Chapter 1 Crossing the Underworld
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Lin Xihe was half asleep, half awake. A few stray noises drifted into her ears, and in her hazy state, an unfamiliar presence approached, and a hand slowly reached towards her nose.
Whose hand?
Lin Xihe felt that hand probe under her nose, and then the other person went limp and fell heavily to the ground.
Immediately, a girl's scream rang out: "Oh no! Miss, Miss, she!!!"
Lin Xihe's heart skipped a beat. Had she really been declared dead so fresh and beautiful? Was modern medicine really this careless?
She forced her eyes open. She saw the man stagger a few steps, then suddenly push open the door, his gaze meeting that of the elegantly dressed woman outside.
The woman was middle-aged. She covered her mouth and nose with a silk handkerchief, and a few glistening tears escaped from her eyelashes. A breath of foul air slowly escaped from under the handkerchief: "Heh... I finally got rid of this fool."
Lin Xihe paused, then realized something: someone was quite happy that she was dead.
A plump girl followed behind the woman. The woman reached back and pinched the girl's waist, ordering, "Cry now."
"Waaah..." With each sob, the girl, following the woman's gaze, drew out her sobs, "Sister, don't go! How will I live if you leave me all alone!"
Lin Xihe realized something else: this ancient costume dream is quite comprehensive, it even comes with a plastic sister with terrible acting skills.
The brocade quilt was soft and comfortable, and Lin Xihe tried to catch up on her sleep—but her dreams were frequently interrupted.
Disturbing my peaceful sleep, utterly despicable!
The two sisters, their bodies pressed together by the bedside, sobbed, "Sister, may you rest in peace. As for your inheritance—your fiancé, Young Master Wen, I will reluctantly 'inherit' it."
Lin Xihe laughed: What an amazing dream! After being single for 23 years, I've finally been assigned a partner by the government!
She needs to sleep a little longer.
At the woman's instruction, the funeral rites were conducted in accordance with propriety. Her composed demeanor suggested that she had rehearsed each scene a thousand times over.
The old nanny roughly tore open Lin Xihe's nightgown—it wouldn't be wise for her to wake up now, as Lin Xihe would only be able to lie there like a corpse.
The maid who had been staying in the inner room was holding a neatly arranged burial shroud. She suddenly elbowed the old nanny away, saying, "Miss's skin is extremely delicate and cannot withstand the slightest bit of brute force."
The old nanny sneered, "Your body is stiff, how can you call it delicate?"
Someone outside relayed a message: "Granny Wang, the Second Miss is making a scene and insists on going to the Wen residence."
The old nanny chased after her, saying, "It's going to rain soon, don't get your skirt wet!"
As the light dimmed slightly, Lin Xihe quickly opened her eyes, and the sky outside the window was filled with thick clouds.
The room fell silent.
The maid knelt down in front of Lin Xihe with a thud, her fingers tightly gripping the corner of her sleeve.
“Miss, this is good. Forget the suffering of this life, find an ordinary and happy family, and live a new life.”
"Don't be afraid, Miss. Qingwu will be here soon."
Finally, no one was by the bed; now she could finally get a good night's sleep. Lin Xihe dozed off, hoping that at least she could catch a glimpse of her supposedly perfect husband—was he a handsome guy with two doors open?
She buried her head under the covers, ignoring the chatter outside, and focused on being her deaf successor.
Then I remembered the bestselling ancient romance novel that the company had undertaken. I was responsible for the curation and layout of the "Lin Niu Ma" exhibition, and at the end I was even asked to dress up as the female lead of the book.
"Xiao Lin, you have the best image in our company. You would be perfect to cosplay the female lead."
Lin Xihe: Boss, if you want to save money, just say so.
She didn't care whether she saved money or not; all a working person wanted was to rest.
Reality and dreams are a blur.
Suppressed sobs seeped in through the brocade quilt, like muffled thunder shrouded in dark clouds before a storm, drilling into Lin Xihe's ears one after another.
How can I rest?! Lin Xihe felt as if the lid of her coffin had been lifted.
A figure moved in my field of vision.
White cloth, a voluptuous figure.
Lin Xihe rubbed her eyes, and woke up.
Before her was an antique-style house, and beneath her was a soft bed. Could it be that a kind colleague had arranged for her to rest here?
But... Lin Xihe stared intently in one direction.
A girl dressed in a simple, traditional Chinese dress stepped onto a round stool, her chubby head jutting into the cloth circle.
Lin Xihe: What's going on? The female lead of a bestselling ancient romance novel hanged herself?
Wait a minute! The female lead isn't that voluptuous! Besides, didn't the company hire her as a cosplayer? Why the change?
The sobbing figure trembled slightly, her back muscles heaving with each sob. Finally, the girl tiptoed, clumsily turned around, and murmured to herself, "I must leave while still watching over Miss's body. Miss, wait for me! Wait for Qingwu!"
...Their eyes met.
Seeing how convincingly the other person was acting, Lin Xihe was also drawn into the role: "Hey, hey, life is wonderful! Nothing is insurmountable! Sister, don't worry!"
It was too late—Qingwu had already kicked the stool away.
