Chapter 1 Why wasn't it me who drowned?!
"This fighting rooster is a top-quality one, delivered from Bianzhou by express courier. It has a small head, a large body, a thick neck, a long body, and a majestic and robust physique. It is the only one that can surpass the fighting rooster of Prince Qin."
"The young men of Bianzhou have even fought tooth and nail over this fighting rooster. If you hadn't spoken up, the owner wouldn't have acted so easily..."
Old Zhang, dressed in an indigo brocade round-necked robe, was hunched over and covered in sweat. He dared not look up at the noblewoman behind the screen, a forced smile appearing on his dark, deeply wrinkled face as he pointed at the cockfighting cage beside him and began to talk incessantly.
It was the season when crabapple blossoms were in full bloom, and the Xuanmiao Taoist Temple was bustling with visitors. Two sprigs of green branches peeked out from the corner of the wall, adorned with the colors of spring. The shimmering sunlight streamed in, and the interior of the pavilion was separated by a screen painted with purple bamboo. There was no charcoal burning, and a touch of spring chill still lingered.
The beaded window was open, and the restless spring breeze lifted the pale yellow shawl of the girl behind the screen.
With servants attending to her, Xue Rongyue reclined languidly on a soft couch, wearing a light green wide-sleeved blouse with gold cloud patterns on top and a bright orange high-waisted blouse with floral patterns on the bottom. Two gold hairpins inlaid with green jade and pearls were inserted diagonally in her hair, making her look even more adorned with pearls and jade.
With her snow-white fingertips idly toying with the long whip, her usually haughty brows furrowed slightly as she looked the fighting rooster in the cage up and down with a critical and demanding gaze.
After secretly comparing it with Qin Jin's precious fighting rooster a few times, Xue Rongyue withdrew her gaze, picked up a plump, red cherry from the jade plate piled with fresh fruit, and casually tossed it to the servant beside her.
Jingnu instantly understood, and stepped forward with a smile to take the bag of heavy silver money, handing it to Old Man Zhang: "My wife remembers your kindness, this bag of silver is more than enough, thank you for making this trip."
Seeing the fine sweat on Zhang Weng's forehead, Jingnu casually asked with concern, "It's still chilly these past two days, why are you sweating so much? Are you feeling unwell?"
Upon hearing this, Old Zhang's eyes flickered. He quickly lowered his head, took the heavy silver coins, and mumbled, "I just caught a cold, it's nothing serious."
After saying this, he hurriedly bowed and took his leave.
After the door closed again, Jingnu picked up the chicken coop and walked up to Xue Rongyue, saying in surprise, "Why is Old Zhang in such a hurry today? He usually has to ask for a reward from you before he'll leave. But this fighting rooster does look very majestic. I'm sure it will dominate the cockfighting arena at the beginning of next month."
Xue Rongyue's gaze swept over the fighting roosters in the cage. She seemed to be thinking of something, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she couldn't help but sneer coldly, "As long as we can beat Qin Jin and win his longbow, let's see how smug he can be at the spring hunt!"
Jingnu stepped forward and knelt beside the couch, massaging Xue Rongyue's back. Upon hearing this, she lowered her head and sighed almost imperceptibly.
The heir of the Marquis of Ding'an and the grandson of the current Empress Dowager, Qin Jin is a renowned figure in Chang'an, especially revered and supported by the纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families).
This notorious playboy and his wife lived together within the palace walls when they were young, raised under the Empress Dowager's care. However, they did not develop a good relationship because of this. According to the elderly nanny in the mansion, the two disliked each other from the time they were still wearing diapers, and would vomit milk if they looked at each other too much.
As they grew older, they became increasingly hostile and irreconcilable, and it was common for them to gather their servants to fight each other.
The commotion caused chaos in the palace, and every few days the Empress Dowager had to be called upon to intervene and mediate the conflict.
Even now, although the two have long since left the palace and live separately, the grudges and conflicts between them have not diminished but rather increased, and every time they meet, many troubles are bound to arise.
