The mont Song Lianhe appeared at the banquet, everyone stared in surprise, murmuring amongst themselves. Why was she here?
After all, Song Lianhe had a terrible reputation. Though so sympathized with her for being bullied by her stepmother and half-sister, a reputation built over many years couldn’t be shed in an instant.
Cao Ying had deliberately arranged for Song Lianhe to be dressed up in order to embarrass Song Xilan, ordering her attendants to use all the finest items she had stashed away.
In truth, Song Lianhe had been a natural beauty since childhood. But as the saying goes, beauty is a reflection of the heart. During those years she spent acting out, even her features seed to change. Especially when standing next to her gentle and lovely older sister, even the most beautiful face could appear sharp and an.
But today, she was truly different.
She wore a fresh and elegant cyan skirt, a dark green palace tassel dangling from her waist, which was so slender it looked as if a single hand could encircle it.
Her flawless, jade-like face was as fresh and ethereal as morning dew. A clear light danced in her eyes, and a faint blush, painted by the warm afternoon sun, graced her cheeks like a rosy glow upon white jade.
Colorful petals from the Imperial Garden drifted down, landing on her coiled hair and her shoulders. When the wind stirred, they floated up once more.
To all who laid eyes on her, Song Lianhe was as beautiful as the Nine Heavens Profound Lady descending to the mortal realm—an unreal, soul-stirring beauty.
When Zhou Junlin first heard her na, he had frowned in disgust, his expression even darkening in public.
But when he glanced over again, he froze.
It wasn’t just today. He couldn’t rember when it started, but every ti he saw her, she managed to shock him in a new way.
Song Xilan’s beautiful eyes were also fixed on her. Though her expression remained unchanged on the surface, she was secretly gritting her teeth so hard they could have shattered.
’Why did she have to co?’
’What is she trying to take from this ti?!’
Song Xilan had never hated her this much before. She had never even considered such an idiot a threat. But ever since that strange voice had appeared in her heart, she could no longer keep her composure.
’From her status as the legitimate daughter to the man she loves—all of it should have been mine!’
’And right now, Song Lianhe was stealing the attention that rightfully belonged to !’
Song Lianhe approached Empress Chun De. "This subject pays her respects to the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless fortune and good health."
"You may rise."
Empress Chun De studied her carefully, then slowly nodded. "Yes, you look just like your mother."
"Empress, I truly envy you."
"Oh?"
Empress Chun De was puzzled. "And why do you envy ?"
Song Lianhe gave a soft, helpless laugh. "You have t my mother, but sadly, I can’t even rember what she looked like. There isn’t even a single portrait of her in the General Mansion."
Empress Chun De frowned. "You... have never seen a portrait of your mother?"
Years ago, after Lin Shuniang passed away from illness, the Emperor had been deeply moved and specially commissioned a court painter to create a portrait of the female General. It was Empress Chun De who had then bestowed it upon Song Xingfeng in her na.
"Answering Your Majesty, this subject would not dare to lie," Song Lianhe said slowly. "I have heard the old servants in the household ntion that there was once a portrait of my mother, but it was put away on the day my father took his new wife. I have never seen it to this day."
Empress Chun De pursed her lips and said nothing, her expression darkening slightly.
Even soone as noble as the Empress loathed fickle and faithless n.
When Song Xingfeng had first wanted to promote his concubine to the status of his official wife, the Marquis Xuan Chang had gone to the General Mansion’s gates and cursed him out, causing a scandal throughout the city. Naturally, word reached the palace, and Empress Chun De had been quite critical of Song Xingfeng at the ti.
However, considering he was a pillar of the Da Cheng dynasty and was fulfilling a promise to soone who had saved his life—not to ntion he never remarried after that—his actions could be seen as a form of commitnt.
But now, hearing Lin Shuniang’s own daughter say she had never even seen her mother’s portrait—that was going too far. After all, Lin Shuniang was no ordinary woman. She was Da Cheng’s only female General to have fought on the battlefield. It wouldn’t have been excessive to have an ancestral tablet for her enshrined in the ho, let alone a re portrait!
Song Xilan suddenly rose and knelt before the Empress. "Your Majesty, please understand, my younger sister is unaware of the circumstances. The portrait of our legitimate mother was put away by Father for safekeeping. He often looks at it to rember her, but he doesn’t want to lose his stern deanor in front of us children. If my sister had only ntioned earlier that she missed our mother, Father surely would have told her. How could this misunderstanding have happened today otherwise?"
Her aning was simple: Song Lianhe was only bringing up her mother because she was in front of the Empress. At ho, she never ntioned her at all.
Song Lianhe nodded to herself. ’As expected of the female lead,’ she thought. ’She sure thinks fast!’
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