Report to the Empress and the Eldest Princess: They're using the system to poach your men.

Shen Sangwan opened her eyes again, startled awake from a chaotic nightmare.

The sky was dark, and the surrounding environment was not very clear.

She lay on the wooden bed, wearing only a thin undergarment, without feeling any discomfort.

But I was still a little scared and wanted the system to do a check on me.

[System!]

[System?]

She called out to the system twice in her mind, but received no response. Shen Sangwan really wanted to curse again.

But after the previous few times, she managed to suppress her impulse, after all, she didn't want to endure those eight thousand or more random punishments again.

"Ink stain—!"

There was a rustling sound outside the door, followed by someone pushing the door open and entering.

He walked slowly, holding an oil lamp in his hands.

"Your Highness is awake. Are you feeling unwell?"

The person who came was not Mo Ran; by the dim firelight, she looked like a girl of fourteen or fifteen years old.

"Who are you? Where are you?"

Shen Sangwan cautiously hunched over and moved back on the bed.

"This servant is the personal maid of Miss Wen, the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister. Your Highness may call this servant Qingque."

“This is a villa in the suburbs of Beijing owned by my young lady. Yesterday afternoon, we happened to meet General Mo and His Highness seeking medical treatment. This villa is nearby, and there is a female doctor who lives here year-round. So my young lady led the way and brought His Highness here for treatment.”

The Left Prime Minister? Miss Wen?

"With the rebels besieging the city, why would the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion be in the outskirts of the capital?"

“My young lady went out of the city to Qianfo Temple a few days ago to pray for the old lady. She came down the mountain yesterday to return home, but unexpectedly encountered the chaos of war.”

Shen Sangwan still dared not let her guard down. After all, with the unreliable system crashing and pretending to be dead, no one could verify what the woman in front of her was saying.

"Summon Mo Ran to see me."

“Your Highness, it is only 03:45 a.m. now. It is still early. Please sleep a little longer and you will be able to see General Mo when you wake up in the morning.”

Don't let her young age of fourteen or fifteen fool you; she speaks with composure and without a trace of childishness.

If this were the former Princess, this woman would probably have been slapped for disrespect.

But now she was Shen Sangwan in the present world, and facing such a seasoned person speaking in a tone like an elder, she momentarily forgot to refute.

Instead, it was very obedient and lay down quietly.

"Why am I so obedient? The original owner of this body was a powerful and decisive female general, a princess with immense influence. Isn't this a bit too much of a contrast?"

Shen Sangwan rolled her eyes a few times, then got out of bed again.

"Light the lamp, where is the ink stain?"

"Your Highness, General Mo left last night, saying he would return this morning."

"...Is this the eldest princess's confidante? To simply abandon her unconscious master to someone else—if this were the original eldest princess, what would she have done?"

"You may step back now."

"Your Highness, please rest well. I am in the outer room. Please feel free to call me if you need anything."

Qingque bowed deeply and withdrew.

Shen Sangwan lay down again, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep at all.

[System! System! System!]

【...】

Don't play dead with me, I have something to ask you.

[Master, I'm here! I wasn't pretending to be dead, I'm just... um... updating, yes, I'm updating!]

Tsk tsk tsk, if the system were a person, it would definitely be wearing a fawning expression right now.

Shen Sangwan leaned against the headboard, looking at him with a "keep making this up" expression.

[Master, is there anything you need so early?]

Huh—?

Didn't she remember the system saying that if it lied, it would be punished by the main system?

There's nothing unusual about this. Could it really be an update?

What was the situation like at the Wen family residence?

The Wen family is a prestigious clan. The patriarch was the former Grand Tutor, now retired. The current head of the family is the Left Prime Minister, a first-rank official. The matriarch is the younger sister of the General of the Cavalry, the youngest daughter of the Liang family. They have two daughters and two sons born out of wedlock. The eldest daughter of the Wen family is favored by the current emperor and has been raised according to the standards for an empress since childhood. She is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If the crown prince, the patriarch's younger brother, ascends the throne, the eldest daughter of the Wen family will most likely become empress.

