"Ah—" Hai Ling let out a terrifying scream. She stared at the reflection of her face in the washbasin. Her hands, still holding the cleansing cloth, froze in pce as she was paralyzed by the sight in the water!

  It was a pretty face. Although there were traces of special cosmetic disguise still on it—colorful and patchy—it was undeniably a pretty face. Her skin was originally darker, and her features had some minor fws that made her appearance less beautiful, but her face was well-proportioned and didn't look unattractive. Now, as the yellow makeup on her face dissolved, her fwless, pale skin was revealed, and the small imperfections in her features miraculously vanished, leaving behind a delicate face.

  Delicate, like the soft and dewy skin of any young girl her age, with a charmingly beautiful face!

  Who? The first thought in Hai Ling's mind was to turn around, but there was no one behind her. The room was dimly lit, casting faint shadows and giving it a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

  No one. Hai Ling mustered her courage and lowered her head once more to look at the reflection in the water.

  The reflection in the water showed a face full of fear. Because of the shock, the eyes were wide open, so dark they could reflect the light from the room.

  Was that—her? Hai Ling slowly, slowly raised her hand to touch her face. Sure enough, the person in the water did the same.

  Then she gently touched her face, and her fingers were stained with yellow paint.

  Paint—why was there paint on her face? Why had she been unaware of it for the past four years? What kind of paint was this, and why had it never come off before, but now, tonight, it was washing away? Was this what she had really looked like all along?

  Hai Ling felt no joy of an "ugly duckling turning into a swan." She couldn't describe what she was feeling; she just thought that she was drifting further and further away from Ze Ning. She didn't need this mystery, didn't need these skills, and certainly didn't need this beauty. She just wanted to be with Ze Ning forever—to take care of him, just like yesterday, the day before, and even the day before that... Was that really impossible?

  "Young Master—" She didn't know if Ze Ning had returned or what he had gone out for, but she believed he would come back. He would come back to expin to her why he had treated her this way. "Young Master, Hai Ling is becoming more and more unsure of who she is. Even her appearance is fake. I—I'm scared, Young Master. What should I do? What should I do? Hai Ling whispered to her reflection in the water, "Please come back soon, okay? Please?"

  Outside the room, a shadow lingered, listening to her mutterings. A row of teeth gleamed in the night. In his left hand, he held a small porcein vial. If one could see it clearly, there were several tiny gold characters on it: "格蘭霍得" (Gé lán huò dé; the fictional sap of a pnt that grows in Miaojiang, which has the powerful ability to dissolve any cosmetic disguise or makeup). A master of disguise would surely be moved by this, for it was the sap of a pnt that grew in Miaojiang, capable of removing all cosmetic disguises. It was incredibly effective—no matter how fine the disguise, it would fail upon contact with it. Clearly, the reason Hai Ling's true appearance had been revealed was because the person outside had quietly added the Gen Huo De to the water she used to wash her face, and Hai Ling had no idea.

  She waited for Ze Ning to return, hoping he could give her support and give her courage so that she could accept everything and comfort herself, telling herself that all of this didn't matter. Her emotions were like a frightened child who needed to find their mother to feel comforted. But Ze Ning had not come back.

  Since that night when he had hurriedly left, he had not returned for five days.

  Hai Ling suddenly transformed into a delicate and pretty young woman, and everyone in the Qin Wang Mansion was extremely surprised. Her appearance had not changed drastically; it was simply that her skin tone had been refined and her features had been enhanced. People could still recognize her, but the level of beauty was clearly different from before.

  Such a sudden change naturally invited a lot of gossip. Some said she had bewitched the young master—these were the people in the mansion who were jealous of her newfound beauty, who washed their faces daily and whispered behind her back. Others said she was a fox spirit or some kind of mystical creature—these were the busybodies who loved to gossip in the mansion. There were even those who lusted after her beauty, some making lewd comments, others touching her without permission.

  Troubles that had never existed before suddenly descended upon her. She was just a servant girl, someone who had never been skilled at anything other than serving her master, someone who never wanted anything beyond that. But now, every day, she found herself thinking, wondering: Who caused her current predicament? Why had things turned out this way? Wasn't a simple life enough? Beauty, talent, ability—these were things she had once longed for, just like most other girls. Now, suddenly, everything had changed. She began to deeply understand the hardships of life and the helplessness of having no choice.

  She had never hoped to be a beauty, and yet, she suddenly was. She never dreamed of becoming a master swordswoman, and yet, here she was, a swordsmanship expert?

  A joke! A huge joke!

  It turned out that the simple, peaceful life she once had was a kind of happiness she could never have achieved, and only now did she truly understand this, deeply and profoundly.

  Young Master, when will you return? Do you know that by the time you come back, Hai Ling may no longer be the simple girl she once was? She has thought too much—too much…

  Young Master, please come back soon, okay?

  Ze Ning did not return because after he entrusted the matters of Zhènhuī Hall to Qi Yang, he had to go to the imperial residence to ensure the emperor's safety. The emperor could not return to the pace for a few days, so neither could he. This was his duty.

  Five days ter, a message arrived from the pace: the illness had been cleared. Of the forty-four eunuchs, thirty-five had survived, and Zhènhuī Hall had been burned down with no poison left behind.

  He escorted the emperor back to the pace and saw that Qi Yang and Shèng Xiāng had likely not rested for five days and nights.

  Qi Yang looked fine, though his eyes were bloodshot, while Sheng Xiang's delicate and beautiful face was pale. Although he was skilled in martial arts, his heart wasn't strong, and forcing him to stay awake and work for five straight days had been too much for him. But he still looked the same as usual. When he saw Zé Níng, he smiled lightly, "I have a heart condition, you know. I saved so many people for you. How will you thank me?" His voice was a bit hoarse, but he still smiled, looking carefree and ethereal.

  Ze Ning Ningfrowned slightly. Had he really "helped" him save these people? Sheng Xiang always spoke like this, and Ze Ning didn't like to hear it. Neither did Shàng Xuán.

  Taizong smiled faintly. "What does Sheng Xiang want? After such great contributions, anything you wish for, I will grant you." Before Emperor Zhào Jiǒng became emperor, he had been close friends with Prime Minister Zhào Pǔ. Sheng Xiang had grown up under Emperor Zhào's watch, and Taizong knew his temperament well.

  Sheng Xiang wasn't actually speaking to Taizong, but upon hearing this, he smiled, "I want Liú Yīn to come py music and dance for me. How about it? The emperor's word is w. If you give me Liú Yīn, I'll give you the talking parrot from my courtyard. Didn't you like it when it spoke the st time you came to my mansion? If you give me Liú Yīn, I'll give you the bird." He was exquisitely beautiful, with a delicate charm like a thousand-colored gss and pearls, and his smile was dazzling. Looking at him, one couldn't help but feel a desire to protect and cherish him.

  Taizong ughed, "Liú Yīn, the official musician of the Liuyin Hall? If I give him to you, who will py music and dance for me? You child, stop messing around. If you like Liu Yin, you go speak to him yourself. If he has time, I'll have him visit you regurly."