With a soft thud, Ji Zhaohe jolted awake from her dream. Her body trembled slightly as she groggily opened her eyes. The book that had been resting on her face slid off with the movement, falling onto the soft, smooth carpet and emitting a faint sound.

The servants in the room instantly dropped to their knees in fear, curling up and bowing their heads so low they seemed to wish they could vanish into the cracks in the floor.

An antique-style architecture came into view. Rubbing her eyes, Ji Zhaohe straightened up and looked around in astonishment.

Sunlight streamed through the wooden window lattice carved with peonies, casting a sacred yet eerie glow on the golden silk whip displayed on the wooden rack.

More than a dozen men dressed in pink robes knelt on the floor, pressing themselves so low they dared not move a muscle, as still as statues.

Ji Zhaohe was utterly bewildered.

This dream feels way too real…

Earlier that day, her roommate had recommended a female-dominated novel to her—a story where a crowd of men revolved around the female protagonist, who had countless confidants but never granted any of them official status. Ji Zhaohe had been thoroughly engrossed, even fantasizing about having such a dream tonight. She just never expected it to happen so soon…

Wait, wasn’t I just pulling an all-nighter in the lab, worrying about my experiment?

Did I really fall asleep that fast?!

My experiment!!

Ji Zhaohe sighed deeply, looking up at the ceiling. Heaven, please have mercy—let those lab mice still be alive when I wake up.

From a distance, footsteps echoed. A man dressed in white robes hurried over. His expression remained unperturbed at the sight of the kneeling crowd. When he saw Ji Zhaohe, he knelt down, pressing his forehead to the floor, and said gently, “Third Highness.”

Third Highness?

Ji Zhaohe racked her brain. Could it be the character who shares my name in the book?

In the novel, the Third Highness, Ji Zhaohe, courtesy name Yue, was a notorious lecher. Her debauchery and torment of the men in her chambers were widely known throughout the court. However, as the legitimate daughter, she was second in status only to the Crown Princess. Moreover, her resemblance to the Imperial Consort earned her the Emperor’s extreme favor, and the Crown Princess doted on her only younger sister. Thus, the Third Highness had been spoiled into lawlessness since childhood.

After replaying the plot in her mind for a moment, Ji Zhaohe finally focused her gaze and remembered the crowd still kneeling on the floor.

“All of you, rise,” Ji Zhaohe said indifferently.

But internally, she was screaming: This is absolutely amazing!

The man in white was the first to stand up. With his slender, distinct fingers, he smoothed the wrinkles on his clothes and said softly, “Third Highness, it is already noon. Her Majesty has ordered you to rise immediately and attend the Spring Banquet.”

The Spring Banquet, as the name suggested, was an event held in the imperial gardens, gathering noble ladies and gentlemen from various prominent families. Activities included horseback riding, archery, reciting poetry, and composing verses. The winner would receive an imperial reward to gift to their beloved, and if fortunate, they might even win the heart of a beauty.

Before she could respond, the white-robed man glanced at the kneeling crowd and said sternly, “What are you still kneeling for? Hurry and assist the Third Highness in changing her clothes.”

The servants on the floor quickly rose to their feet. The servant closest to Ji Zhaohe gently reached for her clothing, startling her into dodging sideways.

Although the servant didn’t know what he had done wrong, he immediately dropped to his knees again, trembling as he said, “I beg the Third Highness for forgiveness.”

Perhaps in his panic, his sleeve slid down to his elbow, revealing scars of various ages—whip marks, burns, and other bluish-purple bruises.

The room fell into dead silence once more. Just as the white-robed man was about to speak, the Third Highness, known for her lack of mercy toward subordinates, condescended to reach out and help him up. The servant was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, tears still glistening on his face. Then, immense terror flashed in his eyes as memories of the Third Highness’s past cruelty after moments of gentleness surfaced. He nearly collapsed again but forced himself to steady his posture, though his legs felt weak and his heart raced wildly.

“Continue,” a cool voice rang out, as if nothing had happened.

His heart settled heavily back into place. Suppressing his disbelief, he carefully began unfastening the woman’s buttons, afraid of accidentally hurting the Third Highness.

Ji Zhaohe endured the tickling sensation, like ants crawling all over her body, and looked down at the young servant skillfully undoing the layers of clothing. If I stubbornly insisted on doing it myself, she thought, I probably wouldn’t even know how. Professional tasks are indeed best left to professionals.

“What’s your name?” Ji Zhaohe asked casually during a break in the dressing process.

“This lowly one is named Yun Shui,” he replied softly. The Third Highness had many servants, so it was common for her not to remember their names.

“How old are you?”