Glancing at the sky outside, Jingnu quickly changed the subject: "It's getting late. The banquet in the garden must have already started. After all, it's the Princess's banquet, and the women of the Liu family are also here. Since you're about to get engaged to the Liu family, why don't you go and make an appearance?"
The Liu family has always wanted to form a marriage alliance with the General's Mansion. Although the Liu family's social standing is far inferior to that of the General's Mansion, the second son of the Liu family is handsome and gentle. Last year, he also stood out for his talent and passed the imperial examination. His future is boundless.
After the elders of both families had looked at each other, they had already given their approval to the marriage. They were just waiting for an auspicious time and day to exchange birth dates and times after the spring, and then the marriage would be finalized.
Upon hearing this, Xue Rongyue frowned slightly, feeling rather impatient, but still stood up and instructed, "Take this fighting rooster and get on the carriage first. I'll go and greet the Princess and then return."
Jingnu responded, "There are many tourists and pilgrims in the Taoist temple today, Madam, please go and return quickly."
The Begonia Garden is located on the mountain behind the Xuanmiao Taoist Temple. Because the eldest princess held a banquet here, royal guards were stationed at the foot of the mountain, and unauthorized personnel were not allowed to approach.
The garden was adorned with clusters of flowers, attracting swallows and sparrows to linger. As the banquet began, ladies and noblewomen in elegant attire strolled together, some watching various performances, others admiring the flowers and sipping wine.
A few small boats floated on the shimmering lake, and elegant music played continuously from the Begonia Pavilion.
"Where is the second daughter of the Xue family? Today is a banquet hosted by the Princess, and she always loves to stand out and show off. Why is she nowhere to be seen today?"
Princess Chang Le, with an arrogant expression, was surrounded by noble ladies as she moved to her seat. When she glanced across the table, she could not find Xue Rongyue.
A noblewoman's expression shifted slightly: "She offended Prince Qin with her rude remarks that day, which angered him so much that he vowed never to set foot in the General's Mansion again. The Eldest Princess dotes on Prince Qin the most, so I suppose she won't be sending her an invitation to today's banquet."
Princess Chang Le smiled and said, "She's used to being arrogant, she should be taught a lesson, otherwise she'll be too smug. It's good that she didn't come, she can learn some manners in the General's Mansion."
As soon as she finished speaking, Princess Chang Le seemed to have thought of something, looked at the noblewoman who had spoken, and laughed: "Third Sister Liu, I heard that she is getting engaged to your brother? You're going to have a hard time with a sister-in-law like that."
Liu Sanniang glanced at the Chang Le County Princess's face, remembered the instructions from home, bit her lower lip, and replied with an awkward smile: "It's still far from settled, why does the County Princess have to tease me? Everyone knows her temperament, and the elders at home have been thinking about it repeatedly. It's a pity that I am a junior and can't make the decision. However... the General's Mansion knows that my brother is kind and gentle, and has sent people to visit many times. The mansion can't be ungrateful."
Many of the noble ladies covered their mouths and laughed.
Princess Chang Le raised an eyebrow but said nothing more. She raised her hand to stroke the gold-inlaid jade begonia and butterfly hairpin at her temple and sighed softly, "I heard she has loved this begonia hairpin for a long time. I had intended to give it to her to admire today, but it's such a pity..."
Everyone was immediately drawn to the exquisitely crafted begonia hairpin, marveling at it repeatedly. Princess Chang Le looked around with pride, but before her praise could even fade, chaos erupted outside the waterside pavilion. Amid the noise and commotion, the sounds of several splashes into the water could be faintly heard.
Stepping outside the waterside pavilion, I heard the maid exclaim in surprise—
"Help! The Second Mistress of the Xue family has fallen into the water!"
***
The icy lake water repeatedly washed over her neck, and Xue Rongyue's mouth was filled with the foul-smelling lake water. She wanted to struggle, but her limbs were weak and powerless.
In the midst of despair and suffocation, accompanied by a piercing long cry, a cold voice suddenly resounded in Xue Rongyue's mind.
[World scene setup complete. Detection indicates the important character [Xue Rongyue] is about to awaken. System reactivated.]
