Chapter 1: Buried in a Sea of Flames, the Cruel Female Emperor
Yu Xiaoxiao (玉小小) sat spacing out in front of the bronze mirror. The girl in the reflection was only thirteen years old and dressed in court attire. She had fine and exquisite brows and a pair of pretty eyes with fair white skin. It was obvious at first glance that she was a girl who enjoyed high status and lived in comfort. After living in the apocalypse and fighting zombies everyday for the sake of protecting mankind, she had woken up after her death in a world where zombies didn’t exist. This should be cause for celebration, but Yu Xiaoxiao felt no joy.
Two hours ago, Yu Xiaoxiao had been forced to watch this girl’s entire life flash before her eyes. It was useless to ignore what she saw, because it seemed like the girl lived in her very brain. Even when she shut her eyes, she could still see a huge fire that dyed half the skies scarlet. In the middle of the flames was a female dressed in the emperor’s dragon robes, struggling and wailing. Images from the girl’s past flashed past the fiery scene, telling Yu Xiaoxiao her story.
The girl in the fire was named Yu Linglong (玉玲珑), a daughter of the empress who grew up in luxury at the palace. She lived a carefree life until she turned thirteen, when the middle-aged empress became pregnant with a son. Unfortunately, she died from excessive blood loss during childbirth. Less than a month later, the emperor conferred the title of empress to his favorite imperial consort. The pure and kindhearted Princess Linglong thus experienced the ugliness of the world for the first time. She and her little brother were not only demoted to another fief, but almost died from starvation during their journey. The little white rabbit was forced by life’s circumstances to blacken into a wolf. In the end, she not only seduced the princes of various countries, but also started a huge killing spree. The more blood stained her hands, the more Her Royal Highness grew victorious. In the end, she became a female emperor, and then…
If Yu Xiaoxiao could have talked during that flashback, she would have thrown herself into the flames and grabbed the female emperor by the collar to demand some answers. Hey, what happened to your counterattack? How did you end up seeking death instead? Your Lady Majesty, what’s the deal with killing becoming second nature? Did you get brain damage when you started putting those petty types in important positions? Is it manly of you to force yourself on men? Don’t you already have a emperor consort? Well fine, she’d stolen her emperor consort too while her true love laid elsewhere. Truthfully speaking, why did a woman need that many lovers to begin with? Where’s your brilliant wisdom? Your divine and mighty aura? Can’t you tell those flower boys were only using you to raise their own status?
It wasn’t until the female emperor perished with her eyes open in the flames and was reduced to nothing but ashes that the fire finally began to die. When Yu Xiaoxiao opened her eyes again, she heard someone nearby call her by Your Royal Highness. Looking around, she saw a circle of familiar faces. Then she asked what her own name was and found out it was “Yu Linglong.” Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t need to think twice to realize she was now the main character of all that previous drama.
Wang momo carried over a bowl of red date and longan soup to the princess. Seeing the princess remain calm with a forced expression on her face, Wang momo wiped away her tears and coaxed, “Princess, ah, it’s been nearly a month since esteemed empress passed away. If you’re unhappy like this everyday, then how can the empress remain content in Heaven?”
Hearing this, Yu Xiaoxiao turned to look at Princess Linglong’s wet nurse. If the empress had been dead for nearly a month, that meant that Consort Zhao would be conferred empress soon. Then she’d be kicked out of the palace and start on her dark path again! It was bad enough that she’d transmigrated into the body of a cruel and ferocious female emperor, but why did it have to be in her thirteenth year? Instead of enjoying a single day as an emperor, she was going to start suffering straight away? Could she have any fun in this world anymore?!
“Your Royal Highness,” a young eunuch’s voice sounded from outside. “His Majesty has summoned you to the Script Viewing Tower.”
When Wang momo heard this, she trembled and pulled at Yu Xiaoxiao’s hands, her pleading face streaked with tears. “Princess, this servant would never hurt you, so please heed my words. That Consort Zhao is no good. If she’s at Script Viewing Tower too, then you–you mustn’t believe anything she says!”
Yu Xiaoxiao nodded her head. “I know she’s nothing good!”
Ah? Wang momo was flabbergasted. The empress had sheltered the eldest princess so well that she had no insights into other people’s hearts. Although she’d tried coaxing the girl for a month, she had refused to believe Consort Zhao was bad until today. What was the matter? Had the empress’s spirit manifested to give Her Royal Highness some insight at last?
“Let’s go,” Yu Xiaoxiao declared as she walked outside.
Wang momo followed her out while stuffing a bag of silver pieces into the young eunuch’s hands. “Who else is at Script Viewing Tower?” she asked quietly.
“Consort Zhao is there too,” the eunuch replied.
Wang momo looked at Yu Xiaoxiao and began to fret. But the girl only stood ramrod straight and declared, “No need to fear. She’s nothing but a wicked consort. Could she be any scarier than zombies?”
“….”
“…….”
Both Wang momo and the young eunuch felt that the breeze must have blown too hard, because they didn’t quite catch Her Royal Highness’s words. Wicked consort was a fact when it came to Consort Zhao, but what in the world was a zombie?
“Lead the way,” Yu Xiaoxiao gestured to the eunuch.
The eunuch who attended on the emperor now bolstered his courage to look up at the princess. For some reason, he felt that she was a little different today.
Yu Xiaoxiao (玉小小) – jade, little-little
Yu Linglong (玉玲珑) – jade, delicately wrought, clever and nimble