Draken City, Imperial Palace
As dawn broke and her morning routine was done, Cao Wan’er just didn’t want to move. She lounged lazily on her phoenix couch, eyes closed, soaking up the cool breeze and leg massage from her maids.
“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has been on a roll lately—he’s already conquered several small countries!” Luna chirped, scooping a spoonful of porridge and gently holding it to Cao Wan’er’s lips.
Cao Wan’er opened her mouth lazily, took a sip of porridge, and her smile curled up high at the corners. Honestly, she hadn’t expected Jue’er to be this impressive, all thanks to that woman.
“Your Majesty...” Luna called softly, then used silver chopsticks to pick up a piece of pastry and carefully offered it to Cao Wan’er. This was the Empress’s absolute favorite—peach shortbread.
After swallowing it, Cao Wan’er waved her hand, signaling she was full.
Seeing this, a clever maid leaned over to Luna, quietly took the bowl and chopsticks, and then bowed out of the room.
At this, Luna waved for the rest of the maids to leave. Once they’d bowed and retreated, she knelt beside Cao Wan’er and gently massaged her legs. “Your Majesty, now that the Crown Prince is riding high thanks to that woman, we’ve already absorbed several new territories. Sure, they’re just little countries, but every bit adds up. Honestly, the biggest threat now is Chu Kingdom.”
Hearing this, Cao Wan’er narrowed her eyes and hummed in agreement. She knew perfectly well—Chu Kingdom was her biggest headache. No way would she ever let any country stand equal to the Soaring Phoenix Realm.
“We’ll take Chu Kingdom eventually, but... now’s just not the right time.” It was her constant worry—a problem she couldn’t dodge. The real trick was picking the perfect moment to strike.
“Your Majesty, forgive me for being bold, but about the Crown Princess dying in that fire—Chu Kingdom didn’t make a fuss, but I’ve heard their Emperor hasn’t even been in Chu these days. Grand Master Zhang is running everything, and nobody knows where the Emperor is. I wonder if he’s secretly plotting something?” Luna rattled off her latest findings.
“Is that so?” Cao Wan’er opened her eyes, slowly sitting up.
“Exactly! They’re keeping it locked down tight. If my sister hadn’t married into Chu, we’d never have gotten a hint. Apparently, Grand Master Zhang ordered everyone in the country to keep their mouths shut—nobody’s allowed to talk about it. The Emperor’s whereabouts are top secret, which is super weird if you ask me!” Luna added, all flustered.
“If he’s not staying put in Chu, where could he possibly be?” Cao Wan’er narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious.
Luna whispered, “Your Majesty, do you think he’s upset about the Crown Princess’s death and plotting something? I heard he was really close to her—she always helped him when he was bullied.”
That made Cao Wan’er frown. Luna’s theory was hard to ignore. “Could he really be planning a rebellion?”
“Your Majesty, you can’t be too careful.”
“Mm.” Cao Wan’er nodded. This was no small matter—if Chu Kingdom ever went head-to-head with the Soaring Phoenix Realm, they might have a slight edge, but Chu had gotten way stronger these past few years. Definitely not something to take lightly.
“Your Majesty, since we’re so worried and in the dark, why not flip the script and go on the offensive?” Luna suggested.
“Flip the script?” Cao Wan’er raised an eyebrow, repeating the phrase.
“Exactly! Instead of worrying, let’s take the initiative. Besides, once we conquer Chu Kingdom, who cares about that Dragon-Phoenix Jade Seal? With the two realms united, His Highness will be number one under heaven—no one would dare challenge us. By then, the world will be yours, Your Majesty, and the Crown Prince can finally become emperor!” Luna grinned, knowing this was the Empress’s lifelong dream.
Hearing this, Cao Wan’er suddenly smiled and looked at Luna with admiration. “No wonder you’re my disciple—you really are different!”
“Your Majesty flatters me—I don’t deserve it,” Luna said, embarrassed.
“You did a great job digging up this info—it’s huge news. If Jue’er manages to take Chu Kingdom, I’ll formally grant you marriage to Gavin Wang.” Cao Wan’er smirked.
