Chapter 1, Chapter 1: Foreword...

Chapter One: Foreword

Fang Anhui knew from a young age that she could only rely on herself, and she also knew what she wanted. When her biological father sold her to a slave trader, she successfully aroused her father's negligible conscience with her words and acting skills, so that she was not sold into a brothel for a few more dollars.

Later, she tried her best to please the matchmaker who bought her. Although she still couldn't escape being sold, she managed to soften the matchmaker's heart a little. The matchmaker promised to find her a good place and try her best to find her a kind family.

At that time, Fang Anhui's biggest dream was to be sold to a wealthy family as a maid, so that she would have the opportunity to save money to redeem herself.

However, there was a slight mishap. She wasn't sold to a brothel, but she wasn't sold to a wealthy family as a maid either. Instead, she was sent to the palace to become a palace maid.

After being sent to Consort De's palace to become a cleaning maid, Fang Anhui tried her best to become a useful maid. She didn't ask for much glory, but only that she wouldn't be easily abandoned. In a place like the harem, maids like them could easily be pushed out to take the blame if they weren't careful. She didn't want to die for no reason.

Later, Fang Anhui's wish became to live to the age of leaving the palace and become an ordinary citizen, even if she was poor, as long as her children would not have to serve others with servility like she did, and could be abandoned at any time, and could not even control their own lives.

Little did she know that even this small wish couldn't be fulfilled. Despite her constant caution, her outstanding appearance led Consort De to use her as a tool in the competition for the Emperor's favor. From that moment on, Fang Anhui embarked on another path where one wrong step could lead to her utter destruction.

Looking back now, it's hard to say whether it was fortunate or unfortunate. If we say it was fortunate, the emperor at the time had a true love hidden deep in his heart. However, the emperor ascended the throne at a young age, and the government was controlled by the former court officials during his childhood. Even though the emperor was cunning and resourceful, he lacked the experience of the previous ten years, so he didn't dare to openly show his beloved. At this time, the emperor, whose power was not yet fully developed, needed someone to openly shield his beloved from harm. Thus, Fang Anhui, a peasant girl with no background or connections, but who was extremely beautiful and was threatened by Consort De, caught the emperor's eye and was fortunate enough to become a substitute for the emperor's true love.

Fang Anhui made a deal with the emperor: she would openly act as a favored concubine to attract hatred for the emperor's true love and even create opportunities for them to spend time together. In return, the emperor would give her an identity and send her out of the palace once he had all the power and influence.

In reality, how could Fang Anhui possibly trust the emperor completely? It was simply because she had no other choice. Even if she disagreed with the matter, the emperor could still put her in a difficult position. In that case, it was more worthwhile to pretend to trust the emperor and try to get some benefits from him.

Fang An Hui's journey was exceptionally difficult. Although she had the emperor's support and he needed her to create the illusion of being a favored concubine, sometimes even having to play along, she was still just a lowly palace maid with no background. She had risen to the position of Imperial Concubine, and even Consort De, who had pushed her out to compete for the emperor's favor against her will, had to pay her respects. But the cruelty of the unspoken struggles behind the scenes was unimaginable to outsiders, which showed just how cunning and ruthless she was.

She didn't come without a price. She rose from a lowly palace maid whom everyone could step on to a Noble Consort, second only to the Empress. She suffered too much hardship and torment. (The Emperor didn't want to become a tyrant, and Fang An Hui wasn't his true love, so the Emperor's help to her was limited.) As a result, she fell seriously ill at the young age of twenty-eight.

Fang An Hui's cold was a long time coming, and whether it was truly her bad luck or the emperor unilaterally breaking the agreement, Fang An Hui never found out. In any case, she died. The only thing she didn't expect was that the emperor would give her a grand funeral as a concubine.

However, her life as a "favored concubine" for more than ten years was not in vain. Taking advantage of the emperor's "favor", she could do a lot of things. For example, she won over the emperor's son with the real favored concubine, and they treated her as their own mother.

Thinking back to the arrangements she had made long ago, she feared that if she died, the child would lose heart with them. Thinking of the child she had taught, who was full of cunning and scheming, Fang An Hui felt much comforted.

Fang Anhui didn't think there was anything immoral about what she did. Although she had used the child, she had genuinely protected him. If it weren't for her intervention, the child would have died eight hundred times over. Moreover, although there was no concrete evidence, only the emperor had the power to trick her and make her people betray him in this vast harem. She felt that this small reward was too lenient.

Fang Anhui originally thought that if she didn't go to hell after she died, she would definitely not go to heaven. She didn't consider herself a good person. Over the years, she had climbed from a bullied palace maid to the position of imperial concubine. She had used a lot of scheming and tricks. Although she had never shed the blood of innocent people, she had retaliated against those who wanted to harm her. Being vengeful was a reputation given to her by others, and one that she herself also highly regarded.

Fang Anhui's personality is such that if someone treats her well, she will treat them well in return. If someone tries to harm her, she will definitely retaliate in kind. She doesn't want to take advantage of others, but she will never allow herself to suffer a loss.

Fang Anhui's guess was correct; she did not go to heaven, but she did not go to hell either. She came to a place that was even more satisfying to her than heaven. She came to a parallel universe several thousand years later, a world that was far more fair than the dynasty she lived in.

Women here can show their faces in public, walk around the streets openly without hats, work, and even get divorced after marriage. This world is too wonderful for Fang An Hui. Although there are still some shortcomings, things are best compared. Compared to the past, Fang An Hui is extremely satisfied with the time and space she is in now.

In particular, Fang Anhui's current identity is Yao Anhui from Yaojiaping Commune, Jiangtang Town, Jiangbei City, Jiangnan Province. She is 18 years old this year and is an orphan whose parents have both died. Her father was a martyr who sacrificed his life to save others, and her mother passed away last year. Her father's former comrades were worried that she, a girl, would be bullied, so they often corresponded with her. A while ago, they were very enthusiastic about introducing her to a potential partner.

In other words, if she wanted, she could leave the place where the original owner had lived for twenty years and go to a strange place without worrying about being discovered that she was not the original owner.

Although Fang Anhui was lucky enough to possess the original owner's memories, having those memories doesn't mean she is the original owner. Everyone has their own lifestyle and habitual actions. Given the chance, she wouldn't want to keep imitating the original owner. Wouldn't it be better to be herself?

Fang Anhui was undoubtedly a smart person; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to rise to a high position later. Although she lived behind a mask in the palace, acting every day, she could imitate others without being recognized. But it was precisely because she had lived like that before that she was even more unwilling to continue living that kind of life.

After having this idea, Fang Anhui quickly found paper and pen on the table, imitated the original owner's handwriting to write a letter, and planned to send it out first thing tomorrow morning just in case, hoping it would be in time.

A note from the author:

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On the anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party, it's a good day to start a new project. I'll be updating with three chapters today. Please give it a like and add it to your favorites!