Fated to be queen

The secret plot

Ling Xui stormed into her chambers, her fury spilling over as she knocked over a porcelain vase with a loud crash. The shattering sound echoed through the room. Her maids stood frozen, unsure whether to intervene or leave her alone. She pushed a tray of fruit onto the floor, breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling with rage.

After several minutes, the silence returned—heavy and thick. She sank onto her bed, gripping the edge of the sheets tightly. Her breathing slowed, but her mind was in chaos. She kept seeing Yu Chen’s smile as he looked at Xiaoliang. The way he gently pinched her nose, the way he walked her out like she was already someone special—it burned.

Tears she couldn’t hold back began sliding down her cheeks. "Why her?" she whispered to herself. "Why not me? I’ve always been by his side. Always!"

She had loved Yu Chen since their childhood days at the palace—when he would laugh at her silly jokes, when they'd run through the palace gardens like equals. But clearly, to him, that bond had never turned into anything more.

She wiped her tears away, her face suddenly growing colder. “If I want him, I’ll have to fight for him,” she muttered. “But not with tears… with strategy.”

She began thinking—no, calculating.

Xiaoliang was from a simple background. That was already a weakness. People from the upper class could be easily turned against her. All she needed was the right scandal, the right rumor, or even a single mistake. But to get there, she had to understand Xiaoliang deeply.

"What are her likes? Her weaknesses? Her values?" she mumbled, reaching for a scroll and ink. “If I can’t defeat her on beauty… I’ll destroy her image.”

With that, she rang a small bell. One of her quiet and easy-going maids entered. “Find out everything about Mei Xiaoliang. Her family. Her history. Her secrets. And bring me something I can use to destroy her reputation,” Ling Xui ordered.

The maid bowed. “As you wish, my lady.”

Ling Xui leaned back with a sigh, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“If I can’t have Yu Chen… then no one will.”

The next morning, Xiaoliang, unaware of the storm brewing, returned to the market with her mother. While her mother collected supplies from the herb vendor, Xiaoliang wandered off and sat under the big cherry blossom tree at the edge of the village square. The petals danced in the breeze as she took out a piece of silk and began sketching a pattern for a gown.

Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

“You have a habit of appearing where beauty lives,” Yu Chen said with a teasing smile, stepping out from behind the tree. He was no longer in his prince regalia—just simple robes, blending with the people.

Xiaoliang’s eyes widened. “Your Highness! Are you stalking me now?”

Yu Chen smirked. “I call it... observing. From a safe and respectful distance.”

“You’re impossible,” she muttered, hiding a shy smile. But the moment was soft, charged, and unspoken things hung in the air like tension on a drawn bowstring.

Just then, Commander Hao appeared, looking grave. “Your Highness, we may have a problem. One of the kitchen maids overheard someone asking strange questions about Lady Xiaoliang’s movements. I suspect someone in the palace is spying.”

Yu Chen’s face darkened. “Xui.”

“Most likely,” Hao replied. “She’s been unusually agitated since the banquet.”

Yu Chen turned to Xiaoliang. “You need to be careful. Don’t trust anyone easily, especially inside the palace.”

Xiaoliang nodded, her expression turning serious.