Chapter 1: Reborn at Thirteen
When Zheng Nianru woke up, she was still the Commandery Princess of Nanzheng State.
Just a second before, a cold blade had pierced her chest, but that wasn't what caused her the most pain. What followed was the relentless stuffing of various elixirs and bizarre spells by Ju Nanyi that prevented her from dying but left her alive with torment so intense it felt like her heart was being gouged out. She would have rather died swiftly.
But how could Ju Nanyi let her die? After all the hardships she endured to elevate Ju Nanyi to a position second only to none, and knowing that she had intended to harm him, he certainly wouldn't want to. To him, watching her, his "wife" of many years, suffer agonizingly without any intervention must have been very satisfying.
Still, Zheng Nianru believed that Ju Nanyi inherently possessed a narrow-minded nature, regardless of the high position he held. He could only see sentimental family ties and trivial matters of the household.
After enduring agony akin to being burnt in fierce fires, Zheng Nianru was convinced she must have died.
Yet, upon awakening, the crisp and tender chirping of larks outside the window, the light gauze brushing over her shoulders and cheeks, and the uniquely warm, soft touch of the Dark Cloud Gauze made her wonder if she had only experienced a nightmare.
Zheng Nianru sat up, contemplating everything in front of her. Beyond the curtain, the nearly imperceptible, orderly footsteps were those of her former female servant who now respectfully waited with the washing utensils.
Those dust-covered memories surged forth in a familiar environment. This was her boudoir, the Qishun Building in the sub-hall of Xingqing Hall—Nanzheng State.
To call it a sub-hall was already quite generous. Xingqing Hall had a thousand doors open during the daytime and occupied a vast area. The Qishun Building, where she resided, was a secluded corner outside of those thousand doors, nearly squeezed out by the golden eaves of Xingqing Hall.