Reading Guide: ① Age settings are the same as in the modern era. ② This is not a traditional historical novel. The setting is fictional, so please do not scrutinize it for historical accuracy. ③ A long-planned scheme, love after marriage. ④ Mutual growth, a sweet and doting romance-focused story.
Dark beauty / Love-struck tyrant
In the 44th year of Da Yuan, the sixth month, at the height of summer.
It had only been half a month since the grand wedding of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and the bright red “double happiness” characters and red silks were still visible everywhere in the Eastern Palace.
Early morning, in the rear courtyard. Within an octagonal pavilion situated in the center of a lotus pond, a gorgeously dressed, beautiful woman held some fish food, tossing it into the pond intermittently.
Behind her stood a throng of servants—a uniform line of maids in pink, with the exception of one elderly granny.
The granny had a harsh face and put on the airs of an elder, relying on her seniority. “Young Miss, the Madam has instructed this old servant to inform you. It has been half a month since you married into the Eastern Palace. It is time to hurry up and bear children for His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“A mother’s status is elevated by her son. If there is no news from your belly for a long time, I fear you will fall out of His Highness’s favor. When that time comes, the Prime Minister’s Residence will likely be unable to support you any longer.”
As if she hadn’t heard, Song Yao continued to feed her fish. This time, she poured all the fish food into the pond, and the gathered koi immediately darted about, scrambling for the food.
Seemingly pleased by this scene, she finally turned to look at the granny. The beauty’s eyes were gentle as she deigned to part her crimson lips.
“What did you just call me, Granny?”
Granny Cai glanced at Song Yao, unafraid.
“Young Miss need not put on the airs of the Crown Princess with this old servant. The Madam said that you became the Crown Princess thanks to the Prime Minister’s Residence. Without the Prime Minister’s Residence, you are nothing. We prosper together and fall together—I trust this old servant need not explain this principle.”
Song Yao showed no anger. Good-naturedly, she beckoned Granny Cai over.
Mistaking this for a summons to discuss something that couldn’t be overheard, Granny Cai approached.
The moment she stood still, she felt a powerful force grip her neck from behind. The next second, her rather plump body lost control and toppled forward.
Splash—! With a loud splash, water flew everywhere. The koi, which had been fighting for food, were startled and scattered in all directions.
Granny Cai’s initial disbelief and anger turned to terror as she felt her body sinking into the water. Her survival instinct made her struggle and cry for help in the pond.
“Help… help me…”
“Young Miss, no! Crown Princess, save me! This old servant can’t swim… cough, cough, cough…”
Song Yao turned a deaf ear. With her arms crossed, she stood in the pavilion with the absolute condescending posture of a superior, her beautiful eyes curving into a smile as she watched Granny Cai flail wretchedly in the lotus pond.
“My lady.”
Her personal attendant, Ru Shuang, who had been standing silently to the side with a sword in her arms, now came forward and respectfully offered a clean handkerchief.
Among the throng of servants, not a single person found the dramatic turn of events surprising. It was clearly a common sight they were used to.
Song Yao took the handkerchief and leisurely wiped her hands clean while admiring Granny Cai’s pathetic state, watching with her own eyes as the woman slowly sank into the pond.
Ru Shuang also watched from the side. After a moment of seeing no movement, she judged, “My lady, she has likely fainted.”
Song Yao smiled and added, “Be bolder. Perhaps she’s dead.”
Ru Shuang: “…” A valid point.
Granny Cai was indeed dead. Song Yao kindly had someone fish her out.
Take her back, lay her to rest, handle it properly, and bury her in her new flower garden as fertilizer.
It was the height of summer, and the weather was scorching.
Just from coming out to feed the fish, Song Yao had broken into a light sweat. The first thing she did upon returning to her courtyard was to bathe and change.
After a flower petal bath with the meticulous care of her maids, she returned, refreshed, to her room, which was cooled by blocks of ice. She found a comfortable position and lay on her side on the luohan bed to feign sleep.
The beauty’s posture was languid. The gauze dress she wore was extremely thin, offering a tantalizing glimpse of her curvaceous figure. There was no trace of propriety or decorum.
