The Plan to Raise a Poisonous Woman - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Consort Wan…”

When Fu’an arrived, I was in the courtyard roasting sweet potatoes.

The sudden voice startled me so badly that I hurriedly hid the sweet potato behind my back.

Fu’an stood at the gate, not daring to come in. She only called out to me in a small, hesitant voice.

“What brings Your Highness here so late at night?”

I walked over and looked down at her from above, my tone distant and cold.

Fu’an seemed frightened by my tone and shrank back despite herself, but she still mustered up the courage to look at me.

Then, word by word, she said, “Fu’an wants to stay with Consort Wan…”

I looked at the earnest little dumpling in front of me. Unable to resist, I bent down and pinched her thin little cheek, my tone nasty and teasing.

“Didn’t your mother tell you that she and I were mortal enemies?”

Chapter 2

After Consort Xian died, Princess Fu’an, the daughter she left behind, became a hot potato.

Consort Xian was different from those consorts who had died of illness or been murdered.

Her maternal family had been convicted of crimes, and she herself had been properly sentenced to death by the emperor.

Naturally, no one in the entire palace was willing to raise the daughter of a condemned woman.

The Empress asked every consort in the palace, high-ranking and low-ranking alike, yet somehow she never asked me.

I was heartbroken. I felt like the Empress was ostracizing me.

What a misfortune for the palace.

Beside me, my personal palace maid Cuizhu couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

“My lady, if Princess Fu’an ended up with someone as unreliable as you, that would be the real misfortune for the palace.”

Fine. After all, it was no secret that Consort Xian and I didn’t get along.

If her daughter fell into the hands of a vicious woman like me, anyone could imagine what would happen to her.

The Empress cared about her reputation more than anything. If she really shoved the little princess at me, who knew what the palace would say? That she was jealous and couldn’t even tolerate a child, perhaps.

And yet now, Fu’an had come to me of her own accord, saying she wanted me to raise her.

Did I look like some kindhearted person?

Was I magnanimous enough to raise my dead enemy’s child?

I waved a hand, about to order Cuizhu to send the princess back.

But then someone suddenly grabbed my sleeve.

The next second, a small hand, slightly cool to the touch, took hold of mine. Then, as if steeling itself with some conviction, it slowly tightened its grip.

I looked over, somewhat impatient.

I tried to make my expression look even fiercer, hoping to scare off this little brat who didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth.

After all, my bad reputation preceded me.

On ordinary days, even the dogs in the palace took a detour when they saw me.

Yet for some reason, Fu’an still held on to me with unwavering determination.

The eyes that looked up at me were clear and innocent, yet carried a hint of stubbornness.

“Consort Wan, Mother said you were her very best friend, and you definitely wouldn’t abandon me.”

“Like hell she-”

Fortunately, Cuizhu covered my mouth in time, preventing me from swearing in front of a child.

These past two days, the mood had struck me to eat vegetarian meals, chant scriptures, and cultivate my moral character. Only that woman Xie Shuran could break through my defenses so easily.

Even though she had been dead for several days, the moment I thought of her, my hair still stood on end.

What a menace.

When she was alive, she fought me.

Even dead, she wouldn’t let me have peace.

She even wanted to dump her little burden on me.

Wishful thinking!

“Consort Wan…”

“What!”

My tone was anything but pleasant.

Fu’an’s mouth turned down, looking as though she was about to cry.

She was already adorable to begin with, and in this state, she looked especially pitiful.

“My lady, why are you being so fierce? The princess is still just a child.”

Cuizhu shot me a reproachful look, then hurriedly crouched down, hugged Fu’an, and coaxed her in a soft voice.

“Consort Wan… Fu’an knows she’s a burden. It’s only natural that Consort Wan is afraid…”

The little milk dumpling sniffled as she spoke, secretly watching me with her big, beautiful eyes.

Ridiculous!

I didn’t even fear the Empress. Was I supposed to fear one little child?

“Fine. Come in first.”

When we passed the bonfire where I was roasting sweet potatoes, I crouched down again.

The bright yellow flames reflected in my eyes, glittering and warm.

Fu’an stuck close to me like a little animal and squatted down beside me.

Only when the fragrance of roasted sweet potato drifted through the wind and snow to my nose did I sniff, tilt my head, and ask Fu’an,

“Want some roasted sweet potato?”