“Your Majesty—” Luna gasped in shock, then dropped to her knees. “You knew? I... I...”
“Please. Did you really think I didn’t know about you two? If you weren’t one of my oldest followers, you’d have lost your head ten times over for what you did in this palace.” Cao Wan’er replied coolly.
“Your Majesty...” Luna choked up. She’d thought the Empress didn’t know, but not only did she know, she’d never blamed her! How lucky was Luna to have such a good mistress? She’d been sold into the Cao household as a child and had followed her ever since. After entering the palace, the Empress made her chief steward of Shou’an Hall and even let her use her real name—what a huge favor!
“Enough, get up.” Seeing Luna in tears, Cao Wan’er frowned.
“Your Majesty, I swear lifelong loyalty!” Luna kowtowed deeply, then stood up quickly.
“Alright, enough with the drama.” Cao Wan’er said. “Anyway, go to the Crown Prince and tell him to come have lunch with me at noon.”
“Already done! I’ve told the imperial kitchen to prep all the Crown Prince’s favorite dishes for lunch.” Luna replied.
“Good.” Cao Wan’er was pretty satisfied with Luna’s efficiency.
“Your Majesty, I heard the Six-Realm Martial Conference is tomorrow. Silver Consort made a lot of enemies last time—will she even make it onto the tournament stage this year?” Luna asked, puzzled. She could tell Cao Wan’er didn’t like Silver Consort, but she was still useful for now.
“If she can’t even handle that, she should’ve died ages ago.” Cao Wan’er snorted. “Jue’er doesn’t care for martial artists, but there are tons of Jianghu fighters out there. Last time we didn’t wipe them all out, so now Silver Consort has to become alliance leader. She’ll lead everyone to hunt down ‘Silver Consort’ and also send them to attack other small states. That way, the court doesn’t have to lift a finger and we still get all the benefits.”
All those busybodies obsessing over martial arts are just bored out of their minds. If they love fighting so much, I’ll put them to use—let them risk their necks for me. The court won’t have to send a single soldier, and those muscleheads from the villages will help me achieve my dreams. It’s a win-win. Just hope Silver Consort doesn’t let me down!
Luna chuckled, “So that perfect human-skin mask you made last time was for Silver Consort!”
“Her new name is Lonely Heart,” Cao Wan’er said with another sly smile. She made sure Silver Consort would remember—if she couldn’t fulfill Jue’er’s wish, she’d stay lonely forever, never win his heart. The name was a constant reminder: she had to win.
“Looks like everything’s going exactly as we planned, Your Majesty. The Crown Prince will be on the throne soon!” Luna laughed, already daydreaming about her wedding to Gavin Wang.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Wearing her human-skin mask, Silver Consort was now staying at an inn in Lark City. Morning had broken, and she stood alone at the window, gazing out at the bustling little town, lost in thought.
“Hey, rascal! Quit running around and come eat your porridge!” A young woman laughed as she chased after a little boy.
“No, Mom! I want to go see the martial conference!”
“What’s the rush? It’s still early—eat first, then you can go.” The woman caught up to him, grabbing his hand.
“But I promised Ah-Gang and the others we’d get a good spot!” the boy said anxiously.
The woman smiled, ruffled his hair, then pulled out two big, fluffy buns from her pocket. “I know you’re excited. Here, make sure you eat!”
“Wow, buns! Thanks, Mom!” He hugged her neck, planted a big kiss on her cheek, and dashed off, happy as a clam.
Silver Consort watched the whole scene from above. Her nose stung suddenly. The family’s clothes were shabby, the boy’s outfit was worn, the woman’s hands were rough, and her shoes were old. Yet despite all that, they were happy—they laughed so freely. If only she and Jue’er could have a life like this, surely they’d be even happier.
If she could start over, she’d want to try that kind of family bliss too. But there’s no such thing as a do-over.
********Gratitude Divider*******
PS: Thanks to Vanilla1218 for the amazing writing and to e131 for the flowers! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone—tomorrow there’ll be extra chapters, don’t miss it!