Chapter 8 The Third Emperor
"Girl? Girl?"
The familiar voice startled Shen Fangru awake once more. She opened her eyes abruptly and found herself standing before the jade steps of the Prefectural Governor's Mansion once more, the apricot blossom embroidery on her moon-white dress shimmering slightly in the sunlight.
"This is... the third time," she murmured to herself, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the purple jade prayer beads on her wrist. This time, she noticed with keen awareness that two beads were missing; the original eighteen-bead string now only had sixteen.
Fangru's heart sank. Did each rebirth reduce her prayer beads by one? Did that mean... her chances of rebirth were limited?
"Is the young lady feeling unwell?" the maid beside her asked worriedly, her voice exactly the same as in her previous life.
Fangru took a deep breath, suppressing the memories surging in her chest.
The first time, she was forcibly taken into the palace by Zhou Ling and watched helplessly as Gu Zhou was killed by Li Zuo; the second time, she successfully negotiated with Zhou Ling, but was stabbed in the back by Lin Yueyao just as she was about to leave with Gu Zhou...
"I'm fine," she replied softly, her gaze sweeping over the familiar surroundings.
The noble ladies still walked in twos and threes, some adjusting their hairpins and others whispering among themselves.
Meanwhile, by a distant pillar, Lin Yueyao was casually glancing in their direction, her seemingly gentle eyes concealing a poisoned dagger.
Fangru quickly looked away, her heart pounding in her chest. This time, she would never make the same mistake again.
"Why is Miss Chen still here? The banquet is about to begin." The official's voice came from behind, exactly the same urging he remembered.
She discreetly concealed her sleeves, her gaze sweeping over the jeweled ladies filling the hall, before heading straight for the garden.
The lessons she learned from the previous two experiences made her realize that although Zhou Ling was cruel, at least he kept his word; while the seemingly weak Lin Yueyao was the real deadly viper.
The hall was brightly lit, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.
Fangru lifted her skirt as she walked through the bustling crowd, her mind vividly recalling memories from her past life. Zhou Ling would always go to the garden pavilion alone halfway through the banquet, which was her only chance to talk to him privately away from everyone else.
The night breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, and she quickened her pace as she walked out of the courtyard.
As I turned past a carved pillar, I suddenly caught a glimpse of Zhao Mingde holding a glass of scarlet wine, leaning against the vermilion railing of the only way to pass, his eyes gleaming with ill intent.
Sure enough, he was waiting for her with that glass of wine in his hand.
“Miss Zhao.” Fangru smiled just the right amount of her smile, and before the other party could react, her fingertips subtly traced the edge of the glass cup.
The wine suddenly changed direction, spreading like ink from her chest down to the hem of her skirt. A few drops even splashed onto her carefully applied makeup, leaving comical red streaks among the powder.
"Oh!"
An uproar ensued.
"You!" Zhao Mingde stood there dumbfounded, his wine glass falling to the ground with a "clatter".
Fangru feigned surprise and covered her mouth: "Miss Zhao, how could you be so careless?" Her voice was clear and bright, attracting the attention of the noble ladies around her. "Could it be that this glass cup is too heavy and you can't hold it steady?"
"It was clearly you..."
"What's wrong with me?" Fangru stepped forward, her moon-white skirt sweeping across the wine stains on the ground. "I've been standing here without moving." Her almond-shaped eyes scanned the surroundings. "Did all of you ladies see me?"
Several noble ladies who had been bullied by Zhao Mingde lowered their heads and suppressed their laughter.
Su Wanqing, who was standing to the side, burst out laughing: "Sister Zhao's 'red makeup' today is quite unique."
Zhao Mingde's face turned from red to green, and Fangru had already turned and left.
Upon reaching the garden, the daughter of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was still dressed in her finest attire, just as she had in her previous life, and was preparing flower wine with a glass cup in hand.
Looking at Lin Yueyao, who was being fawned over by everyone, Fangru suddenly felt bored.
Memories of her past life surged through her mind; she had already foreseen Lin Yueyao's fate.
