Chapter 2: An Offer Too Kind to Refuse
A dark glint flashed in Li Xuanyue’s eyes.
She would not let her succeed this time.
“Has something in the hall caught your eye, little sister?” Li Xuanyue asked, her tone deliberately inquisitive.
A flicker of stiffness crossed Li Qinghe’s face as she met Xuanyue’s gaze. To avoid suspicion, she quickly averted her eyes.
“You misunderstand, sister,” she said with a practiced smile.
She then signaled to her maidservant, who brought forward a bowl of lotus seed porridge, specially prepared for a happy union.
“You must be hungry after such a long day,” Li Qinghe said, stepping forward with a show of sisterly concern. To an outsider, she would have seemed the picture of a caring younger sister.
But Li Xuanyue knew the truth. Li Qinghe was desperate for her to drink the porridge, to descend into madness, and to kill again.
It was the perfect way to get rid of her for good.
“I had this lotus seed porridge made especially for you, to wish you a hundred years of happiness,” Li Qinghe explained, her voice dripping with feigned thoughtfulness. “You should eat some to regain your strength. We wouldn’t want you to find yourself… lacking in energy… on your wedding night.”
It was meant as a playful tease, but this time, Li Xuanyue heard the malice and calculation laced within the words.
How had she not noticed the significance of this porridge in her past life? She had truly believed in their sisterly bond, and so she had eaten it without a second thought.
And it was that very porridge that had sent her into a frenzy, causing her to torture three of her consorts to death.
Reborn, Li Xuanyue would not let her dear sister’s plans unfold so smoothly.
“Just put it aside for now,” she said, glancing up and motioning for her maid to take the bowl and place it on a nearby table.
She couldn’t drink this porridge so easily.
She had to make Qinghe press her.
A flicker of something unreadable crossed Li Qinghe’s eyes. “But sister, this porridge is best eaten hot. It will lose its fragrance once it cools.”
This was the most crucial move in her plan for the night. How could Li Xuanyue not eat it? If she didn’t, how would the rest of her scheme proceed?
She had to drink it.
The cunning in Li Qinghe’s eyes was unmistakable. She had put a great deal of effort into this.
“Oh?” Li Xuanyue raised an eyebrow.
Her objective achieved, she saw no reason to drag out the act. She knew exactly what Li Qinghe was thinking. She wanted her to drink the porridge and go on a murderous rampage, didn’t she?
Fine. She would grant her wish.
A calculating glint shone in Li Xuanyue’s eyes, but her face remained a mask of calm indifference. With a perfectly natural movement, she took the bowl of lotus seed porridge from her maid.
“In that case, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you, dear sister.”
Putting on a show of being unable to refuse such kindness, she raised the bowl to her lips, using her other sleeve to shield her mouth as she pretended to swallow.
Seeing this, Li Qinghe let out a silent breath of relief. She watched as Li Xuanyue quickly finished the porridge as if it were a simple broth.
A strange, triumphant smile crept into her eyes. Li Xuanyue’s cooperation saved her the trouble of further persuasion.
“Sister, why the rush?” Li Qinghe said, stepping forward to gently wipe a few grains of rice from the corner of Xuanyue’s mouth with a handkerchief. At the same time, her own maid deftly took the empty bowl from Xuanyue’s hands.
“There’s plenty more where that came from,” Qinghe teased. “If you’d like another, I can have someone bring it right away. We can’t have the five consorts laughing at you.”
Li Xuanyue glanced at the five men still kneeling on the floor.
In her last life, she hadn’t even had a chance to see their faces before her madness took over. Thinking back, she felt a pang of guilt and regret.
With her plan seemingly successful, Li Qinghe had no reason to linger in the Hall of Phoenix Harmony. She didn’t want to be around when the drug took effect and risk getting implicated.
“Well, sister, I won’t disturb you and your five consorts any longer.” Li Qinghe shot a mocking look at Xuanyue, who was staring blankly at the men, then turned and swept out of the hall with her maid.
“Your Highness… is this really the right thing to do?” the maid, Ruyue, asked nervously once they were outside. “The Great Princess has always treated you like a true sister and has never caused you any trouble. Perhaps we should stop this!”
“Are you afraid, Ruyue?” Li Qinghe’s eyes narrowed as she looked at her most trusted servant. “The kindness she shows me is nothing but charity. I don’t need it.”
She would take back everything that was rightfully hers with her own strength.
“Have our people keep a close watch. The moment the Great Princess goes berserk, report to me immediately.”
She was eager to see just how long her proud, untouchable sister could maintain her noble status.
With Li Qinghe’s departure, the Hall of Phoenix Harmony fell silent once more, the only sound the crackling of the red candles.
Li Xuanyue rose to her feet.
“You are all dismissed,” she said, waving away all the servants in the hall, including the personal attendants of the five consorts.
Once they were alone, she slowly began to remove her red wedding robes.
Upon closer inspection, the inside of the left sleeve was soaked through.
That’s right.
The bowl of lotus seed porridge from Li Qinghe had been poured entirely into her sleeve.
She tossed the soiled robe unceremoniously onto the floor.
The five consorts remained kneeling, silent. She did not bid them rise immediately. Only after she had changed out of her robes did she speak again.
“You may all rise.”
Li Xuanyue looked down at the five men. They still wore their red wedding veils. But judging by their stature alone, she could tell that none of them were lacking in appearance or physique.
“Do you know how to act?”
As she spoke, she waved her hand, and the veils covering their heads fluttered to the ground.
For the first time, their faces were revealed to her.
One was gentle and refined, another elegant and courteous, a third dashing and charismatic—each of the five consorts was handsome in his own unique way.
But at that moment, Li Xuanyue was in no mood for admiration.
The men exchanged surprised glances, their eyes wide. Then, just as quickly, their expressions returned to a calm composure.
They had no idea what game Li Xuanyue was playing.
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