Chapter 1 Is it a blessing or a curse?
"Someone come quickly! The young lady from the Taifu family fell into the water!"
The Imperial Garden was in an uproar. The maids and eunuchs panicked, and the guards hurried. But for the sake of the girl's reputation, no one dared to rush forward.
At this chaotic moment, an agile figure tore through the calm water surface without hesitation and dived down as swiftly as a fish.
The freezing cold pool water enveloped Dongfang Yuning, and the feeling of suffocation followed him like a shadow, and his consciousness was sinking into the endless darkness.
In a blur, a pair of strong arms lifted her sinking body, and with unquestionable strength, lifted her up and away from this realm of death. She seemed to hear an anxious and familiar voice penetrate the waves and ring in her ears:
"Ning'er, don't be afraid! Second brother will take you ashore right away!"
The visitor was none other than Dongfang Qichen, the second son of the Imperial Tutor's Mansion and Minister of Rites. On the shore, Empress Dongfang Qiwu had already signaled her trusted palace maids to be on full alert.
As soon as Dongfang Qi Chen emerged holding his unconscious and soaked little sister, the senior palace maid beside the queen immediately threw a thick brocade cloak over her head, tightly wrapping her petite body.
The group did not dare to delay any longer and rushed towards Fengyi Palace where the queen was as fast as possible.
"Xiao Bi! Go to the Imperial Hospital and ask for Doctor Wang on duty! Hurry!"
The queen walked quickly while giving orders in a deep voice, with unconcealable worry in her phoenix eyes.
"Xiao Lian! Prepare hot water and clean pajamas immediately! Change them for the young lady!"
The inner hall of Fengyi Palace was instantly filled with a tense atmosphere. People came and went in a hurry, and whispered orders and suppressed breathing mixed together.
On the huge carved bed, Dongfang Yuning closed her eyes tightly, her beautiful little face was pale without a trace of blood, her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she was in great pain.
“Hmm…”
A faint moan escaped her lips, and Dongfang Yuning felt a splitting headache and dizziness like a tide. Her consciousness struggled in chaos, and there was a buzzing noise in her ears.
The imperial physician Wang Yuanpan hurried over and, under the guidance of the palace maid, carefully took the girl's pulse through the silk handkerchief covering her slender wrist.
You could hear a pin drop in the hall, and everyone's eyes were focused on the solemn face of Doctor Wang.
After a long while, Doctor Wang withdrew his hand, stood up, and respectfully saluted the Queen who was standing by his side.
"Your Majesty, Miss Dongfang fell into the water and the cold invaded her body, disturbing her mind and causing a high fever.
I will prescribe a prescription to dispel the cold and dispel evil, and to calm the mind and calm the nerves. Take it on time and take good care of yourself for a few days, and you should be fine."
The Queen's anxious heart relaxed a little, and her gentle voice was filled with fatigue:
"I'm so sorry, Imperial Physician Wang. Please go back to the Crown Prince's chambers and prescribe a cold-relieving remedy for my brother, Minister Dongfang. He just went into the water to save someone and has caught a cold."
"Your humble servant obeys your order."
Doctor Wang took the order, bowed and left to write a prescription and prepare medicine.
With the temporary departure of the imperial physician and most of the palace servants, the inner hall quieted down a bit. Dongfang Yuning, lying on the bed, frowned even more. She felt as if her head was tangled with a knot of knots, aching and dizzy, mixed with many fragments that didn't belong to her.
An extremely absurd thought popped up uncontrollably:
[Oh my god, did I stumble onto a film set by mistake? A period drama? This set is so realistic... The extras are so good...]
[Ding~ Hello, host! Stable soul fluctuations detected, binding process initiated successfully! I am the 'Melon Scratch-Off System' bound to your soul—number 118, dedicated to serving you!]
A clear, electronic-textured child's voice suddenly rang in Dongfang Yuning's mind.
[Oh my god! What the hell?! A system? What the hell?! A new scam? Or am I hallucinating from the fall?] Her heart instantly exploded, and she subconsciously refuted it in her mind.
[Host, please calm down. This is not a scam, nor is it an illusion.]
System 118's voice sounded serious.
[To be precise, you unfortunately choked to death while eating grapes in modern society, and your vital signs have ended.
