The Female Alpha Consort Mistakenly Marks the Empress - TFACMME Chapter 2

A knock on the door echoed.

Mu Lanshi suddenly returned to her senses, allowing the person at the door to enter.

A maid with twin buns entered, lowering her head and cautiously looking at her young lady, who seemed to be reading.

“Young Lady,” she whispered, “I’m here because the family head is looking for you.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Lanshi slowly raised her head and lazily looked at her. “My mother is looking for me?”

“Y-Yes… The family head is looking for you.” The maid stammered, unsure why, but today the young lady looked even more… graceful.

Though the young lady was always beautiful, with long brows and a face both elegant and noble, exuding a transcendent charm.

Mu Lanshi calmly said, “I understand. Go tell my mother that I’ll be there soon.”

“Yes.” The maid replied repeatedly and, after taking a few steps back, quickly exited the room.

How strange. The young lady seemed not only more graceful today, but…

Especially when she raised her eyes at that moment. The slight lift of her brows showed a kind of languor only someone who had been in a position of power for a long time could possess.

No wonder the young lady is the heir. The maid, surprised, thought to herself that like mother, like daughter, and went back to report to the head of the family.

It was certainly different now.

After the maid left, Mu Lanshi’s eyes suddenly grew sharp and clear as ice and snow, scanning every flower and object in the room.

She had regressed.

The interesting thing was that she had regressed on the very day of her own Awakening Ceremony—just recently, she had evolved into an alpha, and this news had spread like wildfire across the capital. Naturally, as the future head of the Mu family, her Awakening Ceremony had to be a grand affair.

In this world, when someone becomes an alpha on their coming-of-age day, it is called “Awakening,” different from the usual rites of passage. The coming-of-age here is divided into three types: the alpha’s is called “Awakening,” the omega’s is “Blooming,” and the beta is “Balancing.”

And it was on this day that, by a twist of fate, she had an affair with Princess Yaoguang, Meng Yan, who was not favored at the time. From that moment, Meng Yan became hopelessly devoted to her…

Thinking of this, Mu Lanshi’s gaze darkened. More than Meng Yan, she wanted to know about Qi Yingzhu.

“Ah Chen.” She called out randomly, and a person in black appeared, their voice cold and sharp: “My lord, you called for me?” 

Mu Lanshi motioned for them to lean closer and whispered a few words. 

The person in black froze for a moment. “My lord, will she truly come?”

Mu Lanshi nodded. “Do as I instructed.”

She would come. If she didn’t, how could she have fallen so blindly in love in her past life?

After giving her orders, Mu Lanshi stood up and adjusted her attire.

Meeting her strict mother was never an easy task.

She stared quietly at her reflection in the bronze mirror.

Her long brows arched to her temples, eyes full of depth like mountains and rivers, veiled in mist, hiding sharpness.

She took the rhino horn comb, combing through her own jet-black hair. In the end, she gathered it up with a simple hairpin, her face still beautiful, as fresh as a spring morning.

—Just like her name.

Lan Shi; orchid season.

She wasn’t pale, thanks to years spent under the blazing sun, her skin was the color of warm honey.

But it was soft and firm to the touch, completely different from the frail, sagging figure she had in her previous life, confined in Princess Yaoguang’s mansion.

Her eyes also shone brightly.

It felt good. Youth felt so good.

***

Mu Family was the most prestigious family in the land, and the residence they lived in was located in the capital’s most valuable district, Pingjin Alley. Its status was self-evident.

Thus, Mu Lanshi had to travel quite a long way from her private quarters to meet her mother.

However, in the Chongli Hall, it wasn’t only her mother present; there were also two “familiar faces.”

One was her “good” older brother, Mu Yan; the other was the younger sister of her mother’s former consort, her aunt Lin Xiarun.

We won’t talk about the first one for now, but as for the latter’s family, they had once begged to change their surname to Mu when Mu Lanshi was thriving. Yet after her downfall, they hastily reverted to their original surname, severing ties with the Mu family and even harming Mu Lanshi’s friends.

