Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Every three years, the Empress Dowager would travel to Guiyun Temple to offer prayers and pay her respects to Buddha. On these occasions, she would select several outstanding young ladies from noble families to accompany her.

After returning, each of those noble ladies would secure an excellent marriage or position.

In my second life, after Gong Qiuyue snatched the Ninth Prince away, my reputation was ruined. Naturally, I refused to accept such a fate.

Calculating the time for the Empress Dowager’s pilgrimage, I used the Princess’s connections to secure an audience and volunteered my services.

I served the Empress Dowager tirelessly day and night for two years before finally winning her trust.

When the Empress Dowager was on her deathbed, only I and the Senior Aunt (Senior Female Attendant) were by her side.

She shared a secret with me-a secret I later utilized to its absolute limit.

Even if Gong Qiuyue mimics the path I took in my previous life, can she truly handle what comes next?

In this world, there are no easy advantages to be had.

On the day the Empress Dowager departed for the temple, the noble ladies of the city lined the streets to see her off, each holding a branch of paulownia flowers to express their farewell.

After the Empress Dowager’s procession had moved into the distance, the Sixth Prince suddenly lashed out with his whip, striking the paulownia branch from my hand right in the middle of the street.

His voice was bone-chillingly cold, as if steeped in poison.

“A shameless person like you has no right to see the Empress Dowager off.”

The paulownia flowers were crushed across the ground. The back of my hand had been caught by the whip, and it was already swelling up.

“It hurts…” My eyes reddened, shimmering with tears that threatened to fall at any moment.

The Sixth Prince frowned, looking momentarily dazed. Then, as if remembering something, he said coldly, “If not for you, Qiuyue wouldn’t have broken her engagement with me, let alone felt forced to go to a Buddhist temple. A woman who sows discord like you is truly disgusting.”

He raised his whip high again.

I turned my body away, not daring to resist, but my mind drifted elsewhere.

The Sixth Prince really had no resistance against Gong Qiuyue; he was far too easily manipulated by her. Gong Qiuyue clearly had such a good piece on the board, yet she chose to discard it.

She really is useless, always managing to play a winning hand so poorly.

Just as the whip was about to strike me, someone caught it.

The Sixth Prince barked out an angry reprimand, “Who dares stop me?”

“I ordered it.”

The crowd parted.

A man was pushed forward in a wheelchair. Sitting in it was a man of elegant, understated nobility-the First Prince.

Though he was dressed in dark, somber clothing, in my eyes, he seemed to radiate light.

Chapter 5

The First Prince gave me a slight nod, signaling for me to come to his side. Then, his clear, dark eyes turned toward the Sixth Prince with a cold, piercing gaze.

“Why are you beating someone in the street? Especially a woman? Where have your manners and upbringing gone?”

“Eldest Brother, don’t let her deceive you! She looks innocent, but her heart is wicked. If she hadn’t sown discord, Qiuyue and I wouldn’t have been separated.”

The Sixth Prince spoke with indignation.

The First Prince’s expression turned icy.

“If Second Miss Gong is unwilling to accompany our Imperial Grandmother in her devotions, I shall immediately order someone to bring her back. Imperial Grandmother is merciful and has no wish to force anyone against their will.”

He raised his hand, and his guards immediately moved to comply.

The Sixth Prince panicked.

“Come back! Eldest Brother, that is not what I meant.”

“Apologize!”

“Eldest Brother…” The Sixth Prince was stunned.

“Apologize. Apologize to Eldest Miss Gong,” the First Prince said with iron determination.

Gritting his teeth, the Sixth Prince finally lowered his head in resignation.

“Gong Yaoguang, I am sorry. I was overly emotional today and should not have taken my anger out on you. Eldest Brother, can you call your men back now?”

“Sixth Prince, I have been wronged-”

I lowered my head, my tears falling one by one onto the ground. As I reached for my handkerchief, the swollen back of my hand was exposed.

The red welt on my porcelain-white hand looked quite gruesome.

The onlookers let out soft gasps of surprise.

The First Prince frowned.

He reached out, and a guard handed an exquisite, supple whip into his hand. He took the whip and delivered a heavy strike-directly onto the Sixth Prince’s hand.

The Sixth Prince cried out in pain. Cradling his hand in shock, his gaze darted angrily between me and the First Prince.

“Fine. I think I understand everything now. Gong Yaoguang, you really are something.”

He turned and strode away, not even bothering to pick up his fallen whip.

I covered the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.

I was afraid I might laugh out loud.

After a long while, the crowd dispersed.

The First Prince said coolly, “Gong Yaoguang, have you laughed enough?”

I: “…”

I held my hand out in front of the First Prince and whispered, “Your Highness, it really hurts.”

“It would be better if you actually knew what pain felt like.”

His words were cold and biting, yet the tips of his ears were slightly red.