The Female Alpha Consort Mistakenly Marks the Empress - TFACMME Chapter 3

At noon, the sun hung high, its golden rays blinding. The Awakening Ceremony for the Mu family’s eldest daughter, Mu Lanshi, began to unfold.

The high-ranking officials, aristocratic families, and distinguished guests filled the wide and straight streets with magnificent carriages and fine horses.

Following the golden, cramped alleys, the grand residence stood proudly with the words “Mu Residence” written in gilded characters at the entrance.

The ceremony was set outside, unobscured by any coverings, allowing guests to enjoy the surrounding scenery.

The guests arrived early, guided by servants to their seats to wait.

Everyone eagerly anticipated the arrival of the day’s main guest—mainly because the Mu family had an eligible alpha. If they could establish a marital connection with them, it would be ideal!

Today, Mu Lanshi wore a crown and a long robe of blue and cyan, holding a folding fan, as she graciously expressed her thanks to the distinguished guests.

Her hand, holding the fan, was delicate with visible distinct knuckles yet still graceful.

Her brows and eyes resembled an ink painting, glowing beautifully under the daylight, vibrant and stunning.

“I am happy to hear the eldest lady’s awakening, I’ve come from Jiaozhou, bringing a deep-sea pearl as a small token of my gratitude,” an elderly woman with a kind face bent her waist and, seeing Mu Lanshi, eagerly greeted her.

Mu Lanshi paused for a moment, remembering that this woman was the governor of Jiaozhou. In her past life, this person had been a close friend to her. Even after her death, she had seen the governor and her children tirelessly helping her.

Mu Lanshi smiled and said, “Then I must thank Lady Xu for her kindness.”

There were people with affection, but there were also those with resentment.

Among the ceremony guests, not all were as kind as Lady Xu. Many were familiar faces—those who had mocked her when she was in a miserable situation.

Repay kindness and take revenge for grievances.

When these people saw Lady Xu received her gratitude, they quickly stepped forward to show their own treasures, but Mu Lanshi only smiled in response.

She neither accepted nor rejected, but continued walking, saying she wanted to check on the situation at the performance stage.

The performance stage had already been set up, and the troupe was busy preparing backstage.

Mu Lanshi came to the troupe specifically to find someone.

There were twin sisters here whom she had once encountered in the north during a snowstorm. Seeing them poor and freezing, she had taken them in. The sisters, unwilling to only eat plain rice, worked hard to learn various skills to repay her kindness.

Even in her hopeless years trapped in the princess’s residence, the older sister had risked her life to deliver food that extended Mu Lanshi’s life, while the younger sister had been brutally killed by the palace guards after giving away information to Mu Lanshi.

She had picked up their lives in winter, and they had returned it to her.

The humble beggars understood the importance of gratitude and repaying kindness, while others—who had received her great kindness—did not only fail to return it but even intensified their efforts to bring her down.

“Young Lady,” a timid voice called out, “Did you come to see us?”

Following the voice, it was none other than the younger twin, Ru Tu.

The younger sister was called Ru Tu, and the older sister was called Ru Jin.

Mu Lanshi had named them.

The world is rough, but Jin and Tu are as sweet as candy.

When she first had seen the sisters, both their faces were red from the cold, and their noses kept running. Without hesitation, Mu Lanshi had taken off her large cloak and draped it over them, bringing them home.

The sisters had no names, so Mu Lanshi had given them names. Jin and Tu, though bitter herbs, would eventually have sweet moments like candy.

Mu Lanshi lowered her head and smiled at their fluffy heads: “How are the preparations?”

Ru Jin was more reserved, while the younger sister, Ru Tu, boldly continued, “We’re all prepared, Sister Liu and Brother Qin are ready too! We won’t disappoint you, Young Lady, because we heard today is your important day!”

A woman who had just finished her work rushed over, hurriedly telling Ru Tu to keep her voice down, “What nonsense are you talking? Close your mouth.”

Ru Tu whispered, “Aiya, didn’t you tell me this is Young Lady’s important day?”

Before the woman could say anything more, Mu Lanshi waved her hand, signaling to stop.

“Yes, today is indeed an important day for me. Don’t make too much of it though. After you go on stage, I’ll see how you perform.”

They replied in unison, “Okay!”

The feeling of life being vibrant was truly wonderful, Mu Lanshi thought.

Her family, her friends were all around her, and her enemies were alive too, waiting for her to repay each “debt” from her past life.

Mu Lanshi was just about to step out behind the performance stage when she stopped to turn around and saw a familiar face among the crowd.

The person was tall and elegant, with the aura of a cloud and moon. Her face, delicate like a lotus, was so stunning it could captivate anyone.

Under this beautiful exterior, however, was the most repulsive beauty Mu Lanshi had ever known.

It was none other than Princess Yaoguang, Meng Yan.

At this time, she was still the least favored princess in the emperor’s harem.

She had been born after her mother had a difficult labor and had scared the emperor. He had neglected her for years and only bestowed her a title when Mu Lanshi had about to marry her, which greatly pleased the emperor.

The Mu family was an aristocratic family with centuries of history. The children of the family were traditionally married to other prominent families.

If they made a connection with the royal family, they would soon be entangled in political power struggles and would not remain in control.

…In her previous life, Mu Lanshi had insisted on marrying Meng Yan, paying the painful price of falling out with her mother.

But that would never happen again.

Today, Mu Lanshi was merely curious about how Meng Yan had ended up here.

She hadn’t invited any members of the royal family.

