Chapter Sixty-Three: You Have Mistaken Me for Someone Else

“Your Highness, what are you thinking about?”
The ever-unmoved Hua Rong sparked a hint of curiosity in Jun Yecheng.
Returning to herself, Hua Rong quickly shook her head. “No, nothing. I just thought this dress looked lovely. Where did it come from?”
If it truly was a dress he had once worn as female attire, Hua Rong would rather wear it than ever touch such taboo.
After all, she’d heard the rumor: a man who dresses as a woman and then offers his clothes to another woman must have feelings for her.
Though she’d always admired Jun Yecheng’s beauty, she knew her place.
Jun Yecheng, perhaps sensing her tangled thoughts, explained with simple clarity, “This belonged to my mother, the consort. It was part of her dowry when she married, but she never had occasion to wear it. It remains pristine. You should wear it.”
“This… seems rather inappropriate.” Hua Rong was surprised. Once the misunderstanding was cleared, she felt the dress was far too noble for her.
After all, by memory, Jun Yecheng’s birth mother was an esteemed Imperial Consort, backed by a powerful Chancellor’s family. Though her status had waned, she was still superior to the Hua family by far.
Yet, Jun Yecheng’s gentle persistence wore her down, and Hua Rong finally relented.
Emerging from behind the screen, she found Jun Yecheng still waiting, and felt a touch of awkwardness. “Didn’t you leave earlier? Why are you still here?”
He smiled calmly. “I just came in. You weren’t dressed yet, so I was worried something might happen.”
“Why does that sound strange? If something really happened, would you help me dress?”
Hua Rong shivered at the thought, the image unsettling. She forced a nervous smile. “Thank you for your concern, Second Prince. I’m not so helpless as to be unable to dress myself.”
Jun Yecheng laughed softly, offering no reply.
His gaze lingered on her—now that she had shed her plain robes, she shone with radiance, like a proud peacock, breathtakingly beautiful.
“I never expected Consort Rong to possess such natural allure. No wonder His Majesty is so captivated!”
He teased with a gentle laugh, though the words seemed to carry a strange chill.
Hua Rong instinctively shuddered, shaking her head in anxious protest. “Please don’t say that. The newly arrived Lady Yu is unmatched in beauty. How could I stand out among so many flowers? At best I am a mere foil!”
Though the compliment was sweet, she wanted no part of his gracious words.
Still, she tentatively asked, “Does it really look so good?”
Jun Yecheng nodded, “Indeed, you are as lovely as a celestial maiden.”
“This… this won’t do! If I dress so extravagantly, the other consorts will surely think I’m vying for favor. Won’t they want to tear me apart?” Hua Rong shook her head, troubled, and glanced at Jun Yecheng. “Does Your Highness have any other clothes? They needn’t be so ornate—something simpler would suffice.”
She’d painstakingly chosen her attire today, only for Lady Yu to antagonize her. Now, dressed like this, she was bound to invite scornful glances.
Hua Rong felt caught between worlds, truly disheartened.
Jun Yecheng was taken aback—no one had ever made such a peculiar request, and he didn’t know how to respond.
After a moment’s thought, he shook his head. “I am sorry, but as a man, I don’t have any more women’s clothing. Please make do with this, Your Highness.”
“Well, all right then.”
She couldn’t just alter someone else’s clothes. Biting her lip, Hua Rong could only brace herself, nodding in reluctant acceptance, and followed the Second Prince quietly into the banquet.
The festivities had already begun in earnest, music and dance filling the hall; nobody noticed Hua Rong and Jun Yecheng entering.
“Your Highness, as our statuses are so different, I shall go ahead. Please follow in due course.”
Jun Yecheng went ahead, leaving Hua Rong behind, her heart smoldering with frustration. “I’m so beautiful, dressed so splendidly. Am I to steal all the glory here?”
It wasn’t vanity, but innate charm; she could deny her beauty, but fate would not allow it—after all, the masses see clearly!
While she fretted, a sudden commotion arose in the distance. “Why are you still standing here? We’re about to go on stage! Hurry and put on your headpiece!”
A woman dressed identically to Hua Rong, holding an embroidered fan, urged her on.
Hua Rong was utterly confused. “Me?”
Seeing the other woman in matching attire and holding a fan, it was clear she was one of the upcoming dancers, mistaking Hua Rong for a fellow performer and now dragging her along!
“No, let me explain, I—” Hua Rong tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but the woman gave her no chance, grabbing her wrist. “Don’t be a stranger. If we delay Lady Wen’s banquet, we’ll be punished!”
And just like that, Hua Rong was swept into the crowd, donned a veil, and with the music, joined the troupe mounting the stage.
“What’s going on? How am I supposed to know your dance steps? I don’t even know how to dance!”
Hua Rong was utterly miserable, an innocent bystander forced to play a supporting role, and not even paid for it!
Meanwhile, Jun Yeli was entirely uninterested in the performances, glancing at the empty seat meant for Hua Rong, then at Jun Yecheng, who sat upright and composed. His mind was unsettled.
Damn it, where had that woman gone? Didn’t she go to change clothes with him? How could Jun Yecheng have returned, yet she was still missing?
Sensing the intense gaze upon him, Jun Yecheng lifted his wine cup and smiled, gesturing a toast toward Jun Yeli.
