'Hiss~ It hurts so much...'
'Hiss~ Am I going to die...?'
'Hiss~~'
By the edge of a pond, a small white snake lay in the grass.
A gash was torn open on its back, and the snake looked as if it were on the brink of death.
Not long ago, she had just gone out to hunt for food, hoping to fill her belly with a few mice, but she'd unexpectedly run into an eagle.
Even though she had escaped with her life, she was still gravely injured.
'When will Xiao Qing get here? Can she even find me...?' The White Snake thought of her sister, but a flicker of despair soon crossed her vertical pupils.
'Even if she did find me, what good would it do?'
'She can't heal me...'
Just as the White Snake was succumbing to despair, she heard a faint rustling from the nearby bushes.
The White Snake lifted her head and saw a small human boy parting the bushes as he emerged.
Startled, the White Snake quickly coiled up and buried her head in the grass. 'He doesn't see me, he doesn't see me...'
"Found you!" Xiao Mo's eyes lit up the moment he saw the little white snake.
'This is bad!'
The White Snake sensed the footsteps drawing nearer and knew the boy was coming for her!
"HISSS!" The White Snake snapped her head up and gaped her small mouth at him.
Xiao Mo jumped back two steps, his heart pounding.
'Logically, this kind of white snake shouldn't be venomous.'
'But in a fantasy world like this, who could say for sure?'
"You look hurt. Let me treat your wound. Don't worry... I won't hurt you," Xiao Mo said, holding a small shovel as he inched closer.
'How could she possibly believe him when he was holding a weapon?'
'Vile human! I'd rather die than be boiled into your soup!'
The White Snake steeled herself and lunged forward like a coiled spring, ready to bite.
But the movement pulled at her wound, and a sharp, numbing pain shot through her entire body.
Xiao Mo had braced himself to dodge, but the white snake went limp like a slack rope and lay motionless on the grass.
Her body twitched and spasmed.
Seeing that she had seemingly fainted and was still bleeding profusely, Xiao Mo quickly placed her in his bamboo basket and carried her down the mountain.
The little white snake didn't know how long she'd been unconscious. When she came to and slowly awoke, she found herself lying in a nest of straw.
'This looks like a human house.'
The little white snake looked down at her body. A clean, white cloth was wrapped around her.
She could smell the faint scent of medicinal herbs coming from the cloth.
She recalled what had happened before she passed out.
'Could it be... that little boy saved me?'
*CLATTER.*
Just as the little white snake was wondering, the door opened.
The little boy walked in, carrying a mouse.
"You're awake." The little white snake watched as the boy approached joyfully, then carefully tossed the mouse down in front of her.
"This is for you," the little boy said with a brilliant, innocent smile.
The little white snake glanced at the boy, then at the dead mouse before her.
'It seems...
...he really isn't a bad person.'
Overcome with hunger, the little white snake opened her mouth and slowly swallowed the mouse.
After eating the mouse, the little white snake lay quietly in her straw nest, her previous aggression gone.
She was an intelligent snake.
Xiao Mo figured she must have understood that he meant her no harm.
"Little White Snake, do you have a name?" Xiao Mo asked.
The little white snake tilted her head, confused.
"I'm Xiao Mo. That's my name," Xiao Mo said, pointing to himself. "How about I give you a name, too?"
The little white snake paused for a moment, then nodded her head. There was even a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
"You're so white, like snow."
Seeing her agree, Xiao Mo thought for a moment.
"How about... from now on, I'll call you Bai Ruxue?"
...
「Minister of Rites' Mansion, Zhou Kingdom.」
In a private courtyard, a young woman was bent over a patch of flowers.
Her slender, pale hands held a pair of small silver shears as she focused on trimming away the excess leaves and stems.
The young woman was dressed in a simple white gown, as pristine as freshly settled snow, which enveloped her graceful figure.
A morning breeze swept by, causing the hem of her gown to drift like a passing cloud, sending soft ripples through the fabric.
The gown itself was unadorned with any complex embroidery. Only at the collar and cuffs were faint, intertwined lotus leaves outlined in the finest silver thread. A moon-white silk sash was tied loosely around her waist, accentuating a figure so slim it could be encircled by a single hand and adding to her willowy grace.
Her head was tilted slightly, revealing a neck as smooth and white as jade. A few strands of ebony hair had slipped from her loosely arranged topknot to trail along her cheek, making her porcelain skin seem all the more delicate.
Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped: long, slender willow-leaf brows, like distant mountains brushed with indigo. The arch was gentle and the ends swept upward, possessing a naturally soft curve.
Beneath them were a pair of eyes as clear as autumn pools, which were now downcast. Her long, thick lashes cast faint shadows beneath, trembling softly with each snip of her shears.
Her lips were the pale pink of an early cherry blossom petal. The corners of her mouth curved naturally upward, lending her a serene and approachable air even when she was not smiling.
"Daughter! Daughter! Wonderful news!"
As the young woman focused on her pruning, the voice of her father, Yan Zhen, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, carried from a distance.
Hearing her father's voice, the young woman looked up to see him rushing into the courtyard.
She set down her shears, poured her father a cup of tea, and smiled. "Father, you seem so happy. Is there good news?"
"Hahaha! Daughter, you have no idea!" Yan Zhen exclaimed, taking the tea she offered. "You're going to be the Empress!"
"The Empress?" the young woman asked, puzzled.
"Yes."
Yan Zhen nodded.
"His Majesty has been on the throne for a year, and the imperial harem is still empty. The time has finally come to select consorts, and Ruxue, you have been chosen to enter the palace! You are a daughter of our Yan Clan. With the Prime Minister in the court and the Empress Dowager in the palace, our Yan Clan's position is secure. You are destined to become the Empress of our Great Zhou, a mother to the nation! Your future child will be the Emperor of the Zhou Kingdom!"
The more he spoke, the more excited Yan Zhen grew.
"However, your mother... she's not keen on you entering the palace. 'Once you enter the palace gates, it is as deep as the sea,' after all." Yan Zhen's joy subsided. "You know how she is. Your mother and I argued for a long time, and in the end, we decided to ask for your opinion. Ruxue, do you wish to enter the palace?"
Yan Ruxue smiled faintly and curtsied. "I will follow all of Father's arrangements."
"Hahaha! Excellent! In that case, your mother can have no objections. I'll go inform the clan head at once. Daughter, you just wait for the good news."
"Yes, Father."
Laughing heartily, Yan Zhen strode out of the courtyard.
Yan Ruxue watched her father's retreating figure.
Her once-gentle, dark eyes gradually transformed, the pupils shifting into majestic, golden slits.