Volume 5, Chapter 315 – Steward Zhong, Why Did You Choose Me?

“Sneak in? Why can’t we just walk in openly? You’re a personally selected Imperial Consort. As long as you reveal your identity, entering the imperial palace would be as easy as walking into a latrine!”

Yaoyao asked, puzzled.

“If I enter openly, what then? Reveal my True Qi to that dog emperor and immediately leave?”

Qi Huang retorted.

“Isn’t that possible? Wasn’t that your original plan?”

Yaoyao grew even more confused.

“Yaoyao, tell me honestly—if I reveal my True Qi, will that dog emperor truly let me go willingly?”

Qi Huang asked seriously.

“Uh…”

Yaoyao hesitated. After a moment of thought, she said, “He definitely wouldn’t let you go willingly. As long as he can borrow your bloodline, the fate of the Lin Clan could be extended for hundreds, even thousands of years.”

“Exactly. So, what if he forcibly keeps me there? The imperial palace is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Even if I resist, there’s no guarantee I’d escape smoothly. Not to mention, it would expose my true strength.”

Qi Huang voiced her concerns.

“If that’s the case, why not just flee now? You’ve already cultivated True Qi. Even if that dog emperor realizes he’s been deceived, he can’t do anything to you. Honestly, I think going to the palace is unnecessary. The moment you successfully cultivated True Qi two days ago, you could’ve just left.”

Yaoyao complained.

“If I had left then, what would’ve happened to the Imperial Consort Guard? Not every one of them is my enemy.”

Qi Huang countered.

“Then can we leave now? That dog emperor orchestrated this grand farce. After the first day of next month, once he’s saved face, everyone will be safe and sound. And in the eyes of the world, you’ll just be another eliminated Imperial Consort. By all logic, he can’t come after you, otherwise, he’d be slapping his own face.”

Yaoyao tried to persuade her again.

“But all of that hinges on one condition, the act must succeed. If it fails, not only will they all die, but I also won’t be able to openly return to the Honghua Sect. Otherwise, that humiliated dog emperor will surely hold a grudge. Who’s to say he won’t secretly sabotage me?”

Qi Huang pointed out the crux of the matter.

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Yaoyao had no rebuttal. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Then what do you want to do?”

“Choose the safest way to leave. Since that dog emperor has already prepared an exit for me, why not take it?”

Qi Huang curled her lips slightly.

“What second option?”

Yaoyao was lost.

“The act, of course! Haven’t you seen this grand performance? As long as that palace maid can hold out until the first day of next month and be ‘eliminated’, I can return to the Honghua Sect openly. And by then, everyone will be safe and sound.”

Qi Huang explained smugly.

“But what does their act have to do with us? We just need to watch. Why do you need to go in?”

Yaoyao pressed, somewhat annoyed.

Qi Huang shook her head impassively and continued, “Have you considered this—can that palace maid really impersonate me? Does she have the acting skills? What if she’s exposed early? Then everything will go up in flames. So, I must enter the palace to help her perform this act properly.”

Yaoyao was speechless again. After a pause, she asked, “Then how do you plan to help her? The imperial palace isn’t a latrine. Even if you sneak in, you won’t have a legitimate reason to stay.”

“That’s exactly the problem I need to solve now—I must find a way to stay inside openly. And preferably, I need to get close to that Ouyang Tong who’s impersonating me.”

Qi Huang fell into deep thought.

“Right now, she needs to go to the Office of Palace Ceremonies to impersonate you. If you want to get close to her, the only way is to impersonate either a palace maid or another Imperial Consort.”

Yaoyao suggested.

“That’s the only way. But the question is—who do I impersonate? A palace maid is impossible, they’ve been inside for a long time and are familiar with each other. As for an Imperial Consort… that also seems unlikely. Even though they’ve just entered the Office of Palace Ceremonies, they’ve already met their peers.”

Qi Huang was at a loss.

Yaoyao also fell silent, clearly realizing the difficulty of the situation.

“Forget it. Let’s find a place to stay first and observe the situation.”

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With no leads, Qi Huang settled in an inn near the palace gates and used the Shadow-Retaining Mirror to observe the palace’s inner workings.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, Chief Steward Zhong had already led Ouyang Tong to a secluded courtyard.

“Stay here for now. I’ll go fetch some items you’ll need.”

After giving his instructions, Chief Steward Zhong left alone.

