Forgotten Legend of the Bloodied Flower

With her reputation was deteriorating, the power in the palace had shifted. She no longer had any interest to hold the power either and the Emperor had already told that she was allowed to recuperate.

But in this bloody palace, what kind of place would be good to recuperate her already weak body?

Empress Dowager Yan knew very well that just the foul smell in this place was more than enough to make her want to leave right away. It was because of this that she decided that it was time for her to leave.

Leave this palace.

To a quieter place where she could truly rest.

At this moment, a maidservant came and bowed. "Your Highness, Young Master Yan is here to meet you."

"Young Master Yan? My brother?" Empress Dowager Yan asked carefully.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Empress Dowager Yan was silent for a moment.

Her brother…

She had never thought of seeing her brother again ever since the mistake she made when she was young. Even though it was done before she had gained her memory from her original world, it was still a mistake that she had made.

A mistake that couldn't be erased just like that.

Because of her, rumors spread out. The rumors stated that Empress Dowager Yan's brother is a womanizer who destroyed other noble women's reputation. His reputation fell into rock bottom because there was once a young lady found in his bedroom on a daytime but he refused to marry her.

How could he be willing to marry a person who schemed against him?

However, Empress Dowager Yan was actually the one who drugged her brother under the influence of her family members. She was so stupid and easily influenced by those other relatives of Yan Family who wanted to make a good use of her. That girl is the sister of her aunt's family and wished to be able to enter the Yan Family.

Since then, her brother never wanted to see her anymore.

Empress Dowager Yan knew very well how stupid she used to be to listen to those people and destroyed her brother's future.

Her brother was the person who was so kind to her and would always play with her whenever there was time. He will coax her and also pamper her greatly, giving her the best thing that he had to her.

But the young her never understood that it was her brother who was treating her the best. He was busy and often stayed away because of his training and so on. So, she was closer to her so called relatives.

She felt that her brother was only trying to be good for her because he was always away and didn't have time for her.

Because of them, she hurt him.

She hurt the person who cared for her the most.

That's why, she never tried to approach him.

Not even when she had changed.

People always said that Empress Dowager Yan was very powerful and strong.

But Empress Dowager Yan herself didn't think so.

She felt that she was actually weak and only covered herself in the layer to make sure that no one would be able to hurt her. In this palace where a lot of people were waiting for her downfall, the only thing she could do was to scheme and to win in the battle of wits.

And her stupidity didn't last there.

She kept on supporting her aunt and her other family members after she had become the Empress. The Yan Family become overbearing and garnered quite hate by relying on their connection. Even though Empress Dowager Yan could obtain Emperor Xuan's attention, it was mostly because she also has Yan Family behind her.

After she changed, Empress Dowager Yan didn't listen to the request from her other family members anymore. She alienated herself from them and then asked for request from Emperor Yang Zhou to fix the mistake she had made.

Now that the Yan Family had fallen, only a few of them were left.

Those people included Empress Dowager Yan's father and brother. The two people who truly cared for her when she was young.

But because of her stupidity and mistake of the past, Empress Dowager Yan didn't dare to see the two of them. She had disappointed her father greatly and destroyed her brother's future.

What right does she had to see them?

That's why she stayed holed in the palace up until now.

"Tell him that I'm not well and can't see him." Empress Dowager Yan didn't want to see her brother. She was scared, scared of what she might see from him.

What if she still saw rejection and disappointment in his eyes?

She might look like she was strong, but she knew very well that she didn't want to see it in her father and brother's eyes. If she saw them, she wouldn't be able to continue living well anymore.

"Yes, Your Highness."

The maidservant could see the conflict within Empress Dowager Yan's eyes, but they were helpless to help her. All they could do was to relay the message to her brother, who was waiting outside the palace.

Young Master Yan was an official and worked in the palace. He didn't have much of an achievement, but he was not that bad either. When the new Emperor claimed his power after inauguration, he was promoted. It was thanks to this promotion that he had better position.

While he was stupefied, he then heard the news of the Yan Family's problem and that some of them were included in the treason. He had been worried that his family would be implicated, but it then showed that none of it were thrown to their direction.

Not a single one of them.

Even if he had made a mistake or his father had made a mistake, none of them were shown by the Imperial Palace. It was as if they were trying to erase his mistakes and pretended that none of them existed.

He couldn't understand.

Until he thought of a person who would be able to affect Emperor Yang Zhou's words, a person who worked behind the scene.

"Young Master Yan, Her Highness said that she's not feeling well and wouldn't be able to see you here."

"Ah…"

Young Master Yan naturally knew that his sister was born with a weak body. Ever since she was young, she had to rely on some medicines in order to be able to live like a normal girl. And after that incident, he had never talked with her anymore.

He was so angry and disappointed at his little sister that he didn't want to see her ever again.

But now… he found out that it still pained him when he thought that his little sister was weak and that she was hurt.

"I see. In that case, I won't disturb Her Highness." Young Master Yan cupped his fist.

The maidservants curtsied and then led him out.

Young Master Yan looked at the majestic palace in front of him and sighed. He didn't want to disturb his little sister, either. Even though he did want to ask whether she was the one who leaked the truth of the matter back then or was it because of the Yan Family downfall, he couldn't even meet her.

Truthfully, he himself didn't know what to say when he saw his sister. So hearing that she had rejected him caused him to feel both relief and stifled.

Slowly but surely, he walked away.

At the palace, Empress Dowager Yan closed her eyes when she heard the maidservant told her that her brother had left.

'We used to be closest, but then we drift away. Is it possible to close this gap between us?'

She didn't know.

But she's afraid of getting close to her family members again after what she had done to them.

All she could do was to watch for them from afar.

Hoping that they would be able to forgive her.

…

<On the Road>

Bang!

Kuang Shen's hand, that was holding the firewood, dropped it to the ground when he heard that his twelfth junior sister, had died. He had a few people who worked under him and one of them relayed the news just now.

"Is that true?" Kuang Shen asked.

"Her carriage was attacked when she left the Capital City. A lot of people saw it burned down without anyone coming out."

Which meant that the person inside might not be able to come out.

At this moment, Kuang Shen was completely stunned.

He could remember very well the days when he first met with Nan Hua and also the short interaction he had with the other party. The times when he ignored her because she was part of the Nan Family and also her words when he told her that he was not here just because of the order from his Master.

Everything flashed in his mind at this moment.