Chapter 1: Scheme One

Before the Dragon Boat Festival, the courtyard simmered in summer heat.

Maidservants stood beneath the eaves, hanging calamus and mugwort. The faint green scent evaporated in the heat, leaving only a touch of verdure.

The Empress Dowager held the Imperial Jade Seal on behalf of the Emperor. She had elevated female officials, and the court was split in two: women entered the government, some even reaching the rank of Prime Minister and seizing many of the most important posts.

Yet a woman at the bloom of youth was still expected to marry.

Yun Qian had been made Prime Minister this year. Suitors came to propose as thick as ox hairs—even the Empress Dowager had asked after her marriage.

Yun Qian lowered her head, studying the Jade Arc Pendant bestowed by the Empress Dowager. Such a pendant could be split in two; the one dangling at her waist, however, was whole.

The moment she lowered her head, Old Madam Yun noticed the pendant at her waist too and reached out to snatch it—but Yun Qian rose to her feet.

“A-Qian, your cousin is a fine match. Since you must marry, why not marry someone whose roots you know? You know his nature. He remains single to this day, never dallying with other women.” Old Madam Yun did her utmost to recommend her brother’s nephew.

At those words, Yun Qian’s eyes darkened, and a layer of frost settled over her plain, clean features.

Before she could respond, a maidservant entered and curtsied. “Prime Minister, a young gentleman outside claims he was betrothed to you in childhood and requests an audience.”

Betrothed? A touch of cold seeped into Yun Qian’s icy peach-blossom eyes. Had the aristocratic families devised some new trick?

She crossed the threshold, utterly ignoring Old Madam Yun.

Seeing this, Old Madam Yun grew frantic and hurriedly signaled a maidservant beside her. The maid took the hint and rushed after her.

Outside, the sun blazed, painting Qin Xiang’s cheeks a delicate pink.

Even so, no one had offered her a cup of tea. She licked her lips and sat quietly. A moment later, a cool breeze swept through the doorway—fresh and pleasant.

She looked up to see a woman step over the threshold.

Qin Xiang lifted her head, hands clasped nervously. A single glance sent a spring breeze through her heart. The woman before her, in wide-sleeved robes and a flowing skirt, carried an air of authority.

The women of the world were soft and gentle, yet this woman exuded an indescribable pressure.

While she studied Yun Qian, Yun Qian studied her in turn.

Beneath the oversized robes hid a frail figure. Yun Qian’s eyes narrowed, and she drew a sharp breath. It was her. Qin Xiang—the Little Empress who had brought catastrophe to the nation in her past life.

Yun Qian had lived two lives. To her, the most unforgettable figure remained this Empress who killed without blinking.

Qin Xiang smiled, her ears flushing red. Endearing dimples hung on her cheeks as she clasped her hands in greeting. “Qin Mo of the Qin Clan of Zhenjiang greets the young lady.”

Qin Mo was her elder brother’s name. He had languished on a sickbed for years, and in desperation, the family had ordered her to stand in for him, win a bride, and bring her back for a death-warding wedding.

Hearing her claim to be Qin Mo, Yun Qian curved her lips. Her eyes, clear as a mountain stream, brimmed with warm amusement as she asked directly, “The marriage contract?”

Whenever two families made a betrothal, both kept the contract and a token—that was the proof of what was to come.

Only then did she take in the girl before her—no more than fifteen or sixteen, in a crimson wide-sleeved Scholar’s Robe, her face clean and free of makeup.

Qin Xiang calmly produced the marriage contract and, holding it by one corner with both hands, offered it to the woman.

The woman’s overwhelming dignity made Qin Xiang afraid to look up or show the slightest disrespect.

A sister-in-law like this inspired awe. For such a person to marry into the Qin residence would be like a phoenix descending into the mud.

Qin Xiang felt a pang of pity. She unconsciously raised her head and met those calm, quiet eyes—and froze. The woman was not only imposing; she was peerlessly beautiful.

A figure like glass—like a gentle breeze, like aged wine that intoxicates the heart.

Yun Qian looked over the marriage contract, and the smile in her eyes softened her bearing. She meant to tell the girl dressed as a boy that she had come to the wrong house.

The contract named Qin Mo, eldest son of the Qin family, and Lin Yao, daughter of Lin Zhiting of the Lins—not Yun Qian.

Likely a simple misunderstanding. Clearly not a conspiracy by the aristocratic families—just a blunder by this foolish girl.

Just as she was about to return the contract, Yun Qian’s gaze swept over the girl’s fair, clean face. In that instant, a scheme was born: keep the girl and marry her.

If Qin Xiang married her, would there still be an Empress Qin to topple the court in the future?

Yun Qian glanced down at the jade pendant at her waist and asked, feigning ignorance, “You are Qin Mo?”

Qin Mo was eighteen; Qin Xiang was sixteen. But Qin Mo had been sickly since childhood, and his build was close to Qin Xiang’s.

They had rehearsed this at home, yet when the question came, beads of sweat broke out on Qin Xiang’s forehead. She dropped her lashes and dared not answer for a long while.

But the woman showed no intent to press her. She glanced, deliberately or not, at Qin Xiang’s dry, chapped lips, then turned and left the room.

A maidservant had been waiting by the door with a cup of tea. Seeing her, Yun Qian took the cup herself. The maid glanced up, panic flickering in her eyes.

Yun Qian handed the tea to Qin Xiang and bade her sit and talk.

Qin Xiang sat down carefully and took a small sip. The tea had gone cold—crisp and refreshing, it washed away some of the summer’s heat.

As she breathed a sigh of relief, Yun Qian spoke. “Since this marriage was fixed by our elders, I accept it. What does the young master think?”

