Chapter 3
Chapter 3
In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.
The Empress, taking pity on me for being all alone in the Duke’s Mansion during the holidays, sent people to fetch me for the palace banquet.
Xie Changhui warned me solemnly, “Eat little, drink little, mind your own business, and come back early. We’ll eat mooncakes together.”
I understood.
In the many stories Xie Changhui had told me, palace banquets were always places where things happened.
He couldn’t accompany me, so he was very worried.
However, I brought Song Yichen with me.
He was young, so it didn’t matter if I took the initiative to bring him into the banquet.
Throughout the entire event, many eyes were fixed on me-filled with pity, regret, scrutiny, and thinly veiled disdain, contempt, and light-mindedness.
The Duke’s Mansion was once a flourishing household; now, only I, an orphaned daughter, remained.
They likely thought I would be an easy target to offend.
I acted as if I didn’t notice, eating quietly and obediently.
However, while I was changing during the banquet, I still overheard Princess Rouyi gossiping with others.
“If her father and brother hadn’t died in battle, how could she be worthy of sitting as an equal to a princess? She’s just lucky.”
“Look at what she’s wearing today. It’s obvious no one taught her anything. I truly can’t stand that outfit of hers.”
“The Princess is still the most beautiful. Your Highness’s dress is truly unique; tomorrow, the noble ladies of the capital will be scrambling to imitate it.”
Princess Rouyi smiled and said, “She only sat beside Mother Empress today because she took my seat. I won’t lower myself to argue with her; she’s nothing more than an adopted daughter.”
“Let’s go. The opera troupe is about to start. Let’s head out quickly.”
I stepped out and called out coldly, “Stop right there.”
They turned around and, seeing me, panicked for a moment before standing behind Princess Rouyi.
Rouyi frowned. “Song Shaohua, why are you shouting like that? Do you have no grace as a princess at all?”
I ignored her. “Who was the one who just said I was lucky?”
Everyone’s gaze focused on one young girl’s face.
The girl panicked for a second, then lifted her chin and said proudly, “What, did I say something wrong?”
I grabbed her wrist.
“Come with me to see His Majesty. Let everyone judge whether my life is truly ‘lucky’ or not.”
The girl screamed and refused to go.
Rouyi hurriedly tried to stop me.
Song Yichen, however, pushed through the crowd and shouted to me, “Sister, run!”
I broke into a run, dragging the girl with me. Behind us, Rouyi was shouting orders for people to chase us, while Song Yichen pushed aside one person after another to clear a path for me.
I ran straight to the Emperor and forced the girl to kneel with me.
“Your Majesty, this young lady just said that it was my good fortune that my father and brother died in battle. I am young and ignorant, so I would like to ask Your Majesty to have the Imperial Astronomical Bureau examine my fate to see if it is truly good, and exactly where that ‘good fortune’ lies!”
In an instant, the noisy banquet fell deathly silent.
The Emperor and Empress looked livid.
Rouyi, who had rushed over in a panic, skidded to a halt.
I looked up, my tear-filled eyes meeting those of the high and mighty sovereign.
“Your Majesty, is my life a lucky one?”