Based on the special energy traction and soul tracing mechanism, your core soul has successfully crossed the barriers of time and space and returned to its original plane - the body of Dongfang Yuning, the second daughter of the Taifu Mansion of Yan Kingdom.
In truth, you are the missing part of her. When your mother was assassinated and gave birth prematurely, a strand of your soul was accidentally lost in another world. In this life, Dongfang Yuning, due to this incomplete soul, has been mentally retarded and retarded since childhood. Now, with the union of soul and body, they are complete.
[I...traveled through time? And became an ancient fool?]
Dongfang Yuning's consciousness was in a mess. The huge amount of information hit her and her headache seemed to be even more severe.
[To be precise, it's home. Host, you are the youngest daughter of Dongfang Yanru, the Grand Tutor of Yan State, and Li, the First Rank Imperial Madam. You are of noble status.]
Your eldest sister, Dongfang Qiwu, is the current empress. Your eldest brother, Dongfang Liezheng, is a great general who protects the country and commands great power at the border.
Your second brother, Dongfang Qichen, is currently the Minister of Rites. It was he who saved you just now. Your third brother, Dongfang Linyuan, has been doing business abroad for many years and is already the richest man in Jiangnan.
You are the jewel in the Dongfang family's palm, the most beloved youngest daughter.
System 118 diligently and responsibly popularizes science.
[As for me, Melon Eating System 118, my core function is to help you obtain melon sources and collect Melon Eating Points. Points can be used to redeem magical items in the system mall or participate in the 'Scratch-off' lottery. The prizes are generous and you are guaranteed to be satisfied! The current novice mission has been released, please check...]
Just as System 118 was introducing its background and functions, Queen Dongfang Qiwu was sitting beside the bed, looking at her younger sister's pale face with worry.
She was just about to reach out to tuck the corner of the quilt for her younger sister when the handkerchief in her hand slipped and fell onto the smooth floor without any warning.
“…”
The queen froze, her eyes wide open as she looked in disbelief at her younger sister who was still unconscious on the bed, her lips still motionless.
What had she just heard? A hallucination? No, the voice was crystal clear, alive with modern vocabulary and a kind of... indescribable wildness!
What "fraud", "film set", "system", "choked to death by grapes", "soul returned to its place"... Every word was like thunder exploding in her ears!
Xiaolian and Xiaobi, the trusted palace maids standing beside her, also had pale faces and trembling bodies. They exchanged terrified glances and dared not breathe.
They heard it too! That voice… clearly came from the young lady? But the young lady had her eyes closed and didn't say a word! Could this… could this be… a demonic possession?!
At this moment, Dongfang Yuning was completely immersed in the friendly communication with the system, and he didn't realize that his own voice had already been heard like a loudspeaker, resounding in the silent inner hall of Fengyi Palace.
【etc! 】
Under the impact of memory fragments and system information, Dongfang Yuning's consciousness finally grasped a key point.
[I remember! Today is the birthday of my brother-in-law, the Emperor, Nangong Yu! Zhao Qianqian, the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhao! It was her! She deliberately ordered her maid to push me into the water!]
She wanted to drown me or ruin my reputation! How vicious! I was such a fool before, I didn't know anything, so how could I have been in her way?!
[Host, you have touched the key source! ]
System 118's voice was a little excited.
[The reason is that before you fell into the water, you accidentally caught Zhao Qianqian and the young master of the Duke's Mansion, Xiao Ziheng, secretly exchanging love letters near the rockery!
Although you were foolish and ignorant at the time, Zhao Qianqian was guilty and worried that you would misunderstand her even if you didn't understand, so she decided to kill you and silence you!
[Damn! Be a decent person! You don't even let fools go? Are there any laws left?!]
The villain in Dongfang Yuning was so angry that he almost jumped up and down.
[This Zhao Qianqian is so wicked! And that Xiao Ziheng is no good either! This is really explosive! Wait, system, where are the points? Are there any point rewards?]
At this moment, a high-pitched and clear voice came from outside the palace:
"The Emperor has arrived—!"
Queen Dongfang Qiwu trembled all over, her face turned pale in an instant, and a huge fear gripped her!
This strange situation of my younger sister... If the emperor heard... She didn't dare to think about it! She stood up suddenly, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and tried her best to maintain the demeanor of a queen.
