Ivy turned her head and paused, a bit caught off guard. The woman before her had the elegance of a lotus—delicate features, bright eyes, her whole face glowing with a gentle light and a soft, graceful smile. Honestly? She looked exactly like one of those highborn ladies straight out of a family portrait.
Right now, she was dressed in a pale green dress covered in delicate floral patterns, with a golden bird embroidered on the front and a little white cloud floating below it—probably a symbol for "soaring high," if you ask me. Her hair, freshly styled, was swept up in a simple bun pinned with a jade hairpin. Simple, sure, but you could tell at a glance it was top-tier jade.
Ivy couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d seen her somewhere before. Oh, right—she was Ethan Chu’s older sister, the one who got shipped off to the Soaring Phoenix Realm as a peace offering. The Chu Emperor might be a walking disaster, but at least he passed on his good looks to his kids.
"What is it? Is there something on my face?" The woman caught Ivy staring and smiled, asking with a gentle curiosity.
"No, no, not at all! I was just stunned by how gorgeous the Crown Princess is."
Yvonne Song flashed a brilliant smile. "You’re just as pretty, you know. It’s no wonder the Crown Prince is so smitten with you!"
"Oh, I wouldn’t dare," Ivy replied, bowing her head in mock panic.
"Don’t be so modest! You really are beautiful, and it’s not like I’m just flattering you. No need to be shy about it. By the way, I heard your name is Chong Sheng’er—can I call you Sheng’er?" Yvonne asked, glancing at her with a friendly smile.
"Of course!" Ivy replied quickly.
"Come on, help me with my bath." With that, Yvonne took Ivy’s hand and led her into the inner room.
The moment they stepped inside, a wall of pungent herbal medicine hit Ivy right in the face. She wrinkled her nose—seriously, how could anyone stand that smell? She walked closer and saw the bath was filled with some kind of grayish concoction.
Yvonne started to undress herself, but Ivy hurried over. "Let me help, Your Highness," she said, and began carefully unfastening Yvonne’s clothes.
Once the clothes came off, Ivy froze. Yvonne’s pale, flawless skin was covered in scars—some fresh, some already scabbed over. Ivy could tell these weren’t old wounds; they’d happened recently. And there were so many, all over her body. It was obvious she’d been through some kind of hellish torture.
Noticing Ivy’s stunned silence, Yvonne glanced over and caught her staring. "Ah—these, these are just from my illness. The imperial doctors treated me, that’s all," she said quickly, then slipped into the medicinal bath.
Ivy didn’t reply. She wasn’t stupid—she could tell the difference between medical treatment and a whipping. For someone trained in martial arts, these marks screamed abuse. Had she really been tortured?
Could it have been Song Zhijue?!
But—everyone in the palace swore the Crown Prince loved his wife more than life itself. If that’s true, then why...?
Suddenly, Ivy realized Yvonne was trying to send her a message. But what exactly was she hinting at?
"Do you know why I called you here today?"
"Um?" Ivy blinked, caught off guard.
"I've seen you before," Marina Jade said with a gentle smile.
"The Crown Princess has met me before?"
"Yes. A couple days ago, I was about to head to the Lotus Pond, but I suddenly felt dizzy at the gate and had Ruby help me back. I happened to spot you standing on a little boat, and for some reason, I just felt a strange fondness for you. So, today I asked for you. I hope it wasn't too abrupt?"
"Of course not. It's my honor that the Crown Princess wishes to see me." Ivy wasn't sure if she was telling the truth, but she seemed pretty sincere.
Ivy coughed, probably because the medicine smell was way too strong.
Marina looked apologetic. "Sorry, it's just a calming medicine. The smell's pretty intense—most people can't handle it."
"It's fine, I'll get used to it soon. Um... Crown Princess, have you been having trouble sleeping lately?"
"Just some things weighing on my mind. By the way, I heard the Crown Prince likes you?" Marina asked, eyes still closed, sounding casual.
"I wouldn't know," Ivy replied, still trying to figure out what the Crown Princess was getting at.
Marina smiled, even laughed a little. "That's good. The Crown Prince's harem could use a few more people."
Ivy didn't respond to that.
"If you can marry someone you truly like, that's just about the happiest thing in the world. I believe the Crown Prince likes you, and if you like him too, you'll be very happy," Marina said wistfully.
