Spring Breezes Blowing - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I stood inside the palace in my pajamas, my mind completely blank.

I’d only been home for one day.

Why was I back again?

I hadn’t even finished the cake I bought. Would it go moldy by the time I got back?

[Rest assured, Host. Time flows differently between the two worlds. Your cake will not expire.]

At the sound of that familiar System voice, my last shred of hope died on the spot.

Here I’d thought I’d spent so long in ancient times that I’d dreamed of this palace again after falling asleep.

So I really had come back.

I sighed and looked down, tugging at the spaghetti-strap nightdress that showed both chest and leg.

I needed to find a palace maid and borrow some clothes. If I wore this around, they’d probably drag me off to be drowned in a wicker cage.

Thankfully, this was the side hall of Ziwei Hall.

The palace maids of Ziwei Hall knew me.

I looked around-and suddenly realized something was wrong.

Where were the maids?

Why wasn’t there a single sound?

When I couldn’t find anyone, I decided to go back to my room and look for clothes.

Pinching up the hem of my nightdress, I crept to the doorway and poked my head out to scout the area.

There were no patrols on the palace path at the moment. I could move!

Three, two, one…

I drew in a breath, and from behind me came a gut-wrenching wail.

“Your Majesty, this servant was wrong! This servant will never dare do it again! Please spare this worthless life!!”

Your Majesty?

The emperor had suffered a stroke three years ago. The Crown Prince was overseeing the realm in his stead, while the emperor spent years recuperating at Xinqian Temple. Where would he get the strength to come here?

The System said time flowed differently between the two worlds. Could Xiao Yu have ascended the throne?

My eyes lit up. If I could find him, everything would be fine!

I headed toward the sound.

All the palace maids of Ziwei Hall must have gathered here.

I stared, dumbfounded, at the courtyard packed with kneeling maids.

Every one of them was silent as a cicada in winter, their bodies trembling.

To the right, a senior palace maid walked through them.

Her loud voice, edged with warning, pierced my eardrums.

“Put away any thoughts you shouldn’t be having. Did you see the one who was dragged out just now? That is what happens when you don’t obey.”

She had been lecturing the maids, but the moment she sensed my gaze, her head snapped up.

“Who are you?!”

The two palace maids who had been kneeling on either side of the doorway suddenly lunged up and grabbed my arms.

Over my years in ancient times, I’d learned a fair amount of martial arts. But this was the imperial palace, there were people everywhere, and on top of that, my clothes really weren’t suited for a fight.

So I chose to surrender without resistance.

The senior maid strode over to me.

When she saw my face clearly, her pupils shrank.

“So alike. Truly so alike…”

Then she burst into laughter, her picky gaze sweeping over my outfit. “And dressed like this…”

Halfway through her sentence, she waved at the people holding me down.

“Send this one to His Majesty as well.”

I froze. “Hey, is the emperor Xiao Yu? Don’t just toss me around wherever you like. Wait, aren’t you worried I might be an assassin?”

The quality of palace maids this term was not up to standard!

Zero stars!

They didn’t listen to a word I said. They simply dragged me off.

I was thrown into the hall. The moment I landed inside, the great doors slammed shut with a boom.

I rubbed my aching palm and pricked up my ears.

A woman’s faint, fragile sobs drifted from the inner chamber.

I tiptoed inside, complaining to the System as I went. “That sound when they threw me in just now was so loud. Why didn’t the people inside come take a look?”

[Host, you are far too bold. You should have chosen to leave just now.]

I muttered under my breath, “What’s there to be afraid of? It’s not like I can die. Last time, I got pierced through by ten thousand arrows and still didn’t die. We mission girls are just gifted like that!

“Speaking of that time, Xiao Yu cried so ugly. Such a shame there wasn’t a camera. Otherwise, I would’ve taken a picture of that hideous face of his for sure.”

The System fell silent.

By then, I had reached the inner chamber-and what I saw shocked me so badly I forgot to pay attention to it.

My gaze moved from the blood gurgling across the floor, to the blade, then to the long, distinct fingers gripping that blade.

A young woman, dressed only in sheer gauze, lay collapsed in a pool of blood.

On the dragon bed, the man slowly took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from the knife.

His brows and eyes were lowered, making his expression impossible to see.

Only a low laugh traveled across half the palace and reached my ears.

“You think you’re worthy of using her face?”

He tossed the dagger aside, his gaze sweeping toward the pillar where I was hiding.

“They sent another one?

“Let me see how much this one resembles her.”