Chapter 1: Rebirth
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The snow continued to fall, its silent descent a relentless barrage upon the earth. It had been a long time since the restoration of the Xia Dynasty. The entire world was covered in snow.
A few crows appeared out of nowhere, dark wings flapping as they flew across the sky towards the tallest palace in the capital city, becoming the only apparent living creatures in this quiet world.
“Sister!” The young emperor dressed in the imperial robe cried. Tears streamed down his face as he was filled with grief. The person whom he addressed as ‘Sister’ was the most legendary Eldest Princess of the Great Xia Dynasty, Xia Wanyuan.
“Don’t cry.” The face of the woman lying on the bed was pale, but the gentleness in her eyes could not be hidden. Even though she had been bedridden for many days, her words still carried undeniable strength. Perhaps it was ingrained within her, having held a high position for a long time.
“I have taught you whatever I could. You must treat the loyal officials well and take good care of Xiao Yu and Xiao Qiao.”
Upon seeing Xia Wanyuan trying her best to raise her hand, the Xia Emperor reached out to hold her immediately. A smile appeared on Xia Wanyuan’s face. She glanced at her younger brother, who had grown into a man with a kingly air, and her younger siblings, who were crying in front of her bed.
“It is time for me to go.” With the limited strength she had remaining, Xia Wanyuan could no longer speak. She paused for a moment. “I will hand the Xia Dynasty over to you.”
Saying those words had depleted all of her strength. Xia Wanyuan gradually closed her eyes. The cries grew louder, but it seemed to not bother her anymore. Eventually, the sounds faded into the distance gradually.
The eldest princess of the Xia Dynasty, Xia Wanyuan, who brought up the Xia Emperor single-handedly, recruited all the talents in the world and laid a solid foundation for the Great Tian Yuan era, had passed away in the fifth year of Tian Yuan.
The Xia Emperor held a state funeral and buried the Eldest Princess in the Imperial Mausoleum. From then on, the most beautiful Eldest Princess was sealed in history.
The evening sun shone on the villa that was located halfway up the mountain. Through the huge French windows, the sunlight shone on the face of the woman in the house. A gentle breeze blew past, causing the wind chimes to tinkle.
Seemingly disturbed by the sound of the wind chimes, the woman on the bed frowned. Her eyelashes fluttered twice before she finally opened her eyes slowly, revealing a pair of glass-like eyes. However, there was a look of confusion in her eyes.
The woman on the bed remained in this motionless position for about half an hour. If not for the flickering of her big eyes, others would have thought that she had fallen asleep again.
After digesting the newfound memories in her head, Xia Wanyuan took a deep breath. She raised her hand and pinched her arm. It hurt a little, and she finally accepted that what was happening to her was true.
She, who had clearly died, had somehow come back to life. It was just that the current her was reborn in the body of a woman, who had the same name as her, a thousand years later.
This Xia Wanyuan, who was born a thousand years later, was also from a wealthy family. However, the way she did things was reckless and wild. She had a gathering with a group of friends the previous night, and she became so drunk that the chauffeur had to send her home.
Speaking of which, it was quite pathetic. Even though she was surrounded by people outside, nobody noticed that she had been poisoned by alcohol after the bustle. Not long after being helped onto the bed by the nanny, the original owner of the body lost consciousness. Unfortunately, no matter how she struggled, no one came to save her. When she opened her eyes again, this body had already been occupied by a soul from a thousand years past.
Taking her time, she allowed herself to sit up slowly as she examined the scene in front of her. Recalling the remaining memories that had flooded into her consciousness, Xia Wanyuan was somewhat surprised and emotional. She truly did not expect that the current human race would develop to this point. To think that inventions and developments upon society had surpassed all expectations in this present day and age.
Those memories filled her with knowledge on things she had never known, the advent of technology, the mundane creations that made the day-to-day more convenient… Perhaps things that one would take for granted.
Her body was clammy and had an unpleasant smell of a mix of alcohol and an unknown fragrance. Xia Wanyuan lifted the blanket and got off the bed. The resulting headache from her hangover made her stagger. Stepping on the soft wool carpet, she still felt unreal.
Following the original owner’s memory, she walked into the bathroom. The person in the mirror looked very disheveled. Her curly hair was a mess, and her makeup was smudged. The bright red lips were a huge shock to Xia Wanyuan.
Hands fumbling, she turned the unfamiliar switch in the bathroom and within moments, soothing music began to play. The warm water that had been automatically adjusted splashed on her body. Xia Wanyuan took a long shower and washed away the filth on her body. It was only then that she finally felt a little better.
Once she had cleaned herself thoroughly, she stood in front of the mirror. The face in the mirror actually looked the same as Xia Wanyuan in her previous life. To be able to be called the most beautiful Eldest Princess of the Xia Dynasty, her appearance was naturally extraordinary.
However, ever since the country was in turmoil when she was young, she had to raise her younger brothers and sisters while maintaining power on the political battlefield. The Eldest Princess, who had tempered herself for many years in the past, was naturally no longer the same person as when she was young.
But the current Xia Wanyuan in front of the mirror was only twenty-two years old. She was in her prime, and her skin was as white as jade. Her lips curled into a smile. The original Xia Wanyuan liked to look down on others from above, which made her beautiful eyes seem a little fierce. But now, Xia Wanyuan had a calm and elegant air between her brows. In a daze, she seemed to be shining brightly like a speck of dust on a bright pearl that had been brushed away.