The incense burner on the table emitted a thin stream of white smoke, flowing, carrying with it all the accumulated grievances of past and present.

None would be spared. Mu Lanshi’s lips curled into a slight smile.

“Mother, I am late.”

Mu Mei was sitting at that moment, as majestic as a jade mountain.

Her sharp phoenix eyes swept over Mu Lanshi. “You are late.”

Her voice carried authority without needing to raise it.

Mu Lanshi was quick to reply: “I accept the punishment.”

Accept punishment? Mu Mei froze for a moment, sensing something strange about her daughter.

Mu Lanshi had resisted punishment fiercely since she was seven. By the time she was fourteen, she had become flawless in handling matters, and her mother had never punished her.

What was going on today?

“There’s no need for punishment,” Mu Mei said, suppressing her doubts. “You have reached the age of Awakening and have become an alpha. As for me, I will not punish you.”

Even so, Mu Lanshi’s heart still simmered with heat.

…Of course, she hadn’t forgotten what her elder brother had said, how her mother had knelt in front of the ancestral hall for three days and nights to save her.

A slight thought arose within her—a desire to empathize with her mother from that time.

Mu Mei spoke again, “Speaking of which, your Awakening Ceremony will begin tomorrow. Have all the preparations been made?”

She replied to her mother, “everything is ready.”

When Mu Lanshi had just been reborn, she confirmed all the details for the ceremony. In her past life, she had handled the preparations herself. But this time, she had kept a close eye on the guest list.

…She was the daughter of a prominent family, yet she inexplicably had a one-night affair with a royal princess. It was truly strange.

Mu Mei nodded approvingly, her eyes involuntarily showing a trace of maternal affection. This child was indeed like her, outstanding at such a young age. But, wanting to take on the heavy responsibility of leading the family? That would not be enough.

Thus, she could not smile at her, nor could she be satisfied. She had to continue pushing her forward.

Mu Mei said, “Mm, now that you’re an alpha, the ceremony tomorrow will be a good chance to see some eligible omegas from other prominent families.”

As if hearing the word “alpha,” Mu Yan spoke up after Mu Mei finished: “Yes, now that you are an alpha, sister, I don’t think there are many omegas in the capital who would be worthy of you, are there?”

Mu Lanshi glanced at him casually.

In her previous life, she hadn’t seen through him. This kind of malicious remark had somehow been taken by her as concern.

Her elder brother’s father was a servant with the surname Yan. He had an accident with her mother. The laws of Great Qi were strict, and with the Mu family’s high status, a servant could never rise to the occasion. That man had attempted to climb the ranks and should have been executed—but her mother, being kind-hearted, had spared him and his child.

Because her mother was strong and disregarded public opinion, she had raised Mu Yan herself.

She had thought this would warm his heart, but little did she know, Mu Yan had long been harboring resentment. Once the Mu family fell, he immediately changed his surname and turned on his siblings.

Seeing no one else speak, Mu Yan continued: “What I mean is, sister is an excellent alpha.”

He was also an alpha.

The seed of hatred had already grown into a tree by this point.

Mu Lanshi lowered her head in contemplation, when Lin Xiarun quickly flattered: “Yes, yes, the young lady has now evolved into an alpha and will lead the Mu family to even greater heights.”

She was eager.

Rarely, Mu Lanshi, who was usually humble and polite and never lost face, spoke coldly: “According to the family rules, one cannot interrupt at this time.”

Mu Yan and Lin Xiarun exchanged a look, both reading surprise in each other’s eyes.

“This… I was just joking.” Lin Xiarun stammered, chuckling.

Mu Lanshi responded coldly: “Family rules are not a joke to the Mu family.”

Lin Xiarun froze in place, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.

This… she was clearly being reprimanded!