"Oh? So, it was my future sister-in-law who saved me?"

[Master, this Miss Wen seems to be related to you... um...]

Could it be that the former Eldest Princess has a grudge against this Miss Wen?

No, it's you, Master—

I've never even met her, what grudge could I possibly have against her?

[It's not that we have a grudge, it's just that when I checked the tasks the main system assigned to you, Master, they were very closely related to this Miss Wen.]

〖......〗

"Isn't my main mission to support my brother, the crown prince I've never even met, to ascend the throne and secure his position in court? How did the eldest daughter of the Wen family get involved? Commander, are you deliberately sabotaging me?"

[Master, this mission was set by the main system. I am merely an auxiliary system and have no right to interfere. Moreover, both the missions involving the eldest daughter of the Wen family are hidden side quests, which will only be triggered at specific locations and times.]

The system's innocent voice rang out, a pale and powerless accusation.

Something flashed through Shen Sangwan's mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it, and she felt a little down.

"Alright, alright, by the way, you should quickly check my physical condition."

The sword wound on Master's back has been treated very well. As long as he avoids strenuous activity and doesn't aggravate the wound, it will heal completely in a few days.

"But I can't feel pain right now, which is dangerous. If my wounds reopen and bleed profusely during the siege today, I'll become a burden. I don't want to die before I can save anyone."

"My lord, there's nothing I can do about this. The side effects of the Vitality Pill will last for a month. I can only tell you to be extra careful."

Shen Sangwan rubbed her forehead, her face darkening.

The two were silent for a long time.

[Back in that forest, I remember you mentioned you could customize your own appearance. Where's the entrance?]

The system was blatantly opposed to her; it had a feeling that Shen Sangwan wasn't up to any good.

"Um...Master, how about we discuss this...?"

"Hmm—? What are you panicking about? Don't worry, you have a curvy figure, slender legs, and a devilish body—everything you could want. Oh, and what's more, you'll have those cheeks like fresh lychees and a nose like smooth goose fat too."

【...】

【Master, this...isn't that a bit much? After all, my previous host created a sunny and handsome young man for me, so much so that I still have a boy's heart. Should we reconsider?】

Stop talking nonsense and hurry up before dawn.

The system struggled internally, hesitating for a long time before reluctantly revealing the location for DIY.

After clicking into the page, Shen Sangwan exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, the densely packed columns are dazzling!"

This is even more detailed than the character customization and dress-up game that her best friend Chu Meng usually enjoys playing.

The system broke down after sensing Shen Sangwan's excitement.

It's over, its once tall and handsome image has come to an end.

Time flies when you focus on doing something.

After pressing the "Final Confirmation" button, Shen Sangwan nodded in satisfaction, a look of joy on her face.

"Hey, come out here, let me take a look!"

[Master, can I refuse?]

The derivatives can only be seen by the host, and most of the time the system derivatives will not leave the host's consciousness.

Shen Sangwan was mainly bored and just wanted to kill time.

Unexpectedly, she had a knack for DIY and the finished product surprised her.

Stop dawdling and come out now.

A young woman dressed in a lotus-colored gauze dress appeared. She had long eyelashes, large eyes, fair skin, and a slender figure. Her long hair hung down over her back and was gently tied back with a silver ribbon.

Unfortunately, the other person kept their lips pursed and head bowed, their posture slightly awkward, which made Shen Sangwan slightly dissatisfied, but almost negligible.

"Not bad, not bad at all. A beautiful lady like you is most pleasing to the eye. Calling you 'Master' isn't quite right. From now on, how about I call you 'Little Pupil'?"

[As long as Master is happy.] Waaaaah—

"Oh dear, don't look so sad, sweetie, give your big sister a smile."

[Waaaaah, Master is bullying—human, um...it doesn't even seem human, Master, how about we just use the random derivative form from the main system? I don't want to be a girl, I want to be a macho man, an invincible macho man.]

There's no room for negotiation.

【...】