In her previous life, she died in a side hall of Yanxi Palace, with no one by her side.
When she woke in this life, the teacup was still warm. The Empress had yet to close her net, and she had yet to turn herself into a blade in someone else’s hands.
An Lingrong had no intention of repenting. No one in the harem had clean hands, and no one had the right to judge anyone else.
Nor did she plan to kneel again. The Empress’s protection was poison wrapped in honey, and the Emperor’s favor was a rope around her neck. She had tasted both in her last life, and wanted no part of them in this one. (I’ve made a few minor changes to ranks and preferences, so feel free to treat this as a parallel universe.)
What she wanted was worth more than all of that.
She wanted to leave. To leave with her head held high. To walk beyond these palace walls, out of everyone’s schemes, and into a place without morning and evening rituals or treachery. A room, a stick of incense, and a quiet life until old age. She would kneel to no one and have to answer to no one.
But the gates of the Forbidden City had only ever let people out lying down, never on their own two feet.
She was determined to try.
It began with a knocked-over cup of tea, and An Lingrong opened her eyes again. In this life, she would live for no one but herself, and for the door that could still be opened.
The cage’s roof had been painted gold. She would peck her way through it.
Open your vision and you will see another different An Lingrong. The author's idea is novel and in line with his own taste.
The writing style is very smooth. The record of An Lingrong's escape from the palace reveals a different kind of Lingrong's way of life. The whole article is very short and there is no unnecessary description. It is recommended to read it in one sitting when you have time.