But she could only endure it, because if Mu Mei didn’t speak, she had no choice but to swallow the grievance.

‘One day, one day…’ she swore.

“By the way, Lanshi, remember to add an extra seat.” Mu Mei said suddenly.

Mu Lanshi raised her eyes. “An extra seat?”

“Yes, for the Qi family, the one from Jiangnan. They arrived in the capital tonight and will attend the ceremony tomorrow. That’s all. Tomorrow, you must perform well.”

—Normally, when an alpha has their Awakening Ceremony, the elders would usually handle the ceremony, but the strict Mu family head had made her handle it herself. This was in itself a test, a display.

Mu Lanshi agreed. Seeing that there was nothing else, Mu Mei waved her hand, signaling that they could leave.

Mu Yan and Lin Xiarun left first, and Mu Lanshi walked halfway when she stopped.

The air suddenly grew still.

Mu Lanshi didn’t turn around; she was waiting for her mother to call her.

This was the tacit understanding they shared.

“You’re staying; what do you want to ask?” Mu Mei said gently: “You were a bit reckless with your brother and aunt just now.”

Reckless or not, her mother knew, yet she didn’t speak up at the time.

So she understood. Mu Lanshi turned back, her lips curling into a smile: “This Lanshi wants to know what the Qi family from Jiangnan is doing in the capital.”

The Qi family from Jiangnan was also a prestigious family from the south. Though they were now a second-class noble, their ancestors had been quite wealthy. The capital used to be in the south, in Jiangnan, but because of the war, it had moved north.

And Qi Yingzhu, she came from the Qi family of Jiangnan.

Recalling the moment when her soul had drifted, Mu Lanshi still felt her heart tremble.

Being reborn, of course, meant repaying kindness and seeking revenge, but that action seemed to go beyond just “gratitude and resentment.”

Her mother was strict but never hesitated to tell her these things: “The palace’s eunuchs told me that the emperor, during his southern tour years ago, took a fancy to the Qi family’s daughter. At the time, she hadn’t evolved yet, and the emperor said that if she became an omega, he would bring her into the palace.”

‘That old emperor, who already had a stroke, was almost on his deathbed, but still thought of chasing skirts,’ Mu Lanshi thought with a sneer.

“The position in the palace has now opened, and the emperor’s actions are probably to make the Qi family’s daughter his queen—partly to improve his health and partly to win the favor of the southern families.” Mu Mei said slowly, “You should be aware of this.”

Initially, when Mu Mei learned that Mu Lanshi had evolved into an alpha, she had intended to have her daughter interact with suitable omegas from other noble families—she knew exactly what stage these families’ children had evolved into.

She had thought it through clearly. If Mu Lanshi had become an omega, she would either have married the Zhao family from the capital or, like her mother, only invited alphas into the family without any formal titles—although the current world still valued alphas, with her power and authority, no gossip would harm her.

No matter how much her relatives murmured, they would only dare to do it in private.

“Is the Qi family coming tomorrow?” Mu Lanshi asked again.

“Yes, the whole family is coming,” Mu Mei replied.

“When will the Qi family’s daughter enter the palace?”

Mu Mei glanced at her strangely: “As soon as they arrive in the capital, they will greet the emperor.”

So she will enter the palace immediately?

Mu Lanshi nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then excused herself.

Her mother’s words didn’t seem to have any issues.

The emperor had taken a liking to the Qi family’s daughter, so he was letting her enter the palace—however, the entire Qi family was still coming to attend her Awakening Ceremony. What did this mean?

Mu Lanshi became even more curious.

In her previous life, her interaction with Qi Yingzhu was limited to their dealings at court, and she knew little of her private life. Qi Yingzhu had always been strict and indifferent, never showing any familial weaknesses.

To enter the capital and become the emperor’s queen at such a young age was no different from being buried alive.

But attending the ceremony was a different matter; that would be a joyful occasion.

Mu Lanshi’s mind suddenly began to race with thoughts.