The Story Still Continues

Unfortunately, her peace of mind didn't last for long.

Towards the middle of the banquet, official after official from Prince Jing's faction regaled the Emperor with tales of His Highness's heroic feats. To the point His Majesty was once again pleased with his son, unable to hold back a wide smile.

"Tian'er, tell Imperial Father, what reward would you like?"

Rong Lian stiffened in her seat. That question...it was that exact question which had allowed Long Yitian to unexpectedly break their engagement.

From then on, her fate had been sealed.

"...son doesn't require any rewards," Long Yitian was saying right now, his cold voice piercing through her thoughts. "Instead, this son wants to introduce Imperial Father to the real heroine behind everything."

In a daze, Rong Lian stared up at the faint smile gracing Long Yitian's lips. He was reclining in his seat with a wine cup dangling from one hand, even more overbearing than usual. But that single smile softened his whole person, hints of warmth leaking through that icy facade.

She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.

'He means Mu Lingxue, right?'

'She's the only one who could ever make him smile like that.'

"Heroine?" the Emperor echoed, brows knitted. "Which young lady is Tian'er speaking of?"

Long Yitian took a long sip of wine before answering, his elegant actions stealing the breath of all the young misses in the hall.

"This son is referring to the Grand Commandant's eldest legitimate daughter, Miss Mu Lingxue."

What?!

Everyone was left dumbfounded by Prince Jing's words. Wasn't it common knowledge the Eldest Miss Mu was not only unfavored by the Grand Commandant¹, but also a cowardly idiot with no talents or even beauty to speak of?

Even worse, two years ago, she was sent to the countryside for trying to steal her little sister's fiancé!

How could His Highness be referring to her?

―――

¹Grand Commandant (太尉): title referring to the supreme military commander in control of all the nation's armies.

―――

Rong Lian let go and clenched her hands on her lap. She lowered her head to hide her bitter smile. Only she knew the original Mu Lingxue was long gone, replaced by a soul from a world entirely different to this one.

That Mu Lingxue was more than capable of outshining all the capital's young misses, including her.

Suddenly, a clear and bell-like laugh floated through the hall, redirecting all the attention to Her Majesty, the Empress.

"Is Tian'er jesting with your Imperial Father? This Eldest Miss Mu you speak of has a rather...," her red lips pursed slightly, "...unusual reputation."

Long Yitian's smile faded into something much colder, but he didn't reply.

"Now that beloved empress mentions this, zhen recalls receiving more than a few reports² about this young lady." The Emperor swept a glance over the guests seated below until reaching a particular table. "Grand Commandant Mu, what do you have to say about all this?"

―――

²Imperial censors were governmental officials charged primarily with the responsibility for scrutinizing and criticizing the conduct of officials and rulers. What is being implied here is some imperial censors sent reports to the Emperor about the outrageous conduct of Grand Commandant Mu's eldest daughter.

―――

A stern-faced man in his late forties slowly stood up, the sharp aura born from killing thousands on the battlefield clinging to him. While he bowed towards the Emperor, Grand Commandant Mu glanced at a certain impassive prince for a few seconds.

"Responding to Your Majesty, this subject's eldest daughter was indeed sent away due to a serious offense two years ago. But with His Highness's help, this subject was able to see the truth."

The Emperor's brows rose as he gestured for the Grand Commandant to continue.

A deeply remorseful look engraved itself on the man's face. "This subject's first wife died giving birth to my eldest daughter. In my grief, this subject unjustly blamed her for her mother's death, and neglected her all these years. This in turn allowed others to scheme against her." He gave Long Yitian a solemn nod. "However, thanks to His Highness, this subject's relationship with my eldest daughter can now be mended."

"Is Grand Commandant Mu saying Eldest Miss Mu was innocent all along?" the Empress asked, a peculiar glint in her eyes.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

At this reveal, the hall erupted into frenzied whispers.

No one could believe it! For years, Eldest Miss Mu had been the laughingstock of the capital. With her exalted status she should've been one of the leaders of the younger generation. Instead, she had grown up to be an ugly idiot who dared to seduce a man in broad daylight!

Yet now, it appeared to have all been an elaborate scheme...

Watching all of this, Rong Lian had the strangest urge to laugh.

She'd seen this before. Or at least something similar to it.

In the original story, after she'd fainted, the banquet was thrown into disarray. To make matters worse, Long Yitian didn't waste the opportunity amid the confusion to ruthlessly push forward with his plans.

Which involved clearing the female lead's name, exactly what was happening now.

Rong Lian drew in a slow breath, her heart fluttering in her chest like a trapped bird. It terrified her how the plot was finding ways to continue even with her interference.

Would she and her brother really be unable to escape their predetermined fates?

Shaking her head, Rong Lian forced herself to focus on the events that were to follow. There should be at least one opening for her to act...

In less than a minute, a smile bloomed on her lips.

'There was.'

As she worked out her next steps, the Emperor addressed the buzzing crowd.