Lin Xihe saw her last expression clearly.
This is called dying with eyes wide open.
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Lin Xihe had read that ancient romance novel in preparation for the exhibition. But the blurry fragments in her mind now didn't seem to match the content of that novel.
—The Wen family and the Lin family have been on good terms for generations.
That year, both wives were diagnosed with pregnancy. They often leaned against the flower wall and talked about their pre-natal vows: if they had a son and a daughter, they would marry; if they had twins or twin daughters, they would become sworn sisters.
After ten months of pregnancy, the baby was born—the Wen family was overjoyed to have a son, and the Lin family also gained a precious daughter.
The children's marriage was a natural progression...
"Fate is cruel! What should we do? Someone, someone! Quickly go to the Wen residence to report the death." The steward's frantic shouts abruptly cut off Lin Xihe's thoughts. If she wanted to inform her fiancé, couldn't she just send a WeChat obituary? Why make things so complicated with sending someone running around like that? It's a matter of a second, why make it so complicated?
.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Wen's mansion received news of the Lin family's death. The Duke of Wen was stunned for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief: "The Lin family's foolish daughter is dead. That's good, it saves me a worry."
Wen Zhixu, who was writing at his desk, looked up out of the corner of his eye and asked, "Grandfather, should we still write the annulment letter?"
On the embossed stationery on the desk, the preface to the letter was handwritten, the strokes vigorous and sharp: "I have never met Miss Lin before. If we were to hastily marry because of my parents' arrangement, I fear we would not be a good match..."
Duke Wen said, "Now that the person has left, there is no need to disturb him any further."
After finishing the last stroke of the preface, I put down my pen and stamped it with my seal as a sign of respect.
Just as he was searching for the seal, the newly arrived servant handed him a visiting card: "Second Young Master, Miss Lin from the Lin family requests an audience."
Lin Xihe? Wasn't she dead? Wen Zhixu took the visiting card and glanced at the last part, where it was signed Lin Zhirou.
I don't know him.
The servant, unaware of the situation at the Lin residence next door, simply said, "Second Young Master? Miss Lin is waiting."
"not see."
As soon as the words were spoken, firecrackers went off loudly outside the mansion. A funeral was being held at the Lin family's residence next door; how could someone be setting off firecrackers outside?
Wen Zhixu said in a deep voice, "Who's making such a racket? This is unbecoming." He strode out.
The Wen and Lin mansions are separated by only one wall. Wen Zhixu stands at the main gate of the Wen mansion, his gaze following the long bluestone path straight to the gate of the Lin mansion.
A woman shaped like a small mountain covered her ears, with a long string of bright red firecrackers at her feet.
As Wen Zhixu left the mansion, a woman waved to him.
"Brother Zhixu—"
Wen Zhixu frowned: "Close the door."
The woman's voice continued: "Brother Zhixu, I have something to tell you!"
Preface to the text: "Text 7".
The servant behind him said cautiously, "Second Young Master, you have expelled Wen Qi from the manor."
During the short winter, Wen Zhixu's servants changed batch after batch.
Seeing that Wen Zhixu remained unmoved, the woman stumbled over, lifting her skirt.
Wen Zhixu, his patience exhausted, said: "Close the door."
Servant: "Second Young Master, but that's Miss Lin."
Wen Zhixu glanced over and corrected, "The Lin family only has one Miss Lin."
Seeing that the new servant still looked bewildered, Wen Zhixu added, "She just passed away, understand?"
The servant seemed to understand but not quite.
Wen Zhixu raised his hand and tapped the servant on the back of the head, and said with a sneer, "If she were still alive, she wouldn't have grown up like that."
The servant glanced furtively at the proud young lady of the Lin family, then quickly looked away.
This young lady from the Lin family had skin as smooth as a soy sauce goose, and a plump figure like the football that young masters love to play.
It only took a short while. Lin Zhirou spun like a top to the front of the Wen family mansion, peering longingly at Wen Zhixu's figure through the crack in the door.
"Brother Zhixu!"
"Wenqi, unleash the dogs."
"Second Young Master, I am not Wen Qi."
"You are now."
The pupils behind the crack in the door suddenly contracted: "..."
The barking of dogs, the responses of servants, the creaking of door hinges, and the screams of young ladies rose in waves, completely drowning out the deathly silence of the funeral at the Lin residence.
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Thick, dark clouds pressed down, turning the sky above the Lin residence gray.
Since seeing Lin Xihe for the last time, Min's biggest worry has been removed, and she feels much more relaxed.
Granny Wang rushed in to report: "Second Madam, the young master lit firecrackers. Will Master punish him?"
"Oh? It's Yan'er? Master only has this one son." Madam Min's eyes relaxed. "Yan'er is still young, it's normal for him to be playful. Let him be, he's still a child."
"Yes, a big kid, seven feet tall." Granny Wang gave a professional, fake smile.
"Contact Matchmaker Zhang tomorrow." Madam Min was anxious. "With Lin Xihe dead, my Zhirou is now the rightful legitimate daughter. She cannot be exempted from any of the proper etiquette."
“Second Madam,” Wang Mama voiced her concern, “the mansion is still in mourning. If we propose marriage now, the Wen family will have reservations.”
