Twisted

A dilapidated palace within the imperial grounds.

This was where the hostage prince from Southern Zhao and his entourage lived.

"Master, you're back."

Uncle Fu had been waiting at the entrance.

As soon as he saw Qi Yunheng return, he hurried to meet him.

When he noticed the blood on his clothes, he lowered his eyes.

These past few days, his master had always returned stained with blood...

"Uncle Fu, prepare some hot water. I want to bathe."

Qi Yunheng offered no explanation.

After giving the order, he walked into his bedchamber.

He took out a small box hidden beneath the bed and placed the Erotic Manual inside. There, plain to see, lay the persimmon Xiao Yu had given him last time.

Uncle Fu came in and, noticing the red persimmon, kindly reminded him, "Master, that persimmon is ripe. If you don't eat it, it will soon spoil."

A trace of heartache flashed in his eyes.

His poor master could not even bear to eat a persimmon he had picked up somewhere.

Uncle Fu suddenly remembered something.

"I hear there's a persimmon tree in the Eastern Palace, laden with bright red fruit. If you like them, Master, I'll go pick a few for you."

"No need," Qi Yunheng refused.

However many persimmons there were, they had nothing to do with him.

Only the one before him truly belonged to him alone.

He took out the persimmon.

"It won't spoil," he replied.

He had already treated it with poison. It would remain just as it was forever, never rotting.

It could stay with him for a long, long time...

Qi Yunheng gazed at the red persimmon before him, a faint flicker in his eyes.

"Uncle Fu, tell Zhu Yan and the others they can make their move."

In his previous life, he had never met Xiao Yu.

It seemed his rebirth had changed quite a few things in this life...

"We've lingered in the Jin Kingdom long enough. It's time to send those old bastards back to the underworld!"

Xiao Yu.

You had better live a little longer.

Otherwise, this mortal world would be far too dull.

I hope you'll still be this lively the next time we meet.

When Xiao Yu returned to his bedchamber, the two maids were gone.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

At least that tyrant had a shred of conscience. Knowing Xiao Yu disliked them, he had sent someone to sort things out.

Xiao Yu patted his chest.

Where was his book?

Where was the Erotic Manual that maid had slipped him as he left?

Had he accidentally dropped it while running so fast just now?

He scratched his head.

Forget it.

If it was gone, it was gone. No one knew it was his anyway.

The most important thing right now was the crown prince and his imperial sister-in-law.

He wondered how Consort Liu would scheme against his imperial sister-in-law once she learned that she had been named empress.

The western hall.

Crash! Clatter!

Only after returning from the Eastern Palace did Consort Liu learn that Consort Wan had been named empress.

She immediately began smashing everything in the room in a fury!

Why?

Why?!

Why did His Majesty continue to ignore her, no matter how hard she tried to please him?!

That bitch Consort Wan had done nothing, yet she had won His Majesty's favor so easily?!

And now His Majesty had brushed aside every objection to make her empress?!

Why should everything good in this world belong to Consort Wan alone?!

In what way was she inferior to Consort Wan?!

No!

She would not allow it!

She would never allow Consort Wan to rise above her!

Consort Liu's eyes were bloodshot, her face twisted, all trace of her usual gentleness and elegance gone.

Her eyes brimmed with schemes.

She had to brand Consort Wan an adulteress before the coronation ceremony.

She would never let her recover!

"Mingxiang, go fetch Guard Shen!" she ordered her personal maid.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Mingxiang immediately left to carry out her order.

Watching her retreating figure, Consort Liu suddenly broke into wild, vicious laughter.

Sister Wan, you mustn't blame me.

If you must blame someone, blame yourself for stealing everything that belonged to me.

You deserve to die!

You forced me to do all of this.

I am the woman His Majesty loves most!

I am the woman His Majesty loves most...

Back then, she had been close to Consort Wan's younger half-sister, who was born of a concubine.

She often heard Consort Wan's half-sister say that her legitimate elder sister treated her like a full sister, sharing every good thing with her and never keeping anything to herself.

Though born of a concubine, she enjoyed the same food, clothing, and comforts as her legitimate elder sister.

Every word she spoke overflowed with happiness.

That had stirred a secret jealousy in Consort Liu, who was also a concubine's daughter.

Her own legitimate elder sister was nowhere near as kind as Consort Wan. She beat and scolded her every day, and made her wash clothes in cold water in the bitter winter.

She envied her dear friend for having such a wonderful elder sister.

She wanted Consort Wan to be kind to her too, to become her own elder sister.

So she began plotting against her dear friend, persuading her to bring her elder sister over for a visit so that Consort Wan would witness her being bullied by her own legitimate sister.

Consort Wan took the bait.

She defended her at every turn and began treating her as a younger sister.

Ever since childhood, Consort Wan had been fair-skinned and lovely, gentle and virtuous, and everyone adored her.

Once, while accompanying her father to a palace banquet, she caught the emperor's eye and was granted the title of County Lady of Lin'an.

Her legitimate elder sister dared not offend Consort Wan, a county lady who enjoyed imperial favor. She stopped bullying her at will, and her circumstances at home gradually improved.

Consort Wan truly did treat her like her own younger sister.

She remembered her kindness.

But everything changed the year the crown prince traveled incognito.

The crown prince was handsome and distinguished, commanding in bearing, wise and valiant. What woman would not fall for him?

She was no exception.

She fell in love with the crown prince at first sight!

But before she could confess her feelings, an imperial decree shattered her beautiful dream.

His Majesty had bestowed marriage upon the crown prince and her Sister Wan!

Her heart broke.

She went to beg Consort Wan to let her have the crown prince.

But Consort Wan merely said that the decree had already been issued, and there was nothing she could do.

Ha. What a fine excuse.

Didn't His Majesty adore her? If she begged him to rescind the decree, would he really refuse?

In the end, she simply couldn't bear to give up a powerful patron like the crown prince.

All that sisterly affection was a lie!

Who wouldn't want to marry the crown prince and enjoy wealth and glory forever?

She would not give up!

Everything she possessed now, she had fought for herself.

She, Liu Ruomei, would marry the crown prince!

She had faith in herself.

At last, thanks to her scheming, the crown prince agreed to marry her as his secondary consort!

She deliberately flaunted it before Consort Wan, but Consort Wan merely replied that, from then on, they would serve the crown prince together as sisters.

Ha! How could she have the nerve to say that?

The position of crown princess should have belonged to her, Liu Ruomei!

Now Fang Wanwan had stolen her position as crown princess and reduced her to a secondary consort, yet she still dared speak of them as dear sisters?

Disgusting!

Liu Ruomei secretly swore an oath.

One day, she would reclaim her rightful position as crown princess!

But that day was a long, long time in coming...

Later, the crown prince ascended the throne and became the new emperor. To consolidate his hold over the court... Fang Wanwan did not become empress as she had hoped.

Liu Ruomei rejoiced for three days and three nights.

So what if she had been crown princess? Hadn't she ended up a mere consort, just like her?

Yet it was different. Fang Wanwan had all of His Majesty's love... Not even the empress, the noble consort, or any of the others had received his affection!

She had no choice but to acknowledge one fact.

His Majesty truly loved Fang Wanwan. Regardless of how Fang Wanwan had felt back then, she would have become crown princess in the end.

And she, Liu Ruomei, who had schemed her way into becoming his secondary consort, was destined to be loved by no one.