Chapter 228 Testing

Inside Weiyang Palace, Jiang Huan held a cup of tea in her hand, her gaze seemingly casually falling on the window, but in reality, she had already taken in all the "liveliness" outside the palace.

She turned to Xiao Zhao, who was standing to the side, and instructed her, "Xiao Zhao, go and see what's going on outside."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Xiao Zhao replied, and quickly walked towards the palace gate.

Outside the hall, He Ling remained frozen in place, bent over picking up Chinese knots. Looking at the mess of broken porcelain and dirt all over the ground, her heart was pounding in her throat.

[Oh no, oh no, how did we break everything in the Empress's palace?]

Even if we sold ourselves together, we couldn't afford to lose that money.

The system's electronic voice, however, ignored everything and continued to howl.

"Warning! The alert level in the target area has been raised. The host is advised to evacuate immediately!"

[Get rid of me, my foot!]

He Ling wanted to cry but had no tears.

Just then, the gates of Weiyang Palace were pushed open.

Xiao Zhao came out and immediately saw He Ling standing next to the broken flowerpot, clutching a Chinese knot in her hand.

"Consort Ling?" Xiao Zhao was somewhat surprised. "What is this...?"

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, He Ling straightened up and stammered, "Miss Xiao Zhao, I...I...I accidentally kicked the flowerpot..."

Xiao Zhao looked at her flustered appearance, then at the broken pieces on the ground, and smiled gently.

"Is the Noble Consort hurt? Her Majesty heard the commotion and sent me out to check."

"No, I'm not hurt!" He Ling quickly waved her hand, her face turning even redder.

"That's good." Xiao Zhao nodded, then asked, "Is Consort Gui here to see Her Majesty?"

"Ah? Ah! Yes!" He Ling nodded hurriedly, "I came to pay my respects to Your Majesty, and by the way... by the way..."

She stammered, unsure of what to say.

"Please come in with me, Your Highness." Xiao Zhao didn't ask any further questions and stepped aside to make way for her.

"Thank you, Miss Xiao Zhao." He Ling felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly followed Xiao Zhao into Weiyang Palace.

Inside the hall, Jiang Huan had already picked up her teacup again, her expression calm, as if nothing had just happened.

"Your Majesty, Consort Ling has arrived," Xiao Zhao reported.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." He Ling quickly bowed.

"You're here? Get up quickly."

Jiang Huan put down her teacup, a gentle smile on her face, and her gaze fell on He Ling.

She deliberately asked, "What happened outside just now? It sounded quite loud."

“Your Majesty,” He Ling said, blushing and bowing her head. “It was my fault for accidentally kicking and breaking the flowerpot, which startled Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”

"Oh? It's good that no one is hurt." Jiang Huan waved her hand dismissively. "It's just a flowerpot, it's broken, so what? Don't worry about it. Sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He Ling sat down to the side, clutching the Chinese knot tightly in her hand, her palms sweaty.

[It seems the Empress isn't angry, that's wonderful.]

But how do I bring up the question?

He Ling's palms were sweating with nervousness, and she secretly glanced at Jiang Huan.

Jiang Huan smiled at her and took the initiative: "You've come here today, is there something you need?"

"Ah? No, nothing serious..." He Ling quickly shook her head, then realized something was wrong and nodded hastily, "Ah no, something, something is wrong..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan raised an eyebrow slightly: "Is there nothing wrong or something wrong?"

"Something's up, of course something's up."

Never mind, we're already here, we have to get to the bottom of this.

He Ling took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and mustered up her courage to present the Chinese knot to Jiang Huan.

"Your Majesty, did you make this?"

Jiang Huan nodded: "Yes, I made it. Do you like it?"

He Ling's pupils suddenly widened.

"If it was made by the Empress, then doesn't that mean...?"

Her voice trembled slightly with nervousness: "Since it was Your Highness who did it, then... then I have a question for Your Highness. Your Highness... do you know... that odd changes and even remains the same?"

After asking the question, she held her breath, staring intently at Jiang Huan's face, her heart pounding in her chest.

[Odd signs change, even signs remain the same; the sign depends on the quadrant.]

[Your Majesty, answer this quickly! Answer this quickly!]

Jiang Huan: ……

How could she not know something etched into her DNA? She almost blurted it out.

However, now is not the time to use secret codes.

Jiang Huan remained expressionless, tilting her head slightly, her eyes clear and innocent.

"Odd changes, even remains the same?" she repeated softly, her voice tinged with confusion. "What does that mean? Is it some new embroidery pattern? Or some kind of chess manual?"

She frowned slightly, as if trying to think about the unfamiliar phrase.

Pretending to be stupid? Anyone can do that. Ever since she transmigrated into the book, she's won several Oscars.

Trying to trick her into revealing information? He Ling is still too inexperienced.

[Huh? Her Majesty doesn't know? Could it be that she didn't travel from the modern era?]

The light in He Ling's eyes dimmed instantly, as if she had been doused with cold water, and her heart sank.

Am I overthinking this? But this is too much of a coincidence.

He Ling immediately wilted, her eyes filled with frustration.

Jiang Huan found it amusing to see He Ling's face fall instantly.

This kid can't hide it anymore.

But she maintained a gentle expression and softly asked, "What's wrong? You seem a little disappointed."

"No...nothing..." He Ling quickly shook her head, her voice muffled, "I just think the knot the Empress gave me is very special and beautiful."

Jiang Huan just smiled silently, and then went along with her words.

"This knot symbolizes both good fortune and prosperity. The red thread twists and turns, but in the end, it can be tied into a perfect knot, just like life goes around and around, but you will always find your place."

She looked up at He Ling and said softly, "I always think that if I could live my life peacefully and quietly like this red rope in this deep palace, that would be the greatest blessing."

"I wonder if my sister likes this kind of life? Or does she have other ambitions and pursuits?"

"The days to come?" He Ling was taken aback and looked up blankly.

"Hmm." Jiang Huan nodded. "Do you want to continue living like this, always so cautious and fearful? Or do you want to try a different way of life?"

Upon hearing this, He Ling lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

"I don't have any grand ambitions. I just want a peaceful life, enough to eat and wear, without having to live in fear, and to be able to do things I enjoy..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, a little embarrassed.

Does this count as "lying down"? Will the Empress think I'm spineless?

Jiang Huan listened to her little scheme and smiled slightly.

He Ling is overthinking it. Lying down is certainly not shameful, provided you can actually survive in this cannibalistic palace.

She experienced this principle firsthand.

As Jiang Huan pondered, she said, seemingly casually, "In this deep palace, to live such a life, you can't just think about it."

She paused, her fingertips gently tracing the rim of the teacup, and glanced at He Ling with a meaningful look.

"You have to show some sincerity and demonstrate your value before others will be willing to help you, right?"

He Ling was stunned, looking at Jiang Huan with a blank expression.

What does this mean? What kind of sincerity does Your Majesty desire?

Is she short on cash and wants me to buy her a gift?

But this is all I have; I'm even poorer than the Empress!

Seeing He Ling's bewildered expression, Jiang Huan did not directly point it out.

There are some things she needs to figure out for herself.

Let the bullets fly for a while.

"Why are you making such a face? I was just chatting casually. There's a long road ahead, and things can change in the future. You should go back; I'm getting tired too."

"Yes, I'll take my leave."

He Ling was still dizzy, only feeling that the Empress was speaking in Chinese.

She couldn't understand a single word of it when they were put together.

After much deliberation, I finally accepted this gentle dismissal and left Weiyang Palace with a head full of questions, feeling as if I were lost in a fog.