Starting in Exile: Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Lucky Little Wife

Chapter 200 The Mysterious, Similar Woman Reappears

Bathed in the warm spring sunshine, the royal palace of the Nanzhao Kingdom appeared both solemn and vibrant. The palace walls stood majestically, their glazed tiles shimmering with golden light, and the eaves and brackets whispered tales of bygone eras. In the imperial garden, a riot of colors bloomed, each flower vying for attention. A gentle breeze stirred, and petals drifted down like snowflakes, filling the air with a delicate fragrance.

Gu Liuli, dressed in a magnificent palace gown, strolled along the garden path. Her skirt flowed like colorful clouds, swaying gently with each step, exuding the elegance and poise of an empress. A gentle smile graced her face, yet her eyes betrayed a subtle, almost imperceptible weariness. Now six months pregnant, she maintained her usual poise, but occasionally revealed the languidness characteristic of pregnant women.

"Your Highness, please walk slowly and watch your step." The palace maid Xiao Tao followed closely behind Gu Liuli, her eyes full of concern.

Gu Liuli nodded slightly and said softly, "Xiao Tao, I'm fine. I just wanted to walk around in this garden a bit more and enjoy the beauty of spring." She gently stroked her slightly protruding belly, her face beaming with a happy smile, as if she were sharing this wonderful moment with the little life inside her.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, bringing with it an unusual scent. Gu Liuli abruptly stopped, her heart pounding, a familiar yet strange feeling welling up inside her. She slowly raised her head, her gaze fixed on a corner of the garden.

Beneath the blooming peach trees, a figure stood quietly. She wore simple clothes, standing out starkly from the surrounding opulent palace scene. Her face was partially obscured by the peach blossoms, but Gu Liuli recognized her at a glance—the woman who looked remarkably like herself.

“It’s her…” Gu Liuli murmured to herself, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. Her hand unconsciously covered her mouth, and her body trembled slightly.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Xiao Tao noticed Gu Liuli's unusual behavior and followed her gaze, but only saw a patch of peach blossoms and did not see the mysterious woman.

"Xiao Tao, look over there, under the peach tree..." Gu Liuli's voice trembled slightly as she pointed urgently in that direction.

Xiao Tao looked again, still looking bewildered: "Your Majesty, there's nothing there."

Gu Liuli's heart tightened; she couldn't believe she was seeing things. Ignoring Xiao Tao's attempts to stop her, she strode towards the peach tree. With each step closer, her heart pounded harder.

When she finally arrived under the peach tree, the woman had vanished without a trace, as if she had never been there at all. Gu Liuli looked around, her eyes filled with anxiety and disappointment.

"Your Majesty, are you too tired and seeing things?" Xiao Tao asked cautiously.

Gu Liuli shook her head and said firmly, "I didn't see wrong, I really saw her. She looks exactly like me, and she's standing right here."

Just then, a clear laugh rang out. Gu Liuli and Xiao Tao turned around and saw Xiao Nanyao and Xiao Nanyi running hand in hand from the other side of the garden.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Xiao Nanyao ran to Gu Liuli's side, took her hand, and her face was full of innocent smiles.

Xiao Nanyi stepped forward and asked with concern, "Mother, are you alright?"

Looking at the two children, Gu Liuli's tension and unease eased slightly. She forced a smile and said, "Mother is fine, I just saw a strange person."

"A strange person?" Little Nanyao blinked her big eyes curiously. "Who is it, Mother?"

Gu Liuli hesitated for a moment, unsure how to explain it to the children. After thinking for a while, she said, "It was someone who looked very much like Mother, but she disappeared very quickly."

Xiao Nanyi frowned and said seriously, "Mother, could you be mistaken? How could there be someone in the palace who looks exactly like you?"

Gu Liuli sighed softly: "I also hope that I'm seeing things wrong, but I really saw it very clearly."

Xiao Nanyao held Gu Liuli's hand and comforted her, "Mother, don't worry, maybe she's just passing by and nothing will happen to her."

Gu Liuli patted Xiao Nanyao's head, a warm feeling welling up in her heart: "Yao'er is so sensible, Mother is alright."

Just then, footsteps sounded in the distance. Everyone turned around and saw Xiao Jingchuan walking towards them. He was dressed in a dragon robe, his steps were steady, and he had a gentle smile on his face.

"Liuli, children, you're all here." Xiao Jingchuan walked to Gu Liuli's side, took her hand, and looked at her with concern. "I heard you saw strange people here, what happened?"

