Chapter 3

The carriage was ready early the next morning.

When I lifted the curtain, I found a tall figure already seated inside.

He coughed lightly, raising his right fist to his lips.

“Miss Shi, my apologies. I caught a chill yesterday and have developed a slight cough. My servants were so worried that they insisted I ride in the carriage…”

I was speechless inside, but my face softened into a gentle smile. “Your health comes first, sir.”

The carriage rolled onward, and before long we reached the city.

Shi Lin possessed learning enough to fill five carts. He had simply languished unnoticed in a small county town.

Without my father, he could never have continued his studies or set foot on the path to the imperial examinations.

When my sister was fourteen, Father had already reached a private agreement with Shi Lin.

Once he earned an official rank, Father would give my sister to him in marriage.

Shi Lin was steadfast and deeply loyal. Long ago, he had come to regard my sister as his one and only wife.

I sought him out the day after the Shen estate burned.

The identity of Shen Zhuozhuo no longer existed. I took the place of Shi Lin’s younger sister, Shi Zhuo.

Shi Zhuo had truly existed, but she was frail and had not survived the previous winter.

The emperor and Shi Lin talked with great pleasure. From affairs of court to the lives of country farmers, Shi Lin could speak knowledgeably on every subject.

The emperor could not conceal his astonishment and admiration.

Shi Lin and I exchanged a smile. Everything was proceeding according to plan, bringing us another step closer to avenging the Shen family.

In the ninth month, the examination results were announced. As expected, Shi Lin placed first and became the new top scholar.

The emperor personally appointed him Vice Minister of Rites.

Immediately afterward came the selection of palace women. As the Vice Minister of Rites’ sister, I was required to participate whether I wanted to enter the palace or not.

During the preliminary selection, I noticed the matrons and palace maids attending me were unusually respectful. Compared with the treatment of the other candidates, they granted me far more leeway.

I knew then that the emperor had been keeping a close watch on me in secret all along.

Once inside the palace, I deliberately used powder and rouge to diminish my looks. I always kept to quiet corners, gazing absently in the direction of Ganlin Temple.

Interested parties carefully recorded my every action and gesture, then presented their accounts to the man seated in the throne hall.

The following day, the matron teaching me palace etiquette became even more deferential. I was also moved from the communal sleeping quarters to a private room.

Most of the candidates in this selection were daughters of powerful families. Among them was Zhou Lanzhi, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis of Cheng’en’s household and the Empress Dowager’s own niece.

Zhou Lanzhi was domineering by nature. As the Empress Dowager’s niece, she considered the position of empress hers by right.

The other candidates seemed to accept her status as the future principal wife. They clustered around her, lavishing her with praise and flattery. Some even began paying her formal morning respects in private.

I was not among them. I always stood quietly beyond the crowd, watching their performance with cool detachment.

My unusual behavior eventually caught Zhou Lanzhi’s attention. Or perhaps she simply could not tolerate anyone in the palace existing beyond her control.

Surrounded by her admirers, Zhou Lanzhi stepped before me with a sharp look in her eyes and her chin lifted.

“Which family are you from? Have you no manners at all? Did the palace matrons not teach you to offer greetings?”

I answered mildly, “The matrons taught me that among candidates of equal rank, a nod is sufficient.”

Zhou Lanzhi’s face flushed scarlet, her expression turning ugly.

A candidate skilled at reading the room hurried to tell her who I was. Zhou Lanzhi gave a mocking laugh when she heard.

“So you are the new top scholar’s little sister. No wonder I smell the sour stink of a poor bookworm. I wonder if you have even washed the mud from your legs!”

She covered her mouth and giggled. Malicious laughter rose around her, and someone chimed in,

“She has the face of a woman fated to be alone. Even the maid who empties our chamber pots is prettier. How did she ever pass the preliminary selection?”

“Exactly. One glance tells you Sister Zhou is the loveliest woman here. This top scholar’s sister truly has no sense of her own worth, daring to compare herself with Sister Zhou…”

I behaved as though I had heard nothing, my expression still indifferent, as if none of it mattered.

The most effective way to deal with an enemy was to ignore her.

I knew perfectly well that for someone as arrogant as Zhou Lanzhi, refusing to acknowledge her was the surest way to provoke her.

Sure enough, Zhou Lanzhi’s smile vanished. Her eyes narrowed, venom seeming to gather in her gaze.

I stepped back and dismissed her existence once more, turning away as I counted silently.

One, two…

Before I reached three, a powerful shove struck me from behind. I followed its force and let myself fall into the lake.

As water filled my lungs and robbed me of breath, Zhou Lanzhi’s shocked face remained fixed in my mind.

My lips curved in a scornful smile. Zhou Lanzhi would never have imagined

that I was mad enough to stake my own life on setting her up.