Chapter 3: The Game Figurine—He Will Take Care of It

Half a month ago, Daliang suffered a crushing defeat in a battle against Tianqi Kingdom, losing several cities. The Empress Dowager even intended to send Daliang’s only princess for a political marriage.

The Jiang family army, which had been a major force in the war, lost tens of thousands of soldiers. Yet, instead of offering condolences, the court declared that the defeat was due to the Jiang family’s treason, accusing them of leaking the city defense maps.

The Emperor of Daliang feigned illness, while the Prime Minister, acting on the Empress Dowager’s edict, took full control of the government.

Several generals of the Jiang family, including Jiang Yu’s father and uncle, were secretly imprisoned in Yingzhou by the Prime Minister’s men.

They were simply waiting for the torture to force a confession, making the Jiang family admit to a crime they never committed.

Only he managed to escape.

Jiang Yu was now hiding outside the capital, waiting for the right moment to return.

Both the Prime Minister’s men and the Empress Dowager’s forces were hunting him down. But he had to survive—he had to return to the capital and uncover the truth. The Jiang family could not have committed treason!

Jiang Qingqing could feel the cold aura emanating from behind her, making her extremely frustrated.

What was wrong with this person? He had a blade at her neck but remained silent, just standing there in a daze?

So annoying!

Suppressing the urge to vomit again, Jiang Qingqing grumbled, “Then what do you want me to do? If you don’t tell me, how am I supposed to know what to say?”

Her tone carried no fear at all. In fact, it was laced with irritation, sounding rather confrontational.

To Jiang Yu, however, her seemingly indifferent attitude appeared more like fearlessness in the face of death.

That made him see her in a new light.

There weren’t many women who faced death with such bravery, like a true soldier.

Jiang Yu’s tone softened. “If the officials come looking, just say you haven’t seen me.”

Jiang Qingqing frowned. “Did you commit a crime? Why are they after you?”

Jiang Yu had no intention of explaining further. He simply said, “No, I was framed.”

Jiang Qingqing nodded, indicating her agreement.

A knock suddenly sounded at the door.

“Open up! We’re searching for a fugitive of the imperial court!”

A stern voice bellowed from outside.

Jiang Yu shot a sharp glance at Jiang Qingqing before swiftly retreating into the darkest corner of the room, blending into the shadows.

Resigned to her fate, Jiang Qingqing opened the door, putting on the expression of a clueless bystander. A few casual remarks were enough to send the officers away.

She was actually surprised by how easy they were to fool.

She failed to notice the shock and disbelief in the eyes of the lead officer just before he left.

As soon as he exited the courtyard, the officer hastily instructed his subordinates, “Quick! Go to the Prime Minister’s residence and inform the eldest young master—we’ve encountered a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the princess!”

Meanwhile, Jiang Yu studied Jiang Qingqing with a scrutinizing gaze.

He hadn’t expected that the same officials who had once hunted him down would leave without even searching the house.

Were they blinded by beauty?

This woman’s appearance was indeed extraordinary—her skin was as fair as snow, and her delicate features made her look like a porcelain doll.

But it was her peach blossom eyes, both innocent and coquettish, that were particularly captivating.

One glance from her could steal a man’s soul.

And yet, she was living alone in a desolate mountain village.

Very strange.

After leaving the private dining room, Fu Zhengnan opened the game interface and completed the identity verification process as prompted.

He selected the highest possible top-up amount to recharge his energy.

After unlocking the game again, instead of immediately showing Jiang Qingqing’s room, the screen displayed a short text description:

[Character Introduction]
[Jiang Qingqing: Princess of Daliang, deeply loved by the Emperor.]
[Personality: Delicate and soft.]
[Hobbies: Lazing around.]
(More information needs to be explored by the player.)

Fu Zhengnan’s expression darkened slightly.

Back in the dining room, the moment Elder Fu heard the voice from his phone, his shock was unmistakable.

