Chapter 7: What a Sin

Not long after Lin Yue returned to the Hall of Longevity with the Empress Dowager, the Empress arrived.

Beaming with a radiant smile, the Empress said, "I have had the Songyue Hall prepared. Whenever you come to the palace, younger sister, you may stay there for as long as you wish."

The Empress Dowager was slightly displeased; she had yet to extract the secrets of immortality from Lin Yue, nor had she learned which unfilial grandson had led the rebellion. "When she comes, she will stay with me in the Hall of Longevity. There is no need for her to live in any Songyue Hall."

Sensing the Empress Dowager’s annoyance, the Empress quickly added, "I only thought that since the Songyue Hall was my second brother-in-law's former residence in the palace, it would only be fitting to prepare it for his wife. However, since Mother wishes to have her company, perhaps I should take her to see it now. She has never seen where my brother-in-law lived, and after that, she can return to keep you company, Mother."

The Empress Dowager found it difficult to refuse. After all, she wanted the Empress to remain mindful of her son; perhaps that would bode well for the couple in the future. She nodded and said, "Very well, take her to see it."

Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately took Lin Yue’s hand and said, "Let’s go, younger sister."

Lin Yue felt the Empress’s soft, delicate hand and looked down. *Damn, it’s even fairer than mine!* she thought. The Empress was already thirty-five, while she was only eighteen!

*Woe is me, this is bullying! Why, as women, is the Empress so refined and beautiful with such perfect skin, while I don't even have hands to compare with hers?*

The Empress heard Lin Yue’s inner voice and instinctively looked at their joined hands. In truth, Lin Yue’s hands were quite slender, but she was so thin that her joints were prominent, which made them look less than graceful.

The Empress stroked her hand, saying, "My brother-in-law is not home, yet you have not taken care of yourself. You are so thin that it breaks my heart to see you."

It was only then that Lin Yue remembered the original owner of this body had been love-sick for Xiao Huaiqing to the point of insomnia, drowning her sorrows in alcohol, and wasting away like a weary old woman. *Once I accumulate enough merit, the first thing I’ll do is chug two bottles of nutrient solution to restore myself,* she thought. "Thank you for your concern, Empress. Let us be on our way."

*If only I could save someone on the way, like a little eunuch about to be beaten to death—I wonder if that would earn me some merit,* Lin Yue mused, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Simultaneously, the Empress was thinking, *Save a little eunuch about to be beaten to death...? That is something I can arrange!*

***

Once they arrived at the Songyue Hall, the Empress told Lin Yue to look around on her own, claiming she had matters to attend to. Lin Yue, not suspicious, wandered through the quiet, deep courtyard alone.

It was, after all, the Imperial Palace; even this secluded courtyard boasted towering trees and large water vats that surprised her, not to mention the murals of sunsets and dusk painted in vivid colors along the corridors.

As she ventured further, the left corridor led to a side chamber. Chief Steward Deng, following behind her, explained, "Though this is a side chamber, it is where the servants lived. His Highness’s quarters are in the main building, which is more spacious."

Lin Yue nodded but, instead of going there, turned toward the right corridor. She discovered a hidden world: a small pond fed by a natural spring, a towering rockery just beyond the wall, and high pine trees that spread like a giant umbrella. On higher ground stood a secluded building called the "Cloud and Water Pavilion."

"This was His Highness’s study," Steward Deng explained, "but it has not been used for a long time. It only contains old books now."

"May I go inside and take a look?" Lin Yue asked.

"Of course, Your Highness. Please wait a moment while I fetch the key."

After the steward left, Lin Yue did not stand idle. She walked up to the Cloud and Water Pavilion. Just as she was marvelling at how close she could reach out to touch the rockery, she heard a splash of water, followed by a pained cry of "Help!"—though the word "save me" was cut short.

Thinking someone had fallen into the water, Lin Yue leaped over the railing and scrambled down the rockery. Sure enough, in the lotus pond behind the bamboo grove, a youth of about fifteen or sixteen was drowning.

Lin Yue narrowed her eyes and rushed to his aid. *System, saving a person grants merit, right?* she asked internally.

The system did not reply but instead emitted a shrill alarm. Lin Yue, annoyed, urged it on. *I’m already moving as fast as I can!*

The System: *Wait!!*

Lin Yue: *Wait for what? If I wait any longer, he’ll be dead!*

With a splash, Lin Yue used all her strength to pull the boy from the water. As he landed, she caught a clear view of his face. He was remarkably handsome, but unlike the effeminate beauty of Xiao Huaiqing, his features were rugged and resolute. Especially his eyes—deep, dark, and filled with a chilling, hidden coldness.

***

Yes, it was pure coldness.

Lin Yue shivered and hurriedly asked, *System, what is going on? Why does he look like he wants to kill me after I saved him?*

The System: *It was an emergency, so I couldn't speak, only send alarms. You must not save this man!*

Lin Yue looked at the man again and realized he resembled the Emperor. A warning bell rang in her mind. *Damn it, is this that twisted villain, the Fourth Prince?*

The System: *Ahem, congratulations on guessing right. Unfortunately, you have earned zero merit and have instead committed a sin.*

Lin Yue: *To hell with this... What happens if I commit a sin?*

The System: *It creates negative energy that affects your fortune. In simple terms, you will be extremely unlucky. If it exceeds the limit, you could be unlucky enough to die, and even I won't be able to save you.*

Lin Yue spat. *How damn unlucky!* She already felt the misfortune taking hold. *To think I saved a villain who was manipulated by his so-called uncle, a man who only knew how to kill in the palace, wiped out his own brothers, and even spared no one from the Empress’s clan. And for what? In the end, he was just paving the way for that scumbag Xiao Huaiqing. How utterly stupid.*

Lin Yue glared at Xiao Huaizheng, her expression filled with grief and frustration. "What are you looking at? Put your clothes on properly! You look like a mess. I am your Imperial Aunt, not some little maid you can leer at. Stop giving me that dead-eyed look; it irritates me!"

Xiao Huaizheng was utterly bewildered. First, he heard a series of inexplicable conversations echoing in his ears without Lin Yue’s lips moving, and now, seeing her roar at him, he realized he had been hearing her inner thoughts—and the voice of some monster within her.

"Wait." Xiao Huaizheng stood up, shocked. He did intend to destroy his father, his brothers, and the Empress’s clan, but no one knew of this except his uncle. Yet, Lin Yue claimed his uncle was a fake and that he was only paving the way for Xiao Huaiqing? Could it be that Xiao Huaiqing would kill him and ascend the throne? Upon reflection, he realized it was entirely possible; after all, Xiao Huaiqing was the only legitimate son of the Second Uncle and a direct descendant of their royal line.