The emperor asked dozens of such questions, and it wasn’t until Lan Xiaolou felt his knees ache from kneeling and could barely hold on any longer that the emperor’s gaze flickered slightly: “How did you and the Empress meet?”
Kunning Palace—
Jiang Chuan and Xiao Xiangzi craned their necks to look outside. Xi Que approached and patted Xiao Xiangzi on the shoulder: “What are you two doing here? Your necks are practically stretched out! Are you planning to turn into ‘gazing stones’ waiting for your husbands?”
“Tsk!”
Jiang Chuan glared at her: “What nonsense are you spouting? We’re here to see if anyone from the Emperor’s palace is around. Maybe we’ll catch a glimpse of Eunuch Tang bringing someone out.”
Xiao Xiangzi chimed in: “That’s right! What exactly is Her Majesty’s plan? Shouldn’t we send someone to investigate?”
“Sigh…”
Xi Que plopped down on the railing of the long corridor, her face full of worry: “I’d like to investigate too, but Her Majesty said that the more critical the situation, the more we must avoid rash actions.”
She glanced around and whispered a complaint: “The Emperor is so petty. If he finds out that Her Majesty is secretly inquiring about Lan Xiaolou, he’ll definitely assume there’s something going on between them.”
Xi Que had entered the Jiang household as a child and had always been Jiang Xinyue’s personal maid. To say she knew nothing would be a lie.
But to say she knew everything would also be wrong—she truly didn’t know what was going on between Her Majesty and Lan Xiaolou.
Because every time Her Majesty disguised herself as a man and went out, Xi Que stayed behind, pretending to be Her Majesty to fool the household servants.
The chirping of cicadas seemed especially loud in the silence. The darkness enveloping the palace was like a giant beast opening its maw, ready to swallow all the moonlight pouring in.
The flames danced in the main bedchamber of Kunning Palace as Jiang Xinyue burned the letter she had just received. The worry on her face moments ago was replaced by a meaningful smile.
Shuang Jiang closed the window: “Your Majesty, why did you…”
“Why did I hide it from my mother, from Xi Que, from my father, and from everyone else? Why did I deliberately let Concubine Tong bring the Rongsheng Opera Troupe into the palace, is that what you’re asking?”
Shuang Jiang nodded. Her modest intelligence was no match for the Empress’s cunning.
She could understand hiding it from Xi Que, as Xi Que couldn’t keep a secret—her emotions were always written on her face.
What she couldn’t understand was why Her Majesty would willingly hand over her own weakness to Concubine Tong.
“I’m placing myself in a desperate situation to ensure my survival.”
About half a month ago, fragmented memories of a stranger began to surface in her mind.
She knew they were the memories of the original owner of this body.
Jiang Xinyue had met Lan Xiaolou at a family banquet of the Jiang household. Back then, he wasn’t yet the renowned opera star Cuiyu Tower; he was just an unknown understudy for the female roles in Cuili Garden.
Learning opera was a hard life, and with his humble background, coupled with his striking looks and heavenly voice, it was no surprise that he attracted jealousy.
“Beat this little bastard! How dare he steal my spotlight? I’m Master Mei’s head disciple! You’ll only get your chance when I’m no longer useful, understand?”
“Master Mei has lost his voice. By rights, it should be the senior brother’s turn. Even if the senior brother’s foot is injured, there’s still the second and third brothers. When would it ever be your turn, a newcomer, to seek rewards in front of the nobles?”
“Scar his face! Once he’s disfigured, he’ll never be able to perform again. Let’s see how he’ll show off then!”
“Stop!”
Jiang Xinyue stepped out from the shadows and shouted at the men holding knives, ready to slash Lan Xiaolou’s face: “How dare you hurt someone in my family’s home! Do you have a death wish? Guards, seize them!”
Back then, Jiang Xinyue was also an unfavored concubine’s daughter. She had no guards at her command—only a foolish Xi Que.
But the men didn’t know that. Seeing Jiang Xinyue’s delicate and noble appearance, they immediately assumed her to be of high status and fled in a panic.
From that day on, Jiang Xinyue and Lan Xiaolou became friends.
When she was bullied by her stepmother and stepsister, and her father turned a blind eye, she often sneaked out of the mansion to visit Lan Xiaolou at the opera garden, pouring out her sorrows to him.
As the years passed and Lan Xiaolou’s fame grew, their bond deepened.
But Jiang Xinyue knew that if this relationship were exposed, both she and Lan Xiaolou would be torn apart.
So they could only meet in secret, not daring to let anyone know.
However, secrets never stay hidden forever. The senior brother who had bullied Lan Xiaolou in the past eventually found out.
The senior brother forced Lan Xiaolou to lure Jiang Xinyue out, intending to drug and assault her, thereby becoming the Jiang family’s son-in-law.
Lan Xiaolou refused, so the senior brother drugged him and threw him into an underground gambling den. When Lan Xiaolou woke up, he owed a debt so large he could never repay it in three lifetimes.
When Jiang Xinyue found out, she sold all her gold, silver, jewelry, and fine silks to help him pay off the debt. She also sent the injured Lan Xiaolou back to Cang County.
There, they exchanged vows, but without the blessing of their parents, and Lan Xiaolou never laid a hand on her.
In her presence, he always felt unworthy.
She was so delicate, so perfect—how could someone like him, a lowly peasant, ever deserve her?
So he gave up on himself, returned to the capital, and entered the gambling den once more.
He wanted to win back her silver…
But it was a foolish dream. A den of thieves would never show mercy.
What followed was Jiang Xinyue’s despair and his regret…
Until finally, they were separated by the palace walls, never to meet again.
Recalling the memories of the original owner, Jiang Xinyue knew that such a significant matter would eventually come to light. If someone were determined to investigate, it would be impossible to hide.
So, half a month ago, Jiang Xinyue had already sent someone to find Lan Xiaolou, who had since changed his name. She warned him that if anyone approached him or inquired about his past in Cuili Garden, it would be to harm them both.
They had to work together to eliminate this threat to their lives.
Lan Xiaolou was no longer the powerless Cuiyu Tower who could be bullied at will.
He was now a treasure of the opera world, with connections to many nobles. When the news of the Tong family’s search for people from Cuili Garden reached his ears… from that moment on, Concubine Tong had fallen into the trap set by Jiang Xinyue and Lan Xiaolou.
Outside, the faint light of dawn was beginning to appear. The emperor rubbed his temples: “Wang Dequan, what time is it?”
“Your Majesty, it’s already Yin hour.”
Yin hour?
The sky was almost bright.
The emperor looked up in surprise: “No one has come from the Empress’s palace?”
When he took Lan Xiaolou away, he had deliberately let Jiang Xinyue see it. If she still had feelings for this man, how could she be so indifferent to his fate?
“Are you truly harboring no improper thoughts toward my Jiang Xinyue?”
After talking all night, he finally asked the question he had been longing to ask.