"It seems we have all diverged from the original subject." His Majesty cleared his throat, sending a pointed look to his son. "Tian'er, what were you saying about Eldest Miss Mu?"

Swirling the wine in his cup, Long Yitian looked bored and aloof. Like the previous uproar had nothing to do with him, when in reality everything had been within his grasp. After taking another slow sip, he finally spoke.

"Two months ago, Imperial Father must have received this son's reports about the plague devastating the survivors' camps."

When the Emperor nodded, he went on, "Initially, this son was at a loss. None of the imperial physicians that traveled with us knew how to cure it. It was only by luck this son was able to find Eldest Miss Mu."

The Emperor's eyes widened. "Tian'er, you mean...?"

Long Yitian faintly smiled once more as he set down the wine cup. "Yes, Imperial Father, Eldest Miss Mu is the one that helped this son eradicate the plague and save thousands of lives."

Around her, the young misses at her table let out tiny gasps for the third or fourth time that night. Rong Lian resisted the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes.

"Impossible!" someone in the crowd burst out. "How could a noble young miss be skilled in medicine?!"

The Emperor didn't say anything, but the tight expression on his face made it obvious he was skeptical as well.

Long Yitian's smile only deepened, however, as if he'd remembered something pleasant.

"This prince wouldn't have believed it either if Eldest Miss Mu hadn't been treating patients at a clinic when we first met."

The guests exchanged bewildered looks with those near them. Meanwhile, Rong Lian lifted one of her long sleeves and took a tiny sip of tea behind it to quench her suddenly dry throat.

'The main leads' first meeting... that scene still made her heart bleed.'

When she lowered her sleeve, her face was back to its usual serenity.

Although, if one looked close enough, there seemed to be a rather suspicious sheen in her eyes.

She sighed. At least she only needed to pay the barest amount of attention right now, until the time came for her to intervene.

As expected, this newest controversy about Eldest Miss Mu dragged on for some time.

Several officials, from the factions of other, less favored princes, jumped at the chance to take down the lofty Prince Jing. However, there was no way His Highness's own officials would permit them to attack their prince so easily. Soon, the hall devolved into chaos, as if they were in court and not an imperial banquet.

The Empress also punctured the heated debate with her own questions, carefully worded to sway the Emperor's opinion when it seemed he was starting to believe in Long Yitian's words.

Rong Lian stared into her tea with a slightly cold smile. Her aunt had always been controlling, so her attempts to rein in her rebellious 'son' weren't really surprising.

But of course, as the formidable male lead he was, Long Yitian had already planned for everything and anything.

'Well, almost,' she sneered in her mind.

At the precise moment the tension in the hall reached its boiling point, Rong Lian finally looked up. And was rewarded with the careless glance His Highness sent the Head Imperial Physician, simply known as Master Lu.

Rong Lian smiled even brighter, placing her tea to the side as the old man stood up.

Soon, her chance would arrive.

As Master Lu strode towards the imperial thrones, the bickering between the different factions winded down. Many were surprised and even dismayed, while others of cleverer mind had an inkling of who might be behind this.

Yet none of them could understand why the famously aloof Head Imperial Physician would want to involve himself in the first place.

Master Lu kneeled before the Emperor and Empress, his calm voice resounding in the now quieter hall:

"Your Majesty, there is something this subject must say."

The Emperor examined this loyal and righteous elderly man, who'd served the past two rulers as well. If anyone's words were to be trusted on this particular matter, it would be him.

In the next second, the Emperor smiled with a grand wave of his sleeve. "Rise, Master Lu! There's no need for an esteemed official as yourself to be this formal."

Instantly, Master Lu was helped to his feet by two eunuchs.

"Your Majesty is wise and magnanimous." He lowered his head full of white hair in gratitude. "This subject apologizes for disrupting the celebration but," he looked up with flashing eyes, "this subject cannot watch a genius be insulted like this!"

Nobody in the crowd reacted for a few seconds, already numb to the multiple bombs thrown tonight. But their minds were still sent spiraling.

A genius?! Master Lu couldn't possibly mean Eldest Miss Mu...right?

There had to be some kind of mistake!

"Rest assured, Master Lu. His Majesty and this empress will do our absolute best to find justice for Eldest Miss Mu," the Empress said as she placed a manicured hand on the Emperor's arm.

Her smile became even gentler. "...if your claims turn out to be true, that is."

Finding his beloved wife's words to be sensible, the Emperor urged Master Lu to speak. After all, even if he was the Head Imperial Physician, it was still hard to believe Eldest Miss Mu was some type of medical genius without more details.

The old man's expression didn't change, even with Her Majesty's hidden accusation. Instead, he only gave a bow and began to narrate the happenings of two months ago.

"As His Highness mentioned earlier, none of the imperial physicians were able to cure the plague. This subject received their reports and indeed, it was something we had never seen before. For this reason, this subject traveled to the disaster areas myself."

