The Xi Kingdom was rainy all year round. The desolate autumn wind rattled the window paper, producing a rustling wail—as if another urgent autumn shower was about to fall.
Jiang Nong’s heart pounded louder than the wind in her ears. She even wondered if Yu Lingxin had sensed something. Forcing a smile, she pretended to be casual: “What’s wrong?”
Yu Lingxin’s long lashes fluttered upward, carrying a hint of hesitation—just the right amount of unspoken words. Jiang Nong didn’t remember if he had always acted this way around her in her past life, but it was indeed a look she found hard to resist.
He shook his head gently: “It looks a bit bitter.”
The tension in Jiang Nong’s chest eased. She just wanted him to drink the medicine quickly and brushed him off: “Good medicine tastes bitter.”
“Sister, if I drink it, will you stop being angry with me?”
Jiang Nong nodded: “It won’t taste good once it gets cold.” (Though to be fair, it didn’t taste good hot either.)
Yu Lingxin’s eyes curved—he looked utterly innocent: “Actually, even if Sister gave me poison, I’d still drink it willingly. I’ll do whatever Sister says.”
He always said things that made her feel guilty.
Jiang Nong nearly pierced her own palm with her nails, just to keep herself from snatching the bowl back from his hands.
Yu Lingxin smiled at her again. The more he smiled, the less Jiang Nong dared meet his eyes. She looked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him tip his head back and down the entire bowl. Only then did she finally release her clenched hands in relief.
“Since you’ve taken the medicine, it’s getting late—I’ll head back to rest now.” Jiang Nong gripped the table to stand, only to realize her legs had gone numb from the tension.
Yu Lingxin wiped the residue from the corner of his mouth and staggered up to see her out.
She had walked quite far when she turned around—and there he still was, leaning against the doorframe in the clear moonlight. Seeing her look back, he waved.
She walked even faster, nearly breaking into a run.
For three days in a row, Jiang Nong had mixed large amounts of cinnabar into Yu Lingxin’s medicine. She tossed and turned for another three days after that—and yet he remained perfectly fine. She didn’t know whether to suspect that the cinnabar was fake, or that Yu Lingxin was simply destined for greatness, so resistant to worldly poisons that they couldn’t touch him.
Seeing him still sitting in the last row, flashing her that shy smile, Jiang Nong could only grit her teeth and return what she hoped was a passable smile—while secretly nearly clawing through her desk.
She couldn’t burn bridges yet. If her plan failed, she’d end up just like everyone else who had crossed him in the past.
It’s easier to fall than to rise, Jiang Nong thought. After two failed attempts, she quickly formulated a third plan in her mind.
Jiang Yuan leaned back half her body, covering her face, and whispered conspiratorially: “Don’t you think Yu Lingxin looks more and more like bad luck lately~”
All eyes turned their way. Jiang Yuan’s whisper was anything but discreet—she practically wanted the whole world to hear.
Jiang Nong hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth. Dear sister, please save those nasty words for after my plan succeeds! Let me deal with Yu Lingxin first, and then I’ll do my best to help you and your star-crossed guard.
Jiang Yuan wriggled and pouted: “You’re so close with him, you won’t even let me say one bad word. Fine, I won’t say anything then.”
Jiang Nong was speechless. She took Jiang Yuan by the shoulders and turned her head forward: “The teacher’s coming—let’s just focus on the lesson.”
Jiang Yuan huffed twice, then turned around and lay down on her desk to sleep.
Soon enough, the third opportunity Jiang Nong had been waiting for arrived.
The Empress Dowager of Xi—Jiang Nong’s grandmother—was celebrating her sixtieth birthday. It fell in autumn, and the celebration would include an autumn hunt and sacrificial rites at Nishan Hunting Grounds, eighty li outside the capital. Envoys from the other four kingdoms would also come to offer their congratulations, and all the princes were expected to display their skills.
Yu Lingxin had always been frail and sickly, and with his poor eyesight, it would be entirely understandable if he fell from his horse and broke his legs.
