"Hiss~ It hurts so much."

"Hiss~ Am I going to die?"

"Hiss~~"

Beside a pond, a small white snake lay on the grass.

Its back had been torn open with a gash, and the entire snake looked on the verge of death.

Not long ago, she had only gone out to forage, wanting to catch a few mice to fill her stomach, but unexpectedly encountered an eagle.

Even though she escaped with her life, she had sustained serious injuries.

"When will Little Green come? Can she find me?" The white snake thought of her sister, but soon, a trace of dejection flashed through the white snake's vertical pupils.

Even if she found me, what then?

She can't heal me anyway.

Just when the white snake was in complete despair, she heard some movement from the nearby bushes.

The white snake lifted her head and saw a human boy pushing through the bushes.

The white snake was startled and quickly coiled her body, burying her head in the grass, "Don't notice me, don't notice me."

"Found you!" Xiao Mo's eyes suddenly lit up when he saw this little white snake.

"Not good!"

The white snake felt the footsteps getting closer and knew this little boy was coming for her!

"Hiss hiss hiss!" The white snake suddenly raised her head and opened her small mouth at him.

Xiao Mo was frightened and stepped back two paces, feeling a bit panicked.

Logically speaking, this type of white snake should be non-venomous but in this fantasy world, who could say for certain?

"You seem to be injured. Let me treat you. Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Xiao Mo held a shovel and approached step by step.

Seeing this human holding a weapon, how could she possibly believe him?

"Stinking human! Even if I die, I won't let you make soup out of me!"

The white snake steeled her heart and pounced forward like a spring to bite but at that instant, the white snake's wound was aggravated, and a sharp pain numbed her entire body.

Xiao Mo had prepared to dodge, but this white snake fell limply on the grass like a loosened rope.

Her body was still twitching.

Seeing that she seemed to have fainted and blood was continuously flowing, Xiao Mo quickly put her in the bamboo basket and carried her down the mountain.

The little white snake didn't know how long she had been unconscious. When her consciousness returned and she slowly awakened, she found herself lying in a grass nest.

This seemed to be a human house.

The little white snake looked at her body and saw a clean white cloth wrapped around her.

She could smell a faint herbal scent from the white cloth.

Recalling everything that happened before she fainted.

Could it be that the little boy saved me?

"Clang."

Just as the little white snake was puzzled, the door opened.

A little boy walked in carrying a mouse.

"You're awake." The little white snake saw the boy approach joyfully, then carefully toss the mouse in front of her.

"Food for you." The little boy smiled brightly, looking innocent and pure.

The little white snake looked at the little boy, then at the dead mouse in front of her.

"It seems he really isn't a bad person."

Being extremely hungry, the little white snake opened her mouth and slowly swallowed the mouse.

After eating the mouse, the little white snake lay quietly in the grass nest, no longer showing her previous aggressiveness.

This was a snake with spirituality.

Xiao Mo felt she should know that he wouldn't harm her.

"Little white snake, do you have a name?" Xiao Mo asked.

The little white snake tilted her head in confusion.

"My name is Xiao Mo, this is my name." Xiao Mo pointed to himself. "How about I give you a name too?"

The little white snake was stunned for a moment, then nodded her snake head, even showing some anticipation in her eyes.

"You're so white, like snow."

Seeing that she agreed, Xiao Mo thought for a moment.

"How about I call you Bai Ruxue from now on?"

Zhou Kingdom, Ministry of Rites Minister's residence.

In the inner courtyard, a woman who appeared to be only sixteen years old was bending over a flower bed.

Her delicate hands held small silver scissors as she focused on trimming excess branches and leaves.

The woman wore a plain white long dress, like freshly fallen snow, wrapping her graceful figure.

A morning breeze passed by, and her skirt floated gently like flowing clouds, creating soft ripples.

The woman's dress had no elaborate embroidery, only extremely fine silver thread outlining a few faint intertwining lotus leaves at the collar and sleeve edges. A moon-white silk sash was tied loosely at her waist, accentuating her slender waistline and adding to her delicate charm.

She tilted her head slightly, revealing a neck as white as jade. A few strands of dark hair inadvertently slipped from her loosely arranged cloud-like hair bun, hanging by her cheek, making her skin appear even more delicate as porcelain.

The woman's eyebrows were excellently shaped, slender willow-leaf brows like distant mountains containing indigo, with gentle peaks and lightly raised ends, carrying a naturally tender curve.

Below her brows were eyes as clear and bright as autumn water, currently lowered, with long dense eyelashes casting faint shadows below her eyelids, trembling gently with her trimming movements.

Her lips were a light pink, like early blooming cherry petals, with naturally slightly upturned corners that carried a serene and approachable charm even when not smiling.

"Daughter! Daughter! Good news!"

While the woman was concentrating on trimming the flowers, the voice of Minister of Rites Yan Zhen came from far away.

Hearing her father's voice, the woman looked up to see her father hurrying into the courtyard.

The woman put down her scissors, poured her father a cup of tea, and smiled, "Father is so happy, what good news is there?"

"Ha ha ha, daughter, you don't know!" Yan Zhen took the tea his daughter handed him and said happily, "You're going to become the Empress!"

"Become the Empress?" The woman was puzzled.

"Yes."

Yan Zhen nodded.

"His Majesty has been on the throne for a year now, with no one in the rear palace. He must finally select consorts. Ruxue, you've been chosen to enter the palace, and since you're a woman of our Yan family, with our family having the current Prime Minister outside and the Empress Dowager inside, you will surely become the Empress of our Great Zhou, ruling over all women in the realm! Your future children will be the emperors of Zhou Kingdom!"

The more he spoke, the more excited Yan Zhen became.

"However, your mother's side isn't too willing to let you enter the palace, after all, entering the palace is like entering an ocean of troubles." Yan Zhen put away his joy. "You know your mother's temperament. Your father argued with her for a long time, and finally we decided to see what our daughter thinks. Ruxue, do you want to enter the palace?"

Yan Ruxue smiled gently and curtsied, "Daughter will follow father's arrangements completely."

"Ha ha ha, good! Since that's the case, your mother has nothing more to say. I'll go tell the clan leader right now. Daughter, just wait for the good news."

"Yes, father."

Yan Zhen left the courtyard with loud laughter.

Yan Ruxue watched her father's retreating figure.

Her originally gentle black eyes gradually transformed into golden, majestic vertical pupils.