Chapter 1 Rebirth
"Help!"
The biting wind, carrying heavy snow, scraped against the skin like a knife. In a secluded alley, a thin figure, barefoot, stumbled away through the icy snow.
Narcissus was only wearing a thin gauze dress that had been torn to shreds, which did not protect her from the bone-chilling cold.
Her exposed skin turned bluish-purple from the cold, and her feet were cut by the gravel on the road, leaving bloody marks with every step, which were then mercilessly covered by the falling snow.
Cold, bone-chilling cold.
But worse than the cold was the despair that seeped into one's very bones.
Three years! She was imprisoned in the dirtiest and most torturous brothel in the capital for a full three years!
If they refused to entertain guests, they would be locked in a dark and gloomy woodshed like livestock, where they would suffer humiliation and beatings.
The girl who was once loyal to her master and had a straightforward and innocent personality has long since had her dignity crushed and her innocence erased, leaving only a heart full of hatred to support her broken body.
Tonight, the guards were drunk and lax, and she finally used a piece of broken porcelain, which she had been grinding for who knows how long, to cut the hemp rope around her wrists, broke open the wooden door of the woodshed, and escaped!
As long as she escapes this dark alley and reaches the brightly lit street ahead, they won't dare to openly take her back!
The light at the alley entrance was right in front of us!
With her last ounce of strength, the narcissus lunged toward the light.
However.
Just as her fingertips were about to touch the bright light at the alley entrance that represented hope, several dark figures fell silently from the high walls on both sides like ghosts!
"You bitch! You think you can run away?!"
A hand like an iron clamp twisted her arm hard, and the excruciating pain made her vision go black.
The man covered her mouth and nose, cutting off her last hope of getting help.
"Ugh... Ugh!"
Narcissus struggled desperately, kicking her feet in vain in the snow, tears of despair welling up and instantly freezing in the cold air.
She was roughly dragged back into the depths of the alley, and a tattered cloth reeking of mildew was shoved over her head, cutting off the last vestiges of light.
The punches and kicks landed on her frail body, each one carrying utter ruthlessness.
Later, she was thrown onto a hard object that resembled a vehicle frame, and was jostled about, not knowing where she was being taken.
It's over... This time it's really over.
How would the madam torture her? Break her legs? Or force her to work as a prostitute until she dies?
Narcissus curled up, her consciousness gradually fading amidst the excruciating pain and cold.
After an unknown amount of time, the bumpy ride finally stopped.
She was roughly pulled down and dragged into a place.
The gate shut out the wind and snow outside, and the air was filled with the very familiar fragrance of daffodils.
Just then, the tattered cloth covering his head was suddenly ripped off!
The blinding candlelight made Narcissus instinctively close her eyes. She breathed heavily, adjusting to the light, and slowly opened them.
The sight she saw made her blood run cold instantly!
There were no vicious madams, and no dirty thugs.
There was only one young woman in palace attire sitting upright in a round chair in the center of the room.
It was Yi Guichun! No, she should now be respectfully addressed as... Consort Yi!
Standing beside her, with a mocking smile on her face, was none other than Shancha, the trusted head maid of Consort Yi, who had worked with her for many years.
Narcissus was dressed in rags, her bare feet stained with blood, and she was shivering from the cold; she looked utterly wretched.
Consort Yi, with her graceful bearing, sat upright on a high chair, like a high-ranking deity looking down upon lowly ants.
"What? Are you surprised to see me?"
Consort Yi parted her lips slightly, her tone laced with cruel mockery: "Did you really think you'd escaped alive?"
Narcissus's pupils suddenly contracted; could it be...?
"Oh!"
Consort Yi admired the look of fear and lingering dread on Shui Xian's face, her smile growing increasingly malicious.
"Fool! You think your little tricks can fool anyone? From the moment you cut the rope, my people have been watching from outside! Letting you escape was just to let you taste the feeling of having hope right in front of you, only to have it cruelly crushed!"
She smiled faintly, yet uttered the most vicious words imaginable.
The narcissus felt as if its heart had been struck a heavy blow.
It was intentional! It was all intentional! Giving her hope was just a way to make her despair even more completely!
"Why..." Narcissus's voice was hoarse, "I gave birth to a prince for you... why... would you treat me like this?!"
Three years ago, she endured excruciating pain and gave birth to a baby boy in the delivery room. He was the first prince after the emperor had no heir for many years!
Yi Guichun thus rose to the rank of Imperial Concubine, enjoying boundless honor!
But she, the real mother, was lied about and died from postpartum hemorrhage, and was thrown into the cannibalistic den of the Red Night Pavilion by Yi Guichun's men!
She gave her all with unwavering loyalty, even sacrificing her body to bear the imperial heir for her master, only to be drained of her value and discarded like trash, then repeatedly trampled upon and tortured to death?!
"Why?"
Consort Yi seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and suddenly stood up.
She walked up to the narcissus that was tied to the pillar, her eyes seeming to want to tear the narcissus apart and eat its flesh.
