The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess - Chapter 1

Early March, the night was cool as water.

The newly bloomed flowers bore dewdrops, appearing exceptionally chilly.

The lingering cold had yet to fade, and the Ninglu Palace more desolate than even the Cold Palace was now even more desolate. No one set foot there during the day, let alone on such a night.

The plaque of Ninglu Palace was covered in a thick layer of dust, its inscription blurred under the moonlight. From the outside, only a single palace lantern was lit inside, beneath which stood a young girl in plain white robes.

“Sister Yunchu, why couldn’t we go to the imperial kitchen to pick up pastries today?” The young girl stood in the courtyard holding a stale bun, the night wind howling mournfully.

Another, taller woman, dressed in a faded palace gown, lowered her head, unsure of what to say.

The young girl was named Wen Ying, the least favored princess in the entire palace. Her birth mother had been of low status, merely a palace maid who tended the imperial gardens, yet her beauty was unparalleled, earning her a place in the harem as a noble consort.

After giving birth to Wen Ying, she was poisoned out of jealousy by other concubines and passed away.

The harem was filled with noble consorts, princes, and princesses, and over time, Wen Ying was completely forgotten by the emperor.

Thus, by the age of three or five, she was brought to Ninglu Palace by the maid Yunchu. Their meals consisted of leftovers exchanged with scraps of silver at the imperial kitchen. For fifteen years, they lived in hunger and cold.

But today, not even leftovers remainedonly a single stale, hardened bun.

Little

How could there be crying sounds in the middle of the night? The thought suddenly frightened Wen Ying. She had always believed in ghosts and spirits, because Yun Chu often told her that her mother was also watching over her from the heavens.

“It’s long been said that this palace nearby is where people have died. Could someone really be here to demand a life?” Wen Ying muttered to herself under the palace wall. But how could a dead person eat pastries?

Wen Ying swallowed hard. She wasn’t someone who only cared about satisfying her appetite, but right now, figuring out who was in the neighboring palace seemed equally important.

The walls of Ninglu Palace were low, tangled with wild grass. Wen Ying struggled to step on the stones and weeds, but fortunately, her slender and light frame allowed her to climb up.

At this moment, Wen Ying felt a bit uneasy. Though she was unloved in the palace and even suffered humiliation, Yun Chu had always taught her to be diligent, virtuous, and well-behaved. Now that she had done something as improper as climbing a wall, she could only close her eyes and pray that Yun Chu wouldn’t find out.

Peeking cautiously, Wen Ying stuck half her little head out to look into the neighboring courtyard.

What she saw stunned her.

In the courtyard sat a woman dressed in white robes, her long hair loosely tied back with nothing more than a simple white jade hairpin. Most strikingly, the woman sat there, completely at odds with the dilapidated surroundings, like a lone lotus flower standing pure and proud amidst the decay.

Wen Ying was used to the heavily made-up concubines in the palace and had subconsciously assumed all women were like that. But this sight left her speechless.

The next moment, a palace maid walked into the courtyard, carrying a plate of steaming pastries. “Princess, please eat something. You mustn’t starve yourself, or how will this servant face the Empress in the afterlife?”

Empress? Princess?

Wen Ying herself was a princess, but she had never heard of having such an elder sister. Sensing something amiss, she was about to go back and ask Yun Chu when she suddenly felt two pairs of eyes on her.

“Who are you?” The beauty tilted her head slightly, her peach-blossom eyes filled with danger.

Only then did Wen Ying notice the tear stains on the woman’s face so breathtakingly beautiful it stole her breath away. All her nervousness at being discovered vanished, and she blurted out, “Beautiful sister, why are you crying? Are you also Father Emperor’s daughter?”

Since they had already seen her, Wen Ying’s petite figure perched fully on the wall, as if searching for a place to land.

The woman Wen Ying had called “beautiful” seemed to understand her intention. She stood up, walked to the wall, and stretched out her hands, her skirt swaying gently. Though her eyelashes still glistened with tears like dew on a snow lotus, the corners of her lips curled upward.

The beauty was smiling. In that instant, all of Wen Ying’s wariness melted away. Even Yun Chu’s teachings of caution and propriety were forgotten. She simply let go and leaped down, landing steadily in the beauty’s arms.

