Chapter 7: Trapped in the Palace

Lan Qin took a short nap after dinner, but when she woke up, she found her chin sore and itchy, with three big lumps. She looked in the mirror and burst into tears.

Is the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet she had been looking forward to for so long going to be ruined? For whom has she prepared the beautiful Luo skirt for so long? Will she never see the Fourth Prince again?

When Lan Ling heard Lixia come back and say that Lan Qin was also stung by a scorpion, she smiled slightly. Of course she knew that she was stung by a scorpion.

In the afternoon of the second day, Lan Ling wore the light blue silk skirt that Shen-shi had given her. She only wore a simple plum blossom glass hairpin on her head, and a silver hairpin with a moon-shaped jadeite on the back of her head. This silver hairpin was given to her by her master, and it was named Yuehun.

-shi: usually translated as “maiden name”. When a Chinese woman gets married, she doesn’t take her husband’s surname. In her husband’s family, she is usually called by her surname followed by “shi”. Lan Ling’s mother is Shen Jun, so she’s called Shen-shi.

She knew that the crown prince had just passed away last month, and the Empress would not want to see a colorful outfit.

Moreover, she didn't want to attract attention. In this life, she didn't want to be entangled with any of them.

When gathering in the hall, Lan Ling saw Lan Yu, who was wearing a light purple hibiscus-painted waist-length dress, with a hairpin of the same color on her head. She was smiling slightly, her skin was as white as snow, she looked soft and boneless. She was very charming.

Behind her, stood Lan Qin, who was wearing a veil. She frowned, tears in her eyes: "Mother, let Qin'er go with you, I promise I’ll be quiet. "

“It's a royal banquet, you are wearing a veil, it’s not decent!" Shen scolded, and Lan Qin ran away with her face covered.

Lan Ling followed Lan Yu silently, she didn't want to get any of Lan Yu's limelight.

Standing in front of the gate of the palace again, Lan Ling trembled slightly. The northeast corner behind this palace was her palace in the previous life, Lingyun Palace.

At the westernmost end of this palace was the place where her heart was dug out.

Here, she would see Ling Feng again. He was granted the title Ning Wang last month, and Ling Chen was granted the title An Wang.

If possible, she didn’t want to return here again in this lifetime.

Lan Ling closed her eyes, calmed her mind, and slowly walked into the imperial palace in Yuncheng.

Lan Ling saw the emperor again.

In her previous life, she had only met the emperor twice before her marriage. At that time, Shen Jun never brought her into the palace. The two times she met him were when the emperor specifically asked to see her.

She also saw Empress Bai Lan, who was the mother of the former crown prince. In the previous life, Ling Feng became the emperor and named her Empress Dowager Yide. His mother Zhou Qinmo became Empress Dowager Shunde. Later, she could not bear the suppression of Empress Dowager Shunde and died half a year after moving to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Her death was very strange.

She also saw her mother-in-law in her previous life, Ling Feng's mother, now still Zhou Guifei. She and the empress sat on the left and right of the emperor. Lan Ling gritted her teeth. In her impression, Zhou Guifei liked Lan Yu very much and always treated her harshly as she used to live in the mountains.

Guifei: Noble Consort. It’s one of the ranks in the Imperial Chinese harem system.

Ling Chen's mother, Lin Fei, sat at the bottom. She had a very low status and was only qualified to attend such a family banquet because of her son. She had a gentle and light complexion and was taciturn. Lan Ling felt that she exuded a different charm at this moment.

Fei: Consort. It’s one of the ranks in the Imperial Chinese harem system. It should be one rank lower than Guifei.

Lan Ling took a peek and saw that Ning Wang, Ling Feng, and An Wang, Ling Chen, were both sitting upright, followed by the fifth to tenth princes. The crown prince had been the eldest son and had passed away, and the second prince had died young. Ling Feng was now the best candidate for the crown prince.

She felt a beam of light burning her, and when she glanced sideways, it was Ling Chen. He had a smile on his face, and his gaze pierced through the crowd and fell on her.

Lan Ling's face turned to the side, not focusing on him.

He always had a purpose for her and was dangerous, so Lan Ling didn't want to get close to him.

"Marshal Lan, I heard that you took back your third daughter who had been raised outside? Zhen really wants to see what Chen Yan's daughter looks like now."

              Zhen: How an emperor addresses himself

The emperor actually called his mother by her maiden name and sounded very affectionate. Lan Ling saw Shen Jun's face changed. Could it be that the emperor also knew her mother?

Her father, Lan Jingtian, stepped forward and saluted, "Today I brought my little daughter, Ling'er!"

