Chapter 1

Chapter 1

After I woke, it took me some time to accept the fact that I could no longer see.

Song Lianwei said softly, “Cousin, I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

My voice was hoarse. “It isn’t your fault. First Imperial Brother is the one who was vicious. Has he been punished?”

Song Lianwei replied in a quiet voice, “He has. Quite severely, too.”

At last, I felt a little comforted. At least this suffering of mine had not been for nothing.

After this, Empress Mother would surely keep a much stricter hand on him. The other two imperial brothers would probably behave themselves for a while as well.

But then, before my eyes, a few broken, incomplete lines of text suddenly appeared.

[Princess, she’s lying to you! Three months of confinement-what kind of punishment is that?]

[It was supposed to be six months, but your cousin pleaded for that bastard, so the punishment was reduced. She doesn’t see you as a sister at all. All she cares about is hooking your three brothers. She used you.]

It took me a moment to sort through this information.

These words were called Danmaku.

While I had been unconscious, Empress Mother had flown into a rage, given First Imperial Brother a fierce scolding, and punished him with half a year of confinement and a year’s forfeiture of salary.

It was Song Lianwei who had knelt and pleaded for mercy, saying that the matter had been an accident and that First Imperial Brother had not deliberately struck anyone.

Only then had Empress Mother reduced the punishment.

The words were vivid and real, and their contents truly did not seem false.

But I did not believe them.

I had to ask her myself. Only then would I not betray the sisterly bond we had shared.

I asked, “What punishment did First Imperial Brother receive?”

Song Lianwei sighed lightly. “Her Majesty punished him with three months of confinement. He said he wanted to apologize to you before accepting his punishment. He’s waiting in the side hall right now.”

So it was true…

“Did you plead for him?”

Song Lianwei fell silent.

A fine, bitter ache spread through my heart.

“Lianwei, my eyes are blind. I will never be able to see again.”

Song Lianwei clutched my hand tightly, her tears falling one by one onto my hand.

“Cousin, when I pleaded for mercy, I didn’t know your injury was this severe. I only thought we shouldn’t offend First Imperial Brother too thoroughly. After all, in the future…”

Her words cut off abruptly.

I understood.

After all, in the future, he might become emperor.

He was the legitimate eldest son. His chances of taking the throne were very high.

Right now, he would not do anything to me.

But what about the future?

Once Empress Mother passed away and he ascended the throne, the first thing he would likely do was settle accounts with everyone who had ever offended him.

Over the years, in order to protect Song Lianwei, I had offended him badly.

He would not let me off.

From the perspective of the bigger picture, perhaps Song Lianwei had not been wrong to avoid offending him too deeply.

But why did it hurt so much?

Little by little, I pushed her hand away. “I understand. Leave.”

Song Lianwei sounded incredulous. “You… blame me?”

Should I not?

I thought it over carefully. I should.

If not for her, I would not have had to fall out with my imperial brothers.

I could have been a perfectly secure princess. No matter who ascended the throne, I would still be their own younger sister.

But now, I had charged into battle at the front.

And the person I had protected had stabbed me in the back.

I could not be that magnanimous.

Suppressing the bitterness filling my heart, I said firmly, “Leave the palace. I don’t want to see you in the palace again.”