After the rain, the sun came out.

It was still very hot at the beginning of autumn, but soon the high-hanging sun dried the rain-soaked ground.

By evening, the sky was ablaze with sunset colors, showing no trace of the heavy rain that had just fallen.

End of the You hour (5-7 PM).

The princess's carriage slowly made its way to the lakeside pavilion where the poetry gathering would be held that evening. The carriage was luxurious and spacious.

Besides the small carriage carrying the 'gifts' at the very back of the procession, there were thirty-five guards and servants accompanying the group.

It was quite a grand affair, befitting the eldest princess, but it was also the original owner's consistent style.

"Da, da, da."

Inside the carriage,

Shang Changge, with her meticulously manicured nails painted with rouge, casually tapped the small table where pastries were placed.

Because of inexplicably transmigrating into a book after death, because of her identical appearance and voice to the original owner, and even more so because...

In his mind, the image of Shang Changze, the original owner's beautiful younger brother, appeared in his memories.

Shang Changge lowered her long eyelashes, concealing the sorrow surging in her eyes.

"Is that you, brother?"

Yes, in the apocalypse, she had an older brother, a blood-related older brother.

Besides seeking revenge for the original owner of this body, there were two other reasons why she wanted to destroy the Wen family as soon as she arrived.

Firstly, there is ample witness testimony and physical evidence; it's a golden opportunity, so why not seize it?

Anyway, the Wen family, who were destined to betray their country later, weren't good people either. Another reason was because of the original owner's younger brother...

Shang Changge took a deep breath, her breath trembling almost imperceptibly.

Shang Changze, the crown prince in the original book who was outstanding in every way but was disliked by the old emperor and subjected to various forms of manipulation and suppression, ultimately met a tragic end.

She looks so much like her older brother, who chose to self-destruct for the greater good, perishing alongside tens of thousands of zombies.

Considering her current situation, she couldn't help but suspect that her older brother had also transmigrated into this novel after his death and become Shang Changze.

after all,

They both died by self-destruction, and they both had the same name and looked exactly alike, so it's very possible, isn't it?

And next autumn,

Qingyan and its two neighboring vassal states are about to fight a war, and the old emperor has appointed Crown Prince Shang Changze to lead the troops to quell the rebellion.

The Wen family's betrayal occurred during that battle, resulting in Qingyan losing a significant number of troops and Shang Changze also sustaining serious injuries.

Therefore, the Wen family must be finished.

Ideally, the beautiful younger brother would be the eldest brother; if he's not, she and Shang Changze are still in the same boat.

It's better for the beautiful younger brother who has a good relationship with the original owner to be the emperor than for the male protagonist of the original book to be the emperor, who can't stand his older sister.

"Lotus leaf chicken, lotus leaf chicken, fragrant lotus leaf chicken... Have you had dinner yet, sir?"

Didn't get one? My family's lotus leaf chicken is so delicious, I guarantee you'll want to swallow the bones while you're eating it..."

"A sachet, a sachet from the Western Regions..."

"Ice popsicles for sale! Ice popsicles for sale!"

"Mom, my sister and I want popsicles, please buy them for us..."

There was no curfew in Qingyan, and the entire capital was brightly lit, with the sounds of people and merchants constantly filling the air.

The capital city was very large.

Divide the area into four regions according to the cardinal directions: east, west, south, and north.

At the end of North Street was the Imperial Palace, while the other places, large and small, were the residences of imperial relatives, high-ranking officials, and other important figures in the court.

East Street was the location of various important government offices, and it was not a place that ordinary people could set foot in.

West Street is the largest residential area, where officials, prominent families, wealthy merchants, and ordinary people with substantial assets all gather.

and,

If we're talking about the most bustling, vibrant, and down-to-earth place, it has to be South Street. The hawking and shouting I just heard came from there.

South Street mainly consists of ordinary people and all kinds of shops, and it is also the largest area besides North Street.

It was also relatively free, except for city gates guarded by soldiers.