Whether she continues to be obsessed with Zhou Ling or chooses Xu Ziqian, she will ultimately meet a tragic end.
Why bother taking revenge on her?
Fangru walked straight past her without stopping.
"Miss Shen, are you in such a hurry to find your fiancé who is now a prisoner?" Lin Yueyao suddenly stepped forward, blocking her way.
"Get out of my way." Fangru's voice was eerily calm. "I have no interest in playing with you."
"Miss Chen, are you truly not going to do me the honor?" Lin Yueyao lightly twirled the glass cup in her fingertips, and the pink and white petals inside suddenly surged. "My wine is infused with the tears of mermaids from the South China Sea; after drinking it, your skin will..."
The wine in the cup suddenly churned violently, and wisps of scarlet red liquid spiraled upwards from the bottom of the cup as if they were alive.
To everyone's astonishment, the red threads intertwined on the surface of the wine to form a hideous ghost face!
"Ah!" Lin Yueyao screamed and let go. With a crisp sound as the glass cup fell to the ground, the ghostly face, along with the splashed wine, rushed towards her crimson skirt. Wherever it passed, the golden peony pattern instantly faded to a ghastly white.
Su Wanqing slowly took out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, feigning surprise as she covered her mouth and laughed, "Sister Lin, don't panic, this is just a 'cinnabar play' from the Western Regions." She bent down to wipe Lin Yueyao's skirt, and where the handkerchief brushed, the faded peony gradually blushed into pink petal shapes. "It changes color when it comes into contact with wine, making it perfect for adding some color to your dress, Sister."
The noble ladies watching suddenly realized that Su Wanqing must have tampered with the wine earlier.
The crowd couldn't help but laugh, and some even burst out laughing.
Lin Yueyao was so angry that she trembled all over. She frantically wiped the marks off her face, but the more she wiped, the worse they became, and her face quickly turned red and white in patches.
"Oh dear, look at my memory." Su Wanqing blinked as if annoyed. "This mark can only be wiped off with milk." She turned to Fangru and winked playfully. "Miss Chen, didn't we agree to go see the epiphyllum? If we don't go now, we'll miss it."
Su Wanqing tried to leave with Shen Fangru, but Lin Yueyao rushed up, quickly walked in front of Su Wanqing, and raised her hand to slap Su Wanqing across the face.
"Smack!"
A loud slap rang out, but Fangru had already grabbed Lin Yueyao's wrist first.
She was originally behind Su Wanqing, but when she saw Lin Yueyao coming over aggressively, she took a step forward and grabbed Lin Yueyao's raised wrist with her five fingers.
"Shen Fangru!" Lin Yueyao screamed, "How dare you..."
"What would I dare to do?" Fangru's voice was as cold as ice, and her grip tightened even more. "Miss Lin committed a crime in public, and now you're questioning me?"
Upon seeing this, Zhao Mingde immediately rushed forward: "Shen Fangru, let go!" She reached out to pull Fangru's hair, but Su Wanqing grabbed her wrist.
“Miss Zhao,” Su Wanqing said with a smile, stepping between the two men, her fingertips subtly pressing on acupoints on Zhao Mingde’s wrist, “Tonight is the Xuanji Banquet, which His Majesty will be attending in person.” Her voice was soft, but the pressure on her hand made Zhao Mingde’s face turn pale with pain. “If your nails scratch someone’s face…”
Seeing that Zhao Mingde was restrained by Su Wanqing, Fangru cleverly pulled Lin Yueyao and spun her around half a circle.
Caught off guard, Lin Yueyao stumbled and fell towards Zhao Mingde, and the two of them fell into a heap.
"Let's go!" Fangru grabbed Su Wanqing's wrist and tried to leave.
"Stop them!" Lin Yueyao's hysterical scream came from behind.
She struggled to her feet, saying, "Anyone who lets them go today is going against the Taichang Temple!"
Upon hearing this, several noble ladies who were on good terms with the Lin family immediately gathered around, lifting their skirts.
