At Eighteen
Nine years ago, Lang Huan found herself in this strange new world. Though she had taken on the identity of Ye Langhuan, the mysterious (and entirely believable) son of the Duke of Huguo, deep down, she still wasn't sure how she ended up here. But, after all these years, she had grown up in this world, adapting to its ways and making it her own.
To keep herself from thinking too much about the past, Lang Huan kept herself busy every day, figuring out ways to survive in this new world. But at night, she would cry in secret whenever she missed her family.
Lang Huan had spent most of her time in the mansion, rarely venturing beyond its walls. The sprawling gardens and grand halls had become her world, while the lively streets and social circles of the noble class felt distant and unfamiliar.
She always found excuses to avoid formal banquets, claiming to be sick. There were two reasons for this. First, her father, Duke of Huguo, played a significant role in the Great Qi, and Lang Huan didn't want to get involved in any political messes.
The fewer connections she had, the fewer problems she'd face. Second, Lang Huan was of marriageable age, and the idea of a matchmaker or, worse yet, the emperor noticing her and arranging a marriage terrified her. So, she made sure to stay away from royal banquets and kept her distance.
Outside the mansion, rumors began to circulate. People whispered in hushed tones about the strange son of Duke of Huguo. Some said she had a mysterious illness that kept her confined to the mansion, while others gossiped that she had grown up into an awkward, unattractive young master, too inferior to mingle with the other noble children.
"Have you seen the Duke's son? No one knows what she looks like," one man murmured as they passed by the grand gates of the mansion.
Another would reply with a conspiratorial whisper, "I heard she's not pretty enough to be accepted into society. She rarely goes out, doesn't attend any of the noble banquets... something must be wrong with her."
Lang Huan, who overheard such comments occasionally, had grown used to the idle gossip. She didn't bother to correct them.
At eighteen years old, Lang Huan had grown into a tall and elegant figure. Her appearance possessed both handsomeness and beauty, giving her an air of androgynous charm. Standing at 185 cm, her body was slender and well-toned—a result of the rigorous training she had undergone.
Only… something felt off. She didn't know what kind of curse this world had thrown her way, but her chest seemed disappointingly small. Still, it was okay—at least she had something, which was enough to console herself.
"Madam, please help us!" A Cai ran up to Su Qing, who was enjoying the blooming flowers in the garden.
"What happened to Lang Huan?" Su Qing was surprised to see A Cai panting heavily. She handed him a cup of tea.
Su Qing immediately suspected Lang Huan was up to something in the mansion. Lang Huan had a habit of putting A Cai and the guards through strange and difficult training sessions.
"Madam, please persuade the young master," A Cai pleaded. "She wants us to learn the
Su Qing's eyes darkened as she walked toward the courtyard where Lang Huan was playing the guqin. Without a word, she grabbed Lang Huan's ear. "Why do you always torture A Cai and the guards like this?"
"Oh no, it's not torture," Lang Huan replied quickly. "I just love listening to music, so I thought I'd teach them to play the guqin."
Lang Huan reached up and gently pulled Su Qing's hand away from her ear, then wrapped her arms around Su Qing's waist, guiding her to sit on the stool. The sudden touch made Su Qing blush, and she noticed Lang Huan's ears were red from her earlier twist.
"Does it hurt?"
"No, not at all," Lang Huan grinned. "You never use force when you twist my ear, it just makes me itch."
Lang Huan squatted down in front of Su Qing, flashing her a playful smile. Su Qing found herself staring at Lang Huan's handsome face, wondering how many girls would fall for her if they ever saw her. But unfortunately, Lang Huan kept to herself, hiding away in the mansion, not allowing anyone to see her face.
"Madam," Zhou Ming's voice broke the silence between Su Qing and Lang Huan.
Lang Huan stood up and walked over to Zhou Ming. "What is it?" she asked, noticing that he was holding something.
"This is an invitation from the palace," Zhou Ming replied, handing it to Lang Huan.
Lang Huan took the invitation and passed it to Su Qing.
Su Qing unfolded it and read through it carefully. "Lang Huan, I don't think you can avoid this invitation." She folded the letter back. "The emperor is inviting noble sons to attend a banquet for the selection of the prince consort for the Eldest Princess Zhao Yi."
