The palace had changed. The rain of that fateful night had long dried, but the echo of it remained—deep in the stone walls, in the silent courtyards, and in the heart of a young boy who walked them.
Prince Wei Li was five. Sharp-eyed, quiet, and wise beyond his years. After finishing his morning lessons, he wandered to his mother's chambers, longing for the warmth of her embrace.
But the silence there was heavier than usual. The doors were open. Servants gathered.
He stepped inside.
There, on the bed, lay Empress Xia Rui.
Her skin was cold. Her lips, once warm with stories and lullabies, were blue. Her beauty remained—but lifeless, distant. Gone.
"M-mother…?" he called out, his voice a whisper swallowed by dread.
A sob broke from one of the maids. "Your Highness… the Queen… she is gone."
Time slowed. He couldn't understand. Couldn't breathe.
"Summon His Majesty!" barked the Eunuch. "Tell him—tell him the Empress is dead!"
The Emperor arrived moments later. His robes were soaked with sweat; his eyes bloodshot. One look at the lifeless figure on the bed, and the mask of an emperor shattered.
"No… Xia Rui… you promised… you promised we'd grow old together!"
His grief was raw, unrestrained. His cries filled the chamber.
"Why?! Why her?!"
He fell to his knees beside her, clutching her hand, pressing his forehead to her cold skin.
One of the guards stepped forward. "Your Majesty, shall we investigate?"
"Do it. I want answers. Now."
The Emperor then noticed his son, standing stiff and silent in the shadows.
"Take the Prince away," he whispered hoarsely. "Protect him."
As servants led the stunned boy from the room, he looked back once, one last glance at the mother he would never see smile again.
And then, the doors shut.
Grief swallowed the palace.
And fate continued to weave its tapestry—crimson threads, soaked in rain, sorrow, and secrets yet to be revealed.
Five years passed by quickly, and the General's mansion had now prospered with power and favour. This was all thanks to the twins, Gu Ruolan and Gu Mochuan. They were handsome and elegant in appearance and were always praised at banquets.
But behind their façade were spoiled brats and sharp thorns.
They were raised receiving anything they desired. Any mistake they made, someone else was to blame. Their mother, Concubine Lin Yue, is the mastermind behind their every action, as she ensured they were always seen, always admired—always above.
"She's just a child from the cold courtyard," Ruolan scoffed, one lazy morning as the two roamed toward the eastern gardens of the estate. "Why does Father even allow her to stay here?"
"She looks like a ghost," Mochuan muttered, tossing a stone into the pond. "Always quiet, always staring."
The "ghost" they spoke of was Hua Rui.
Five years old, delicate but watchful. With her soft black hair tied in simple braids, and her eyes too large for her small face, she was often seen wandering near the plum tree her mother loved. Most servants ignored her, but others pitied her.
"She doesn't even know how to talk properly," Ruolan sneered.
"She thinks she's a little empress," Mochuan added. "Let's teach her something."
They spotted her that morning beside a flowerbed, gently petting a stray kitten. Her back was turned.
"Hey," Ruolan said sharply. "That cat's dirty. You shouldn't touch it."
Hua Rui looked up slowly, blinking. Her tiny hands pulled the kitten protectively to her chest.
"She's cold," she whispered. "and not dirty.." she murmured.
"Are you talking back?" Mochuan stepped closer, reaching to snatch the kitten.
Hua Rui stepped back instinctively, stumbling. "Don't—!"
But the boy grabbed the kitten and tossed it aside. It yelped and ran.
"Stop it!" she shouted, voice cracking with panic.
Ruolan laughed, enjoying the sight of Hua Rui's distress. She grabbed Hua Rui's hair tightly and pushed her. She scoffed,"You're so loud. Didn't your mother teach you manners?"
That word—mother—hit a nerve. Her fingers curled into a fist. "I have a mother," Hua Rui said defiantly, standing up despite the tears in her eyes.
"She's not like yours."
Ruolan's face twisted. "Say that again."
"She's not like yours. She loves me."
Slap!
The sound rang out like thunder in the garden. Ruolan's palm left a red print on Hua Rui's cheek.
Wanwan, who had just come looking for the girl, gasped from behind the hedge.
"Hua Rui!"
The twins turned as the maid rushed forward and gathered the trembling child into her arms.
"She hit me," Hua Rui murmured, burying her face.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Wanwan's voice quaked with fury. "Touching the child of the official wife? Do you want to be punished?!"
But Ruolan only smirked. "We're the children of the favored concubine. Who's going to punish us?"
Mochuan added coldly, "She started it. She talked back."
Wanwan stood frozen. She knew the danger. The General's favor protected these two like armor, while Hua Rui… she was only tolerated.
"I will tell the Madam," Wanwan warned.
"Tell her whatever you want," Ruolan said, tossing her braid over her shoulder. "Nobody cares about ghosts." Then the twins walked away as if nothing had just happened.
The servants who had gathered around began to dissipate. However, not a single word went out of the General's mansion because it could damaged their reputation.
Wanwan and Hua Rui returned back to the courtyard. When Lady Xiao heard this she almost walked out to confront the twins, but was held back by Hia Rui. Lady Xiao looked at her daughter worriedly and thought,'This is all my fault and I have dragged my daughter into it. I'll have to solve this.'
That evening, Xiao Lan sat beside her daughter, pressing a cool cloth to her swollen cheek. The girl hissed and sniffled quietly, clinging to her mother's hand.
"They took my cat and talked bad about you too", she whispered.
Xiao Lian's eyes turned cold and distant as she said,"It's not your fault dear."
"This ...will never happen again,"she murmured.