Fangru felt someone grab her shawl, and pearl buttons scattered on the ground. In the chaos, she saw Lin Yueyao grab a silver wine pot from the table and rush towards her with a contorted face.
In the nick of time, Fangru swiftly grabbed the celadon fruit plate from the table to block the attack.
Just as the porcelain plate was raised halfway into the air, a large, well-defined hand suddenly reached out from the side and gripped her wrist like an iron clamp.
"Miss Shen has quite a temper."
Zheng Yu's cold voice rang in her ears, and with a little force, her fingers went numb, and the porcelain plate crashed to the bluestone ground and shattered into several pieces.
Seeing this, Lin Yueyao stopped what she was doing, a smug look on her face.
Fangru's pupils contracted slightly. Zheng Yu? He had never been seen at the banquets of the previous two lifetimes.
"Is Lord Zheng going to bend the law for personal gain?" She forced her way up despite the pain. "Why didn't you intervene when Miss Lin committed the crime?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yu not only did not let go, but instead leaned closer: "In my eyes, I only see Miss Shen wielding a weapon to injure people."
"Lord Zheng!" Lin Yueyao cried out as if she had seen a savior, her face streaked with tears, "Shen Fangru committed a crime in public, you must do justice for me!"
Fangru was secretly alarmed. The butterfly effect had begun; her altered actions were triggering entirely new variables. She tried to pull her hand back, only to find that Zheng Yu's strength was astonishing.
Su Wanqing tried to step forward to help, but was stopped by Zhao Mingde and his men.
Fangru caught a glimpse of Lin Yueyao smugly tidying her hair out of the corner of her eye, and her anger flared up: "Lord Zheng is blind and incompetent, no wonder he's still only a sixth-rank official after five years in the Ministry of Justice!"
Zheng Yu's expression changed drastically, and the force in his hand suddenly increased: "Miss Shen's sharp tongue is best dealt with by the iron tongs in the imperial prison!"
"Zheng Langzhong has quite the airs of an official."
A lazy, deep voice came from the shadows of the corridor, startling Zheng Yu so much that he froze.
Everyone turned around and saw a tall, slender figure standing by the moon gate.
The dark patterns on the black brocade robe were faintly visible under the palace lanterns, and a golden glint flashed through the black hair tied up with a jade crown—it was a dragon-patterned gold hairpin that only the emperor could use.
Zhou Ling twirled a jade wine cup between his fingers, glancing at Zheng Yu's hand that was restraining Fang Ru with a half-smile.
The noble ladies in the garden held their breath instantly.
Lin Yueyao's crimson skirt rustled as she knelt down, while Zhao Mingde tugged at Su Wanqing's sleeve, causing her to rise and fall.
Fangru felt the grip on her wrist loosen, and Zheng Yu hurriedly withdrew his hand and bowed.
"Your humble servant..."
“I remember.” Zhou Ling slowly walked up to Zheng Yu, the tip of his boot lightly grinding against the other’s fingers lying on the ground. “The Ministry of Justice has been investigating the Jiangnan grain transport case recently? It seems that Physician Zheng has the leisure to do this…” His gaze swept over Fang Ru’s reddened wrist, “…disciplining young ladies.”
Zheng Yu pressed his forehead to the ground, not daring to make a sound, his fingers, which were being crushed, trembled slightly.
Zhou Ling suddenly bent down and pulled the silver fish-shaped pouch from Zheng Yu's waist: "The pearl on this fish-shaped pouch has been covered in dust." He casually tossed it, and the fish-shaped pouch, symbolizing his official rank, fell into the lotus pond with a "plop." "Go to the Ministry of Personnel to apologize tomorrow."
As Fangru watched Zhou Ling's fluid movements, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
"Get up, all of you." Zhou Ling waved his hand casually, but his gaze seemed to sweep over Fang Ru's flushed wrist. "I happened to be passing by and witnessed quite a show."
Just as Lin Yueyao was about to get up to serve tea, the Emperor suddenly tapped Fangru's shoulder lightly with his folding fan: "This girl..." The fan ribs paused on her wrinkled clothes, "Come with me to the Liulihua Hall to change your clothes."