Jiang Nong’s plan was meticulous. A prince with both legs broken—even if he crawled back to his homeland, he would never be able to inherit the throne. Everything that happened in her past life would never repeat itself.
The palace was decked out in festive decorations for the Empress Dowager’s birthday, brimming with celebratory cheer. Jiang Nong had to keep up with her studies, scheme her schemes, and prepare for the autumn hunt performances all at once—she was busier than ever.
This autumn hunt was crucial—not only for her plan, but also for the fates of Jiang Yuan and the others.
The Empress Dowager had long since withdrawn from the world, devoting herself to Buddhist practice. She hadn’t appeared in public for years—the last time was at her birthday banquet five years ago.
The favor of the emperor was as fleeting as drifting clouds—changing in an instant. To him, kindness and loyalty were but passing smoke; only power was something to be held eternally in his grasp. The Empress already had Jiang Su as her adopted daughter, along with a prince of her own, and was busy plotting for the Crown Prince’s position—she had no extra attention to spare for Jiang Nong. Only the Empress Dowager remained—the one toward whom the emperor felt such deep filial devotion that he even heeded her words.
If Jiang Nong hadn’t accidentally learned of that old, secret matter in her past life, she wouldn’t have been confident in winning the Empress Dowager’s favor either.
Since her rebirth, Jiang Nong had been waiting for an opportunity to see the Empress Dowager—so that her mother might no longer live in perpetual gloom, so that Jiang Yuan might survive, and so that she herself might gain more leverage and not be at the mercy of others.
In truth, she had no grand ambitions in this new life. She only wished that, within the limits of her ability, everyone could live—or live better.
Of course, “everyone” did not include Yu Lingxin.
Her resentment toward him grew by the day—a dangerous man she couldn’t drown, couldn’t poison into a fool.
Before the Empress Dowager’s birthday arrived in full swing, envoys from the other four kingdoms had already arrived one after another. The capital grew increasingly bustling and lively with these foreign guests.
The students had no mind for their studies—they were all discussing the visiting envoys and the upcoming autumn hunt.
Jiang Nong hadn’t expected it either: Chao Ning had come. As deputy envoy, accompanying Crown Prince Chao Ji. In her previous life, he had never once set foot on Xi Kingdom soil.
With her rebirth, it seemed everything was shifting in subtle ways.
The envoys first entered the palace to pay their respects to Emperor Zhengyuan. After noon, an inner eunuch came to summon Jiang Nong and Jiang Biao back to Lady Song’s residence to receive guests. The eunuch was beaming, as if some great fortune were at hand.
When they arrived, Lady Song was dressed in splendid formal attire, elaborately made up, and engaged in conversation with a young man seated below her.
It was clear Lady Song’s smile was forced—her face nearly frozen stiff—but the other party was talkative and kept going without pause.
“Mother misses Aunt dearly and insisted I come to see you, Aunt, and my cousins. Though I’ve never met you before, you seem so kind—as if I were seeing my own mother. By rights, I should call His Majesty my uncle as well, so I begged him to allow me to visit you. Though we’re separated by a thousand miles, we share the same blood, and our hearts are one—there’s not a moment I don’t think of you…”
If Jiang Nong and the others hadn’t arrived, he could have kept going indefinitely.
Lady Song finally caught her breath and called them forward to greet their cousin: “This is your cousin, Chao Ning.”
The three exchanged formal greetings and took their seats across from him. Chao Ning flicked open his indigo peacock-feather fan, fanning it lightly before his chest. His peach-blossom eyes sparkled, his face fair as a flower—elegant and dashing, with a hint of roguish charm. Strangely, he bore a slight resemblance to Jiang Nong. He smiled at her: “Cousin, you look so familiar—as if I’ve met you in a past life.”
How lively, Jiang Nong thought with a sigh. It seemed Chao Ning was still the same Chao Ning from before.
She smiled back: “Perhaps we truly have met in a past life.”
