Chapter 1: Invitation to the Emperor’s Birthday Banquet

"Third xiaojie, your father has asked to see you," the manservant told his master's third daughter mockingly without even bowing to show his respect as if she weren't his master's daughter. However, the girl was used to it so she just waved him away to the side, causing the manservant to roll his eyes at her but complied, to which the girl again ignored.

"Xiaojie…" the servant girl beside Yin Xin called out in complain to her xiaojie. Instead of saying anything, Yin Xin merely shook her head no. Clenching her fist tightly to surpass the urge to punch that manservant, Lin Miao Xian silently grieved for her xiaojie. Third xiaojie was mocked by everyone outside even though they have never even seen her, and inside the household, even the servants dared to mock her because the great General never cared about his third di daughter. Since third xiaojie was not favored and even disliked by the great General, how could she live a good life in the household where all servants bend to the great General's will to please him? Of course xiaojie couldn't! Lin Miao Xian clutched her fist even tighter in hatred at her xiaojie's father, the great General. What great General—Lin Miao mentally spat—more like trash General who ignores his main wife's only child.

Yin Xin seeing Lin Miao Xian's tightly clenched fist with nails digging into her palm in anger on her behalf, her heart moved if not slightly for her maid's care toward her. However, it stopped as soon as it happened. She reached out her hand to cover Lin Miao Xian's, to reassure her. Lin Miao Xian's heart thumped in surprise by her xiaojie's sudden move but relaxed her hand nonetheless. Then Yin Xin stood up and followed the manservant to the General's office.

When they arrived, the manservant knocked and announced, "Third xiaojie is here." Then a deep voice rang out from the inside. This voice held a trace of coldness hidden in it from the times that the owner had been in battles and commanding the army. The resoluteness and firmness could shake most people, however Yin Xin wasn't just an ordinary third xiaojie of the General's household. So while the manservant was shaking in his pants, very close to peeing them, she entered gracefully followed by her maid who give the manservant a smug smile seeing how shaken he was. After they entered, the manservant closed the door, leaving only three people inside a office room. A man sitting behind a desk doing paperwork, and two females standing in front of him waiting patiently. Well, the maid was slightly infuriated by the fact that he was the one who invited them so why was he still only doing his paperwork while they had to wait. Seeing how worked up her maid was again, Yin Xin just sighed in her head but the corner of her lips tugged up before it became neutral again.

About an incense stick later, the General finally lifted up his head to acknowledge them. Putting down his pen and documents, he folded his hands together and stared at his "disappointment" of a daughter before sighing. He pinched the area between his brows before tirely saying, "Di daughter," in acknowledge.

"General," Yin Xin greeted in reply, refusing to acknowledge him as her father. Discomfort appeared at his di daughter's indifference, he didn't comment on the way she addressed him, instead he went straight to the reason why he summoned for her.

"Song Yin Xin," he called her by her full name, not an ounce of closeness could be felt from the way he called and spoke to her, only ever coldness, "this year you have already reached a marriage age so you cannot continue to remain in this mansion locked up in your room. As the General Song Mansion's di daughter, you have to find a good husband. So for your coming out, you will be attending the emperor's birthday banquet with the rest of the family in three days." Yin Xin nodded in understanding while Lin Miao Xian again fumed inside her heart.

"It's not like xiaojie intentionally stayed in the mansion, locked up in her room for all these years. You and the whole 'family' were the ones that forbid xiaojie from going out all these years while spreading trash about third xiaojie!" Lin Miao Xian wanted to yell at the trash General, but instead she bit her lips til it bled as to not get her xiaojie in trouble. She didn't even consider herself getting punished for even wanting to say something so disrespectful to the head of the house and all she could care about was her poor xiaojie and her getting into any trouble.

"That's all. You may take your leave," The General dismissed Yin Xin and turned his attention again to the paperwork on his desk, completely ignoring her existence. However, Yin Xin didn't mind it one bit, she was already used to the way everyone in her family treated her whether it was negligence or. . . Either way, she did not care, for in her heart she does not deem the Song family as family, only strangers she lives with.

"Then Yin'er will take her leave." She directly turned and walked out without any show of respect, not like the General deserved any. The maid beside her "humphed" as she also turned and walked away without the slightest show of respect to her master's father, she even dared to show such haughty altitude.

Once they had returned back to Yin Xin's room, Lin Miao Xian closed the door and went directly into complaining. Seeing how this has always happened for the past few years every time after they visited any of the family members, Yin Xin was already used to it. She also knows that Lin Miao Xian only complained this much on behalf of the anger Yin Xin felt. The anger which Yin Xin hid and groomed to become cold hatred.

Lin Miao Xian, this Lin Miao Xian. This girl that she had picked up from the streets when her mother was still alive and when her life has not completely went under. Even after so many years of following her, and because of being so loyal, she was also bullied by the other servants and maids, yet she never complained. Only ever complained for her. Yin Xin could not be anymore moved, however her heart remained as icy cold and frozen as before. Never hearing a beat.

While on the other hand, Lin Miao Xian was still fuming over all the mistreatment her xiaojie got. She could never forget the fact that it was xiaojie who rescued her when she was in trouble, even though the memories of her past before she met miss were a blur. She would never ever forget the moment her xiaojie had saved her. It was on that day that Lin Miao Xian, the name she was given, vowed to always be by her xiaojie's side to serve and to protect. But who knew that she would be so useless! She could only watch as her xiaojie is ridiculed by everyone and even beaten at times. Even though xiaojie can fight back, she didn't. Lin Miao Xian knows Yin Xin's secret because she was also part of it. So seeing her master get beaten up when she had more than enough power to fight back hurts. She'd clenched her fist and face the other way every time because her xiaojie forbid her to help. Her accumulated anger over the years could wipe out the entire General's household thousands and millions of times already. Lin Miao Xian sneaked a glance at her calm xiaojie, seeing her composed manner while drinking tea, she felt even more wronged for her xiaojie.