Nangong Yu, the Emperor of Yan, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, strode in. He had a handsome face, and between his brows was the majesty of an emperor and a subtle concern.
"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."
The queen quickly knelt down and saluted, her voice trembling with an imperceptible tremor.
"Your servant bows to the Emperor, long live His Majesty!"
All the palace maids in the hall knelt down.
Nangong Yu's eyes immediately turned to the bed, looking at his sister-in-law's pale face, his brows slightly furrowed:
"Your Majesty, please excuse me. How is Ning'er? What did the imperial physician say?"
He asked, walking naturally towards the bed.
The moment he approached, Dongfang Yuning's voice, full of modern flavor and indignation, hit his ears clearly and unimpeded:
[Damn! Be a decent person! You don't even let fools go? Are there any laws left?! ······]
Nangong Yu’s footsteps suddenly stopped!
His deep, sharp eyes instantly locked onto the girl who seemed unconscious on the bed, and deep in his pupils was a flood of shock and disbelief!
That voice… that content… Zhao Qianqian? Xiao Ziheng? Secret exchange? Murder to silence?
And… "system," "integral," "melon"? Each word was beyond his comprehension, yet carried a strange, undeniable sense of reality!
He suddenly turned his head to look at the queen, only to see that his wife's face was as pale as paper, with unconcealable panic and pleading in her eyes. It was obvious that she had heard this shocking voice.
The palace maids kneeling on the ground beside them were trembling like sieves.
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through the mind of the young emperor Nangong Yu.
[“The appearance of foolishness is not its true nature, the lucky star returns to its position and shines on the sky.”]
Suddenly, everything became clear! He looked at the pale, fragile little face on the bed, and then thought about the secret he had just heard about Zhao Qianqian and Xiao Ziheng - this was definitely not something a fool could make up, let alone something evil could know! Minister of Revenue Zhao Yin and the Anguo Duke Xiao family, the power of the court...
In a flash, Nangong Yu's eyes changed from initial shock and doubt to an unfathomable sharpness and faint excitement.
This wasn't a demon; this was probably a gift from heaven! A genius who could reveal secrets directly to his ear and see through people's hearts! An opportunity that could shake up the political situation and be used to his advantage!
He took a deep breath, and the imperial majesty instantly enveloped the entire inner hall. His voice was low and full of unquestionable power:
"Empress, Ning'er needs to rest. All irrelevant people should retreat to the side hall and await orders! Without my order, no one is allowed to approach the bedroom! Anyone who disobeys my order will be executed!"
His gaze was as cold as ice as he swept over the palace maids and eunuchs kneeling on the ground. Every word he said was as heavy as a thousand pounds:
"If even a single word of what I saw and heard in Fengyi Palace today were to be leaked, disturbing the young lady from the Imperial Tutor's Mansion while she is recovering from her illness, I will execute his entire clan! Do you understand?"
"Your servant obeys the order! I will obey the imperial edict!"
Everyone was terrified and crawled out, and the door of the side hall was closed tightly.
In the huge bedroom, only the emperor, the empress, and Dongfang Yuning, who was bargaining with the system on the bed and had no idea that he had been socially dead and had become the top secret of the palace, were left.
Nangong Yu walked to the bedside, his deep gaze falling on Dongfang Yuning's little face, which was still stunning even though it was pale, his eyes were complicated and difficult to read.
He sat down slowly, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on his knees.
Queen Dongfang Qiwu, looking at the strange light in her husband's eyes, then at her ignorant little sister, felt the immense fear in her heart strangely replaced by a deeper, somewhat ridiculous premonition.
Her younger sister, who had turned a disaster into a blessing and whose soul had returned to its place, was likely to stir up a storm that no one could predict in the deep palace of Yan Kingdom and even the entire court.
And the beginning of this storm hit the head of the Emperor in such an earth-shattering way.
Dongfang Yuning lying on the bed seemed to have finally finished asking for rewards from the system, and his consciousness gradually sank into a deep sleep to repair his body.
She calmed down, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her pale cheeks, making her look extremely gentle and well-behaved, forming a strong contrast with the image of her just now who was roaring in her heart with evil and explosiveness.
Nangong Yu stared at her, with a barely perceptible hint of meaningful curve at the corner of his mouth.
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