When Xiao Yao heard this, she remembered that as soon as she arrived at the Imperial Palace, her father had taken her to the small pond and told her to look at the palace's lotus flowers. One must know that in Nanyang Country, the lotus flower is incomparably precious; aside from the Imperial Palace, one can't see lotus flowers anywhere else.
Upon seeing the fresh, pure, and beautiful lotus flowers, a modern poem came to mind, and she recited spontaneously, "The lotus rises from the muddy water untouched by the impurities, cleansed by limpid ripples without a hint of seduction. It stands straight from the inside out, neither sprawling nor branching, its fragrance drifting farther, heightened by its cleanness, standing tall and clear-planted, to be appreciated from a distance but not to be desecrated by frivolous play. I contend, the chrysanthemum is the hermit of flowers; the peony, the flower of wealth and honor; the lotus, the flower of the gentleman. Alas! The love for chrysanthemum is seldom heard after Tao Yuanming. Who shares the love for the lotus with me? The love for peonies is suitable for the masses!" Having finished, she said to her father, "Father, you are just like the lotus flower, rising from the silt but not stained, cleansed by clear ripples without seduction, with high integrity and bright principles!"
"Hehe, Yaoyao, your poetry is truly excellent, even surpassing your father. I am very honored to receive such high praise from my daughter!" Xiao Yao's father, Xiao Chengguang, teased his daughter with a chuckle.
"Of course, who else's daughter would I be? I'm naturally beyond the blue from which I sprang. Father, even though I was in Tianshan, I thought of you all every day!" The three-year-old Xiao Yao said excitedly as she hugged Xiao Chengguang's neck.
"Really, Yaoyao, knowing you feel this way makes us very happy. Your mother and I have only you as our precious daughter, so we just want you to live happily!"
"Father, I've learned physiognomy from my master this year, and now I can predict people's futures. That palace maid who just walked by—I discovered she has the physiognomy of a Noble Consort. It's a pity, though, that her fate is destined to be childless...!"
Xiao Yao was excited but soon lost her enthusiasm as she said, "However, I can't read the faces of relatives related to me. But, Master said that with higher-level learning, I would be able to see the fate of nations in the future, and also, uh..." Xiao Yao hadn't finished speaking when her father covered her mouth, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby. Relieved that there wasn't anyone around, he sighed with relief, grateful that there were no onlookers.
"Yaoyao, remember never to reveal your identity in front of others, do you understand?" Xiao Chengguang said nervously.
People are afraid of death, especially those high-ranking and powerful, who fear it even more. If they ever found out that his little daughter was the disciple of the Tianji Elder, it would surely bring a fatal disaster upon her.
"I know, Father. You can rest assured; I'll only let you and Mother know, and I won't tell anyone else!" Xiao Yao cooed.
As someone from the modern world, Xiao Yao certainly knew the principle that harboring a secret can lead to guilt. She was still young and utterly powerless to protect herself, and she might even endanger her family.
"Do you know? When I saw the hopeful light in Brother Xing's eyes, how jealous I was, how much I hated you, wishing I had never met you. But now, I am also glad that I met you then, otherwise, Brother Xing might never have ascended to the throne!" Chang Liying's eyes still harbored resentment.
"I never would have imagined that, just because of a careless comment I made, your eavesdropping led you to devise a plan for fifteen years, creating the catastrophe that wiped out my Xiao Family. But how was Xuanyuan Jinxing so sure that I could help him?" Xiao Yao asked calmly.
It was my fault for being too excited when I entered the Imperial Palace for the first time and for not having much Inner Strength since I hadn't been practicing martial arts for long, so I didn't notice anyone around. That's how my entire Xiao Family, my parents, and brothers, were doomed.
"Because of that one time, Brother Xing knew his chance had come. Brother Xing, although he didn't believe the words of a three-year-old child, he believed Xiao Chengguang, the Minister of War. Seeing how anxiously Xiao Chengguang scanned his surroundings, he knew that what you said was mostly true!" Chang Liying said. She circled Xiao Yao, looking at her with a smug, disdainful expression, "The people of the Capital City all knew that the Minister of War, Xiao Chenguang, had a daughter he cherished immensely, so they all assumed she must be clever and beautiful. However, the nobility in the Capital knew the Xiao Family's daughter was a monstrosity, and out of respect for the Xiao Family, no one spoke of their daughter. Despite her ugliness, Xiao Chengguang and the entire Xiao Family treated her like a treasure, so any harm to her would frighten them to the core. But who would have thought that the Xiao Family's daughter, who never showed her face all year round, would turn out to be Elder Tianshan's disciple? Everyone in the world knows who Elder Tianshan is, and to learn even a little bit of his skills would mean holding a power that could assist an emperor. So, Brother Xing completely believed what you said. But since the Xiao Family protected you so well, it was too difficult to get close to you. Actually, Xiao Yao, when it comes down to it, the destruction of the Xiao Family was all because of you. Ha ha..." Chang Liying laughed maniacally as she continued to provoke Xiao Yao.
Xiao Yao didn't wait for Chang Liying to continue, and affirmed, "So, you planned for five years just to get close to me, right?"
"Of course!" Chang Liying exclaimed proudly.
Back then, though she was young and opposed those plans, for Brother Xing's sake, she could only grudgingly go along with them. But now, seeing Xiao Yao imprisoned below her, how could she not be elated?
"So now, tell me how you planned all these conspiracies and schemes over the years?" Xiao Yao asked, ignoring Chang Liying's indignation.
"Oh, actually, I don't need you to tell me, I can guess it myself!" Chang Liying had just been about to gloat, but Xiao Yao coldly cut her off.
"Xuanyuan Jinxing started by approaching the Palace Maid destined to become a Noble Consort, engineering multiple rescues to make her grateful, then creating an encounter between her and the former emperor. Three months later, that Palace Maid actually became the emperor's favored concubine. Because of the multiple life-saving graces, once she became his concubine, she wanted to repay him, but Xuanyuan Jinxing asked her to keep their meeting secret, telling her to establish herself in the palace first to help him. Then, with Xuanyuan Jinxing's matchmaking, an alliance was formed between him and the Chang Family. Having been injured as a child, the Palace Maid couldn't have children of her own, so in her eyes, the eight-year-old Xuanyuan Jinxing was her child, and moreover, he was her savior. So, the agreement with you was that the Chang Family would help Xuanyuan Jinxing ascend to that position, but on the condition that you become the Empress. With the Chang Family's assistance, the Palace Maid quickly rose to the rank of Noble Consort. After that, with her influence established inside the palace and the Chang Family's support outside, Xuanyuan Jinxing should have gained the former emperor's attention. But the former emperor detested factionalism and private scheming the most, so you needed a shield. And you set your sights on the Xiao Family, whose influence was equal to that of the Chang Family. The Palace Maid is now Empress Dowager Lin Rulan, isn't she, Chang Liying?"