Especially when Jiang Qingqing had called out his full name and ordered him to top up.

The conflicting emotions on Elder Fu’s face—fear that his grandson had found some dubious woman outside, yet anticipation at the thought of a potential granddaughter-in-law—were completely transparent.

So… was this really just a game?

It felt way too real.

His thumb hovered over the [Exit Game] button, but instead, he tapped [Continue].

The screen happened to freeze on a scene where Jiang Yu was “shamelessly ogling” Jiang Qingqing.

(At least, that was Fu Zhengnan’s personal interpretation.)

A chill flickered in Fu Zhengnan’s eyes. His brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of displeasure surfaced.

This was the premium content?

If it was, then the game developers might as well have their brains removed—no consumer would enjoy seeing the figurine they purchased being coveted by someone else.

His gaze locked onto Jiang Qingqing’s face, and he murmured, “Jiang Qingqing?”

His voice was cool, tinged with an inexplicable indifference.

Inside the thatched hut, Jiang Qingqing could not hear Fu Zhengnan’s words.

Yet, as if sensing something, she lifted her gaze toward a corner of the roof. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching her.

It sent a shiver down her spine.

“Alright, since the officers have already left, you should leave as well.”

Ignoring the wind and rain outside, Jiang Qingqing spoke coldly, mercilessly ushering Jiang Yu out of her small hut.

She had too many unanswered questions—she couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

Just before leaving, Jiang Yu gave her a meaningful look and asked bluntly, “Whose concubine are you?”

Concubine?

Jiang Qingqing froze, stunned by the offensive words.

Her lips parted slightly, but she had no explanation to offer.

She had never cared much about what others thought of her. But for some reason, an ache swelled in her chest, a lump formed in her throat, and she couldn’t suppress the surge of grievance no matter how hard she tried.

Her eyes instantly turned red.

With a loud bang, she slammed the door shut.

Squatting behind the closed door, her tears fell uncontrollably.

A day’s worth of repressed emotions finally erupted.

She had once been the cherished princess of a nation, the most honored woman in Daliang. She had done nothing wrong, yet her fate had been overturned overnight.

Now, she had fallen into the mud, reduced to something anyone could trample and humiliate.

She knew the Empress Dowager had never liked her.

Her mother had been the Emperor’s favorite concubine for many years, rendering the imperial harem practically empty. Jiang Qingqing was the only royal heir in the palace, and the Empress Dowager had long resented the lack of imperial offspring. Even while her mother was still alive, the Empress Dowager constantly schemed against them.

But she never imagined that the Empress Dowager would go this far—so ruthless, so merciless.

She didn’t want to die.

She wanted to return to the palace.

She wanted to see the Empress Dowager punished with her own eyes.

Her father wouldn’t abandon her.

She also wanted to find her mother, to go to the world her mother once spoke of.

But it seemed impossible to return now.

She wondered if anyone was still feeding the little kittens in the cold palace. Would they starve to death this autumn?

Just like her.

Jiang Qingqing let out a soft chuckle, but there was no warmth in her eyes—only a subconscious attempt to encourage herself.

After a long while, she murmured, “Forget it…”

—

Jiang Qingqing’s vague, almost resigned words made Fu Zhengnan, who had been watching her from beyond the screen, hesitate.

His hand, which had been about to exit the game, suddenly stopped.

“Deeply cherished…”

Fu Zhengnan repeated the words from Jiang Qingqing’s character introduction.

But looking at her now—how did she resemble someone who had been cherished?

His gaze, locked onto the screen, was deep and unreadable, laced with an icy clarity that made it impossible to decipher his thoughts.

Then, his lips curled ever so slightly, and he murmured, “This game… is quite interesting.”

It certainly knew how to capture a person’s heart.

If Daliang wouldn’t take care of its princess—

Then he would.

After all, it was just a game figurine.

How much effort could it possibly take?