The Cold-Hearted Princess Who Transmigrated Here

After Wang Xiyue and her brother left the main hall, they walked along a secluded path for about 15 minutes. They found that the scenery around them was getting worse and worse, as if they had walked from the palace to the countryside. They could not even see any eunuchs or palace maids.

"Sister, let's go back! We must have taken the wrong path. This place looks just like the Cold Palace!"

Although Wang Xijie was over fifteen years old, he had no experience. The area was too quiet, and even the grand birthday banquet hadn't affected it. He felt an eerie quietness here, and a chill ran down his spine for no reason.

Even though he was so scared that his legs were trembling involuntarily, as an older brother, protecting his younger sister was his duty, and he had to be fearless. So he could only stand firmly in front of his sister and block any unknown dangers that might arise.

"Brother, there's light ahead, let's go take a look!" Wang Xiyue wasn't afraid; instead, she was eager to find out what was going on.

At this moment of universal celebration, within the inner palace grounds, where the outside is incomparably luxurious, the place is utterly silent. How lonely and pitiful must the people living here be?

She didn't like the stark difference in treatment.

A general amnesty can release criminals.

Birthday banquets can be held for all people, regardless of their social status.

Those who lived in this remote part of the palace seemed to be like dust forgotten in a corner.

Could it be that some concubine who committed heinous acts could not be beheaded for some reason and was instead imprisoned here for life?

She wanted to know the answer.

"Hey! Let's go! Who told me to be your brother? Today I'll show you how brave your brother is." Wang Xijie walked ahead with his head held high, while spreading his arms to protect his sister behind him, encouraging himself inwardly.

Seeing her brother's protective stance, like a mother hen, Wang Xiyue smiled helplessly, thinking to herself, in this materialistic and powerful world, such pure affection is probably only found in her own family! What incredible luck she's had in this life!

The light appeared to be not far away, but it still took us about half a cup of tea's time to find the source of the dim light.

The light was coming from the window of a small house. There was a small courtyard outside the house. It was dark but still visible. Combined with the dim light from the candlelight inside the house, the courtyard was completely visible.

This is a dilapidated courtyard that has clearly just been renovated; the renovation period is estimated to be no more than two months.

The renovated yard looks rather rough overall, but it shows care in every detail. However, it's still clear that the person who did the work didn't seem to have much energy to properly renovate it.

The gate is made of bamboo strips woven in a cross shape. The gaps between the bamboo strips are quite large. It is obvious that this was made by a novice weaver. It can probably only keep out a cat or dog.

The surrounding walls were dilapidated, with many collapsed sections only repaired with mud up to half a person's height. There were countless holes on the walls that had been patched with new mud.

Apart from a clump of lush but disorderly bamboo in the corner, there was nothing else in the courtyard; the house was practically bare.

Although the ground has been cleared of weeds and leveled and tamped with soil, it is still clear that the weeds in the yard were very lush before, because there are still many stubborn grass roots left on the ground.

The courtyard was surrounded by walls on all four sides, and was no more than two zhang long in front and behind. It was about the size of the kitchen in the Prime Minister's residence. You can imagine how cramped the small room inside was, probably only big enough to fit a few simple pieces of furniture.

Seeing this scene, Wang Xiyue wondered how the people living here could maintain such a strong will and live such a simple life.

If it were just poor people, and everyone was in the same dilapidated state, they wouldn't feel bad because they would get used to it. But in the backyard of the supreme ruler of the world, living in such a dilapidated place, perhaps they would feel wronged and end their own lives.

As the saying goes, there is no harm without comparison. Seeing others living in luxury while you struggle to make ends meet and don't even have a place to shelter from the wind and rain, most people would feel unbalanced, and in severe cases, it might even lead to psychological distortion.

But the owner of this courtyard, even in the midst of hardship, still strives to make the best of a situation. He is neither decadent nor complaining, but diligently maintains his own residence, taking great care of it no matter how dilapidated it may be.

Keep hope alive and live life to the fullest, and the future will be bright!

She felt a sense of closeness to the owner of the courtyard even before meeting him.

Wang Xijie was no less surprised than his sister. He had been worried that there might be demons or monsters, but now, looking at the scene in the courtyard, he was certain that its owner was undoubtedly human. So he put his mind at ease and boldly went to pay a visit.

I opened the half-open bamboo gate, crossed the courtyard, and walked directly to the door of the small house.

"Who is it?" Before Wang Xijie could knock on the door, a alert, slightly hoarse male voice came from inside.