Usually, Lang Huan wasn't interested in banquet invitations, but this time, she felt a bit intrigued. She had heard a lot about the Eldest Princess Zhao Yi since she was a child and was curious to meet the woman. Who would've thought that the Eldest Princess, at twenty eight years old, was still unmarried?
"Mother, do you know her?"
With a soft sigh, Su Qing set down her teacup.
"The Eldest Princess... she failed in her marriage attempts twice," Su Qing began, her tone now more reflective.
Lang Huan leaned in slightly, sensing gossip in the air. "Oh?
"At the age of fifteen, she was married off to the Wen Kingdom as part of a peace agreement. However, on her way there, the envoy from Wen Kingdom arrived with grave news—their king had died of illness. Shortly after, the new king declared peace with the Emperor of The Great Qi, rendering the marriage unnecessary,"
Su Qing's voice softened, laced with quiet sympathy. "At the age of eighteen, she was married off for the second time. General Lu, a man of great power, proposed to her with an astonishing betrothal gift—a military token, symbolizing his command over 200,000 soldiers. It was a gesture of not just love, but of alliance, securing her place in the world of politics. But, on her wedding night, the Eldest Princess caught her own husband on charges of rebellion.
Having consumed countless dramas filled with court intrigue and ruthless ambition, Lang Huan couldn't help but wonder: could the tragedies surrounding her marriages have been part of a larger plan?
"The deaths of her husbands," Lang Huan began cautiously, "do you think they could have... benefited her in some way?"
Su Qing turned to her charming face, her brow furrowing slightly. "What do you want to say?"
"Think about it," Lang Huan pressed, her voice steady. "Members of the royal family often have to be ruthless just to survive. If the Princess's first marriage had gone through, she would have been sent far away to the Wen Kingdom. That would have stripped her influence here. The king's sudden death—convenient, wasn't it? And as for General Lu... catching him in rebellion allowed her to eliminate a potential threat and strengthen her position."
Su Qing said, her tone gentle yet thoughtful. "Be careful who you share those thoughts with." She smiled and turned to leave. "Huan'er, some things are better left unsaid. The world's not always kind to clever people."
---
Master Xuan Kai invited Lang Huan to try the food at a famous vegetarian restaurant known for its flavors.
"Huan'er, don't always hide at home. Look around—you see, there are so many interesting things in this city."
Lang Huan nodded. There really were a lot of fascinating things to see. She wandered from stall to stall like a baby bird just freed from its cage.
Master Xuan Kai smiled. "If you're worried about your safety, you can ask some guards to protect you. But since you're dressed as a man, why do you hide in a boudoir like a young lady?"
Lang Huan pursed her lips. This old man is really annoying. Why does he always have to bring up my identity?
They made their way to the restaurant in the city, where the scent of delicious food wafted in the air. As they entered, all eyes turned toward them. Lang Huan's handsome face drawing the gaze of everyone nearby.
The restaurant buzzed with whispers as the elegant and noble-looking young master walked in. "Who is she?" someone muttered.
"A new face. We've never seen her in the city before. Maybe she's not from here," another guessed.
"Which wealthy family does this young master belong to?" more whispers spread through the crowd.
Master Xuan Kai, noticing the curious glances, leaned in with a grin. "Huan'er, seems like you've caught the attention of everyone here today."
Lang Huan chuckled lightly, a soft smile playing on her lips. Her concentration was suddenly broken by the hushed voices of a group of men sitting at the nearby table. They were discussing something that immediately caught his attention. The conversation drifted toward the palace, where news was spreading about a banquet invitation being sent to noble family.
"Did you hear?" one man whispered, lowering his voice. "The palace has issued invitations to the noble families. They're looking for suitors for the Eldest Princess Zhao Yi."
The others leaned in closer, eager to hear more. "I heard she's been through two marriages already, and both ended in disaster. But now, the emperor is determined to find her a suitable match."
Lang Huan's ears perked up.
"But who could be bold enough to marry someone with such a troubled past?"
Another man chuckled, shaking his head. "Who wouldn't want to marry such a beautiful princess? Despite her past, there are still many who covet her. Beauty and power can overshadow a lot of things, after all."
Lang Huan glanced over at Master Xuan Kai, who had also been listening intently, then turned her attention back to the conversation.
"I know you don't like attending these kinds of events, but don't worry," Master Xuan Kai continued. "The Eldest Princess is already twenty-eight, while you're only eighteen. And besides, who are you? Sure, you're good-looking, but the Eldest Princess has high standards—Her Highness wouldn't be interested in you..."
