Lei Xing returned back to her palace disheartened. She had just lost a golden opportunity.
{...Would he really have just let me go though? A ruler does not break their words...at least a good ruler...who cares! It's not happening anyway T_T)...}
She sat down on the bed constantly sighing and was in a dejected mood, Xiao Ruo on the side was glancing at Ah Jin trying to hint to her to clue her in on what happened to Lei Xing on their journey to the Imperial library, but Ah Jin seemed to be missing all cues.
Shortly after a maid came in to inform her that Noble Consort Li had come again to visit. Lei Xing really wasn't in the mood to entertain anyone and so told the maid to apologize to her and inform her that she is too unwell to receive guests and then laid back on the bed with a heavy sigh.
The maid bowed, went out, returned a short while after with a meal box, and informed that Noble consort Li had brought this for Lei Xing and wished her speedy recovery.
Lei Xing didn't say anything, and Ah Jin stepped forward and took the box from the maid, told her to leave, and dropped it on a table.
After a while, Lei Xing suddenly got up, "This room is stuffy, let's go for a walk." Then she proceeded to roam around her palace aimlessly with Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin following her.
As she was about to round a corner, she heard some maids' voices and stopped when she heard, "Noble consort Li came again today."
"Really? Did she bring snacks again?...hmm, they were really nice." the other said. Lei Xing glanced at Xiao Ruo, and Xiao Ruo looked down, flustered.
"Not fair, I didn't get to try them last time. I heard she made it herself."
"Really?"
"En. The kitchen staff were incredibly shocked and pleaded with her for them to do it, but she said she must do it herself to show her sincerity."
"Sincerity? What do you think is the story between her and Noble consort Lei?"
"Shhh, not so loud...you'll get us in trouble."
Lei Xing glanced at Ah Jin, Ah Jin then stepped out of the corner.
"I heard..."
"What are you both doing?" Ah Jin said in a loud voice, the two maids who had their heads close together jumped and turned towards Ah Jin, bowing and saying in unison, "Nothing, nothing...ah, just cleaning!"
Ah Jin coldly looked at them, "Then get to it, instead of dawdling here." The maids nodded, bowed, and then hurried off.
Lei Xing came out and chuckled, watching their scurrying backs. Then she sighed.
{...It seems I have treated someone unfairly...not my fault though, the ring-...that aside, on another note...}
Lei Xing turned to look at Xiao Ruo, who glanced at Lei Xing and then quickly got on her knees and explained, "Your highness, I thought that...that it would be bad to waste them...and so I...when they asked if they could eat it...I didn't think much of it and so gave it to them."
Lei Xing looked at her for a while.
{...It's not a bad thing...and I'm sure it's something they do all the time...but what if it was really poisoned -_-)'...}
"Next time when I say do something, just do it as I say. I don't interfere much with what you all do, but certain things are not always as clear cut as they seem, and disobeying your superior is not wise, understand?" Lei Xing sternly admonished.
Xiao Ruo looked up at Lei Xing for a while and then blinked seeming to comprehend and kowtowed, "Your highness, I am sorry. It will never happen again."
Lei Xing sighed, "En. Stand up."
"Thank you, your highness." Xiao Ruo stood up.
Lei Xing looked around and sighed again, "Let's go back."
Lei Xiang returned to her room and spent some more time mourning the loss of her missed opportunity until she fell asleep.
When she woke up later in the evening, she had a relaxing bath along with a massage session and was in a relaxed mood. She returned to her room and sat down sipping some tea.
"Your highness, would you like your dinner served now?" Xiao Ruo asked.
On hearing that, Lei Xing remembered something, "Oh, where are the snacks that Noble consort Li delivered?"
Xiao Ruo brought the box to Lei Xing and brought out a little plate of small stacked white decorated cakes on the table. Lei Xing reached for them and picked one up.
As expected, the ring showed no reaction.
{...I feel a bit bad now...}
"I'll just eat these for dinner. You can leave." Lei Xing said as she bit into one of the cakes, they were quite good and went really well with her tea.
When she finished eating, she let out a contented sigh.
{...I should probably find an opportunity to make up for it, right?... Probably...maybe...we'll see...}
Lei Xing sat there looking around and had this feeling that she was forgetting something important.