“That’s true.” Madam Min went to Lin Xihe’s residence again, ostensibly to oversee the funeral arrangements.
She wished that Lin Xihe would be put in a coffin today, buried tomorrow, and that her own daughter would have a grand wedding the day after.
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Qingwu had been following the young lady since she could remember. The servants in the mansion often laughed at her for serving a foolish, dull-witted, and speechless mistress. At that time, Qingwu was still young, and all she knew was that loyalty was rooted in a warm and devoted heart.
This heart is connected to the young lady's dull heart; it beats only when the young lady beats.
Today, it stopped beating.
Qingwu didn't want to live anymore.
She had witnessed her mother hang herself, so she had experience with it.
Round stool, white silk... She took off her shoes so as not to get the stool surface dirty.
As for the three-foot-long white silk ribbon, she consulted the boatman and learned how to tie the knot at the end of the sail rope.
In a daze, firecrackers went off in the neighboring Wen family's residence, as if to celebrate.
Qingwu was filled with grief and indignation: "The young lady had just left, and they actually..."
She tied a ram's horn knot, put the rope around her neck, stood on tiptoe, turned around, and regulated her breathing.
Before her consciousness faded, she used her last strength to open her eyes and look at her young mistress, bidding her final farewell.
A note from the author:
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My next book is titled "The Imperial Seal Has Abandoned Its Duty".
The female protagonist's soul transmigrates into the Imperial Seal, and the dog emperor fights his way from ancient times to the modern era... a silly romance?
Here's the pre-order synopsis. If you like it, please add it to your collection!
Just as blogger Yunyi stepped out of the stationery exhibition, she bumped into a mad Taoist priest.
The other party spouted nonsense: "Auspicious purple energy is coming from the east, you possess the aura of a dragon, you were born to be an emperor."
Yun Yi: "Me, the second Wu Zetian? Then I'll go to bed early tonight."
Anyway, anything can happen in dreams.
The Taoist priest pulled out a book with yellow talismans: "For just 666 yuan, I can make your dream of becoming an emperor come true."
"Damn, bro." Yun Yi tugged at his Taoist robe with her left hand and pointed to the cultural and creative products scattered all over the ground with her right hand, "Pay up!"
After that, she would dream of a man wearing a dragon robe every time she fell asleep.
The dream was continuous, like an American TV series.
Season 1: The Imperial Study.
Yun Yi remained expressionless and motionless. The dog emperor slapped her on the buttocks, and Yun Yi fell to the ground.
Season 2: The Eastern Empress Dowager and the Western Empress Dowager quarrel, and the Emperor's attempts to reconcile them fail, so he has no choice but to issue an imperial edict.
Yun Yi wiggled her bottom and sat down reluctantly.
She was so tired, covered in sticky mud, and wanted to take a bath…
Season 3: The prime minister's backyard is in turmoil. His wife, concubines, and mistresses team up to beat him up, and the old man claims to be ill and stays at home.
The emperor was furious: "I hereby issue an edict! Execute that old man's entire family!"
Yun Yi rubbed her sore bottom, thinking, "That bloodsucking feudal father!"
Even the most hardworking 996 workers aren't as tired as she is!
Since it was all just a dream, she quit and gave up.
The newly enthroned emperor finished writing the imperial edict but could not find his imperial seal.
His imperial seal has disappeared...?
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Xiao Zhi's lifelong wish was not to become emperor.
The present era is not bad. We don't need thousands of troops to fight wars. There are big birds flying in the sky, dogs with steel bones, and they can even wiggle their butts.
However, the dark-skinned foreigner in front of me spoke a language that was completely foreign.
"I—uh!"
Yun Yi quickly covered his mouth and said to the foreign teacher, "My husband ruined his brain playing an emperor game."
She smoothed Xiao Zhi's long hair and reasoned with him, "The one-on-one IELTS lessons cost me 40,000 yuan. Please, let's study hard, okay?"
Xiao Zhi closed the Heavenly Book: "Abandon, change your studies."
"No way, I'm a learning blogger! If you don't learn, how are we going to earn money?!" Yun Yi calmed him down, appealing to his emotions, "Those three and a half people outside... how are we going to support them?"
Outside the classroom, three pairs of bright, piercing eyes.
A guard addicted to ninjas, a eunuch who's become a bottom, and a palace maid with a bulging belly.
Short timeframe, heavy workload, and we need to make money!
Xiao Zhi: "My tomb is in the XXX direction. Shall we go dig it up tonight? The burial goods are quite rich."
Yun Yi said coldly, "I'll enroll you in another class to learn law."
"I am the law!"
"...If you keep doing this, the mental hospital will come and evict you!"
*The information in this book is based on the following six books:
"A Dream of Splendor in the Song Dynasty," "Song Dynasty Life in 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival'," "Daily Life of Song Dynasty Citizens," "Daily Life of People in the Song Dynasty," "Pretending to Live in the Song Dynasty," and "A History of the Imperial Examination System in the Song Dynasty"
The food, clothing, and other items marked in the text are all information found in six books. If any are missing, they will be added later.
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