“Mother Empress, let me tell you a story today. There was a child who, when very young, always took pride in her mother empress because her father consort often told her how great her mother empress was. You know, every time her father consort said this to her, there was a special look in his eyes, a ripple in his calm gaze, and at those times, her father consort was at his most beautiful. No, he was always beautiful, but at those moments, he was most spirited. Later, she realized that the look was one of sweetness and deep affection. Only at those times would her father consort pick her up and say, ‘Yao’er, you really look like her.’ Her father consort was a quiet person, always gazing eastward, lost in thought, looking at that grand palace. Her father consort was a male concubine in the empress’s harem, one who had fallen out of favor. In a harem full of handsome men, even the most beautiful could fade into obscurity. As the child grew day by day, she had never seen her mother empress. Every time she asked her father consort when her mother empress would come to see her, his eyes would become lifeless, and after a long time, he would say, ‘She will come, your mother empress will come to see you because you are her princess.’ This continued until the girl was 14 years old. Her father consort was never in good health, but on that day, he coughed incessantly, refusing treatment, and his condition worsened to the point where he coughed up blood, his face ashen, gasping for air as if his lungs were coming out. Late at night, he called the girl to his side and said some strange things. The next morning, many people came to their dilapidated courtyard, bringing in many luxurious items the young princess had never seen before. She and her father consort were evicted from their home and moved to another rundown courtyard. Because that courtyard, blessed by the empress’s geomancer, was deemed a treasure land, the empress installed a favorite male consort there, known as ‘Lord Li’. When her father consort heard this news, he coughed up a large pool of bright red blood on the spot. Thus, just after moving into the rundown courtyard, her father consort passed away. The next day, his body was taken away, and despite the girl’s pleas, she was not allowed to see him one last time, watching helplessly as he was carried away. That day, a noble woman came to the courtyard, claiming to take her away. Only then did she learn that this woman was her mother empress, whom she had never seen in all these years, the ‘Queen of the Wan Yue Dynasty’, Murong Youxue, whom her father consort longed for every day. The girl naively thought she would now have the protection of her mother empress, but she was wrong, utterly wrong. Her title was the noble ‘Princess Ying’, the most beloved princess of the empress, Muyao, the heir to the throne. In the eyes of others, this was a great honor, but in reality, she was just a ‘puppet’, a persona created by Murong Youxue to protect her true favorite little princess. The title ‘Princess Ying’ was revered by others, but who knew the secrets hidden behind it? Surviving numerous near-death experiences, living in constant fear of plots and schemes from other princesses, she endured all the storms that were not meant for her.” After speaking these last words, Muyao could no longer hold back her tears, the bitterness of over a decade, the pain of over a decade. The face of her father consort, full of resentment and determination in his last moments, was forever etched in her heart. Everyone was shocked; no one expected that the haughty Muyao had such a tragic past, such resentment. They couldn’t help but feel a sense of sympathy for her.
“Yao’er…” Surprised, Murong Youxue had not expected her to reveal all this in the great hall, leaving her speechless.
“Don’t call me Yao’er, I feel sick. Just recently, you sent me to falsely seek mercy from Xia Yu Ye and Ai Xiaotu, promising to return the throne to you, ordering me to shoot these poison needles at her. Because I failed to complete the task you assigned, you subjected me to severe torture.” With that, she rolled up her sleeve to reveal horrifying whip marks and burns.
“For that man, you plotted, ruined my wedding, humiliated me in front of all under heaven.” Unable to control her emotions any longer, Muyao shouted at Murong Youxue.
“Yao’er, you hate me, don’t you? Hate me!” Murong Youxue suddenly spoke calmly.
“Hate? I have hated you to the bone! But no matter how much I hate you, it can’t bring back my father consort’s life.” Each word was sharp.
“Father consort, Li’er wants some snacks.” A sweet, childish voice echoed through the hall, causing a slight ripple in Murong Youxue’s eyes. A girl about fourteen years old appeared before everyone, her skin fair and tender, her face as delicate as carved jade, with hair… Here’s the English of the provided Chinese text:
A cute girl with two braids rubbed her eyes, which were still a bit misty from sleep. Her innocent and unaffected charm won the hearts of everyone around, causing them to involuntarily relax their expressions, fearing to startle this adorable child. “Fairy Sister,” Ying Li approached Xiao Tu, looking at her in surprise. “I’ve seen you, in a painting by Father,” she said, gazing in awe at the person before her, who looked exactly like the fairy sister in Father’s painting. She couldn’t help but feel amazed and tugged at her sleeve. For some reason, looking at this girl, she felt an intimate connection, as if bound by blood. “Li’er, your name is Li’er?” Xiao Tu bent down and asked gently. “Yes, I’m called Ying Li, the ‘Ying’ from cherry blossom, and ‘Li’ from ‘Mo Li’ (parting). Father said cherry blossoms are the most beautiful flowers, have you seen them?” Her big, pure eyes looked at Xiao Tu, shimmering with curiosity. The cherry from cherry blossom, the departure from ‘Mo Li’… this phrase was so familiar, “Ling Ying, how about naming our child Ying Li, the ‘Ying’ from cherry blossom, the ‘Li’ from ‘Mo Li’?” It seemed like someone had said the same thing to her long ago.
“Li’er, come here, let the Empress hug you.” Seeing Ying Li, Murong Youxue’s face softened into a smile, filled with the maternal love one would expect. “Mother Empress, hug!” With that, she ran into Murong’s arms. What a lovely and innocent child, she must be the one Murong Youxue has been protecting, as mentioned by Mu Yao. Indeed, she was untainted by any impurity, so pure. “Li’er, Father is gone, and Mother Empress must go find him. Be good, Li’er, you need to be independent now.” Murong Youxue whispered into Li’er’s ear, their voices heard only by the two of them. “Where has Father gone?” she asked innocently. “Father has gone to a very far place, and Mother Empress needs to bring him back.” She gave a sad smile; Mo Li was no longer here, and everything she did was in vain. What meaning was there to stay in this world? “Yes, Mother Empress, go find him quickly, Father hasn’t made me any snacks yet.” Her adorable and innocent smile was heartwarming.
“Yao’er, whether you hate me or resent me, I want you to know I have never regretted anything. Your father willingly entered the palace, your grandfather, the current Prime Minister, forced me to take her as a concubine, and she bore you, not by my will. Your wedding was part of my scheme, I would do anything for him!” Murong Youxue spoke to Mu Yao without a trace of motherly affection. A flash of gold, and a gold needle plunged into her forehead. She fell to the ground, eyes closed, tears trailing down from the corners of her eyes. “Mother Empress…” Ying Li called out in confusion. “Murong Youxue!” shocked, they watched as the once proud and dominant woman took her own life. “You, you…” At that moment, Mu Yao’s emotions were tumultuous, tears flowing unintentionally. What’s happening? Am I crying for this woman? No, I only hate her…
