She was accustomed to a life of relentless competition, thriving on excitement and challenges. Deep down, she could never accept the idea of her fate being toyed with by others—lying flat like a salted fish would only fill her with anxiety.
Shen Wei rolled out of bed and pushed aside the fish-skin curtain to step outside. Barely two steps in, the dark-skinned boy appeared out of nowhere, his thin arms wrapping tightly around her waist as he wailed, "Sister! You can’t go to Prince Wu’s Mansion! Wuwu... Prince Wu will beat you to death!"
Shen Wei: "..."
She patted the boy’s head. "Let go."
The boy trembled violently, clinging even harder. "No, I won’t! Even if you beat me to death, I won’t let go! Wuwu..." Tears and snot streamed down his face, leaving shiny streaks on Shen Wei’s clothes.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Wei softened her tone. "I’m not going to see any Prince Wu. Come inside with me—I have questions for you."
The boy hesitated but eventually followed.
The room was cramped, holding only a bed and a small cabinet, with no extra stools. Shen Wei sat on the edge of the bed while the dark-skinned boy stood stiffly, shoulders hunched.
His dark, round eyes darted toward his sister, and for some reason, he felt a sudden fear. She was still the same sister, yet when she sat there, her cool gaze sweeping over him, it carried an inexplicable authority that made him want to kneel and kowtow.
How strange.
Shen Wei tapped the bed frame. "I’ve been unconscious too long, and my mind’s a mess. Tell me—what country is this, and who am I?"
Her tone brooked no defiance, and the boy, who had always been afraid of his sister, spilled everything he knew.
After nearly an hour of questioning, Shen Wei had pieced together her situation.
She was at the border of the Eastern Dominion, in a poor backwater called Wu County.
The original owner of this body was named Yuan Xi’er, a fisherman’s daughter from the Yuan family in Wu County. Beautiful and spoiled in her youth, Yuan Xi’er had grown up with sky-high ambitions, dreaming of marrying a prince or noble of the Eastern Dominion.
Three years ago, her parents died in a shipwreck while fishing, leaving only Yuan Xi’er and her younger brother, Yuan Fu.
Yuan Xi’er had always been lazy and selfish. Even after her parents’ deaths, she felt no grief and refused to shoulder any responsibility, fixated only on marrying into wealth. Her brother, Yuan Fu, was forced to cook, clean, and scavenge the beaches daily for shellfish and fish to sell.
Last year, the Eastern Dominion Emperor’s fortieth son, Zhao Ziqi, came of age. By imperial custom, adult princes were sent to their fiefdoms to govern independently.
But Zhao Ziqi’s mother had been a pearl diver, and his sister, Princess Zhenmin, had long been married off to Qing State. The emperor held little regard for him, granting him only the barren Wu County as his domain and bestowing the title of Prince Wu.
Unlike other lords who oppressed their people, Prince Wu occasionally reduced taxes, and under his rule, Wu County’s residents lived relatively well.
Despite his youth, Prince Wu harbored a grand ambition—to marry the "most beautiful woman in the world." He sent envoys far and wide in search of candidates. When Yuan Xi’er caught wind of this, she saw her chance to climb the social ladder.
Even the most disfavored prince was still a golden opportunity in the eyes of commoners.
Convinced of her own beauty, Yuan Xi’er boldly presented herself to Prince Wu. After being mocked and rejected, she drowned herself in despair. Her soul scattered, and Shen Wei’s consciousness took its place.
"Prince Wu... the younger brother of the Eastern Dominion princess." Shen Wei rubbed her temples. What a coincidence.
Years ago, the Eastern Dominion had sent a princess to marry into Qing State. Through Shen Wei’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering, the princess had wed the Minister of Rites, Yan Yunting. Later, Yan Yunting, depressed over Tantai Rou’s affairs, made repeated mistakes in office and was relegated to a sinecure.
The Eastern Dominion princess seized control of the Yan household and shrewdly partnered with Shen Wei in business, amassing considerable wealth and living comfortably.
After a moment’s thought, Shen Wei asked her brother, "Has the Qing State Dowager Empress Shen died?"
Yuan Fu blinked blankly. "Qing State’s Dowager Empress... Sister, I don’t know her."
The remote fishing village was cut off from the world. Its people cared only about filling their bellies, oblivious to the affairs of the wider realm.
Shen Wei pressed her fingers to her forehead. She needed to confirm whether the "Qing State Dowager Empress Shen" was still alive.
If she had died, it might mean Shen Wei’s soul was caught in an endless cycle of reincarnation.
If she was still alive... well, that would be far more interesting. It would imply her "transmigration" was no accident—someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
"I hope the ‘me’ in Qing State is still alive. I still have a chance to return... Li Yuanjing isn’t a fool. He’ll notice I’m missing." Shen Wei longed to return to her original body and enjoy her well-earned retirement.
"Sister, medicine." Yuan Fu timidly offered a shell bowl.
Shen Wei took a sip, and the bitter, sour, pungent taste assaulted her senses—likely some village healer’s concoction.
She set the bowl aside and asked casually, "If you don’t know about the Qing State Dowager Empress, have you heard of anyone else from Qing State?"
Yuan Fu scratched his head, then suddenly scowled. "Shen Xiuming! That scourge of Qing State, Shen Xiuming! A demon in human form! May the Sea God curse him to never marry! Hmph!"
Shen Wei nearly spat out the bitter medicine.
The Eastern Dominion commoners didn’t know the Qing State Dowager Empress but recognized a Qing State official, Shen Xiuming?
And called him a scourge?
Baffled, she asked, "What evil has he done?"
Yuan Fu clenched his fists, indignant. "He built a dam upstream, blocking the river from irrigating our fields! How cruel!"
Shen Wei opened her mouth but found no rebuttal.
To Qing State’s people, the dam secured the border, thwarted military alliances between the Eastern Dominion and Southern Chu, and brought peace.
To the Eastern Dominion’s people, it was a disaster—destroying their land and livelihoods.
A single speck of dust in history books could crush commoners like a mountain.
Right or wrong depended on where you stood.
...
For now, Shen Wei stayed in the Yuan family’s fishing village.
Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it.
Her first priority was restoring her health. This body was pitifully weak—malnourished, bony, and only marginally pretty. No wonder Prince Wu had rejected her.
Once she regained her strength, she’d find a way back to Qing State and her original body.
"Sister, you’re really coming to scavenge with me?" As dusk approached, Yuan Fu gaped at Shen Wei holding a basket, unable to believe his eyes.
His lazy sister was actually going to work!
Shen Wei picked up an oyster with a clamp. "Learning is never a waste. Teach me—which seafood is edible?"
Still stunned, Yuan Fu haltingly explained the basics of beach scavenging.
As the tide receded at dusk, the shore filled with fishermen. Under Yuan Fu’s guidance, Shen Wei soon gathered half a basket of seafood.
At that moment, a commotion arose from the far end of the beach. Shen Wei faintly heard someone shouting—
"Prince Wu is here."