The courtyard was divided into inner and outer sections, with maids guarding every door. They would announce any visitors, so there was no need to worry about being caught improperly dressed.
In the time she had been bathing, a brand-new “Granny Cai” had left the Eastern Palace and returned to the Prime Minister’s Residence. From then on, Song Yao would no longer be troubled by her cheap mother’s life advice.
Yes, cheap mother.
She, Song Yao, was originally an assassin from modern society.
After dying, she had transmigrated and been reborn into a new body.
It was a completely unfamiliar dynasty, the Da Yuan Dynasty.
Since she was already dead and had already transmigrated, Song Yao chose to start a new life.
For the first ten years, she dutifully played the part of the Prime Minister’s daughter, learning and mastering many new skills as she grew up, successfully molding herself into an impeccable noble lady.
For the next ten years, she returned to her old profession. On the surface, she was a well-behaved noble lady; behind the scenes, she established and developed an assassin organization, cultivating her own power.
In her twenty-third year, the Emperor and Empress bestowed a marriage upon her, wedding her to the current Crown Prince, Nangong Yi. She had married young.
It was both expected and unexpected. It wasn’t unusual for a Prime Minister’s daughter to marry into the imperial family, but to be chosen as the Crown Princess seemed a bit of an over-promotion.
Song Yao married him.
Reason one: the Crown Prince was her type, aesthetically. He was already within her range of potential partners. As for his violent temper, that could be ignored, because she was no goody-two-shoes herself.
Reason two: modern society had its rules of survival, and a dynasty where imperial power was supreme had its own.
Defying an imperial decree was a crime punishable by the execution of one’s entire clan. Although her parents were neurotic, her elder sister and two elder brothers were decent. While her family situation wasn’t entirely harmonious, it hadn’t reached the point where she wanted to drag everyone to see the King of Hell with her.
Outside, the summer wind rustled the leaves. As time passed, the chirping of cicadas began to fill the air.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of conversation arose from the outer courtyard. Although it was some distance away, Song Yao still opened her eyes.
Her hearing was excellent. Knowing who had arrived, she didn’t rush to get up. A desire to test him arose, and she closed her eyes again, feigning sleep.
“Greetings, Your Highness.” It was Ru Shuang’s voice.
“Mm.” The man was over nine chi tall. He stood with his hands behind his back. Though he wore the crimson python robe that symbolized his status as Crown Prince, he exuded the oppressive aura of a world conqueror.
His black hair was bound in a crown, and he had a handsome, chiseled face, a stark contrast to the gentle, jade-like image of the other princes.
This was because the Da Yuan Dynasty had only been established for a little over forty years. In the early years, the borders were often in turmoil. As the eldest son of the Emperor and Empress, Nangong Yi had led troops to quell rebellions several times and had even been stationed in the northern frontier, where the barbarians ran rampant, for four years.
Everyone in the world knew that the current Crown Prince of Da Yuan was no pampered royal son, but a god of war who could lead expeditions and fight his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood with his soldiers!
“With a brush, he can pacify the world; on a horse, he can conquer the realm.” No phrase could be more fitting to describe him.
Nangong Yi did not push the door open. Instead, he knocked three times. Seeing no response, he looked at Ru Shuang.
Ru Shuang pushed the door open. “The Crown Princess may have fallen asleep. Your Highness may enter directly. My lady has instructed this servant that if Your Highness arrives, there is no need for an announcement.”
The man seemed to chuckle. He stepped over the threshold and into the room, where he could clearly hear the woman’s steady, even breathing.
After a few steps, he lifted the beaded curtain, and what greeted his eyes was the image of a sleeping beauty.
Nangong Yi walked closer and leaned down.
His well-defined hand picked up the thin, gossamer-like blanket that had been tossed aside and covered the beauty’s navel, which was almost completely exposed to the air.
Then, he went to the other side of the luohan bed and sat down. He picked up the storybook Song Yao had been halfway through and began to read it quietly.
The feigning-sleep Song Yao: “…”