After listening to “Shen Yuling’s” recount of her experiences, Shen Yuling couldn’t help but silently criticize in her heart.
Wasn’t this just an utterly clichéd novel plot?
From another perspective, it was the story of a transmigrated woman who forcibly seized the original female lead’s fortune, occupied her place like a cuckoo in a magpie’s nest, and ended up becoming the female lead herself.
Having read too many scripts and heard too many stories, although she sympathized with “Shen Yuling’s” plight, she couldn’t truly empathize.
She merely saw herself as a listener of the story.
However, when “Shen Yuling” mentioned the hatred of her clan’s extermination, her expression turned sorrowful, her eyes glistening with tears, as if she were on the verge of weeping.
Her voice choked with emotion.
“If it were only my own death, I could have accepted it.”
“But my beloved father and mother—my father, who dedicated his life to the Qian Dynasty, and my mother, gentle and kind, who spent her life doing good deeds—met such a tragic end. How could I not harbor resentment?”
“Such a blood feud—if left unavenged, I would find no peace even in death!”
Shen Yuling looked up at her.
“You came to me because you want me to become you and seek revenge on your behalf?”
“Yes.”
“Shen Yuling” answered without hesitation.
Shen Yuling frowned slightly.
“Since you, like Liu Jingyi, already know the entire development of the story, why not be reborn yourself? With the advantage of foreknowledge, you could personally exact revenge on your enemies.”
“Shen Yuling” sighed.
“When the system first found me, it told me that the reason I was originally the female lead in the story was because I had lived through three lifetimes, saving people from suffering and hardship in each, thus accumulating the blessings of three lifetimes.”
“Originally, I should have lived that life smoothly and peacefully. But who could have expected that the so-called transmigrated woman would turn my life into such a miserable tragedy?”
She paused for a moment.
“The system also told me that I had three chances to start over.”
“But before finding you, I had already relived my life twice, yet I failed both times to achieve the revenge I sought.”
Shen Yuling couldn’t control her expression, her mouth slightly agape.
She relived her life twice and still couldn’t achieve revenge?!
Was the original female lead perhaps a bit foolish?
With such a beautiful appearance, was her mind not very sharp?
Shen Yuling discreetly observed the “Shen Yuling” across from her.
Seeing Shen Yuling’s expression, “Shen Yuling” knew she had misunderstood and hurriedly continued.
“Miss Shen, once I finish recounting my story in detail, you will understand that my revenge is not so easily achieved.”
“During my first rebirth, I still chose to marry Feng Moheng.”
“I thought that with the advantage of knowing everything, I could surely eliminate Liu Jingyi. And indeed, I succeeded in making Feng Moheng see Liu Jingyi’s true nature. In the end, she was driven out of the Junwang Manor, and I sent someone to kill her.”
“But Liu Shihan, relying on the Crown Prince’s unshakable position, remained beyond my reach. Even if I wanted to use Feng Moheng to deal with Liu Shihan, I was powerless.”
“Moreover, after Liu Jingyi died because of me, Liu Shihan bore a deep grudge against me and the Shen family.”
“When the new emperor first ascended the throne, he did not immediately move against the Shen family. However, under Liu Shihan’s instigation, the Shen family was continuously marginalized. A few years later, we ultimately could not escape the fate of extermination.”
At this point, “Shen Yuling” could no longer contain her grief, and tears streamed from her eyes.
She covered her face with her sleeve, sobbing softly.
“Shen Yuling” gently raised her hand, using a handkerchief to wipe away the tears at the corner of her eyes, trying hard to calm her overwhelming sorrow.
“In my second rebirth, before the Qian Yuan Emperor’s marriage decree was issued, after careful consideration, I decided to have my father voluntarily send me into His Majesty’s inner palace.”
“I thought that as long as I could gain His Majesty’s protection and make him my backing, then both Liu Shihan and Liu Jingyi would surely come to no good end.”
She frowned slightly, her expression bitter.
“But who could have imagined that the inner palace was far more complicated than I had envisioned.”
“I grew up in the Grand Protector’s mansion in the northwest, pampered and privileged—how could I have ever experienced the struggles of the inner palace?”
