Inside Prince Jing's Estate in Dashang, the atmosphere was raucous and deafening. Guests mingled, clinking glasses and playing drinking games, the scene one of unrestrained revelry.
Bright red "double happiness" characters, festive silk ribbons, and red lanterns stretched from the front courtyard all the way to the main residential quarters in the back.
In the inner bedchamber, the palace maid currently removing the heavy phoenix ornaments from the head of the princess who had come for the political marriage suddenly stopped.
At the same moment, the three palace maids and eunuchs standing with bowed heads by the door looked up. The instant their dazed eyes landed on the princess, their expressions shifted into a mix of joy and agitation.
"Your Highness!"
Before the vanity, Yao Yingying lazily opened her eyelids, locking gazes with the four of them in the bronze mirror.
Jinyi, the personal maid who had just removed the phoenix ornament, burst into tears. "Your Highness... you are still alive!"
By the door, Yushi, the other personal maid, also gave vent to her true emotions, tears streaming down her face, her sobs choked with lingering fear.
Yao Yingying stared at herself in the bronze mirror. Her seventeen-year-old face was bright and alluring, yet carried a hint of rational calculation.
She had actually been reborn.
Yao Yingying’s gaze fell upon Jinyi and Yushi. "Why are you crying? I haven't suffered."
The poison had acted quickly; she hadn't even felt pain before she closed her eyes and opened them again to find herself suddenly young once more.
Yao Yingying scanned the festive room again. This was Prince Jing's Estate in Dashang.
"Go outside and check on the others. I need to know if everyone has been reborn, or if it is just us."
Yushi immediately wiped away her tears, nodding firmly with a resolute gaze. "Yes, Your Highness!"
Jinyi stopped crying as well. She clutched the phoenix ornament so tightly it dug into her palm, her eyes filled with the purest hatred. "The Second Princess conspired with this Prince Jing of Dashang to plot against Your Highness... I shall go and kill them both right now to exact revenge!"
No sooner had Yushi’s voice faded than a distinct set of footsteps echoed outside the courtyard, followed by a woman’s shy, flirtatious banter.
"Prince Jing, brother, don't be like that... It would be improper if others saw us..."
The voice was too familiar. Jinyi immediately moved to rush out for revenge, but Yao Yingying called out softly, "Jinyi."
Jinyi understood their current predicament and begrudgingly swallowed her bone-deep hatred.
In just that moment, Zhou Wei, Prince Jing of Dashang, walked into the inner chamber with Yao Mengtao, the second daughter of the Anguo Emperor, held in his arms.
Yao Mengtao’s face was flushed with color, her eyes fixed on Zhou Wei with deep affection. Her playful shoves and feigned resistance only made her appear more pure and fragile.
Yao Yingying had known about their illicit affair before her rebirth, so she was not surprised, but in her past life, they had not come here together at this time...
Yao Yingying’s eyes flickered.
Zhou Wei sat proudly on a stool, his gaze momentarily captivated the instant it fell upon Yao Yingying’s stunningly beautiful face.
The next moment, sensing the dissatisfied movement of the person beside him, Zhou Wei quickly snapped back to his senses and let out a scoff at Yao Yingying.
"Yao Yingying, I am not some commoner to be beguiled by your beauty. You need not waste your efforts trying to seduce me!"
Yao Yingying did not hold back, her sharp tongue cutting straight through. "I have no taste for those who engage in lewd, fox-like behavior. Prince Jing, spare yourself the self-indulgence."
In her past life, at this very moment, Zhou Wei would have been posing before her, pretending to be a refined and dashing gentleman. And Yao Mengtao would certainly not have been here.
The conclusion was clear: these two had also been reborn.
Since that was the case, Yao Yingying wasn't about to hold her tongue—why be polite to them?
"Prince Jing, brother..."
Yao Mengtao realized that Yao Yingying’s words had insulted her as well. She immediately looked at Zhou Wei with teary, aggrieved eyes.
Zhou Wei sneered. "Your arrogant and overbearing temper truly hasn't changed at all!"
"Do you think that by showing a bit of wit, I will tolerate you? That I will conspire with you and grant you a high position?"
"Don't dream! I’ll tell you the truth, Yao Yingying: I have high ambitions and the ability to turn the tides. I don't need you at all!"
"Your little schemes are not worth mentioning to me!"
The fact that he had ascended to the throne in his past life gave Zhou Wei confidence far beyond that of ordinary men. He felt that by exposing her plans early, he would surely leave her panicked and bewildered.
Zhou Wei looked at Yao Yingying with satisfaction, waiting for her to lose her composure...
"Using my schemes from a past life and claiming them as your own talent?"
Yao Yingying laughed in spite of herself, gaining a fresh perspective on the shamelessness of these two.
At that moment, the expressions of both Zhou Wei and Yao Mengtao changed. Yao Mengtao, who had just sat down, stared at Yao Yingying in horror. "You are reborn too?!"
Zhou Wei’s face was no better, especially when he recalled how he had just tried to grandstand in front of her. His face turned dark, and resentment toward Yao Yingying began to swell in his heart.
If she was reborn, why didn't she say so sooner?!
Yao Yingying stood up from the round stool. Her bright red phoenix robes were staggeringly opulent, and the majesty of royalty radiated from her.
Yao Mengtao’s face paled, and she could not help but retreat a few steps.
Yao Yingying reminded them with disdain, "You should be worried about yourselves right now. Did you really think I was some kind of Bodhisattva?"
"Yao Yingying, you are being too arrogant!"
Zhou Wei looked at her with a somber expression. "This is Dashang! This is Prince Jing's Estate! I will not allow you to run wild here!"
Zhou Wei suppressed his murderous intent. Just as Yao Yingying was restricted by being in a foreign land, he was similarly restricted by her status as a princess of Anguo here for a political marriage. If he made a move now, Dashang might not fear Anguo, but his imperial brother, Emperor Zhou, would never miss an opportunity to punish him.
"You dare to be so disrespectful to me only because you rely on the merit of helping me ascend to the throne in our past life, right?! But I also have memories of that past life. I know who is useful and who is not!"
"In this life, I can obtain the throne of Dashang by myself. You are completely useless to me."
"If you can guarantee you will be obedient, then when I sit on the throne, I might bestow upon you a position so you can continue to live with grace and honor in Dashang."
"But if you dare to hurt your younger sister because of things from our past life... or out of jealousy and suspicion, then don't blame me for disregarding our past ties!"
Zhou Wei’s voice was threatening and sincere.
Yao Mengtao added, her eyes filled with sympathy, "Imperial Sister, in our past life, you refused to leave the position of Empress, and I truly loved Prince Jing too much—that was why I acted the way I did..."
"Who told you to always rely on your own wit to act so self-important? Your disrespect toward Prince Jing is what made him so disappointed in you that he promised the Empress's seal to me. Imperial Sister, you should spend more time in a temple reflecting on your own behavior!"
Such words of consideration for him—it would be impossible for Zhou Wei not to be moved, especially when contrasted with Yao Yingying’s unruliness.
"Tao'er, rest assured. In this life, I have no need for her, so I will naturally not be coerced by her. This position of Empress... only you shall sit upon it!"
Yao Mengtao had to bite her lip hard to keep from laughing aloud.
She had won again!
Yao Yingying had been clever for a lifetime, yet why couldn't she understand a man’s heart?