Having been reborn once and being naturally thick-skinned, Xi Hongrui quickly regained control of her emotions. She took a deep breath, steadying herself until no trace of her inner turmoil remained. Smoothing out her handkerchief, she held it overhead and gazed up at the large, scorching sun through the silk fabric. Ambition gradually filled her eyes—this lifetime, she would become the sun, the highest of all!
As for why she had suddenly shifted her tone when speaking to the maids earlier, completely different from her previous life, it was of course because—
“What are you doing here instead of properly serving in the Crown Princess Consort’s chambers?”
A familiar yet distant voice suddenly reached her ears. Looking up, she saw the speaker dressed in a stiff brown skirt and a goose-yellow overgarment, her hair neatly styled in a single coiled bun without a single stray strand. A simple silver chrysanthemum hairpin adorned her hair, and her expression was placid—the very picture of the docile female lead required in novels.
Xi Hongrui halted and lowered her head, her voice tinged with reverence. “Aunt Ning Meng, I saw that the young lady was napping earlier and didn’t want to disturb her. The weather has been growing hotter lately, and I felt a bit breathless, so I thought to take advantage of her rest to cool off briefly in the garden…”
The maid Ning Meng immediately frowned. “Is this how you learned manners back at the Prime Minister’s residence?”
Xi Hongrui bowed her head even lower. “Please forgive me, Aunt. I know I was wrong. It’s just that back at the Prime Minister’s residence, the young lady never—”
Ning Meng cut her off without hesitation. “Who is this ‘young lady’? Where did she come from?”
Realizing her slip of the tongue, Xi Hongrui quickly knelt. “Forgive me, Aunt! I meant the Crown Princess Consort! I spoke carelessly!”
Ning Meng’s expression remained unchanged as she said calmly, “There’s no need to apologize to me. After all, you are the Crown Princess Consort’s dowry maid. Your every action reflects her dignity. I will report today’s incident in full to the Crown Princess Consort, and she will decide how to handle it.”
Xi Hongrui looked up in panic, but Ning Meng had already lost interest and turned to leave. “The Crown Princess Consort is looking for you. Hurry up.”
“Yes!”
Feigning alarm, Xi Hongrui quickly rose and followed her, though inwardly, she felt nothing of the sort.
This Aunt Ning Meng was a maid serving Old Ruiking’s Wife and highly favored, which was why she remained unmarried at twenty-six. After the Crown Princess Consort entered the household, Ning Meng was assigned to serve her.
In her previous life, as the Crown Princess Consort’s dowry maid, Xi Hongrui had harbored resentment toward anyone sent by Old Ruiking’s Wife, scheming to ostracize her and drive her out of the estate. But how could a maid valued by Old Ruiking’s Wife be so easily manipulated? While Xi Hongrui had jumped through hoops and set traps both openly and covertly, Ning Meng had effortlessly invoked “rules” and had her punished with ten strikes of the bamboo rod.
Recalling the lingering sting on her back, Xi Hongrui remembered—this must have been shortly after the punishment. In her past life, even after being beaten, she had remained defiant, her fighting spirit only growing stronger as she sought revenge.
But in this life, she suddenly didn’t care anymore. Having been reborn, she now knew that her true master stood on the opposite side.Her “restlessness” had long been noticed by her sharp-eyed “young lady.” Although Ning Meng was sent by the old princess consort, she was an upright and righteous person. How could her young lady—the female lead who had traveled from the future—judge relationships based solely on familiarity, like an ordinary person?
Thus, the female lead and Ning Meng eventually became a mistress-and-servant pair closer than sisters. Even at this stage, the female lead admired Ning Meng more than her.
In her past life, she never understood why, one day, the young lady she had grown up with suddenly stopped valuing her, stopped being close to her, and grew increasingly intimate with an outsider.
Now she knew: at some point, her young lady had become a different person. She shared not even a trace of affection with the current Crown Princess Consort and was, in fact, deeply disliked by her.
Xi Hongrui was adept at adapting to others. In the past, she had been bold and fierce, acting like a second master in the ministerial residence, because her original young lady was unruly, indulgent, and extravagant.
Now, without that backing, how could she remain as reckless as before?
So, Xi Hongrui pretended to be subdued by the previous beating, hesitantly and meekly following behind Ning Meng.
But it was clear that Ning Meng, having become the old princess consort’s personal maid, was genuinely capable.