“Just turned fifteen,” Yun Shui answered obediently, his fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of his clothes.

Ji Zhaohe was taken aback. So everyone in this room is underage?!

Wait, no—in ancient times, this probably counted as adulthood.

Yun Shui had a fair and delicate appearance, looking utterly adorable and well-behaved. Ji Zhaohe glanced around and noticed a uniform sea of pink-robed beauties, all with slender figures and an air of delicate vulnerability.

She had to admit, the original owner’s taste was strikingly similar to her own.

In the modern era, she had always had a soft spot for this type of cute young man, but those who fit the bill were usually gay—damn it.

In the imperial garden, the matriarchs of various noble families had all arrived one by one, while the male attendants stayed behind screens. The Empress had not yet arrived, and the atmosphere was lively and bustling.

“The winner today will undoubtedly be between Lady Qian and Second Lady Zou,” someone declared, eliciting a chorus of agreement and praise.

Lady Qian was the only daughter of the Grand Commandant, and Second Lady Zou was the legitimate daughter of the Commander-in-Chief. Both were daughters of military officials, rising stars in the court’s martial circles. They had been trained in horseback riding and archery since childhood. Since these skills were the main events of the Spring Banquet, and the two had tied for first place last year, the outcome seemed almost predetermined.

“I hope Lady Zou will go easy on me,” Qian Ying said modestly.

Second Lady Zou, Zou Siyan, clasped her hands in a salute. “Likewise.”

“If you win the top prize, which young gentleman would you gift the imperial reward to?” someone asked curiously.

Qian Ying currently had only one side consort, who came from a humble background. No matter how fond she was of him, she couldn’t elevate him to the position of principal consort. This Spring Banquet, however, Grand Commandant Qian intended to select a principal consort for her daughter.

Zou Siyan, on the other hand, already had her principal consort position filled and countless favored attendants. Moreover, the young gentlemen attending the Spring Banquet were all from noble families, taught to be rigid and conventional. She found these dull playthings rather uninteresting.

“But if I really do win the top prize,” Zou Siyan said, twirling a pendant in her hand with ambiguous meaning, “I’d like to gift it to the young gentleman of the Shen family. He claimed illness and didn’t attend last year’s Spring Banquet, which has left me itching with curiosity for ages.”

Her words stirred excitement among the young ladies present.

“I’ve long heard that Young Master Shen is proficient in all four arts—qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and excels at managing household affairs. He’s virtuous and capable, truly the ideal choice for a principal consort.”

“It’s a pity the Shen family’s status is too high. There are very few noble families that can match them,” someone lamented.

“Even if we can’t marry Young Master Shen, getting a glimpse of his divine beauty would make the trip worthwhile!”

“Well said! I’d like to see if his appearance lives up to the rumors—whether he truly looks like an immortal descended to earth.”

“What does it matter how beautiful he is? He’s just a man, not particularly useful.”

“I disagree. Keeping him in the rear courtyard would be like cultivating a fine landscape. Moreover…”

“Hahahaha, Lady Yu, don’t be absurd.”

“…”

The moment Ji Zhaohe stepped into the imperial garden, the chattering crowd fell silent instantly, followed by a chorus of “Greetings, Third Highness.”

As everyone bowed, Ji Zhaohe’s mind raced.

It’s all because I rarely watch palace dramas! I only know the Emperor says ‘Rise.’ What should someone of the Third Highness’s status say?!

Oh, right! Ji Zhaohe cleared her throat and said indifferently, “At ease.”

The moment the words left her mouth, the silence deepened.

Was ‘at ease’ the wrong thing to say?! Ji Zhaohe screamed internally.

Zou Siyan, who was bold and never minced words, muttered under her breath, “Has the Third Highness changed her nature? She usually can’t even be bothered to speak.”

Ji Zhaohe heard every word clearly from nearby, but since she had already broken character, she could only pretend to be aloof and silent, following the palace attendant to her seat.

Due to her arrival, everyone fell silent, not daring to gossip further.

Before long, the Empress and the Crown Princess also took their seats, announcing the start of the banquet.

The first event was horseback archery. The participants entered the field one by one, poised and ready. The imperial family and other non-participants sat in the viewing stands not far away.

In the center of the viewing stand, where the view was best, the Empress sat at the head, with the Crown Princess on her left and the Third Princess on her right. The Imperial Consort and other men sat behind screens.

The tables were laden with food and fruit wine for everyone to enjoy freely. Freshly picked vibrant roses sat in Guanyin vases at the corners of the tables.

Ji Zhaohe propped her chin on her hand, gazing blankly at the equestrian field.

She had no interest in such occasions. As someone raised on the distractions of smartphones, she looked down on this kind of entertainment!

