Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

Li Xueyue thought that the danger of the new title would not come to her door so soon, but to her surprise, the danger came less than a week after the competition.

Less than a week after her new title was announced, invitations to parties and banquets began pouring in, with a new stack of invitations delivered to Duchess Li Qixing and Li Xueyue every day. They were surprised the first time, but now they have turned a blind eye.

Duchess Li Qixing believed that Li Xueyue should only attend important events, and that there were two of them for every hundred people who arrived at their door.

This morning she thought she was getting ready for a normal party, but found out the opposite was true.

The maid outdid herself once again. Her soft white hanfu fluttered in the wind, and the tiny crystals sewn into the fabric sparkled. A light pearl pink draped over the white hanfu created the perfect epitome of spring. A lavender ribbon was tied around her slender waist, and flowers bloomed at the bottom of her skirt.

Li Xueyue thought she would hear festive music or see nobles from all walks of life mingling together, but she found herself standing in front of a grand staircase. In the sunlight, the wide steps were dazzlingly beautiful.

It felt like a stairway to heaven, except it was leading her closer to the Imperial Palace. Looming before her was a tall door, and she had to lift her head to see where the door frame ended.

Li Xueyue looked at Duchess Li Qixing, who smiled at her tenderly. "There's nothing to worry about, dear," she said, and handed over a polished marble slab with the Li family name engraved on it. She showed it to the dozens of guards lining the walls at the entrance. It was her pass to enter the palace.

Immediately, the palace guards bowed deeply. A resounding voice announced: "The Duchess of Li Qixing and the Third Rank Princess Li Xueyue are allowed to marry!"

Li Xueyue's eyes widened as the door opened smoothly and easily. She expected it to creak, but it opened quietly and smoothly. The courtyard of the imperial palace left her speechless.

She was greeted by gleaming gold roofs and passion red columns. Standing at the entrance was daunting, with eunuchs and servants lining the passageways and plenty of guards to ensure security.

When Duchess Li Qixing led Li Xueyue in, everyone bowed their heads. "Welcome back, Princess Qixing of the first rank and her daughter, Princess Li Xueyue of the third rank."

Hearing the true ranking of Duchess Li Qixing, Li Xueyue resisted the urge to take a breath. She is one of only two first-level princesses in the country.

Before marrying the Duke and bearing a child, Duchess Li Qixing was a pampered princess known for her mischief. Her mischief had brought her into trouble many times, but because she was the emperor's only sister, he turned a blind eye every time.

For the Duchess, the palace is her playground. She knows its layout inside out, which is evident in her confident and respectful demeanor.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Duchess Li Qixing pondered. She walked with gentle steps, and Li Xueyue accompanied her. Behind her were the eunuchs in the palace and the maids of the Li family.

"People tell me that there is nothing more fortunate than being born a princess." Duchess Li Qixing chuckled and walked towards the palace with Li Xueyue. "I used to think so too."

"What made you change your mind?" Li Xueyue asked curiously. She observed the surroundings, from the painted doors to the polished and carefully cleaned corridors.

Duchess Li Qixing lowered her voice so that only her daughter could hear. "Because every day here is more suffocating than the next."

Li Xueyue blinked and nodded. She thought it must be hard to see this as a perfect picture. Princesses of the first class were expected to be role models for women in the country, and their words meant law. But with great power comes great responsibility.

"My prank was my only way to escape from this place," said Duchess Li Qixing gratefully as she passed by a secluded place where she had deceived a palace official.

"Every day, I am surrounded by palace maids and concubines. They flatter every word I say. But I forget that they are my brother's women, not mine." Duchess Li Qixing smiled as she passed a familiar face. But she did not stop for her. "When so many people praise you every day, we tend to think they are our friends. In fact, they are enemies."

Duchess Li Qixing grabbed Li Xueyue's hands and stopped. "The palace is a dangerous place for women. Even the most beautiful flowers will be trampled here. The more they bloom, the more they will wither."

Don't marry the Fourth Prince.

Li Xueyue understood what Duchess Li Qixing meant. The palace life and its luxury seemed like a dream, but all this was just the surface, covering up the terrible conspiracy from wise ministers to intoxicated concubines.

Hundreds of concubines were locked behind the palace walls, and only the emperor's favorites accompanied him. Concubine Gu Feiying was one of them, not because she was simply his favorite woman, but because she was a princess from a neighboring country.

Once a woman entered the palace, it was difficult for her to leave.

Looking at the serene smile of Duchess Li Qixing, Li Xueyue couldn't help but be curious about what kind of string King Li Chenyang had pulled to marry a first-rank princess.

With Princess Wang Qixing's status, she certainly had the opportunity to become the crown princess of another empire, but she didn't. She married a respected duke. Admittedly, he was at the top of the social hierarchy, directly below the emperor and empress.

Perhaps, that is a story for later...and if Li Xueyue knew it before she was born, her life would have been entangled with the Duke and Duchess Li Qixing.

"My dear, you are a smart girl." Duchess Li Qixing's smile deepened as Li Xueyue nodded.

"I want you to learn from my words, not from your actions." With that, they headed toward the throne room.

Li Xueyue heard a commotion behind her. She turned her head and saw a man and a woman wearing different styles of clothes, which did not match the fashion trend in Wuyi. The clothes looked similar. Were they designed by foreigners?

"Who caught your attention?" Seeing Li Xueyue jump up, Duchess Li Qixing chuckled.

"No one." Li Xueyue replied, and she found that Duchess Li Qixing had walked far ahead of her, and her cheeks flushed. Despite this, half of the servants stayed and waited with Xueyue.

"Let's go to the palace." Li Xueyue muttered, quickened her pace, and quickly caught up with the Duchess. But she didn't know that she had attracted everyone's attention. They knew who she was, but she would never know who they were.