Chapter 1 Hidden Edge
The bright red wedding sedan landed quietly in front of the side door of the prime minister's residence.
No joy.
There are no guests.
Only a few maids stood with their hands hanging down, waiting in the cold wind.
The curtain of the sedan chair was lifted by a pale hand.
Ling Zixia was wearing an old-fashioned concubine's wedding dress that didn't fit her well.
She slowly walked out of the sedan chair, holding the arm of an old maid.
The cold wind immediately filled her thin sleeves.
She shrank her shoulders slightly.
In the eyes of everyone, she seemed extremely timid.
The vermilion side door looked like a huge mouth ready to devour anyone.
The gilded plaque above the door lintel reflects the bleak winter sunlight.
The three big characters "Prime Minister's Mansion" carried an invisible pressure.
Ling Zixia lowered her eyes.
Her gaze was fixed on the bluestone slab three steps in front of her toes.
The old nanny whispered something in her ear.
Only then did she take small steps.
Her body swayed as she stepped over the high threshold.
It seemed as if a gust of wind could blow her down.
Several young maids were whispering in the distance.
There was undisguised contempt and curiosity in their eyes.
This is the daughter of the treacherous Ling family.
This is the legitimate daughter who was once engaged to the eldest son.
Now she can only enter the mansion through the side door as a concubine.
The wind blowing through the hall was mixed with their whispers.
Ling Zixia seemed to hear nothing.
She just followed the nanny who led the way in silence.
The corridors in the palace are winding and deep.
The carved beams and painted buildings are extremely luxurious.
But this wealth seems cold and unpopular.
The air was filled with the scent of precious incense.
The aroma was so strong that it was hard to breathe.
Finally they stopped in front of a brightly lit main hall.
Mammy stopped and turned to speak to her.
"Miss Ling, the Madam and the Young Master are waiting for you inside to serve tea."
Mammy's tone was businesslike.
Even with a hint of impatience.
Ling Zixia nodded slightly.
She never raised her head.
The moment you step into the main hall, you are greeted by a burst of warmth.
This was accompanied by several sharp gazes.
A woman in luxurious clothes sat in the main seat.
The woman wore a red gold phoenix hairpin on her head.
She was wearing a long brocade jacket with a crimson purple pattern of twined Baoxiang flowers.
Her face is well-maintained.
There was a mean smile on the corner of his mouth.
I guess this person is Li Ruolan, the mistress of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
A young man with a stern face stood beside Li Ruolan.
The man was wearing a moon-white brocade robe.
There was a jade pendant of excellent quality tied around his waist.
His eyebrows and eyes are somewhat similar to the outline of those years.
But he has long lost the youthfulness of his youth.
All that remains is the indifference that keeps people at a distance.
He is Zhao Wenxuan.
Her former fiancé.
Her current husband.
Zhao Wenxuan's gaze lingered on her for a brief moment.
There was no emotion in that look.
It was as if I was just looking at an insignificant object.
Ling Zixia slowly walked to the center of the hall.
She prepared to kneel down and salute according to the rules.
Li Ruolan spoke at this moment.
"Wait a minute."
Her voice was not loud.
But with an unquestionable majesty.
The whole hall suddenly became quiet.
Even the crackling of the burning charcoal in the corner could be heard clearly.
Ling Zixia's knees stopped in mid-air.
She maintained that humiliating posture.
Li Ruolan picked up the teacup at hand.
She gently skimmed off the foam with the cup lid.
"The Prime Minister's residence is not like an ordinary family."
Her voice was slow and measured.
"Everything must be done according to the rules."
Ling Zixia still kept her head down.
Listen to her instructions in silence.
"Now that you have entered my Zhao family, you should forget your previous identity."
Li Ruolan put down the teacup.
The teacup made a slight sound as it hit the table.
"Your father committed a heinous crime."
This sentence is like a needle.
Accurately stabbed Ling Zixia's heart.
Her body trembled almost imperceptibly.
This subtle movement did not escape Li Ruolan's eyes.
The smile on Li Ruolan's lips deepened.
She just wanted to see her in pain.
"The emperor has shown mercy and allowed you to enter the palace as a concubine. This is already a great blessing."
"You should always be grateful for the divine grace and be vigilant at all times."
"We must not make any more mistakes."
The maidservant beside Li Ruolan immediately understood.
A maid named "Huamei" came up with a tray.
There was a celadon tea bowl on the tray.
The bowl was half filled with dark brown tea.
A strange medicinal smell filled the air.
The smell was definitely not ordinary tea.
Huamei walked up to Ling Zixia.
She looked down at her.
"Miss Ling, this is the formal tea that Madam specially prepared for you."
"Only after drinking this cup of tea can you be considered a member of my residence."
Huamei's tone was full of superiority.
The maids and servants around held their breath.
They all knew that this bowl of tea was definitely not simple.
This is the first rule the lady sets for the new concubine.
It is also the most severe warning.
It is said that this tea contains croton oil which can cause diarrhea.
It can also make you feel weak for several days.
There have been disobedient concubines who have been punished in this way before.
From then on, he never dared to act rashly in front of his wife again.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Ling Zixia.
They wanted to see how the daughter of a guilty minister would respond.
Crying and begging for mercy.
Still drank it in humiliation.
Ling Zixia slowly raised her head.
This was the first time she looked up since entering the hall.
Only then did everyone see her appearance clearly.
