Chapter 2: The Substitute Imperial Concubine

When she woke up, it was already the next morning. She had no idea how she had fallen asleep the day before. Rolling out of bed, she realized she was still wearing yesterday's red wedding gown, and the ornaments on her head were pressing against her forehead, causing a dull ache.

Rubbing her aching forehead, she let out a soft sigh, thinking about the incredible things that had happened to her. Her transmigration was now a fact; shouldn't she just accept her fate?

Thinking of Han Yu, who claimed to be her personal maid yesterday, she called out softly, "Han Yu!"

Soon, the door opened, and Han Yu stepped inside, bowing slightly. "Your Ladyship, what are your orders for Han Yu?"

"Quickly, take all these things off my head! It's killing me!" Liu Qian'er pointed to the ornaments on her head, her face twisted in distress. Yesterday, she had complained about how uncomfortable it was for ancient concubines to wear such headpieces; how had it ended up happening to her today?

Han Yu smiled faintly and replied, "Yes, Your Ladyship." No matter how she looked at it, Liu Qian'er seemed vastly different from before—less insecure, and possessing much more charm.

With her skillful hands, Han Yu quickly removed all the ornaments from Liu Qian'er's head!

Liu Qian'er shook her head and said, "Can you please stop putting such complicated things on my head?"

Han Yu gently combed Liu Qian'er's hair and smiled. "Of course. Han Yu need only use a single hairpin for you!" Having said that, she picked a white jade hairpin from the jewelry box, tucked it into her hair, and said, "There!"

Liu Qian'er's gaze fell upon the mirror...

The person in the mirror had exquisite features and skin as white as snow. An air of nobility radiated from her bones; she was elegant, beautiful, pure, and ethereal... She didn't look like herself! But upon closer inspection, she looked exactly like her.

"Your Ladyship, there is something Han Yu wishes to know!" Han Yu looked at Liu Qian'er with an expectant face.

"What do you want to know? If I know, I'll tell you!" Liu Qian'er withdrew her gaze and stood up with a smile.

Han Yu studied Liu Qian'er's face carefully, thought for a moment, and said, "Why did Your Ladyship become so beautiful just as you married into the palace? And incredibly beautiful at that! You are vastly different from before; even the way you speak and your expressions have changed."

Liu Qian'er smiled inwardly, thinking: *Of course it's different. The person has been swapped; how could it be the same?* But she said aloud, "How should I explain this to you? If I said I wasn't Liu Qian'er, you certainly wouldn't believe me. Besides, I *am* Liu Qian'er. So, I don't know how to say it either!" She couldn't exactly tell Han Yu that she had flown in from a thousand years in the future, or she'd be treated like a madwoman!

"Han Yu doesn't understand!" Han Yu scratched her head, looking half-convinced and half-confused.

"Alright! You'll understand in the future. I'm hungry; go get me something delicious." Liu Qian'er casually pushed Han Yu toward the door.

As she walked away, Han Yu said, "Alright, I'll be right back."

After Han Yu left, Liu Qian'er sat at the table, fiddling with the teapot. Her mind raced with one question after another. Could such a coincidence truly exist in this world? Yesterday, she had been filming a scene playing the role of an Emperor's concubine. Yet she had transmigrated here—the same place, the same character, the same role as an Emperor's concubine, but in a different time!

"The Imperial Decree has arrived!"

A sudden shout interrupted Liu Qian'er's train of thought.

She saw an eunuch rushing into the room, holding an imperial decree. Before he had even fully stabilized himself in the room, he shouted, "Liu Qian'er, receive the decree!"

Liu Qian'er took a step forward, knelt on the ground, raised her head, and gave a radiant smile.

The eunuch froze, his face full of astonishment. He had heard that this Liu Qian'er was a famously ugly woman, yet the person before him was clearly a peerless beauty? Could the rumors be false? Quickly masking his expression, he unfurled the decree and read: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Liu Qian'er is hereby bestowed the title of Consort Liu. She is granted one hundred bolts of silk, one hundred sets of clothing and headgear, and a thousand pieces of jewelry and hairpins. She is specially granted residence in Yilan Palace. By Imperial Command!"

"Thank you for the Emperor's great grace!" Liu Qian'er raised her hands to receive the decree.

After the eunuch left, Liu Qian'er selected a white gauze dress from the many garments and changed into it; she had always loved white.

Meanwhile, Han Yu had brought many delicacies from the Imperial Kitchen, intending to serve them to Liu Qian'er. When she pushed open the door, she froze! Liu Qian'er was dressed in white gauze, which matched the hairpin in her hair perfectly. Her face, without a trace of makeup, possessed a natural beauty, and the nobility radiating from her bones was irresistible.

Seeing Han Yu standing dazed at the door, Liu Qian'er stepped forward. She waved her hand in front of Han Yu and said, "Han Yu, what are you doing? Losing your wits in broad daylight?"

Han Yu snapped out of it and gave an embarrassed smile. "Han Yu was mesmerized by Your Ladyship!"

