Li Qin shook his head, why would he think of Qingqing in connection with this woman? She was already dead. But why did he still think of her often? This woman could not possibly be Qingqing. He was wrong; this woman was indeed Qingqing. But he would probably never know that this was the once-ugly Qingqing! Tian Gongzi had her trained as a singer, and she was selected by Eunuch Xiao Dengzi to enter the palace. Now, probably no one would think that this woman was the former ugly Qingqing. Qingqing did not want to know the purpose and method by which Prince Tian sent her into the palace, because all she needed to convey to everyone in the palace and the Lin family was that she, Lin Qingqing, was not an overlooked weed by the pavilion. “No need to be alarmed, tell me, what is your name?” Li Qin asked Qingqing gently. Pretending she could no longer refuse, Qingqing bowed her head in a humble manner and knelt down gracefully: “Your Majesty, this servant’s name is Anu.” Li Qin’s interest was piqued, he exclaimed in surprise, “Anu? What kind of name is that? Why Anu?” Qingqing was moved and said, “This servant has a pitiful background, and by the grace of Your Majesty’s kindness, I have been summoned into the palace. To Your Majesty, I am the most obedient servant, so I have no name; my name is Anu, the servant of the Emperor—Anu.” Her words were quite explicit, lacking any sense of reserve. They were self-deprecating, yet she spoke with a mix of pride, sincerity, naturalness, and ease. It seemed as if she was not trying to please Li Qin but stating the simplest truth. Her earnest and careful tone, with a trembling voice, left no room for anyone to despise her. Except for Yafu. Qingqing remembered the beautiful abbess had said: To make men feel a strong sense of conquest, you must be pitiful and weak, yet not lose your dignity. Yuzhen, standing by, could see through Li Qin’s thoughts. She mediated, “This young lady is beautiful and considerate; why not take her as a consort?” Her tone was suggestive, which perfectly suited Li Qin’s intentions. “Since my beloved concubine has spoken, let’s grant her the Hidden Oriole Palace.” Everyone was surprised; granting a palace was an honor reserved for a first-rank concubine, and here was Anu, a mere singer, receiving such favor upon entering the palace. Chapter 113: The Obedient Servant Qingqing was overwhelmed by the favor and thanked Li Qin profusely. She watched Yafu, who was suppressing her anger but did not dare to show it, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white, and inside, Qingqing smiled a smile of victory; she had already won the first step. That night, the Emperor, seemingly to comfort the aggrieved Yafu, returned to her palace with her. The next day, Qingqing got up early. The abbess had said, the early bird catches the worm, especially for the women in the palace. Just as she had finished dressing with the help of servants, she heard Yafu’s maid, Xiaotang, calling from outside, “Miss Anu, Miss Anu…” The breathless voice came closer, and Xiaotang entered with eyes full of admiration, which had once looked at Qingqing through the door cracks with envy, now only showing admiration. Presumably, the Emperor’s decree hadn’t arrived yet, so she didn’t know how to address her. “Miss Anu, His Majesty asked me to invite you to join the Noble Consort for breakfast in the Imperial Garden.” She said excitedly, not noticing Qingqing’s displeasure. A woman’s beauty can change not only men’s opinions but also make other women suddenly take a liking to her. Xiaotang called her “Miss Anu,” adding the title “Miss” to the name of the lowest servant, which was both comical and inappropriate. “Thank you for your trouble, I’ll be there shortly.” Qingqing smiled and rewarded Xiaotang, who was even more thrilled. The abbess was right; in the palace, you could lack connections or background, but never money. When Qingqing arrived at the Imperial Garden, Li Qin and Yafu were already seated, having only touched their meal, as if waiting for her. Yafu, now devoid of last night’s anger, was radiant with satisfaction, seemingly pleased with how diligently Li Qin had comforted her the night before. Qingqing had many thoughts, but her face showed none of them. She hurried over to the couple, smiling, “Anu pays her respects to His Majesty and the Noble Consort.” Her smile was respectful and devout, like the most obedient servant, but in her heart, she told herself: One day, I will watch you both being trampled under my feet. Li Qin said, “Rise, I am quite weary after this morning’s court. Anu, sing a song for me.” Chapter 114: Beauty or Body: The Path to Ascendancy Qingqing’s smile froze at the corner of her lips. Li Qin had invited her just to listen to a song to alleviate his fatigue, not to share breakfast. It seemed Li Qin did not intend to treat her as a normal consort, whether due to Yafu’s interference or other reasons. The only certainty was that she hadn’t done enough to attract Li Qin. Seeing Yafu’s fleeting schadenfreude, Qingqing quickly bowed with a smile to prepare to sing. She called for musicians and began to sing while dancing. Today, she wore a light chiffon robe in ivory, which made her look ethereal. Her beauty, nearly fatal that night, could no longer be ignored. Anu, with her flawless, smooth skin, moved with the grace of sunlight and the softness of the wind, an odd but alluring combination. She stood there effortlessly, yet she captured all the light, even attracting butterflies to dance around her. But Li Qin had lost the novelty of last night, occasionally whispering and laughing with Yafu, seemingly treating her like an exceptional singer. The abbess had taught her the common desires of ordinary men, but perhaps Li Qin was the exception. Initially, Prince Tian had sent her into the palace disguised as a singer, a risky move since women of low birth rarely gained high status in the palace. However, there were advantages; influential consorts often looked down on such women, not delving into their backgrounds, believing they had nothing but beauty and charm, and even if one had brains, they lacked the power to compete. Li Qin, even after all this time, still cared deeply for Yafu. Since ancient times, men have been fickle, especially emperors with thousands of beauties in their harem. Could it be that he truly loved Yafu? The abbess had said that you could never outmaneuver a woman truly loved by a man. If such a woman existed, you were destined to lose. Chapter 115: The Beast Sizing Up the Invader After finishing her song, Qingqing, feeling unwell, excused herself and left. Li Qin did not detain her. Back at the Hidden Oriole Palace, Qingqing lay listlessly on her dressing table, pondering how to make Li Qin feel her sincerity. If you let a man know how much you love him, and the person he truly loves seems not as devoted as you, or even has never shown him true affection, then he will turn around and love you instead. In the imperial family, what is most lacking is genuine affection. Of course, you yourself must not truly give your heart. In the palace, you can have everything except love; besides love, you can’t even have a heart. Once you truly fall in love, you will fail miserably. The abbess was defeated because she loved the previous emperor.
“Who are you?” A sudden, icy voice interrupted Qingqing’s daydream. This person was actually the Fourth Prince. His eyes were clouded with a rising chill, like a beast sizing up an intruder who has unexpectedly entered its territory. Qingqing was greatly shocked in her heart, but her face showed an even more innocent and sweet smile as she gracefully stepped forward to bow, saying, “To answer the Fourth Prince, this servant is a new singer, Anu.”