The Legitimate Daughter's Gambit

A woman who traveled through time—how could she possibly rival a noble lady who had been meticulously groomed for over a decade by a prestigious family?

A mysterious woman appeared out of nowhere in the Capital City, her fame soaring like the midday sun.

She recited poetry offhand, her verses soaring like a roc riding the wind for ninety thousand miles.

She danced with grace, her toes lightly touching the ground, her skirt gently lifted, exuding charm and allure.

The moment she appeared, she became the object of fervent pursuit among the aristocratic young men.

She not only seduced my childhood sweetheart into breaking off our engagement but also incited my elder brother to divorce his lawful wife.

She claimed that the women of this ancient era were all rigid and dull, not worth lifting a finger for.

But she didn’t know that I was a legitimate daughter personally trained by two-time champions of household strife.

Want to compete with me? Hmph, just wait and see…

1.

My mother came from a humble background, but my father, the Prime Minister, fell in love with her at first sight.

He defied the arranged marriage set by the family and insisted on marrying her as his lawful wife.

My grandmother, a concubine’s daughter from the Wang family, outwitted her stepmother, exposed her father’s misdeeds, and married my grandfather at the advanced age of twenty-two, enjoying a lifetime of luxury.

I was raised by these two women, growing up under my grandmother’s care and learning from my mother.

So when the Eighth Prince, Rong Si, wanted to break off our engagement, I didn’t cry or make a scene.

I didn’t even show any signs of clinging to him.

I just let my eyes redden and my face pale as I looked at him.

“A-Si, are you really going to break off our engagement?”

Rong Si hesitated at my sorrowful expression. After all, we had grown up together. But then he glanced into the distance and caught sight of that woman’s silhouette.

She was draped in a bright red cloak, sitting boldly on a horse, exuding an air of heroism.

His gaze lingered on her with fascination before he turned back to me, his expression cold. He handed me the marriage contract.

“A-Qing, we’re not compatible. Let’s part ways peacefully after this.”

Not compatible?

I hid a cold smile behind my handkerchief. When he was ambushed by assassins and I saved him at Serpent Mountain, he didn’t mention incompatibility then.

When I knelt outside the healer’s door for an entire day and night to beg for medicine for him, he didn’t mention incompatibility then.

When he made a vow of life and death with me, saying I would be his only wife, he didn’t mention incompatibility then.

It was just a case of sincere feelings wasted on an ungrateful man, but he sure had a way with words.

I looked at him with a “heartbroken” and “pitiful” expression, tears trembling in my eyes.

“A-Si, can I hug you one last time?” I asked timidly.

Before he could react, I threw myself into his arms. His body stiffened, and in the distance, the woman’s angry roar echoed, followed by the rapid sound of hooves fading away.

Rong Si glared at me furiously, but when he saw my tear-streaked face, he could only sigh in resignation.

“From now on, A-Qing, take care of yourself,” he said coldly.

I forced a fragile smile. “Alright, A-Si. I wish you happiness for the rest of your life.”

The man chased after the woman’s retreating figure, eager and excited.

Once he was gone, I carefully wiped my hands with the handkerchief and tossed it into a pile of trash.

Take care of myself? Who did he think he was?

2.

My mother always taught me that when you love, you love with all your heart, holding nothing back. But when you stop loving, you must act without mercy.

So the day after the engagement was broken, I made my way to the foot of Spirit Mountain Temple.

I began at the base of the mountain, kowtowing every three steps and kneeling every five.

When Rong Si was gravely ill and on the brink of death, I had done the same thing, praying for his recovery, and it had caused a sensation throughout the Capital City.

Back then, I made a vow in front of everyone: if he recovered, I would return to kowtow every three steps and kneel every five to thank the Bodhisattva for her mercy.

True to form, Rong Si was so infatuated with that woman that within half a day, news of the broken engagement had spread throughout the city.

“I, Xie Qingjing, have come today to fulfill my vow and thank the Bodhisattva for saving the Eighth Prince,” I announced loudly, making sure everyone could hear.