Just when another complaint started to rise out of her throat and out her mouth, someone came in without knocking.

How disrespectful! Lin Miao Xian lamented in her heart, however she nevertheless swallowed her next words.

The woman that entered bowed in mock greeting, then stood up without being told.

"Third miss, favored concubine Liu Rao Mei taking in consideration that it would be third xiaojie's first official debut to the society has ordered this old servant to bring you a dress that she loved to show you her sincerity." After saying so, the woman twisted around to beckon the two servant girls behind her to bring the dress over. Carelessly placing down the dress, the two servant girls' attitude clearly showed their distaste of the third xiaojie. After they had done what they were told to do, they went back to their positions, behind the old woman.

This old woman is favored concubine's most trustworthy and loyal servant, Gao An. She has stayed by her side for a long time, even before Liu Rao Mei had married into the Song family. She basically does all the dirty work for Liu Rao Mei, since she doesn't like to get her own hands dirty. Not like it matters because her heart is foul.

"Would third xiaojie take a look to see if it's to your liking?" On Gao An's dripped in red lips was a slight smirk and if one did not look closely, one would think that it was an encouraging smile to the third xiaojie. Since everyone already openly shows their dislike of Yin Xin, no one has ever been nice or sincere to her. Besides, Yin Xin has long since seen through people's true heart and their intentions to her. The dress was probably sprayed with some kind of drug.

"Of course it's to my liking. How could favored concubine's favorite dress be any less than the best. Am I right, Gao An?" Yin Xin said in a sweet and innocent voice, meanwhile the slight sinister smile on her lips, barely noticeable, was the exact opposite. Meaning that if there was a problem with the dress, it was Gao An's fault. Or if there was a deeper meaning, if there was a problem with the dress, Liu Rao Mei was the mastermind who messed with the dress since it is her favorite, she must have been the one who tempered it. It was a threat to both Gao An and Liu Rao Mei to not mess with her too much.

Obviously Gao An didn't take it to heart. However, she felt a cold shiver crawling up her spine causing a tiny glint of fear to flash in her eyes briefly before it disappeared and she regained her composure.

"Humph. How boring," Lin Miao Xian muttered under her breath. She obviously knew that there was something wrong with the dress. For there was no way that Liu Rao Mei would have any kind intentions towards her master.

Even though Yin Xin's mother was not favored, she was still the main wife and so Yin Xin was still the legitimate daughter of the house. On the other hand, while Lin Rao Mei was favored, her children are of lowly birth, and so they're the illegitimate children. The same goes for the other children of the concubines.

So this is the result of Liu Rao Mei wanting that position for her own children.

"Yes you are, third xiaojie," Gao An forced a smile on her face, "Now this nubi will take her leave." Then she gestured to the other two girls to follow her and left. Stepping out of the room, Gao An's face twisted into an ugly sneer. She then "humphed" and left to report back to Liu Rao Mei.

On the other side of the door, Lin Miao Xian also "humphed" and stomped her foot in contempt at Gao An. She then went to the table where the dress laid and was about to rip it to shreds when Yin Xin stopped her.

"Third xiaojie, why can't I shred it to pieces. You already know that they've drugged it," Lin Miao Xian asked in confusion, not understanding why her xiaojie wouldn't allow her to tear it to pieces and grind it to dust to feed it to Liu Rao Mei and Gao An. Nonetheless, she placed down the dress harshly and crossed her arms in annoyance at the dress. As she glared at the dress like it was a living being, she heard a light chuckle from behind her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she turned to see her lady chuckling at her behavior. This made Lin Miao Xian's mood brighter as she skipped to Yin Xin's side for her xiaojie rarely ever laughed. Although Yin Xin was laughing her eyes held no smile, only ever coldness, even when she laughed her heart was not moved and her smile ice cold.

"Well now, Lin Miao Xian, since favored concubine Liu Rao Mei was being so thoughtful, I should show my appreciation, shouldn't I? Or else how would others see me? They would deem me as unfilial," Yin Xin said sarcastically in a mocking tone, a sly smile blooming on her lips. Although Lin Miao Xian had no idea what her xiaojie was plotting but she knows that her xiaojie would never let anyone who tries to harm her get away easily. She trusts her xiaojie had her own reasons for doing things this way. She knows that she was a very capable person, and excuse her for saying so, but sometimes very cruel and fierce. And because of her attitude when she does these cruel things and her love of poison, she earned the nickname, "Poisonous Ice Goddess".

After all, her xiaojie wasn't an ordinary household's xiaojie. Her xiaojie had a secret identity that's known to many, but her identity as the General household's third xiaojie was only known to her subordinates. To others Yin Xin might appear to be the legendary "Poisonous Ice Goddess" blessed with great power and wealth, but she was always suffering, never happy. Her xiaojie hasn't smiled for years now ever since her mother's death. And the morning after the funeral, xiaojie transformed into a different person overnight. Sure she was still calm and doesn't retort, but her demeanor changed to ice cold. As if one were to touch her, they would freeze to their death.

"Yes, xiaojie. Miao'er will listen to your words. Please give me your order," Lin Miao Xian said bowing to Yin Xin like a subordinate would to their superior, her previous demeanor completely vanished, replaced with a serious demeanor.

One could only imagine what she was thinking about as a chilling cold smile rose on Yin Xin's lips.