She showed no relaxation in her vigilance toward Xi Hongrui’s sudden docility, indifferently leading her into the room and standing impassively by her mistress’s side to serve tea.
On the chaise lounge sat a young woman with an aloof expression. Despite her detached demeanor, she could not conceal her elegant, peony-like beauty that could topple cities.
Lin Wan calmly took the tea offered by Ning Meng, took a small sip, and then turned her gaze to Xi Hongrui below.
Xi Hongrui glanced at her, then quickly lowered her head and knelt to plead for forgiveness.
Once prostrate on the ground, she felt an unexpected pang of bitterness.
In her past life, when her young lady changed so drastically before and after falling into the water, why had she never considered that it was no longer her original young lady?
If she hadn’t been so careless, she wouldn’t now struggle to recall what her young lady truly looked like.
No matter what, she certainly wasn’t as petty as the current one.
Her original young lady had not only given her all sorts of unnecessary luxuries but had also promised that after marriage, she would be the principal wife while Xi Hongrui would be the secondary one, taking her everywhere.
Unlike this current young lady, who even criticized in her heart how many flowers she wore in her hair or how many red ribbons she tied.
Ah, this was probably retribution. She hadn’t cherished the young lady who treated her well, and only after crossing paths with this difficult, old-fashioned pedant did she realize how good her former young lady had been…
…
Lin Wan glanced at Xi Hongrui kneeling on the ground but did not hurry to let her rise.
She had originally been a history teacher who accidentally traveled to this world. The original host was a brainless legitimate daughter whose mother died early and was ruined by her stepmother.
Her father, the Right Minister, intended to marry her off to the Heir of Rui Wang. Upon hearing that the Heir of Rui Wang was disabled, she threw tantrums like mad—crying, making scenes, and threatening suicide—refusing to marry, which gave her stepmother and half-sister a good laugh and nearly angered the Right Minister to death.
Then, while pretending to drown herself in a lake, she cramped up and actually died. Lin Wan, who shared the same name, crossed over into her body.
After crossing over, Lin Wan had no choice but to clean up the mess left by the original host.Well-versed in history, she had no intention of following the footsteps of other transmigrated women who impulsively pursued “freedom,” “equality for all,” or “one love for life.” Reciting a poem by Li Bai at a banquet to astonish everyone? Such foolishness wouldn’t survive a single episode in the real ancient world.
So, when faced with the Right Chancellor’s coercive marriage proposal again, she agreed without hesitation and secured the best terms for herself.
Although the Heir of Rui Wang was disabled and had difficulty walking, he married her with the full rites of a principal wife.
In ancient times, a wife was fundamentally different from a concubine. Wives were protected by law, and as long as she managed her role as Crown Princess Consort well, she could avoid most pitfalls and live a stable life.
However, the maid by her side was clearly as restless as her original young mistress.
Back at the Chancellor’s residence, she had already set her sights on becoming the young master’s concubine, and nothing had changed since arriving at the Prince’s Residence.
Instead of focusing on her duties and securing a stable future, this maid spent her days adorning herself with makeup, her eyes darting around as she schemed to climb the social ladder.
Such a person might enjoy a few good days while young and beautiful, but in the long run, what favorable outcome could she expect?
Yet, this was hardly surprising. Throughout history, beauty has been the easiest asset for women to grow arrogant about.
Take Qing Wen from Dream of the Red Chamber—wasn’t it her reliance on beauty that made her act like a second mistress? This maid, Xi Hongrui, was even more arrogant than Qing Wen.
At least Qing Wen knew better than to become a concubine, but Xi Hongrui was determined to be a nobleman’s concubine rather than a poor man’s wife.
With her delicate, bone-soft appearance that naturally captivated men, she had truly bewitched a group of lustful young masters and nobles as if they had drunk ten bowls of bewitching potion, fueling her ambitions even further.
Unfortunately, her aspirations soared to the heavens while her status remained lowly. Beauty alone was a recipe for disaster.
She was fixated on climbing high, but she never stopped to wonder why those in high places would entertain someone like her with no substantial backing. In the end, they would merely sample her beauty while it lasted and discard her once the novelty wore off.
To survive in this ruthless ancient era, the most crucial thing was to adapt to the rules, remain content with one’s lot, and prioritize self-preservation.
If she directly advised this girl, the little fool blinded by wealth would likely resent her. She was no saint, tasked with saving the suffering.
She would give this maid one last chance. If she could grasp it, so be it; if not, she would have to face the consequences.
