Chapter 1699 -1692: Lin Sisi Meets Noble Consort Xiao

Noble Consort Xiao heard about the matter within the palace and lost her appetite at breakfast. She immediately sent someone to investigate what was going on.

Granny Zhao, upon noticing that the Imperial Consort was clearly perturbed, recounted everything in full detail: “This Lin Yu comes from incredibly humble origins. I heard she ranked in the top three during the women’s martial examination, but originally, she was merely a beggar picked up by General Ye!”

“Even though she carries herself with a certain air reminiscent of General Lin’s imposing masculinity,

just look at her—when I casually handed her some fabric and jewelry, she clutched them to her chest as if they were precious treasures.

That’s nothing like General Lin at all; utterly uncouth!”

Granny Song frowned deeply at this, her forehead wrinkling profoundly in concern.

“What on earth is His Highness thinking?!” Granny Song couldn’t make sense of it and instructed Granny Zhao to keep an eye on Lin Yu. She also took a portrait of Lin Yu back to present it to Noble Consort Xiao.

Noble Consort Xiao was reclined on her soft chaise, her face adorned with a mask. Having eaten plenty during lunch since breakfast wasn’t satisfying, she was now lounging after her nap.

Awake again, with the mask still on her face, she commanded Granny Song to hold up the portrait while the latter spoke about Lin Yu.

Granny Song talked herself hoarse, eventually concluding with, “Imperial Consort, you must think of a strategy! This Lin Yu, with her fox-like charm, has bewitched our King—this simply cannot be allowed!”

Noble Consort Xiao scoffed coldly, “What kind of fox spirit have you ever seen that’s as ugly as her?”

Lin Yu’s appearance—far from enchanting Chu Jinling—would fail to captivate the heart of any young nobleman or official.

She bore no resemblance to the delicate beauty or seductive grace of those courtesans draped in sorrowful allure.

At best, her visage and bearing shared a faint, three-measure resemblance to Lin Sisi.

“But Granny Zhao mentioned His Highness took her back to the prince’s mansion and even ordered that she be well cared for,” Granny Song added.

“Has Jinling elevated her to the position of secondary consort? Has he commanded her to accompany him in bed?”

Noble Consort Xiao’s tone remained indifferent.

“Not at all,” Granny Song shook her head. “It seems he merely brought her to the mansion and considered her a concubine.”

“A concubine?” Noble Consort Xiao was momentarily caught off guard, then broke into laughter—the kind that nearly caused her facial mask to slip off. “A woman with a status no different from a maid, what’s there to be so agitated about?”

This trivial matter was spread all across the palace, and while she could hardly care to listen, there would always be someone eager to relay gossip to her.

She knew her son well enough; was he doing anything out of character?

This Lin Yu merely carried the name “Lin” and bore three measures of resemblance to Lin Sisi—the rest was just Chu Jinling being momentarily blind.

And not even fully blind—it was the kind of blindness mingled with disdain.

“Speaking of Lin Sisi, how is she faring? I once nourished her body with my blood to save her life, yet she hasn’t even come to express her gratitude appropriately,” Noble Consort Xiao remarked with a touch of seriousness.

“As for General Lin,” Granny Song reported honestly, “this old servant went to check on her. General Lin can now walk and move, eat and sleep—but her face, alas, is likely still unpresentable.

When I visited her, her face was covered tightly!”

Noble Consort Xiao pressed lightly on the white cream spread across her face. With a sigh of regret, she lamented, “The poor girl—it’s unfortunate that every time fate strikes, the injuries are to her face. Already born without beauty, she now clings to life with a face unlikely to be restored.”

Noble Consort Xiao ordered Granny Song to rummage through her cabinets to organize a selection of skincare items she herself used.

She summoned Lin Sisi, instructing her to enter discreetly through a hidden passage, avoiding the palace gate.