The onlookers murmured among themselves.

“Didn’t the Eighth Prince break off the engagement? Why is Miss Xie still fulfilling her vow?” a woman in a blue dress whispered.

“Yes, I heard they’ve been betrothed since childhood and were always close. But recently, he’s been bewitched by some vixen…”

“Exactly. My cousin said that vixen is beautiful, can compose poetry, and dances so wildly she even shows her feet!”

“Ah, Miss Xie is a proper lady from a noble family. To run into that seductress is truly unfortunate…”

The murmurs grew louder, and the anger in the crowd became harder to suppress.

In the distance, Rong Si and the woman in red arrived, their faces dark as they glared at me.

“A-Qing, what are you doing?” Rong Si asked, his tone displeased, his brow furrowed with coldness.

I glanced at him, twisting my handkerchief in my hands, and spoke with feigned reluctance and nervousness. “A-Si, I know we’ve broken off the engagement, but when you were gravely ill, I made a vow to the Bodhisattva. I can’t break that promise. Today, I’m just here to fulfill it.”

My voice was naturally soft, and deliberately lowered, it sounded even more delicate and pitiful.

Rong Si paused, his expression wavering. He instinctively reached for my arm, but I easily avoided him.

“Rong Si, you—”

The woman in red, Li Leyang, was displeased. She acted as though her man was not to be touched, wrapping her arm around Rong Si’s to claim ownership.

“Fulfilling a vow? What nonsense. I’m an atheist. Rong Si got better because he took medicine. What does your Bodhisattva have to do with it? So pretentious.”

The woman spoke arrogantly, and I hid a cold smile behind my handkerchief.

My grandmother often said that knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. So when Li Leyang started cozying up to Rong Si, I made it my business to learn about her.

I had once sat in the booth next to hers, listening to her shocking words.

She said the women of this ancient era were rigid and dull, not worth lifting a finger for.

She said the ancients were ignorant and superstitious, believing in gods and spirits, all of which made them weak and vulnerable.

At the time, I was stunned by her words, thinking her mindset was far more advanced than mine.

But she seemed to forget where she was.

Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, the faces of the Bodhisattva’s devotees around us darkened.

To say “the Bodhisattva is useless” at the foot of the national temple—I didn’t know if she was stupid or just naive.

“Witch! How dare you slander our merciful Bodhisattva! Get out of Spirit Mountain Temple!” an elderly woman shouted first.

“Yes, get out! Get out! Vixen! Stealing someone’s fiancé and then disrespecting our Bodhisattva…”

The insults grew louder and harder to control. Someone threw a cabbage leaf at her.

Then chaos erupted. Cabbage leaves and fruits were hurled at her relentlessly.

I coldly distanced myself from the scene, watching as Rong Si wrapped his cloak around her, trying his best to protect her. I just sneered.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he drew his sword and pointed it at the frenzied devotees, ordering them to stop.

Ha—

I curled my lips.

Pointing a sword at unarmed civilians?

How foolish.

The image of a kind and virtuous prince that I had spent ten years building for him would crumble from today onward.

Crown prince?

I smiled and stretched lazily, ignoring the chaos behind me as I continued my ritual of kowtowing every three steps and kneeling every five.

A gentle breeze blew, and my robes fluttered as if dancing.

I didn’t look back, hiding my achievements in the shadows.

3.

Inside Spirit Mountain Temple, a man with a blade of grass between his teeth leaned against the steps, watching me.

He wore a cyan robe, his ink-black hair flowing, his skin as white as snow, and his lips as red as cinnabar. He was breathtakingly beautiful.

Xie Rao, the youngest son of the Grand Tutor, a legendary beauty who was also a waste.

As a legitimate daughter of a noble family, I carried the pride of my lineage.

I chose to ignore this rogue.

“Stop right there,” he called out, displeased.

He darted in front of me, chin raised, as proud as a fighting rooster.

