Chapter Eighteen: Aftershocks in the Court, the Heiress Unleashes Her Brilliance

The carriage jolted along the rough road. I lifted the curtain and saw nothing but desolation stretching out before me.

“Little Prince, where exactly are we headed? Fleeing famine?” I teased, though unease gnawed quietly at my heart.

Leaving the palace behind, leaving the mountains of gold, silver, and jewels—it all felt like a dream.

He Yunsheng smiled mysteriously. “You’ll know once we arrive.”

I pouted. This boy was growing more and more adept at keeping secrets.

Yet, this seemingly calm life of ‘escape’ was shattered within days.

An anonymous letter slipped silently into my room like a serpent’s venomous fang.

Only a few words were written: The higher you fly, the harder you fall.

The palace gates were not so easily passed.

I sneered coldly. Was this a threat? I, Lu Wan’er, was not someone easily intimidated!

I handed the letter to He Yunsheng. His face changed. “Sister Wan’er, maybe you should hide. I’m afraid—”

“Afraid of what? When the soldiers come, the generals fight back. When waters rise, the earth will dam them. I want to see who’s pulling strings behind my back!” I patted his shoulder, reassuring him. “Don’t worry, Little Prince. I’m no pushover.”

But trouble came faster than I expected.

The next day, several palace maids appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the newly titled Lady of Imperial Decree. I heard you found a treasure. How come you’re not sharing with us?” The ringleader sneered with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“What? You want a piece of the pie too?” I raised an eyebrow and met their gazes without fear.

“Heh, we’ve toiled in this palace for years with nothing to show for it. You arrive and suddenly soar like a phoenix. On what grounds?” another maid chimed in.

I scanned the growing crowd of palace servants gathering to watch the spectacle.

It was clear someone was setting a trap to embarrass me publicly.

“On what grounds? Because—” I paused deliberately, eyes sweeping over them, “—because of this!” I pulled a golden hairpin from my sleeve, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.

“What’s that?” the lead maid asked, puzzled.

A cold smile curved my lips as I said slowly, “This... was gifted to me by the Emperor himself. What, you want to see what the Emperor’s favor tastes like?”

They were stunned, not expecting such a bold claim.

The leader’s face flickered, but she quickly forced calm. “Who knows if it’s real? Maybe you stole it!”

I sneered and calmly produced a jade pendant from my sleeve. “This was handed to me personally by the Emperor, with his seal on it. You can verify its authenticity if you dare.”

Of course, none of them dared. The pendant was unmistakably genuine.

The maids exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to proceed.

Seizing the moment, I stepped close to the leader and whispered in her ear, “I know you’re only following orders. Tell me who’s behind this, and I’ll let it pass.”

She hesitated but could not resist my coercion and whispered a name: “It’s... Consort Xiao.”

A cold sneer curled in my heart. So it was her! That woman was truly relentless.

Feigning surprise, I asked, “Consort Xiao? Why would she do this?”

The leader spilled the entire scheme. Consort Xiao, jealous of my favor with the Emperor, sought to disgrace me and drive me out of the palace.

After hearing this, my mind was already weaving a plan.

Feigning fear, I told the leader, “I understand. Thank you for telling me. I’ll handle this matter.”

Then I turned to the assembled palace folk and announced loudly, “I hope everyone will keep today’s incident confidential. Consort Xiao has misunderstood me, but I have already explained everything to her.”

Though puzzled, no one dared to argue. After all, none wished to offend the Emperor or Consort Xiao.

Back in my chambers, He Yunsheng looked at me with concern. “Sister Wan’er, are you alright?”

I smiled, reassuring him, “I’m fine, Little Prince. It’s just a small matter.”

“But...” He Yunsheng began, but I cut him off. “Don’t worry. I have it all under control.”

I walked to the dressing table and gazed at my reflection, my eyes growing resolute.

Consort Xiao, since you dare to provoke me time and again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!

I took out a small porcelain bottle containing a special incense I had discovered in the palace’s secret collection.

It was colorless and odorless, yet capable of inducing illusions.

I dabbed the incense onto a handkerchief and slipped it into my sleeve.

Tomorrow, I would show Consort Xiao exactly what I was capable of.

That night, as I lay in bed, sleep eluded me.

The day of leaving the palace drew near, but my heart grew heavier with unease.

A sharp knock sounded on the door.

I rose to open it. Standing there was Imperial Physician Zhang.

His face grave, he held a letter in his hand. “Miss Lu, this is...”