Chapter 2, The First Meeting with Lingbo

In the distance, a eunuch spotted the Seventh Prince and his entourage approaching, and hurriedly went in to report. Although this prince was not favored by the noble consort due to his frail health, he was nonetheless her biological son, so who would dare to neglect him? Therefore, by the time Feng Wuhen and the others reached the palace gate, several palace maids had already come forward to greet them. The one at the forefront, Feng Wuhen had some impression of her; she seemed to be Rou Ping, the personal maid of his mother, the noble consort Yu. Approaching thirty, she had served the noble consort since childhood and had refused to marry for many years, thus earning the trust of the consort. Even the Seventh Prince and the Eleventh Prince, both of noble lineage, referred to her as Aunt Ping rather than by name. Feng Wuhen observed her closely; although there were some fine lines at the corners of her eyes, Aunt Ping still maintained a good figure. She wore only a light application of powder on her face, and her ordinary palace attire gave her a unique charm.

Lian Junru, or rather, it should now be referred to as Feng Wuhen (for the sake of convenience in writing, I will henceforth refer to her as Feng Wuhen), felt a strange excitement about this. In his original memories, for some unknown reason, the image of this mother was quite vague, and there were even quite a few negative evaluations. Yet, he had always been thinking of the beautiful woman from his dreams. The thought of finally meeting this nominal mother filled his expression with joy

"Your Highness, why are you still dawdling? Quickly allow this servant to assist you with your change of clothes; if you delay any longer, it will be too late," Hong Ru whispered softly in his ear, leaving him momentarily at a loss. Throughout his life, he had never had anyone change his clothes for him, and Feng Wuhen felt quite embarrassed. However, Hong Ru was unconcerned with his feelings; with a casual gesture, several palace maids immediately rushed over. In just a few moments, they removed Feng Wuhen's white undergarments and presented him with a set of brocade garments, personally dressing him. During this time, Feng Wuhen did not dare to move at all, allowing them to handle him. The soft, smooth hands glided over his skin, imparting an extraordinary sensation that he had never experienced before. His eyes remained tightly shut, as if he believed that opening them would cause everything to dissipate like mist. He had never felt so intensely that dressing could be a form of enjoyment.

Having never experienced such a situation, Lian Junru found himself somewhat flustered. In that remote mountain village, he had never encountered a girl like her—so beautiful, so gracious. The faint fragrance emanating from her was intoxicating, causing his face to flush. "Hongru, could you please not stand so close to me? I... I'm not used to it," Lian Junru stammered.

Cao Cao took a few bites of the snacks, and with Hong Ru, Lu Yin, and several close palace maids surrounding Feng Wuhen, they exited the Fenghua Palace. If they were to miss the appointed time, His Highness might not face any reprimand, but they, as servants, would find it difficult to escape punishment. Concubine Yu's status in the palace is second only to that of the Empress; if she were to be slighted, the consequences would be unimaginable. After just a few steps, Feng Wuhen saw a squad of imperial guards in the distance. Their neat uniforms, cold gazes, gleaming weapons, and imposing presence were all things he had never encountered before. The previous owner of this body had always been indifferent to such matters, so he had little memory of them, yet at this moment, Feng Wuhen was quite astonished.

His Highness has arrived! Rouping merely bent her knees slightly to pay her respects, "The Empress has been mentioning it for quite a while, asking why His Highness has not come yet." She looked at Feng Wuhen's expression with a beaming smile and then said with satisfaction, "It seems these servants have done quite well; His Highness's complexion is much better than last month, truly a cause for celebration. Tomorrow, I will prepare a pot of good soup to send over to His Highness."

Lingbo Palace, as its literal meaning suggests, is a palace built on the water's surface. It is said that when the favored concubine Yu, of the Xiao family, first entered the palace at the age of sixteen, despite being deeply favored by the Emperor, she remained troubled by the monotonous scenery she saw every day. The Emperor tried every possible means to make her happy, ultimately spending a vast fortune to construct the only water-based building in the palace. This endeavor led to a quarrel between the Empress and the Emperor, and rumors of the concubine's seductive influence on the nation spread throughout the court. Nevertheless, Yu's favor remained unwavering. Although her firstborn, the Seventh Prince, was said to be born with a fiery constitution and was frail and sickly, subject to ridicule from the other concubines, she persevered and gave birth to a second son, the Eleventh Prince, a remarkably healthy child. The Emperor, who doted on Yu, even heeded her request to invite a fortune teller from outside the palace to assess this son's destiny, which was predicted to be extraordinarily noble. This further incited jealousy among all the concubines in the harem. However, Yu's position had already become secure, and her brother, Xiao Yunchao, had been continuously promoted due to her favor, ultimately securing the position of Deputy Minister of Personnel. It was well known that the current Minister of Personnel, Minister Huang, was nearing the end of his life, and the position would inevitably fall into the hands of the Xiao family. The favored concubine of Lingbo Palace had already begun to overshadow the Empress, yet at this moment, Feng Wuhen remained unaware of this situation. Regardless of whether it was his past self or his present self, he was still too young to have grown to the point of considering such matters.