“Xie Qingjing, why are you so cold to me?”

He complained, his eyes stunningly beautiful, round and sparkling like stars, glaring at me with anger.

“Xie Qingjing, you heartless woman! How dare you treat me like this? How dare you ignore me? Ignore me—”

I stared coldly at this lunatic. I didn’t even know him, did I?

I had heard that the Grand Tutor’s youngest son had fallen into the water and changed after waking up.

He had abandoned his studies, enraging the Grand Tutor so much that he had him beaten and hung up.

Then the boy had sneaked into the military, joined the army on an expedition, won three battles in a row, and earned the title of “Little General.”

Had he lost his mind too?

“Do we know each other?” I asked quietly.

Xie Rao threw away the blade of grass and snorted at me. “Xie Qingjing, you bastard. You weren’t like this in your past life.

In your past life, you kidnapped me, forced me to marry you, drugged me on our wedding night, and took my innocence. Back then, you were all sweet talk, saying I was the best…”

I stared blankly at the furious beauty before me.

I kidnapped him? Drugged him? Took his innocence?

Was I insane?

“If you’re so unhappy about me taking your innocence in your past life, why are you looking for me in this one?” I asked, indulging the madman’s ramblings.

He paused, a faint blush creeping up his ears.

When he spoke again, he wanted me to kneel. “Back then, I hadn’t yet tasted the sweetness of it.”

I—

Took a deep breath, trying to maintain the dignity of a noble lady. But when I saw the dark five-finger mark he had left on my arm, I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Xie Rao, get lost. Now.”

He lazily looked at me, touched his forehead, and feigned weakness.

“A noble lady, cursing? Xie Qingjing, does this scene feel familiar? Does it remind you of something?”

4.

Perhaps the events of the day were too bizarre, so that night I had a strange dream.

In the dream, everything was red, and I was wearing a red wedding dress.

Xie Rao was pushed into the room, his fair face filled with pride and displeasure.

He glared at me angrily. “Xie Qingjing, you forced me to marry you.”

In the dream, I wore a high bun, and my reflection in the bronze mirror was breathtakingly beautiful.

I pinched his porcelain-white skin and whispered into his ear, “What? Don’t you like it, husband?”

He blushed, his ears turning red, flustered and at a loss. He grabbed the wine on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

The red candle had barely burned for a moment when he began tearing off his clothes.

His beautiful face was flushed, and his round eyes were glazed with intoxication.

Xie Rao pulled me into his arms, his large hands gripping my waist.

“Xie Qingjing, you scoundrel. You drugged me,” he growled.

I woke up with a start.

I sat up dazedly, looking around the room.

When I saw the familiar bed, I let out a sigh of relief.

So I had a… wet dream?

And the subject was that lunatic?

But the dream felt so real. I could even hear his heavy breathing.

Past life—

I closed my eyes, struggling to accept it.

Had I really been entangled with him in a past life?

And I was the one who made the first move?

I didn’t dare sleep for the rest of the night, staying awake until dawn.

When my maid, Jinshu, was making the bed, she suddenly exclaimed, “Miss, when did you get such an exquisite bell?”

I looked up and saw a golden bell hanging from the bed curtain. It was intricately crafted and covered in strange symbols I couldn’t read.

I frowned. I felt like I had seen it somewhere before.

5.

When my shadow guard, Yunsa, walked in, I was sitting in front of the chessboard, lost in thought about the dream.

She dismissed the others and knelt by the chessboard.

“Miss, you were right. Li Leyang is targeting you.”

I took a sip of tea and looked at her calmly. “So her goal is just the admission spot?”

The woman had boasted to the Li family that she would secure the only spot for a woman at the Hongwen Academy.

But I was certain her ambitions didn’t stop there.

Yunsa frowned. “No.

“I investigated for a long time. Just as you suspected, she changed overnight.

From a timid and talentless concubine’s daughter to the confident and talented woman she is now.

In her room, I found a notebook filled with detailed records of your life, including analyses of your personality and behavior.

