468: Say goodbye to the past

She turned around, her gaze slowly sweeping over the palace where she had lived for several years. Every spot was etched with her former obsession and yearning.

The curtains of the carved wooden bed were still embroidered with the intertwining lotus pattern she had personally chosen. Pink and white, it was her favorite color scheme. Now, under the morning light, it remained exquisite, yet only the desolation of things remaining while people changed was left.

On the dressing table, her favorite Buyao Hairpin, made of vermillion gold inlaid with kingfisher feathers, still lay quietly in the brocade box. The kingfisher feathers were vibrant, and the gold ornaments sparkled. Li Xuan had given it to her when she married into the palace, but now she no longer wished to pick it up.

Even the rouge box beside it still bore traces of her recent use. The faint scent of rose rouge lingered around her nose, reminiscent of the time that could never be reclaimed.

Every plant, every tree, every brick, and every tile here concealed her youth, her love, her joy, and her sorrow.

But now, looking at these things again, she felt as if an age had passed.

All that past beauty had become a thorn lodged in her heart—impossible to pull out, impossible to forget. She could only let it take root and sprout in her heart, hurting her severely, yet she still had to pretend nothing was wrong.

"Niangniang..."

Yu'er saw that she remained silent for a long time, standing still and staring blankly at the hall interior. Yu'er couldn't help but call out softly, her voice carrying a hint of timidity and heartache.

Xia Wei turned back to look at her, a faint smile gracing her lips. The smile was gentle, yet it carried a trace of resolve:

"From now on, don't call me Niangniang anymore."

Yu'er's eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up, but she fiercely held them back.

She lowered her head and choked out:

"Yes, Young Miss."

That single call of "Young Miss" recalled the time before they entered the palace, and it also broke both of their hearts.

Xia Wei walked to the dressing table and gently opened the brocade box containing the vermillion gold inlaid Buyao Hairpin.

The brocade box was made of purple sandalwood, carved with orchid patterns, exquisite and elegant.

She picked up the Buyao Hairpin, her fingertips brushing over the delicate kingfisher feathers. The cool touch made her thoughts pause slightly.

This Buyao Hairpin was the one she wore when she married into the palace.

That day, she wore a grand red wedding dress and a Phoenix Crown. This Buyao Hairpin was fastened in her hair bun, shining brightly.

Li Xuan held her hand and said with a smile:

"Wei'er, you are truly beautiful today."

But time flashed by, and so many years had passed. The profound affection and sincerity of yesteryear had now become a joke.

Xia Wei sighed softly, placed the Buyao Hairpin back into the brocade box, and closed the lid, as if sealing away that past along with it.

She raised her eyes and looked at herself in the bronze mirror. The woman in the mirror still had a beautiful face, but the light in her eyes had dimmed considerably.

Beneath that calm exterior lay a subtle determination—to leave this place, leave this deep palace, leave Li Xuan, and live her life anew, for herself.

"Let's pack up. At the latest, we will be leaving here tomorrow."

Xia Wei spoke softly, her voice light yet clear, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, spreading ripples outward.

She paused, then added:

"No need to bring too many things. A few changes of clothes, and... some simple jewelry. Leave the rest in the palace."

What she couldn't take with her was her past, her pain. Leaving them in this deep palace was fine; out of sight, out of mind.

"Yes, Young Miss."

Yu'er responded and quickly turned to pack.

The rustling sounds soon echoed inside the hall—the friction of clothes, the clinking of jewelry—breaking the silence and seeming like a final farewell to Changle Palace.

Xia Wei didn't speak again. She walked to the dressing table, picked up an exquisite Jade Hairpin, and tried it on her hair bun in front of the bronze mirror.

The Jade Hairpin was made of Hetian Mutton-fat Jade, pure white throughout, without a trace of Impurities. The head of the hairpin was carved into a budding magnolia flower. The petals were lifelike, and the warm jade reflected the face in the bronze mirror, appearing even clearer than the Spiritual Flowerss outside the window.

She raised her hand and gently tucked up her loose side hair. The moment the Jade Hairpin passed through her strands, her fingertips paused slightly—this was the Jade Hairpin Situ Jun had taken from her hair bun last night.

At that time, when he embraced her intimately and reached out to remove it, he whispered:

"This Jade Hairpin suits you best; it is pure, graceful, and moving."

Remembering this now made her ears flush, and a lovely blush appeared on her delicate face.

She did not call Yu'er for help, but slowly styled her own hair.

First, she used a small silver comb to smooth down the stray hairs on her forehead. The silver comb slid through her hair, making faint, crisp sounds, as if bidding farewell to the past.