In other places, as long as you don't break the law or cause trouble, generally no one will care what you do and there aren't many rules.

The pavilion in the middle of the lake is located at a junction of South Street and West Street.

As soon as the carriage passed that spot, the sounds gradually faded into the distance, and soon they could no longer be heard.

The line quickly came to a stop.

"Princess, we have arrived."

Qingyao's voice reminded him, bringing Shang Changge's wandering thoughts to a halt.

"Greetings, Princess!"

Shang Changge took Qingyao's arm as they disembarked from the carriage. The first thing that caught their eye was a restaurant of moderate size.

Next came a group of people who bowed to her in unison; this group consisted of young men and women, all daughters and sons of officials.

They were all dressed in fine clothes, with proper manners and humble and respectful attitudes, showing no sign that most of them wanted her dead.

No need for formalities.

Shang Changge didn't make things difficult for anyone. She was mainly there tonight to get to know people, and giving a gift was just a side thing.

She'll have to live here under the original owner's identity from now on, and she'll inevitably have to deal with these people. Now that they're all bowing their heads, how can she recognize them?

"Thank you, Princess."

With another unified shout, everyone straightened up and raised their faces.

Shang Changge looked at the leading man and woman and recognized them as Yun Xiangrong and her biological brother Yun Luobai.

After exchanging a slight smile with the two, he quickly found Wen Wanyi in the crowd, his smile becoming even more genuine.

"Princess, you look beautiful tonight."

Yun Xiangrong stepped forward and took Shang Changge's arm, praising him sincerely.

Shang Changge was currently wearing a deep purple dress, which was both elegant and dignified.

The updo is a currently popular style, and the hair ornaments are exquisite and luxurious, with every piece of jewelry being of the highest quality.

And that beautiful face, which was hailed as the most beautiful woman in Qingyan, became even more radiant after being carefully painted by the skillful maid.

She is so beautiful that one cannot look away and one would willingly fall at her feet.

"It's so hot and stuffy here, I'll have to trouble you, Princess, to move to the pavilion in the middle of the lake," Yun Luobai said, her eyes also showing amazement.

The pavilion in the middle of the lake is right in front of the restaurant.

As its name suggests, the pavilion is built in the middle of the lake, but it is not a solitary pavilion; rather, it consists of five pavilions.

There are four pavilions surrounding the central pavilion, and arched bridges connect the pavilions so that people can walk between them.

The pavilion in the middle of the lake and the restaurant were often used by high-ranking officials and nobles to indulge in refined pursuits.

The latter is a place for people to gather, eat, drink, and chat, and it's clear that the place has been booked out tonight.

Shang Changge was pleased to catch the fear and shrinking in Wen Wanyi's eyes, then looked away and gave a curt "Okay."

Just as she was about to walk hand in hand with her number one plastic best friend, Yun Xiangrong, towards the pavilion in the middle of the lake, she heard the sound of carriage wheels coming from behind her as she took a step.

"hiss--"

Someone in the crowd gasped, then realized they'd been too loud and sheepishly pulled their head back inside.

He secretly thought to himself, "Who dares to come after the princess? Don't they know they should arrive early? Isn't this a slap in the princess's face?"

Shang Changge stopped moving and stood there staring intently at the slowly coming to a stop of the carriage, waiting for the people to disembark.

It wasn't that she was angry or trying to give someone a hard time; she wasn't as domineering as the original owner and was just curious.

The other side didn't have much of a presence.

The carriage was so ordinary that it couldn't be more so, and there was no one accompanying it except for a coachman.

The people in the carriage didn't keep them waiting long, but when he appeared in their sight, everyone was startled.

Some people dared not breathe, while others trembled so badly they could barely stand.

Some of the more timid young men and women were so frightened that they turned pale. For every timid person, there was a bold one.

But he wasn't exactly brave; he opened his mouth and whispered, trembling, about the person's identity, expressing his confusion, horror, and bewilderment.

"Yes, yes, it's the General."

"Why is the General here? He never participates in these kinds of occasions!"