All she saw was a blinding expanse of white.
Fresh snow fluttered down through the air, swirling before settling over the vast snowfield, as though breathing a little more life into that sea of white.
The clamor around her never stopped, but Jiang Yingcheng paid it no heed. Her gaze stayed fixed on the half of her arm exposed to the air.
White, tender, and chubby, it looked like a little section of fresh lotus root.
A snowflake landed on that little arm, and its icy touch finally brought her back to her senses.
Jiang Yingcheng stubbornly repeated to herself, I'm a princess.
The cold sensation of snow melting on her arm felt so real. How could she possibly be the intangible string of data the other party claimed she was?
This newly appeared person, who called himself a system, was talking utter nonsense.
The electronic voice, which had explained this goodness knew how many times already, took on a hint of exasperation. You're 996.
A veil of tears instantly formed in Jiang Yingcheng's eyes. I'm a princess!
The electronic voice seemed to have finally developed a headache from her endless repetition. Even its volume seemed to rise a little. A fake princess, then.
As though that blow still wasn't enough, the electronic voice paused only briefly before continuing. And after the real prince takes the throne, he'll feel that you stole all those years of comfortable living from him, and he'll hate you for it.
He'll marry you off to the most useless wastrel in the capital and let you suffer beatings and abuse after your marriage. Then, after you've endured years of misery, he'll find some arbitrary excuse to have you executed by a thousand cuts.
The fair, tender little girl huddled in the snow was finally frightened into tears by this barrage of spoilers. She tipped her head back, stretched her neck, and began wailing without stopping. Barely two cries escaped before a snowflake fell into her mouth and choked her, sending her into a wrenching fit of coughing.
No one dared approach to comfort her.
Once Jiang Yingcheng finished coughing, she crouched where she was, tears pattering down in aggrieved little drops.
The electronic voice seemed to finally realize it had gone too far and awkwardly tried to make amends. Stop crying. I can help you.
Jiang Yingcheng was right in the middle of her grief. At that, she sniffled and stammered, B-but the name 996... it s-sounds like you're liable to drop dead.
What kind of decent system called itself 996?!
The electronic voice fell suspiciously silent for a moment. You won't. My designation is 007, you know.
Jiang Yingcheng's almond-shaped eyes suddenly widened. Her reddened eyes and cheeks looked like a bright splash of color painted onto her round, adorable face.
007-as in the kind of 007 that had to be on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week?
She praised 007 in a tiny voice. Oh... th-then you're pretty impressive, huh. All this time, and it still hadn't dropped dead.
She secretly added that last part to herself.
*...*
007 sounded resigned. Let's deal with the important matter first.
The important matter 007 meant was the pair of half-grown princes making a racket opposite her. More precisely, the Fourth Imperial Prince was shoving the seventh prince, who did nothing in return, while keeping up a stream of accusations.
"You're the one who pushed Little Eleven onto the stone steps and made her hit her head. We all saw it!"
"You're done for, Seventh Brother. Father hates siblings hurting one another more than anything. I'm going to report everything you just did to him!"
Jiang Xingran stood where he was with his head lowered, neither defending himself nor resisting, as though he had long since grown used to taking whatever came his way. He only had to endure this bout before returning to his quiet life.
Even the occasional glance he cast at Jiang Yingcheng was icy, without the slightest warmth.
Jiang Yingcheng asked the system inwardly, Did he really push me?
007 said, Of course not.
The person who pushed you was one of the Fourth Imperial Prince's subordinates. He just wanted an excuse to target the seventh prince.
Jiang Yingcheng fell silent.
As far as she remembered, she had been an innocent college student about to enter her second year. One day, she had tried to save a woman who jumped into the water, only for both of them to die. When she opened her eyes again, she had transmigrated into the body of Great Rui's eleventh princess.
Today was her fifth day here. She had just been happily preparing to enjoy a princess's lavish, pampered palace life when the system that suddenly bound itself to her doused her with cold water.
007 said she was a system too, designated 996. Someone had wiped all her data and thrown her into an unknown little world, after which she had transmigrated into this book. It also told her that only by surviving to the end of the story could she safely leave.
So this was a double transmigration, no less.