"You little rascal!" Liu Qian'er poked her forehead. Seeing the delicious food in her hands, she said hurriedly, "Hurry up and come in, are you trying to starve me to death?"

Han Yu placed the food on the table, used a spoon to serve Liu Qian'er a bowl of soup, added a bowl of rice, and pressed her down onto a stool. "Your Ladyship, you must be hungry at last, right?"

Liu Qian'er took a sip of the soup without ceremony and asked in confusion, "Why? Have I not eaten for a long time?"

"Your Ladyship, you haven't eaten anything in the manor for two days." Han Yu placed a piece of chicken into Liu Qian'er's bowl.

"How could I be so stupid? Isn't not eating a way of mistreating myself?" Liu Qian'er stopped her chopsticks and rested her chin on her hand. "Han Yu, can you tell me about my past? Perhaps I'm so hungry from not eating for two days that I've forgotten everything!"

"Could such a thing happen?" Han Yu asked, half-skeptical.

Liu Qian'er nodded like a chick pecking grain.

Han Yu stood up and began to tell the story of Liu Qian'er's past.

"Your Ladyship—that is, Liu Qian'er—is the daughter of the current Prime Minister. You have one older brother, two younger sisters, and one younger brother. Because Your Ladyship's appearance was very mediocre, you were always neglected, which led to an introverted and quiet personality. Even as your personal maid, I rarely had the chance to speak with you."

"Am I that kind of person?" Liu Qian'er asked, pretending to care. Because she wasn't Liu Qian'er at all.

Han Yu nodded and continued, "But, from the moment you married into the palace yesterday, you became like a different person. In just one day, not only did Your Ladyship become beautiful, but you also became talkative. You are truly different from before. I even suspected that you weren't Liu Qian'er. However, no matter how I look at it, there is still a shadow of Liu Qian'er in your features."

Hearing Han Yu say this, Liu Qian'er actually felt a slight pang of sadness in her heart. Was it because she and Liu Qian'er had become one? Perhaps the former Liu Qian'er had left some beauty within her.

"Then how did I end up marrying into the palace?" Liu Qian'er continued to ask.

Han Yu gave a helpless smile and said calmly, "The reason you married into the palace was due to the Empress Dowager's decree. The current Emperor is cold, ruthless, and domineering; he always acts unilaterally and never listens to any of the ministers, which has caused dissatisfaction among them. Even the Empress Dowager cannot control him. Later, I don't know which fortune teller the Empress Dowager listened to, but she was told the Emperor must take a concubine whose name contains both 'tree' and 'grass,' and who has an ordinary appearance, as she would surely be of great help to the Emperor in the future."

"But how was I chosen?" Liu Qian'er felt a hint of doubt.

"Because of Your Ladyship's name, 'Liu Qian'er.' 'Liu' means willow, which is a tree, and the character 'Qian' can be broken down into 'grass.' With both tree and grass, combined with the fact that you are the Prime Minister's daughter and rumored to be plain and mediocre, this position was destined for you!"

After hearing Han Yu's words, Liu Qian'er burst into laughter. "So that's how it is. How interesting. Does that mean no one has seen me yet?"

Han Yu pursed her lips and nodded.

"Haha, if they see me in the future, won't they be startled?" Liu Qian'er laughed loudly. She was actually looking forward to what would happen next. She had gained a general understanding of the original Liu Qian'er's life; since she had transmigrated across a thousand years, she should also do her best to be the current Liu Qian'er.

***

Inside He'an Palace.

The Empress Dowager held her tea, sipping it quietly. "Xiao Dezi, how are things on Consort Liu's side? Has she been making a scene?" The Empress Dowager put down her teacup and asked softly.

Xiao Dezi stepped forward and replied, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, I just visited Yilan Palace. It seems Consort Liu is in quite a good mood and hasn't caused any trouble."

"Oh? Is that so?" A flash of doubt crossed the Empress Dowager's face, and she smiled. "This Consort Liu is truly strange. I heard that before she married into the palace, she went on a hunger strike for two days, refusing to marry even at the cost of her life. How could she... It seems no one can resist the position in the inner palace."

"I do not know either. Would the Empress Dowager like to visit Yilan Palace to take a look?" Xiao Dezi asked.

"Forget it. Since she isn't crying or making a fuss, I won't go. Let her be!" A trace of worry flashed across the Empress Dowager's face as she asked, "I'm afraid the Emperor hasn't visited her either?"

"Yes, the Emperor only ordered me to send some rewards. He didn't even ask about Consort Liu's condition." Xiao Dezi said with a bitter face, continuing, "I only asked if the Emperor would sleep in Yilan Palace tonight, and he flew into a rage. I almost got beaten with a rod!"

The Empress Dowager sighed deeply. She could do nothing about her son; she could only let him do as he pleased with everything. When would he finally mature?

Night slowly descended...

Darkness enveloped Liu Qian'er's entire field of vision. Sitting in the small garden, she looked up at the waning moon and couldn't help but sigh softly. This past day had felt like a year. How was she going to live her life from now on?