The Great Zhou Dynasty.
The Ministry of Works Estate, Li Estate.
The woodshed.
Under a white sheet lay the cold, limp body of a woman. She was stark naked, yet possessed a breathtaking beauty.
Xiao Chen snatched the white sheet away and hauled the body up. He draped one arm around her willow-thin waist while his other hand brushed over her slender, delicate neck. His eyes narrowed, and he let out a sigh: "Good, there is still a breath of life left!"
"Consider yourself lucky. You were half a step into the gates of Hell, only for me to stumble upon you."
"You should know, in this world, there is no one else who can save you but me!"
Xiao Chen pressed down firmly. A flush of red instantly appeared on the woman's alabaster skin.
A second later, the woman’s waist suddenly arched. Her eyes snapped wide, and she coughed up a thumb-sized jade stone from her throat.
A group of servants, ordered to carry the body to a coffin, entered with a stretcher. Upon walking in, they saw the Capital City’s infamous "idiot son-in-law" touching and fiddling with the corpse.
They were stunned on the spot. One servant, his face contorted with rage, was about to step forward and shout when, suddenly, a crisp sound echoed as the jade stone hit the floor. The woman’s body began to cough violently.
The servants were terrified, their wits scared out of them. They turned and bolted, wishing their parents had given them an extra pair of legs to run faster.
"It—it’s a living corpse!"
"Master Minister, help!"
"The Lin family’s idiot son-in-law is molesting the corpse!"
A series of screams followed by a chaotic scramble of footsteps hurried toward the woodshed.
Xiao Chen remained focused. He steadied the woman into a sitting position on the wooden planks, then began rhythmically tapping the pressure points on her forehead and chest.
"The most critical step!"
Xiao Chen parted the woman's legs and reached his index fingers toward her inner thighs. With two sharp, precise movements, he struck the pressure points.
He had already seen to the death; now, he had to secure the life.
As Xiao Chen continued his work, an angry roar rang out.
"Insolent! You heartless wretch, how dare you perform such lewd acts on a corpse!"
Li Cuntian, the Minister of Works, arrived at the scene, his face a mask of fury. "Stop this at once!"
Xiao Chen didn't spare a single glance for anyone else, focusing intently as he said, "Are your eyes failing you? I am treating her."
"Treating her? A fool like you? What a joke! You are groping a female corpse; it is clearly indecent!"
The voice, dripping with disdain, was all too familiar. Xiao Chen looked up and immediately recognized the man as Li Bikuan, son of the Minister of Works—and the very culprit who had caused the death of the original Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen curled his lips into a smile but paid no mind, continuing his movements. The crowd was left speechless.
Everyone present knew Xiao Chen, if for no other reason than his sheer luck. Although born with a cognitive impairment, he had the good fortune to be the husband of Lin Ruyan, the greatest beauty in the Capital City. Furthermore, the Lin family he married into was the wealthiest in the city, possessing staggering assets. How could people not be jealous of a fool who enjoyed both great beauty and immense wealth?
But at this moment, everyone wore an expression of gloating. The body belonged to Chai Keqing, daughter of the Prince of Zhendnan.
Chai Keqing was the Prince’s only daughter, the apple of his eye. She had only just come of age when the Emperor issued a decree naming her Princess Mingyue, granting her the same status and treatment as a princess. Her favor with the throne was undeniable.
Chai Keqing had come to the banquet this morning, only to be struck by a sudden illness and collapse, dying instantly in the Ministry of Works Estate. As the host, Li Cuntian naturally had to ensure her remains were properly handled while awaiting word from the Prince of Zhendnan. To think that her body would now be defiled by an idiot! If this reached the Prince’s ears, there was no telling what kind of catastrophe would ensue.
Lin Ruyan felt her heart go cold. As the daughter of a business tycoon, she had attended the garden party at the Ministry of Works Estate in hopes of building connections. Now, not only had she failed to connect with anyone of importance, but because of this fool, she had offended the Prince of Zhendnan—she might even be inviting death upon herself.
The more Lin Ruyan thought, the more she regretted it. Since their marriage, she had never brought Xiao Chen to any social function. He had followed her here today on his own initiative. If she hadn't been afraid of missing the scheduled time, she never would have allowed him to enter the Li Estate with her. Thinking of it now, she regretted it to the depths of her soul.
"Xiao Chen, do you think you're a doctor? I order you to let go this instant, or I will not give you food for ten days!" Lin Ruyan shouted.
The moment the words left her lips, Chai Keqing’s eyes suddenly snapped open!
She gasped for air, her eyes wide, staring blankly ahead. After a long moment, she squeezed a few words through her teeth:
"Save... save me!"
The crowd was shocked, faces pale with terror.
"Quick! Get a doctor!" Li Cuntian, having seen more of the world, regained his composure and began issuing orders. Trembling, he pointed at Xiao Chen and roared, "Get this fool out of the way! If you delay the Princess’s treatment, no one in the Lin family will survive this!"
By now, a doctor had already been dragged in. The crowd shoved Xiao Chen aside. The doctor, seeing Chai Keqing sit up after having been pronounced dead, was startled, but he quickly grew defensive, wondering if he had made a misdiagnosis. However, considering his sister was a favored concubine of the Minister, he realized the blame would never fall on him.
"Quickly, lay the Princess flat on the ground. I shall administer acupuncture," the doctor called out loudly.
Xiao Chen frowned when he heard this: "The patient is not out of danger yet. Her airway is obstructed; you cannot lay her flat!"
"You fool, do you have to destroy our Lin family before you're satisfied?" Lin Ruyan dragged Xiao Chen into a corner and hissed.
Only then did Xiao Chen turn his gaze to his wife in name. She was indeed beautiful, breathtakingly so. In his past life’s perspective, she was a great star comparable to the most famous actresses.
Her bright, vivid face softened his heart. Xiao Chen felt helpless, yet he patiently explained: "I am merely saving her."
"You know how to save people? You yourself are..." Lin Ruyan stopped mid-sentence, suddenly recalling the completely different, lucid way Xiao Chen had just spoken. Her eyes widened.
"You... you’re cured? You can speak normally now?" Lin Ruyan’s face was filled with disbelief.
Xiao Chen nodded: "I am. I bumped my head today, and then I was fine."
Lin Ruyan looked and saw a bloody gash on his forehead, which looked quite gruesome. Doctors had said years ago that Xiao Chen’s condition was caused by blood stasis in his brain; perhaps this blow had cleared it.
A flicker of joy crossed Lin Ruyan's heart. Her "idiot" husband was suddenly clear-headed, and she would no longer be mocked by other noblewomen—of course she was happy. But as soon as she thought of the situation with Chai Keqing, her head began to throb. She had no choice but to take him along to check on the Princess’s condition before sending him home. Staying here was only causing trouble.
Because the doctor’s acupuncture required more space, Chai Keqing had been moved to a more comfortable room. At the doorway, Li Cuntian stood with a somber face. Seeing the two of them arrive, he barked an order:
"Seize Lin Ruyan!"