"Not bad,"
Liu Liu nodded, smiling softly in the light. She sat before the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror.
Indeed, without the red bloom, she was dazzlingly beautiful. Even she was stunned every time she looked at herself. Was this a form of narcissism?
Liu Liu picked up the wooden comb and idly ran it through her smooth, long hair. Ming Yue, standing behind her, quickly said, "Your Highness, allow me."
"No need,"
Liu Liu shook her head. She was just passing the time. It was already late, and she didn't need to put up her hair. After a few strokes, she put down the comb. Hong Xiu brought over steeped tea and handed it to Liu Liu. It was a fragrant floral tea.
She liked everything floral – floral tea, pollen, floral scents. Of all the flowers, she loved the phalaenopsis orchid the most. The phalaenopsis orchid was graceful and charming, beautiful and abundant, like a noble lady among flowers.
When phalaenopsis orchids bloomed, their orderly arrangement resembled light, fluttering butterflies. Their elegance and freedom evoked feelings that were poetic, picturesque, and dreamlike.
Her fondness for the phalaenopsis orchid stemmed from her only memory from her past life. In her previous life, her mother was a horticulture expert. She spent ten years cultivating a seven-colored phalaenopsis orchid, which won first prize at the National Flower Competition.
Many famous collectors offered large sums, but her mother refused to sell. She loved that phalaenopsis orchid so much; it was like her child.
When she was young, she always thought that the orchid was far more precious to her mother than she was.
Only when she fell ill did she realize that what was truly precious to her mother was her. Upon learning of her illness, her mother immediately sold the prized phalaenopsis orchid.
Yet, it couldn't save her daughter's life. She remembered holding her mother's hand tightly before she died.
"Mom, please cultivate another phalaenopsis orchid. That will be me. I will transform into a vibrant phalaenopsis orchid and return to accompany you."
Who would have thought that soul transmigration was real? She was reborn in another world. She could no longer transform into the phalaenopsis orchid in her mother's hands, but she believed her mother would shine again because of that orchid.
Hong Xiu saw that her Highness was lost in thought, holding the teacup, and the tea was about to spill. She quickly said, "Your Highness, Your Highness!"
"What is it?"
Liu Liu returned to her senses, her eyes a little dazed. Why was she inexplicably thinking of the past? A smile touched her lips. She hadn't thought of these things for a very, very long time.
It seemed she was a bit sentimental tonight. She looked up at Hong Xiu, who quickly pointed to the tea in her mistress's hand. "The tea spilled. Shall I add some more?"
"No need," Liu Liu shook her head, took a sip, and stood up, holding the teacup. She paced back and forth in the sleeping chambers to stretch her limbs; she had slept all afternoon and felt lazy. She asked Hong Xiu indifferently, "Has His Highness the Crown Prince slept?"
"He has. He came to see Your Highness once, saw that Your Highness was sleeping soundly, and didn't disturb you. Cui'er led him to sleep."
"Mm, that's good," Liu Liu nodded as she drank her tea. She glanced at Ming Yue behind her. Seeing that Ming Yue had been silent, she raised an eyebrow curiously. "Ming Yue, is something the matter?"
Ming Yue quickly shook her head. She had actually noticed that Cai Xia seemed troubled these past few days.
She was always distracted. Now, the palace was in a state of heightened alert. They, as servants, had to be more cautious. She and Cai Xia were like sisters.
They had previously served the Empress. After the Empress passed away, they were assigned to different places.
Now that their Highness had returned, they had returned to Weiyang Palace. But the harem now seemed like a bomb, capable of destroying people at any moment. Everyone was in a state of self-preservation and caution.
Ming Yue was genuinely afraid that Cai Xia had done something she shouldn't have, which was why she was distracted. Hearing her Highness ask her, she quickly shook her head.
"Nothing, Your Highness. My head feels a bit heavy. Perhaps I caught a chill, and my body feels weak."
Upon hearing that Ming Yue wasn't feeling well, Liu Liu waved her away, telling her to go rest. "Hong Xiu can accompany me. You go get some rest early."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Ming Yue nodded. In truth, she hadn't seen Cai Xia all night and felt uneasy. She wanted to go find out where the woman was slacking off. However, she hoped nothing had happened. Ming Yue murmured to herself and retreated.
After finishing her tea, Liu Liu walked around the vast sleeping chambers twice. A sense of fatigue spread through her, and her eyelids felt heavy. A hint of vigilance struck her.
She had only slept in the afternoon, so why did she feel like sleeping again? There was clearly medicine in this tea. Her eyes suddenly lifted, scanning Hong Xiu sharply. Hong Xiu had brewed this tea. Had this girl been bribed? Even thinking about it seemed impossible.
She had been with her the whole time. So, someone must have put medicine in her purple clay teapot. Only three or four people could get close to her attendants. It would be easy to find out who it was. For now, the priority was to counteract the drug.
"Your Highness, what is it?"
"The tea just now was drugged."
Liu Liu finished speaking, paid no attention to the palefaced Hong Xiu, and quickly flashed to the dressing table. She picked up a silver hairpin and pricked her finger. Blood dripped down.
Her mind cleared considerably. She immediately took an antidote pill. She always carried some essential antidotes with her, as she had many unusual acquaintances.
Hong Xiu, standing by, was stunned. She knelt down with a plop, "Your Highness, this servant did not administer the drug. This servant knows nothing."
"I know it wasn't you who drugged it. Get up. Now, go guard outside the palace doors. Regardless of what happens, pretend you know nothing. I'm fine now. You don't need to worry about anything. Take your time and think about who touched this purple clay teapot."
Liu Liu waved Hong Xiu out. Hong Xiu was uneasy, unsure of what would happen next. However, seeing her Highness exuding an icy demeanor and appearing confident, she dared not say anything more. She slowly withdrew from the sleeping chambers and stood guard at the palace gate.
Her attention was fully focused, listening to every sound within the sleeping chambers. If she heard even the slightest rustle, she would rush in to protect her Highness. Although her Highness's martial arts were superior to hers, her duty was to protect her mistress.
Inside the sleeping chambers, Liu Liu gave a faint smile, devoid of warmth. She gracefully walked to the bed and lay down. Her eyes, dark as ink, gleamed with a chilling, soul-captivating smile. She was waiting for the person who had plotted against her, wondering what they intended to do.
Suddenly, she found it amusing. Why would this man resort to such a childish tactic? Was he trying to frame her with a man?
He knew very well that she was Qi Ye of the Seven Stars Tower. Such trivial tricks wouldn't faze her. Therefore, there was only one possibility: he was putting on a show. For whom?
Liu Liu suddenly understood. He was performing for that woman. What a pity for that woman, who probably still thought this man loved her dearly. In reality, he was merely using her to carry out his plan to seize the throne.
In the dark night, the sky was moonless, and the stars flickered unstably across the vast, boundless sky, like countless luminous jewels.
In the silent imperial palace, all was still. The glazed tiles emitted a dim glow under the refraction of starlight.