"I wouldn't know," Ivy replied.
"Haha, it's fine, I'm just talking. Sheng'er, can you promise me not to tell the Crown Prince about helping me bathe today?" Marina sighed to herself.
"Okay, I won't say a word."
"Thank you. Alright, Sheng'er, you can go now. I want to be alone for a bit."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." Ivy bowed slightly and left.
After Ivy left, Marina sighed, "I hope you find your own happiness, and don't end up like me." She touched her flat belly, and a single tear slipped down. "I knew someone wanted to harm you, but as your mother, I couldn't refuse. I'm sorry..."
********Scene Break*********
Inside the main hall—
"Emperor Chu, you came without any notice?" Jude Song smiled at Chu Meng, clearly surprised by his sudden visit.
Seated in the guest chair, Chu Meng nodded with a smile. "This trip is just a casual visit—I didn't want to make a big fuss. Last time, the Crown Prince and I discussed some matters I found very worthwhile, but I still wasn't sure how to draft the contract, so I came myself to take a look. And of course, to visit my elder sister."
"Of course! Since you're here, you should stay and enjoy yourself for a few days," Jude said warmly.
"I'm only planning to stay for three days, then head back. There's been some unrest on the border lately. It hasn't affected Chu, but I want to go back and make some plans. These days, there are more and more small states rebelling," Chu Meng explained, making it sound like he was just passing through and didn't intend to stay long—so Jude wouldn't get suspicious.
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"Huh? Only two or three days? That's not enough! Emperor Chu, you're here—have some fun! Besides, the Crown Princess will definitely want to see you," Jude laughed. Among the neighboring kingdoms, only Chu could match Soaring Phoenix, so this partnership was a huge win for them. No way he'd let this big fish get away!
"Haha, Crown Prince, you're very enthusiastic."
"Hey, and who is this?" Suddenly, Jude caught sight of Lila Vane and froze. Who was this woman?
"Haha, this is my beloved consort. The ceremony hasn't happened yet, but since I was passing through, I brought her to meet my elder sister. We'll hold the side-consort ceremony once we're back." Chu Meng said, pulling Lila close.
"Your Majesty..." Lila managed a shy smile, not sure what to say.
Meanwhile, General Nee, sword at his side, was secretly relieved. Good thing he'd remembered just before entering the palace that Jude had seen Lila's twin, Lila Vane, before. Their faces were too similar, so he had Butterfly Rogue disguise Lila as someone totally plain.
"Emperor Chu, your tastes are... unique," Jude said, glancing at Lila's average face and forcing a smile. Internally, he scoffed: The Chu royals—one ancestor liked men, another liked poison women, and now this one likes the most ordinary woman ever. Their taste is truly something else.
"Ah, but you don't know—Coco is my soulmate. She may not be a beauty, but she's the only one who understands me!" Chu Meng said with a deep, loving gaze at the disguised Lila. Ugh, so gross. He could barely keep up the act.
"Your Majesty..." Ugh, stop looking at me like that! I'm going to puke too!
"Alright, alright. Since Emperor Chu is so devoted, this prince will prepare a grand gift for your side consort."
"Thank you, Crown Prince. Much appreciated."
"No need to be so polite."
"Crown Prince, is it true your imperial gardens have every kind of flower?" Coco asked in a soft, timid voice.
"Mm-hmm," Jude nodded proudly, though he wasn't sure what she was getting at.
Coco turned to Chu Meng. "Your Majesty, I've heard that Soaring Phoenix has a flower called the lotus—so fragrant! I've never seen one. You know how the rivers in Chu are—no flowers grow in the water." She glanced at Jude, looking skeptical that such a flower existed here.
Jude burst out laughing. "Lotus flowers? Easy! Not only do we have them—we've got a whole Lotus Pond! My wife loves it. Funny, your Chu girls are all the same. When Marina first saw the lotuses, she was totally enchanted, said they're the prettiest flowers she'd ever seen!"
"Really? Then... may I see them?" Coco pressed her hands together, looking super excited. Ugh, acting like a girl is way too much work!
"Of course! Someone, prepare a banquet at the Lotus Pond—good food, good wine! And invite the Crown Princess too!" Jude shouted.
"Yes, sir!" The servants rushed off to get things ready.
Coco shot a quick glance at General Nee. They exchanged a look—gotta find Xin'er at the Lotus Pond!