Lingbo Palace, true to its name, is a palace built on the water. It is said that when Consort Yu Clark first entered the palace at the age of sixteen, though deeply favored by the emperor, she always wore a melancholy expression from seeing the same monotonous scenery every day. The emperor tried every possible way to make her happy, and finally, at great expense, built the only waterside structure in the palace. Because of this, the empress quarreled with the emperor, and rumors of a seductive woman bringing disaster to the country spread throughout the court. However, Consort Yu's favor never waned. Her firstborn, Seventh Prince, was born with a kind of internal heat, always weak and sickly, and was mocked by the other concubines in the palace. But she proved herself by giving birth to a second son, Eleventh Prince, an extremely healthy child. The emperor, who doted on Consort Yu, even granted her request to invite a fortune-teller from outside the palace to predict this son's fate, and the result was that his destiny was said to be incomparably noble. This only aroused more jealousy among the other concubines, but Consort Yu's position was already secure. Her own elder brother, Edward Clark, had also been promoted again and again thanks to his sister's favor, and finally held the stable position of Vice Minister of Personnel. Everyone knew that Minister Huang of the Personnel Ministry was already elderly, and the position of Minister would sooner or later fall into the hands of the The Clark Family. Consort Yu of Lingbo Palace was already showing signs of overshadowing the empress. However, at this time, Ethan Foster was completely unaware of all this. Whether in the past or now, he was still too young to even begin to consider such matters.

　　From a distance, a eunuch saw Seventh Prince and his entourage approaching and hurried inside to report. Although this prince was not favored by Consort Yu due to his frail health, he was still her own son—who would dare neglect him? So, by the time Ethan Foster and the others reached the palace gates, several palace maids had already come out to greet them. The leading maid looked somewhat familiar to Ethan Foster; she seemed to be his mother Consort Yu's personal attendant, Sarah. Nearly thirty years old, she had served Consort Yu since childhood and had refused to marry for many years, thus earning the deep trust of the Consort. Even the noble Seventh Prince and Eleventh Prince called her Aunt Ping rather than by her given name. Looking closely, Ethan Foster saw that although there were some fine lines at the corners of her eyes, Aunt Ping still maintained a good figure, with only a light touch of powder on her face. Her plain palace attire gave her a unique charm.

　　“Your Highness the Seventh Prince, you’ve arrived!” Sarah gave a slight curtsey. “Her Ladyship has been talking about you for ages, wondering why you haven’t come yet.” She looked at Ethan Foster’s complexion with a beaming smile, then nodded in satisfaction. “It seems these servants have taken good care of you—your color is much better than last month. That’s wonderful news. Tomorrow, I’ll make a good soup for Your Highness and bring it over.”

　　Emily felt a chill in her heart. If he really drank her soup, Ethan Foster might never recover his health.

Chapter Three: The Viper Beauty

　　The arrangement of Lingbo Palace was very different from Ethan Foster’s Fenghua Palace. To highlight the noble status of its mistress, all the decorations met royal standards—elegant and extraordinary. Every table and chair, every stand and stool, was arranged with unique ingenuity. Rare and precious incense burned in the indoor censer, and all the palace maids went about their tasks in perfect order, only curtseying as Ethan Foster passed by, making everything seem very orderly. The only people following behind Ethan Foster were Emily and Grace; this was a special instruction from Sarah, otherwise, with their status, they would not have been allowed to set foot in Lingbo Palace.

　　In such an environment, Ethan Foster felt especially uneasy. After all, he was an impostor who had never seen such grand occasions. Although he possessed the real Seventh Prince’s memories, the thought of meeting the Consort—someone he’d only ever seen in operas—made cold sweat bead on his forehead.

　　“Your Ladyship, Seventh Prince has come to pay his respects.” Sarah announced through the beaded curtain.

　　“Let him in.” A pleasant voice came from behind the curtain.

　　Following Sarah into Consort Yu’s bedchamber, Ethan Foster finally saw the woman he had long admired. She sat with her back to everyone, dressed in splendid palace attire, her jet-black hair adorned with a radiant, multicolored golden phoenix. Her left hand, as fair as jade, rested on the table, revealing a finely crafted gold bracelet. Even just her silhouette was enough to stir endless imagination. That was all Ethan Foster saw. Guided by Sarah, he knelt before his mother and greeted her according to proper etiquette: “Your son pays his respects to Mother Consort.”

　　“Rise. Your health is poor; there’s no need for so many formalities.” The woman at the head of the room replied calmly.

　　Sarah quickly brought over a brocade stool. As Ethan Foster stood up, he saw that breathtakingly beautiful face—so stunning it defied description. He was transfixed, staring blankly at his mother’s face, not even noticing Emily tugging at him from behind. Seeing the prince act as if he were meeting his mistress for the first time, Sarah found it odd and gave him several meaningful glances, but Ethan Foster remained unresponsive. Even though he was her own son, Consort Yu felt a bit annoyed and couldn’t help but give a light cough.