After Ning An arrived at the Heavenly Palace, Empress Dowager Long arranged for her to stay in the Huayu Palace.
Empress Dowager Long was a very strict person who demanded high standards of everyone and everything. She deeply loved her son and always wanted to find him a perfect wife. Therefore, she was particularly strict with Ning An.
She set many rules for Ning An, and even his every move had to meet her requirements, otherwise he would be punished.
Empress Dowager Long hoped that she would be dignified, elegant, and intellectual, yet also charming and sophisticated—ideally, perfect in every way.
In her eyes, Ning An, her future daughter-in-law, was more like a vase of art, which she could sculpt and shape at her own discretion.
Under the Empress Dowager's high demands, Ning An lived a particularly oppressive life. She was watched by a group of celestial servants every day and could not make the slightest mistake. Otherwise, she would be summoned to the ancestral hall to be reprimanded and made to copy the family rules thousands of times, or she would be imprisoned in the dungeon and whipped by the Empress Dowager.
She had no freedom whatsoever; she was like a precious puppet.
She was naturally carefree and longed for freedom. In the underworld, the Goddess Houtu doted on her and let her do whatever she wanted. She was completely unaccustomed to the high-pressure life in the Heavenly Palace, but she had no choice but to accept the task of a marriage alliance and became depressed all day long.
Later, she found a way to relax: playing the flute in the peach grove.
Only in the peach grove could she escape control and enjoy a brief period of freedom.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, she has been in the Heavenly Palace for three years.
For the past three years, she had been under the control of the Empress Dowager. Under the strict discipline of various rules, she became dignified and elegant, and her every move was flawless. However, she also became silent and lost her former vitality.
That day, while she was learning accounting, the Dragon Clan Crown Prince Jingyi barged in.
For the past three years, Jingyi has been traveling, and the two have not yet met.
Jingyi coldly sized her up, his eyes full of disdain: "So you're the woman sent from the underworld. They all say you're powerful, beautiful, and knowledgeable. I was quite curious about you, but now that I see you, you're nothing special. Just like those women in the palace, dignified and elegant, but like a puppet, lifeless and boring. I'm very dissatisfied with you."
After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and left in a hurry.
Soon, Empress Dowager Long learned of this and summoned Ning'an, giving her a severe scolding. She complained that Ning'an couldn't hold onto her husband's heart and demanded that she take care of Jingyi's daily life and find a way to win his favor.
Ning An had no choice but to bite the bullet and take care of Jing Yi, doing all sorts of things to please him.
Jingyi was a womanizer by nature, surrounded by many beautiful fairies. The Empress Dowager doted on him, which led him to spend his days indulging in pleasure and lingering among women.
Ning An disliked him intensely. Every time she saw him reveling with a group of fairies, she felt disgusted. However, she was there for a marriage alliance and bore the great responsibility of maintaining peace in the three realms. No matter how much she disliked him, she could only endure it.
Whenever she was unhappy, she would come to that peach grove, sit under the peach trees, and play the flute in the wind.
The moment the flute begins to play, the turmoil in her heart vanishes instantly, and she feels the carefree and liberated feeling she once had.
After she finished playing a tune, she vaguely sensed someone hiding in the shadows watching her. She looked in the direction of the person and asked warily, "Who's hiding there? Come out."
The other person hesitated for a moment before emerging from behind a peach tree.
He was a man dressed in a blue robe, tall and straight, with deep-set features like a sculpture. His pupils were blue, unique and beautiful, like a pool of seawater.
He has an outstanding temperament, a slightly aloof air, and gives people a sense of distance that keeps strangers at bay.
However, his gaze towards Ning An was very gentle.
When Ning An saw him, surprise flashed in her eyes: "Wei Xun, what are you doing here?"
Wei Xun is a disciple of the Emperor of Fengdu and lives in Youdu City. They had met in the underworld before.
Unexpectedly, I actually met him in the Dragon Clan's Heavenly Palace.
Wei Xun approached her, a hint of nervousness in his eyes: "I am the second prince of the Dragon Clan. I have returned to visit my family."
Ning An recalled that Wei Xun's true form was a Azure Dragon. Due to his profound cultivation and considerable abilities, he was chosen by the gods as one of the four divine beasts and was the young city lord of Youdu City.
He had been staying in Youdu City, but little did he know that his true identity was the second prince of the Dragon Clan.
Ning An had stayed in the Heavenly Palace for a while and had heard people mention that the previous Dragon Emperor had an Empress and a Consort.
The Dragon Emperor doted on that concubine, and she gave birth to a son, the Second Prince.
However, the second prince traveled abroad for many years and rarely returned. After the previous Dragon Emperor died, his favorite concubine was heartbroken and followed him in death. The second prince never returned to the Heavenly Palace, so much so that many people in the Dragon Palace did not recognize him.
Ning An had never connected Wei Xun with the second prince of the Dragon Clan before.
She asked curiously, "You are the second prince of the Dragon Clan, so why don't you serve in the Heavenly Palace on Penglai Immortal Island, but instead work under the Emperor of Fengdu?"
Wei Xun truthfully replied: "After I was born, I had a special constitution and could not practice some of the magic of the dragon race. I was more suited to the cultivation path of the underworld. My father sent me to Youdu City to become the master of the Fengdu Emperor. I liked life in Youdu City very much and settled there. I only return to the Heavenly Palace on major holidays."
"I see."
After chatting for a while, the two grew closer and sat side by side under the peach tree. After talking about the underworld, Wei Xun looked at her with some heartache and said, "I heard that the Empress Dowager is particularly strict with you and has sent many celestial servants to keep an eye on you. My brother also has a bad temper and is a womanizer. He has too many beautiful fairies around him. You must have a hard time trying to please them."
Hearing this, Ning An felt a pang of sadness.
The people in the Heavenly Palace were not friendly to her. She had no friends, no one to confide in, and no one to understand her. This was the first time someone had taken the initiative to understand her situation and forgive her misfortunes.
Faced with Wei Xun's concern, she gave a forced smile: "Although it's a bit tough, I can still persevere. I believe that sincerity will be reciprocated. As long as I treat them sincerely, one day they will be moved by me and treat me well."
Wei Xun's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of heartache in them, but considering something, he didn't say much. He simply said gently, "The Empress Dowager and my brother aren't bad people. You're so good. One day, they will see your goodness and accept you."
He encouraged her.
Ning An felt a little better.
From then on, when Ning An played the flute in the peach grove, she would often encounter Wei Xun. Sometimes Wei Xun would stand aside and watch her silently, and sometimes he would come out and chat with her.
With Wei Xun by her side, Ning An's life became less oppressive.
Several years passed like this until one day, Ning An went to Jing Yi's palace to bring him osmanthus cake.
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