【Hello host, I am System 1233.】
Floating up and down in the lake, Xue Rongyue struggled desperately. In the face of life and death, she had no time to think about the source of the voice.
In this book's world, where the male and female protagonists live, their fates are already predetermined. The two protagonists are born into this world, chosen ones with unique destiny, destined for greatness, and adorned with a halo of brilliance.
And you are not the protagonist.
What! ?
Her fingertips weakly scratched the surface of the lake, her ears ringing. Xue Rongyue's face turned bluish-purple from suffocation, but the voice in her mind became clearer and clearer, making it impossible for her to ignore, and at the same time, she was furious.
She was born into a distinguished and noble family, possessed unparalleled beauty in Chang'an, and was renowned for her exceptional talent and outstanding appearance. If there truly were a protagonist born to fulfill this destiny, how could it not be her?
Why not her?!
[Where there is a protagonist, there must be a supporting character, and you are the designated villainous female supporting character. Your fate is destined to be arduous, your ending destined to be tragic, you will always be one step behind the protagonist, time, destiny, and luck are all against you. You were born to highlight the protagonist, to advance the plot, and even if you struggle against fate your whole life, you cannot escape your doom.]
To defy fate and escape being a caged bird, you must complete the ultimate strategy mission!
As her body continued to sink towards the center of the lake, Xue Rongyue's pupils gradually dilated.
Even in her dying moments, her heart was still filled with a surging rage, and she let out a series of unwilling roars.
She stared wide-eyed, her brows furrowed, her eyes wide open in death.
......
Like the incessant ringing of the bell in the Taoist temple, that unfamiliar and cold voice echoed endlessly in Xue Rongyue's mind until she suddenly woke up and sat up from the bed.
Fine beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead. Xue Rongyue was breathing rapidly, clutching her chest, still shaken. The pain of struggling in the water was still etched on her face. But when she inadvertently glanced at the sky outside, Xue Rongyue felt a chill run down her spine and was startled.
It was already late, the beaded window was half open, and the lanterns under the eaves outside were extinguished by the breeze. In the dim night, only a bright moon could be seen hanging in the sky.
The room was dimly lit by a single lamp, but Xue Rongyue recognized it as her private chamber at a glance.
Could it be that she was rescued after drowning, and because she was unconscious for too long, the princess sent someone to take her back to the general's mansion?
Xue Rongyue, however, felt a vague unease.
Why is the mansion so quiet after she inexplicably fell into the water? There are no imperial physicians or doctors, and no maids or servants are keeping watch over her at night. Where did Jingnu go?
Just as she was pondering, the door creaked open from the outside, and Jingnu walked in holding a candle. Seeing Xue Rongyue sitting up under the bed curtains, she smiled and stepped forward: "I knew it. Even though it's late at night, my lady will still be thinking about you and won't be able to sleep."
"Just now, Old Zhang brought word that he has brought the fighting rooster that you requested from Bianzhou. You should rest now, as you will be able to see it in person at the Xuanmiao Temple tomorrow."
Xue Rongyue shivered, staring blankly at the approaching maid. For a moment, she thought she had misheard and exclaimed in disbelief, "What did you say?!"
Jingnu, not understanding, repeated, "Isn't Madam thinking about that fighting cock in Bianzhou?"
Lifting the bed curtains adorned with gold brocade and jeweled beads, Jingnu noticed that Xue Rongyue's face was as pale as paper and she looked sickly. She panicked and said, "What's wrong with my lady? Her face looks so pale. I'll go and call the doctor from the manor right away."
Jingnu was about to leave in a hurry, but Xue Rongyue grabbed her arm.
Xue Rongyue's hands were icy cold, causing Jingnu to shudder. Turning her head, she saw that Xue Rongyue's almond-shaped eyes were as dark and bright as if they had been washed with ice water. She couldn't help but ask in surprise, "My lady, what's wrong...?"
Xue Rongyue's thoughts were in turmoil. She gripped Jingnu's hand even tighter, causing Jingnu pain but also increasing worry. Just as she was about to ask again, Xue Rongyue suddenly looked up, staring straight at her, her voice hoarse and tense: "Is the banquet at the Begonia Garden hosted by the Eldest Princess tomorrow?"
