Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Zhou Ling'er was the daughter of Zhou Changyuan and Lou Yan. Since childhood, she had been frail and sickly, born with a flawed Heavenly Mandate, making it impossible for her to become either Kun Ze or Tian Qian. Thus, she could only be a Zhong Yong person. The root of all this lay in the potion that Lou Yan had consumed long ago.
The monk who had once traveled through Huaiyang left behind some pills, most of which were strange elixirs never seen in the Central Plains.
The fact that the unborn child became a stillborn was also due to the Secret Medicine that Lou Yan had taken. Every time she closed her eyes and recalled the tragic events of that day, it only strengthened her resolve to rid herself of the fetus. Yet how could a child conceived under the lifelong mark of Tian Qian and Kun Ze be so easily discarded? Moreover, at that time, she was still young and lacked the heart to continue taking the medicine after consuming only half of it.
Looking back now, this was the greatest cruelty to Ling'er. Years had passed, and the girl who was now seven or eight years old was growing increasingly frail, much thinner than her peers. The effects of that potion ultimately left a disaster in its wake, dooming her to an early demise.
Lou Yan returned to Zhang Gongzhu Fu and for the first time took the initiative to enter Zhou Ling'er's room.
Zhou Ling'er looked at her in surprise; this was the first time her mother had come to visit her since she had grown up. While other little girls were held tenderly in their mothers' arms, she had only been accompanied by her wet nurse and the servants who had cared for her since childhood. Those servants were also sternly reprimanded not to get too close to her.
It had only been a day and a night since Zhou Changyuan was imprisoned, and usually, Zhou Ling'er would see her father only once every ten days or half a month. The servants dared not speak of her father's plight, so she remained unaware that he had been framed by her mother and thrown into prison.
"Mother... are you here to see Ling'er?"
Zhou Ling'er lay weakly on the bed, reaching out with her frail little hand toward Lou Yan, as if it might break with just a gentle touch. She longed to connect with her mother.
Lou Yan quietly watched her from a distance. A storm brewed in her eyes, yet her expression remained unchanged.
This was the child she had carried for ten months, a product born out of necessity for Cangzhou's military power and the honor of the Lou family—a child she would never accept or love.
Zhou Ling'er felt content just being able to see her mother before she passed away; it brought her joy. She understood that her mother disliked her father and that she herself was born after being forcibly marked by him—neither a beloved Kun Ze nor a Tian Qian who could relieve family burdens.
She knew that her mother did not like her.
Lou Yan nodded slightly and said in a flat tone, "You’re not well; don’t move around. Just rest."
After saying this, Lou Yan said nothing more and walked over to sit at a table nearby. From seven or eight steps away, she gazed out at the blooming lotus flowers in the pond outside.
The elegant lotus flowers stood poised to bloom as dragonflies lightly skimmed over the water. The cool summer breeze wafted through the window, causing the lotus leaves to tremble slightly. Everything seemed peaceful and beautiful but silently hinted at an impending storm on the horizon.
Zhou Ling'er watched her mother intently—the powerful Changyu Princess, resplendent and dignified. Yet now that she was home, there was a faint sorrow about her, with an unshakeable mist clouding her brow.
Zhou Ling'er wished her mother could stay a little longer, but she didn't dare to speak up. She feared that if she did, her mother would come to dislike her and would never visit again.
They sat in silence for a while until Lou Yan finally stood up to leave.
This would be the last time they would see each other in this lifetime.
As Zhou Ling'er exited her private courtyard, a servant hurried over to Lou Yan and whispered in her ear, "Princess, they have been discovered."
Lou Yan waved her hand lightly, showing little surprise on her face; she had anticipated this all along.
Zhou Changyuan held no real power, so how could he promise those Powerful Families positions in the government? Moreover, the positions drafted by the cabinet could only be seen by her and her emperor brother before being made public.
Before the imperial edict was announced to the world, it was far too easy for her to manipulate things. A small promise of benefit would make those greedy and disgusting Tian Qian bow down to her in flattery and submission.
They were all nauseating beings, and sometimes she wondered why such people existed in the court.
Ah yes, there were still many former ministers left over from Tianqi in this court.
If her dear little brother truly wanted to grasp everything firmly in his hands, he would need her to add that final spark—a blazing fire that could burn away all the filth in the court.
Even if this fire was destined to consume her as well, she would not hesitate.
For the glory of the Lou Family, she was willing to stake everything, including her life.
It had been two years since she entered the imperial city, and Lou Yu had been emperor for over a year now. During this time, she had abused her power with her position just below the emperor, acting arrogantly and gaining the support of numerous officials in the court.
As a result, she became increasingly reckless, even altering imperial edicts to misallocate positions meant for ordinary citizens to those young masters from noble families who contributed nothing but lived off their families' fortunes.
Yet every transaction and every name was meticulously recorded; she was waiting for an opportunity—one that would allow her to present all this evidence of wrongdoing to Lou Yu.
At that time, perhaps she could find relief and return to that place she should have gone long ago—the forever dark night years ago when her parents died during an assassination attempt to protect her.
“Cousin, are you there?”
A tender voice suddenly echoed beside her.
“Cousin, don’t cry. I’ll take you away!”
“Cousin, look! I’ve got your kite down!” In her memories, the boy held the kite high, his face full of pride.
“From now on, I will protect you, Cousin. I won’t let you suffer any more grievances.”
As time passed, the boy's figure gradually grew tall and strong; the blurry shadow in her memory had become the lofty emperor of today.
Lou Yu had become an existence that was beyond reach, no longer that little brat who followed her around begging for candy.
Lou Yan slightly tilted her head, gazing at the koi in the pond, a smile of contentment spreading across her face. The world seemed not as dark as she remembered.
She slowly extended her wrist, counting out the fish food and gently scattering it across the water's surface, her movements soft and deliberate.
The koi in the Shui Xie sensed the food and surged forward, gathering together in a frenzy to snatch up the falling morsels. In an instant, the water's surface erupted into splashes, intertwining to form a chaotic cluster of shimmering scales.
After watching this scene for a while, Lou Yan straightened her back and turned to leave with a calm stride.
Comment 0 Comment Count