Chapter 1: Transmigration 1

Red candles and soft curtains, a phoenix coronet and rosy robes.

Outside the window, the sound of firecrackers rang out, shaking the heavens. The laughter of guests clinking glasses in the front hall drifted into the bridal chamber, sounding faint and muffled.

Liu Qingcheng lay in a pool of blood, dressed in a fiery red gauze dress. The heavy scent of blood assaulted her senses, yet her sore, powerless body could not carry her away from this tragic scene.

She blinked her increasingly heavy eyelids. Images of the past flashed through her mind, and vaguely, she saw a woman’s vicious face. The rapid loss of blood caused her pupils to dilate and lose focus; the flood of light entering her eyes eventually caused the image of that person to vanish.

She felt a flash of white light explode before her eyes, and she heard a harsh, rattling sound emerge from her own throat. It was thick and low, sounding truly hair-raising.

Immediately after, she arched her body in agony, her cherry-red lips parting wide as she gasped for more air. But after a few violent convulsions, she collapsed limply back into the pool of blood, her breath gone.

The atmosphere in the bridal chamber instantly turned heavy and eerie. Suddenly, a shrill voice shattered the deathly silence of the room: "Oh no! The bride is dead!"

A maid who had come to serve in the bridal chamber saw the bloody, tragic scene and, in her shock, dropped the tray in her hands to the floor, covering her eyes and screaming.

Although her voice was sharp and filled with a terror and astonishment completely out of place for such a joyous day, it was still drowned out by the thunderous sound of the firecrackers.

She was merely an ordinary maid who served tea and water to her masters; she had never seen such a bloody sight in her life. She retreated while covering her eyes and screaming, yet she could not suppress the curiosity in her heart, peering through the gaps between her fingers to observe the bride and the surrounding scene.

However, this one look caused her to faint dead away.

In that pool of blood, the previously stiff and motionless corpse suddenly moved. Then, with rigid movements, it crawled up from the blood, covered in gore, looking just like a vengeful spirit climbing out of hell.

The thunderous sound of firecrackers pulled Liu Qingcheng from the dark dream. She slowly opened her eyes, despairing to find that what met her gaze was a sea of vibrant red silk.

The sedative was still taking effect. She lay limp and powerless, bearing the weight of a phoenix coronet that felt like a thousand catties, allowing the red velvet sedan chair to carry her toward the Prince Jing residence.

She knew clearly that even if she were a thousand times unwilling, she still had to swallow her pride and helplessly accept this fate, just as she always had.

Otherwise, if the matter were exposed and the hundred lives of the Liu household were lost in vain, would that not be her sin?

So be it. She could never be as indifferent to the big picture as her eldest sister, nor as cold-blooded as her father; she simply could not bring herself to be cruel.

The sedan chair carried her along, jolting all the way. She did not know how much time had passed before they arrived at the Prince Jing residence.

Liu Qingcheng had been forced to drink a decoction by the First Madam, and at this moment, she was drowsy and lethargic. She could only manage to step over the brazier with the support of the bridal matron, heading off to be wed to the "Ugly Prince," who was rumored to have a hideous and terrifying appearance.

Amidst the jeers of the watching guests, she knelt and kowtowed, lightheaded, to pay respects to heaven and earth alongside Ouyang Jing. She had wanted to catch a glimpse of her husband’s face beneath the red veil, but her gaze only met a cold, unyielding mask.

The ceremony concluded, and the newlyweds were sent to the main hall to rest.

Unexpectedly, just as the bridal matron helped her into the courtyard, Liu Qingcheng’s path was blocked.

"Heh! After waiting so long, I finally get to see the beauty the Prince has newly wed. Look at this willow-like, fragile figure; it truly makes one’s heart ache." The words were sharp and mean-spirited. The owner of the voice swayed her waist as she walked between the newlyweds, snatching the large red ceremonial flower from Ouyang Jing’s hand.

Although it was an act of disrespect, Ouyang Jing did not get angry; instead, he laughed. "The Emperor's decree cannot be defied. My beloved concubine, do not delay the auspicious hour, or it will be troublesome if the Emperor takes offense."