Ashes of the Lonely Beauty

Few people in the Jiang household were ever willing to visit Ruohua Pavilion.

Everyone in the manor knew that Ruohua Pavilion was home to Fifth Miss Mingchu, a girl unloved by the prince. Her mother had once been a songstress, and died when Mingchu was only four years old. From then on, she had been raised by an old nursemaid.

Another New Year’s Eve arrived, and the Jiang household was bustling with activity. Lanterns were strung up everywhere, tables were set, and guests came and went, filling the air with lively commotion. Only Ruohua Pavilion remained unlit and unadorned, cold and deserted.

From a distance, a little girl, perhaps only six or seven, approached with her hands tucked into her sleeves.

Her hair was tied into two round buns, each adorned with a string of red tassels, and she wore a red jacket over a white dress. Though her clothes were plain and lacking in finery, her innocence and charm shone through—a natural beauty untouched by artifice.

She paused at the side of the Grand Purity Pool, her gaze lingering on its surface.

The Grand Purity Pool was vast. In summer, lotus flowers crowded together, their green leaves pleasing to the eye and the air fragrant with their scent. The nursemaid had once brought her here to pick lotus seeds.

Now, only a few withered clumps of grass remained, lending the scene an air of desolation.

She sighed softly. A gust of chill wind swept across the pool, seeping into her collar and making her shiver. She quickened her pace.

Skirting the pool, she walked down a path lined wi