Empress Lin was not inactive; she was simply waiting for the perfect opportunity, one that would allow her to conceal all her actions beneath a facade of "piety."
During her confinement, she was not completely isolated from the world. Through a secret channel, unknown even to Xi Yu, she had already secretly sent a stunningly beautiful woman, whom she had meticulously trained for months, into the palace and hidden her in an abandoned side hall of the cold palace.
This woman, named Lianxing, was not only stunningly beautiful and graceful, but also bore a striking resemblance to Ayuan's deceased mother, with her eyebrows and eyes bearing a striking resemblance. Especially when she lowered her gaze, her aloof and proud demeanor was almost indistinguishable from the real thing! This was the ultimate weapon that Empress Lin had painstakingly found and secretly cultivated.
After the ban was lifted, Empress Lin used the excuse that "people need to sweep and clean before the Buddha" to transfer Lianxing from the Cold Palace to work near the Buddha Hall, where she was just an insignificant maid.
One afternoon, Xi Linghao, feeling bored while reviewing memorials, strolled to the Imperial Garden to clear his mind. It was late autumn, and the garden was desolate. His spirits were low, and he was about to turn back when he suddenly heard a clear, melancholic song coming from behind a nearby rockery:
"The autumn wind is clear, the autumn moon is bright, fallen leaves gather and scatter, crows perch and are startled again..."
The ethereal voice, carrying a hint of lingering sorrow, was particularly moving in the desolate autumn garden.
Xi Linghao paused, turning to look in the direction of the sound. Beside the artificial hill, beneath a half-withered sycamore tree, stood a woman dressed in simple palace maid attire, her back to him, sweeping fallen leaves. She was slender and graceful, her black hair flowing like clouds, held up only by a simple wooden hairpin, revealing her long, fair neck. The singing voice was coming from her.
Perhaps sensing the gaze behind him, the woman slowly turned around. When that exquisitely beautiful face, tinged with a faint sorrow, and especially those eyes that bore an uncanny resemblance to a beloved person from his memories, came into view, Xi Linghao was struck dumb, frozen in place! Memories long buried surged forth, the figure of his beloved concubine who had died young and caused him unbearable pain now overlapping with that of the lowly palace maid before him!
"Who...who are you?" Xi Linghao's voice trembled slightly.
Lianxing, like a startled fawn, hurriedly knelt down, her voice soft and trembling with fear: "This servant, Lianxing, has disturbed Your Majesty's presence; I deserve to die!" She slightly raised her face, allowing Xi Linghao to see the tears she was trying to hold back and that familiar stubbornness in her eyes.
“Lianxing…” Xi Linghao murmured the name, his gaze fixed on her as if drawn by a magnet, unable to look away. He stepped forward and helped her up. Her soft touch and her tearful, timid appearance stirred up boundless pity and a protective instinct within him. “Your singing is beautiful, don’t be alarmed. Lift your head and let me see you.”
Lianxing looked up as instructed, her eyes, so like those of her deceased lover, filled with pure admiration and a hint of helplessness, striking straight into Xi Linghao's heart. The desolate palace, his ailing body, the memories of his departed lover intertwined with the vibrant beauty before him, instantly igniting the long-dormant fire in Xi Linghao's heart.
"Come back to the palace with me." Xi Linghao's voice carried an unquestionable imperial majesty, as well as a hint of eager possessiveness.
Not far away, in a secluded pavilion, Empress Lin took in the entire scene through the carved window lattice. Watching Xi Linghao being easily captured by Lianxing, and seeing his distraught and impatient appearance, a cold and venomous smile slowly curled at the corners of her lips, like a poisonous flower blooming.
"Ha...men..." she chuckled softly, her eyes filled with deep-seated mockery and vengeful pleasure. "Even if you are the emperor, you can't escape the allure of women!" She could almost see the shock, humiliation, and pain on A-Yuan's face when he learned that his father had taken a new favorite palace maid who looked just like his mother! This was more devastating than any direct harm!
However, when her gaze inadvertently swept towards Tingzhu Garden, that fleeting sense of pleasure was instantly replaced by a deeper resentment. Xiao Chengkang! That stubborn, unyielding southern barbarian who ruined Lüyi's plan and indirectly caused her to lose Granny Lin! Why is he so devoted to Xi Lingyuan?
The thought that Ah Yuan had such a clever and devoted man by her side, while the beauty she had painstakingly offered was merely to satisfy an old man's filthy desire for a substitute for his deceased wife, ignited a burning fire of jealousy in Empress Lin's heart, almost consuming her! She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms once again.
Xi Lingyuan, your good days are numbered! Next up are you and your Prince Xiao!
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