Chapter 1: Will you marry me?

Southern Qi, the 23rd year of Longqing's reign, spring.

A funeral procession in white mourning clothes slowly came along Shang Jing's Esteem Literature Street, completely filling the entire street.

The surroundings were packed with onlookers, who whispered among themselves.

"How did another one die?"

"It's true! Prince Rui has gone through six princess consorts already!"

"He kills his wives!"

"Shh! Watch your mouth! Do you want to die?"

Mentioning Prince Rui makes everyone turn pale with fear.

Prince Rui Xiao Yin is the ninth son of the current emperor, formerly the war god of Southern Qi, who earned great military achievements, but he did not want a mishap on the battlefield seven years ago that wounded him in a vital spot, leaving him with a hidden illness.

Since then, Prince Rui's temperament has become increasingly reclusive and eccentric, he loves killing without restraint, and crucially, he kills his wives.

Marry one, die one; anyone who enters the Rui Wang Fu mansion does not live long.

The noble ladies of Jing Cheng now avoid Prince Rui at all costs.

The white funeral procession slowly moved along Esteem Literature Street, when a carriage brushed past the edge of the procession and headed toward the outskirts.

Inside the carriage, Gu Jiu Ling stared desperately at the servant woman pressing down on her.

The servant's grip was strong, tearing the corner of her mouth, sharp pain surging, her five viscera and six bowels felt as if on fire, pain making her gasp heavily.

She looked in terror at the unfamiliar surroundings around her.

She is a modern medical pharmacology doctoral student; an explosion occurred in the lab while she was conducting an experiment.

When she woke up again, an old woman was pulling her mouth, holding a bowl to feed her medicine—how inhumane!

At that moment, all her memories rushed into her mind, and Gu Jiu Ling froze there.

Had she actually time‑traveled?

The original owner was the daughter of a prime minister's residence, a niece of the Southern Qi imperial merchant, and the fiancée of the crown prince through a childhood engagement—none of these identities were ordinary.

But… she played a good hand terribly.

Two months ago, when Emperor Longqing held a palace banquet, Gu Jiu Ling, who had long admired the crown prince, had her heart clouded by pig fat, and under the instigation of her younger sister she actually tried to drug the crown prince, turning raw rice into cooked rice.

The rice was cooked, but the man who cooked it was not the crown prince; as for who it was, unknown!

Two months later she was even found to have a happy pulse; the Gu family thought it too embarrassing and prepared to send her to the Peach Blossom Hermitage in the suburbs to let her fend for herself.

Unexpectedly, on the way that old hag poisoned her, and the original owner could not withstand it and died.

"Let go! Release me!!"

Gu Jiu Ling panicked; she did not know if dying a second time would truly scatter her ashes and vanish.

Granny Li is Madam Lin's trusted aide; looking at Gu Jiu Ling, she seemed to be looking at a corpse.

"Young lady, do not blame this old servant for being ruthless!"

"Blame only your stupid mother who died early without ability or fortune!"

"After her death, all her dowry went into Madam Lin's hands; Madam Lin could not keep you; our eldest son and second daughter, as well as the third son, are waiting for you to die so they can happily spend money!"

"Young lady, this old servant has offended you!!"

Granny Li's eyes flashed, she seized Gu Jiu Ling's throat with one hand, holding the bowl ready to pour the medicine down.

Just now she had already swallowed a few sips, but Madam Lin had said she must die on the way to the Peach Blossom Hermitage, utterly, root and branch, leaving no future trouble.

"No!!" Gu Jiu Ling struggled desperately, but the original owner's body was too weak, and she was pregnant; she was no match for a strong granny.

To ensure things went smoothly, Madam Lin did not assign anyone else to serve in the carriage.

At this moment Gu Jiu Ling saw that she would not survive; she clutched Granny Li's wrist desperately, her eyes almost popping out.

Suddenly her vision blurred, and a faintly glowing space appeared in her mind, the space feeling like a droplet of water, hovering there.

Immediately the droplet grew brighter, revealing her laboratory, and her heart leapt.

Laboratory?

She instinctively grabbed a disposable needle from the table and jabbed forward.

