No Repeats

Shu Mei knows

While the Emperor and his Prime Minister continues to discuss the details of their plan, Shu Mei starts to open up to the Imperial Noble Consort. It is a terrifying step for her, but she could not help but trust the beautiful woman in front of her who is also crying sympathetic tears.

There was something deep inside her that yearns for this woman's love and attention, maybe, just maybe, it was a little of that thing people call maternal bond. Regardless, Shu Mei trusted the woman and even though she could not yet accept her as mother, she needed to tell her story.

Surprisingly, once she started talking Shu Mei could not stop, she blurted out the things that happened to her in this life, about the heart wrenching pain when she thinks about Zu Bai Ye and how the scene of his death torments her every night. Shu Mei even shocked even herself when she started to describe in detail, Bai Ye's dazzling smile and his heroic flight to be a decoy and take on tens of thousands of troops to give her a chance of escape.

The experienced Consort Rui watched Shu Mei's animated face and bright eyes as she spoke about Bai Ye and recognised the tell-tale signs of love and despair. She thought that the speaker herself did not even recognise these feelings and that it originates from somewhere deep inside her heart and unconscious.

The new mother listened with interest in everything her daughter said, just simply holding her hand and asking probing questions. She was saddened by the death of Shu Mei's foster parents, heartened and grateful towards the blind Grandma Shu and the Feng family.

The Consort became angered by the selfish Huang Yu Li, but she could see clearly that Shu Mei had no complicated feelings towards the Huang General. There was not even a shred of hatred or love or even blame in those eyes, it was as if he was insignificant to her. The Consort chuckled to herself, Yu Li is not worthy of even being 'detested' in her daughter's heart.

"Do you want to kill Huang Yu Li to seek revenge for Bai Ye's death?" she asked her daughter.

"What good would it do? It would not bring Bai Ye back to life and anyways, he is not that type of person that wants someone else to take revenge for him. With Bai Ye's vicious personality, he would only find satisfaction if he killed or torture that person himself. I will let him take that grudge to the next life and then Yu Li can pay," said Shu Mei with a chuckle.

The Consort gasped in surprise at Shu Mei's words, the underlying ruthlessness is in direct contrast to her gentle appearance. She immediately felt heartened and proud, her daughter is strong and resilient, and is not weak as she first appeared.

The new mother had worried when Shu Mei broke down in tears, worried for her future and worried for how her daughter would be able to cope with the tidal wave of troubles that will drown them soon. But now, with those words, she felt reassured that her daughter could survive this and overturn the tables.

That was why when the Emperor and Prime Minister returned and outlined their plans, the Imperial Noble Consort Rui uncharacteristically flipped the table. She was so angry that she forgot all her noble upbringing and the always elegant and magnanimous woman stood up and literally threw the heavy mahogany tea table, smashing the porcelain cups and shattering the table legs as it landed on the ground.

The sudden and unexpected reaction from the usually easy-going woman left the Emperor and Prime Minister duo in stunned silence, wide-eyed and shocked at her strength and brought Shu Mei running back into the room.

The Consort saw that Shu Mei had returned after she had settled her into the next room to rest and felt guilty. She looked worriedly at her daughter's eyes which were swollen from all the crying and pale face that have received such a shock today. She felt that her daughter does not need to hear the father and grandfather's heartless plans.