The Lin family had accepted the match. Qin Xiang smiled in relief, her little dimples showing, her cheeks like rosy fruit one could not resist biting.

She answered at once, “I’ll follow the young lady’s arrangements.”

Yun Qian nodded. “Are you in a hurry to return to Zhenjiang?”

Qin Xiang did not understand the question. Startled, she looked up and met Yun Qian’s gentle eyes. The cold, icelike person from before had suddenly changed—she no longer looked seventeen or eighteen.

She didn’t dare ask. Her eyes were wide. A cold glint flashed through Yun Qian’s eyes. “We will marry here first, then go to Zhenjiang.”

“No, no—the wedding should be held in Zhenjiang!” Qin Xiang jumped up in a panic, as if suddenly caught in a trap. “My father wishes to welcome you to Zhenjiang for the wedding.”

Yun Qian was not so easily fooled. Having lived a second lifetime, she had many ways to handle this shy girl before her.

She calmly assessed the girl, the contract in her hand. “I could simply refuse to acknowledge this match. If you want me to accept it, you will do as I say: marry first, then go to Zhenjiang.”

Yun Qian had always been decisive. Two lifetimes of crawling through the official world had left her unmatched in cool authority. Her tone brooked no argument, and Qin Xiang was left speechless.

Yun Qian wore a loose long robe. Her soft black hair fell to her waist, glossy and dark; a breeze stirred the strands, quiet and graceful. Qin Xiang was once again stunned.

Her sister-in-law was very beautiful.

Qin Xiang regretted it now—she should never have come, and certainly should never have deceived her way into a marriage.

After a moment’s thought, she stood and said, “If the young lady will not acknowledge it, the Qin family will not force you.” She regretted it.

The instant she refused sent Yun Qian’s mind drifting to her previous life.

Yun Qian had once asked the Empress: “If Your Highness had never schemed to become Empress, what would you have done?”

The Empress had not answered, her expression exactly like the one before her now.

Yun Qian snapped back to the present and looked at Qin Xiang. “We will hold the ceremony first. No consummation.”

Qin Xiang was stunned. Her sister-in-law had compromised. Why? Wouldn’t refusing have been better?

She grew more anxious. Yun Qian rose and ordered the steward, “Prepare the guest quarters for Young Master Qin. Quickly.”

The steward acknowledged and ran off as if his feet never touched the ground.

Qin Xiang’s heart itched as if ants were crawling over it. Sweat slid down her brow past her lashes. Frantic, she forced herself to calm down.

“Miss Lin, the Qin and Lin families have had no contact for years. Perhaps you should take another look.”

Yun Qian turned. The girl had a fine form and a gentle bearing, but she was young and unsettled, grasping at any straw.

For some reason, after all those years of contending with her, Yun Qian was curious to see her flustered. So she dodged the question and asked instead, “You entered through the side gate?”

Qin Xiang nodded.

That made sense. The plaque over the main gate read “Prime Minister’s Residence.” Qin Xiang was no fool—how could she mistake this for the Lin residence? What intrigued Yun Qian was who had pointed this future scourge of the nation here.

After savoring the moment, Yun Qian said, “The grounds are lovely. You may stroll about—by my calculations, your rooms should be ready by now.”

Qin Xiang rose and hastily clasped her hands in thanks. But as she stood, her head spun and her whole body went floaty. Her throat burned. Years of discipline helped her steady herself. Swallowing her discomfort, she said, “Thank you, Miss Lin.”

Yun Qian watched her, her gaze deepening. The stumble had been caught—not deliberate, but a sudden spell of faintness. In a flash, her eyes landed on the teacup.

Yun Qian picked up the cup, her face as heavy as still water. Qin Xiang, meanwhile, was staring at her in a daze.

During their first exchange, Qin Xiang’s eyes had been like water, clear to the bottom. Now the light in them had changed.

Remembering her mother was still in the residence, Yun Qian instinctively stepped back and demanded sharply, “Who sent this tea?” Something had been put in it.

The maidservant was long gone. The steward hastily sent men to find her. The mood in the room plummeted.

But Qin Xiang waved a hand, a mix of innocence and purity in her expression. “The tea is fine. I just feel a little dizzy.”

Yun Qian was far too sharp. She asked first, “Do you feel hot and restless?”

“No, just dizzy.” Qin Xiang smiled, lips pressed together. Her sister-in-law was so concerned for her—more gentle than anyone in the Qin family had ever been.

Her voice was slow, carrying a kind benevolence. Yun Qian was momentarily dazed—what had this girl gone through to become the Empress of the future?

Qin Xiang kept her face taut as the world spun. Gradually, the white mist cleared, until only her sister-in-law remained.

Her sister-in-law looked at her with tender affection, a faint smile on her face—so gentle.

Her sister-in-law reached out and touched her cheek. Qin Xiang’s chest seized. She grabbed her sister-in-law’s arm, a glint of pity in her eyes.

Qin Xiang wanted to say: Don’t marry into that family. It’s a den of wolves and tigers. She had come to seek a bride only because she had no choice. How she wished the Lin family would torment her, refuse the match, and let her go home in dejection.

She never imagined her never-met sister-in-law would be such a beauty. She regretted this deeply.

Yun Qian was shocked. She stared at the small hand on her wrist, and without a second thought, shook it off.

Just then, the steward rushed in, flustered. “Prime Minister, the tea contained a hallucinogen—nothing life-threatening.”

Yun Qian was taken aback. Qin Xiang’s pale cheeks had bloomed with a faint blush, and her gaze burned hot upon her. As if… she were prey?