Master Lu took a deep breath before continuing. "It was a terrible sight to behold, Your Majesty. The patients were in great suffering and we all felt hopeless as we watched them die one after the other." He slowly lifted one hand. "This subject solemnly swears to the Heavens: without Eldest Miss Mu's assistance, this dangerous plague could've extended to the whole nation!"

While the hall was shocked into silence at such a serious oath, Rong Lian glanced in the direction of Prince Jing's table.

Only to find Long Yitian staring back at her.

She blinked, more than a little surprised. Tonight, he had looked at her more than he had during the seven years they'd been engaged. It was laughable that it took ruining one of his intricate plans for him to actually pay attention to her.

Rong Lian eyed that handsome face a bit more, and knew what she wanted to do.

Any other time, she would've looked away with a blush, to preserve her image of an innocent maiden in love.

But now?

Rong Lian smiled widely and saluted him with her own neglected wine cup. Her meaning was more than clear --- 'Let's enjoy the show you've created'.

But in her shining eyes, there was an even clearer threat.

Long Yitian's face hardened and even from here, she could feel the force of his killing intent. A chill crept down her spine, spreading throughout her body. Yet Rong Lian only winked at him, turning her attention back to the banquet without so much as another glance.

The fact that the pressure on her had only increased made it all worth it.

The Emperor and Empress questioned Master Lu for further explanation of Eldest Miss Mu's supposed abilities. With every detailed answer, it only became more and more evident Master Lu wasn't lying. And pairing that with the 'spontaneous' testimonies of a few minor officials that had been there, and known to be neutral, no one dared to argue any further.

Rong Lian had to hand it to her cheap fiancé. To be able to manipulate everything so skillfully, even when she had sabotaged his plans....she had to admit, it was admirable. No wonder he was the male lead.

She was curious, however: if she continued messing with the plot, would his relationship with the female lead still be the same?

"What an exceptional young lady!" the Emperor said in amazement once everyone had settled down. He looked over where most of the young misses were seated with their mothers. "Zhen would like to meet this Eldest Miss Mu and reward her for her incredible efforts. Where is she?"

"Yes, please step out Eldest Miss Mu," the Empress ordered sweetly, despite the frost concealed in her eyes, "this empress would also like to meet you."

No one answered for some time as the madams and young misses looked around them in surprise. In fact, not only was there no Eldest Miss Mu, there were no female members from the Grand Commandant's family present!

The Emperor frowned, but before he could ask Grand Commandant Mu, Long Yitian intervened.

"Imperial Father, there is no need to trouble Grand Commandant Mu. The truth is Eldest Miss Mu traveled with this son back to the capital, and has been staying at one of this son's properties for the last few days."

The Emperor barked out a furious "What!" while the Empress covered her mouth with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Even a scowling Prime Minister Rong was about to stand up, barely held back by his only son who had a grim expression on his own face.

As for the young misses, they all inhaled sharply at his words. How was this possible?! The cold and aloof Prince Jing, known to disdain all women, had allowed the infamous Eldest Miss Mu to travel with him? And even stay at his place?

....What about his fiancée?!

Rong Lian was bombarded on all sides by sympathetic and gloating stares alike. Her expression remained tranquil, however. This would only benefit her in the end, and then she would like to see that bastard's expression when he realized.

Not caring at all how inappropriate he sounded, Long Yitian added some more fuel to the fire before either the Emperor or Empress could stop him.

"In reality, Eldest Miss Mu didn't want to make her contributions known, but this son managed to convince her to attend. She is currently waiting in one of the adjoining guest rooms. Why doesn't Imperial Father order a servant to escort her here?"

'Now.'

As the enraged Emperor struggled to find a response, Rong Lian made her way through the tables once more.

In a sweet, clear voice, she called out, "Your Majesty."

Everyone turned to look at her. She was standing at the center of the hall, as gentle and refined as a lotus. Yet her smile was visibly fragile, and her exquisite eyes shone much too brightly.

Their hearts ached. Not only had her fiancé delayed their marriage once more, but this same fiancé was now publicly favoring another young lady!

It was only because Miss Rong was so virtuous that she was able to remain smiling. Anyone else in her place would have long cried or shown their temper.

As if the Emperor also thought of this, he spoke to Rong Lian in a softer voice than usual: "What is it, Miss Rong?"

After a graceful curtsy, Rong Lian looked up with hope in her eyes. "Your Majesty, as Prince Jing's fiancée, this official's daughter wishes to be the one to escort Eldest Miss Mu. Rong Lian has long felt a deep sympathy for her, as we both lost our mothers at a young age."

Immediately after, she turned to Long Yitian. "Your Highness," her face glowed with tender affection, "unlike Eldest Miss Mu, this official's daughter is unable to truly support you. Lian'er wishes to personally thank her for aiding Your Highness when Lian'er couldn't." She gave another, deeper curtsy. "Please allow Lian'er to escort her."

Rong Lian lowered her head, as if she was afraid he would reject her once more.

Her lips curved into a hidden smirk. She'd like to see how he would deny her now!