Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Song Lianwei first came to the palace, she was a pitiful little thing.

Her birth mother had passed away, and her stepmother tormented her endlessly.

Empress Mother could not bear to watch it, so she brought Song Lianwei into the palace to serve as my study companion.

On her very first day in the palace, she offended all three of my imperial brothers simply by existing.

They tugged on her little braids, messed with her clothes, snatched away her handkerchief, pinched her cheeks, and mocked her for being a crybaby.

In the middle of the night, she cried softly in the palace, trying desperately to hold it in.

I was a light sleeper, and she woke me.

Barefoot, I stood on the floor and watched her cry in silence. Only after she had cried herself tired did I ask, “If you don’t like it, why don’t you fight back?”

She blinked at me, her huge eyes brimming with tears. In the moonlight, they seemed to glitter like starlight.

She lowered her head, and her tears struck the floor. In the stillness, I could hear the sound they made.

“I don’t dare,” she said.

Back then, I pitied her misfortune, but I was also angry that she would not stand up for herself.

Later, I read the story of Emperor Hui of Jin asking, “Why don’t they eat minced meat?”

Only then did I understand that my question had been no different.

She was a guest in the palace, dependent on others for food, clothing, shelter, and everything else.

Facing the most powerful nobles in the world, how could she dare to fight back?

That day, I closed my book and solemnly told her, “Lianwei, for every day that you are my study companion, I will protect you for that day. No one is allowed to bully what is mine.”

At the time, Song Lianwei’s eyes had shone brightly, filled with a childlike adoration and dependence that rivaled the stars.

For all these years, I had kept that promise.

No matter who bullied her, I would be the first to charge forward and teach them a lesson on her behalf.

She protected me in turn. When it came to my food, clothing, residence, and daily life, she considered everything with careful thoroughness.

I thought we would always support each other like that.

But now, she had thoughts of her own.

In that case, she was no longer suited to remain by my side.

Because I could not keep baring my heart to someone who had stabbed me in the back.

Song Lianwei left in tears.

Her sobs sounded very much like when we were children.

I wondered, how had we become like this?

My sincerity toward her had been real.

And I could feel that her feelings for me had not been false either.

So when had things changed?

Surely this change had not appeared overnight.

I must have overlooked something.

I closed my eyes, feeling only darkness in my heart and in the road ahead.

Suddenly, the Danmaku lit up again.

[Holy shit! What did I just see? She ran into the First Prince’s arms to cry?]

[No, sis, are you okay? The princess only got her eye injured because of you, and now you’re getting together with the culprit?]

I could hardly believe it.

I summoned my palace maid, Hongshuang, and told her to go see what First Imperial Brother was doing.

A short while later, Hongshuang came in with heavy steps, her tone both mortified and furious.

“Princess, they… they have gone too far. Is this supposed to be an apology? They are treating Leju Palace like a brothe-”

She stopped herself.

My heart went cold.

So they really were behaving wantonly in my palace.

Every last one of them had cast propriety, shame, and decency aside.

How utterly disgusting!

[Princess, those two are going wild on your turf! Hurry up and catch them in the act! Expose that cheating pair!]

[Why censor it? What is there that a noble premium member like me can’t see?]

[If you keep this up, I’m not renewing next month.]

[Has Song Lianwei decided on the First Prince? She’d been stringing all three princes along before because she hadn’t picked one yet. Why did the First Prince getting punished make her decide?]

[She didn’t decide. She crashed and burned!]

I studied that line of Danmaku carefully.

After thinking it over, if Song Lianwei had long since set her sights on my three imperial brothers, then this time, she must have overplayed her hand.

She was bold, but not bold enough to behave so shamelessly with someone inside the palace.

This matter had to be First Imperial Brother’s doing.

He was about to be confined for three months. Perhaps he feared that during his confinement, my other two imperial brothers would pluck Song Lianwei, that delicate flower, before he could. That was why he could not wait to make the matter a fact, leaving Song Lianwei no way out.

But why did it have to be in my Leju Palace?

Could they really not wait until they left?

Hongshuang said furiously, “Princess, let us go report this to Her Majesty! They have gone too far!”

“No.”

“Princess… Are we really just going to let it go?”

Hongshuang was so wronged on my behalf that she started crying.

How could that be?

My silly girl. I have never been a benevolent person.

“Telling Empress Mother would be granting them their wish.”

Perhaps they were waiting for me to make a complaint, so the two of them could take the opportunity to ask Empress Mother to bestow a marriage.

Not only would they avoid losing face,

but because Empress Mother favored my uncle, she might even grant Song Lianwei the position of principal consort.

I would not let them have what they wanted.

People who hurt me should not have such a good ending.

I lowered my eyes. “Go invite Second Imperial Brother. Tell him First Imperial Brother has flown into a rage out of humiliation and is currently teaching Miss Lianwei a lesson.”

Hongshuang immediately acknowledged the order.

I added, “After you invite Second Imperial Brother, go invite Third Imperial Brother and tell him the same thing. Once you have invited them, go invite Empress Mother. Tell her I have fallen gravely ill and lost consciousness.”

“Yes, Princess. I’ll go at once.” Hongshuang ran off excitedly.

Before long, Leju Palace fell into chaos.

Though I was in my bedchamber, I could still hear Second Imperial Brother’s furious roar.

“All of you, get out! No one is allowed near this place!”

A while later, Third Imperial Brother arrived as well.

“You!! What are you doing? Get out! Stand guard outside. Don’t let so much as a fly in, and no one in Leju Palace is allowed to leave.”

After that came Empress Mother…

When Empress Mother arrived, I had no choice but to regretfully fall asleep.

Before I drifted off, I saw the Danmaku fill the entire screen with astonishment.

[This princess has gone absolutely feral!]

[Offend anyone you want, but don’t offend the princess. When she takes revenge, she shows no mercy. Truly a role model for our generation.]

[Who could have guessed she’d reward Song Lianwei with three men all at once? Well, this is great. Now she never has to make a choice again. She can have them all!]