Chapter 210 - Recompense (1/2)

Lei Xing obviously was not convinced by the bracelet's denial. She also remembered that she needed to go see that doctor regarding a lot of things and this just made that need more urgent.

{...*Hahaha he didn't know anything! I mean, who really understands how the universe works? It works in mysterious ways hahaha~...}

{...Clearly you do -_-)...}

{...*Weeellll...You know what? He was actually doing you a favor!... Your mind wasn't in a place to comprehend or accept this then...}

Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes.

{...Why are you jumping at his defense? Do you know him? He apparently knows about you or at least he seemed to recognize this bracelet, more accurately the gems but still... (≖_≖ )...}

{...*No, I don't! Why would I?!  And you're missing the point! >_

Lei Xing pursed her lips but then relented with a soft sigh.

{...I wouldn't have believed him, would have thought he was crazy - which I honestly still think he is, partially anyway...But still, I would have contempl-...}

{...*There is no still! You would have built even higher walls and the poor boy would have never been able to scale them!... But here you are now, happy and blissfully in love, he did you a favor ~ Be grateful! ( ￣^￣ )...}

{...You make it sound like I'm a cold-hearted wall-building demon or something. I'm not that difficult  - 3 - )...}

{...*You might as well as be~...}

Lei Xing pouted but quickly corrected her expression when the minister of Rites who had been leading the way finally stopped. It was then that Lei Xing realized that they had finally arrived at the ancestral hall.

The minister of Rites lightly bowed his head and motioned to the door and said, ”Your highness, please enter...”

Lei Xing nodded and went ahead. As she entered, she scanned the multitude of plaques lined up on the leveled stands built into the wall. On the center stand, stood the plaques of the most recent elder deaths, the late Emperor and the two late Empresses. From what she could see, the hall only contained plaques of Emperors, Empresses, and Empress dowagers.

For some reason, this made Lei Xing's mood suddenly sour.

{...Where are his consorts and concubines?...}

{...*It doesn't matter, you are to be the Empress~ ^_^)...}

{...I know but still...It's depressing to see, even in death they are sidelined...}

Lei Xing knew they were probably sectioned off in another room in the massive building along with the children and the older family ancestors. She also understood that the front room could only hold so much. But still, it felt weird for them not to be placed here with their Emperor...almost demeaning.

The Minister of rites came up to Lei Xing and presented three lit incense sticks to her. She took them and approached the center stand and placed the incense sticks in the pot and then bowed towards the late Emperor and his Empresses.

Then she walked over to the cushion set on the ground for her, scanned the plaques again and then let out a sigh and began her first kowtow. As she bowed her head to the ground, a disconcerting thought came to mind.

{...How much longer do you think this dynasty will last?...}

She was not asking or anyone or seeking an answer. It was just a random thought. But then the bracelet immediately gave her an answer.

{...*A thousand years...}

Lei Xing froze for a moment, surprised with the response. And then she got up with knit eyebrows with Xiao Ruo's assistance and then went down again for her second kowtow.

{...How do you know?...}

The bracelet went silent and Lei Xing finished her second kowtow, made her third and final kowtow. She rose and then made a final bow and the others in the hall bowed with her and the bracelet finally let out a heavy sigh and resopnded in the same solemn tone.

{...*Recompense...}

Lei Xing raised an eyebrow in surprise.

{...For?...}

{...*The altered course of a lifetime...}

Lei Xing turned around and the others bowed to her again and congratulated her. The Minister of rites then came forward and informed her that she will be notified once the date of the ceremony is set and asked if she had any specific requirements or requests. Lei Xing, of course, had none and simply thanked him for his work and with that, this part of her day was over and she departed with a sigh of relief.

After she left the hall, she could now focus on the bracelet and its odd revelation.

{...An altered lifetime...Whose?...Mine? O_O)...}

{...*Tch, everything isn't always about you! >_

Lei Xing rolled her eyes, but she was curious and so humored the bracelet.

{...Of course it's not...But as a concerned ”friend” I will listen to your woes to ease your heart, go on~ ^_^)...}

{...*Hmph! I'm not an idiot...Nosey is what you are -_-)...}

Unfortunately, the bracelet did not buy her concerned friend act and stopped talking after that and Lei Xing returned to her palace with a lonely mind and a disgruntled pout.

{...You know, this is not fair! If you're going to have unfettered access to my mind, I should have access to yours as well!...}

The shameless bracelet, of course, did not acknowledge her complaints with a response and Lei Xing was ready to go fishing with a certain bracelet as bait. But then Ah Jin came up to her and interrupted her plans as she handed over the list of items that came with her appointment edict.

Lei Xing was not in the mood and just lightly glanced at the list and was about to dismiss it and her, when one of the items caught her eye, ”A new beginning...What's that?” Lei Xing asked with a raised eyebrow.

”A painting.” Ah Jin responded, ”Do you want to see it?”

Lei Xing nodded, hearing it was a painting definitely piqued her mind. Ah Jin immediately sent two maids to go retrieve it.

While Lei Xing's lips curved into a small smile as she wondered if it was another one of the Emperor's paintings. Her mood suddenly brightened and she felt warm and fuzzy inside until the maids arrived and rolled open the painting. Her smile immediately fell as she stared at the uncanny painting of the mountainside lake landscape with people swimming in the water, a pair of immortals dancing above their heads and dragons and phoenixes swirling about in the sky. It was one of the paintings which still haunted the recesses of her mind, one she avoided looking at whenever she went to the royal study.