Her face looked extremely pale because she had not seen the sun for many years.
His facial features were delicate but he looked sickly.
Beneath the long eyelashes are a pair of calm eyes.
There was no trace of fear or anger in those eyes.
There was only a dead silence.
Her eyes swept over the bowl of tea.
The nose moved slightly.
Croton cream, and senna leaves for bowel cleansing.
Even a little bit of astragalus root is added to it, which can cause qi deficiency.
The dosage is clever.
It was enough to keep her in bed for three to five days without any obvious injuries being detected.
Li Ruolan's methods are indeed cruel.
Zhao Wenxuan didn't say a word from beginning to end.
He just watched it all coldly.
It was as if what was happening before his eyes had nothing to do with him.
He acquiesced to his mother's behavior.
Or maybe he didn't care about the life or death of the daughter of a guilty minister at all.
A hint of sneer appeared in Ling Zixia's heart.
Ten years.
Zhao Wenxuan is still the same as before.
Always stand on the side of the strong.
Always choose the position that is most beneficial to you.
Huamei saw that she was not moving for a long time.
The expression on his face began to become impatient.
"Miss Ling, please."
Her voice rose a few notches.
With obvious urging and threat.
Ling Zixia stretched out her hand.
Her wrist was so thin that it seemed as if it would break if bent.
The fingertips turned slightly white due to nervousness.
This was her deliberate display of cowardice.
Her fingertips touched the cool wall of the celadon bowl.
That moment.
A barely perceptible breath passed from her fingertips into the tea bowl.
No one noticed this detail.
Everyone just saw her pick up the bowl of tea.
Her movements were slow.
His hands seemed to be still shaking slightly.
The tea in the bowl swayed gently.
Li Ruolan leaned back in her chair.
She admired Ling Zixia's struggling and helpless look.
This is exactly the effect she wants.
This remnant of the Ling family must be made aware of his position from the moment he enters the door.
She wanted to make her wag her tail and beg for mercy in the prime minister's mansion like a dog.
Ling Zixia raised the tea bowl to her lips.
A strong smell of medicine hit my nose.
She closed her eyes.
Then raise your head.
She drank the dark brown liquid in the bowl in one gulp.
Not a drop left.
She drank it down in neat gulps.
It even exceeded everyone's expectations.
Huamei was stunned for a moment.
The smile on Li Ruolan's face also froze.
They all thought she would hesitate.
Will beg.
Even crying.
But she didn't.
She accepted it calmly.
After Ling Zixia finished drinking, she handed the empty bowl back to Huamei.
Her movements remained steady.
But his face seemed paler than before.
She dropped her eyes again.
She bowed towards Li Ruolan.
"Thank you, Madam, for the tea."
Her voice was very soft.
With a hint of weak hoarseness.
But he spoke clearly.
The hall was silent.
Everyone waited to see her next reaction.
According to the time of onset of the drug.
She should soon have severe abdominal pain.
Then he knelt on the ground and begged for mercy in a desperate manner.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Ten breaths passed.
Ling Zixia still knelt there quietly.
She has a thin figure.
But it stands straight.
Like a stubborn grass in the cold wind.
Time passes by little by little.
The expected scene did not happen.
She showed no sign of pain.
There were no signs of discomfort.
Even on her originally pale face.
For some reason, a healthy blush appeared on her face.
Her breathing was steady and long.
He looked even more energetic than when he first entered.
Li Ruolan's brows gradually furrowed.
This is not right.
Something is very wrong.
Could it be that the kitchen staff got the dosage wrong?
She glanced at the maid beside her calmly.
The maid also looked confused and puzzled.
She put the medicine in with her own eyes.
There is absolutely no mistake.
Huamei stood aside holding an empty bowl.
She also noticed the strange atmosphere.
She secretly observed Ling Zixia.
I found that the other person's kneeling posture on the ground was very standard.
There was no reluctance or trembling at all.
How is this possible?
A delicate woman drank such a bowl of stuff.
How come there is no reaction at all?
Zhao Wenxuan's originally indifferent look finally showed a ripple.
He looked away from the scroll.
The first time it really fell on the new concubine.
He looked at her slender back.
There was a hint of inquiry and doubt in his eyes.
Ling Zixia could feel the scrutinizing gaze behind her.
The "rules tea" in her body had long been transformed.
A harsh laxative becomes a gentle tonic.
The dry and harsh nature of croton frost is reversed into a driving force for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.
The coldness of senna leaves is transformed into a warming current that soothes the liver and regulates qi.
That little bit of Astragalus becomes a good medicine for replenishing qi and strengthening the exterior.
A warm current was flowing slowly through her limbs.
It dispelled the coldness that she had contracted when she got off the sedan chair.
Her body had never felt so comfortable.
Li Ruolan finally couldn't sit still anymore.
She couldn't tolerate things getting out of her control.
"you……"
She was about to ask.
Zhao Wenxuan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stood up.
He took a step forward.
He walked slowly towards Ling Zixia who was kneeling in the middle of the hall.
Everyone's heart was in their throat.
I don’t know what this young master, who never shows his emotions, is going to do.
Zhao Wenxuan stopped in front of Ling Zixia.
His shadow completely enveloped her petite body.
Ling Zixia didn't look up.
She just waited quietly.
Zhao Wenxuan looked at her black hair.
There was silence for a moment.
Then.
He spoke slowly.
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