Jun Yeli couldn’t refuse, feigning politeness, though his heart remained troubled.
Jun Yecheng, meanwhile, propped his head with one hand, contentedly watching the dances, unconcerned by Hua Rong’s disappearance.
His gaze swept the crowd, spotting a woman with chaotic, clumsy steps, awkwardly twisting her slender body—clearly out of place.
Chapter Sixty-four: This Is Just a Misunderstanding
Others noticed the anomaly as well. Lady Jia smirked, “Who invited that dancer? She’s muddling around, disrupting the entire dance—like a rat spoiling the pot!”
She cast her gaze toward Lady Yu. Yes, this batch of dancers was specially invited by her.
Lady Yu was embarrassed, biting her lip in frustration. “I’ll settle accounts with you all later!”
The women, seizing the opportunity, plunged into fierce rivalry, both openly and covertly.
Meanwhile, Hua Rong, caught up in the dance, was flustered. “Are we raising our hands or our feet? Can’t we be more coordinated?”
She was the least coordinated of all, but who could predict their movements?
Just as she fretted, a ripping sound was heard—she’d stepped on something. A woman shrieked and fell, disrupting the formation.
“Ah! Who stepped on the hem of my dress?”
The woman tried to rise. Hua Rong hadn’t realized she’d stepped on her garment until the other tugged, sending Hua Rong tumbling to the floor as well.
In an instant, all order was lost, the music stopped, and all eyes fixed on the chaotic dancers.
“What’s going on? Weren’t you all rehearsed? How could such a mistake happen at such an occasion?”
Lady Wen frowned. It was her birthday banquet, and these mishaps were an ill omen, leaving her displeased.
At her rebuke, the dancers immediately knelt. “Please, Your Majesty, Lady Wen, spare us. We truly didn’t mean it. It was her—she deliberately sabotaged the dance!”
“Yes, she’s clearly here to cause trouble!”
“But wait—we’re supposed to be ten, yet now there are eleven. How did that happen? Could it be an assassin?”
Her words struck the hall like thunder. Lady Wen was terrified, and even the Emperor’s attention was drawn, his brows knitting in confusion. “What’s going on here? Guards, surround them!”
In a flash, a dozen spears were trained on them—any wrong move meant death.
Hua Rong was stunned, on the verge of tears. “Are they talking about me? I’m just an innocent victim, dragged along against my will!”
Kneeling amidst the group, she was instantly singled out, pushed into the center of attention.
Jun Yecheng watched with interest, sipping his wine as he enjoyed the spectacle. “Your Highness, if the Emperor favors you, you’ll be fine. Otherwise, it’s just the result of failing to win favor.”
He drank leisurely, as if everything had been foreseen. On the dais, Jun Yeli studied the masked woman being accused, feeling an uncanny sense of familiarity.
“Step forward. I want to see who you are, daring to disrupt Lady Wen’s birthday banquet. You will not be spared!”
Hearing this, Hua Rong’s heart trembled, her mind echoing, “I’m doomed, doomed!”
But faced with those sharp demands, she could only crawl to the front of the group, timidly raising fearful eyes to Jun Yeli.
“Your Majesty, I’m not an assassin, I’m just…” Hua Rong faltered, unable to explain.
“Remove your veil. I want to see who you truly are!” Jun Yeli’s words were cold and piercing, making her heart quiver.
Hua Rong bit her lip, torn with anxiety. “If he recognizes me, will the Emperor forgive me…?”
She’d already angered him before, and now she’d caused this scene—wasn’t this courting disaster? Forgiveness seemed unlikely; survival alone would be fortunate!
Drawing a deep breath, Hua Rong struggled to control her emotions.
At that moment, blades moved closer, the commands growing ever more urgent. “Didn’t you hear the Emperor’s order?”
“Wait, please, don’t be rash. It’s just a veil, not my life, right?”
Awkwardly, she tugged at her lips, then took the veil’s edge in trembling fingers and slowly pulled it away, revealing her delicate features.
When the veil fell, everyone gasped, and someone screamed, “Isn’t that Consort Rong? How did she end up here?”
Whoever shouted, their voice echoed, chilling the room.
Hua Rong was speechless, bowing her head desperately. “Please, Your Majesty, spare me. I truly didn’t mean to cause trouble. It was all a misunderstanding!”
She glanced at her dress, then at Jun Yecheng sitting nearby. “He kindly gave me clothes to wear. If I say anything ungrateful now, it would be wrong…”
As for Jun Yecheng, Hua Rong felt no malice—after all, they barely knew each other, and he had no reason to harm her. Perhaps it was all coincidence.
After all, the Imperial Consort entered the palace years ago, and fashions have changed; perhaps the mix-up was pure chance…
Hua Rong tried to calm her anxious heart, forcing a nervous smile at the Emperor, hoping to salvage her reputation.
Lady Jia, however, was indignant. “Your Majesty, Lady Wen, Consort Rong is always scheming. Surely today’s disruption was deliberate—not some mere misunderstanding!”
“Exactly! She wore a dancer’s costume and caused chaos. Clearly, it was intentional to disrupt the banquet! I recall she wasn’t wearing this earlier—no doubt it’s revenge!”
Their accusations piled up, and without saying a word, Hua Rong found herself condemned, feeling utterly aggrieved.
All she could do was cast a pleading glance at the Emperor, her face full of anguish and helplessness.