An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

Humans are strange creatures. If we know everything about something, we realize it's like an ant trying to shake a tree, and we give up early on. If we don't know anything, we won't feel lost. In this way, we have fewer worries.

But what's most frightening is being half-asleep, as if everything is in a dream, yet everything is happening, and you can't do anything about it.

An Lingrong was now in this predicament.

An Lingrong knew that the Emperor had indeed planned this matter long ago, but she did not know what the Emperor's true intentions were.

Because in her previous life, An Lingrong always tried to please and flatter the emperor in order to gain his favor, and her relationship with the emperor was not exactly unpleasant, she always remembered the emperor's coldness in her heart.

Therefore, the more he thought about it, the more confused he became about what the emperor was thinking. A chill settled over him.

Seeing that An Lingrong's face was pale and her expression was gloomy, Zhen Huan gently took An Lingrong's hand and asked with concern, "Lingrong, you don't look well. Is something wrong?"

But Shen Meizhuang shook her head and said, "If this happened to someone else, they might be overjoyed, but Lingrong has always been timid, so she's probably terrified."

An Lingrong was taken aback for a moment, but then felt a warmth in her heart because Shen Meizhuang understood her worries. Then, a sense of powerlessness and grievance welled up in her heart, and her eyes became a little misty.

Yes, she was afraid. She had been afraid ever since she entered the palace.

But what can she do?

In her past life, she feared the palace, the empress, and the emperor. But entering the palace was her only way out, the empress was the only powerful figure she could rely on in the harem, and using all her skills to flatter the emperor was her only path to advancement.

All of this, though seemingly clear, is actually an illusion.

An Lingrong seemed capable of achieving everything on her own, but in retrospect, it was all just a fleeting dream. This extravagance and favor were never truly hers. No matter what she did, she was merely one of the many passersby in the palace. Even until her death, no one truly cared where she came from, where she went, or why she had ever passed through this place…

The cold memories of her past life, along with the unspoken grievances that no one could understand, surged within her, and a tear welled in her eye. But An Lingrong bit her lip, forcibly suppressing it.

An Lingrong looked at Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan and said softly, "Sister, with Lingrong's status, I was not even worthy of entering the Shou Kang Palace. Today, I have suddenly received such favor, there must be some reason, but Lingrong is too foolish to understand."

Lingrong was of lowly status, and even if she lost her life, it wouldn't matter much, but she still had her mother and aunt at home, whom she would always worry about. Although Lingrong was not well-off, she never forgot her filial piety.

Zhen Huan nodded in agreement, saying, "We sisters have been together for a long time, so of course we understand your feelings. But things have come to this point, and there's no turning back. We can only take it one step at a time. Judging from the way the Emperor looks at you, he seems to care about you quite a bit, so he probably won't send you into the lion's den. Besides, going to Shou Kang Palace to serve is probably also the Empress Dowager's idea. If you have the Empress Dowager as your support in the future, it will be another way out in the harem."

Shen Meizhuang nodded, then looked around again and said softly, “His Majesty’s words are imperial edicts and a blessing. There are too many people here, and if others see this, they might spread rumors. If that reaches His Majesty’s ears, wouldn’t that be bad? Why don’t we go to my Cunju Hall first, and the three of us sisters can eat and chat while we try the cooking from my little kitchen?”

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan's eyes flickered, already captivated. She then took An Lingrong's hand and coaxed, "Lingrong, you don't know, Sister Mei is not only beautiful, but also incredibly skillful. Any exquisite dish or dessert, just a glance and a taste from her, and she can recreate it seven or eight parts similarly. The remaining three or four parts aren't just imitations, but rather a transcendence, surpassing her master. With such a mistress training her, Sister Mei's kitchen must be quite impressive. Since Sister Mei has some free time today, let's go try it!" She emphasized the word "rarely," then looked at Shen Meizhuang with a charming gaze.

Shen Meizhuang knew that Zhen Huan had deliberately transferred her away from the Emperor's favored concubine Youwo, and that she was usually busy accompanying the Emperor and not often had a moment to herself. Her face flushed slightly. But thinking that she still had to relieve An Lingrong's worries today, she didn't argue with Zhen Huan. She just pretended to be angry and said, "You little brat, you talk too much. Don't ask the kitchen to make anything good for you later. Just give me two steamed buns to shut you up, that will save you trouble."

