Chapter 33

As the sun in the sky was slowly swallowed up by more than half, the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty and other nations fell into a state of panic.

Rong Mo watched all of this, the shock in his eyes impossible to conceal. He whispered to his little fiancée beside him, “Ruyi, did you know that a solar eclipse would occur today?”

“I didn’t know! I only saw it in a dream, but I didn’t know the specific date. The Princess Consort of Rong is quite unlucky to have chosen today to hold her ritual,” Cheng Ruyi shook her head. She truly hadn’t known the exact timing.

In the original book, the appearance of the solar eclipse was merely an internal monologue of the female lead, Cheng Qingyao, during a lotus-viewing poetry gathering. Cheng Ruyi only remembered it because of her powerful mental strength and the fact that she had transmigrated right after reading the book.

The Princess Consort of Rong was a minor background character in the book who maintained an excellent reputation from beginning to end; the book never mentioned whether the eclipse had affected her. If it were the reborn Cheng Qingyao, she would likely know exactly what was happening.

Rong Mo did not ask further.

Ultimately, this eerie ritual concluded with the Princess Consort of Rong looking utterly despondent, unable to withstand the shock and the physical pain, and falling into a faint.

As soon as she fainted, Cheng Ruyi tested the waters a few times. Once she was certain the woman had truly lost consciousness, she dispersed all the black lotuses. They receded back into the pond, the blackness on the petals gradually fading until they slowly returned to their jade-like white state—elegant, noble, and holy.

A performance must be played out to the end, after all.

It was enough to punish the Princess Consort alone; there was no need to drag the entire Xiangguo Temple down with her, even if Cheng Ruyi disliked the grand monks there. She was a woman of principle and wouldn’t involve innocent bystanders. If it weren’t for the Princess Consort’s obvious malice and her repeated schemes—as annoying and disgusting as a jumping cockroach—Cheng Ruyi wouldn’t have bothered with her.

Coincidentally, after the Princess Consort fainted and the sun had lost a massive chunk, it slowly began to restore itself. The entire process took about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. It was as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.

The crowd stood dumbfounded. “…”

At this point, nothing else needed to be said. It was certain that the Princess Consort of Rong had committed some evil deed that provoked heavenly wrath.

The maids and elderly nannies supporting the Princess Consort were secretly glad she had fainted. Otherwise, seeing the sun restore itself right after her collapse would have made her cough up blood. They tremblingly took the Princess Consort away, fearing that if they stayed a moment longer, they would be surrounded by a mob.

Cheng Ruyi thought, What perfect timing! The Princess Consort was a walking tragedy. Could it be she really did something so heinous it angered the heavens? Cheng Ruyi felt a rare spark of curiosity regarding the woman. However, the show was over. She didn’t plan to stay at the temple and left with Rong Mo.

For people of this era, rumors were the most damaging and terrifying weapons.

Normally, when a solar eclipse appeared, the reigning Emperor would have to issue an “Edict of Self-Reproach.” The Emperor had been prepared for this and had already written it. However, when news of the strange events at Xiangguo Temple reached the palace, the Emperor was overjoyed.

Heaven protects Great Zhou! I’m sure Elder Lin will understand me.

Thus, the Princess Consort of Rong became the perfect scapegoat. Out of respect for her father, the Imperial Tutor, the Emperor only stripped her of her title as District Princess.

The logic was simple: while the Princess Consort was being tormented by black lotuses, the sun disappeared. Once she fainted, the sun returned. No one would believe she wasn’t the culprit!

With so many nobles and commoners witnessing the event, it was impossible to hide. Furthermore, with the Emperor’s deliberate promotion, the story spread through the capital instantly and was fast-tracked to surrounding provinces.

The Prince of Rong went from being envied by all to being pitied by all. Those noble ladies who had viewed the Princess Consort as a role model were so frustrated they nearly spat blood, regretting their lack of discernment in being fooled by such a hypocrite for over a decade.

For a time, the once-reputable Princess Consort replaced the Emperor as the target for the panicked citizens’ frustrations. And this was only the beginning; when the Great Calamity arrived, her fate would be even more wretched.

The appearance of the eclipse proved the truth of Cheng Ruyi’s “dreams.” The Emperor immediately summoned the Prince of Pingnan to the palace.

Back at the manor, Cheng Ruyi was all smiles, happily munching on various meats and dried jerky served by Moxian. Rong Mo sat by her side, sipping tea while harboring a belly full of questions.

His little fiancée’s abilities were too heaven-defying. A sense of crisis and urgency rose in his heart; he wished he could become powerful immediately to hold up the sky for her.

