Chapter 7: Struggle

He let go abruptly, and Qiu Shuiman, caught off guard, fell onto the bed and coughed a few times. Qiu Shuiman suddenly felt aggrieved. She had worked so hard to carve out a place for herself in her own era; why did heaven have to play such a cruel joke on her? Between sleep and wakefulness, it was no longer a distance of thousands of mountains and rivers, but an unknown space-time.

"Qiu Shuiman, if this Prince hears that man's name from your mouth again, I will make sure you suffer a fate worse than death." Xiao Jue said, flicking his sleeves violently before turning and leaving in a rage.

Mu Liufei sighed softly. A man's pride was a terrifying thing; even though he did not love this woman, he would not allow his woman to think of another man.

Mu Liufei looked at Qiu Shuiman, shook his head, and after asking her a few more questions, instructed her to rest well before leaving.

Qiu Shuiman lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up, there was a maid named Qingzhui by her side. From Qingzhui, Qiu Shuiman learned everything.

It turned out that she was the third young lady of the Qiu Prime Minister's Mansion in the Zhaoyue Kingdom. She had been married to Prince Yin, Xiao Jue, in a ghost marriage. Who would have thought that Xiao Jue was not dead, and neither was she.

Only Qiu Shuiman knew best that the original third young lady of the Prime Minister's Mansion had long since died. She was now a lonely soul, parasitic in the body of this ill-fated woman.

Qiu Shuiman sat in front of the vanity mirror, looking at the stranger in the reflection. She brushed aside the stray hair on her forehead and looked at the wound on her temple. It was because of this injury that she could not remember why she had transmigrated here, nor could she recall any of the original owner's memories.

"Wangfei, your medicine is ready." Qingzhui walked in carrying a steaming bowl of medicinal soup.

Qiu Shuiman walked to the table. After two days of recuperation, she had adapted to life as a Wangfei. Mu Liufei said that her memories could return; as long as the blood clot in her cranium dissipated, she would be able to remember the past.

Qiu Shuiman picked up the bowl of medicinal soup and drank it. After setting the bowl down and wiping the corners of her mouth, she saw a man in a mysterious black embroidered brocade robe walk in from the intense light.

Against the light, Qiu Shuiman looked up at Xiao Jue. His hair was neatly combed and held by a black jade crown. His handsome, rugged face looked as if it had been carved by a master craftsman. The black brocade robe gave him an innate air of nobility; he was truly a man of such stature.

"You woman have forgotten the past, but have you also forgotten the etiquette expected of a lady of high birth? You don't even know how to bow when you see this Prince." Xiao Jue was somewhat displeased as he lifted his robes and sat down beside Qiu Shuiman.

Although Qingzhui had told her about the etiquette here, the idea that everyone was equal was deeply rooted in Qiu Shuiman's mind. She truly could not bring herself to kneel and bow to anyone.

"I..." Just as Qiu Shuiman was thinking about how to fob him off, she suddenly felt a pain in her heart as if it had been pierced by a sharp blade. She clutched her chest tightly, sweat beading on her face.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Jue stood up abruptly and supported her trembling, swaying body, asking with a hint of urgency: "What is wrong with you?" He then shouted to the people outside the door: "Someone, go quickly and fetch the divine doctor Mu!"

With that, he scooped Qiu Shuiman up in his arms and placed her on the bed. Xiao Jue gripped her hand tightly, watching her pass out in agony, and could not help but feel a sense of worry.

Mu Liufei hurried over with his medicine chest. After taking Qiu Shuiman's pulse, his expression changed noticeably.

"What is wrong with her? Why is she suddenly in such pain?" Xiao Jue asked him, puzzled.

Mu Liufei stood up, his gaze falling on the empty bowl on the table. He replied, his eyes flickering: "Someone poisoned the medicine she drank. Fortunately, she is immune to all poisons, but her body will experience some pain. Once she gets through this, she will be fine."

Xiao Jue's expression turned cold, but he took in the other man's reaction. "You know what poison she was given, and you know who did it. It was Xiangxue, wasn't it?" Xiao Jue did not sound like he was asking; he sounded like he was stating a fact.

Mu Liufei's lips moved. He lowered his head and hurriedly knelt, saying: "Please calm your anger, Your Highness. I thought she asked me for the 'Drunken Fragrance' for self-defense; I didn't expect that she would... Your Highness, Xiangxue is devoted to you, and she did not know that the Wangfei was of use to you. To prevent Xiangxue from misunderstanding, I beg Your Highness to make a decision soon."