"What is this!" Granny Li only felt a sharp pain on her old face and cried out, releasing Gu Jiu Ling; the bowl in her hand also shattered.

Taking this opportunity, Gu Jiu Ling desperately rolled out of the carriage.

Because the funeral procession ahead blocked the way, the carriage could not move fast; otherwise, Gu Jiu Ling's fall would have surely sent her to heaven.

Ignoring the pain, she gritted her teeth, got up, and staggered into the funeral procession.

Granny Li then realized that the prey that was supposed to die had escaped—how could this be allowed?

"Quick! Grab her! Grab her! Don't let her run!!"

Granny Li hurriedly shouted for the coachman to join the chase; Gu Jiu Ling had just swallowed a few mouthfuls of poison and was pregnant, so she could not run fast, and she saw the pursuers closing in behind her.

She gritted her teeth and forced herself forward, already in a panic, not choosing a path.

A neigh of horses rang out, followed by exclamations from all around.

Gu Jiu Ling fell to the ground, looking up to see a horse about to step on her head, but the rider on the horse had superb horsemanship; in an instant he slapped the horse's neck, barely turning and stopping.

Gu Jiu Ling was at the brink of life and death, also frightened; she lifted her head and stared blankly at the man on the horse.

He looked about twenty‑seven or twenty‑eight, with sharp, handsome, delicate features, each part just right.

A pair of glistening peach‑blossom eyes, now coldly fixed on her, carrying snow and frost.

His complexion was pallid, white to the point of near transparency.

His black hair was bound with a white jade crown; he wore a plain white silk robe, pure and exquisite.

He was tall, a powerful aura pressing toward her, his expression cold, his thin lips pressed tightly, his gaze toward Gu Jiu Ling holding a hint of gloom.

Prince Rui?

Gu Jiu Ling thought her luck could not be worse; she had actually collided with Prince Rui? Still the most dreadful big devil in Shang Jing! The nightmare of Shang Jing women!

She only then realized that today was the day Prince Rui was burying the newly deceased princess consort.

Granny Li, who had come running after, was also stunned; how did Gu Jiu Ling, of all bad luck, end up crashing right in front of Prince Rui?

"May the Prince be safe and well!"

Granny Li hurried forward and made a deep bow: "My young lady has gone mad, running about wildly, she bumped into the Prince; I'll take her away at once!"

Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help feeling a chill all over; if she followed this old hag back, she would surely die.

The original owner had previously committed a grave sin of indulging in lust in broad daylight in the palace, was locked up by Shangshu Gu, the Crown Prince also broke off the engagement with her, and she went mad on the spot.

Therefore, Granny Li's claim that she had gone mad was agreed upon by everyone around, and the looks they gave her were full of utter contempt.

Gu Jiu Ling had no way to call for help from the people around; she finally saw the ruthlessness of Lin Qingxue, who had spent over a decade setting up this very scheme today to let her die and swallow her dowry.

"No! No! I absolutely cannot die here!"

She suddenly gritted her teeth and rushed to Xiao Yin's side, grabbing his leg in a fierce hold.

His legs were long; even seated on horseback, Gu Jiu Ling managed to clasp them firmly.

Xiao Yin's brows knotted tightly as he looked at Gu Jiu Ling with a look of utter disgust.

"Get out!" That single word carried a murderous intent.

Those nearby all felt a chill and instinctively stepped back.

"Prince!"

Gu Jiu Ling, desperate to live, had thrown away all shame; she was making a gamble.

Just now this person forcibly tightened the reins, preventing her from being trampled to death by the horse, which shows he still has some humanity.

Gu Jiu Ling was betting everything on Prince Rui's humanity.

Not only did she not let go, she gritted her teeth and reached up, gripping Xiao Yin's wrist tightly and climbing a little further up his long leg.

"Prince! How cruel your heart is!"

"I am carrying your child now; do you really refuse to acknowledge it?"

"Prince, from now on, in life I am yours, in death I am your ghost!"

The onlooking crowd erupted in an uproar.

Has she gone mad? Is this woman actually crazy? Huh?