Chapter One: The Beginning

After the Beginning of Autumn, several consecutive rains swept away the oppressive heat of summer, and the air turned noticeably colder in the mornings and evenings.

The Jianzhang Palace, nestled halfway up a mountainside and surrounded by lush, emerald trees, was originally a summer retreat for the imperial clan. Now, with the rain, it felt all the more desolate and cold.

Inside the main chamber of Sweet Osmanthus Courtyard, Wei Baofu sat on the bed, her long hair loose, a thin quilt wrapped around her shoulders. Her face was still etched with the terror of having survived a disaster.

Perhaps the fear of death from her previous life was something she could never truly let go.

Fortunately, she was skilled at concealing her emotions; none of her attendants noticed anything amiss.

Pulling back the quilt, Wei Baofu slowly got out of bed and walked to the table to pour herself a cup of water.

As the cool water touched her lips, she instinctively frowned—it was cold, almost startlingly so.

But at her core, she never considered herself someone of noble fragility. She didn’t find it hard to endure such discomforts.

“Madam, shall we come in to help you wash and dress?” came the respectful voice of Bingxin from outside the door, perhaps having heard movement within.

Though Wei Baofu now lived with the Empress Dowager far from the imperial palace, her life was not difficult. After all, she was the Empress Dowager’s only legitimate granddaughter, and though the current emperor was merely the Empress Dowager’s adopted son, Wei Baofu’s status remained high above most.

Yet, perhaps due to past experiences, she valued her privacy greatly and did not like attendants hovering about her at all hours.

“Come in,” she replied. Her voice, still husky from sleep, was gentle and calm.

In this Jianzhang Palace, there were only two mistresses. To the palace staff, Princess Kangping was a gentle yet dignified master.

At her words, her two senior maids, Bingxin and Yuhu, led the way in, followed by a group of younger maids carrying all necessary items.

Though many entered, the room remained orderly and silent; etiquette and discipline were ingrained in these women.

Watching their movements, Wei Baofu was reminded of the costume dramas she had filmed in her previous life—those paled in comparison to the genuine decorum she saw here. The true power and majesty of the imperial family was beyond the imagination of those who had never witnessed it firsthand.

She sat quietly while Bingxin and Yuhu attended to her. Only after she was fully dressed did she exhale softly.

Staring at her blurred reflection in the bronze mirror, she was momentarily lost in thought.

Yuhu, deftly arranging her hair, smiled and said, “Madam, your beauty surpasses even what it was before. When we return to the capital, I doubt any noble lady will be able to outshine you…”

Bingxin immediately interrupted, “Mind your tongue—always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Our mistress spoils you too much, letting you say whatever you please.”

Bingxin feared that Wei Baofu might be hurt by such words. After all, in this palace, everyone knew it was still uncertain whether the Empress Dowager and the princess would be allowed to return to the capital.

Wei Baofu smiled faintly, dimples blooming on her cheeks, her beauty even more radiant. “There’s no need to worry. If such words could upset me, I would be far too fragile.”

She spoke gently to Bingxin, who well knew her mistress’s kindness. In Bingxin’s eyes, there was nothing wrong with her lady; yet she suffered such cold treatment in the palace, and sometimes Bingxin’s heart ached for her.

Yuhu was lively by nature, and Wei Baofu rarely restrained her. Though sometimes brash, she was clever and perceptive.

Feigning lightheartedness, Yuhu said, “No one can dim our mistress’s brilliance. This situation is only temporary.”

All the attendants agreed—her future shone, and their own prospects were tied to hers.

The room grew quiet. Wei Baofu simply smiled, saying nothing more.

At that moment, Madam Qian lifted the curtain and entered. Her expression was calm. She first bowed respectfully to Wei Baofu.

Wei Baofu quickly had Bingxin help her up, but she did not say “no need for courtesy”—keeping to protocol benefited everyone.

Madam Qian straightened, her face betraying no emotion. Her sharp gaze swept the room, causing the maids to shrink back and lower their heads.

Clearly, Madam Qian’s arrival meant there was something to discuss.

Wei Baofu waved the maids away; Yuhu dutifully stationed herself outside the door.

Bingxin, practiced and efficient, brought her mistress a cup of warm honey water while Madam Qian approached.

“Just now Madam Feng from the Empress Dowager’s quarters sent a young maid to relay a message. Her Majesty is in low spirits—perhaps troubled by news from the palace. She asks that you go and comfort her.”

Wei Baofu swallowed the honey water, dabbed her lips with a handkerchief, and unconsciously furrowed her brows.

“Then today I’ll have breakfast with Grandmother. My small kitchen can never compare to hers.”

Madam Qian agreed and went to help her mistress. Though she was the princess’s wet nurse, she cherished her as a daughter.

The Empress Dowager had been restless of late, and with so many affairs in the palace left to the princess, how could Madam Qian not feel for her?

