"Commandery Princess, the wind is strong here, and you've only just recovered a bit. Shouldn't I help you go back and rest?" a maid in green earnestly looked at the lady who was leaning on the railing and watching the mandarin ducks in the pond.
That lady, draped in a snow-white cloak embroidered with silver patterns in the warm spring sun, was wrapped tightly from head to toe. Upon hearing the voice, she turned around and as the fabrics rubbed against each other, a bright red palace attire peeked out from underneath the cloak, cascading with her movements, and the large, embroidered flowers on the hem seemed to bloom.
Gu Shengyin smiled. She was here not merely to enjoy the breeze but to wait for the supporting female character of this tale to come and "admit her guilt."
Indeed, the "Commandery Princess" mentioned by the maid was Gu Shengyin, here to complete her first mission.
The original female protagonist, Jiang Lingzhen, was the daughter of the War God General of the Tianqi Dynasty and the Emperor's only biological sister, Eldest Princess Wen Cheng.
As the only legitimate daughter of both parents, Princess Lang Hua Jiang Lingzhen was not only of noble status but also possessed a beauty so rare that it was seldom seen. Moreover, from a young age, she was betrothed to the Second Prince, born of the Empress. According to the plot, the Second Prince, as the Emperor's legitimate heir, had already been designated as the Crown Prince, and Jiang Lingzhen was destined to become the most noble woman in the Tianqi Dynasty.
Yet, the Crown Prince took a fancy to her concubine-born sister, Jiang Yunsan. Jiang Yunsan was a product of the Great General's lapse in discipline after a bout of drinking. Her mother, a maid serving the Great General, had kept her pregnancy a secret until Jiang Yunsan's birth. After discovering the matter, the Great General furiously ordered the death of Jiang Yunsan's mother. The Eldest Princess, feeling pity for the innocent child, had her raised in the mansion as a concubine-born daughter with an ambiguous status.
Originally, the frail and timid Jiang Yunsan, after reaching womanhood, was decided by the Eldest Princess to be married off to a petty official, leading an ordinary life. But the Transmigrated Lady, unwilling to settle for mediocrity, deliberately seduced the Crown Prince, and they secretly conspired together.
In the end, after ascending to the throne, the Crown Prince, wary of the Jiang Family's influence, deposed the original wife, Princess Lang Hua, on charges of misconduct. He then orchestrated an assassination of the Great General and exiled the entire Jiang Family to the frontier on unfounded charges—even the maternal aunt, Eldest Princess Wen Cheng, was confined within the Princess Mansion and died in depression.
The original female protagonist also ended her life in humiliation after being repeatedly humiliated by Jiang Yunsan, who had then become a Favored Consort.
When Gu Shengyin first learned about the events that had occurred to the heroine of this world, her mind momentarily went blank: It was too similar! Both this Jiang Lingzhen and "Gu Shengyin" had distinguished statuses, both encountered fickle lovers, and both met tragic ends.
The system provided her with an answer, "Choosing this world was intentional. You possess the memories of Gu Shengyin's life. Choosing a scenario you're somewhat familiar with for your first world should make it easier to complete the mission."
Gu Shengyin sat here now, waiting for the original supporting female character, Jiang Yunsan, to 'take the bait.'
It was just three days ago at a temple fair where the original Jiang Lingzhen, after being accidentally bumped into, fell and hit her head, rendering her unconscious, and when she woke up, she was Gu Shengyin.
At that time, the temple fair was incredibly crowded, and no one knew exactly how Jiang Lingzhen had fallen. Although the Grand Princess was furious, she could do no more than vent her anger on the servants. Inconveniently, Jiang Yunsan—who had now received the transmigrant's soul—came running over on her own to display 'sisterly affection.'
Knowing that Jiang Lingzhen's fall was orchestrated by Jiang Yunsan, Gu Shengyin noted that such 'kindness' definitely deserved a proper return.