Lin Sisi came to visit Noble Consort Xiao for the first time, her heart overwhelmed with gratitude. “Sisi thanks the Imperial Consort deeply for saving my life.”

She knelt by the soft chaise, but Noble Consort Xiao frowned in disapproval and raised her brow. “Jinling addresses your father as Father-in-law, yet you still call me Imperial Consort?

Lin Sisi, do you have no sense of decorum!”

Lin Sisi froze. “Should I address you as Mother then?”

“Of course!” Noble Consort Xiao flicked her handkerchief at her.

Lin Sisi, feeling awkward, rubbed her nose and mumbled, “Mother.”

“Speak louder—didn’t you eat your fill?” Noble Consort Xiao remained unsatisfied.

“Mother above, I offer the salute of your daughter-in-law!”

Lin Sisi bowed her head anew, touching the ground deeply.

She wouldn’t even bow like this before her own father.

But for Noble Consort Xiao—for her, it was worth it.

During the days when she nearly didn’t survive, it was Noble Consort Xiao who used her own blood to sustain the cursed insect venom inside Lin Sisi’s body—keeping her alive, pulling her back into the realm of consciousness.

Her life now belonged to Noble Consort Xiao.

Noble Consort Xiao’s elegantly maintained hand lightly lifted Lin Sisi’s chin, inspecting her tightly wrapped face in displeasure. In a cold voice, she commanded, “Remove all of these bandages, let me see what you’ve become.”

“That might not be appropriate, Mother. My face is rather frightening.”

Saint Ruan had mentioned—it was fortunate that only he had seen her face. If outsiders were to behold it, they might be driven to wet their beds.

Lin Sisi herself felt uneasy every time she glanced in the mirror.

Such a delicate figure as Noble Consort Xiao shouldn’t have to be startled by it.

Noble Consort Xiao pouted coyly, “Take it off this instant! What kind of daughter-in-law can’t show her face to her own mother-in-law?”

Faced with no choice, Lin Sisi began peeling away the layers of bandages on her face.

Granny Song, having served Noble Consort Xiao for years, was so shocked upon seeing Lin Sisi’s face that she stumbled to the ground.

Noble Consort Xiao shot her a fierce glare. “Get out!”

Granny Song, realizing her mistake, quickly knelt and apologized to Lin Sisi before scrambling out of the inner hall.

Noble Consort Xiao, however, was not frightened by Lin Sisi’s face. She simply observed the countless patched-up scars and stitches—it was as if her skin resembled a garment riddled with mended tears, uneven and lacking in smoothness.

Noble Consort Xiao gently ran her fingers over Lin Sisi’s face. “Are the wounds beneath these stitchings healed?”

She had heard Saint Ruan mention that Lin Sisi’s entire facial bones had been shattered and painstakingly repaired.

Lin Sisi shook her head. “The bones remain fragile—they ache during rainy weather. Saint Ruan said they would take several years to fully mend. And as for these scars, they’ll remain for my entire life.

My face has endured too many injuries. It’s destined to remain unfit for public view.”

“Why unfit for view? You’re no ghost!”

“I just don’t want to terrify others,” Lin Sisi replied flatly. After enduring so many episodes of disfigurement, she had long since stopped caring about her looks.

Yet she didn’t want to disturb others.

After all, how many people could remain unshaken upon seeing her face?

“If someone is frightened, that’s a flaw in their courage—not yours. Don’t blame everything on yourself. I’ve prepared salves, rose water, and hibiscus lotion—take them all.

Start using them today, starting right this moment!

Even if the scars cannot fade, your skin must still be nourished. A woman must always cherish herself.”

From the moment Noble Consort Xiao accepted Lin Sisi as her daughter-in-law, she had been drilling this sentiment repeatedly.

Even now, she never tired of reminding her—having been born a human, one must never give up on their appearance. And if one puts forth effort, one’s looks can change over time.

Beauty, after all, can be cultivated through patience and determination.

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