"Smack!" As soon as Xiao Wenqiang opened her eyes, she was slapped hard by a richly dressed palace lady in front of her. The lady wore a ring, and with the stinging pain on her face, she was knocked to the ground by the momentum.
She struggled to get up, and a buzzing sound briefly echoed in her ears, followed by the woman's sharp, mocking laughter: "Chu Yulan, how dare you not kneel when you see this noble consort! Do you still consider yourself the empress, high and mighty?"
The chief palace maid beside the palace lady who had hit her spoke with some reluctance, saying softly to her: "Your Ladyship, the Emperor has not explicitly stripped her of her empress title. Would it be inappropriate for us to act like this now?"
"What are you afraid of? Your Chu family committed treason, and they deserved to be executed along with their entire clan." The woman in the opulent palace attire continued to speak to Xiao Wenqiang: "It is already the Emperor's great mercy to spare your wretched life and let you spend your twilight years in the cold palace, do you understand!"
The woman in the opulent palace attire gestured for the two wet nurses beside her to drag the still somewhat dizzy Xiao Wenqiang up from the ground. She sneered and stepped forward: "Chu Yulan, since you still haven't learned the rules of this cold palace, today this noble consort will be merciful and teach you a good lesson!"
Just as she was about to continue her assault, a voice came from outside the door: "Your Ladyship, wait a moment!"
Wang You strode in, followed by a distressed young palace maid. He stopped in front of the woman in the opulent palace attire and said, "Your Ladyship, the Emperor is benevolent. He cherishes his past affection for Empress Chu and still visits her from time to time. Your Ladyship is always considerate of His Majesty; please do not tarnish His Majesty's reputation or break his heart!"
The woman in the opulent palace attire was one of Emperor Situ Chuanqiong's most favored consorts, the daughter of Prime Minister Qin Feng's wife—Qin Mingzhu, who was enfegetitled as Noble Consort, holding the rank of Zheng Yipin.
However, even with her status, she did not dare to underestimate Wang You's words. After all, Wang You was the Emperor's most trusted chief eunuch, and the palace consorts who wanted to get closer to the Emperor had no choice but to maintain a good relationship with Wang You.
So, Qin Mingzhu took the opportunity to back down. "Eunuch Wang is right. This noble consort has always been considerate of His Majesty, and naturally, I would not do anything that would break His Majesty's heart. Then, regarding today's matter..."
"Your Ladyship, rest assured, this old servant is not one to gossip!" Wang You quickly interjected.
Only then did Qin Mingzhu smile. She signaled her chief palace maid to reward Wang You, and then she left the cold palace with her entourage.
Wang You looked at the red marks on Empress Chu's face on the ground, which had already started to bleed. He sighed deeply and said to the young palace maid beside him, "Chu Li, quickly apply medicine to your mistress!" With that, he also turned and left.
Xiao Wenqiang was helped by the palace maid named Chu Li to lie down on the bed. While Chu Li was applying medicine to her face, she quickly said to the system, "86365, what time is it that I've landed? Quickly give me the mission and the plot!"
【I'm sorry, Wen Qiang, this mission was accepted in a hurry, and the landing time was not calculated properly. I will transfer the plot to you first!】
Xiao Wenqiang found herself in a novel called "Love You Through Time and Space." The original host's name was Chu Yulan, the beloved daughter of Chu Qian, the Zhen Guo Da Jiang Jun (Great General Who Guards the Nation) of the fictional Dashu Dynasty.
As the legitimate daughter of the Great General, Chu Yulan loved practicing martial arts from a young age and often followed her father and brothers to the military camp. However, her mother did not give up on raising her as a noble lady, so she hired excellent tutors to teach her academics. Thus, Chu Yulan was also known for her exceptional talents in both literature and martial arts, proficient in everything from guzheng, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
The male protagonist of this book was named Situ Chuanqiong, the third son of the old emperor of the Dashu Dynasty. He met Chu Yulan in the military camp, and they practiced martial arts and played together, forging a deep emotional bond. Naturally, after they grew up, he married Chu Yulan as expected.
Situ Chuanqiong, having married the general's daughter, naturally gained the support of his father-in-law's army. Therefore, during the struggle for succession, the Qin family made significant contributions. Chu Yulan personally accompanied the man she loved, facing life and death, fighting on battlefields several times, which finally allowed Situ Chuanqiong to ascend the throne.
However, this was ultimately a transmigration novel, and the female lead was naturally not Chu Yulan.
In a clichéd opening, the fifth daughter of the Right Prime Minister's family, Leng Yuanxiang, died after an accidental fall into water. Her body was then soul-transmigrated by a woman who had died in a car accident in modern times.
From then on, Leng Yuanxiang's personality changed drastically. She was no longer timid and afraid to speak loudly; instead, she became cheerful and confident, often smiling with vibrant energy.
Even the Right Prime Minister, Leng Guang, gradually grew to love this daughter. He discovered that she was eloquent, talented, and often recited extraordinary poems that had never been heard before. In an instant, Leng Yuanxiang became immensely popular, her talent and fame surpassing those of Qin Yulan at the time.
At this point, Situ Chuanqiong, who was now the Emperor, naturally heard the rumors. Thus, he found an opportunity, disguised himself, and met Leng Yuanxiang in a restaurant while she was composing poetry.
Situ Chuanqiong posed several questions to test her, and he found that this woman was indeed astonishingly talented. Her poems not only possessed a beautiful style but also a heroic sentiment.
Currently, Leng Yuanxiang was shaking her head and chanting: "Do you not see, the Yellow River's water comes from the heavens, flowing to the sea and never returning. Do you not see, in the bright mirror of the high hall, white hair sadly appears; in the morning black silk, by evening it turns to snow. When life is good, one must rejoice; let the golden goblet not be empty before the moon. Heaven begot me, my talent must be used; a thousand gold spent, it will return again..."
Thus, Leng Yuanxiang, by stealing the poem "Bring in the Wine" by the ancient poet Li Bai, firmly captured Situ Chuanqiong's heart.
After a period of further interaction, Situ Chuanqiong discovered that Leng Yuanxiang was truly a rare and remarkable woman in the world. Her usual way of speaking and acting greatly intrigued him. Unlike the foolish women of the present day who only knew the three obediences and four virtues, Leng Yuanxiang was a unique rose with thorns. Therefore, he later revealed his imperial identity and expressed his desire to take her as a consort.
Leng Yuanxiang, unlike other women, did not express excessive gratitude upon hearing that she was to become the Emperor's woman. Instead, she boldly refused Situ Chuanqiong and told him that although she loved him, she only accepted a monogamous relationship. She said that seeing her mother's unhappiness after marrying her father, she would only marry a man who would have only her as his wife.
Situ Chuanqiong did not get angry; instead, he liked Leng Yuanxiang even more. Because no woman had ever refused him, not even the heroic Chu Yulan on the battlefield, who had immediately agreed to his proposal. Therefore, Leng Yuanxiang deeply piqued his interest.
Later, Situ Chuanqiong sent an imperial edict to the Right Prime Minister's mansion, specifically requesting to take the fifth daughter, Leng Yuanxiang, as a consort, bestowing upon her the title of Zheng Yipin Xianfei (Virtuous Consort).
The court believed he was doing this to counterbalance the two Prime Ministers, thus having daughters from both sides in the harem. In reality, Situ Chuanqiong's greatest love was Leng Yuanxiang, and he had promised not to touch any other women for her in the future.