Chapter 1: Soul Broken in the Palace Wall, Swallow Falls to the South of the Yangtze River
The night in the Forbidden City always carries an indelible chill.
In the side hall of Shufangzhai, flickering candlelight shattered the shadows on the wall, reflecting the current mood of those within. The air was thick with the bitter, choking smell of medicine, yet it couldn't suppress the faint, almost imperceptible scent of life passing away.
Little Swallow lay in bed, covered in a thick, brocade quilt, yet still felt as cold as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Her cheeks were translucently pale, her large, once lively eyes now half-closed, sunken in the eye sockets. Her long lashes, stained with wet tears, trembled slightly with her weak breaths. Her voice, once full of energy, was now thin and shrill, and every word she spoke seemed to exhaust all her strength.
Beside the bed, Mingyue and Caixia were already weeping uncontrollably, their red eyes fixed on the person on the bed, yet they dared not touch, fearing that if they did, the last breath of life would dissipate. Mingyue tightly grasped Xiaoyanzi's cold hand, her fingertips rubbing the bulging veins on the back of her hand, and choked out a sob, "Princess... please hold on a little longer... The imperial physician said... there's still hope..."
Xiaoyanzi struggled to move her eyes, her gaze sweeping across Mingyue's red rims, then to Yongqi, who stood beside the bed, dressed in a dark brocade robe but unable to conceal his haggard appearance. His lips were pursed, his jawline set tight, and his eyes were filled with surging pain and despair. His tall figure trembled slightly in the candlelight, but he fought hard to hold back the tears.
"Yongqi..." Her voice was as light as a feather, with heavy breathing, "Don't... don't cry..."
When he turned his gaze again, he saw Ziwei, who was crying bitterly. Erkang was half-supporting her, her clothes wet with tears. She held Xiaoyanzi's other hand, her fingertips cold: "Xiaoyanzi...you will be fine...we still want to watch the peach blossoms together...you said..."
Erkang stood beside Ziwei, his usually straight spine was slightly hunched, and there was deep weakness in his eyes. His Adam's apple rolled, but he could not say a word. He could only nod vigorously, as if he was cheering Ziwei up, or as if he was trying to convince himself.
In the shadows of the doorway, Liu Qing and Liu Hong stood side by side. Liu Hong had already collapsed from crying, and Liu Qing held her tightly. Liu Hong's eyes were red, and his fists were clenched, his knuckles white. The man of the underworld who always said, "If the sky falls, I'll hold it up," now faced with life and death, was filled with only bitterness and resentment. Jinsuo stood behind them, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, tears streaming silently.
Xiaoyanzi's eyes slowly swept over each familiar face. The years of laughter, playfulness, tears, and struggles flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern. She wanted to raise her hand to touch Ziwei's face, to pat Yongqi's shoulder, to say "thank you" to Liu Qing and Liu Hong, but her limbs felt heavy as if filled with lead, and she couldn't even move her fingertips.
"I... am leaving..." Her breathing grew weaker and weaker, her chest rising and falling like a candle in the wind. "I can't... stay with you anymore..." The light in her eyes dimmed little by little, but she managed to curl the corners of her lips, revealing a smile that was more forced than crying. "If... there is a next life... I will... I will definitely find you..."
After saying this, she took one last look out the window at the palace walls, stained white by the moonlight. The last trace of nostalgia in her eyes gradually faded away, as she held Mingyue and Ziwei's hands, which fell limply.
"Princess——!" Mingyue's shrill cry broke the dead silence in the hall.
"Little Swallow——!" Ziwei collapsed in Erkang's arms, crying inconsolably.
Yongqi suddenly knelt down beside the bed, tightly holding the cold hand. The sob that had been suppressed for a long time finally burst out of his throat, carrying with it a heart-wrenching pain.
Upon seeing this, the young eunuch guarding outside the palace turned pale and ran, stumbling all the way to the Yangxin Palace. His sharp voice echoed in the silent palace road, shattering the sleep of countless nights: "Princess Huanzhu... has passed away! Princess Huanzhu has passed away!"
…
cold.
It was so freezing cold that it felt like being submerged in ice water, and even the cracks between bones were chilled.
Xiaoyanzi's consciousness drifted in a haze, her ears filled with muffled cries and the cold call of "She's passed away." She was dead? Really dead... That was good. Finally, she wouldn't be trapped within these palace walls anymore, no longer living in fear, no longer having to worry about her...
But the next second, a warm breath suddenly enveloped her, like a quilt that had been exposed to the sun on a spring day, with a faint scent of orchid, dispelling the bone-chilling cold.
A sweet fragrance lingered at the tip of my nose, not the bitter medicinal smell of the palace, nor the dull sandalwood, but a fresh, vibrant scent. The touch beneath me was soft and delicate, like the finest silk quilt, warm enough to make me want to indulge.
She struggled to open her heavy eyelids, and the glaring light made her squint subconsciously.
This is not the dim side hall of Shufangzhai.
The carved wooden windows stood open, letting sunlight stream in through the lattices, casting dappled shadows on the floor. Fine dust particles drifted in the air. Outside, the clear chirping of birds and the faint sound of flowing water drifted by. The room was small, but elegantly and warmly decorated. Several ink-and-wash orchid sketches hung on the walls, and a mother-of-pearl-inlaid bronze mirror sat on the dressing table. Next to it, a celadon vase held two fresh white orchids, the source of the fragrance.
Where is this?
"Ci'er? Ci'er, are you awake?" A gentle female voice sounded in my ears, with unconcealable joy and concern.