After filling her stomach, Cheng Ruyi watched Moxian clear the table and set out fresh tea and more jerky before retreating. She gave a satisfied sigh and habitually leaned against Rong Mo. Finally, she had replenished her energy. This was the life! Fighting back and forth was far too taxing on the brain.

A slender hand brought a cup of tea to her lips.

“Thanks, Cousin! You’re the best!” Nestled in his arms, Cheng Ruyi gulped down the tea and spoke sweetly.

“If I’m not good to you and you run away, what will I do?” Rong Mo chuckled softly, set down the cup, and lightly brushed her hair while holding her soft, fragrant body.

“Hmph, as long as you know,” Cheng Ruyi muttered arrogantly. The smile on Rong Mo’s lips deepened.

“Cousin, did the lotuses at the temple move because of your special ability? And how did you change their color from white to red and then black?” With no one around, Rong Mo finally asked.

Cheng Ruyi snuggled like a lazy cat. Hearing his question, she gave a mysterious and boastful smile.

“I have a magical power. I can control and accelerate the growth of plants, and I can also clear toxins—especially in medicinal herbs. The herbs I grow have intense vitality and excellent efficacy. You should know this best, Cousin; those two ginseng roots I gave you were originally very young, but I matured them before digging them up.”

She didn’t intend to hide her powers from Rong Mo. She had already exposed herself in front of him long ago anyway.

“As for the white lotuses turning blood-red, I snuck to the temple last night and put a large amount of red dye in the pond. This dye was hidden in the roots and stems of the lotuses. Using my power, I transported the dye to the petals, turning them red. A little more stimulation made them look like blood.”

“The black lotuses were the same, though I added a bit of the stench of swamp mud…” Cheng Ruyi chuckled, looking quite excited by her successful prank.

Once the veil of mystery was stripped away, it wasn’t so mysterious anymore. Thinking of the rumors of “divine miracles” spreading outside, Rong Mo’s mouth twitched. “…You really are something.”

So that was how the “miracle” happened. Powerful indeed.

“The fruit trees in our manor are growing so well; you have a hand in that too, right?” Rong Mo looked at the vibrant trees nearby, his tone certain.

Cheng Ruyi nodded as a matter of course. “Naturally! It’s a pity I can’t fully accelerate them, or the trees would be overflowing with fruit by now.”

Rong Mo pinched her fair, tender cheek dotingly. “It’s a good thing you didn’t.”

“I’m not stupid!” Cheng Ruyi rolled her eyes. The people here were extremely superstitious; if she were caught, she’d be treated as a demon and burned at the stake.

The two laughed and chatted intimately. In the distance, Moxian stopped Nanny Yang from approaching, refusing to let her disturb the young miss and the cousin as they fostered their relationship. Nanny Yang sighed sadly; teaching this young miss—who spent three days fishing and two days drying the nets—was exhausting.

Having sensed Nanny Yang’s arrival, Cheng Ruyi hid her face in Rong Mo’s chest and giggled. Another day successfully avoided! To be honest, she didn’t mind learning household management or etiquette, but her patience was limited. She would slack off whenever possible. She didn’t notice the knowing smile in Rong Mo’s eyes.

The Marquis of Changle returned home early today. The events at Xiangguo Temple were the talk of every street corner. Naturally, the Marquis knew and hurried back with his son to celebrate with his dear wife.

For the past few days, Cheng Yu had been following his father to play with fighting roosters and cards, having the time of his life. Leaving early today left a look of reluctance on his small face.

As soon as they returned, the Marquis saw his daughter and future son-in-law showing off their affection in the gazebo, nearly blinding him. He pulled his son away to avoid the sight, but then remembered they had been at the temple today, so he turned back.

“Daughter! I heard you and Rong Mo were at the temple watching the show. Hurry and tell Father about the scene!” The Marquis smiled broadly as he pulled Cheng Yu over and sat opposite them.

Cheng Yu greeted his sister and cousin happily and started munching on jerky. For the last three months, he’d had endless meat to eat—it was the best time of his life. It was great having a sister! If they ran out of meat, she’d just take a stroll in the mountains and bring back a pile of prey.

Cheng Ruyi sat up from Rong Mo’s arms and smiled slyly, shamelessly praising herself. “Father, it’s such a pity you didn’t go! That scene… it was a miracle the likes of which haven’t been seen in ten thousand years! The Princess Consort of Rong was truly unlucky…”

She then babbled on, recreating the scene with great flourish and schadenfreude. Hearing how the Princess Consort was surrounded by black lotuses and looked utterly disheveled, the Marquis laughed heartily. “How satisfying!”