But she had only seen you once.”

Yunsa spoke quietly, and I felt the warmth of the thin porcelain cup in my hand.

Analyzing me? So she really was after me.

“Yunsa, don’t you think she reminds you of someone?” I asked quietly.

Yunsa frowned, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. “Empress Huaxuan.”

I nodded, my gaze drifting to the banana plant by the window.

Yes, that extraordinary woman who died in the Shangyang Palace three years ago.

She, too, had burst onto the scene, brilliant and talented, bold and heroic, stealing someone else’s husband and climbing to the pinnacle of power with the help of a man.

They both seemed to have changed overnight.

The wind blew through the window, and the sandalwood incense burner sent up a wisp of smoke.

I put down my teacup, picked up a black chess piece, and placed it lightly on the board.

A move to turn the tide. I had been waiting for this piece for three years.

6.

After the incident at Spirit Mountain Temple, Rong Si was placed under house arrest by Consort Ling.

Consort Ling sent her most trusted maid to deliver an invitation to a family banquet.

I smiled faintly at the maid, holding the gilded invitation in my hand. “Auntie, the prince and I have already broken off our engagement. I’m afraid I’m not suitable to attend this family banquet.”

The maid, a seasoned veteran of the palace, immediately bowed deeply. “Miss, you jest. When Her Highness was trapped in the cold palace, it was you who saved her. When the Eighth Prince was bullied by the other princes, it was you who protected him. Her Highness has never forgotten your kindness. The prince has been bewitched by someone, but Her Highness asked me to tell you that as long as she lives, this engagement will not be broken.”

She spoke quietly, but I could only sneer inwardly. What they remembered wasn’t my kindness—it was the power of the Prime Minister’s mansion.

Over the years, Rong Si had grown his wings, forgetting that I was the one who chose him as the crown prince, not the other way around.

At a calligraphy shop, Li Leyang walked in with Rong Si on her arm.

I was examining an inkstone when she snatched it from me effortlessly.

“I heard Miss Xie is completely illiterate. Are you buying this inkstone for the Hongwen Academy exam?

Unfortunately, Miss Xie lacks the talent to get in. Don’t waste your money.”

For a woman, lack of talent was a virtue. So I had always presented myself as untalented.

I raised an eyebrow at the flamboyant Li Leyang in her red dress, finding it amusing.

Had no one ever told her not to show off her talents?

Probably not.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so eager to flaunt their knowledge.

Rong Si looked at me coldly, stepping sideways to shield Li Leyang.

I laughed and flicked my hair, suddenly remembering the first time I saw him in the cold palace. He had stood in front of me, shielding me from the cruel servants, vowing to protect me.

People really do change.

“Is that so?” I said lazily, touching my forehead. “Miss Li is quite confident.”

Li Leyang provocatively recited a few lines of poetry, mocking me for not needing the inkstone.

I nodded graciously, took the inkstone from her, and dropped it lightly.

The heavy inkstone landed on her foot, making her cry out in pain.

“Oops! Sorry, my hand slipped. But it’s fine. Miss Li is right—I probably won’t need it,” I said softly.

She gritted her teeth in pain and raised her hand to slap me, but I sidestepped and delivered a crisp slap in return.

“Sorry, my hand slipped again,” I said, even more “apologetically.”

“Xie Qingjing.”

Rong Si’s face darkened as he called my name and reached for my sleeve.

But Yunsa blocked him. “Your Highness, the engagement is over. You’re overstepping.”

Li Leyang glared at me hatefully. “Xie Qingjing, you’re ruthless. Just you wait. That spot is mine.”

I glanced back at her lazily. “I’ll be waiting.”

With that, I turned and left.

A mere admission spot was beneath my notice.

But now, I was intrigued.

Let’s see what happens.

7.

The palace banquet, though small, was far more lavish than the feasts of ordinary officials.

I wore a blue embroidered gown and was led to my seat by the palace maid.

