On my wedding day with Liwei, Meiyun arrived on Jianyu’s arm, radiant and smug.
She shot me a triumphant glare, then turned to the Phoenix Emperor. “Father, I have good news—I’m expecting! You’ll soon be a grandfather.”
The emperor’s beard trembled with joy, his face creasing into a wide smile. “Wonderful! A double celebration!”
“Liwei, you and your wife should hurry and give us more heirs for the Phoenix clan!”
Liwei simply nodded, while Jianyu whispered, “Stop pretending. I know you’re anxious, but fate is fate. You can’t force it.”
From that day, endless tonics were sent to Meiyun’s palace, and she strutted through the Phoenix Palace with impunity. No one dared cross her, not even the Phoenix Emperor, who overlooked her arrogance for the sake of the child she carried.
Truthfully, I hoped Jianyu wouldn’t become the next emperor. If he did, my fate would be grim.
So, after my wedding, Liwei and I focused diligently on producing an heir, but luck was not on our side. My belly remained flat.
To avoid attention, we rarely left our residence, Vermilion Hall.
Perhaps our quietness failed to satisfy Jianyu and Meiyun’s need to show off, for they soon came to visit.
Meiyun, rubbing her swollen belly, couldn’t hide her smugness. “Oh, sister, I envy you. You must sleep so well every night.”
“Unlike me, this little phoenix is so restless I have dark circles under my eyes.”
Jianyu fussed over her, “Not everyone is as fortunate as us, to conceive so soon after marriage.”
“It’s hard for the Phoenix clan to have children. I’m afraid Liwei and his wife will have to wait a long time.”
They laughed heartily, as if the throne was already theirs.
On the day Meiyun gave birth, even the Phoenix Emperor waited anxiously outside her chambers, and Jianyu was a bundle of nerves.
When the palace maid emerged with a bright red egg, she presented it to the emperor. “Congratulations, Your Majesty. The principal consort has laid a fire phoenix egg.”
The emperor was overjoyed, ordering the staff to take special care of Meiyun. Everyone celebrated, except Jianyu, whose face was pale with disbelief.
“How is this possible? Why is it just a fire phoenix? Where’s my rainbow phoenix?”
“Maybe the timing was different from my past life?”
Watching his despair, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Soon, Meiyun was pregnant again.
This time, she kept a low profile. I heard she prayed daily in her palace, hoping for a high-ranking phoenix chick.
But the heavens did not favor her. She gave birth to another ordinary crimson phoenix.
Jianyu flew into a rage, blaming Meiyun’s impure bloodline for their misfortune.
Meiyun spent her days weeping in her chambers, a far cry from the arrogant consort she once was.
Worse, after two births, her health was depleted. The palace physician said she would not be able to conceive again for a long time.
Though Meiyun and I had never been close, she had never truly harmed me. Out of sisterly duty, I brought her some rare tonics.
Her two little phoenix chicks chirped at her side, but she ignored them, her eyes full of disgust.
“Get away from me, you useless things! You’ll never be heirs!”
When she saw me, she hurled a teacup at the floor. “You’re here to laugh at me, aren’t you? So what if I can’t give birth to a high-ranking heir? At least I’m better than you, who can’t lay an egg at all!”
Honestly, I shouldn’t have come.
I left with my gifts, and that night, I channeled my frustration into passion, dragging Liwei into a fierce battle until he begged for mercy.
The next month, the palace physician announced with delight, “Congratulations, Princess Consort, you are with child!”
I nearly jumped from my seat, but Liwei steadied me. “Be careful, you’re carrying our child now.”
Remembering the tragedy of my last life, I was extra cautious this time.
With my pure bloodline and Liwei’s royal heritage, there was no reason to expect another black-feathered chick. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had gone wrong in my past life, though I couldn’t figure out what. I spent my days poring over ancient texts, searching for answers.
When news of my pregnancy spread, Meiyun smashed several sets of tea ware in her palace, and even Jianyu grew anxious. The two quarreled daily.
Soon after, Liwei told me that Jianyu had taken two new concubines, both from prestigious Honghu families. His vow never to take a concubine was quickly forgotten, and Meiyun was so furious she nearly fainted.
And so, the tides of fate began to shift.
Half a month later, my half-sister Meiyun was pregnant once again. Remembering what the palace physician had said about her being unable to conceive again so soon, a sense of unease settled in my heart.
One day, while poring over ancient texts, I discovered a secret ritual that could force a phoenix woman to conceive, but at a terrible cost to her health. The scroll also described a deceitful illusion spell—one that could disguise an ordinary phoenix as a rainbow phoenix for a short time. Another method detailed was even more sinister: poisoning, which would cause a newborn phoenix to appear black as a raven.
A chill ran through me as the truth became clear. Jianyu, obsessed with siring a high-ranking phoenix to claim the throne, would never harm his own child. The only one who could have poisoned me in my past life was Meiyun herself.
Meiyun, this life, it seems we are destined to be enemies until one of us falls.
I resolved to see what kind of child she would bear this time. The forbidden ritual to induce pregnancy would drain her body; even with rare medicines, she could only bear three children at most. After that, she would never conceive again. I was certain Meiyun would now resort to the illusion spell to pass off her next child as a rainbow phoenix.
Last time, I was defenseless against her and fell victim to her poison. This time, I stayed secluded within Vermilion Hall, never giving her the chance to strike. The only way for her to change her fate was to actually give birth to a true rainbow phoenix. Since she was using deception, there had to be a way to expose her. I only hoped she could withstand the consequences.
Chapter 02
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