{...What a wasted opportunity today was...I should have learned the stupid archery when I had the chance T_T)...Actually, I just remembered...I lost!! So the stupid wish...it probably shouldn't be anything too insane...right?...It should be fine, he seemed like a very...fairly decent person, probably?... I mean it's not like he would ask me to kill someone, not that I have the capacity to anyway...Yeah, how bad could it possibly be?...-_-)'... Ahrrrggghhh T_T)...}
Lei Xing sat there for a while staring into space, with her mind racing and coming up with increasingly worse scenarios.
Lei Xing couldn't sleep well that night.
The next day she was anticipating some action, but nothing happened. The second day also came and passed, still nothing. Therefore, Lei Xing's panic settled down, and she cast the whole thing to the back of her mind.
The Harvest moon festival was coming up in two days, and the palace had been bustling with excitement the past couple of days putting up lanterns and decorations and finalizing the arrangements for the banquet.
Lei Xing figured that he must be busy with some matters and forgot about her existence, which was good for her. The festival was also the reason the Empress dowager had been ignoring them during this period, as she was probably busy overseeing the arrangements.
The Imperial wives also got new extravagant outfits and jewelry sent over to them to pick from for the day, other than matters concerning their appearance, they weren't really involved in any other way. Their only job was apparently to show up looking pretty and dignified.
Lei Xing wasn't particularly interested in picking out her wardrobe and rather spent most of the time scrutinizing the jewelry, especially the headpieces, some of them were just so intricate that she was completely fascinated. She was studying them in detail, wondering about the process to make them and wondering how much they would sell for - not that she was going to sell them.
Xiao Ruo and Ah Jin, already used to Lei Xing's lack of interest in these things took it upon themselves to pick and choose as they'd like.
In the end, they ended up in a disagreement, Xiao Ruo wanted to pick the most extravagant set, while Ah Jin thought that set was too loud, heavy, and inconvenient and wanted to pick a second option which was also extravagant but more subtle and lighter.
So they turned to Lei xing to settle it, and of course, she chose the convenient option. She was actually holding the main headpiece of the set that Xiao Ruo picked, and it was already quite heavy in her hand, and this was just one out of four pieces. She would have to hold her head high for hours and with that on...No way!
{...Spraining my neck is not on my to-do list...}
Lei Xing was actually looking forward to this festival because, at the end of it, they released lanterns. She was told the idea is something about thanking the gods for a good harvest and a request for future blessings. She had always wanted to see a lantern release scene in real life, it always looked stunning on TV.
{...I know it's bad for the environment and all, but it just looks so beautiful T_T)'...}
The third day went by, and there was still nothing. By this point, Lei Xing's mind had moved on entirely from the archery event and was now bored.
{...The life of an Imperial wife is pretty boring -_-)'...}
She spent some time reading the 'Art of War' book she brought back with her, but after a while got bored, and so went on a walk.
Xiao Ruo suggested going to the Imperial garden, and so she went there and walked down a path surrounded by beautiful trees on each side. She quite liked this place. In here, you could forget that you're trapped around with walls. While they were walking around, she heard the sound of music and subconsciously followed it.
She reached a clearing, and sitting in a pavilion there playing the qin was Noble consort Li, with her retinue on the side. When she saw Lei Xing pop out, she stopped and jumped up.
Lei Xing also froze, and they all awkwardly stood there for a moment, then Lei Xing smiled and said, "Ah, I'm sorry to interrupt you...I just followed the music, you can continue. I'm leaving."
As Lei Xing turned, Noble consort Li shouted, "Ah Wait!" Lei Xing looked at her, and then she started twirling her fingers, flustered and said, "You can sit and listen...if you'd like...There's also tea and snacks as well...if you don't mind..."
{...Well, here's the opportunity...}
Lei Xing looked at her for a while and then smiled, "That will be nice...Thank you." Lei Xing came up to the pavilion and sat down on the side. One of Noble consort Li's maids came up and poured tea for her.
Noble consort Li also sat down and was casting nervous glances at Lei Xing, it seemed she was thinking of what to say. The atmosphere was really awkward.
"Um, the cakes you made were really nice. I enjoyed them." Lei Xing said with a smile.
Noble consort Li beamed at her and then looked down again, "I'm...I'm glad you liked them."
Lei Xing knit her eyebrows and lightly chuckled, "You don't have to be so nervous."
"Am I?" Noble consort Li looked at Lei Xing with shock clear on her face.
Lei Xing almost burst into laughter, seeing her face but quickly restrained herself, "A bit."