"I've hated you ever since you served me as a child! Why is it that I, the legitimate daughter of the Yi family, should be treated with such privilege and wealth, yet I'm rendered infertile because of a damned cold I had as a child?!"
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, "Why should my future husband and my favor be obtained through the womb of a lowly servant like you?!"
Yi Guichun leaned down and grabbed Shuixian's chin tightly, forcing her to raise her head: "You don't know, do you? My good Shuixian? You think your naturally fertile belly is a gift from God? Bah!"
A mad glint flashed in Consort Yi's eyes as she coldly sneered:
"That was a secret medicine my mother fed you when you were little! Your purpose in being was to bear children for me, Yi Guichun, and for my future husband! You were nothing but a vessel! A breathing belly! Do you understand, you lowly servant!"
Narcissus trembled violently, not from the cold, but from the shock of learning the truth!
I see! I see!
She recalled that since childhood, she had been chosen to serve the eldest daughter because of her lovely appearance, and afterwards, the madam would personally reward her with a bowl of sweet soup at the beginning of each month.
No wonder, no wonder she received the emperor's child after only one favor.
It turns out that her constitution was actually developed by the Yi family through medication, making her a fertile body!
In the eyes of the Yi family, she was never a human being! She was merely a carefully cultivated breeding tool used to fulfill their ambitions!
"Hahaha......"
Seeing the despair that drained all color from Shui Xian's face, leaving only a deathly ashen one, Consort Yi let out a twisted laugh.
Her laughter was filled with the pleasure of revenge.
"Look at your face..."
She ran her fingertips over the daffodils, and even though they were ravaged, her once stunning beauty was still visible.
"A lowly servant like you dares to be so seductive? ... You're such an eyesore! From childhood to adulthood, how many men in the manor have been eyeing you? Even my father and brother almost... Humph!"
Her eyes flashed with murderous intent: "Your belly has already served its purpose. Now, your face disgusts me! Camellia!"
"Yes, sir!"
Camellia immediately stepped forward, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Consort Yi stepped back and delivered her final verdict: "I will... slash her troublesome face to pieces!"
"No!"
Narcissus let out a shrill scream and struggled with all her might, but she couldn't move an inch because she was bound so tightly.
The cold blade, carrying Consort Yi's deep-seated hatred, slashed down fiercely!
Sizzle!
It hurts! It hurts so much!
The excruciating pain of flesh being ripped open instantly swept through every nerve! Warm liquid gushed down my cheeks, indistinguishable between blood and tears!
One cut! Two cuts! Three cuts!
The excruciating pain overwhelmed Narcissus like a tidal wave; each stab of the blade felt like a slow, agonizing torture of her soul!
Why? !
Why was she born a slave to be slaughtered at will?!
Why was her body and her destiny controlled by others from birth?!
Why could people like Yi Guichun and Shancha so easily decide her life or death?!
"ah!!!"
Extreme pain, mixed with overwhelming hatred, turned into a blood-curdling wail!
She hates it!
In her final moments, she strained with her last ounce of strength to focus her gaze on Yi Guichun's vicious and twisted face.
If there is an afterlife... I, Narcissus, will make you pay for your blood debt!
Darkness completely engulfed everything.
——
Narcissus suddenly jolted awake, like a drowning person suddenly surfacing, gasping for breath!
Before my eyes was a bright yellow brocade curtain with dragon patterns, and the air was filled with the unique scent of ambergris. Beneath me was an extremely soft cloud brocade quilt.
There was no bloodshed, no coldness, and certainly no evil face like that of Consort Yi!
This is... the emperor's bedroom?!
As Narcissus realized something, her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. Incredulously, she raised her hand and touched her cheek.
Smooth skin!
There were no gruesome wounds, no torn flesh!
Is it real?! Or not a dream?!
Overwhelmed with joy, tears streamed down her face without warning.
She was reborn! She was truly reborn! She returned to the pivotal moment that changed her fate in her previous life... the night she served the emperor.
On this night in her previous life, she was awkward and stiff because of her helplessness, shyness, and awe of Yi Guichun. She even unintentionally resisted the emperor, which displeased Emperor Zhaoheng. He only had a brief encounter with her before leaving in a huff.
How stupid!
Narcissus cursed her past self in her heart.
Awe? Fear? She paid a heavy price in blood and tears to understand that in this cannibalistic palace, and even in the whole world, the most useless things are these cheap emotions!
In this life, she lives only for revenge! And this opportunity to serve the emperor is the first step on her path to revenge!
Just then, the sound of a man's footsteps came from outside the hall, gradually approaching and finally stopping outside the door.
The heavy palace doors were slowly pushed open by a hand with distinct knuckles...
A tall, imposing figure stepped into the hall, bathed in the clear moonlight. His bright yellow robe with dragon patterns symbolized supreme imperial power, further emphasizing his broad shoulders, long legs, and commanding presence.
Unlike him, who was dressed neatly, Narcissus on the bed followed the rules of serving the emperor.
He was completely naked under the quilt!
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