When he opened his eyes again, Lian Jun was astonished to find himself still in this magnificent place. His gaze swept across every corner of the room, and a sense of familiarity caused tears to flow uncontrollably down his cheeks. Just yesterday in a dream, he had suddenly learned everything about the owner of this body, all of his experiences, all of his feelings, whether joyful or sorrowful, he could recall them clearly. Feng Wuhen, the seventh prince of this vast empire, had been frail and sickly since childhood, his mother being the most beautiful woman in the harem, the most favored Concubine Yu. This sudden identity left him utterly unprepared. Reflecting on the dreams he had repeated daily, he finally understood a fact: he and that seventh prince had exchanged identities at the moment lightning struck. This realization filled him with terror. They had been living each other's lives in their dreams every day, and the Lian Jun who lay in his humble home might very well be Feng Wuhen himself.

Feng Wuhen stared blankly at the unfamiliar figure in the mirror, feeling a sense of confusion. From this moment on, he would have to live in this place. He wished so much that life would be as beautiful as he hoped, but... he did not know what else would happen. This place originally belonged to another young man; he had merely usurped his position.

The vastness of the palace was beyond his imagination, with countless pavilions and towers along the way, adorned with intricately carved railings and jade-like structures, exuding an air of noble grandeur. The plaques, inscribed with dragons and phoenixes, and the imposing couplets all conveyed to people that this was indeed the residence of the emperor, who ruled over all. Feng Wuhen felt so small in this expansive world, a sense of unease creeping in. Although no one suspected that this prince, who appeared just like any other, was an imposter, how could he, who understood the situation so well, dare to wander carelessly in the palace? However, he could not retreat today, for he was about to see the image of his long-missed mother. Taking a deep breath, Feng Wuhen forced himself to muster the courage to move forward.

As before, Hong Ru attended to his routine washing, and then began to style his hair. Feng Wuhen was only thirteen years old, far from the age of coming-of-age ceremonies, and he had not yet reached the age for tying up his hair. Therefore, according to custom, Hong Ru carefully divided his hair into two halves, tying each at the top of his head into a knot, resembling two ram's horns

Your Highness, may I assist you in washing up and changing your clothes first? Hong Ru took a small step back, yet remained very close to Lian Jun. According to protocol, today is the first day of the month, and you are to pay your respects to the noble Consort Yu at Lingbo Palace. She reminded him, although she had no desire for Feng Wuhen to come into contact with that cruel woman. However, if someone were to accuse him of being unfilial, it would be troublesome. After all, the monthly audience is merely a formality, a few casual exchanges, and then it is over. The noble consort has never invited His Highness to dine or converse; her heart has long been entirely occupied by the Eleventh Prince, leaving no room for her other son.

Although he had long anticipated this kind of life, the immense disparity in status still left Lian Jun momentarily unable to accept it; it was truly too bizarre. The sharp-eyed Hong Ru had already noticed that he had opened his eyes and quickly leaned over, saying, "Your Highness has awakened; are you feeling better?" Her charming face drew close to him.

Red as it may be, one can only feel a chill in the heart; if one truly drank her soup, it is feared that Feng Wuhen would never be able to regain his health.

For some reason, Hongru felt that His Highness the Seventh seemed to have changed a bit. Although she could not pinpoint what was different, the previous prince would treat palace maids like her with gentleness, and it was impossible for him to appear so shy. However, Hongru naturally attributed this to His Highness's recent recovery from a serious illness and did not think any deeper.

After finally changing his clothes, Feng Wuhen could hardly believe that the somewhat handsome young man in the mirror was actually himself. It was astonishing. Could this be the reason why every wealthy young master seemed so appealing? He kept asking himself in his heart, but unfortunately, no one could provide him with an answer