Zhou Shengsheng was almost scared to death.
Heaven only knows why the female lead, who was supposed to be in the imperial garden, came to this remote corner instead.
In the original plot, when Jiang Zhiyu first entered the palace, she accidentally witnessed a bullying incident and saved a little maidservant from the clutches of a malicious palace maid, uttering the central theme that ran through the entire book:
"All men are created equal."
This phrase happened to be heard by Song Weiqing and Duan Fusheng, who were nearby, piquing their interest in the female lead.
When A Pang reminded Zhou Shengsheng that the female lead was heading this way, she quickly assigned herself a role.
A bullied maidservant.
What a perfect role—it could advance the plot and also spare her from any moral condemnation.
But wait...
As Zhou Shengsheng flailed in the water, she suddenly remembered something.
If Jiang Zhiyu is here, then Song Weiqing...
Jiang Zhiyu looked at Zhou Shengsheng in the water and, after thinking for a second, decided not to rescue her just yet.
Scolding came first.
After all, if the mud by the water splashed onto her skirt, it would be quite unsightly.
"How can you do this! What did she do to deserve such treatment!" Jiang Zhiyu's clear face was filled with condemnation, her dark eyes burning with righteous indignation.
The shrewd old maid merely glanced at her a few times, quickly calming down after the initial shock.
After carefully examining the girl's attire, she reached a conclusion.
"Which family's young lady are you? Do you think you can meddle in palace affairs?" The maid looked at her disdainfully, especially when she noticed the simple hairpin in the girl's hair, her disdain barely hidden.
Which family's illegitimate daughter is so ill-mannered?
Zhou Shengsheng's arms were about to give out, yet she still hadn't heard the female lead's classic line about "all men being equal."
Honestly, pretending to drown in this shallow water that barely reached her waist, while not life-threatening, was really exhausting...
Frustrated, she shouted, "Madam, even though I am just a lowly maidservant, I am still a human being!"
Brave female lead, don't be afraid of difficulties! I've given you such a hint!
Realizing what was going on, Jiang Zhiyu nodded and pointed at the old maid's wrinkled face, shouting, "Everyone has their own value! No one is superior to anyone else! All men are equal! What right do you have to decide someone's life so casually!"
Zhou Shengsheng immediately relaxed.
Finally, she said it.
Just as she was about to give the old maid a look to help her out of the water, a series of footsteps interrupted her thoughts.
"Silence!" A familiar haughty voice rang out.
Zhou Shengsheng looked up and almost laughed.
Wasn't that her old acquaintance, Sister Sheng Lan?
Which meant Song Weiqing was indeed nearby.
Seeing her niece, the old maid almost wept with joy, but before she could say anything, the girl disdainfully averted her gaze.
"The Noble Consort is meeting with a noble guest here, and you dare to make such a commotion? How disgraceful to the Zhu Kingdom!"
Her words were directed at Zhou Shengsheng, who was shivering and dripping wet as she climbed onto the shore.
In the pavilion.
The old maid looked at the two people in front of her, her knees almost giving out.
The man in the middle, with a refined complexion, wearing a sky-blue robe embroidered with kylin patterns, was, without a doubt, the next Crown Prince of the Zhen Kingdom, Song Weiqing.
After all, the kylin eye bodhi beads he was constantly fiddling with had once sparked a trend among young gentlemen in the Zhu Kingdom.
The other person, leaning lazily on his head, was naturally the emperor's beloved Noble Consort.
Zhou Shengsheng looked at Song Weiqing in front of her and naturally thought of—
"He, the Crown Prince of the Zhen Kingdom, a gentleman in the eyes of the world, the dream lover of countless women, yet he only loves the charming woman in front of him. If she were to kiss him, he would give her both the empire and his life! And him, him, him..."
Song Weiqing: ".....?"
Who would he kiss? Who would he give the empire and his life to?
Song Weiqing's usual smile froze slightly.
Who was speaking?
After unobtrusively observing the expressions of those present, he quickly composed himself, lowering his long lashes to hide his emotions.
In this strange and heavy atmosphere, a brave soul dared to speak up.
"I am not wrong." Jiang Zhiyu broke the tense silence, boldly kneeling and staring directly at Song Weiqing.
"Where did this ill-mannered girl come from?" Duan Fusheng raised an eyebrow, casually glancing at her.
The girl on the ground turned pale upon meeting his gaze but still trembled and refused to lower her head.
"Who else could it be, but your wife," Zhou Shengsheng muttered, hiding her face and rolling her eyes shamelessly since no one could see her expression.
Duan Fusheng glanced at Zhou Shengsheng, who was kneeling on the ground, soaked like she had grown out of the water, then looked away. Song Weiqing also turned his gaze to this little maidservant who intrigued him.
So it was her.
It seemed that the woman in front of him was the so-called female lead.
"State your name," Duan Fusheng said with disdain, glancing at Jiang Zhiyu.
Feeling his disgust, Jiang Zhiyu bit her lip.
Did this woman discover her intention to seduce the emperor?
"Jiang Zhiyu. My father is General Jiang Dehuai," she said in a steady voice, unwavering.
"I seem to remember that General Jiang's daughter is named Jiang Rou," Duan Fusheng said softly, narrowing his eyes.
The answer was simple.
Because she was just an illegitimate daughter, unworthy of mention.
Jiang Zhiyu trembled slightly, her lips moving: "I am an illegitimate daughter."
It seemed that being an illegitimate daughter was not something she considered shameful.
Zhou Shengsheng moved slightly.
Oh no.
The only person who knew Duan Fusheng inside and out, from head to toe, was probably Zhou Shengsheng alone.
Duan Fusheng had developed the intent to kill.
And it was directed at the female lead!
"This is insane! Why would Duan Fusheng want to kill the female lead! In the original text, when they first met, shouldn't he have already developed the desire to lock this pure, unique woman in a cage, making her heart and eyes only for him!" Zhou Shengsheng's frustrated voice rang out.
And the little panda also flew out, sitting on Zhou Shengsheng's head and pondering: [Exactly! You need to find a way, host! If the female lead dies, the world will collapse! Duan Fusheng can dislike the female lead, but he can't kill her!]
Song Weiqing was also thrown into great shock.
Female lead?
Was it the heroine from the storybooks?
Killing her would cause the world to collapse?
Although he was a Buddhist follower, he firmly believed in materialism. This was the first time Song Weiqing experienced the collapse of his worldview, but he quickly forced himself to calm down.
Before uncovering the truth, all panic and confusion were meaningless.
"Who are you? How did you end up in such a state?" A gentle voice like spring wind asked.
After a while, Zhou Shengsheng realized it was directed at her.
She lifted her head, her wet hair sticking to her face, her small face pale from being soaked.
"Your Highness, I am a servant from the Xinzhe Repository," she replied.
As soon as she finished speaking, the person in front of her spoke up: "Well, well, Tail, just because you were sent to clean latrines for a few days, you've forgotten who your master is, haven't you?"
