Her slender, fair fingers hooked a white robe and draped it over her shoulders. Ye Shaohua tied the sash as she walked.
Turning her head slightly toward Duan Yunxiu, she asked, “Is Yang Ziji anxious?”
Her voice was clear and bright, yet carried a low, mellow tone.
It drifted into the ear like a mesmerizing melody.
The robe was pure white, the kind that should have looked as cold as lotus snow on a mountaintop. Yet, for some reason, Duan Yunxiu felt the air around him grow restless and warm.
“It’s fine.” He glanced at her, then let out a soft sigh. “No need to rush. We’ll wait for you outside the palace gates.”
He stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Ye Shaohua had already finished putting on her robe, but she didn’t leave. Instead, her gaze fell toward the curtain behind her.
“Empress Dowager, please come out,” she said with a quiet sigh.
The Empress Dowager emerged from behind the curtain, her expression complicated. Behind her followed a servant carrying a cup of wine.
Ye Shaohua touched her chin thoughtfully. Could it be—the legendary red-topped poison?
“Minister Ye, I know you are accomplished at a young age,” the Empress Dowager said, her face filled with regret. “I once admired you greatly and even considered making you the royal consort. Unfortunately, the Emperor stopped me back then. I thought he simply didn’t like you…”
“But now I realize—it wasn’t for Lin’an’s sake that he opposed the match. His reason was far from selfless.” She shook her head. “The Emperor is already twenty-eight, yet his harem remains empty. Minister Ye, if you were a woman, that would be one thing. But you are not. And yet… I would hate to lose you. Still, you would not wish to be remembered as a traitor who led a ruler astray, would you? And I cannot bear to see my son become a foolish king.”
Ye Shaohua looked at the Empress Dowager and fell silent for a moment.
“Forgive me,” she finally said. Not just for the poisoned wine, but because the system had just informed her—her time was up.
She closed her eyes and drank the cup in one go.
——
At that moment, Yang Ziji was waiting outside the palace gates.
He gave Duan Yunxiuh a strange look. “So you went in… and saw nothing?”
Duan Yunxiu cast him a cool glance. “What exactly was I supposed to see?”
From his reaction, Yang Ziji already had his answer.
“Why isn’t Shaohua out yet?” Yang Ziji grew impatient. “I’ll go in and check. Your Majesty, will you come as well?”
Duan Yunxiu thought of the scene earlier and shook his head. “No. Go fetch the Minister instead. I’ll wait here.”
Having spent years together, these three had long moved past rigid court formalities. Their bond felt more like friendship than sovereign-subject relations.
Yang Ziji nodded and strode inside.
“Shaohua, are you almost ready?” Unlike Duan Yunxiu, Yang Ziji always knocked before entering her chambers. But this time, no answer came.
He frowned. He knew Shaohua was highly skilled in martial arts.
He pushed the door open—and froze.
The Empress Dowager stood inside, calmly turning to look at him. Across from her, an empty wine cup sat before Ye Shaohua.
Of all the things Yang Ziji had imagined, this was never one of them.
“Empress Dowager, have you lost your mind? Do you not fear the Emperor’s wrath?!” He stumbled forward, nearly collapsing as he knelt beside Ye Shaohua.
The Empress Dowager studied his frantic expression, then spoke coldly. “So, Minister Yang was aware of this too. Not only did you fail to stop His Majesty, but you also concealed the truth from me. Would you rather see His Majesty led astray by a treacherous minister? Will you only be satisfied when His Majesty leaves no heir? What is your intention, Yang Ziji?!”
But Yang Ziji had already accepted the truth.
He sat on the floor, his gaze icy as he looked up at her. “Do you truly believe His Majesty will ever marry another? You are his mother—you should know his nature better than anyone. And let me tell you this, Empress Dowager: with Shaohua gone, His Majesty will never have an heir. Because Shaohua—she was always a woman disguised as a man!”
The Empress Dowager stood frozen, struck speechless.
——-
[Ding! Main Mission 1 complete. System rewards 700 credits. Main Mission 2 complete. System rewards 700 credits!]
[Ding! System 008 has served its host. 1400 credits have been deposited. Now exiting the world!]
Through the haze of fading consciousness, only one thought surfaced in Ye Shaohua’s mind:
Next time, she really needed to discuss things with 008 beforehand.
Leaving like this…
Duan Yunxiu was probably going to lose his mind.
——-
“Shaohua, Xiaoya has a congenital heart condition. Her mother just passed away recently, so please don’t keep provoking her, alright?” Ye Shaohua heard a soft, weary sigh beside her. “Your mother has it hard enough as it is.”
When Ye Shaohua woke again, those were the first words she heard.
She had not yet received the memories of this body, but she guessed that the speaker was the original host’s mother.
She glanced at the woman briefly. Having just come from an ancient world, her emotions had not yet settled. She wasn’t in the mood to speak.
Besides, there was something deeply unsettling about this mother’s tone.
To the woman, Ye Shaohua’s silence only looked like stubborn defiance. Frustrated, she continued scolding, “Why won’t you ever listen to me? Do you know how many women dream of marrying President Xu? Someone like you—marrying a man like that should be the greatest blessing your ancestors could ever bestow, a stroke of luck that used up eight lifetimes of good fortune! And yet, you still refuse to be content. You keep stirring up trouble no matter what. Just listen to me for once—I’m only looking out for you. Go back right now and make amends. Settle down and live properly with President Xu.”
Ye Shaohua hadn’t yet absorbed the world’s storyline, but she already had a rough understanding of the situation.
Just then, the front door opened and two people walked in.
The first was a woman around twenty years old. Beside her stood a man who bore a strong resemblance to her—they were clearly siblings.
“Shaohua, you should leave now,” the mother said hastily, rising to urge her daughter out.
Seeing that Ye Shaohua made no move, the mother’s frown deepened. “I know you don’t get along with your stepsister and stepbrother. But have you forgotten? You came from the countryside. The only reason you were able to settle in the city and marry President Xu is because of their family’s help. Listen to your mother—just go. Don’t start another fight with them. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me, being caught in the middle?”
The young woman in her twenties caught sight of Ye Shaohua and let out a mocking laugh. “You actually have the nerve to show your face here? Don’t you know you’ve already become a laughingstock online? Your fiancé called off the engagement on the very day of the ceremony and flew abroad to find his true love. Tsk. If it were me, I wouldn’t dare set foot on the street…”
