The inner palace was everything Xueying had imagined—
And nothing she had hoped for.
Golden pillars stretched toward painted ceilings, silk curtains swayed gently with the breeze, and the scent of incense lingered in the air. Everything was beautiful.
Everything was distant.
"Stand straight."
A maid snapped behind her, adjusting Xueying's posture roughly.
"You may be called a princess now, but don't forget—you were a servant yesterday."
Soft laughter followed.
Xueying said nothing.
Her new robes, though elegant, felt heavy on her shoulders. The silk brushed against her skin like something unfamiliar—like a life that did not belong to her.
"Turn," another maid ordered.
She obeyed.
"Hmm…" The maid frowned. "Her skin is too dull. And her hands—look at them."
Rough. Scarred. Unfit for royalty.
"Can someone like this really be a princess?" one whispered.
"His Majesty must be blinded by guilt."
The words cut deeper than any blade.
Xueying lowered her gaze.
She had thought things might change.
She was wrong.
—
Later that day, she was brought into the grand hall.
Officials lined both sides, their eyes sharp, judging, calculating.
At the far end sat Li Jianhong.
"Li Xueying," the court announcer called. "Step forward."
Her heart pounded.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
She knelt.
"I greet Your Majesty."
A murmur spread through the court.
"That's her?"
"She looks… ordinary."
"Can that truly be the late Empress's child?"
The whispers weren't quiet enough.
They were meant for her to hear.she still didn't mind as usual, it felt like she was used to it.
Li Jianhong's gaze darkened slightly.
"From this day forward," he declared, "Li Xueying will be recognized as Princess Xueying."
Some officials bowed.
Others hesitated.
And some… didn't bow at all.
Zhao Lihua watched everything calmly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Zhao Meilin stood beside her, her nails digging into her sleeves.
"This is not over," she whispered under her breath.
—
As Xueying rose, her knees trembled.
Not from fear.
From the weight of every eye on her.
She was no longer invisible.
Now—
She was a target.