"Oh..."
"I didn't get a chance to say this before, but you are very talented." Lei Xing said to break another streak of awkward silence.
Noble consort Li blushed and then said, "Thank you...you are also really t-"
"It's okay, no need to flatter. I am well aware of my capabilities." Lei Xing said with a dismissive laugh.
"You are very admirable." Noble consort Li resolutely said.
Lei Xing looked at her and smiled, "Okay, I'll accept that one."
Then they fell into awkward silence again.
After a while of this again, Lei Xing said, "Your qin skills are exquisite...I just don't follow any sound..."
Noble consort Li looked up to see Lei Xing smiling at her, and then smiled back and said, "Ah.. then I'll play you something..." and then began to play.
Lei Xing sat on the side, listening to the soothing sound of the music and watching the scenery, and felt a peace of mind she had been missing for a long while.
{...Nature and music are really perfect together...}
As Noble consort Li played, her nerves also relaxed, and afterward, they were actually able to engage in a regular conversation.
She told Lei Xing about her story, it was quite a lucky one. The reason she was able to learn these skills was because at first, she used to hide and listen in on her sister's lessons, and then later her sister caught her and then came up with the bright idea of her doing the work for her when she saw that she was actually good.
So her sister, Li Jiao persuaded the elders in the family to let them study together by acting spoiled, and so while Li Ru honed her skills, Li Jiao took her embroidery, art, and literary works and passed them off as hers, while leaving Li Ru with her own shabby work. Li Jiao also came up with an elaborate setup to somehow have her play the qin in the background during her performances at family gatherings.
{...I've seen that done in a drama once before, it didn't work out too well...well, it didn't because the one on stage was a bit of an idiot...but it still all worked out in the end...}
This was a secret between them and Li Jiao's two maids, who helped cover up and set up everything.
The family thought Li Ru, the maid's daughter was a failure and unworthy in every way, and Li Jiao was perfect in every way.
Lei Xing frowned, listening to this.
{...How did no one find out about this?...the adults must have really not been paying attention -_-)'...}
Anyway, her father was proud of his perfect daughter and thought that would really be the way for the family to climb back up in life. So he contacted his old friend in the capital and got him to agree to take his daughter in and adopt her as a goddaughter so that she could enter the competition through him.
Unexpectedly, when Li Jiao heard of this great news, she profusely refused and threw a tantrum. The family, of course, could not understand this behavior and chucked it up to her just being a child, and thought she will eventually see the light and understand this is what is best for the family and for her.
In the end, after sulking for a long time, as the competition and her departure to the capital were looming, she left them a goodbye note one day that said even the Emperor could not make her forget her love and that she would come back after the dust has settled to ask for forgiveness with her husband.
Her father was infuriated and searched high and low but could not find Li Jiao's whereabouts. After torturing her personal maid, they discovered that she had run away with a gentleman called Ji Lo, a poet and musician.
This love story began after he had saved her from a runaway horse one spring afternoon amidst falling cherry blossoms.
After looking into this Ji Lo character, they discovered that he was roaming traveler who entered the city a couple of months ago. No one knew where he was from, or where he was going, and he has no family here to hold responsible.
There were no leads whatsoever.
The family couldn't bear the shame of an elopement, not to mention the reputation of his old friend on the line.
So he had to send a daughter, and he remembered that the family had another daughter, Li Ru. So thinking that sending a half-one is better than none, he put her in a carriage and sent her off to the capital along with a letter explaining to his old friend that his younger daughter had contracted an illness. So the older, more capable one was sent in her place.
Unknowingly, he did actually send the more capable one.
Her father also thought that if she could at least make it to the concubine selection, even if she failed, it could increase her value and maybe she could attract a valuable connection while there.
Li Ru, of course, had no objections because this was her best chance to escape and carve a somewhat decent future for herself. Her stepmother was currently in talks with some rich old nobles about taking her in as a concubine. It was only the matter of weighing the bids that was left, so when this opportunity arrived, she latched onto it and gave the best performance of her life.
Lei Xing sighed.
{...This is indeed a lucky break...}
The two girls spent the rest of the afternoon talking about all sorts of things and became fast friends. Once her nerves were calmed, Li Ru was actually quite an interesting person to talk to, and this was the most relaxed Lei Xing had been since she transmigrated. By the time, she returned to her palace, she was in a great mood.
She slept well that night.