Upon hearing his hurried explanation, Huang Bei Shuang was momentarily stunned, realizing her outburst was inappropriate. Embarrassed, she nodded and followed Miao Jing inside. The palace was truly beautiful, with artificially constructed cliffs and finely pruned trees that stood out in their elegance. The ground was immaculate, free of any stones that could hurt one’s feet, and every few steps along the path, two maids stood respectfully. The entire inner courtyard exuded an air of tranquility, making it hard to believe that a deposed queen could still be treated so well.
“Your Ladyship!” Suddenly, a clear voice called out. Huang Bei Shuang looked over, realizing the call wasn’t directed at her but at the true mistress of the palace sitting in a pavilion nearby. A young maid, lifting her skirt, ran over, out of breath, and hurriedly said, “Your Ladyship, His Majesty is upset and said that if you don’t rest properly, he won’t come to see you anymore.” The words were spoken clearly and loudly, but to Huang Bei Shuang, they sounded like a string of lies. She then saw the woman in the pavilion, her face smeared with black ink, lifeless eyes raised as she asked blankly, “Why won’t His Majesty come to see me? Why won’t His Majesty come to see me?”
The maid quickly wiped her face clean, coaxing her like a child, “His Majesty said you’ve caught a cold and he doesn’t want to get infected. Once you recover, he’ll come see you!” As she spoke, she gently patted the woman’s back, urging the queen—who seemed about the same age as Qing Yun—to return to her chambers. The woman, still in a daze as if seeing something invisible, kept muttering, “Why won’t His Majesty come to see me? Why won’t His Majesty come to see me?” She repeated this over and over as the maids supported her, leading her away from the pavilion. They passed by Miao Jing and Huang Bei Shuang as they left.
Once she was far away and her voice had faded, Huang Bei Shuang couldn’t help but feel a chill. She slowly walked into the lonely pavilion and sat down, noticing the writings left by the woman, words that no one could understand.
Miao Jing remained silent for a long time before speaking quietly, “His Majesty… once had two queens. He was only fifteen at the time. Each came from rival factions—the Chancellor’s party and the military party. The Northern Palace Queen, now reduced to madness, was the third daughter of the former Prime Minister. Her name was Shui Lan. The other came from the General’s household. Her name was Liao Ye, the Southern Palace Queen.”
“Liao Ye?” Huang Bei Shuang’s eyes narrowed. “Is she related to the current General Liao Zhen?”
Miao Jing nodded. “She’s the General’s cousin.”
Huang Bei Shuang smiled faintly and gestured to Miao Jing. “Sit down. It looks like you have a long story to tell.”
Miao Jing stared at the woman before him, as gentle as spring rain yet as cool as snow under the moonlight. He was stunned for a long time before finally sitting down.
The complex and dangerous Ice Thorn Palace… where should he begin?
At fifteen, Qing Yun was young and reckless, already accomplishing feats beyond the abilities of most. Beyond his unparalleled skills in both literature and martial arts, his extraordinary looks alone caused many noblewomen to secretly admire him. However, among the nobles of Huairou, not a single family was willing to offer a daughter in marriage. The reason was simple: regardless of which family's daughter it was, even if she truly married into Ice Thorn Palace and became the queen, within a few years, she would inevitably become a widow. The example of the King of Beijing's mother was well known.
Young as he was, the King of Beijing had been in power for only a year and lacked the strength to completely eliminate corrupt factions. Thus, he decided to choose one girl from each of the two factions as queens, in order to keep them in check. As a result, two girls his age entered the palace to accompany him day and night.
No matter a person's background, when they are still only half-grown, they are not immune to loneliness. As time passed, the three of them shared days and nights together, even sleeping in the same bed. Gradually, the young king began to favor Liao Ye, the queen from the military family of the Southern Palace. The reason was simple: Shui Lan, the other queen, was a woman full of schemes, always speaking in riddles and veiled meanings. Liao Ye, on the other hand, was straightforward and open, often bonding with him through martial arts, giving him a sense of purity. This was Qing Yun's standard for women at the time—love or affection had nothing to do with it. After all, neither of these women had been chosen willingly by him, but at least he had the right to choose which one he favored more. Naturally, Liao Ye became pregnant before Shui Lan.
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