As I entered the courtyard, I saw the Ninth Princess waving at me. After greeting the emperor and the consorts, I sat down beside her.

“I heard that bastard Eighth Brother broke off his engagement with you?” the little girl whispered.

I nodded, and she slammed her hand on the table in anger. “You saved him multiple times, and he abandoned you? I want to see what that vixen looks like—how many noses and eyes does she have?”

Just as she was fuming, Rong Si walked in with Li Leyang. I looked up and saw them both in red embroidered robes. Anyone would think they were about to get married.

“Greetings, Father, Mother.”

Rong Si’s voice was cold.

When he saw me, his expression darkened. Perhaps to save face after being blocked by Yunsa the day before, he sneered, “This is a family banquet. Why is Miss Xie here?”

Before I could respond, the Ninth Princess snorted. “So what if it’s a family banquet? Brother can bring stray cats and dogs, so why can’t Sister Qing come?”

The little girl defended me, but her words sounded like she was insulting me.

She stuck out her tongue, signaling her mistake.

Rong Si and Li Leyang sat in the seats of honor. As soon as the banquet began, he eagerly showcased her talents.

After four poems, the entire hall was in awe, and even the little princess’s eyes widened.

Li Leyang smirked triumphantly at me, but I just focused on peeling lychees.

She thought she had won?

Foolish.

With every poem she recited, the emperor’s expression darkened.

By the time she finished the fourth, the man on the throne was scowling.

“Can you compose a poem in seven steps?” the emperor asked.

Li Leyang’s face lit up. After taking two steps, she eagerly recited:

“Boiling beans to make soup, straining the juice. The beanstalks burn beneath the pot, while the beans weep inside. Born from the same root, why rush to torment each other?”

“Excellent poem,” Rong Si said, his handsome face breaking into a smile, his eyes full of admiration.

Li Leyang bowed theatrically, beaming with joy.

But her smile froze on her face.

The emperor suddenly flew into a rage, knocking a plate of lychees to the floor.

“This is your seven-step poem?” he demanded coldly.

Li Leyang knelt in confusion, not understanding what was happening.

Even the Ninth Princess frowned. “Father loves poetry. Why is he so angry about such a good poem?”

I smiled faintly. “Perhaps His Majesty has heard this poem before.”

I had guessed correctly. Li Leyang knew everything about us—my talents, the emperor’s love for poetry, even the most obscure details.

But she didn’t know about Empress Huaxuan.

In other words, she knew the history before Empress Huaxuan changed it.

So she didn’t know that this poem had already been composed by Empress Huaxuan three years ago.

Or rather, the poem she plagiarized had already been plagiarized three years ago.

The emperor’s face darkened as he looked at me. He immediately awarded me the admission spot.

Rong Si panicked. People lost in love are prone to stupidity.

“Father, Xie Qingjing has no talent. If she gets the spot just because of her family background, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of your initiative? It wouldn’t be fair,” he said.

The emperor’s face grew even darker. He grabbed a pastry and threw it at Rong Si.

I stepped in front of Rong Si, letting the pastries hit me. They didn’t hurt much.

I sighed and knelt on the ground, pretending to be wronged. “Your Majesty, I am not as talented as Miss Li, who can compose a poem in seven steps. I don’t want you to be accused of favoritism. How about a fair competition between Miss Li and me in three days?”

As soon as I spoke, the Ninth Princess rushed to my side. “Sister Qing, are you crazy? You want to compete with her?”

She was furious at my “devotion” to her sixth brother.

Rong Si paused, then sneered. “Since Miss Xie has said so, I beg Your Majesty to allow it.”

8.

After the banquet, Li Leyang followed me.

She glared at me coldly and suddenly grabbed my sleeve. “Xie Qingjing, what trick did you pull? His Majesty loves poetry and talent. Why would he favor someone as illiterate as you? It’s not logical.”

I tilted my head and looked at her, feigning surprise. “Miss Li seems to know His Majesty very well. And me.”

