The Emperor's White Moonlight Chapter 1 (1/2)

Soft, drifting clouds and a gentle breeze accompanied the increasingly languid strains of the silk-stringed melody, lulling all into a deeper haze of drowsiness.

Jiang Mi propped her cheek against her hand, her eyes closed as she nodded off slowly to the rhythm.

Suddenly, a voice pierced through the haze. "Miss?"

“Miss?”

“Miss, please wake up! The Empress Dowager will arrive any moment now!”

The voice grew louder, insistent, but her eyelids felt impossibly heavy, as though weighed down by a thousand pounds. Her mind was caught in a foggy limbo, veiled by an endless shroud of clouds.

Empress Dowager.

That was her aunt.

But... hadn’t her aunt passed away three years ago?

Her lashes fluttered like the delicate wings of a butterfly before she finally managed to open her eyes. A pair of sleepy, bewildered eyes swept across the room, taking in her surroundings.

Above her was a flat, grid-patterned ceiling.

On her left stood a window adorned with diamond-shaped lattice patterns.

To her right hung a gilded rosewood screen intricately painted with landscapes.

The familiarity of it all struck Jiang Mi with shock. This place, wasn’t this the warm pavilion of Cining Palace? In the days when her aunt was alive, this was where she stayed whenever she entered the palace.

But after her aunt’s death, Cining Palace had been sealed, forbidden to anyone. How could she possibly be here now?

And... hadn’t she just taken her last breath?

Qiu Yu, noticing her young mistress lost in thought, straightened up and waved a hand in front of Jiang Mi’s face, asking doubtfully, “Miss, what’s wrong?”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mi turned her head to look at Qiuyu. To her surprise, the maid was standing right in front of her, her face flushed but unharmed. She hadn't been punished by being sent to the Laundry Bureau, nor had she accidentally fallen into a well.

Looking at everything before her, she suddenly had the illusion of being trapped in a dream, as though she had returned to her previous life, before entering the new emperor's harem.

Jiang Mi pinched her arm hard, but the sharp pain made her flinch.

At that moment, the sound of eunuchs and palace maids greeting someone reverberated from outside the room. Her scattered thoughts snapped back into focus. She turned just in time to see her maternal aunt——the Empress Dowager of Wei, supported by the hand of Mama Cui, slowly walking in.

Seeing the woman before her, Jiang Mi’s heart clenched. She lowered herself into a respectful bow, but tears had already welled up in her eyes.

After her aunt’s passing, Jiang Mi had endured three long, lonely years in the palace. The sorrow and solitude she experienced were depths no one could truly comprehend. Now, a tumult of emotions surged within her, a warm ache spreading through her chest.

The Empress Dowager walked over to her, bent down, and gently helped her to her feet. A tender smile graced her face as she said softly, “Tangtang, are you feeling better?”

Hearing her aunt call her by her childhood name, Jiang Mi felt a sharp pang in her nose. She nodded, forcing back her tears, and replied, “Thank you for your concern, Aunt. I am much better now.”

The Empress Dowager patted Jiang Mi’s hand reassuringly. “I know all this has been hard on you, but once everything is accomplished, no matter how great the injustice, I will make it right for you.”

With that, the Empress Dowager gave Mama Cui a glance, and immediately, Mama Cui brought over a food box.

Smiling, the Empress Dowager said, “Inside is a prepared sobering soup. Tangtang, would you serve this for me?”

Jiang Mi’s gaze landed on the dragon emblem engraved on the food box, and it felt as if something had exploded in her mind.

This sobering soup was the key to her entry into the imperial palace.

“Do not fear. When the time comes, this widowed empress will stand by you, no matter what.”

She held the food box out to Jiang Mi, who, despite her paling complexion, reached out and accepted it.

As Nanny Cui and the palace maids escorted her outside, a light breeze swept through the corridor. Osmanthus petals fluttered down, scattering across her path.

Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably, and memories of the past came rushing back.

On the thirteenth of the ninth lunar month in the first year of Yuanxi, which was the same day as her previous life, Jiang Mi had entered the palace to celebrate her aunt's birthday. While watching the performance, she had drunk a little more than usual and felt light-headed. Her aunt had suggested she return to the warm pavilion to rest.

Not long after, her aunt had asked her to go to Wangyun Pavilion to deliver the sobering soup.

She knew very well who was in the Wangyun Pavilion.

The new emperor had recently ascended the throne, and it was the Empress Dowager's birthday. Even though the emperor was not known for drinking, he had to show respect. Anyone who saw him raising a glass to toast his mother would have remarked on his filial piety and affection.

After a few rounds of drinking, the guests had dispersed, and the emperor had walked back to Wangyun Pavilion on foot, leaving his carriage behind. It was clear to everyone that the emperor was a little drunk.

Her aunt's command for her to deliver the sobering soup at this moment was no accident.

But before anyone from her aunt's side could burst in and make their move to confirm the intimacy between her and the emperor, she was interrupted by the arrival of Consort Dowager Xian.

Behind Consort Dowager Xian stood not only her niece, Xie Mingshan, but also half of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

As soon as Consort Dowager Xian entered, her eyes fell on Jiang Mi, who was in disarray.

Their gazes met, and Consort Dowager Xian feigned shock, her smile a mixture of amusement and mockery. “It seems I’ve come at the wrong time and disturbed Miss Jiang’s good deed.”

The imperial physicians promptly turned their backs. Before Jiang Mi could say anything, Xie Mingshan sneered, “An unmarried young lady is in such a hurry to undress. The Jiang family truly has a good upbringing.”

The commotion roused the man on the bed. He sat up, pressing his forehead with one hand, his sharp, slanted eyes scanning the room. When his gaze passed over Jiang Mi, she felt as though she were walking into a pit of knives and flames.

Consort Dowager Xian and Xie Mingshan quickly bowed and greeted him.

Summoning what little courage she had left, Jiang Mi stole a glance at him. She caught sight of his thin lips parting as he spoke in a cold, commanding tone, “Everyone get out.”

Jiang Mi clenched her fists, overwhelmed by the urge to die right then and there.

The head eunuch, Li Fu, arrived just in time and managed to persuade Consort Dowager Xian to leave. Embarrassed, Jiang Mi fled from Wangyun Pavilion, her face flushed with shame.

Later, her aunt employed various methods to ensure the new emperor took her as his concubine. She tried her best to win his favor, doing many outrageous things, but the emperor never looked at her with any special regard.

She no longer wanted to deliver the sobering soup. All she wanted was to escape the palace as quickly as possible.