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Amid the softly falling snow in the Cold Palace courtyard, Princess Xianlan drew her final breath silently.

She had been falsely accused of poisoning the Crown Prince, brutally flogged until her body was torn, and imprisoned without a shred of mercy all part of a cruel scheme orchestrated by Noble Consort Su Zhen, her stepmother, whose gentle appearance masked a heart of poison.

Meanwhile, the Emperor of Li the very man who claimed to love her above all never realized that the only daughter he cherished had been crushed to death by the hands of the one he trusted most.

But the heavens showed mercy.

Xianlan opened her eyes once more, reborn into her eight-year-old self in the time before everything shattered.

This time… she would not be a worthless pawn in a game of power.
She would become the master strategist, toppling each of her enemies one by one.

With icy composure and razor-sharp wit, Xianlan hid in the shadows, slowly gathering evidence, allies, and influence within the palace.
And fate brought her an unexpected ally

Feng Yuhan, Crown Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, known as the “Winter Tiger.”
Cold, brilliant, and seemingly heartless—yet from their first meeting, something in her eyes held his gaze.

Together, they moved in the darkness.
Xianlan laid the plans. Feng Yuhan executed them.

As the Kingdom of Li fell into the depths of political games
As vipers hissed behind silken smiles in the inner palace
As even a father’s love could be twisted by deceit

⸻

When the phoenix returns to her nest she will never again let anyone trample her.
The will of the heavens may be written in ink…
But Xianlan will rewrite fate in the blood of her enemies.

Rebirth of the Phoenix Empress

A new morning dawned upon Xianyu Palace, bathed in sunlight tinged with gentle mist. The northern wind carried the soft fragrance of yulan blossoms past the cold jade walls, guiding a woman toward one of the grand halls.

Xianlan wore a pale blue silk robe, the color of morning fog. Her gentle voice and unhurried steps as she passed the Ministry of War's estate signaled that today… she had come not with strategy, but with heart.

"Lady Wei, may I humbly request a moment of your time?" she asked, pressing her hands together in respect.

Lady Wei, a middle-aged woman whose beauty had not yet fully faded, turned toward her with a gaze mixed with surprise and caution. Yet upon seeing the serene face of the Fourth Princess, her eyes softened without realizing.

"Come to the back pavilion," Lady Wei said. "Perhaps it's time I listened to the voices of the young again."

The garden behind the estate, shaded by great trees and blooming with cheerful flowers, offered a quiet calm. Xianlan sat gracefully, not rushing. Lady Wei poured her tea and asked candidly:

"What business does a princess have with an old woman like me?"

Xianlan gave a gentle smile, folding the paper fan on her lap.

"Nothing of urgency… I was simply reminded of my mother."

The words made the older woman pause for a moment.

"My mother—Yu Fei—once told me, that if I ever felt lost, I should seek the scent of her favorite tea… for within that scent, I would always find a compass."

She bowed her head slightly, then continued:

"Today, I feel like someone who's lost their way. And here… I caught the very scent of her tea."

Not once did Xianlan mention the "supply fraud case."

But her words stirred a subtle ripple in the heart of the minister's wife, a woman who once walked beside power, and knew well that her husband was not always clean.

"You remind me so much of her…" Lady Wei murmured.

"…Of Yu Fei when she was quiet, and of the side of her no one saw when she held back her tears."

The older woman reached out and lightly held Xianlan's hand.

"There are things I should not say… but if you wish to know where the missing palace rations were redirected—look into the 'secondary ledger' that bears no imperial seal."

From a quiet corner of the garden, Jiang Xinluo observed everything.

She had disguised herself as a maid serving pastries, and heard every word.

"You… are not playing this game merely for power…"

In Xianlan's eyes, she saw something she had never noticed before.

…And a hand reaching out to others, even within the labyrinth of power.

Jiang Xinluo slipped away silently and scribbled a line on thin parchment:

"The compass of the lost is often found in a scent others overlook."

As the night wind drifted above the palace walls,

one walking toward the truth, and the other beginning to shed illusion—

remained quiet… but no longer alone.

✨ Thank you for reading this chapter of Rebirth of the Phoenix Empress!If you're enjoying Xianlan's journey, please add this story to your Library, leave a comment, or tap a heart 💖 — your support truly fuels the fire!

The Scented Compass of the Lost