Chao Ning—her cousin—appeared cynical and carefree on the surface, but in truth, he was a kind-hearted man.
In her past life, Jiang Nong had been sent for a political marriage, originally intended to become Crown Prince Chao Ji’s consort. But before the wedding, Chao Ji was implicated in a witchcraft scandal and deposed. She was left stranded at the guesthouse, betrothed to no one—and none of the other princes dared take her on, for fear of being suspected of coveting the crown or being involved in Chao Ji’s case.
That was when Chao Ning stepped forward. He petitioned his father, the emperor, to marry her, saying: “Little sister, don’t worry—your brother is here.”
And later, when Yu Lingxin demanded she be handed over, Chao Ning was the one who defied all opposition, donned his armor, and rode out to battle—only to lose his head.
In Jiang Nong’s heart, Chao Ning was a far more reliable brother than Jiang Biao.
After the four of them exchanged some dull pleasantries, Chao Ning presented the gifts he’d brought from Dang, then made his escape with the excuse that he shouldn’t linger too long in a consort’s quarters.
The moment he was gone, the smile on Lady Song’s face crumbled. She slammed her teacup to the floor: “He came here to flaunt himself, didn’t he? That bitch! That bitch bore a little bitch!”
Jiang Nong had anticipated this and dodged the scalding tea in time. She knelt on the ground and begged her mother to calm down.
Jiang Biao, slow to react, finally caught on and knelt beside her.
Chao Ning’s mother was greatly favored in Dang and held a high rank. Lady Song had long been consumed with envy. In her past life, when she arranged Jiang Nong’s marriage alliance, it wasn’t only to aid her son in the struggle for the throne—she also wanted Jiang Nong to become the crown prince’s consort, and eventually queen, so as to surpass Chao Ning and his mother.
Lady Song rose, cupped Jiang Nong’s face in her trembling hands, and held her by the wrists.
This daughter of hers was undoubtedly an extraordinary beauty—one glance from her, and all the world’s colors seemed to pale like dust.
How magnificent the blossom, radiant as peach and plum. Jiang Nong’s name had not disappointed—she was even more stunning than a crabapple in full bloom.
“Nongnong, your mother has only your brother as a son. You must strive hard—help your brother, you hear me?… Your mother’s whole life depends on you. I cannot bear it—to be forever under someone’s thumb…”
Jiang Nong steadied Lady Song, letting her tears soak through her shoulder—hot, searing.
She had not seen her mother in a long time—eight years and more, counting from her past life—and since her return, she had not come to visit either. She didn’t know what frame of heart to use when facing her mother.
Jiang Nong held many grievances against her mother. Perhaps the deeper the love, the heavier the resentment.
She resented that her mother, to help her brother vie for the crown prince’s position, had begged her to marry far away to Dang. She resented even more that when Yu Lingxin had agreed to send her back to Xi, her mother had refused to take her in—and even urged her to serve Yu Lingxin faithfully and strive early for the position of queen.
At root, Jiang Nong resented that her mother did not love her enough—that she held less weight in her mother’s heart than she should have.
She resented her, and yet she pitied her too. All her life, Lady Song had been fiercely competitive—yet she had never outshone anyone. She had borne a son and a daughter, yet remained only a low-ranking consort. All she could do was pin her hopes on her children, praying that one day she might become the Empress Dowager and turn her fortunes around.
Lady Song’s illness was one of a knotted heart, born of envy.
Jiang Nong held her mother’s hands and said nothing.
Mother, even if you became Empress Dowager in that past life, you and brother lived in constant fear—unable to withstand Tan’s iron cavalry, unable even to counter Jiang Su. Better to choose a prosperous fiefdom, become the Queen Dowager there, and find yourself a life of ease and freedom.
Mother, even if you didn’t love me that much, I still remember the scent of you, the lullabies you hummed to me when I was small—and after I became a mother myself, I sang them to my own daughter.
My feelings for you are so tangled that I can barely make sense of them myself. But no matter what, I want you to be happy.