She paused, ignoring me, lost in her thoughts.

“According to the plot, His Majesty shouldn’t reject someone who can compose a poem in seven steps. What went wrong?”

What went wrong?

I twirled the jade ring on my finger. She probably couldn’t figure it out.

Compared to someone who gained fame by plagiarizing, His Majesty would probably prefer a fool.

Knowledge can be learned, but character is hard to reshape.

Besides, did she think His Majesty was easy to fool?

Empress Huaxuan, the so-called wonder woman, was eventually killed by the emperor because of her talent.

He feared that her brilliance would win the people’s support and one day challenge his authority.

“Xie Qingjing, competing with me will be the biggest mistake of your life.”

Li Leyang quickly regained her composure, still looking at me with that arrogant expression.

She leaned close to my ear, her breath warm against my skin. “Xie Qingjing, I know you better than anyone. You’re arrogant and scheming, cunning and treacherous. Let me guess what you’ll write in the competition. ‘For the People,’ right? A gentleman schemes for the people’s welfare…”

She recited mockingly, but I suddenly laughed.

Yes, word for word. That was exactly what I had planned to write.

It wasn’t in vain that I had stepped back to give her a chance to compete.

Finally, I had waited for her arrogance.

It was confirmed. She was the one I was looking for.

I curled my lips and looked at her. “Miss Li, you’ve gone to such great lengths to study me. Let me take a wild guess at what you want.”

“Is it my position as queen?” I said softly.

Her face turned pale, and she looked at me in disbelief.

I had guessed correctly.

Rong Si would become emperor, and I would become queen. That was how it was supposed to be.

But like Empress Huaxuan before her, she had schemed and plotted to steal the queen’s position.

I couldn’t help but recall the conversation between Empress Huaxuan and Consort Hechang before her death. I sneered coldly.

They really were birds of a feather.

I twirled the jade ring on my finger and shook my head as I watched the woman walk away.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t Consort Hechang, and she wasn’t Empress Huaxuan.

I was smarter than Consort Hechang, but she was dumber than Empress Huaxuan.

9.

At the Prime Minister’s mansion, a servant announced that Brother Mo had arrived.

I lifted my skirt and ran quickly, only to find Pei Simo standing under the peach blossom tree in the courtyard.

Pei Simo, who had grown up with Rong Si and me, was two years older, the only son of General Pei.

He looked at me and smiled faintly.

Like warm sunshine melting the snow, gentle and kind.

“Brother Mo, why are you here?” I asked softly, afraid to disturb this delicate man.

Pei Simo looked at me tenderly. “I heard you’re going to compete with someone. I came to tutor you.”

“Uncle Pei let you out? He’s not keeping an eye on you?” I asked in surprise.

Then I paused. I had forgotten that General Pei had gone on a campaign.

I sat on a stone stool, a pang of guilt in my heart.

“Brother Mo, if you hadn’t saved me back then, would you be like Uncle Pei now, a famous general of the Great Xuan Dynasty?

Riding a fine horse, galloping freely, carefree and unrestrained.”

My voice was low, tinged with tears.

He was the only person I had ever wronged in my life.

Back then, when I was pushed into the icy pond, he saved me, and I survived.

But he contracted a cold illness because of it, his body weakened, and the imperial physician said he wouldn’t live past twenty.

I still remembered the vow we made under the pear blossom tree when we were young.

He said he wanted to grow up to be a great general like his father, admired by all.

Now, even leaving the house was a struggle for him.

Pei Simo flipped through a book, his porcelain-white fingers pausing. He looked at me gently. “But, A-Qing, Brother Mo couldn’t bear to see you pushed into that icy pond and not save you.

So, A-Qing, there’s no ‘what if.’ If it happened again, Brother Mo would still do everything he could to save you.

Because you mean so much to Brother Mo.”

His voice was soft, always so indulgent.

I clenched my fists, forcing a bitter smile.

“Brother Mo, don’t worry. No matter what it takes, I won’t let you die.”

