Yu Xiaoxiao sat staring blankly in front of the bronze mirror. The girl in the mirror was only thirteen years old, dressed in palace robes, with delicate, beautiful features and fair skin—clearly a girl raised in luxury. She had lived through the apocalypse of the human race, fighting zombies to the death day after day to protect humanity. After dying in battle, she had opened her eyes to find herself in a world without zombies. This should have been bliss—but Yu Xiaoxiao couldn't feel happy.
Just an hour ago, Yu Xiaoxiao had been forced to watch a woman's entire life play out before her. She had no choice in the matter, because the woman seemed to be living inside her own head. Even with her eyes shut tight, Yu Xiaoxiao could still see the raging fire that stained half the sky red. A woman in a dragon robe struggled and wailed in the flames, and amid the firelight, scene after scene of old, tattered images appeared, unfolding the woman's long-past history before Yu Xiaoxiao's eyes piece by piece.
The woman trapped in the sea of fire was named Yu Linglong, born of the Empress, and she had grown up in the imperial palace in silk and luxury, carefree, until the age of thirteen. The Empress had conceived a child in her middle years, but died of a hemorrhage during the birth. Less than a month after the Empress's death, the Emperor had elevated his favorite concubine, Lady Zhao, to Empress. From then on, the innocent and kindhearted Princess Linglong came to know the world's deep malice. Not only was she demoted from court and sent away to a fief with her little brother, she nearly starved to death along the road. Forced by circumstance, the little white rabbit turned into a wolf. She seduced princes of several kingdoms, and slaughtered without mercy. The more blood stained her hands, the more of a winner in life this princess became in the eyes of others—until she finally became a legendary Empress Regnant. And then...
If Yu Xiaoxiao could have spoken then, she would have thrown herself into the fire, grabbed the Empress Regnant by the collar, and demanded a proper answer: What happened to the promised comeback story? How did it turn into a suicide-by-stupidity story overnight? Your Majesty the Empress Regnant, what's with the murderous obsession? Promoting villains—was that a brain defect? An empress forcibly taking men from the common people—is that really okay? Didn't you already have an Imperial Consort? Oh right, the Consort was also taken by force, and you still had a true love in your heart besides. Honestly, you're a woman—what do you need so many lovers for? Where was your wisdom? Your divine might? Couldn't you see those pretty boys were all social climbers?
Only when the Empress, dying with regrets unfulfilled, was burned to ash in the great fire did the towering flames gradually die down.
When Yu Xiaoxiao opened her eyes again, she heard the people around her calling her "Princess" with every sentence. She looked at this circle of very familiar faces, asked her own name—Yu Linglong—and at that point, Yu Xiaoxiao didn't need to think about anything anymore. The lead role had changed actors, and it was unmistakably her turn to play Yu Linglong.
Nanny Wang came over carrying a bowl of red date and longan soup, walking up to her princess. Seeing Her Highness's face—outwardly indifferent but inwardly suffering—Nanny Wang wiped away a tear and gently urged, "Princess, it's been nearly a month since Her Majesty the Empress passed. If you go on unhappy like this, day after day, how can Her Majesty rest in peace, with her spirit watching from above?"
Hearing this, Yu Xiaoxiao turned to glance at Princess Linglong's wet nurse. It's been nearly a month since Her Majesty the Empress passed—what did that mean? It meant that Consort Zhao was about to become Empress, that she was about to be cast out of the palace, and from there embark on her journey into darkness! Transmigrating into a tyrannical empress she could accept—but why did it have to be the year she was thirteen? So she didn't get to enjoy a single day of the tyrannical empress's good life before the torment began? Was she still going to be able to have fun in this world?
"Your Highness the Princess," a young eunuch's voice called from outside the chamber. "His Majesty summons you to the Book-Viewing Pavilion."
At the young eunuch's words, Nanny Wang shuddered violently. Grabbing Yu Xiaoxiao's hand, she tearfully begged, "Princess, this servant would never lead you astray. Please heed this servant's advice—Consort Zhao is truly not a good person. If Consort Zhao is also at the Book-Viewing Pavilion, you—Your Highness—whatever you do, don't believe a word she says!"
Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. "I know she's not a good person."
Huh? Nanny Wang was dumbfounded. All this time, the Empress had protected the Eldest Princess too well—Her Highness completely lacked the ability to judge people's hearts. Nanny Wang had spent nearly a month earnestly trying to persuade her princess, and still hadn't managed to make her believe that Consort Zhao wasn't a good thing. What was going on today? Had the Empress's spirit manifested, and the Princess suddenly come to her senses?
"Let's go." Yu Xiaoxiao rose to her feet and strode toward the door.
Nanny Wang followed Yu Xiaoxiao out of the palace chamber, slipped a small ingot of broken silver into the hand of the young eunuch who had come to relay the message, and quietly asked, "Who else is at the Book-Viewing Pavilion?"
The young eunuch said, "Consort Zhao is there as well."
Nanny Wang looked at Yu Xiaoxiao and worried.
Yu Xiaoxiao straightened her little back ramrod straight and said, "No need to be afraid. She's just a scheming consort. Could she possibly be scarier than zombies?"
...
......
Nanny Wang and the young eunuch both felt that the wind was blowing too hard just now, and they hadn't heard Her Highness the Princess's words correctly. A scheming consort, fine—Consort Zhao was indeed a scheming consort. But what in the world was a "zombie"?
"Lead the way." Yu Xiaoxiao tersely ordered the young eunuch to lead.
The young eunuch who served at Xianzong's side screwed up his courage, looked up at Her Highness the Eldest Princess, and couldn't shake the feeling that something about the Princess had changed.
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