"Let her in." He wanted to see if the chess piece that Hongxiu had sent over was really like Achen, as rumored.
No one can replace Ah Chen!
Miao Nanyan and others waited outside the palace. Ever since her elder sister Miao Nanchen, who was the Queen of Beiliang, died, she was sent to the palace because she looked very similar to Miao Nanchen.
Today is her first time stepping into the Northern Liang Imperial Palace. Everything here is different from Hongxiu; it is so cold and so unfamiliar.
She was waiting outside, dressed in a white wedding gown and wearing a white veil.
For Baili Yingfeng, today was nothing special, but for her, it was her wedding day.
She and her older sister Miao Nanchen were both from the Red Sleeve Kingdom, but the elder sister Miao Nanchen was the legitimate daughter of the family and the most noble person in the clan. She grew up in luxury and was pampered and protected by everyone.
Miao Nanyan was merely a concubine's daughter born to a lowly maid. She was able to enter the Northern Liang royal family as a concubine simply because she resembled her elder sister. Her sisters in the clan all said that she was born with a lowly fate but was fortunate enough to be blessed by Miao Nanchen.
However, she was also an important link between Beiliang and Hongxiu. After Miao Nanchen's death, the attitude of her family members towards her changed subtly. Hongxiu needed Beiliang's products and gold and silver, and they concluded that the king of Beiliang needed Miao Nanyan, or rather, a woman who looked like Miao Nanchen.
She knew her life was worthless, she was nothing more than a pawn. She sighed softly; now, her life no longer belonged entirely to her.
Miao Nanyan had been standing outside all afternoon. Her veil and jewelry were very heavy, and the weather was very hot. She felt a little dizzy and unsteady on her feet.
"Your Highness, the King requests your presence."
"Thank you." Miao Nanyan thanked them politely. Behind her were two maids from the Red Sleeve Kingdom, one holding Miao Nanyan's dress and the other carrying a plate of snacks.
As the group walked into the palace, it was very hot outside, but as Miao Nanyan entered the corridor, she felt a chill, and her heart instantly turned ice-cold.
She couldn't help but tremble. She walked around the corridor and arrived at the main hall, where she saw the man sitting in the main seat.
Is this the king of Northern Liang?
The man wore a long black robe, his hair was tied up with a jade crown, his eyebrows were like swords, his eyes were like stars, his face was resolute and angular, and he exuded a cold aura that kept strangers away.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." Miao Nanyan, holding pastries, knelt before Baili Yingfeng.
Baili Yingfeng casually looked up at her, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment when he saw her.
"Ah Chen?!" Baili Yingfeng looked at him in shock. Overjoyed, he strode to Miao Nanyan's side and embraced her in disbelief.
Miao Nanyan neither moved nor spoke.
The main hall was so quiet that only the breathing of the King of Beiliang could be heard.
Baili Yingfeng felt that the person in his arms was not warm at all. He suddenly realized that this person only had a physical appearance just like Achen.
This isn't Achen, this isn't...
"No, no, you're not Achen!" Baili Yingfeng pushed the woman in his arms away, and Miao Nanyan fell to the ground.
"Who told you to dress like this?!" Baili Yingfeng looked at Miao Nanyan and grabbed her neck tightly.
“Your Majesty, Hongxiu’s daughters all wear this white wedding dress when they get married,” Miao Nanyan said with difficulty.
"Do you think you can replace Ah Chen just because you look like her?!"
"Who gave you the right to test me?!"
"What I despise most is a woman who tries to figure out what I'm thinking!"
"Get out of my sight!" Baili Yingfeng released his grip on Miao Nanyan's neck, leaving red marks on her fair skin.
Miao Nanyan desperately held back the tears welling up in her eyes, refusing to let them fall.
She bit her lip, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
She knew that the King of Beiliang had deep feelings for her elder sister, but she never expected him to be so violent.
[So be it. Her life is destined to be so tragic. What is she still hoping for?]
[It would be better to be dead.]
Miao Nanyan's eyes were vacant, her whole body ached, and she staggered out of the main hall, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"Your Highness..." Two maids supported her, hesitant to speak, unable to offer any words of comfort.
She turned to look at the two maids and thought of the people from her hometown.
Once she arrived in Beiliang, her life was no longer her own. If she were to commit suicide, her clan would certainly not let her go, nor would they let her younger brother go.
...
As she stepped out of the main hall, a small white figure suddenly bumped into her, and a soft little hand tugged at the hem of her dress.
She looked down and saw a child dressed in a white brocade robe with a small dagger hanging at his waist. The child was about five years old, small and very cute.
However, a blue snake with patterns all over its body was coiled around his leg. The snake was flicking its tongue and showing its fangs, looking extremely fierce.
The Northern Liang region is located near the northern frontier, and its geographical conditions are harsh. Even though palace servants in the royal palace use medicine to treat poisonous creatures, there are still some venomous snakes, shoes, and other such things that slip through the net.
The child held a dagger in his hand and dared not move.
"Don't move," Miao Nanyan said softly.
She took out poison powder from her sleeve, and with a wave of her hand, the snake swayed and fell down.
"Don't be afraid, it's alright now." Miao Nanyan patted the child's head.
The Miao clan is skilled in using Gu poison, and they are often poisoned by it. Therefore, they carry poison powder with them at all times, both for self-rescue and self-protection.
"Fairy sister is so amazing!" The child breathed a sigh of relief, sheathed the dagger back into its scabbard at his waist, and grinned at Miao Nanyan as he turned around.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