Even if it meant walking down a path of no return.

Pei Simo’s large hand ruffled my hair, and he smiled faintly. “Life and death are just a moment. Besides, I’ve known my death date since I was young. A-Qing, Brother Mo is already nineteen. I’ve been waiting for that day for a long time. Dying is nothing. Don’t blame yourself.”

10.

I thought everyone would mock me for challenging Li Leyang, calling it a fool’s errand.

But somehow, the rumors said I was fighting for true love, battling a vixen.

The rumors grew increasingly unfavorable for her, and that fool Rong Si came up with a desperate plan.

Within half a day, word spread through the Capital City that I had abandoned the Eighth Prince because I had already pledged myself to someone else.

The tide turned, and countless people cursed me for being shameless, tarnishing the Prime Minister’s reputation.

“Miss, I heard they’re calling it a ‘public opinion offensive,’” Yunsa reported angrily.

I picked up the jade pendant Rong Si had given me as a betrothal gift and smashed it to the ground.

The pendant shattered into pieces.

In the Great Xuan Dynasty, a woman’s reputation was everything. Rong Si knew that.

To protect that woman, he was willing to destroy my life.

If I had still cherished our childhood bond before, now it was completely gone.

The man who once vowed to protect me had probably died in that cold palace long ago.

In the front hall, Rong Si stood in a black robe, his hands behind his back, waiting for me. He looked calm and composed.

I looked at him coldly, no warmth in my eyes.

“A-Qing, give up the competition. You can’t beat Yangyang. Why humiliate yourself?” he said quietly.

I smiled faintly. “What is Brother A-Si afraid of? You know I’m untalented, yet you still came. Is the rumor campaign from the Eighth Prince’s mansion not enough?”

Rong Si paused, a look of struggle on his face. “I… I never imagined it would come to this.”

Never imagined?

I laughed until tears came to my eyes. He gambled with a woman’s reputation, and he said he never imagined it.

The whispers I faced on the streets, the crowd of gossiping women gathered at the Prime Minister’s mansion, cursing me—he dismissed it all with a single “I never imagined”?

“If you give up, I’ll petition to make you my concubine.”

Rong Si had grown so arrogant over the years that he had become this stupid.

I agreed to break off the engagement so I could become his concubine?

“Brother A-Si, I heard Miss Li wants to be the only one for you. Wouldn’t this betray her?”

Rong Si thought for a moment. “A-Qing, I know you love me. Now that your reputation is ruined, no one will marry you.

I’ll set up a separate residence for you, so you won’t have to see each other.

But you must cancel the competition.”

What a brilliant plan. A mistress, not even a concubine.

When did Rong Si become so foolish?

He thought destroying my reputation would make me easy to control?

“Eighth Prince, you’re overestimating yourself. You may want to marry her, but who says Miss Xie wants to marry you?”

A lazy voice interrupted. Xie Rao leaned against a nearby tree, looking like he had climbed over the wall.

Rong Si’s face darkened as he glared at him.

“I broke off the engagement with A-Qing. Who would dare marry her? I’m only reluctantly offering to take her because she loves me so much.”

“Is that so?” Xie Rao smirked, walking over and grabbing a strand of my loose hair to sniff. “If she dares to marry, I’ll break her legs.”

One was a fool, the other a madman. Together, they were just crazy.

Normally, if he wanted to play the hero, shouldn’t he say, “I’ll marry her”?

The two men, neither of whom loved me, were about to come to blows.

I snorted and turned away.

I wouldn’t argue with lunatics.

Not long after, Xie Rao came running back with a bruised face, glaring at me with a mix of pride and grievance. He had probably won the fight.

“Xie Qingjing, you’re my wife. You’re not allowed to marry anyone else—man or woman,” he snorted.

I frowned. Did that mean I had married a woman in my past life?

Maybe because of the dream I had before, I instinctively stepped back.

But he grabbed my arm and pressed me against the door.

“Xie Qingjing, you’re mine.”

