Five years later, Liang Ying returned to the grand Wei imperial palace, a place both familiar and foreign to her.

The year was drawing to a close, and the entire capital was bustling with festive cheer. Only the palace remained solemn and majestic. Though adorned with red lanterns, they seemed strangely lonely amidst the swirling snow, like… she paused, contemplating the apt description, before settling on it: like a giant coffin.

Yet, she had never thought of it that way before.

Liang Ying quickly averted her gaze but continued walking slowly. The winter in the capital was exceptionally harsh. Her old leg ailment had been acting up for several days, hindering her pace and causing a noticeable limp.

The palace maids leading her were from the Empress’s retinue, clearly well-trained. Despite the short distance, Liang Ying took a long time to traverse it, yet they showed no impatience, patiently accommodating her slow pace.

Occasionally, as younger maids passed, Liang Ying overheard their whispers.

“Who is that? She looks unfamiliar.”

“I don’t know. That’s Yingxue, the Empress’s maid. Is she a guest of the Empress?”

Liang Ying slowed even further. Five years was enough to erase her presence from the palace.

After passing through numerous gates, their procession finally stopped before a palace. The older maid turned, offering a slight smile. “Madam, please wait. I shall inform Her Majesty the Empress.”

Liang Ying, unable to speak, simply nodded slightly.

While waiting, her eyes drifted upwards to the palace gate, where she saw the plaque reading “Fengyi Palace.” She quickly glanced away, yet memories inevitably flooded back.

“In the future, I will make you the mistress of this place.”

“Only you can stand by my side.”

Those were the words spoken by that man when she was still the favored concubine.

Strangely, those memories she had once desperately tried to forget now only flitted through her mind, leaving no ripples in her heart.

Liang Ying imperceptibly sighed in relief.

The maid returned shortly and ushered her inside with respectful courtesy.

Upon entering the hall, a wave of warmth mingled with an unfamiliar fragrance enveloped her. Her gaze fell upon the luxurious hem of a robe and remained there. Due to her damaged throat, she couldn’t speak, let alone perform a proper bow, but the gesture was still unavoidable.

As she was about to kneel, a clear voice stopped her. “Between you and me, such formalities are unnecessary. Someone, bring a seat.”

The voice was as melodious as she remembered, yet imbued with an undeniable authority.

While Liang Ying hesitated for a moment, a maid guided her to a nearby seat. She complied, enduring the sharp pain in her leg as she sat, aware of the Empress’s gaze upon her.

“Actually, I didn’t call you here for anything in particular,” the Empress said once Liang Ying was seated. “I just thought we hadn’t seen each other in years. Hearing you were in the capital, I wanted to catch up.”

Liang Ying didn’t know what they had to catch up on.

They hadn’t been close, and their past was fraught with unspoken grievances. Fortunately, Liang Ying’s inability to speak allowed her to respond with nods and shakes of her head, making the encounter relatively easy.

The Empress did most of the talking, rambling on for quite some time.

The warmth of the room, the hot tea, and the woman’s voice all combined to create a hazy atmosphere, until Liang Ying heard her call, “Liang Ying.”

Liang Ying’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up instinctively and finally saw the Empress face-to-face.