Gu Liuli recounted what had just happened in detail. After listening, Xiao Jingchuan frowned slightly: "Such a thing happened? It seems this matter is not simple. I will send people to investigate thoroughly, don't worry."

Gu Liuli nodded, but her heart was still filled with doubt and unease. She felt that the appearance of this mysterious woman was by no means accidental, and that there must be some unknown secret hidden behind it.

"Your Majesty, I always feel that she is related to my background," Gu Liuli said softly, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Xiao Jingchuan gently pulled Gu Liuli into his arms: "No matter who she is or what her relationship is with you, I will face it with you. The most important thing for you now is to take care of yourself and the baby."

Gu Liuli leaned against Xiao Jingchuan's chest, her heart gradually calming down. She knew that no matter what happened, Xiao Jingchuan would always be her strongest support.

However, just as everyone was about to leave the garden, Gu Liuli caught a glimpse of a figure flash by out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head sharply, but saw only silence on the garden path, nothing at all.

"Your Majesty, I saw her again!" Gu Liuli excitedly pointed in that direction.

Xiao Jingchuan immediately became alert and shouted, "Men, search! Find that person!"

The guards quickly surrounded the garden and began a thorough search. However, despite searching every corner of the garden, they still couldn't find any trace of the mysterious woman.

"Your Majesty, she seems to have vanished into thin air." The captain of the guards returned to report, his face full of helplessness.

Xiao Jingchuan's expression turned very serious. He looked at Gu Liuli and said, "Liuli, it seems that this woman is not simple. We cannot be careless. From now on, you must have guards protecting you at all times and cannot act alone."

Gu Liuli nodded, knowing that Xiao Jingchuan was thinking about her and the child's safety.

Back in her palace, Gu Liuli sat by the window, gazing at the sky outside, lost in thought. The face of the mysterious woman kept flashing through her mind, her heart filled with questions: Who was she? Why did she look exactly like her? What did her appearance signify?

Just then, Xiao Tao came in carrying a steaming cup of tea: "Your Majesty, please have some tea and rest for a while."

Gu Liuli took the tea, took a small sip, but found it bitter and difficult to swallow. She put down the teacup and said to Xiao Tao, "Xiao Tao, what do you think this woman's relationship is with me?"

Xiao Tao shook her head: "This servant doesn't know either, but Your Highness, don't think too much about it. Everything will come to light."

Gu Liuli sighed: "I hope so."

That night, Gu Liuli lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Her mind was filled with the image of that mysterious woman, and her unease grew stronger.

Suddenly, she felt the baby in her belly move. She gently stroked her belly, a warm feeling welling up in her heart: "Baby, be good. No matter what happens, Mommy will protect you."

Just then, a slight noise came from outside the window. Gu Liuli sat up alertly and looked out the window. She saw a dark shadow flash past the window.

"Who?" Gu Liuli shouted loudly.

However, no one answered. The room was silent except for her rapid breathing.

Gu Liuli's heart was in her throat. She dared not make a sound and waited quietly. After a long time, there was still no movement outside. She carefully got up, walked to the window, and looked out.

Under the moonlight, the garden was quiet and uneventful. Gu Liuli breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had misheard. Just as she was about to return to bed, she noticed a note on the windowsill.

Her heart suddenly raced, and her hands trembled as she picked up the note. The note read: "To know my origins, meet me tomorrow at noon by the lake in the Imperial Garden."

Gu Liuli stared at the note, her heart filled with doubt and fear. She didn't know what this mysterious woman wanted, nor whether she should keep the appointment.

"Your Majesty, what has happened?" Xiao Tao heard the commotion and hurriedly entered the room.

Gu Liuli handed the note to Xiao Tao: "Look, this was just found on the windowsill."

After reading the note, Xiao Tao's expression turned very serious: "Your Majesty, could this... could this be a trap?"

Gu Liuli shook her head: "I don't know, but I always feel that this woman is related to my background, and I can't miss this opportunity."

Xiao Tao said worriedly, "But Your Highness, you are pregnant now, what if there is any danger..."

Gu Liuli gently stroked her belly: "I know, so I will be careful. I think that since she dared to ask me out, she shouldn't hurt me easily. Besides, I also want to find out about my background, which is very important to me."

Seeing that Gu Liuli was determined, Xiao Tao stopped trying to stop her: "Then Your Highness, I will accompany you tomorrow and bring more guards with me."

Gu Liuli nodded: "Okay, I feel more at ease with you by my side."

Having spent a sleepless night, Gu Liuli lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind a jumble of thoughts. She both looked forward to tomorrow's meeting and worried about what might happen. She didn't know what awaited her, but she knew she had to face it bravely.