Jingnu nodded uneasily: "That's right, the invitation was sent to your residence five days ago."
Her heart pounded like thunder, making Xue Rongyue dizzy. She slowly released Jingnu's arm, but could not calm the turmoil in her heart.
Was it a nightmare?
Xue Rongyue's body suddenly stiffened, and her expression turned strange.
In his mind, the cold voice that claimed to be the system rang out again.
[Time rewinds to the night before a crucial plot point in the original novel. Hello, host! Please unlock the original storyline and complete the strategy missions before the character [Xue Rongyue] meets her original death ending!]
[Please activate the ultimate strategy objective now!]
Xue Rongyue found it hard to accept, her almond-shaped eyes filled with shock, and her beautiful face twisted inch by inch as the system's voice fell.
The system was already used to it. After all, every awakened host would initially panic and lose control, either fearing its existence or terrified of their own fate.
Of course, what worries them most is the ultimate strategy mission that concerns their future destiny.
As it hesitated whether to leave the night for her to digest slowly, Xue Rongyue took a deep breath, and the veins on her forehead bulged uncontrollably once again.
Her anger was about to erupt; she gritted her teeth and raised her voice to demand—
"What kind of villainous female supporting character is this? Why am I not the female lead?!"
system:【? 】
Is that correct?
Is this the focus we should be paying attention to right now?
A note from the author:
----------------------
Xue Rongyue: Is there anything more important than me not being the female lead? Heaven has no eyes!! (Angrily roars to the sky)
Happy new chapter! Long time no see everyone! I'll be updating around 7 AM daily for now. [heart emoji][kiss emoji]
————Pre-order novel: "Weren't you dead?!"————
Copywriting:
In the spring of the second year of Jingming, Jiang Huanchun's assassination mission failed.
As she fled Chang'an by feigning death, she looked back from Tinglan Slope. Beneath the scattering of paper money, the funeral procession for her was slowly making its way out of Chang'an, accompanied by deafening wails.
In the pavilion not far away, there were four young men, dressed in brocade robes and jade crowns, their wealth evident.
The leader was eight feet tall, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, a cold and stern face, and an unruly and arrogant demeanor.
The person next to him flattered him with a smile: "Young Marquis, what goes around comes around. Jiang Nu was no match for you in the end and died with resentment. We should celebrate properly tonight."
As soon as he finished speaking, the young marquis smiled and slowly looked at the person who had spoken, his smile icy.
Amidst the terrified gazes of the crowd, he suddenly kicked him violently to the ground, his expression gloomy and furious.
Seeing this, Jiang Huanchun only sneered, thinking to himself: I hope the gods and Buddhas will protect her and prevent her from ever setting foot in Chang'an again, and from ever seeing Qin Zhao's hideous face again!
To everyone's surprise, two years later, they were proven wrong.
Not only did she re-enter Chang'an, but she also unexpectedly became Qin Zhao's cousin, who had long admired him and was arranged by the Qin family elders to live in their mansion to cultivate their relationship!
On his first day in the mansion, Qin Zhao disappeared without a trace. Qin's mother summoned a servant to inquire about Qin Zhao's whereabouts. The servant replied tremblingly, "He went to offer incense to the deceased Second Madam Jiang again."
Upon hearing this, Mother Jiang couldn't help but sigh, "What a tragic fate!"
Jiang Huanchun: "???"
How disgusting!
***
A cousin came to Qingzhou, but Qin Zhao was in a hurry to visit the grave and only caught a glimpse of her from afar.
She wore a light green robe, with a jade hairpin tucked diagonally into her hair. Upon seeing him, she bowed slightly and called out softly, "Cousin."
Qin Zhao frowned, a feeling of displeasure rising in his heart.
The reason was simple: although he couldn't see his cousin's face clearly through the screen, Qin Zhao inexplicably felt that she looked familiar—
It resembles a deceased friend whom he can't forget, whose grave is now covered with two meters of grass.
*
[I was wondering why I seemed to recognize an old friend; turns out the old friend wasn't dead!!]
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