Lanying didn't know her brother was so interested with flashy weapons like the Golden Heart-Sleeved Dragonic Claws but she was happy when it seems to only accept him.
"Hmm, none of these weapons match you. Come to the back here." Senior Rong ushers her to the back of the shop where there were much more hidden weapons covered by blankets. They seem to be more valuable than the ones on display.
She lifted up a rusty scabbard to Lanying who observed the weapon deeply.
It was a dull sword but charming, making her attracted with it.
The young girl carefully unsheathes the sword out from its scabbard and saw a missing piece on its helm.
What could that be?
SHING!!
There was a sound from her pocket. She took out the item and glances at an unseen blue glow from the flower she was holding.
The Mystical Blue Rose Of Destiny was reacting to the sword.
"That. . ."
Senior Rong immediately understood after feeling slightly shocked from Lanying holding the Blue Rose, and in order not to disturb her she went back out front for her to deal with the first trial.
Her first awakening.
Lanying was unaware of herself putting down the Blue Rose into the missing hole of the helm when it released a flurry of blue wind. She covered her eyes from the blinding light coming off from the sword before opening up to view a different field of vision.
Was this the space of the sword?
A field of white flowers—no, crystal-like flowers surround her with tiny light particles floating upwards to the clear blue sky from above. It was like a garden for fairies and goddesses!
Splash!
The sound of splashing water came from a river nearby her. By following the direction towards the river from the sound, she came across clear-sighted water that was reflecting the moon from above.
"How pretty!" She exclaims, kneeling down to see her reflection. It fluctuated between two different characteristics that made Lanying confused about what it was showing her. There were some parts of her clothes that wasn't the same as the reflection itself.
Then it started swirling.
The water was swirling into a tornado from underwater, eventually fading in a visual scene that shook her to the core.
It was the scenes from her previous life.
Seeing the innocent and naive her requesting to marry Yang Le made the current her become so bitter. How she helped her own father and second mother reap the benefits as she was crowned Empress of the Yang Kingdom while her twin sisters were getting ready for their future lives inside the palace was bringing out more of her thoughts on her pathetic choices.
She then saw her gloomy self sitting in the pavilion while looking out to the sunset. That day was when Yang Le didn't bother to accompany her out to see the sunset with her. Then when a slightly older Yang Peng surprised her with a box full of her favorite dishes and desserts, she was very happy and gleaming with happiness that she was able to share this moment with her best friend.
Something that Yang Le never gave the chance to do.
At that moment, a warm feeling rose inside as if it was thawing away the coldness left in her heart from the ancient past. Lanying knew what it meant.
Yang Peng was her only real happiness then.
But then the scene begin to change to when she was waking up from a nightmare. Yang Le was right besides her and she tried to wake him up so that he could comfort her but no matter how much she tried, he only pushes her arms away and decided to sleep elsewhere in one of his consort's courtyards.
Saddened by his ignorance of her pain, she stood up from her bed and walked to her window and opens it up where the cold breeze gently caressed her already cold skin.
Warm tears fell down her cold cheeks but she didn't make a noise. It wasn't good for her to be so caught up with her emotions so much as the mother of the nation, thus the former her could only endure the pain of having to be ignored by the emperor and her assigned maids who were no longer Qiao Chi and Qiao Na as they were killed sometime later in her later years.
It was at this time she knew that being an Empress took a lot of her freedom away to do anything she wanted to do, otherwise she would've been frowned upon for being so carefree and lazy to do her own responsibilities in the palace.
She didn't know if she could endure this royal life any longer. When it seems like she was about to jump off from her window, a shadowy figure came into her vision and she almost screamed if a big hand hadn't covered her mouth.
The girl would've been even more scared if she didn't recognize the face of the person who suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Would you even dare to leave Xiao Peng alone if you were to do this?"
Those red eyes glowed pleasantly in the dark that Lanying's blue eyes couldn't help but stare into them.
It was Yang Tian.
She lets down his hand that was covering her mouth and bowed to him. "Your highness, the First Prince," The girl looked away from him, "It's not good to be here with me at this time, unless you want to be caught in a scandal with me that leads to both our deaths. However your death is more fatal to the country than mine, a mere Empress whose power just seems empty against anyone."
Yang Tian looked at her with a gentle look and laid on his hand with his elbow on the windowsill. "Don't falter, Yin'er. There are still a lot of good things you can do here, like spending good times with Xiao Peng. And if you want I can help you with him as well."
Lanying looked at him suspiciously when he called her Yin'er. Why was the First Prince calling her so affectionately? Yet she didn't hate it. She was used to be ignored and unloved by Yang Le that it felt embarrassing when someone else other than him actually gave her attention.
But she's too loyal to Yang Le to cheat on him.
"Your highness-"
"Call me Yang Tian."
". . .Yang Tian, with my position we cannot be close just like I can't be close with Yang Peng as much as I want to. So at least. . .can you accompany me when I have nightmares? It would be nice to talk to someone after being ignored so much."
"Are you not afraid of what I might do to you?"
"Yang Peng told me you were a reliable person, and I trust his judgement. He wouldn't put trust on a person he doesn't believe to be good." Lanying seriously answered him, defending her best friend's abilities.
The First Prince chuckles, "If you weren't married to Yang Le, would you consider marrying Xiao Peng instead?"
Marrying Yang Peng?
She hesitated for a bit before answering Yang Tian. ". . .If fate had allowed me to do so, but it's very cruel." She has been aware of her choice and had hoped that fate could forgive her and help her learn from the mistakes she's done in the palace.
At the start she was scheming and cruel, but now she felt that being jealous and envious was a waste of time. If there's anything she can do to keep her life is to be good and benevolent towards people without caring for their negativity towards her.
And she was willing to be guilty about it.
"Fate is indeed cruel. Because of your choices you were punished severely for choosing wrong. . ." Yang Tian trails off, giving her a small red knife with a sheath from his waist. "This knife from the Phoenix Soul Sect will only work if you're clear about your decision to do so, because it will repel you from doing so if you're still not sure."
Lanying took the sheathed knife into her hand and looked upon Yang Tian, who had disappeared from her sight. She glances out the window and saw that he was no where to be found like he just vanished.
She looked at the knife once again and sighs. Her heart was feeling a little bit better after her talk with Yang Tian.
"Thank you, Yang Tian. I know that I have to choose between death and Yang Peng. . ."