21
The Empress Dowager, dressed in brilliant red brocade, raised an eyebrow at me.
She took the jade pendant and placed it over Tô Chi’s heart.
My soul was immediately swept into her body.
When I opened my eyes again, I had taken over Tô Chi’s body and was lying in Lục Yến’s arms.
The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction, lifted my chin, and looked me over from side to side.
“Not bad. The body His Majesty chose suits you well, and this face is much easier on the eyes.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Lục Yến clasped my hand tightly and knelt before the Empress Dowager once more.
Only then did I finally understand the weight of that earlier kneeling in Qiuning Palace.
“Thank you, Empress Dowager.”
“Just call me Mother, like His Majesty does.”
The dampness in the air gradually faded. With a displeased look, the Empress Dowager brushed my soaked hair aside.
The kind Empress Dowager was about to return to Mount Wutai to worship the Buddha; no one knew when she would be back.
She raised her umbrella and turned to leave, offering only one parting remark:
“Live well. Don’t let His Majesty’s efforts to cultivate Ngọc Lưu Linh go to waste.”
I bowed to thank her. At her words, I froze for a moment and looked at Lục Yến.
“Your heart ailment?”
“Seeing the Empress is enough.”
He smiled faintly, lowered his head, and gently kissed my forehead.
Tô Chi’s soul stood nearby, staring blankly.
I told Lục Yến to return to the carriage first. Though he was a little worried, he obediently did as I asked.
“Her soul is about to dissipate. Can you use Ngọc Lưu Linh to save her?”
After a moment of silence, the system awkwardly tried to negotiate with me.
I raised an eyebrow, surprised that the system had feelings too, but…
“Why should I save her?”
“She’s already been punished.”
Tô Chi still didn’t say a word, her eyes fixed on the carriage.
The system sighed helplessly.
“You see, she failed to win him over…”
“Oh, right, right. I only lost my life, while she lost the love of her life.”
“Why be so cruel? You’re using her body now, too.”
Perhaps remembering the kind White Moonlight character from the book, the system began preaching at me.
I hadn’t wanted to engage with it, but those words struck a nerve, and my anger flared.
“First, you forced me to die. You owe me a life, and you have to pay that debt.”
“Second, what does her soul dissipating have to do with me? She chose this mission and failed.”
“Third, Mother and Lục Yến gave me this body. Even without them, I won this bargain. That’s what you owe me.”
“Fourth, get lost. My biggest regret is that I couldn’t kill you, too.”
Under my nonstop barrage of insults, the system fell completely silent.
A flash of light appeared behind the dark clouds, and everything vanished.
Good riddance. I hope I never see it again!
Cheerfully, I went to the carriage and tapped on its little window.
Lục Yến smiled and leaned his head out.
“I wonder what the Empress learned from them. When we get home, tell me everything, all right?”
Go ahead and smile. You won’t be smiling much longer!
I rose on my tiptoes and lightly kissed his lips. As he blushed, I told him my plan.
“I’m not going back to the palace. It was so hard to get a healthy body; I want to travel the world!”
Lục Yến was surprised for a moment, then looked at me sadly.
“When will the Empress return?”
“When I’ve had my fill of traveling. Don’t worry, I’ll write to His Majesty!”
I patted his head and, beneath his tender gaze, set off along the mountain path.
It had been years since I’d felt such fresh breezes.
Extra Stories
1
Over those two years, I traveled to many places.
I stopped in Lingnan and admired the snow-white pear blossoms in winter.
I visited Suzhou and listened to the women on the boats sing.
I passed through Bashu and sampled all the delicacies the world had to offer.
The realm was at peace, and all was calm.
I heard that over the past two years, His Majesty had often traveled incognito, keeping everyone on edge.
One day, I spotted a familiar figure outside an inn.
Lục Yến said the plum trees in the palace had come back to life this year, with new shoots appearing on their branches.
I nodded and promised I’d return in the spring to admire the plum blossoms with him.
Then I continued on my way, traveling to Liangzhou, Jinling, Fengtian…
Truly, the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold.*
(*The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold.)
2. Lục Yến’s POV
Everyone said Ngu Hà was dead.
But she was always by my side, nagging me every day for this and that.
But one day, Ngu Hà suddenly disappeared.
I searched every corner of the palace, but couldn’t find her.
…
A woman who looked just like Ngu Hà appeared in the plum garden.
When she looked at me, her eyes were full of schemes.
If I hadn’t seen Ngu Hà following at her side, I would have killed that woman.
As I left, I glanced at Ngu Hà, reluctant to part from her.
But she seemed bewildered and didn’t recognize me.
…
In the garden, I had searched all across the country to find plum blossoms for Ngu Hà.
But Mother sent word that the blossoms had been picked.
I hurried over and saw the flowers beside the woman in the rain. I couldn’t help feeling angry.
Ngu Hà stood beside me, holding an umbrella over me.
She was so kind; she would surely be disappointed if she didn’t get to see the blossoms.
Mother could see Ngu Hà, too, and said she liked her.
Then surely she would help me bring Ngu Hà back to life.
…
The Lantern Festival came around again.
As usual, I went to the commoners’ market to collect pretty flower lanterns for Ngu Hà.
That woman followed me again.
I was going to forbid her from coming along, but then I thought of how Ngu Hà had never seen the flower lanterns outside the palace for herself, so I let the woman take her.
When I was ten, I revealed my greatest secret to Ngu Hà.
But now, watching her sit beside me, gazing innocently at the lotus lanterns…
It seemed she had forgotten.
Sigh.
…
On my way back to the palace, I was ambushed.
A sword I could have dodged was thrust straight at my back.
When I saw that woman step in front of the blade, I knew she was causing trouble.
But after she was injured, Ngu Hà’s soul suddenly grew weak.
It seemed Ngu Hà’s fate wouldn’t be decided until Mother had finished cultivating Ngọc Lưu Linh.
To protect Ngu Hà, I had no choice but to order them to save that woman.
Ngu Hà looked so adorable, heartbroken over the thousand-year-old ginseng.
She had been away from my side for a long time.
I had to stay at the Imperial Medical Institute.
…
Today was Ngu Hà’s death anniversary.
When I saw her spirit, the grief was truly more than I could bear.
That woman even came to spout nonsense.
I killed the eunuchs guarding the gate to warn her.
Heartbroken, she ran away.
But perhaps I wouldn’t see Ngu Hà for much longer, either.
Luckily, Mother had finished cultivating Ngọc Lưu Linh and would soon return.
…
Ngu Hà had returned, but then she left again.
She happily roamed the mountains and rivers, free as she pleased.
The plum blossoms were beautiful this year. She said she would come back to admire them with me.
That was wonderful.