Ouyang Tong, however, paced restlessly in the courtyard, sighing helplessly from time to time. For her, this was undoubtedly a disaster falling from the sky. Life in the Cold Palace had been lonely, but at least she was alive. Now, stepping outside meant her head could roll at any moment.

About half an hour later, Chief Steward Zhong returned to the courtyard with a bag of items.

“Chief Steward Zhong… how am I supposed to impersonate her? I’ve never even seen Imperial Consort Qi before.”

Ouyang Tong asked nervously.

“To impersonate someone, the first step is appearance. But to be honest, you look nothing like her. So, we can only do what’s within our means.”

Chief Steward Zhong replied matter-of-factly as he walked into the side room.

“Huh? Then… why did you choose me?”

Ouyang Tong asked in surprise.

“I had no choice. In such a short time, where could I find a woman who looks exactly like her? I had to pick someone with vaguely similar features, tall and pretty. In that regard, you’re the closest among the palace maids.”

Chief Steward Zhong placed the bag on the dressing table.

“Then… I’m truly lucky, aren’t I?”

Ouyang Tong forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

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“You should know, she’s a doppelgänger, so she has a doppelgänger mark between her eyebrows. It looks like this.”

Chief Steward Zhong took out ink, brush, and paper from the bag and drew the lotus-shaped mark unique to female cultivator doppelgängers.

“But how do I put this on? If I use ordinary rouge or ink, even a little sweat will ruin it, let alone washing my face.”

Ouyang Tong examined it worriedly.

“Don’t worry. I’ve prepared a special ink for you. Once you draw the mark with it and let it dry, ordinary water won’t wash it off.”

Chief Steward Zhong took out a pink ink block, about the size of a small cake.

Ouyang Tong picked it up curiously, a trace of unease flashing across her face, she was clearly considering whether this thing was safe.

“Aside from the doppelgänger mark, you’ll also need a veil. Even if no one in the palace has seen her before, it’s better to be cautious. Keep your face covered as much as possible.”

Chief Steward Zhong then produced a white veil.

“And then?”

Ouyang Tong took the veil and asked.

“Then? There is no ‘then’.”

Chief Steward Zhong spread his hands.

“What? Just this? Can I really impersonate her like this?”

Ouyang Tong laughed in disbelief.

“I told you, you and Qi Huang look completely different. Trying to fully impersonate her is impossible. Doing too much would only arouse suspicion.”

Chief Steward Zhong reiterated.

“Fine.”

Ouyang Tong deflated instantly.

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“Of course, when impersonating someone, behavior and speech are just as important. I’ll tell you some basic details about her.”

Chief Steward Zhong then proceeded to explain Qi Huang’s background.

As she listened, Ouyang Tong dissolved the pink ink and began drawing the doppelgänger mark between her eyebrows.

“Alright, put on the veil. Now, come with me to the Office of Palace Ceremonies to register.”

Once everything was ready, Chief Steward Zhong called for her.

Ouyang Tong sighed and followed him with trepidation. Acting with her life on the line, who wouldn’t be terrified?

Just as they were about to leave the courtyard, Chief Steward Zhong suddenly stopped and turned back with a curious expression.

“By the way, three years ago, in which round of selection were you eliminated?”

“The first one.”

Ouyang Tong’s expression stiffened slightly.

“Perfect. Then I don’t need to make special arrangements. You just need to hold out until the first day of next month, and you’ll regain your freedom.”

Chief Steward Zhong smiled in satisfaction and strode out of the courtyard.

“She didn’t even pass the first selection?”

Qi Huang, who had been observing in secret, was surprised. After all, Ouyang Tong’s beauty was on par with Liu Yingyue’s. How could she have failed the first screening? She wondered what the issue had been.

Not long after, Chief Steward Zhong brought Ouyang Tong to the Office of Palace Ceremonies.

The Office of Palace Ceremonies was part of the inner palace administration, responsible for teaching etiquette to women in the palace. Every batch of Imperial Consorts would stay here first to learn the basic rules, what they could and couldn’t do. It would be a farce if they caused trouble before even passing the selection.

Ouyang Tong knew she was walking a tightrope. Her legs trembled with every step, her entire body curled inward in fear of being recognized.

Unfortunately, her appearance was far too conspicuous, not only was she veiled, but she also bore the doppelgänger mark on her forehead. The moment she entered the Office of Palace Ceremonies, she caused a stir. After all, among this batch of Imperial Consorts, only one was a cultivator’s doppelgänger, a fact that was no secret in the Western Radiance Dynasty.