Lan Ling stood up, took a deep breath, smiled, and slowly walked forward to pay her respects to the emperor.

Shen Jun was surprised to see Lan Ling performing the ceremony with such grace and ease. She had not sent anyone to teach Lan Ling the palace etiquette. She had wanted to laugh at her today, but she did not expect that Lan Ling knew all the etiquette.

This girl is so scheming, she will be a big worry for Yu'er in the future. Thinking of this, her kind and gentle eyes revealed an unconcealable coldness.

"She looks like her mother. So, is she thirteen years old right now?" The emperor turned to ask Lan Jingtian with a look of emotion.

"She is thirteen." Lan Jingtian replied.

"Is she betrothed yet?" The emperor stared at Lan Ling.

Lan Ling's heart trembled. She was really afraid that the emperor would arrange a marriage for her casually.

"Your Majesty, I have just returned to my father and have not yet fulfilled my filial duties. I want to spend a few more years with my father. Besides, my elder sister and second sister are both still unmarried." Lan Ling answered the emperor before her father. She was sure that the emperor would not blame her.

Lan Jingtian glanced at her but said nothing.

"Among Zhen’s many princes, if you have anyone that you like, just say his name." As soon as the emperor finished speaking, everyone present was shocked. Lan Yu's face turned pale, and she quickly glanced at Ling Feng.

Ling Feng looked calm as he looked Lan Ling up and down. He always felt that Lan Ling was hostile to him, and was indifferent and distant. He was a little annoyed. Every women he knew admired and had a crush on him. Lan Ling was the first woman who was so cold to him.

"This child is quite filial," the empress said calmly. She was pale and looked lonely. After the death of the crown prince, she had no other children.

"Your Majesty, this girl has lived in the mountains since she was a child and doesn't know the rules. She was frightened a few days ago and offended the emperor. Please don't blame her, Your Majesty!" Shen Jun couldn't hold back her anger. She could see that the emperor had a good impression of Lan Ling. Could it be because of that bitch Chen Yan?

"What scared you? I heard that you were kidnapped for three days?" Ling Feng's mother Zhou Qinmo took over the conversation. She was very afraid that the emperor would assign Lan Ling to her son. How could Ling Feng marry such a wild girl who had already lost her virginity? Her ideal daughter-in-law was only Lan Yu.

"Ling'er was kidnapped for three days, and in that kind of situation, it was really difficult for a girl..." Shen Jun sighed, pretending to be unable to speak.

The emperor looked at Lan Jingtian thoughtfully.

Lan Jingtian glared at Shen Jun fiercely, and Shen Jun swallowed her words back.

Lan Ling listened and sneered. Shen Jun wished that everyone knew that she was abducted to a brothel. But she didn't care at all. It was better this way, so no one would pay attention to her.

She suddenly understood why Ling Chen had asked her to stay in the brothel for three days before the Lan family found her. He said it was for himself, maybe he was afraid that she would marry Ling Feng.

"Anyway, as long as you are safe, I'm glad. Is Lan Yu here too?" The empress changed the subject lightly.

Lan Yu hurriedly stepped forward to salute. She stood next to Lan Ling. Between the two daughters of the Lan family, Lan Yu was delicate and charming, and Lan Ling was pure and elegant. The two of them made a beautiful sight, and everyone was stunned.

The banquet began. Lan Ling sat there quietly, while Lan Yu played the guqin to liven up the atmosphere and stole the limelight.

During the banquet, Lan Ling went to the outer room to relieve herself. A young palace maid took the initiative to lead the way. When she came back, Lan Ling suddenly felt dizzy. She cried out inwardly and slowly lost consciousness while holding onto the wall.

When Lan Ling woke up, she saw white, and a naked man was leaning over and looking at her. Lan Ling was about to scream, but someone covered her mouth.

"Don't make any noise. If you shout and attract the guards, you're done for!" It turned out to be Ling Chen.

He looked at her jokingly, "What a coincidence, it seems we are destined to be together!"

Lan Ling touched herself and found that she was only wearing a tight-fitting dudou. "You are so shameless!"

Dudou: A dudou is a traditional Chinese article of clothing that covers the front of the torso, originally worn as an undershirt

She raised her knee and pushed it towards the man's crotch, but he held her down tightly and she couldn't move.

"Shh!" He pointed outside and whispered, "Don't blame me! I'm a victim too! I found myself like this when I woke up."

Lan Ling heard someone speaking in a low voice outside: "How's it going?"

"Don't worry, we've succeeded. They're unconscious inside."

"Okay, I want to see if Brother Lingfeng will still marry her after seeing her like this!"

Lan Ling recognized that the voice was Lan Yu's.

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