"And ehemm… remember your identity," Master Xuan Kai's voice dropped, though Lang Huan still caught the words.
Lang Huan raised an eyebrow, not happy with Master Xuan Kai's self-deprecating comment. In her mind, she thought, If I can make her fall in love with me, you'll be shocked to death, stinky master!
"I've never been to a palace event before. It might be fun, don't you think?"
Master Xuan Kai pressed his lips together. "Fun? The palace is filled with schemes. If you aren't careful, you could end up entangled in matters far beyond a simple banquet."
Lang Huan waved dismissively. "What could possibly happen at a banquet? It's just food, music, and beautiful people."
The man at the next table scoffed. "So what if the Eldest Princess Zhao Yi is the most beautiful woman in Great Qi? She's just a
"Pfft—!" Lang Huan almost choked, spitting out the tea she hadn't swallowed yet. What's so bad about being twenty-eight? If I hadn't ended up in this dynasty, I wouldn't be much younger than her. Is that a crime now?
"Uhh..." The tea sprayed right onto Master Xuan Kai's face. He froze, his expression darkening as if he had just swallowed a dead rat.
Lang Huan blinked. "Ah... haha… sorry." She let out an awkward, dry laugh before quickly pulling out a handkerchief from her bosom. "Here, here! Don't be mad, Master Xuan Kai."
Master Xuan Kai closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, as if trying to find inner peace.
"I won't be coming to teach you martial arts for the next few months. I have something important to do at the temple," Master Xuan Kai said seriously, placing some vegetables into Lang Huan's bowl.
"Okay, Master."
---
"Your Highness," A Li said respectfully, kneeling before the Eldest Princess. "As you suspected, the Prince of Yan Kingdom is putting pressure on the sons of noble families."
A slow, calculating smile tugged at the corner of Feng Yao's lips. "So, the Prince of Yan is trying to clear the path for himself. He dares to act with such boldness because he believes he has the support of my father."
Feng Yao clenched her fists, "If I hadn't suggested the banquet to select for a Prince Consort, my father would have already agreed to the proposal from the Prince of Yan. My father has plan for seizing my power and send me far away."
When Feng Yao's mother was still the Emperor's favorite imperial consort, Feng Yao was granted the prestigious title of the Eldest Princess Zhao Yi. At that time, Feng Yao lived in the splendor of imperial favor, basking in the privileges that came with her mother's status.
However, the Emperor's infatuation shifted to another woman, leading to a dramatic fall from grace for both Feng Yao and her mother. The cruel woman, Concubine De, soon schemed against Feng Yao's mother, accusing her of infidelity. This plot led to her mother being cast into the cold palace, where she died. At just fourteen years old, Feng Yao lost her father's favor.
At fifteen years old, Feng Yao's struggled to regain her father's attention, sacrificing herself by agreeing to marry into the Wen Kingdom as part of a peace agreement.
Having experienced the cruelty of palace intrigue, Feng Yao began to strengthen her own power. She strategically placed her minion in key positions, ensuring that her influence continued to grow.
Feng Yao's decision to marry the King of Wen Kingdom was not an act of submission, but rather a calculated move to gain power and attention. Feng Yao had spent years in the palace, mastering the art of political manipulation and intrigue, and saw her marriage as an opportunity to restore her lost favor and influence. However, she had no intention of being a pawn in the game of diplomacy.
Using her sharp mind and influence, Feng Yao carefully orchestrated the failed marriage planning. She aligned herself with Prince Tong, the rebellious son of the late King of Wen. Together, they set series of events that lead to the mysterious death of the King of Wen.
"Ten years of effort spent building this dynasty, working tirelessly to solidify my power—only for it to be threatened by my own father's manipulation... and for what? The Emperor's strategic moves always seem to favor his sons alone."
"What shall we do, Your Highness?"
Feng Yao leaned back in her chair, "We play the game carefully. The Prince of Yan thinks he has the upper hand, but he is mistaken. I will make sure the banquet happens, and I will control the outcome. If my father believes he can undermine me, then let him see the true power I hold."
A Li continued, "Your Highness, the son of Duke of Huguo will also be present at the banquet."
Feng Yao, paused, a faint curiosity stirring in her eyes. "Ah, yes... I almost forgot about her."