As she fell into the embrace, Wen Ying’s nose was filled with the woman’s sweet, refreshing fragrance. She nuzzled against her instinctively before quickly pulling away. Though she had already come of age, Wen Ying had grown up innocent and pure, well-protected by Yun Chu. Despite never having enough to eat or wear, she had never been exposed to the ugliness of the world, and her eyes remained crystal clear.

“I… my name is Wen Ying, I live in the Dewdrop Palace next door.” Wen Ying tried to make her smile warmer, sensing the beautiful woman before her seemed to be in a foul mood.

The beauty sized up her “new neighbor” and unexpectedly smiled back: “Fu Qingyin.”

Fu Qingyin’s smile seemed capable of ensnaring souls. Wen Ying couldn’t even bring herself to lift her head and meet Fu Qingyin’s gaze again. Just as the silence between them stretched awkwardly, Wen Ying’s stomach let out a loud growl.

The sound was jarring in the quiet night. Wen Ying clutched her stomach, her ears turning red with embarrassment.

“Elder Sister, could you… spare me some pastries?” Wen Ying had no choice but to explain, she truly hadn’t eaten anything, and the moldy bun she had was inedible.

Fu Qingyin nodded, her eyes lingering on the girl’s gaunt frame. It was clear she often went hungry. She led Wen Ying to where she had been sitting earlier, where the pastries still steamed faintly on the table.

Though ravenous, Wen Ying didn’t let her hunger show too plainly. She silently recalled Yun Chu’s warning: never let others know your preferences, lest they exploit them. And in the imperial harem, one must never eat anything carelessly.

Fu Qingyin had just smoothed the wrinkles from her white dress when she looked up and noticed the little one called Wen Ying still hadn’t taken a bite.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Though the question was gentle, Fu Qingyin’s peach-blossom eyes bore into Wen Ying like a serpent fixated on its prey.

Wen Ying’s soft, pale fingers picked up the first pastry, offering it to Fu Qingyin with an ingratiating smile. Her tender lips parted slightly: “Elder Sister hasn’t eaten either. You should have the first bite.”

In an instant, Fu Qingyin understood. She accepted the pastry, deliberately bringing it to her lips with slow, deliberate grace. Her pearly teeth took only the tiniest nibble, and Wen Ying could almost see the delicate strands of pastry stretching between her lips.

Wen Ying’s face flushed instantly. Though she had only just come of age, she had secretly read a few romance novels, ones that described such beauties as peerless in grace. She had never seen such depictions in paintings, but now she was certain Fu Qingyin was exactly the kind of peerless beauty those stories spoke of.

Noticing Wen Ying’s reaction, Fu Qingyin chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, Wen Ying. The pastries aren’t poisoned. I’ll eat with you.”

Her ploy exposed, Wen Ying inwardly cursed her own terrible acting but steeled herself and took a few pastries anyway. It had been so long since she’d tasted fresh sweets like these.

She nearly teared up but held it back, her nose stinging. Fu Qingyin watched her silently, her thoughts unreadable.

After eating half, Wen Ying eyed the remaining pastries on the table, longing clear in her gaze but saying nothing.

Fu Qingyin smiled, sampling a bite from each plate. “A little caution is wise. Take them. I’ve no appetite.”

“Thank you, Elder Sister.” Wen Ying’s voice was sweet, and Fu Qingyin’s words had hit the mark perfectly. Yet, as she gazed at Fu Qingyin’s breathtaking features, she couldn’t help but sense a deep sorrow beneath them.

But time was slipping away, and Wen Ying dared not linger. Gathering the pastries, she hurried back toward the Dewdrop Palace.

As for this mysterious beauty… she would have to inquire more tomorrow.

Fu Qingyin sat there quietly, watching until Wen Ying’s small figure disappeared from sight before finally withdrawing his gaze. A palace maid by his side leaned in and remarked, “She seems rather naive and simple-minded.”

Fu Qingyin picked up his teacup, glanced at the poor-quality tea, and set it down again with little interest. “In Emperor Wen’s harem, no one is truly naive. To have survived until today, she must be anything but simple.”

The palace maid fell into thought, recalling Wen Ying’s actions that evening. But Fu Qingyin found the little one quite intriguing, worthy of further exploration.

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