With so little time, 007 hadn't told her much about the plot. It had only told her that she needed to find a way to cling to the seventh prince's thigh if she wanted a sliver of hope of survival.
Except...
Though she hadn't been here long, the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao had already molded her speech and behavior into those of a four-year-old child. The memories of her previous life had become a story utterly unrelated to her. She could draw upon its events, but those stories could no longer stir the slightest emotion in her.
Precisely because of that, she couldn't think everything through and could only act on instinct.
Jiang Yingcheng was so anxious she nearly cried.
She had sneaked out of her mother's palace today without even a single maid or eunuch beside her. How was she supposed to rescue her lifeline from the Fourth Imperial Prince and his great crowd of guards?!
The Fourth Imperial Prince was still jabbing the seventh prince's head hard, again and again. In her panic, Jiang Yingcheng gathered up the hem of her thickly padded skirt and scurried forward on her short little legs, crying, "D-don't bully Seventh Brother!"
Jiang Huai'an's hand stopped at once. He turned to stare at Jiang Yingcheng in astonishment, seemingly unable to believe that the soft, sweet little dumpling who normally agreed with whatever he said would dare object to him.
"Little Eleven, I'm getting even for you."
Jiang Huai'an gave Jiang Yingcheng several strange, searching looks from head to toe.
He had heard the little one's loud sobbing earlier. Although she had stopped now, her eyes were still red and her little nose kept twitching. She looked especially pitiful, with the same soft, meek appearance he knew so well.
Somewhat reassured, he coaxed, "Be good, Little Eleven. Go play over there first. Once Fourth Brother has dealt with the bad person who pushed you over, I'll take you to see Father."
With that, he started turning back to continue dealing with his mute-like seventh brother, utterly ignoring the wound on Jiang Yingcheng's forehead that had only just stopped bleeding.
Jiang Yingcheng shook her head rapidly from side to side and even stepped closer, trying to catch Jiang Huai'an's wrist.
But she was too short and could only reach his waist. "Waaah, no, no..."
007 had told her that if Seventh Brother was found guilty of pushing her over today, he would end up hating her too!
At that thought, Jiang Yingcheng began wailing her heart out again. "Waaah, waaah... don't bully Seventh Brother..."
Jiang Huai'an's scant patience ran out. Just as he was about to fling her away, an announcement rang out from around the corner-
"His Majesty approaches!"
Everyone present startled and dropped to their knees. Only Jiang Yingcheng reacted half a beat too late. She turned around with a bewildered look and met a pair of fathomless eyes.
Jiang Yingcheng's eyes brightened slightly.
This was her first time seeing Emperor Mingze since transmigrating here-the emperor rumored to be ruthlessly decisive.
Court had ended quite some time ago, and he had changed into a black cloud-brocade robe. A nine-clawed golden dragon embroidered in gold thread coiled across it, half concealed by a dark blue cloak.
He was extraordinarily handsome, with brows like swords, eyes like stars, and a high, straight nose. He was the very image of a handsome man, yet he was also the supreme sovereign who had long occupied the seat of power. Simply standing there casually was enough to radiate an overwhelming pressure.
Jiang Yingcheng let out a groundhog shriek in her heart.
Wow, wow, wow! My imperial father is so handsome!
That waist, that bearing-what a perfect beauty in ancient robes!
Such a shame he dies a little too early...
System Bro, what was it you just said again? He gets killed by my...
Before Jiang Yingcheng could finish her inward chatter, the chief eunuch standing behind Emperor Mingze gave a conspicuous cough.
Jiang Yingcheng looked up at the sound.
Eunuch Changshun exclaimed theatrically, "Good heavens! Your Highness, what happened to your forehead?!"
Then he surveyed the eunuchs and palace maids kneeling on the ground. "Has anyone summoned an imperial physician?"
Everyone on the ground fell silent as cicadas in winter.
The Fourth Imperial Prince had been too busy bullying the seventh prince. How could he have spared a thought for that?
Eunuch Changshun glared, then turned and ordered an attendant behind him to fetch an imperial physician.
Emperor Mingze had not spoken at all. His deep gaze remained fixed on the little white dumpling on the ground who almost blended into the snow, the emotions churning within it impossible to read.
Dies too early...
Was she talking about him?
Before you continue