His warm breath brushed against my ear, and then his lips pressed against mine.

For a moment, my heart trembled.

The sound of a bell rang in my ears, and I seemed to see a scene.

In a dilapidated prison, I was wearing a blue prison uniform. Xie Rao, in a purple court robe, looked at me with hatred.

I couldn’t hear what he said, but I saw him suddenly embrace me.

He bit my lips, as if trying to devour me.

At that moment, I saw tears in his eyes.

11.

On the day of the competition, the emperor himself attended.

I sat gracefully on a pearwood chair, slowly grinding my ink.

After a long time, just as I was finishing my essay, “For the People,” Li Leyang still hadn’t appeared.

“What kind of talent is this? Running away at the last minute—she’s learned well from Eighth Brother,” Princess Ruyan taunted.

Rong Si shouted, “Shut up,” and glared at me darkly. “Xie Qingjing, you used tricks, didn’t you? You’re vicious and ruthless. I already agreed to make you my concubine, and you still dare to harm her.”

So that’s why he came.

Afraid I would use tricks?

He knew me well.

After all, I was the one who brought him out of the cold palace and helped him compete for the crown prince.

Of course, he knew me.

I ignored him, keeping my back straight as I wrote the final line. Then I respectfully presented my paper.

This marked the end. Li Leyang had lost her chance to compete.

A talent? I raised an eyebrow.

How amusing.

I had given her a chance. So what if she knew all my skills and thoughts?

She still had to show up to compete.

She looked down on us “rigid and dull” women, not worth lifting a finger for.

But this world was full of women like us.

Rigid and deadly.

12.

The spot went to me. I heard Li Leyang smashed several vases and teacups in anger.

A young maid was sold to a brothel because she trembled while pouring tea.

I toyed with a chess piece, amused. Her style was far inferior to Empress Huaxuan’s.

Empress Huaxuan had advocated for equality and treated her servants kindly.

Both had awakened overnight, but their character and refinement were worlds apart.

Outside the Gathering Immortals Pavilion, Li Leyang stood in the shadows, staring at me. She said she knew my weakness.

I squinted at her, my left eyelid twitching violently, a sense of foreboding washing over me.

Sure enough, within two hours, Yunsa reported that Pei Simo had been kidnapped.

The wind howled, tearing at the curtains on the pavilion.

I mobilized half the guards from the Prime Minister’s mansion and the General’s mansion, scouring the city before we found Brother Mo.

He was frail, tied up in a dilapidated temple. As soon as we approached, a group of black-clad assassins attacked us.

This wasn’t the work of ordinary bandits.

“Brother Mo, hang on,” I whispered, supporting him. His face was pale, and my voice trembled.

Li Leyang…

My eyes turned bloodshot. At that moment, I wanted to tear her apart.

The assassins were fierce and well-trained. I had been careless, and my guards were quickly overwhelmed.

It looked like we might not make it out alive.

As the cold wind from the cliff howled, I hesitated whether to jump. Suddenly, an arrow pierced the chest of the lead assassin.

Then came the thunder of hooves.

I looked up and saw Xie Rao, dressed in black, charging toward us like a god of war.

His sword was cold and merciless, cutting through the assassins without hesitation.

“Follow me,” he said, grabbing my arm.

He shielded Pei Simo and me behind him.

I hesitated, looking at the large horse. Pei Simo was already weak, and the shock might be too much for him.

As I hesitated, a blade flashed toward me. Xie Rao moved, blocking it with his body.

The arrow pierced him, and I heard him hiss in pain.

He glared at me. “Xie Qingjing, if we don’t leave now, we’ll all die.”

In the temple, he had been reckless and infuriating.

But now, he was like a god of death, exuding an aura of authority.

Brother Mo and I rode for what felt like an eternity before collapsing from exhaustion.

13.

When I woke up, I was in the Prime Minister’s mansion.

My mother was wiping my face. When she saw me awake, she sighed in relief.

She asked about my relationship with Xie Rao, but I