"Um... I was just passing by and got lost. I saw this light, so I came in to ask how to get back," Wang Xijie quickly explained, gesturing to stop his sister from making a sound, fearing the man inside might harm her.

"Please come in!"

After a rustling sound, the sound of wheels began to whistle.

What's going on? Opening a door is so troublesome and strange.

"Sister, stay away." Wang Xijie could only keep gesturing to his sister to keep her away from danger.

A moment later, the door was opened.

What came into view was a boy sitting in a wheelchair, who seemed to be about the same age as himself.

Inside the room was only an old, simple wooden bed, just big enough for one person to lie down on. On the bed was only a slightly worn thin cotton quilt and an old cloth-wrapped pillow. At the head of the bed was a crippled square wooden tea table with a rough pottery pot and a chipped pottery cup on it. There was nothing else. There were no chairs, so people could only sit on the bed.

Wang Xijie was very close to the door, and as soon as the door opened, he could see the interior furnishings clearly.

"You? You were the one who just spoke?" Wang Xijie couldn't believe it. The voice sounded quite old, but the person looked delicate with fair skin and a thin, frail figure. He didn't look like an adult at all.

"This guy is definitely pretending to be deep on purpose," Wang Xijie secretly guessed.

Wang Xiyue was a few steps behind her brother, but because he was blocking her view, she didn't see him immediately.

She peeked out from behind her brother and finally saw who it was.

A boy in a wheelchair, about the same age as his older brother.

He was dressed in cheap, coarse cloth, a simple style, but it actually made him look more comfortable and at ease.

He was pale-faced and thin, but handsome.

He exuded an understated brilliance, with gentle eyes and a humble and friendly demeanor, giving off the feeling of a warm and lustrous piece of jade, beautiful yet unassuming. However, Wang Xiyue still saw a hint of coldness and sorrow hidden beneath his gentle exterior.

Wang Xiyue wasn't surprised. What people show to others isn't necessarily their true selves. What others see is only the side they're willing to show. Everyone has a dark side to them.

Although we don't know what illness has caused him to be confined to a wheelchair, we can guess that it's either due to physical weakness or a leg ailment that makes it difficult for him to walk.

In this luxurious palace, he was completely forgotten. At this time of universal celebration, there was no food on his table and no one to accompany or serve him.

As dusk fell, the dim light inside the room enveloped the boy in the wheelchair. Wang Xiyue, who was usually calm and collected, suddenly felt a pang in her heart. Perhaps it was because this lonely figure resembled her own inner self, or perhaps it was the pain in his legs, or perhaps it was the pain in his desolation at being abandoned.

There is never fairness in this world. Some people are born with plenty of money and power, while others are born with disabilities. No matter how hard they try, they can't become a normal person with all four limbs intact. How tragic!

While Wang Xiyue was observing the other party, Dongfang Yu was also watching them.

A boy with his hair tied up, his demeanor lacked composure but was more reckless, yet he possessed an indomitable courage and, more importantly, a pure and innocent heart.

A pretty little girl with long eyelashes, eyebrows that had a touch of heroism, a delicate nose with a rounded tip, and a pair of bright, large eyes that were focused intently on her, her gaze seemingly able to penetrate her heart and see the dark side of her soul.

Wearing a fine, ice-blue silk dress, she was clearly a young lady from a wealthy and powerful family; her hair was parted in two sections, each tied in a knot on top of her head, indicating that she was still a child.

She was clearly a child, but her aura was stronger than that of the boy standing in front of her. She had a cold and serene demeanor, with a hint of loneliness in her eyes. She was a very contradictory girl.

"What's your name? Do you live with anyone else?"

Wang Xiyue couldn't understand why a boy, or even a stranger, could live in the deep palace. She couldn't help but ask, even though she was usually quiet.

In the inner palace, the only men besides the emperor and princes were guards who could only perform official duties, and the only other men were eunuchs.

Although he was sickly, he didn't have the effeminate manner of a eunuch, much less that of a prince. Although he rarely went out, he had never heard his father mention that the Ximen family had a prince who couldn't walk. Even if there were one, princes of this age, except for the crown prince, were all required to leave the palace and establish their own households; this was the rule of the royal family. However, judging from how long this courtyard had been maintained, he probably hadn't been here long.

In Wang Xiyue's eyes, Dongfang Yu only saw a simple inquiry, without any contempt for his disabled body, and even a hint of concern. His cold heart softened a little in an instant.

When Wang Xiyue asked him, he did not hide anything and told her the truth.