Liu Ruyan used to be extremely beautiful, with lips that were red without any makeup and face that was white without any make-up. After years of hardship, even the most beautiful appearance cannot withstand the erosion of time.
Liu Ruyan looked at herself in the silver mirror. Her features were still as beautiful and refined as ever, but fine lines could be seen at the corners of her eyes. Her lips were no longer as rosy as they used to be, and she looked tired from the inside out.
She needs to put on some makeup and regain some of her youthful beauty.
After washing and dressing up, Liu Ruyan took the palace maids to Yongchun Palace where the coming-of-age ceremony was held.
The sun was shining brightly, and Yongchun Palace was already bustling with activity. Scarlet gauze curtains were hung high, and pots of flowers and plants decorated the corners of the courtyard walls. Everything was full of vitality, and the ladies of honor who were invited to watch the ceremony arrived early.
"Empress Mei has arrived," the eunuch announced.
The originally bustling Yongchun Palace suddenly became quiet.
Everyone looked at Meipin Liu Ruyan who had arrived late in astonishment. No one expected her to be there. Liu Ruyan's cold and ruthless character was well known in the circle of noble ladies.
Even her mother’s family, the Liu family, would not associate with Liu Ruyan.
Liu Ruyan walked into the courtyard of Yongchun Palace with an indifferent expression. The time for her coming-of-age ceremony had not yet arrived, and Li Nanzhi was still dressing up in the side hall. Liu Ruyan walked slowly to the outside of the side hall.
The door to the side palace was wide open, and Li Nanzhi, Imperial Noble Consort Shen Wei, and Zhang Miaoyu were all in the room.
She is dressing herself in the small window.
Zhang Miaoyu was combing Li Nanzhi's hair while secretly wiping away her tears. Zhang Miaoyu's voice was hoarse and she was choking with sobs: "Nanzhi, you must come back to the palace more often in the future. If you encounter difficulties outside the palace, just tell your mother."
Li Nanzhi smiled obediently and took Zhang Miaoyu's hand: "Princess Yu, Nanzhi is just leaving the palace to live alone, not marrying far away. I will definitely come back to the palace to see you and Empress Chen often."
Zhang Miaoyu felt even sadder when she thought about her child getting married in two years. Tears welled up in her eyes: "In two years you will be getting married. I'm afraid you won't be able to come back to the palace as often."
Having lived with Li Nanzhi for many years, Zhang Miaoyu had long regarded Li Nanzhi as her own daughter.
Zhang Miaoyu was extremely upset as the mother and daughter were about to be separated. She secretly hid in her bed and cried for a long time in the middle of the night. She lost several pounds and could not even swallow her favorite pork elbow in soy sauce.
Li Nanzhi comforted Zhang Miaoyu with soft words.
Inside the small window, the mother is loving and the daughter is filial, the atmosphere is warm and peaceful.
The wind blew, and the hair on Liu Ruyan's temples brushed across the corners of her eyes. Liu Ruyan gathered her wind-blown hair back to her ears, stood at the entrance of the yard for a while, lowered her eyes, and turned away quietly.
In the main courtyard of Yongchun Palace, guests who came to watch the coming-of-age ceremony took their seats one after another.
Liu Ruyan didn't want to attract attention, so she sat in an inconspicuous corner. When she raised her head, she saw her mother, Madam Liu, and Xuemei in brocade from afar.
Since Xuemei left the palace, Liu Ruyan has never seen her again. Now, looking from a distance, Xuemei has gained weight and her cheeks are rounder.
Xuemei, a slave girl of humble origins, was qualified to sit beside Madam Liu and watch the princess' coming-of-age ceremony. Mrs. Liu was smiling and talking in a low voice with Xuemei. The two seemed to have a very close relationship.
Liu Ruyan was dazed and didn't understand why her mother was so close to Xuemei.
I only heard the ladies around me talking in low voices:
"Whose lady is the one next to Madam Liu? Why have I never seen her before?"
"She is the maid of the Liu family. It is said that she served Princess Nanzhi in the palace before."
"A maid can actually watch the princess' coming-of-age ceremony. It seems that Princess Nanzhi respects her very much."
"Princess Nanzhi is pure and filial, but it's a pity that she met...Alas."
There was constant discussion around.
The conversation didn't stop until the coming-of-age ceremony began.
Li Nanzhi's coming-of-age ceremony went on in an orderly manner and was very grand and lively. Liu Ruyan sat in the corner of the yard, looking at the bright and beautiful Li Nanzhi on the stage. She felt melancholy in her heart and the old memories came to her mind again.
She recalled the joy she felt when she gave birth to her daughter.
She also remembered that when she was in a cold war with Li Yuanjing, she deliberately left her daughter in the snow to starve and freeze.
She also remembered that her daughter tugged at her clothes again and again, crying and saying that she didn't want to go to the Eastern Palace and the Prince's Mansion.
The last thing she remembered was that her daughter was sent to Yongchun Palace and given to someone else to raise...
Li Yuanjing and she were in love with each other before, but unfortunately he changed his mind; her father and mother taught her carefully, but later became estranged from her; the only one who loved her, Li Nanzhi, is now the daughter of Concubine Yu, and Zhang Miaoyu raised Li Nanzhi very well.
Liu Ruyan vaguely realized that in order to pursue illusory love over the years, she had lost a lot of love that was within her reach.
Unfortunately, she can't go back.
...
...
Princesses who had reached the age of 15 left the palace one after another, and their weddings were held one after another.
Li Wan'er married the eldest son of Marquis Dongyang. Her husband was a modest gentleman. After marriage, they treated each other as equals and lived in harmony.
Li Yao was ordered to marry the second son of Zhang, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. When Li Yao returned to the palace, she only went to pay a visit to the Queen Mother and Shen Wei, and did not set foot in Kunning Palace.
Spring goes and autumn comes.
As the bleak autumn wind blows, the wild chrysanthemums in the courtyard of Kunning Palace grow luxuriantly. The queen sat on the cold stone steps. The Buddhist temple behind her was abandoned. The compassionate Buddha statue was covered with spider webs and the niche was filled with thick dust.
It is useless to pray to gods and Buddhas. Gods and Buddhas will not help the queen to make a comeback.
The wind made the wild chrysanthemums in the yard sway and the wooden door creak. The queen stared blankly at the closed door of Kunning Palace. She hadn't seen Li Yao for a long time.
In this cold harem, it seemed as if everyone had forgotten that there was a queen in Kunning Palace.
“Crunch—”
There was a noise from the door that had been closed for many days.
The Queen's lifeless eyes suddenly opened wide, and she saw Eunuch Deshun wearing the clothes of the eunuch leader, two accompanying eunuchs, and two palace guards.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
