Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

“More than a year and a half ago, at the Lijia Tavern, I ate a lot of food. My guard went to the kitchen to get me some. A group of thugs came and not only called me a fat pig, but also knocked over all my food. You taught them a good lesson for me,” Gu Chenglin said earnestly.

Ye Xingchen recalled that there seemed to be such a thing. It must have been when she first came to the Ye residence. She seemed to be in a bad mood that day and took the opportunity to teach a group of thugs a lesson. However, "Are you that little fat boy?" she asked uncertainly.

"You remembered! That's great!" Gu Chenglin said happily. "Wangxian Pavilion in the capital has a new pear blossom wine. Shall I take you to try it?" Gu Chenglin extended an invitation.

"Huh?" So it wasn't love at first sight after all. So the gears of fate had already started turning more than a year ago? Ye Xingchen was stunned.

"What are you doing here?" a voice interrupted.

"Uncle, you've arrived! We were just about to go to Wangxian Pavilion!" Gu Chenglin said with a smile.

Ye Xingchen quickly shook his head at Gu Ruoxiao and winked at her.

"Cheng Lin, I heard from Grand Tutor Shen today that you haven't submitted your calligraphy practice yet?" Gu Ruoxiao tapped her palm with her fan.

"Um, well, I'll go write it right away! Miss Ye, let's meet up again next time." Gu Chenglin immediately made his escape.

Ye Xingchen shook her head as she watched Gu Chenglin's retreating figure. He really is just a child.

Gu Ruoxiao looked at Ye Xingchen, "What are you doing here?"

"I've been waiting for you!" Ye Xingchen said.

Gu Ruoxiao was stunned for a moment.

"Where is your carriage? We can talk on the carriage," she said hurriedly. At this hour, a large group of people might come out soon.

The carriage began to run through the city.

"What is it?" Gu Ruoxiao straightened his clothes.

"The Eighth Prince saw me today. Will he go to the Emperor to arrange a marriage? The Emperor dotes on him so much," Ye Xingchen asked anxiously.

“I will handle this,” Gu Ruoxiao said.

"I cannot marry the Eighth Prince, nor the Fourth Prince, and certainly not the Emperor." Ye Xingchen pondered, then asked earnestly, "Can I annul this engagement?"

"This is the late Empress Dowager's decree, which cannot be disrespected. To dissolve the engagement would be to defy the imperial decree, and you could have as many heads as you want to lose. Moreover, it could very well lead to the execution of your entire family. This is no joke," Gu Ruoxiao said seriously. "I will handle things with the Eighth Prince."

"Yes, thank you." Ye Xingchen pondered to himself, "I still need to find a way to deal with that marriage certificate."

The victory celebration banquet in Linchuan was scheduled for three days later, and it arrived quickly. The event was grand, showcasing not only national strength but also the will of the people. As for the Dowager Consort involved with the Cui family, the Emperor gave her a warning and ordered her to reflect on her actions in seclusion for three months. This punishment was much harsher than in her previous life, and Gu Ruoxiao's instigation was undoubtedly behind it all.

The palace was brightly lit today, a dazzling and radiant display of light, with ladies and young women dressed in their finest attire. This banquet was not only a celebration of victory but also a matchmaking event for prominent families. The Emperor and Empress, to ensure the court officials were entertained, gave speeches, drank the blessing wine, and then departed. No princes or nobles were present, perhaps because the royal marriages had already been arranged. Without the constraints of the King, everyone toasted and drank with even greater abandon.

Whether Ye Ruohuan did it intentionally or not, a cup of wine was spilled on Ye Xingchen's clothes. The First Madam urged her to change, saying that the Empress would be leading everyone to enjoy the flowers under the moon later, and she mustn't be impolite. Consort Rong summoned a servant and had someone take her to change.

Walking along the stream path and through the connecting corridor, the scene before her became increasingly familiar. During her time here, Ye Xingchen often visited the lakeside cottage, where she had planted a bamboo grove. Returning to this familiar place brought not only a strange sense of familiarity but also a desolate emptiness. Just as she was reminiscing about the past, a sharp pain struck, and she fainted.

When she awoke, she was lying in a dark room, feeling extremely weak. The scent in the room...no, it was aphrodisiac incense. Ye Xingchen jolted awake, struggling to sit up. She had been too careless, being in this familiar place. She had been unconscious for a while, and by now, the incense had probably absorbed most of it. She touched her ankle—oh no, she couldn't bring a knife to the palace today. She carefully identified the source of the incense, struggling to get up and extinguish the lit incense on the counter. The fragrance was too strong; her head was momentarily fuzzy.

There was a commotion outside. "Sir, this way, Chaoyang Garden is just ahead." Someone must have been leading the way.

Ye Xingchen quickly hid behind the bed.

"Strange, why are there no lights here today? Sir, please have some water, and I'll go find you a light right away." The person lying on the table waved his hand.

The footsteps of the servants gradually faded away.

Ye Xingchen realized this was a trap. She couldn't leave through the main door, so the window was the only option left. But to get to the window, she had to pass that person, she pondered.

Suddenly, the person who had been lying on the table sat up.

There's no time to lose with this medicine. Ye Xingchen quickly pulled the hairpin from her hair and pressed it against the throat of the person beside the table. "Don't move. If you want to live, don't speak!" she threatened.

"Miss Ye?" the hostage asked in confusion.

"Dr. Luo?" In the darkness, Luo Yan touched Ye Xingchen, who quickly dodged away.

"Why are you so hot? And this fragrance, could it be...?" Luo Yan didn't finish her sentence.

"Don't come any closer!" Ye Xingchen said. No, she couldn't give up; she had to be ruthless. She drew a line on her arm, using the pain to keep herself awake.

Perhaps smelling the blood, Luo Yan stepped forward and said, "Miss Ye, please don't hurt yourself."

"I told you not to come any closer." She leaned against the wardrobe, trying to compose herself.

"Don't hurt yourself. If you damage the young lady's reputation today, I, Luo, will take full responsibility," Luo Yan promised.

Ye Xingchen sneered, "Doctor Luo, you're thinking too simply. I have a marriage contract with the royal family. If this is exposed today, it will be an insult to the royal family. Not only the two of us, but the Shangguan family behind you will also be implicated."

“I’ll leave immediately,” Dr. Luo said.

"It's no use. You were personally escorted here by the palace attendants when you came in; they all know you're here."

"What about this?"

"So, I have to go." Ye Xingchen forced himself to stay upright and slashed his arm again.

"Don't hurt yourself anymore," Luo Yan said urgently.

"I'll go out the window in a bit, the rest is up to you."

"Where are you going?"

“I know the palace well.” With that, she jumped onto the windowsill and leaped down. She needed to use her remaining consciousness to quickly find water. Gu Ruoxiao? He was the first person Ye Xingchen thought of. Yes, this was Chaoyang Garden, and to the west was Gu Ruoxiao's bedroom, where there was a large pond. Having made up her mind, she hurried westward.

Under the hazy moonlight, the shadows of palace lanterns along the road overlapped as Ye Xingchen searched for his way, constantly on guard against his surroundings.

somebody is coming.

Her consciousness was fading, and her body was becoming increasingly unsteady. She hurriedly turned to the side and accidentally fell down the steps.