Empress Ji Yu doted on her youngest daughter the most. Noticing Ji Zhaohe’s dazed expression and her unusual lack of interest in her favorite foods, she couldn’t help but ask, “Yue’er, why do you seem so low-spirited today?”

The Crown Princess also cast a concerned glance her way.

Ji Zhaohe pretended to yawn, feigning weakness. “Your Majesty, I didn’t sleep well last night.” The dark circles under her eyes were indeed quite pronounced—though they looked less like the result of a single sleepless night and more like the aftermath of overindulgence.

Crown Princess Ji Zhaoyi chuckled lightly. “Your Majesty, it seems Younger Sister was likely immersed in romantic pursuits again last night, hence the exhaustion.”

Ji Yu sighed helplessly. “Yue’er, you’re not a child anymore. It’s time you had a principal consort to properly manage you. Indulging in such matters day and night can harm your health. If anything happens to you, what will your mother and father do?”

“I heed Your Majesty’s advice,” Ji Zhaohe replied verbally, though in truth, she had no intention of following it.

Once this dream ends, she thought, who knows how many young men the original owner will ruin? Even though I haven’t finished the book, it’s obvious the original owner won’t come to a good end.

It’s a pity for the Empress and the Crown Princess. Because of the original owner’s foolishness and uselessness, both were outmaneuvered by the female protagonist less than halfway through the story. After all, the synopsis mentioned the female protagonist aims to become emperor. Probably in another dozen or so chapters, she’ll seize power, overthrow the dynasty, and establish a new reign.

As Ji Zhaohe mentally reviewed the plot, her idle hands reached for the decorative flowers on the table.

“Ouch.”

A bead of blood welled up on her index finger, causing a flurry of panic around her. Ji Yu immediately summoned the court physician to bandage the wound. “Silly child, you’re so drowsy you’d even dare to touch a thorny rose. Attendants—remove all the roses at once.”

Ji Zhaohe froze, staring blankly at the blood on her fingertip. The sharp pain from moments ago felt all too real. Suddenly, a wave of dread washed over her. She watched numbly as the physician wrapped her fingertip into a bulky bundle.

Although it’s spring, the temperature is rising quickly—almost like summer, though the temperature difference between morning and evening is still large.

A minor cut like this could be left alone. Bandaging it might actually trap moisture and breed bacteria due to lack of airflow.

Speaking of bacteria… I wonder what will happen to those lab mice now that I’ve transmigrated here.

I was so close to graduating, and now I’ve been thrown back to square one—no, even before square one!

I hadn’t even finished reading this damn novel, and now I’ve transmigrated into a tragic cannon fodder character.

Internally, Ji Zhaohe was already weeping rivers. Her voice choked up as she spoke: “Your Majesty, I’d like to return and rest.”

Ji Yu immediately agreed, her heart aching as she looked at her daughter’s bandaged finger. “I had originally hoped to use this Spring Banquet to select a principal consort for you… but never mind. Go back and rest.”

After Ji Zhaohe left, Ji Zhaoyi turned to Ji Yu. “Does Your Majesty already have a plan in mind?”

Ji Yu nodded, and Ji Zhaoyi understood.

Rumors were circulating that the daughter of Grand Commandant Qian intended to marry the son of Minister of Works Shen. Both were key pillars of Her Majesty’s court. If these two families were to unite, the power of the noble families would grow significantly, raising suspicions of rebellion. Her Majesty would never allow this marriage. The only solution was for Minister Shen’s son to marry Ji Zhaohe.

What a pity for the famously talented Young Master Shen, Ji Zhaoyi thought. Forced to sacrifice himself and marry Ji Zhaohe due to the Emperor’s suspicions… Who knows what fate awaits him?

I should find time to advise my younger sister to show some restraint in bed—after all, he is the son of a minister.

Ji Zhaoyi sighed.

Ji Zhaohe followed the palace attendant in a daze, her eyes vacant. When the attendant led her to a temporary resting palace, she collapsed onto the bed.

She mentally inventoried the knowledge stored in her brain and despairingly stared up at the bed canopy.

Although I’ve studied both traditional Chinese and Western medicine, it’s utterly useless in a political intrigue novel!

With my brain, I’d probably be dead within days of transmigrating… And according to the original plot, everyone in the Ji family will likely be executed after the female protagonist seizes the throne.

Heavens!

Where’s my golden finger?! Where’s the system?!

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, drowsiness overtook Ji Zhaohe, and she fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes again, her entire body was stiff and immobile. She tried to sit up slightly but felt a heavy weight pressing on her chest. Twisting her stiff neck, she lifted the blankets and was struck speechless—why was there someone in her arms?!