Xia Wanyuan, who was only wrapped in a bathrobe, was still somewhat unaccustomed to the way she was dressed. However, the people of the Xia Dynasty were not that conservative compared to others. After all, in this chaotic world, there were not many things to be particular about. Moreover, Xia Wanyuan had never been a person who adhered to the rules. Since the current era was like this, she would follow the style of the times.
The bedroom was huge, with an accompanying balcony that was equally large. Spotting a chair on the balcony, Xia Wanyuan walked towards it and sat down.
The weather today was especially good. As evening approached, large patches of fiery clouds dyed the sky red. It was already spring, and the gentle breeze made people feel extremely comfortable.
She had single-handedly raised the Xia Emperor, who had grown up to be able to bear the heavy responsibilities of the empire. Hence, she had passed away without any worries or regrets in her heart. So, what was the reason for her to be reborn here?
Xia Wanyuan thought about it for a while. Suddenly, she decided to let it go.
She had always believed in fate. Since the heavens allowed her to come here, she might as well go with the flow. Xia Wanyuan brushed her hair and smiled at the sky, her eyes filled with relief and a sense of serenity.
But thinking of the mess left behind by the body’s original owner, Xia Wanyuan felt dizzy. The original owner of the body was good at causing trouble.
Just as she was sorting out the complicated relationships of the original owner of the body, a beautiful melody suddenly rang. Xia Wanyuan cautiously straightened her back. Remembering that this was the ringtone of her cell phone, she relaxed and walked to the bed. She reached for it, finding it under the mass of sheets and blankets.
She had just tapped on the screen to answer the call when the person on the other end of the line behaved as if he was ignited like a firecracker.
“Xia Wanyuan, why can’t you stop doing stupid things? Do you still know that you’re a public figure?! Last night, someone posted a video of you being drunk. Don’t you think that you have gained enough hate?! You’ve dragged the company down with you again and again! Do you really think you’re a princess?!”
Scanning her mind to match the voice on the phone, she finally identified it. This person should be her manager.
Xia Wanyuan came from a good family and had good looks. When she entered the entertainment industry, the company valued her, so they sent her an experienced manager, Chen Yun. Although Xia Wanyuan’s acting skills were poor and she was arrogant beyond comparison, her family was rich and had capital. Over the years, she had been criticized by countless people, but she was still popular and had a place in the entertainment industry.
Speaking of which, it was a little strange. In her previous life, being an entertainer was not a respected profession. It was unexpected that this job would be so popular now.
If it was in the past, Chen Yun would definitely not dare to speak to Xia Wanyuan in such a manner. However, now that the investors had withdrawn their investments one after another, and the stocks had fallen rapidly, the Xia family was facing the threat of destruction. Only last night, the Xia Corporation had officially declared bankruptcy. Xia Wanyuan, who used to be the eldest daughter of the rich Xia family, no longer had the resources or backing to be arrogant, and this had led to her recent alcohol indulgence.
On the other end of the phone, Chen Yun was still talking non-stop, as if he had been suppressed too much in the past. Now, he finally had a chance to vent.
“Hey! Did you hear me!”
“Come over tomorrow. We’ll settle this then.”
Xia Wanyuan hung up the phone, and the world finally quieted down.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Chen Yun froze. It was true that the voice on the other end of the line was Xia Wanyuan, but why did he feel that something was wrong? Shouldn’t Xia Wanyuan be cursing at him? Why did she become so calm, and what was with that commanding tone?
“What a joke! I must have suffered eight lifetimes of bad luck to be working with this unlucky star.”
After cursing softly, Chen Yun immediately took a taxi to the company to clean up the mess caused by Xia Wanyuan. Meanwhile, in the villa, Xia Wanyuan was curiously experiencing new things that she had never seen before.
The original Xia Wanyuan had a flamboyant personality, so all she had was over-the-top clothing and accessories to match. The wild mashup of color made her head hurt. Since the wardrobe was filled with bright-colored clothes, Xia Wanyuan had to rummage through them for a long time before finding a light blue knee-length silk dress to change into.
Picking up her phone, she walked to the first floor where she found servants preparing a meal in the kitchen. When they heard her, they came out instantly. “Miss, dinner is almost ready.”
Xia Wanyuan slightly raised her brows. Based on her memories, the original owner of the body was married. However, she had only gotten the chance to enter the Jun family by drugging her husband and getting herself impregnated. Hence, her husband had demanded her not to publicize their relationship, although everyone in this villa knew about her.
‘So they address me as ‘Miss’ instead of ‘Madam’. It seemed like the original owner of the body was really not well-liked.’
“Go and arrange a car. I’m going out.”
“Miss, where are you going?” Nanny Li, who had been waiting on her for a long time, was thoroughly disgusted by Xia Wanyuan’s words. She had just returned home after drinking so much last night, and now she was going out again after waking up. She did not like the way Xia Wanyuan acted.
“I said, send a car.” She slightly emphasized her words, which attracted Nanny Li’s attention. Nanny Li raised her head and was stunned when she saw Xia Wanyuan.
The woman in front of her had worn a light blue silk dress, with her curly hair hanging loosely on her shoulders. The face that was always laden with makeup was bare, making her look intelligent and refreshing like the lush mountains after the rain. And what made her most afraid to look straight at her was that pair of imposing eyes.
“Okay, I will have them arrange it now.” Before her brain could react, she had already subconsciously voiced her obedience.
The black car stopped in front of the door and the chauffeur opened the door for Xia Wanyuan. “Miss, where are you going?”
“International Kindergarten.”
“Yes, Miss.” The chauffeur was not used to hearing her go to places other than a bar or a restaurant. ‘What’s wrong with Miss Xia today?’