Wei Baofu walked along, composing her thoughts, appearing serene and unhurried—as if nothing could ever disturb her composure.

The atmosphere in the Empress Dowager’s quarters was tense, as if a storm was brewing. Madam Feng, seeing Wei Baofu approach with a smile, felt a measure of relief.

The Empress Dowager had been quick-tempered since youth. Had it not been for her noble birth and the late emperor’s deep affection, she might not have survived to this day.

But since the current emperor ascended the throne, and her own son, Prince Lian, died unexpectedly, leaving only Princess Kangping as her sole direct descendant, her temperament had changed—she became reserved, inscrutable even to those who had served her for decades.

Since Wei Baofu had not sent word ahead, the Empress Dowager was already dining alone.

Seeing her beloved granddaughter, she set down her chopsticks, her expression softening.

“Come, sit with me. No need for ceremony.”

Wei Baofu did not stand on ceremony. In this world, only her grandmother loved her so dearly now.

“Let the attendants withdraw. Let me serve you for once, Grandmother.”

The Empress Dowager did not object, waving her hand. “You may all leave.”

The servants filed out, leaving only grandmother and granddaughter in the room. Wei Baofu did not rush to speak, but first took a delicate dumpling and tasted it.

The filling was vegetarian but remarkably flavorful. She had no idea how it was prepared—she only enjoyed eating, not cooking.

“You’re a calm one,” the Empress Dowager remarked. “Madam Feng must have already let you know. There’s no need to console me. We have endured in silence long enough—now that you’re grown, I must fight for your future.”

With her own granddaughter, the Empress Dowager had no wish to hide her intentions.

Wei Baofu set down her chopsticks and smiled lightly. “Grandmother, I know your heart is set on my future. But compared to that, I care more for you. If I am ever able to marry well, I’d want to bring you to live with me.”

At last, a smile crept onto the Empress Dowager’s face. “You—so shameless! Already nearly of age, yet you still speak so freely. That’s just like me, I suppose. But what good did it do me? In the end, I couldn’t even protect my own son.”

Her voice was steeped in sorrow, her fingernails digging unconsciously into her palm. Wei Baofu hurried forward and gently unclenched her grandmother’s hand.

“Grandmother, if Father were still here, he would ache to see you like this. He was always so devoted.”

“Yes, my son would have cared,” the Empress Dowager murmured, her mind adrift.

Wei Baofu knelt before her, massaging her hand with care. The Empress Dowager looked at her, then drew back her hand and stroked her head tenderly.

“I’m fine now—come, sit back down.”

Once she was seated, the Empress Dowager continued, “Baoru, now that you’re older, I thought to put aside my pride and beg the emperor to let us return to the palace. But who could have foreseen…”

Recalling the emperor’s reply, the Empress Dowager’s anger flared anew.

“Don’t be upset, Grandmother. You may think that humbling yourself to write the emperor was beneath your dignity, but he does not see it that way. If I’m not mistaken, your words were probably not as soft as you think.”

For the Empress Dowager, it was as if a wolf she had raised herself had turned and bitten her; how could she write to him with gentle words? That she refrained from censure was already the height of restraint.

Wei Baofu did her best to keep her tone even. “Grandmother, no matter how much resentment we hold, we must not reveal it. To show weakness is not truly to be weak—it is only a temporary yielding. Only once we return to the palace can we do more.”

The Empress Dowager’s heart was numb; she thought of her once-proud life.

Wei Baofu’s heart ached for her, but the peace of their future days could only be carefully planned, step by step.

Though this life was far from perfect, Wei Baofu was grateful—she was alive, and had a grandmother who genuinely loved her.

Though troubles still loomed, she firmly believed that everything would turn out well.

Once the Empress Dowager had calmed, Wei Baofu carefully continued, “If my guess is correct, the emperor actually longs for your motherly love.”

The Empress Dowager looked surprised. Perhaps because of her profession, Wei Baofu always probed deeply into the psychology of every role she played—this was why she could bring each character to life.

The Empress Dowager looked puzzled. Wei Baofu rose and sat beside her, smiling as she kneaded the old lady’s hand and continued, “You once told me he was always eager to take what belonged to Father, and rarely mentioned his own mother. Whenever he achieved something, he would rush to share it with you. You thought he was just showing off, but perhaps, all he wanted was your heartfelt approval.”

The Empress Dowager frowned, sorrow clouding her features.

“If only, from the beginning, I had treated him as my own and given him more kindness and care—perhaps he would not have harmed your father.”

Wei Baofu hurried to deny this. What was done was done; regret and self-blame served no purpose now.

“Grandmother, people are complex. He is ambitious—who can say what lies in his heart? You are not a saint; there is no need for remorse over the past.”

The Empress Dowager did not persist, collecting herself with a helpless sigh.

“You say that, and I know it’s true. But what should we do now?”