"Then Your Majesty. . .what kind of treasure did my mother give you?"
Lanying wasn't blind to see her father's and stepmother's expressions upon hearing about her mother's treasure. She knew that they would do anything to get it from her when they go back to the manor, but alas they won't know what's coming to bite them.
Her father and stepmother were once people she loved, but that all became void the moment Lanying heard that she wasn't their daughter and was just a child born from her mother's lover. That was once in the past that made her slightly bitter, and this time their lives won't matter to her even if she's asked to be filial to them.
Even Yin Xingxing won't be filial to them because being a Starseer means to cut all family ties to those that aren't destined to walk the same path as her. That's why only she and Yin Long were the only family members that matter to her.
It's sad, but that's the life of a Starseer.
"Your mother gifted me a very special treasure that the heavens would not dare to touch. It's very divine and only those who are chosen to wield its powers will achieve immortality!"
Immortality?
Whispers of gossip spread around inside the palace, obviously showing their greed and expectations for it but Emperor Yang Chao notices the people's greediness and laughed merrily. "Although it will bring one immortality, one who isn't chosen to wield its powers can be destroyed. Your mother demonstrated that fact by having it been held by a captured assassin and not only did the treasure destroyed the man, it left his soul to be distinguished so that he won't ever reincarnate."
Thump!
The heartbeats of many were silent after hearing the Emperor's words. A treasure that can bring immortality can also bring destruction of the soul! Therefore the people vying for it were suddenly afraid of having to get their souls dispersed!
"This treasure. . .what is the name of it?"
Lanying wasn't afraid of the latter because if her mother personally brought it to the Emperor, then she of her mother's bloodline could also hold it without any setbacks!
Emperor Yang Chao looked at her with smiling eyes and chuckles. "Since it was your mother's, Zhen will give it back to you so you can bring it along to the Star Spirit Sect. The name of this treasure is the Mystical Blue Rose Of Destiny."
The Mystical Blue Rose Of Destiny?
"Ah? Sect Leader has also told me to obtain the Mystical Blue Rose Of Destiny before I head over to the sect. To think that my mother's treasure was it! This scholar's daughter thanks the benevolence of His Majesty for bestowing this destined treasure for this scholar's daughter!"
. . .
After the banquet, back at her courtyard at home, Lanying was holding the precious Mystical Blue Rose on her palm. She displayed a radiant smile on her face after seeing the shocked reactions of her father and stepmother when she said the words of the sect leader. It was satisfying to see them finally getting face-slapped by one of their family members.
But the matter about the Star Spirit Sect Leader was all planned out by Yin Xingxing. Of course the thing about her heading to the sect was true because of her new lease on life. She needs to become strong enough so she could protect her beloved people, and it starts by entering the sect!
"His Majesty was definitely exaggerating about this divine artifact able to bring you immortality." Yin Long sat next to his sister with his hand on his cheek, looking at the Blue Rose on her palm. "The Mystical Blue Rose Of Destiny forbids anyone touching it except for the chosen bloodline. Which is your mother's ancestry." For a future scholar, knowing a lot about books was a norm for a bookworm.
"Isn't my mother your foster mother too? Why are you saying like she isn't related to you?" Lanying raised an eyebrow at him, making him smirk back at her.
"But if you weren't related to your mother, the confident you would've exploded in embarrassment to the spirit world. How did you know that it wouldn't harm you?"
Right when he said that, Lanying coughed. She totally wasn't thinking of what would've happened if her hands had failed to touch the Blue Rose. Yet at the same time, she had a feeling it wouldn't harm her. Maybe you could call it. . .
"Uh, my instincts?"
Lanying nervously laughs and kept the Rose inside her sleeves. She never thought there was an ancient artifact like this from her mother since it was never spoken about before, but she also doesn't know the use of it. Her eldest sister might know more about it when she comes back with a carriage from the sect.
The siblings spoke many things to each other before heading off to prepare their things to the Star Spirit Sect. In Lanying's room, she was bringing along a few sets of clothes and light accessories she could wear comfortably rather than the gaudy rich, shameless stuff that embarrassed oneself in public. At first the maid attending to her thought that the fourth miss was going to bring her along until she caught the sight of her cold glare, making her instinctively shiver in fear.
"F-Fourth Miss, i-is there anything wrong?"
The maid was cowering from her gaze but thought that she still had the same temperament and was relieved to tell this to the Second and Third Misses. However the overacting scolding she expected didn't come by and slowly looked up to her with a nervous expression.
How come this good-for-nothing idiot is not blaming her?
"Cut the act. A maid from Second Sister and Third Sister's courtyard sent to watch my every move is so cowardly under this gaze of a good-for-nothing idiot?" Lanying didn't read the maid's mind but the expression from the servant was obvious enough for her.
"T-This servant is loyal to Fourth Miss! Wet Nurse Su is the one to tell this servant to always be loyal to Fourth Miss and if I become disloyal she would whip me!" The maid didn't know how Lanying was able to guess her motives but she knew she had to divert her suspicions from herself, and blaming on the wet nurse should do.
"Then will you still act like this if I give this to your husband?" Lanying held a flower charm that was engraved with the maid's name towards her love, but it was not the husband's name that was engraved but her lover. The maid had an affair with another man gifted by the Third Miss if she did her part well.
Once the maid saw the charm, she got anxious and kowtowed on the floor a few times. "Fourth Miss! Please don't tell my husband about him! I beg of you, please! I-I admit it! Second Miss and Third Miss ordered me to keep watch of you and gather information to them! Please, for the sake of my caring for Fourth Miss, don't tell my husband about him!" The maid wept but the Fourth Miss didn't show the compassion in her eyes towards her, stunning her whole being completely when she saw it.
"Qiao Chi, Qiao Na, throw this maid out of my courtyard. She will no longer attend to me and if anyone asks, just say that this insignificant maid dared to cheat on her man with another and this fourth lady was kind enough to bestow punishment for the husband's sinful wife."
The two maids that were once her dowry maids during the time in the palace were selected as concubines for Yang Le, but both of them met their end shortly by other concubines and replaced her attendants with their spies. With no one familiar to her side, she kept her heart closely walled against anyone, even Yang Le who she eventually knew was the Emperor and had to have consorts and concubines anyways. The more days she spent in the palace the more she realized that her love for him wasn't the best choice in life. If she had to give up her freedom of the noble life for the imperial life, she would rather die than to live through it all.
But it was already too late to start over until she finally got the courage needed to free herself from the hell she chosen to live and got her second chance to live a different life.
"Yes!" Qiao Chi and Qiao Na dragged out the maid who was pleading for her life but Lanying paid no interest to her words and was left in her room with the servants leaving from her orders. Then she placed a hand over her heart and gasped slowly with a shocked expression of disbelief written on her face.
She wasn't used to being ruthless! She was always benevolent and understanding when she had matured! She no longer displayed the arrogant attitude ever since she was married into the imperial harem and always felt embarrassed for her childhood self. But without that happening, she wouldn't even be like this now.
Change was scary, but it's not when it's necessary to change for the better.