Zhen Huan looked aggrieved upon hearing this. Liu Zhu, who was behind her, rarely saw her mistress speak so succinctly and really wanted to laugh, but she dared not be too presumptuous because there were many servants serving near the Hall of Mental Cultivation. She could only suppress her laughter until her face turned red, like a ripe persimmon.

An Lingrong was originally full of worries, but seeing Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang drinking and chatting, she knew that the two of them were trying to help her relax. They had also arranged a small gathering at Cunjutang. She was slightly moved and felt much more at ease.

Seeing An Lingrong's expression soften, Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang were also somewhat relieved. The group then chatted casually as they walked towards Cunju Hall.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Cunju Hall.

When An Lingrong arrived at Cunjutang, she realized just how much the emperor favored Shen Meizhuang.

When they first entered the palace, An Lingrong had also visited Shen Meizhuang's palace. Due to the difference in rank and position, Shen Meizhuang's palace was much larger than the side hall where she lived, and there were correspondingly more furnishings and utensils. However, all the items could be said to be in accordance with the rules, but were not outstanding.

It now appears much more luxurious than before.

From the very beginning, one is greeted by a dazzling array of luxurious utensils.

A small table with a golden nanmu wood top inlaid with green turquoise sits atop a vase carved from exceptionally translucent white jade, its surface adorned with auspicious cloud and blessing patterns. Further in, a jade statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, bestowing a child, sits on the table—clearly the work of a master craftsman who had devoted countless hours to its creation. Beyond that, there is a Western-style clock with intricate gold carvings…

Zhen Huan often visited Shen Meizhuang's palace, so she was used to it and didn't find it strange.

An Lingrong was quite shocked when she saw this scene. Because she had always been tired of receiving the emperor's favor in this life, and was always lazy and unwilling to go out of Suiyu Pavilion to visit other people's palaces, she did not know that Shen Meizhuang had gained such favor from the emperor during this period of time.

Such a large number of rare and precious objects would not have any merit if they were just piled up randomly, but Shen Meizhuang has always had a good eye. Every object is arranged in a way that is well-matched. Although it is complicated, it is not without elegance. It can be said that every place you see is thoughtful.

Seeing that An Lingrong's expression was strange, Shen Meizhuang thought that An Lingrong envied the generous rewards she had received, and quickly said, "Seeing how much the Emperor cares for you, I'm sure what you will receive in the future will be no less than what I have here."

An Lingrong shook her head and said, "With your beauty and talent, it's no wonder that you are the most favored concubine in the harem. What amazes me is that all these luxurious items in your palace look perfectly appropriate and avoid being vulgar."

Shen Meizhuang shook her head with a wry smile, and said resentfully, "You might not believe me, but I really don't care for these things. Some of them seem incredibly vulgar to me, but they were gifts from the Emperor and Empress. If I just keep them at the bottom of a trunk, people will say behind my back that I don't know what's good for me. If I display them all, people will laugh at me. I can only pick and choose, figuring out how to arrange them to please everyone. You don't know how much I've racked my brains over this." As she spoke, she suddenly realized that her words were inappropriate. She had meant to comfort An Lingrong, but instead, she had revealed a lot of her troubles.

Then Shen Meizhuang smiled again and said, "But life is more comfortable after gaining the Emperor's favor. My sister is smart, so you don't need me and Huan'er to persuade you further. Just one sentence: since we entered the palace, we agreed to be sisters, so we should support each other in the days to come."

As he spoke, he pulled An Lingrong to sit on the couch, while this time Zhen Huan sat on a small stool below.

Caiyue served tea, snacks, and fruit, and knowing that her masters wanted to have a private conversation, she quickly and swiftly withdrew.

Seeing that no one else was around, Zhen Huan looked at An Lingrong and Shen Meizhuang and said seriously, "I always feel that the Emperor and Empress Dowager's move was too sudden. It seems that they want to find someone who has absolutely no connection with the intricate relationships in the harem..."

Upon hearing this, An Lingrong's heart stirred, as if she and Zhen Huan had thought of the same thing.