“That Princess Consort’s name will stink for ten thousand years, haha!”

Seeing his little fiancée so lively, Rong Mo’s eyes were full of smiles.

“She probably did too many immoral things, and her karma finally arrived,” Cheng Ruyi gloated. “Now she can barely save herself; she definitely won’t have time to plot against us. I just feel bad for the Prince of Rong. He seems so wise, yet how did he get tripped up by women?”

The Marquis had a decent impression of the Prince of Rong. Although the Prince had concubines, there were only two or three, one of whom was forced on him by the Princess Consort herself. Compared to other royals, his backyard was quite clean.

It was just that the Prince had poor taste. The women he chose weren’t good; one was a hypocritical villain, and the other was secretly sleeping with his only son. However, none of these concubines had produced children—rumored to be a health issue on the Prince’s part. The Prince only had the Heir as a son; twenty years ago, there was another, but it was stolen away at three months old by the Princess Consort’s confidante and had been missing ever since. It was likely dead.

“…Father, I’m not very well-read, so don’t lie to me. ‘Wise’ is not the word for that,” Cheng Ruyi rolled her eyes.

The Marquis felt a bit stifled being lectured by his daughter. “…”

“So, you can’t just look at the surface. The surface is just a layer of skin; judging by appearances is unreliable. The Princess Consort is a perfect example,” Cheng Ruyi continued.

“If we don’t look at the surface, what do we look at?” The Marquis asked curiously, wanting to see what wisdom his daughter would spout.

“Look at the inside! I chose Cousin because of his ‘inside,'” Cheng Ruyi boasted. She even reached out and patted Rong Mo’s firm, powerful chest with a look of satisfaction.

Rong Mo froze. What does she mean? Is the ‘inside’ she’s talking about my body?

The Marquis’s mouth twitched at his daughter’s action. He thought he was unconventional enough, but his daughter had surpassed him. Touching her fiancé’s chest right in front of her father and brother… so unladylike. Cheng Yu, however, watched with shining eyes; his sister was truly incredible.

“Ahem, Daughter… you really are under-educated. That’s not how you define ‘inside,'” the Marquis said earnestly while glaring at Rong Mo.

“Anyway, that’s how I understand it!” Cheng Ruyi tilted her chin up.

The daughter-obsessed Marquis surrendered. “Fine, whatever you say.”

After chatting for a while, Cheng Ruyi excitedly brought up selling medicine again. Upon hearing this, the Marquis immediately made an excuse and fled to find his wife.

Cheng Ruyi was displeased. “Cousin, let’s go make medicine. Once Father sees the effects of the divine medicine, he will definitely support me!”

Action was better than hesitation. She dragged her cousin away. In her mind, the Princess Consort matter was over. She didn’t care about the aftermath; the most important thing now was making money through divine medicine.

She left Cheng Yu sitting there alone, eating jerky.

At the Jianan Marquis Manor, Cheng Qingyao had not gone to watch the ritual today. Instead, she stayed home, waiting for the celestial sign to appear.

In her past life, the Princess Consort had held this same ritual. Because it was so grand and coincided with a solar eclipse, some nasty rumors had circulated. However, due to the Princess Consort’s powerful family, those doubts were quickly buried. They hadn’t caused even a ripple—much like the rumors of her affair with Master Huiyuan yesterday, which had vanished instantly.

As a woman, Cheng Qingyao slightly envied the Princess Consort. She had a powerful background, a doting husband, and a brilliant son. It was a pity the woman rarely attended banquets, making her hard to approach.

But it was only “slight” envy. Her cousin, Cheng Ruyi, was the one she truly envied and hated in her past life—a useless, uneducated brat who somehow received Yan Zihao’s unique and absolute devotion.

But in this life… Cheng Ruyi was stupid enough to choose a fiancé with the fate of a ‘Calamity Star.’ I hope she gets married soon and is cursed to death.

Qiulan entered the room and saw the young miss sitting quietly by the window, skillfully embroidering. Her movements were elegant. Qiulan hesitated to interrupt the peaceful scene.

“Qiulan, you’re here. Is something wrong?” Cheng Qingyao had been thinking of her past life while sewing. She had noticed Qiulan immediately and spoke up.

Qiulan quickly handed over an invitation. “Miss, this is an invitation from the Heir of Prince Wei.”