Then, she divided her long hair into three sections and braided it meticulously. When she reached the end, she tied it with a moon-white ribbon of the same color scheme. She then coiled the finished braid into a simple Hanging Cloud Bun, and finally secured the Mutton-fat Jade Hairpin firmly into the center of the bun, leaving only the magnolia petals to droop slightly. This accentuated her long neck and made her temperament even more refined and transcendent, like a Fairy who had forsaken the mortal world.

The cosmetics on the dressing table were dazzling—all treasures collected by the palace. There was rose rouge from the Western Regions, pearl powder from Jiangnan, and black eyebrow pencil from the Northern Lands.

Yet she only chose the lightest box of rose rouge, dabbed a little onto her lips with her fingertip, and slowly blended it out with her finger pad. This left only a faint pink flush, like a newly blooming peach blossom—delicate and moving, yet carrying a hint of aloof coolness. It was neither ostentatious nor garish; it was just right.

Next, she took a box of pearl powder and lightly dusted it onto her face, evening out her skin tone. This added a bit of Life Qi to her already pale complexion, making her look less haggard.

The eyebrow pencil was black. She only lightly outlined an eyebrow shape resembling distant mountains—neither too dark nor too light, perfectly balanced. It neither looked haggard nor overly striking, making her features appear increasingly gentle.

Finally, she picked up the box of Jasmine Fragrance Paste she used most often.

Opening the lid, the faint, clear scent of jasmine drifted out. It was the scent she had loved even before entering the palace—crisp yet gentle, unlike the intensity of rose or the ostentation of peony. It simply diffused its fragrance quietly, much like her own temperament.

She dabbed a small amount with her fingertip and applied it behind her ears and on her wrists. The paste melted onto her skin, leaving a subtle sweet fragrance that dispelled some of the heavy aura in the hall and also calmed her mood slightly.

Having tidied herself, she stood up and walked to the wardrobe.

The wardrobe was made of purple sandalwood, carved with flower and bird patterns. Inside, it was filled with her former dresses: grand red palace gowns, bright yellow Ceremonial Robes, and formal dresses embroidered with the Phoenix. Every piece was luxurious and exquisite.

But she didn't look closely; she only chose a moon-white Ruqun, overlaid with a light cyan gauze garment. The skirt hem was embroidered with faint orchid patterns, which complemented her temperament perfectly—simple, yet not lacking in elegance.

She put on the dress, fastening the plain-colored palace sash around her waist. A small jade button, made of Spirit Jade, hung from the end of the sash, warm and delicate.

She stood in front of the bronze mirror, quietly observing herself in the reflection.

The moon-white Ruqun highlighted her snow-white, flawless skin. A brocade belt outlined her slender waist, which seemed too delicate to grasp.

The hem of the skirt fell to her ankles, revealing her bright, jade-like, delicate feet, which stepped on the animal fur rug. They held a hint of temptation, yet due to her refined aura, they appeared especially pure.

The skirt swayed gently with her movements, like clear spring water flowing under the moon, soft and lively.

The Jade Hairpin at her temples was warm, the pearls in her earrings swayed lightly, and the faint pink on her lips added a touch of softness. Her eyes, too, gained a bit of brightness and charm, no longer possessing the dead silence and emptiness of the past.

She looked at herself in the mirror and gently curved her lips into a faint smile—this was the real her. Not an Imperial Consort of the deep palace, not an appendage of the Emperor, but simply Xia Wei, a woman who could live for herself.

"Young Miss, everything is packed."

Yu'er walked up to her, her eyes still red, carrying a small Camphor Wood Box. Inside were a few pieces of clothing Xia Wei frequently wore, along with some cherished jewelry. The rest was left behind in the palace, piled up in the wardrobe, like forgotten history.

Xia Wei turned back, glanced at the Camphor Wood Box, and then surveyed everything in the hall.

The curtains of the carved wooden bed still hung, the intertwining lotus pattern still exquisite in the morning light; the rouge box on the dressing table still bore traces of her use; the vermillion gold inlaid Buyao Hairpin lay quietly in the brocade box, as if waiting for her to wear it; the Spiritual Flowerss outside the window continued to drift down, pink petals covering the courtyard, just as they had when she first entered the palace.

But she knew that nothing was the same anymore.

When she first entered the palace, she was full of yearning, believing that what awaited her was a lifelong partner, wealth, status, and peaceful years.

But now, bearing a body full of scars and a heart full of exhaustion, she only wished to escape this cage and find a world that belonged to her alone.