So, Lin Wan said calmly, “How old are you this year?”
It’s happening.
Hearing this familiar question, Xi Hongrui, who was well-acquainted with the temper of transmigrated women, no longer responded with the cheeky familiarity she had relied on in her previous life. Instead, she kowtowed respectfully and replied timidly, “Replying to the Crown Princess Consort, this servant is sixteen this year.”
Having been punished just days ago, it was possible she had learned her lesson and become more subdued. So, Lin Wan didn’t pay much attention to her sudden change in demeanor and merely said calmly, “You’ve reached marriageable age. I shouldn’t delay you. How about I arrange a marriage for you?”
Having been reborn once, Xi Hongrui was fully aware of what would happen next, but she still looked up with the shyness and nervousness a young girl should have about marriage matters: “May I ask whom my mistress intends to betroth me to?”
Lin Wan replied unhurriedly, “You are my dowry maid. I will naturally see to a good future for you. What do you think of Pei San, who serves by the Prince’s side?”Pei San, of course, is a good match.
He is the most trusted and valued guard by the male lead—loyal, handsome, and more than worthy of a lowly house-born servant like her.
That’s why, in her past life, when she looked down on Pei San for being a servant and made a fuss about refusing him, the comments section exploded.
“LMAO, she has the nerve to look down on Xiao Pei for being a servant? Does she think she’s some kind of noble young lady?”
“Let me explain to everyone what a ‘house-born’ servant is: a house-born servant is the child of a family’s slaves. They are of lowly status, their children inherit that status, they can’t take the imperial exams, and they can’t marry commoners. They’re the lowest class in ancient times. And this lowly servant actually dares to look down on Xiao Pei? What an astonishingly arrogant and delusional woman!”
“Is this lowly servant trying to seduce the male lead? Ugh, just die already!”
“As if she’s worthy! The male lead is a member of the imperial family, a descendant of dragons and phoenixes. The current emperor can’t produce an heir, so it’s possible he could become emperor in the future. How dare a lowly servant like her entertain such delusions!”
“Forget the male lead—she’s not even worthy of Xiao Pei! Please, author, let Xiao Pei and Ning Meng end up together. I love Ning Meng!”
“Love Ning Meng +1! Let Xiao Pei and Ning Meng be together!”
…
And later, everything the female lead and the commenters said came true, just as predicted.
She did indeed shamelessly latch onto the “male lead,” becoming a nameless, titleless bedchamber maid, and even felt smug about it.
And, as expected, her end was tragic—all her scheming came to nothing.
The male lead only loved the female lead. The reason he took her in was that, before the female lead transmigrated into the story, her original young mistress had made reckless remarks, looking down on the Shizi of Rui Wang for being lame. When the male lead found out, it caused a misunderstanding with the female lead, and he took her in just to provoke her.
Later, when they cleared up the misunderstanding and the male lead even ascended the throne, he and the female lead lived in perfect harmony.
Deeply regretting the pain he had caused the female lead, the male lead had this disloyal servant’s face slashed and sold her to a brothel to appease the female lead’s grievances.
On the very day she was sold to the brothel, it was also the day Pei San—newly appointed as a fourth-rank imperial guard with the privilege of bearing arms—and Ning Meng, the personal maid of the Imperial Concubine, held a grand, belated wedding ceremony, presided over by the emperor and empress themselves.
In that chapter, the comments section was filled with jubilant excitement.
“Holy crap! This is so satisfying!”
“That little bitch Xi wasn’t she looking down on Xiao Pei for being a servant? Now Xiao Pei is a high-ranking official, and she’s become a whore ridden by thousands and slept with by tens of thousands! Hahaha!”
“Her ambitions reach for the heavens, but her fate is thinner than paper. If only Xi Hongrui hadn’t been so greedy, the female lead would never have treated her poorly. Look at Ning Meng—she’s the lawfully wedded wife of a fourth-rank official!”
“Aww, Ning Meng deserves it! Xiao Pei and Auntie Ning Meng, live happily ever after!”
…
Now, she has returned to this turning point that decided her fate. Knowing the full truth, she has a chance to start over.
Just agree. After all, it’s the lawful, honored position of a fourth-rank guard’s official wife. What more could a lowly house-born servant like her ask for?
Yet, when Xi Hongrui lifted her head, her eyes blazing, she uttered these words—
“Crown Princess Consort, this servant is unwilling.”