Xiaoyanzi rolled her eyes and saw a woman sitting beside the bed, wearing a lake blue skirt embroidered with magnolia flowers. She was about thirty years old, with a gentle and beautiful face and a faint smile in the corners of her eyes. She was looking at her worriedly and reached out to gently touch her forehead. "That's great, the fever is finally gone. How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?"
The woman's fingertips were warm and soft, with a faint scent of powder. The touch was strange yet inexplicably intimate.
"Ci'er?" Xiaoyanzi opened her mouth. Her throat was a little dry, but the voice she made was not the hoarse voice she was familiar with. Instead, it was a crisp, girlish tone. It was so strange that she was stunned.
"Silly child, are you confused from sleep?" The woman was amused by her cute appearance, and the worry in her eyes dissipated a lot. She reached out and smoothed the hair on her forehead, her movements as gentle as a spring breeze. "I'm your mother. A few days ago, you were chasing butterflies in the yard and got caught in a sudden rain. You developed a high fever, which scared your parents and your brother."
mother?
Xiaoyanzi stared blankly at the woman before her, her mind a mess. Her mother... hadn't she passed away long ago? When she was still an orphan on the streets, she only remembered a vague image of her mother...
"Water..." She uttered a word subconsciously.
"Hey, I'll pour it for you right away." The woman quickly stood up and took a celadon bowl from the pearwood table next to her. She then picked up a small silver spoon, scooped a spoonful of warm water, tested the temperature, and carefully brought it to her mouth. "Drink slowly. Your fever has just subsided, so don't drink too quickly."
The warm water slid down her throat, refreshing and refreshing, with a hint of sweetness, clearing her chaotic mind a little. She looked at the woman's gentle profile, the elegant room, and the moon-white nightgown embroidered with lotus flowers. An absurd but irresistible thought suddenly rushed into her mind.
She moved her fingers. They were slender and fair, and although they had a bit of paleness from illness, they were intact. There were no calluses left by years of martial arts training, nor were there any scars from palace fighting.
This is not her hand.
"Mother..." She spoke tentatively, her voice still clear but trembling, "Where...where am I?"
"At our home, the Fang Mansion in Jiangnan." The woman put down the bowl, sat down beside the bed, held her hand, and her eyes were so gentle that tears could drip from her eyes. "Ci'er, you have a severe fever. Could it be that your brain is burned out? You don't even recognize your home?"
Jiangnan Fang Mansion? Ci'er?
Xiaoyanzi's mind buzzed, as if thunder had exploded. She remembered hearing Xiao Jian say in her past life that their father's surname was Fang, a scholar from Jiangnan named Fang Zhihang... Could it be...
At this moment, the door was gently pushed open, and a tall young man in a green robe walked in. He was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with handsome features, gentle eyes, and a faint smile on his lips. Seeing that Xiaoyanzi on the bed had woken up, his eyes lit up and he walked over quickly: "Sister, are you awake? How are you feeling?"
His voice was calm and pleasant, carrying the concern of an older brother.
Xiaoyanzi looked at his face. The outline between his eyebrows and eyes looked very much like the taciturn brother in her memory who always protected her secretly - Xiao Jian! No, it was Fang Yan!
"Brother..." she blurted out, her voice trembling with disbelief.
"Hey, I'm here." Fang Yan responded with a smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair, his movements natural and intimate. "The doctor said you just caught a cold, and you'll be fine after a few days of rest. You've made your parents very worried these days. Don't be so reckless in the future and don't even know to hide from the rain."
Sister...Father and Mother...Jiangnan Fang Mansion...Fang Yan...
Countless pieces of information collided and merged in my mind, fragments of memories belonging to "Fang Ci" flooding back like a tide—she was the eldest daughter of the Fang family in Jiangnan. Her father, Fang Zhihang, was a renowned local scholar, her mother was gentle and virtuous, and her brother, Fang Yan, was both civil and military. The family of four lived a peaceful and happy life in Jiangnan. She was fifteen years old, nicknamed "Little Swallow." She was lively, playful, and cheerful. A few days ago, she caught a fever after being caught in the rain and remained unconscious for two days and two nights.
She... was reborn?
Instead of taking his last breath within the cold palace walls, he returned to... the age of fifteen, to the Fang family in Jiangnan where his parents were still alive and his brother was by his side?
Tears welled up without warning, not out of sadness, but out of sheer shock and ecstasy. She looked at her gentle mother, her smiling brother, the vibrant room, the warmth of the blankets and the sweet fragrance of flowers in the air. All the grievances she had endured within the palace walls, the loved ones she had lost, the regrets she had left behind, now melted into scalding tears, falling softly.
"Why are you crying?" Her mother quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and asked distressedly, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Little Swallow shook her head vigorously, grabbed her mother's hand, and looked at her brother again. Her eyes were blurred with tears, but a big, tearful smile appeared on her lips. Her clear voice was filled with the joy of surviving a disaster: "No... I'm not feeling uncomfortable... Mom, brother, I'm fine... I'm just... I'm just so happy..."
Glad she's alive.
Glad she's back with her family.
She is happy that in this life, she has the opportunity to protect them and live a different life.
The sun shone brightly outside the window, the fragrance of orchids drifted in the air, and birdsong rang out. The era of Princess Huanzhu had ended, but the new life of Fang Ci from Jiangnan had just begun. In this life, she didn't want to enter the palace again, didn't want to be embroiled in disputes. She only wanted to stay by her parents and brother's side, to preserve this peace and live a good life.
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