The noble ladies in the garden held their breath instantly, their beautiful eyes fixed on the folding fan that was pressed against Fang's chin.
Lin Yueyao's handkerchief was almost torn apart by the twisting, and Zhao Mingde even bit his lipstick so hard that it left teeth marks. How could this disgraced official's fiancée receive the emperor's favor?
Fangru, however, was completely oblivious to the envious gazes around her.
The cool touch of the folding fan vaguely reminded her of the scene in the Imperial Study three days ago. Back then, in her second life, she became the Imperial Advisor thanks to her precognitive abilities and could freely enter and leave the Imperial Study.
At that time, he used a folding fan to lift her chin, trapping her between the desk and his chest...
Fangru's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't care about feeling embarrassed, because this was the opportunity to be alone that she had been waiting for.
Her two previous experiences of being reborn told her that she had to persuade Zhou Ling to give up taking Gu Zhou's life tonight.
"Yes, Your Majesty." She took a half step forward with a smile.
Lin Yueyao's jealous gaze felt like a thorn in her back, and Fangru obediently followed the figure in black.
Inside the glass flower hall, moonlight shines through the colorful glass window lattices, casting dappled light and shadow onto the jade floor.
As Fangru stepped into the hazy glow, a soft "click" sounded behind her as the door latch clicked shut, the sound particularly clear in the quiet hall.
"Your Majesty, regarding Gu..."
"Kneel." Zhou Ling's voice carried an undeniable authority. The hem of his dark dragon-patterned robe swept past her, carrying with it a cool, refreshing scent of ambergris.
His slender fingers rested casually on the jade paperweight on the table, his fingertips tapping the jade surface lightly.
Fangru pursed her lips and slowly knelt on the smooth jade floor.
"The evidence in Gu Zhou's case is conclusive." Zhou Ling suddenly leaned down, his oppressive aura enveloping her. "Does Miss Shen want me to show favoritism?" He picked up a strand of hair that fell around her neck with his fingertips, entwining it ambiguously between his fingers.
Fangru clenched her sleeves, her memories of her past life as clear as if carved by a knife. If it weren't for Lin Yueyao's stab in the back, she would have already taken Gu Zhou and fled far away.
Now, given another chance, she still believes that this precognitive ability will help her achieve her wish.
"This humble woman possesses the ability to foresee the future!" Fangru looked up, meeting Zhou Ling's unfathomable eyes. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "For example, right now, Cheng Jinse, daughter of the Minister of Works, is with Du Heng, son of the Vice Minister of Rites, by the Lotus Pond..."
Before the words were even finished, a splash was heard in the distance, followed by a woman's panicked scream.
Through the glass window, you can see tiny flames rapidly moving toward the edge of the pool.
Zhou Ling didn't even lift his eyelids. Instead, leaning over her, his lips almost touched her earlobe: "Someone." He casually tapped the paperweight, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive ear. "Miss Cheng fell into the water and caught a cold. She's been sent to Ciyun Nunnery to recuperate. Young Master Du..." He chuckled, a hint of danger in his voice, "Since you love playing in the water so much, transfer you to the Lingnan Navy."
Fangru trembled all over; this reaction was completely different from that in her previous life.
Just as she was about to speak, she saw Zhou Ling suddenly kneel down on one knee and look her in the eye.
"Your Majesty, aren't you curious about how I knew..." Her voice trembled slightly involuntarily.
"Shh." Zhou Ling pressed his thumb to her lips, gently caressing the rosy blush.
His eyes darkened, his voice low and hoarse: "I'm even more curious..." His other hand suddenly gripped the back of her neck, forcing her to tilt her head back, "Since Miss Shen can foresee the future..."
His nose was almost touching hers, their breaths mingling, carrying a dangerous allure: "Why don't you guess which noble lady I will choose as my concubine tonight?"
His fingertips traced the slender line of her neck, drawing suggestive circles on her collarbone. "Or..." His lips brushed against her burning earlobe, "Who will I choose to serve me in bed?"
A note from the author:
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