Chapter 1

“I’m going to ask you one more time, will you marry him or not?” The harsh and cold voice of a man entered Xia Zian’s ears. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the handsome but ruthless face of a man.

Xia Zian felt a piercing pain. Someone had grabbed her forcefully around her neck. Her chest cavity was in agony, she felt as though she was about to explode. She tried to focus her vision.

What’s going on? Am I not dead? I remember being betrayed by my superior. I was shot five times. I should have died.

Memories flooded her mind. Memories that did not belong to her.

Before Xia Zian regained her senses, she felt five stinging slaps on her face, rendering her confused and dizzy. She was seeing stars. She tasted blood in her mouth and spat it out. She felt a burning pain on her back.

Xia Zian lifted her head suddenly. The flames of fury burned in her eyes. The remaining memories that flooded her mind told her that the soul of the original owner of this body had been beaten by a wooden staff into the western paradise. She was resurrected when her soul entered this body.

“Answer me, will you marry the Prince of Liang?” Another angry question sounded, followed by a vicious and fierce slap.

Based on the memories that flooded her mind, Xia Zian knew the person who had hit her was the current Crown Prince, Murong Qiao.

A green figure threw herself at Murong Qiao and pulled him away, crying. “Your Highness, please stop making things difficult for my sister. Although my father had drunkenly betrothed me to His Highness, the Prince of Liang, you’re making things difficult for my sister by asking her to marry him in my stead. Furthermore, my sister has always admired you, Your Highness. Don’t you think you’ll end up killing her by forcing her to do this?” This person wept like a pear blossom bathed in rain, looking absolutely delicate. She was Xia Zian’s stepsister, Xia Wan’er.

Murong Qiao’s heart ached at the sight of this. He promptly released Xia Zian and helped Xia Wan’er up.

Air whooshed into Zian’s lungs. She gasped loudly as she greedily breathed in air that was denied to her earlier.

Zian shakily rose to her feet. However, the agony in her body caused her to gasp and lose her footing. Her knees gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. The memories in her mind and the conversation between the two people helped her to understand the situation she was in.

The father of the original owner of this body was the current Prime Minister. A month ago, while he was drinking with the Prince of Liang, he had drunkenly agreed to the Prince of Liang’s request to marry Xia Wan’er.

As soon as the Prime Minister sobered up, he regretted his action deeply. Xia Wan’er was the daughter of his most beloved concubine, Madam Linglong. How could he bear to marry her off to the brutal Prince of Liang?

Xia Wan’er had cried and refused to marry the Prince of Liang. She and the Crown Prince had fallen in love a long time ago. She was to become the Crown Princess.

The Prime Minister had no choice but to force Xia Zian, the daughter of his first wife, to marry the Prince of Liang in Xia Wan’er’s stead.

Xia Zian may be the daughter of the Prime Minister’s first wife, but she never enjoyed the honor and glory of being the first wife’s daughter in the Prime Minister’s mansion. The Prime Minister had despised her mother. It was only natural that the real Xia Zian did not agree to the marriage. For that reason, Xia Wan’er had cried and complained to the Crown Prince, Murong Qiao.

Memories of everything that had transpired in the courtyard slowly flooded Zian’s mind. Not only did Murong Qiao conspire with the members of the Prime Minister’s mansion to force her into marrying the Prince of Liang, but they had even tortured her. She could even remember the real Xia Zian’s pleas before she died and the blood on her body.

Xia Zian felt her anger boiling when she thought of this.

Murong Qiao glared at her disdainfully and kicked her. “What makes you think you’re worthy of admiring me?” He scoffed before he continued to say, “Even if you’re given to me as a concubine, I still wouldn’t want a piece of trash like you!”

Xia Zian had already endured torture prior to this. This merciless kick caused her to spit out blood. She clenched her fists as anger continued to burn in her eyes. She tried to stand up, but her injuries were too severe. Even a slight movement would cause searing pain to spread throughout her body.

Xia Wan’er stepped forward delicately and said with a guilty expression, “I’m sorry, older sister. I once promised you that I wouldn’t harbor any desires toward the Crown Prince. However, the matters of the heart are out of everyone’s control. The more I try to suppress my feelings for the Crown Prince, the deeper my feelings become. Before I knew it, I’m already in too deep. Forgive me, I had no choice but to disregard your warnings.” Xia Wan’er had such a pitiful expression on her face, but Xia Zian knew what kind of person she truly was.