Chapter 23: How about I call you Bai Ruxue from now on?

"Hiss~ It hurts so much."

"Hiss~ Am I going to die?"

"Hiss~~"

By the edge of a pool, a small white snake lay on the grass.

A gash had been torn into its back, leaving the entire snake looking as if it were on the verge of death.

Not long ago, she had merely gone out to forage, wanting to eat a few mice to fill her belly, never expecting to encounter an eagle.

Even though she had escaped with her life, she had sustained very heavy injuries.

"When will Xiao Qing come? Can she find me?" The white snake thought of her sister, but soon, a flash of loss crossed her vertical pupils.

Even if she found me, what then?

She cannot heal me.

Just as the white snake was sinking into despair, she heard a slight movement coming from the nearby bushes.

The white snake raised her head and saw a human boy pushing through the bushes and walking out.

Startled, the white snake hurriedly curled her body up and buried her head in the grass: "Don't notice me, don't notice me..."

"Found you!" Xiao Mo's eyes suddenly lit up upon seeing the little white snake.

"Oh no!"

Feeling the footsteps drawing closer, the white snake knew this little boy was coming for her!

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!" The white snake suddenly raised her head and opened her small mouth at him.

Xiao Mo took two steps back in fright, feeling a bit panicked.

Logically speaking, this kind of white snake should be non-venomous.

But in this fantasy world, who could say for sure?

"You seem to be injured. I'll treat you, don't worry... I won't hurt you." Holding a shovel, Xiao Mo approached step by step.

Seeing the weapon in the human's hand, how could she possibly believe him?

"Stinky human! Even if I die, I won't let you turn me into soup!"

The white snake steeled her heart and lunged forward like a coiled spring to bite him.

However, at that exact moment, her wound was pulled, sending a wave of excruciating pain through her entire body.

Xiao Mo was already prepared to dodge, but the white snake went limp like a loose rope, falling straight onto the grass.

Her body continued to twitch rhythmically.

Seeing that she seemed to have lost consciousness and that blood was flowing incessantly, Xiao Mo hurriedly placed her in a bamboo basket and carried her down the mountain.

The little white snake did not know how long she had been unconscious. When her consciousness returned and she slowly woke up, she found herself lying in a grass nest.

This seemed to be a human's house.

The little white snake looked down at her body and saw that she was wrapped in a clean white cloth.

A faint scent of herbal medicine could be smelled from the cloth.

Recalling everything that happened before she lost consciousness...

Could it be that the little boy saved me?

*Clatter.*

Just as the little white snake was feeling confused, the door opened.

A little boy walked in carrying a mouse.

"You're awake." The little white snake saw the boy walk forward joyfully, then carefully placed the mouse in front of her.

"Food for you." The boy gave a bright, innocent smile.

The little white snake glanced at the boy, then at the dead mouse before her.

"It seems... he really isn't a bad person..."

Driven by extreme hunger, the little white snake opened her mouth and slowly swallowed the mouse.

After eating, the little white snake lay quietly in the grass nest, having lost her previous aggression.

This was a snake with spiritual intelligence.

Xiao Mo felt that she must have realized he wouldn't harm her.

"Little white snake, do you have a name?" Xiao Mo asked.

The little white snake tilted her head in confusion.

"My name is Xiao Mo, this is my name." Xiao Mo pointed to himself. "How about I give you a name too?"

The little white snake froze for a moment, then nodded her head, even showing a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

"You are so white, just like snow."

Seeing her agreement, Xiao Mo thought for a moment.

"How about from now on, I'll call you Bai Ruxue?"

***

The residence of the Minister of Rites in the State of Zhou.

In the inner courtyard, a woman who appeared to be in her late teens was leaning over a flower bed.

With slender, delicate hands, she held a small silver pair of scissors, focused on pruning excess leaves and branches.

The woman wore a plain white long dress that looked like freshly fallen snow, draping over her graceful figure.

As a morning breeze brushed past, the hem of her skirt fluttered like drifting clouds, creating soft ripples.

Her dress bore no complex embroidery; only at the collar and sleeve edges were there a few faint, interlacing lotus leaves outlined in extremely fine silver thread. A moon-white silk sash was tied loosely around her waist, tracing her slender waistline and adding to her charm of a willow swaying in the wind.

She tilted her head slightly, revealing a section of neck as white as jade. A few strands of jet-black hair, dark as sandalwood, slipped accidentally from her loosely tied bun, falling beside her cheek and making her skin appear even more delicate, like porcelain.

The woman had exquisite eyebrows—long, willow-leaf shaped brows like distant mountains in the mist, with a gentle slope and slightly upturned ends that carried a natural tenderness.

Beneath her brows were eyes as clear as autumn waters, currently cast downward. Her long, thick eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyelids, trembling slightly with her pruning movements.

Her lips were a pale pink, like the petals of early cherry blossoms, with corners that naturally upturned slightly, lending her a tranquil and approachable aura even when she wasn't smiling.

"Daughter! Daughter! Good news!"

While the woman was focused on pruning the flowers, the voice of Yan Zhen, the Minister of Rites, drifted in from afar.

Hearing her father's voice, the woman looked up and saw him rushing into the courtyard.

She set down the scissors, poured a cup of tea for her father, and smiled. "Father is so happy; is there some good news?"

"Hahaha, daughter, you have no idea!" Yan Zhen took the tea offered by his daughter and said joyfully, "You are going to become the Empress!"

"Become the Empress?" The woman was puzzled.

"Yes."

Yan Zhen nodded.

"It has been a year since His Majesty ascended the throne, and the inner palace is empty; it is time to select concubines. Ruxue, you have been chosen to enter the palace. Furthermore, you are a woman of our Yan clan. Internally, our clan has the Empress Dowager, and externally, we have the current Prime Minister. In the future, you will surely be the Empress of our Great Zhou, mother to the world! Your future children will be the sovereigns of the State of Zhou!"

The more he spoke, the more excited Yan Zhen became.

"However, your mother is not quite willing to let you enter the palace; after all, the palace is as deep as the sea." Yan Zhen tucked away his joy. "You know your mother's temperament. I argued with her for a long time, and finally, we decided to leave it to your wishes. Ruxue, do you wish to enter the palace?"

Yan Ruxue smiled faintly and bowed. "Daughter will follow Father's arrangements entirely."

"Hahaha, good! Since that is the case, your mother has nothing more to say. I shall go inform the clan head immediately. Just wait for the good news, daughter."

"Yes, Father."

Yan Zhen laughed and walked out of the courtyard.

Yan Ruxue watched her father's retreating figure.

Her originally soft, dark eyes gradually transformed into golden, majestic vertical pupils.

(End of Chapter)