“His Majesty ascended the throne at the age of thirteen. After his accession, he fought on the battlefield, unified the realm, and achieved illustrious merits.”
“Precisely because of this, His Majesty never paid much attention to the inner palace. He was largely indifferent to the women there, showing only slightly more concern for those Imperial Consorts who had borne him children.”
“His heart and mind were wholly occupied with court affairs and governance.”
“Nevertheless, through careful planning and allying with several other Imperial Consorts, I successfully exposed Liu Shihan’s crimes of harming other princes.”
“When His Majesty learned of this, he was furious and immediately issued an edict stripping her son of his position as Crown Prince. That at least provided some small satisfaction.”
Shen Yuling couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow—that didn’t sound too bad.
“Wasn’t your second life quite successful then?”
“Shen Yuling” shook her head gently, her eyes filled with helplessness and sorrow.
She sighed, “But who could have foreseen that the upheavals of this second life would be even more sudden and unpredictable?”
“Without my interference, Feng Moheng and Liu Jingyi fell deeply in love, their affection profound.”
“He and his mother, Princess Xihe, became the most capable aides to the fourth prince of the new emperor, Consort Su.”
“When the new emperor ascended the throne, Feng Moheng was promoted from commandery prince to imperial prince for his many achievements, and Liu Jingyi naturally became the esteemed and noble Princess of Lingyang.”
“Thus, my hopes for revenge became nearly impossible.”
Shen Yuling pondered for a moment.
“Then why didn’t you try to bear His Majesty’s child and then support your own child to become the new emperor?”
“Your father was the Grand Protector, a powerful figure in charge of military and administrative affairs in the northwest, and a trusted minister who fought alongside Quan Minghe to conquer the realm. With such influence, wasn’t it enough to help you achieve your wish?”
“Shen Yuling” lowered her gaze, her voice growing choked.
“How could I not have wanted that?”
“But during the inner palace struggles, I suffered a miscarriage. After that, my health was permanently damaged, and I never conceived again…”
No matter which life it was, she had never been able to protect her own child!
“Now I have only one last chance at rebirth left.”
“Even if I were to be reborn again, I truly have no confidence that everything would unfold as I hope.”
“Before the system found you, I remained in this space, agonizing over the countless possible scenarios that might arise after a third rebirth.”
“But whether I choose to marry into the commandery prince’s household or enter the inner palace, it seems I can only succeed in avenging half of my grievances—and the probability of succeeding in the other half is merely fifty percent.”
“Shen Yuling” despised her own powerlessness, her inability to personally slay all her enemies!
The system, which had been standing by all along, noticed that Shen Yuling seemed somewhat moved after hearing these past events.
It immediately perked up again.
“Miss Shen, the reason I went through such meticulous selection to find you is because the system conducted an extremely precise calculation.”
“Within the scope of the Galaxy’s minor worlds, your soul is the closest to hers. Moreover, you are the most suitable, the smartest, possess acting skills, and have beauty—making you the most likely candidate to accomplish this challenging task!”
After speaking, the system eagerly asked, “Miss Shen, will you accept this challenge?”
Shen Yuling did not respond immediately. Instead, she walked up to “Shen Yuling.”
Her hand rested gently on “Shen Yuling’s” shoulder.
Her gaze fixed on her, filled with scrutiny.
“Do you know why you failed?”
“Shen Yuling” shook her head.
“Because you… weren’t ruthless enough.”
“Look at this face of yours. It should be as dazzling and vibrant as a blooming mandala flower, stunningly radiant, yet your temperament is that of a cold, pure lotus.”
“Too fragile.”
As Shen Yuling spoke, she gently touched her own face.
“I quite like your appearance. It complements my personality even more.”
Her own face had the delicate, pitiable look of a White Flower, which always seemed somewhat mismatched with her bold and fiery personality.
It was hard to say whose face was more beautiful between the two of them.
One was delicate and radiant, the other pure and innocent—both were the epitome of beauty in their own styles.
Yet, their personalities seemed to have been placed in the wrong bodies.
Shen Yuling appeared pure and innocent on the outside, but her mind was anything but simple.