Li Chengyou wiped the sweat from his brow as he raced forward, pushing his horses so hard that several had already collapsed from exhaustion. His heart was heavy with worry for Li Yuanjing’s health.
Though Li Yuanjing was in his forties and had kept himself strong through years of martial training, he was no longer a young man. The relentless journey had surely taken its toll. Hesitant, Li Chengyou tried to reassure him: "Father, the Emperor of Southern Chu has taken Mother hostage to threaten Qing State. He won’t harm her—at least not yet."
Li Chengyou had been training in the military camps of Liangzhou City when news reached him that his mother had fallen victim to a sinister curse. Desperate, he had rushed back across great distances to accompany Li Yuanjing into Southern Chu.
Throughout the journey, Li Yuanjing’s fury was palpable, his killing intent barely contained.
Now, gripping the reins tightly, Li Yuanjing gritted his teeth. "Li Yuanli would never lay a hand on Weiwei. What I fear... is something else."
What truly haunted him was the thought of Shen Wei being swayed by Li Yuanli’s honeyed words.
Since stepping down from power, Shen Wei had cast aside her facade of virtue, revealing her cunning nature in full. Li Yuanjing had come to realize that she was a woman who prioritized her own interests above all else, always choosing the path that benefited her most.
Shen Wei was like a tenacious flower, thriving wherever she was planted. If Li Yuanli offered her enough advantages, she might very well abandon her family for the sake of freedom. She had no qualms about leaving the past behind.
And unfortunately, Li Yuanjing was that very "past" she could discard without hesitation.
These days, anxiety gnawed at him, stealing his sleep.
He refused to be cast aside. How dare some upstart try to steal his wife in his middle age? The sheer audacity!
He had to act fast—to reclaim Shen Wei and crush any thought she might have of leaving him.
"Continue through the night," Li Yuanjing commanded, flicking the reins as he led his elite guards through the mountains, heading straight for the distant capital of Southern Chu.
---
The next day, after breakfast, Moxun arrived to examine Shen Wei’s pulse.
A single day had aged her visibly, her face drawn with exhaustion.
As she checked Shen Wei’s pulse, Moxun muttered, "Yesterday, the Emperor had Concubine Qin beaten to death. The news spread like wildfire—apparently, even the Prime Minister’s household was terrified out of their wits. Heh, Shen Wei, you really do have a way with people."
But Moxun understood.
Who wouldn’t be drawn to Shen Wei?
She was a flower blooming under the sun, a light in the abyss, irresistible to the beasts lurking in the shadows.
Resting her chin on her hand, Moxun gazed at Shen Wei with admiration. "Sometimes, I really envy you. When I transmigrated into this world as a princess of Qing State, my parents despised me, and I was forced into a political marriage. I was so depressed I nearly threw myself into the river... In the end, I had no choice but to rebel and carve out my own kingdom."
"But you—you had it worse. I was at least a princess. You started as a lowly servant, yet you clawed your way up to become Empress Dowager of Qing State. I have to hand it to you."
Shen Wei smiled faintly. "The strong don’t complain about their circumstances."
Moxun scoffed. "Well, I complain about everything—including the strong."
Shen Wei: "..."
The so-called "strong" Shen Wei awkwardly rubbed her nose and changed the subject. "Moxun, ever since I became Yuan Xi'er, I’ve been trying to restore my health. But no matter how many tonics I take or how much I exercise, I still feel weak. Why?"
Her original plan had been to recover first.
But despite weeks of careful treatment, her body showed no improvement.
Moxun sighed. "I won’t lie to you. You have, at most, six months left."
Shen Wei stiffened.
She sat up sharply. "Explain."
Moxun spoke plainly. "My original name was Li Qingxun. After the lab accident, I woke up in this world as another Li Qingxun. Similarly, your real name is Shen Wei, and the servant girl you once were was also named Shen Wei. Think of it as becoming a parallel version of yourself."
"When I died in my past life, that bastard Zhang He'an activated the machine to trap my soul. A century later, I was reborn as Moxun—but I was never truly her. My soul didn’t belong, so my lifespan was short... Zhang He'an forcibly extended my life, allowing me to survive until now."
"But he’s been missing for two years. I suspect he’s dead—backlash from tampering with fate. Those who meddle with destiny never end well. Without him, my time is almost up."
At the mention of Zhang He'an, Moxun’s eyes lowered.
Two tears fell.
She quickly wiped them away, forcing a smile. "Ah, well. Death is just the end. I’ve lived enough—what’s there to fear? But you... Li Yuanli forcibly transferred your soul into Yuan Xi'er’s body. If you don’t return to your original form soon, you’ll die too."
Shen Wei’s expression darkened.
So that was why Moxun grew weaker by the day.
She stared at her hands—young and delicate, yet borrowed. She had thought she could start anew in Southern Chu as Yuan Xi'er, building a new life.
But with only half a year left, those ambitions vanished instantly.
What use was ambition without life?
She had to find a way back to her true body.
After finishing the examination, Moxun left two prescriptions behind and departed, her thin figure solitary against the light.
Shen Wei watched her go, sighing inwardly. For all her brashness, Moxun had clearly carried a torch for Zhang He'an.
---
The day was bright, the sky a clear blue. Caizhu suggested, "Miss, the imperial garden has been replanted with rare flowers. A stroll might lift your spirits."
Shen Wei agreed.
Li Yuanli had not restricted her movements, allowing her to roam the palace freely. In the Southern Chu imperial garden, all the roses had been uprooted, replaced by exotic blooms.
Amidst the sea of blossoms, palace servants bowed nervously as Shen Wei passed. She settled in a pavilion where cushions softened the stone seats, and a table was laid with fine tea and fruits.
As she sipped her tea, a plump shadow suddenly tumbled through the flowers.
A fox.
Shen Wei had never seen one so fat—round as a fluffy snowball, it rolled comically before her.
Then, a pair of black boots embroidered with gold appeared beside the fox, nudging it lightly.
The fox, ill-tempered, snarled and lunged at the boot.
Shen Wei looked up.
The owner of the boots was a young man of seventeen or eighteen, clad in a dark python robe. His features were sharp, his brows like swords, his lips marred by a fading bruise. He exuded the wild, dangerous aura of a predator.
Noticing her gaze, he turned, his eyes cold and piercing.
"Miss, that’s the Ninth Prince... He must have just returned from the training grounds," Caizhu whispered.
As the words fell, the legendary ninth prince of Southern Chu, Li Chengyou, strode confidently toward Shen Wei.
