Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Poisoned Wine (1)

The autumn rain was cold, angry streaks of lightning lashed out in the dark horizon. It brought a feeling of hopelessness to the people on land, but Ye Zhen remained the sole exception. She stood outside her doorstep for hours, earnestly waiting, not for the first break of light, but for the carriage bearing the emperor’s seal.

Her dark hair was soaked with rainwater. Some of the wet strands stuck to her cheeks, making her appearance unruly and her face more fragile. Nevertheless, she stood resolutely, not minding the cold the weather brought along.

“Wang Fei¹, you should wait inside. Anytime now, His Imperial Majesty might send someone to bring you to the palace.” Her maid anxiously said.

She had been married to the former prince, the current Emperor Mo Rongzhan who ascended the throne two days ago. It was custom to have her picked up and sent to his palace to live with him as his wang fei. But why wasn’t there any news about his arrival yet?

Ye Zhen felt uneasy. She was only thirteen years old when she married Mo Rongzhan. Pitiful though, for during the two years of their marriage, not once had he come to see her. In fact, the last time she saw him was on their wedding day. Now that she had grown into a woman, he might not even recognize her anymore!

Will he bring her to the imperial palace now that he has successfully usurped the throne?

“Wang Fei!”

The maid who went out for a while had come back bearing news. Judging by her grim face, Ye Zhen knew right away that the news was dismal. As she stood before her mistress, the maid took a deep breath before speaking…

“From what this servant has heard, Young Lady Lu was escorted to the palace. The emperor’s carriage was sent yesterday just for her!” She said breathlessly. “A-and the emperor has decreed…”

Ye Zhen’s heart raced; her face turning paler. With a trembling voice, she said, “What does the decree say?”

“All the valuable possessions in the Ye residence were confiscated… Tomorrow, the entire Ye Family will be beheaded by edict of His Imperial Majesty!” The maid cried out.

“Wha-why is this happening?” Ye Zhen stuttered.

She almost fainted, the news too much for her. She was about to crumble to her knees, but the maid was fast to support her collapsing frame.

Her entire family would be beheaded by the order of the very man she married! She desperately hoped that all of it was only a nightmare, but the loud roar of thunder kept her from turning deaf to the bitter reality.

Given that the Ye Family once helped the former prince, Ye Zhen couldn’t understand why Mo Rongzhan did this.

Wasn’t she of any value to him?

Despite the turmoil in her mind, she thought of ways she could possibly resolve this problem. In the process, she remembered only one person.

“Find Lu Lingzhi!” she said when she finally found the strength to speak. “On second thoughts, I will find him myself!”

Ye Zhen pushed aside her maid’s hand and dashed through the rain.

There were more than a dozen of guards outside the palace gates who stopped her, saying that by order of the emperor, not a soul was allowed to go in.

“Ye Zhen!” Lu Lingzhi came from the gates and looked at her worriedly. “Where are you going?”

Despite being born into a family of merchants, Lu Lingzhi was able to become an official, his wiles were his stepping ladder. Naturally, he already knew of the decree, so he decided to pay his friend a visit.