“Song Li, it’s your turn to wash the clothes today. Stop being lazy and go now!”
Song Li held her dizzy head as she struggled to get up. Under Mama Liu’s cold stare, she hurried outside.
Just then, a thin little girl stepped in front of her.
“Mama Liu, Song Li’s cold is getting worse. I’ll wash her clothes for her.”
Mama Liu waved her hand carelessly.
“As long as someone washes them, I don’t care who does.”
After Mama Liu left, Song Li looked at the girl with gratitude.
“Thank you, Zhaodi. You will always be my best friend.”
Zhaodi smiled warmly, her eyes curving into crescents.
“Why are you thanking me? Aren’t we like family? If I were in trouble, you would help me too, right?”
Song Li nodded hard.
“Of course.”
Zhaodi smiled without saying anything. She helped Song Li back to bed, picked up a large basket of dirty clothes, and left.
When everything became quiet, Song Li slowly opened her eyes.
Everything was happening exactly like it did in the novel.
She really had been transported into a book.
She had entered an old romance novel called “The Enchanting Princess Consort, The Cold Prince’s Greatest Treasure.”
Zhaodi was the novel’s main heroine. She had transmigrated into this world, started as an abandoned baby, climbed step by step to the top, and eventually became the Empress of the Great Qi Empire.
As for Song Li…
She was simply the first stepping stone in Zhaodi’s rise to power.
In the novel, Zhaodi was chosen by a mysterious person to work for him.
He told her a secret.
Song Li was actually the lost daughter of General Song. She wore a jade pendant that looked obviously fake at first glance, but it was actually the token she had been wearing before she disappeared.
The mysterious man originally planned to kill Song Li and give the jade pendant to Zhaodi.
However, Zhaodi’s character was supposed to be kind and innocent. She could not bear to let Song Li die because of her.
So she promised the mysterious man that she could get the jade pendant without killing anyone and also gain the Song family’s trust.
The mysterious man did not want to alert the Song family, so he agreed.
As a result, Zhaodi carefully chose the right day.
The day before the Song family arrived, she secretly put something into Song Li’s food.
That night, Song Li developed a high fever.
While pretending to care for her by wiping her body with warm water, Zhaodi quietly stole the jade pendant.
The next day, the current Song Li—who happened to have the exact same name as the original character—was transported into this world.
The place they lived in was called Charity Hall.
On the surface, it was an orphanage that took in abandoned children.
But secretly, it trained beautiful boys and girls before selling them to wealthy and powerful families.
Those who were not good-looking were sent away as laborers.
The small room they lived in had only one large sleeping platform.
Ten children slept together on the same bed.
There were four older girls.
Every morning they got up early to learn different skills.
At night, they returned wearing beautiful silk clothes before going to sleep.
The younger children always looked at their pretty clothes and hair ornaments with envy.
They hoped that when they grew up, they could live like their older sisters.
Little did they know…
Growing up meant walking straight into a trap.
Of course, Song Li had no intention of staying here.
According to the novel, after the Song family took Zhaodi away, the mysterious man would set the entire place on fire.
The original Song Li and everyone in Charity Hall would die in that fire.
Although Song Li knew a little martial arts, this world allowed people to cultivate inner energy.
She had no confidence that she could escape the mysterious man’s killers.
If she wanted to stay alive, the safest place was by General Song’s side.
No matter what, she had to fight for this chance.
If she succeeded, she would become the rich general’s daughter and continue living an easy life.
If she failed…
The worst that could happen was losing her life.
She could accept that.
According to the novel, when Zhaodi had washed about half the basket of clothes, she would see the Song family riding toward Charity Hall from a distance.
Song Li guessed the timing was about right.
Zhaodi should have already washed half the basket.
She got up, found a wooden stick to use as a walking cane, and walked outside.
The moment she stepped out the door, she saw a group of riders approaching through the setting sun.
Golden light surrounded every one of them, making them look like heavenly warriors descending to bless the world.
Song Li quickly leaned on her stick and slowly walked toward Zhaodi, stopping every few steps to catch her breath.
The reason Zhaodi had been chosen by the mysterious man was because she looked about seventy percent like Madam Song.
Combined with the pitiful image she carefully created…
A thin, fragile girl washing a huge basket of clothes alone beside the river…
The basket was so big it could almost fit her inside.
The icy river water of early spring made her small hands red and swollen from the cold.
Just imagine.
How would a battle-hardened general feel when seeing such a scene?
It would be like a mighty Dragon King returning home only to find his daughter living in a dog’s kennel.
The novel described it like this:
“The moment the heroine looked up, it felt as though an arrow had pierced General Song’s chest. The pain was so great that he could hardly breathe.”
But this time…
Both Song Li and Zhaodi were washing clothes together.
Yes, Zhaodi looked like Madam Song.
But the novel had also said that Song Li looked just like General Song.
She wondered what kind of shock General Song would feel when she looked up instead.
“Song… Song Li! Why did you come out? Go back and rest!”
Zhaodi suddenly noticed another pair of hands beside her.
When she looked up, she saw Song Li’s face burning red with fever.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Everything that had been going according to plan suddenly felt uncertain.
A bad feeling quietly rose in her heart.
“Zhaodi, it’s still so cold outside. How could I stay in bed knowing you’re washing my clothes alone? Look at your hands—they’re frozen red. Go back and rest. I’ll finish the rest myself.”
“No! You still have a fever. Go back. I’ll wash them this time. You can help me next time.”
“I’m already feeling much better. I can’t let you get sick because of me. Zhaodi, please go back.”
“I…”
Just as Zhaodi was about to speak, someone across the river suddenly shouted,
“Is this Charity Hall ahead?”
Song Li had already raised her head.
Leaning on her wooden stick, she slowly stood up.
The cold wind blew her bangs across her forehead.
But it could not hide the determination in her eyes.
She looked like someone who would never give up, no matter how badly life beat her down.
“Yes, this is Charity Hall,” she answered calmly.
Her voice carried a quiet confidence, almost like that of a powerful leader.
Song Li knew she could never compete with Zhaodi by acting pitiful and warm.
Instead, she decided to act like General Song himself—strong, calm, and unyielding.
That was her style.
On horseback, Song Yannian’s eyes suddenly widened.
It felt as if a heavy hammer had struck his heart.
He almost fell off his horse.
Beside him, Song Hailan narrowed his eyes.
“So similar…
She really looks so much like him.”
Looking at the girl before them…
She somehow gave off a strong “father-like” feeling.
It was truly…
“Dad, look at her…”
Song Yannian raised a hand, stopping him from speaking.
“I’ve already seen.”
His eyes stayed fixed on Song Li.
He could not bear to look away, even for a moment.
“Are you a child from Charity Hall?” he asked from across the river.
Song Li simply nodded without saying a word.
Her distant, calm manner stirred everyone’s emotions.
Deputy General Liang grabbed the corner of his clothes, his eyes turning red.
“General, there’s no need to keep searching! Those eyes… I know I’m not mistaken.”
He was about to cross the river.
But just then, a gentle and pleasant voice rang out.
“May I ask why you honorable guests have come here? Are you looking for the person in charge of Charity Hall? I can deliver your message.”
Everyone’s attention shifted from Song Li to Zhaodi.