Chapter 1: Prologue

Nightfall descended slowly. Within the Eastern Jin Imperial Palace, songs and dances rose in celebration, and the atmosphere was one of bustling merriment.

The Imperial Garden was one of the rare quiet spots within the palace. Pale silvery moonlight spilled down, enveloping everything in a tranquil atmosphere; even the pebbles on the ground emitted a soft glow under the moonlight.

Suddenly, several low whispers echoed through the quiet night sky.

"Sister, this is the place. His Highness the Crown Prince said he would wait for you here." A very gentle voice rang out, and simultaneously, two figures slowly stepped into the garden.

"Really?" The woman under the moonlight wore bright red clothing, her hair adorned with many shimmering vermilion hairpins. Although her features could not be seen clearly, her excitement could be discerned solely from her irrepressible, joyful voice.

Seeing the leap of joy in the woman's eyes, the woman in light pink brocade lowered her head slightly. "Sister, how could your younger sister lie to you?"

"Hmph, I doubt you'd dare lie to me. Otherwise, just wait and see how I deal with you!"

"Then hurry along, Sister, it's just inside—" The woman in brocade raised her head and chuckled softly. "His Highness said he was afraid outsiders might see and cause unnecessary misunderstandings, since the two of you are not yet married."

"Alright, alright, I know. You go back first." The woman in red waved her hand somewhat impatiently. Having said that, she stepped directly into the depths of the garden.

The woman in pink finally raised her head and looked toward the direction the woman in red had departed. The previously gentle smile slowly faded, replaced by a face full of ruthlessness.

The moonlight flowed quietly, shining upon the woman's gentle face. At this moment, coupled with her expression, it appeared somewhat distorted.

Deep in the garden, behind a rockery, the woman in red searched around joyfully.

"Crown Prince Brother—Crown Prince Brother, where are you?"

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from behind. The woman turned her head in pleasant surprise, but when she saw that the newcomer was not her long-awaited Crown Prince Brother, her gaze dimmed.

"Little lady, are you looking for someone?" The speaker was a man leading the group. Under the moonlight, one could vaguely see the attire of imperial guards.

Hearing these flippant words, the woman frowned slightly and then shouted angrily, "What audacity! I am the future Crown Princess! You dogs, how dare you speak to me like this!"

"The Crown Princess, ah—the one we are looking for is indeed the Crown Princess." After speaking, the three men exchanged glances and stepped forward together, their faces even wearing a hint of lewd smiles.

The woman was startled and retreated repeatedly, only to be directly seized by the three approaching guards.

"How dare you! I am the daughter of the Prime Minister! I am the future Crown Princess!" As she spoke, the woman tilted her head back, exposing her face directly under the moonlight. Her fair, smooth skin emitted a faint white glow under the moonlight, and her eyes were filled with rage. However—as if possessed by a ghost, there was a palm-sized red mark on the left side of the woman's face, spreading directly down from the corner of her eye.

"Damn it, I had heard that the Prime Minister's daughter, Meng Juese, was hideous and faceless, but I didn't expect it to be truly this bad." The man cursed indignantly, his tone filled with disgust, before adding, "Surely this noble body of the Prime Minister's daughter must be a hundred times better than the women in the brothels. Let us brothers have a taste today."

The men laughed again. Two of them had already restrained her, while the hand of the third wandered wantonly over her body.

Meng Juese's eyes widened as she struggled violently. "Get away, you lowly slaves!!" As soon as she finished speaking, a surge of heat flowed through her lower abdomen, and her consciousness gradually grew blurred. A strange flush gradually rose to her face. Seeing this, the men burst into laughter. "It seems the aphrodisiac is working. Little lady, let us brothers come to your rescue."

"Aphrodisiac?!" Meng Juese felt her head go "buzz." Before she could think further, waves of heat raced wildly through her body. Her gaze gradually became unfocused, and the flush on her face became even more pronounced.

"Sss—" A sharp sound pierced the quiet sky as the bright red clothing was violently torn. The guard grinned lewdly and reached out, stroking her chest. Amidst the continuous lewd laughter, Meng Juese suddenly shuddered; even though her mind was somewhat clouded, she knew what was about to happen.

No, it can't be!

She was the precious daughter of the Prime Minister, a person above thousands. She was meant to be among the elite; how could she let these dogs trample upon her? With that thought, she lowered her head and bit down on that hand with all her might.

"Ouch!" The man cried out in pain, and his other hand swung out in a fierce slap. "You ugly freak, you actually dared to bite me?!"

The woman, whose consciousness had long been blurred, spun in a circle on the ground from the man's force, and then her entire body fell backward.

"Thud—" Her head struck hard against the side of a rockery.

Blood flowed out slowly. The crimson blood appeared eerie under the moonlight.

One guard stepped forward to check her breathing, and in the next moment, he cried out in alarm. "Someone... someone is dead..."

"Useless trash, are you that scared just because someone died?" The guard who had laughed most arrogantly earlier swept a cold gaze over the other two. "Clean up and let's get out of here quickly! Nothing happened today!"

The other two nodded upon hearing this. Once they had finished cleaning up, they all departed, leaving the woman in red lying in a pool of blood.

The moonlight flowed quietly. No one saw that the woman, who had previously lost her breath, actually had her fingers begin to tremble slowly.