…
The lotus pond near Ruiyi Palace was secluded and seldom visited—an excellent spot for clandestine meetings or more nefarious deeds.
With his silver tongue, Chao Ning had charmed Jiang Nong’s father into granting him special permission to stay within the palace. For half a month, he would study alongside the princes and princesses at the academy—ostensibly to absorb some of Xi’s scholarly refinement and temper his reckless nature.
Studying was a pretext; meeting secretly with Jiang Nong was the real purpose.
The two arranged to meet at the very lotus pond where Yu Lingxin had nearly drowned.
“Oh my god! You have no idea—swish and my head was chopped right off! I watched my own body fall, headless. It hurt so much! That lover of yours is a real piece of work—no respect for his predecessor! I was your ex-husband, after all!”
Chao Ning grimaced, crouching on the ground, gesturing at his neck as he described it to Jiang Nong.
Seeing Chao Ning finally eased the tension and dread that had gripped her for days. Jiang Nong buried her face in her knees and said: “I’m sorry—I dragged you into this.”
Chao Ning had meant to cheer her up. Seeing her like this, he patted her shoulder instead: “Hey, protecting one’s wife is a husband’s duty—and protecting one’s sister is a brother’s duty. I brought an elite squad with me this time, specifically to deal with that scourge Yu Lingxin.”
Their thoughts aligned perfectly—like Boya and Zhong Ziqi, kindred spirits meeting at last. Jiang Nong lifted her head, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and began plotting in hushed tones with Chao Ning.
When she was spent, she let out a heavy sigh and pressed her forehead: “I tried—I shoved him into the water until he sank to the bottom, and he showed up as if nothing had happened three days later. You have no idea how much cinnabar I put in his medicine—the soup turned red, with powder settled at the bottom of the bowl—and he was completely unaffected. We really should send him to Miaojiang to be a test subject for their poisons.”
Thank goodness Chao Ning had shown up. Two heads were better than one when it came to scheming.
Chao Ning rubbed his chin and nodded gravely: “With such a formidable body and such tenacious vitality, this time we must succeed—no room for failure! I can only stay in Xi for half a month on the pretext of celebrating the Empress Dowager’s birthday. Our best move is to kill him or cripple him. The fallback plan is—if we fail, you stay away from him. We can’t beat him, but we can avoid him! That way he won’t fall in love with you. When the time comes and you marry me, if he sends his troops, I’ll surrender first—then we’ll pack up and get the hell out of here to live our lives.”
Chao Ning extended his hand, and Jiang Nong bumped her fist against his.
With business settled, Chao Ning was about to ask how her past life had gone and how she’d died, when a rustling sound came from beyond the bamboo grove, accompanied by the warm orange glow of a lantern.
“You said no one comes here!”
“Quiet—it’s Yu Lingxin.”
“Can you not meet two different men in the same spot?”
“Shh—”
Jiang Nong clamped her hand over Chao Ning’s mouth and pulled him into a hidden corner.
A tall, slender figure approached under the moonlight—white robes fluttering, carrying a crude bamboo lantern and a small basket. The ethereal glow illuminated his chaste, deep-set features and the strands of hair drifting in the wind.
He stopped by the lake, positioning himself perfectly so that the moonlight bathed him in a layer of pure radiance—framing him right in Jiang Nong’s line of sight.
Yu Lingxin lit the lotus lanterns one by one and released them slowly onto the water. In a measured, unhurried voice—loud enough for both Jiang Nong and Chao Ning to overhear—he prayed: “May the gods and buddhas bless me. I, Yu Lingxin, have no attachments in this life, no other wishes—only for the one in my heart…”
Here he paused, lowering his head, his voice tinged with shyness, “May Jiang Nong have smooth sailing in all things, and peace and joy.”
He had come to release the lanterns he hadn’t been able to set free last time—to pray for Jiang Nong’s well-being.
Chao Ning mouthed a silent scream at Jiang Nong: “Oh my god! There is no fallback plan!”
He’s already in love with you. It’s do or die.
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