Upon hearing “Heir of Prince Wei,” Cheng Qingyao’s brows knitted slightly, a trace of annoyance flashing across her beautiful face. She opened it and saw it was an invitation to the coming-of-age ceremony for his sister, the District Princess Wuyang. Her initial thought to refuse vanished. Many princesses and district princesses would be there; it was a great chance to network. She told Qiulan to send her acceptance.

After Qiulan left, Cheng Qingyao’s thoughts drifted again. For some reason, her mother, Lady Han, had become increasingly strict and was even trying to arrange a marriage for her with the Heir of Prince Wei. If she hadn’t resisted fiercely, it might have been settled by now.

Meanwhile, Cheng Wanru had actually secured a betrothal with Tang Shuhua, carving out a path for herself despite Qingyao’s suppression. Qingyao’s chest ached with anger. The marriage was set; it was too late to stop it. She couldn’t understand how those two had hooked up.

Furthermore, Lin Xin’er and her brother, Lin Jingxun, were drifting away from her. Meeting them at the tea house yesterday had been a mere accident. After leaving, they had gone their separate ways. Qingyao felt uncomfortable; Lin Jingxun had clearly admired her before, but now he had changed. What went wrong?

The Fourth Prince and Ye Wanlin had been granted marriage by the Emperor. The arrogant Cheng Qingyao was unwilling to be beneath Ye Wanlin, so she painfully gave up on the Fourth Prince to look for other options. But other princes were hard to approach. She didn’t want to look desperate, yet the Heir of Prince Wei kept pestering her. She had hinted at her lack of interest several times, but he was too dense to understand.

Thinking of what Master Bujie had said yesterday, her heart sank. She murmured to herself: “Heaven creates talent without high or low; do not be too haughty, lest you ruin yourself and others. Cherish your blessings and fate.”

“Lest you be too haughty? Heh!” Cheng Qingyao sneered. Wasn’t he just telling me not to try and climb the social ladder through marriage? She didn’t believe in fate. The next two years would be her opportunity. Prince Wei was just an idle prince; Chu Yu’en’s status as a Prince’s Heir was far below Lin Jingxun’s status as a Marquis’s Heir. If she didn’t want Lin Jingxun, she certainly didn’t want Chu Yu’en.

The time was coming. She stood by the window.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the solar eclipse appeared as scheduled. Her expression was calm, but a smile touched her eyes. Finally.

This “ill omen” signaled that her chance to rise would soon arrive. The Emperor would soon issue an Edict of Self-Reproach. During the two years of calamity, the Emperor’s reputation would drop to freezing point as the people blamed him for offending heaven.

In her past life, only the Fourth Prince emerged as a leader during the disaster, winning the hearts of the people and eventually being named Crown Prince. As a reborn soul, she could use the Emperor’s distractions to gain fame during the crisis. Now, she just needed a powerful prince as a backer.

The Fourth Prince was out. She had to choose between the Second Prince and the Seventh Prince—both had powerful mothers and factions. With her help, whoever she chose would become the ruler, and she would become the most noble woman in Great Zhou.

The more she thought, the brighter her eyes became. Her previous frustration vanished. It’s a pity the God of War, Prince Pingnan, is too hard to reach. Otherwise, he would be the best choice. She felt a twinge of regret.

At this moment, news of the events at Xiangguo Temple hadn’t reached her yet. She was still dreaming her sweet dreams.

Shortly after noon, the news arrived. Cheng Qingyao was stunned. Her jaw dropped. This didn’t happen in my past life… why has the Princess Consort become the source of the disaster?!

A bad premonition rose in her heart. She felt something even bigger was coming.

Sure enough, near evening, a royal announcement was made to the world.

It stated that the Emperor had invited ten high monks to peer into the heavenly secrets. They predicted a massive calamity over the next two years. All citizens were urged to stockpile grain and water. Simultaneously, the government would freeze grain prices and severely punish any merchants who dared to hike prices!

A bolt from the blue!

Her “Green Cloud Dream ¹ ambition to rise !” She had been secretly preparing for three years, and this was the result?

The shock was too much. Cheng Qingyao spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted from the stress.

Unlike Cheng Qingyao, when Cheng Ruyi heard the announcement, she had no reaction. It was just the result of the “little trap” she had dug finally coming to fruition. Anyway, her manor had already stockpiled enough food.

The only thing she was worried about now was: if everyone was spending their money on grain, who would buy her divine medicine?

Cheng Ruyi felt as if her mountains of gold, silver, and jewels were drifting away.

Her heart ached!

Sansukini: Why do they always vomit blood? 😂😂😂

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