With no further hindrance, he was led straight into the Empress Dowager’s private chambers.
Creak…
The hall doors opened, and Gu Wangchen entered alone.
A stunningly beautiful woman in a scarlet grand palace dress, with a heavy gold hairpin in her hair, tall and alluringly curvaceous, was reclining sideways on the phoenix couch. Her serene eyes rested lightly upon him.
Gu Wangchen glanced around casually, his gaze instinctively drawn to the pair of fair, jade-like bare feet.
Just as he remembered—Xiao Wan didn’t like wearing shoes, especially in her own chambers.
After a couple of glances, he averted his gaze, giving a slight bow, “This subject, Gu Wangchen, greets Your Highness the Empress Dowager.”
“Mm, rise. Take a seat…” A voice graceful and harmonious sounded slowly.
Halfway through, Xiao Wan changed her tone, extending her jade hand and patting the other side of the phoenix couch. “Little Chen, can I call you that?”
“Of course. Your Highness is my elder—call me as you please.”
“Mm.” Xiao Wan smiled in satisfaction, speaking slowly, “Come sit by me. I haven’t seen you in years and want to take a good look~”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Gu Wangchen rose from the soft chair, glanced at the table by Xiao Wan’s side, and slowly took a seat beside her.
Taking this chance, he focused his attention and carefully observed Xiao Wan’s condition.
[Name: Xiao Wan]
[Realm: Ninth Realm (Return to True Realm)]
[Fate Value: 1500]
As expected, a Ninth Realm expert! And a fate value of 1500—higher even than Feng Aotian Sikong Yue!
After thinking for a moment, he quickly understood the crux of the matter. Since fate value was tied to cultivation efficiency, it basically equated to cultivation talent.
Though Feng Aotian Sikong Yue was a genius, in terms of setting, she still lagged far behind a peerless monster like Xiao Wan, who reached the Ninth Realm before thirty.
What’s more, fate value fluctuated. Later in the story, Sikong Yue’s fate value would certainly rise.
With that, he silently felt for the All-Phenomena Return-to-Dust Mirror tucked in his robes, confirmed it was still active, and finally breathed a little easier.
Everything was as expected—the plan proceeded smoothly.
“Little Chen, turn this way so I can get a good look at you,” Xiao Wan said.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Gu Wangchen’s heart stirred. He didn’t quite understand Xiao Wan’s intent, but following his principle of observing more and speaking less, he obediently turned to face her.
Xiao Wan nodded gently, her eyes lingering on Gu Wangchen’s face for a long time, and her lips unconsciously curved up.
He truly matched her expectations of Gu Wangchen—no, in fact, he far surpassed them.
She hadn’t expected that the little fellow who once only reached her chest would, in the blink of an eye, grow up to be so elegant and outstanding, like a jade tree in a sea of mortals.
From outward appearance, this Gu Wangchen was just the kind of man she once fantasized about in her youth.
Only…
He had appeared too late. Had he been born ten years earlier, perhaps she would never have come to this Imperial City to be some so-called “Guardian of the Nation.”
Thus, even though she possessed the strength of the Ninth Realm, she had been bound by her youthful passion to this imperial dragon vein.
The kind of romance that was so easily grasped by ordinary women had become nothing but an illusion for her, something she had never even tasted.
By the time she realized her regrets, it was already too late—she had lost the right to seek out such pleasures.
After a moment’s melancholy, Xiao Wan’s expression returned to one of elder’s gentle concern:
“Little Chen, come closer to me.”