Who invited her then?

Or perhaps, had she come uninvited?

Mu Lanshi already had an answer in her heart, just waiting to confirm it.

She let her gaze linger on Meng Yan for a moment before quickly looking away.

Meng Yan was dressed in a typical noble lady’s attire, and Mu Lanshi immediately recognized her from her past life.

Mu Lanshi turned around; it was almost time for the ceremony to start. She had walked around three or four times, but she still hadn’t found the Qi family.

Where had they gone?

Could it be they hadn’t arrived yet?

The ceremony would not be delayed just because she couldn’t find the Qi family. After all, they would be arriving soon.

With this thought, Mu Lanshi decided to start the ceremony.

With the sound of drums, the ceremony began, and servers entered one after another, offering rich dishes to the guests.

It was March, and the peach blossoms were blooming beautifully, filling the branches with the radiance of spring.

It was indeed a good time for a ceremony.

Perhaps that was the reason, as some people, already drunk, suddenly stood up, raising their cups to Mu Lanshi and her mother: “Today is Young Lady Lanshi’s Awakening Ceremony, and it coincides with the beautiful month of March!”

Mu Mei smiled politely: “Thank you.”

Mu Lanshi also smiled in the same way as her mother.

She knew this woman well, as she was her aunt by relation. In the past, when Mu Lanshi was in trouble, this woman had never helped, instead eyeing the family head position for herself.

In her past life, Mu Lanshi had experienced both warmth and coldness. She would never be fooled by their appearance again.

Her older brother, Mu Yan, was playing with their younger sister, Yaozhi.

The siblings were sitting together, with their mother also present. Mu Lanshi casually asked: “By the way… have all the guests arrived for the ceremony?”

“They’ve all arrived,” Mu Yan answered casually. “Everyone’s here.”

“How did you know?” Mu Lanshi asked casually.

But Mu Yan froze: “Uh, what? Isn’t that something you’d do?” He quickly covered up with a forced laugh.

He had specially allowed Meng Yan in today. If she was here, then everyone must be here. That was close, he almost gave himself away!

Mu Lanshi didn’t respond. She simply said “Oh,” and continued drinking her wine. Finally, she asked, “I mean, Mother asked me to set an extra seat for the Qi family. I haven’t met them, so I don’t know if they’ve arrived yet.”

Before anyone could answer, a servant hurriedly ran over and said, “Master, the Qi family has arrived at the door.”

“Why haven’t you invited them in?” Mu Lanshi suddenly said, her voice showing a sense of urgency she hadn’t expected herself. “Let’s do this: since the ceremony has already started, to show our sincerity, I’ll go myself.”

With that, she stood up.

Her reasoning was simple—how rude it would be to start the ceremony without welcoming the guests. It was only natural for her to greet them.

“Eh?” The others were stunned. By the time they realized, Mu Lanshi had already walked outside.

Mu Mei looked at her retreating figure thoughtfully and said, “Quite proactive.”

It was indeed a bit of a shame. If the Mu family could have a marriage alliance with the Qi family, it would be a great thing for the Mu family.

It was said that the Qi family shouldn’t have allied with the royal family first.

Mu Mei couldn’t understand what the old man of the Qi family was thinking.

Mu Lanshi walked swiftly.

She was naturally tall and had long legs, walking so fast that the servants behind her couldn’t catch up, secretly grumbling.

‘Ah, why is the young lady walking so fast? The Qi family isn’t even looking to meet you! They’ve arrived so late, too, surely it’s because they don’t value the Mu family.’

Mu Lanshi walked quickly.

Her long years of wandering and disillusionment had been explained by someone.

As she listened to the roaring noise in her heart, she could actually sense something different.

A carriage stopped outside, and a middle-aged man, with his family, was exchanging pleasantries with the servant at the door.

“Young Lady is here!” the servant gasped for air and, as Mu Lanshi was about to reach them, announced out loud to remind the gatekeepers.

At the sound, several women raised their heads.

Among them was Qi Yingzhu.

Though it was a bit chilly in March, she still wore a white jacket, wrapped a rabbit fur scarf around her neck, and a pale blue cloak.

She was delicate and beautiful, her apricot eyes gleaming. This woman raised in Jiangnan had a more misty, ethereal beauty than Mu Lanshi.

Mu Lanshi recognized her, of course—but her presence was not the same as in her previous life.

At this moment, her presence resembled the morning dew on the ephemeral peach blossom petals that had just bloomed.

Brimming with the breath of spring and still filled with the yearning hope of youthful love.

—So this was her appearance when she was waiting to get married?

Who was the person standing beside her?

Mu Lanshi, in a daze, had already reached the group.

The middle-aged man smiled gently and signaled for his daughters to come forward. “Nian, Yingzhu, quickly come and greet the young lady.” Mu Lanshi was about to speak when the man, smiling, spoke before her. “Young Lady, these are my two daughters. This is my eldest daughter, Qi Nian, and my youngest daughter, Qi Yingzhu.”

“…Nice to meet you, I’m Mu Lanshi.” Mu Lanshi froze for a moment.

She didn’t even know that Qi Yingzhu had an older sister.

Though she was talking to the man, Mu Lanshi could feel Qi Yingzhu’s gaze kept lingering on her.

***

TL/N:

荼/tú=thistle; common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus); bitter (taste); cruel; flowering grass in profusion.

堇/jǐn=clay; old variant of 僅|仅[jin3]; violet (plant)

如/rú=as; as if; such as

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozhou_(region