Zhao Xu stood at the doorway of the prison cell. Beside him stood a Daoist priest wearing traditional vestments and holding a horsetail whisk.

  While Zhao Xu heard Noble Lady Zhou’s endless prattling, he didn’t know who she was talking to.

  He scanned the entire prison cell and saw only her. But it was clear that she was talking to someone.

  Zhao Xu’s expression was sharp as he stared at Noble Lady Zhou.

  Sure enough, this woman had a secret. Zhao Xu’s heart beat a bit faster. Tension and anticipation welled up deep inside him.

  “Noble Lady Zhou!” Zhao Xu shouted. Noble Lady Zhou slowly turned around. The moment she saw Zhao Xu, she immediately dashed towards him. But the room’s iron bars stopped her in her tracks.

  Noble Lady Zhou grabbed the bars and yelled, “Your Majesty, please believe this concubine! This concubine didn’t poison you! I’m not an assassin! How can this concubine convince Your Majesty of the truth!?”


  Noble Lady Zhou was terrified. The system said it would abandon her and she’d been accused of regicide. She was screwed if Zhao Xu didn’t believe her!

  She had been in ancient times for quite a while. She was so busy with being a monarch’s top favored concubine, getting used to his unconditional doting. The peerless talent, the most favored in the inner palace… She had expected them to be a power couple for the rest of their lives.

  But all that was forgotten now. Noble Lady Zhou just wanted to live, to survive. She only wanted to be her original self again: to be Zhou Ningning.

  This entire situation was completely different from what she’d imagined. More importantly, it was also different from the system’s plans.

  “Tell me all your secrets, then I’ll believe you. Speak up.” Zhao Xu watched Noble Lady Zhou through the iron bars.

  “Secrets? What secrets?” Noble Lady Zhou tried to be evasive.

  Zhao Xu sneered. “Not a shred of honesty, even now?”


  “Daoist Priest, take a look at this woman.” Zhao Xu asked the Daoist beside him. “Examine her to see what kind of demon she really is.”


  The priest with his long beard looked over at Noble Lady Zhou and asked, “What was the birthdate of this noblewoman?”


  Zhao Xu raised his chin towards the eunuch beside him, who took out a piece of paper and handed it to the Daoist.

  The Daoist priest looked over the eight characters on the sheet and spent some time calculating. He cupped his hands at Zhao Xu. “Your Majesty, the real Noble Lady Zhou is already dead. This ‘Noble Lady Zhou’ is merely a reincarnation, a body occupied by a wandering ghost.”


  Hearing this, Noble Lady Zhou’s strength drained from her. She sat on the ground with a blank expression. Then her voice became truly panicked as she yelled, “Your Majesty, this concubine isn’t a wandering ghost! This concubine is Zhou Ningning! This concubine is truly Zhou Ningning!”


  “Confess. What secrets are you hiding?” Zhao Xu asked indifferently. “We asked the Cold Palace maids to describe Zhou Ningning’s appearance and had a painter draw it. Zhou Ningning was nothing like you.”


  “Although you look alike, you’re not the same person.” Zhao Xu stared at Noble Lady Zhou. “How did you become like this?”


  “This concubine has always been like this!” Noble Lady Zhou fervently shook her head. “This concubine hasn’t changed at all.”


  Zhao Xu exhaled and clicked his tongue. “So you won’t speak until you’re forced to. Drag her out for punishment.”


  “Your Majesty… ” Noble Lady Zhou looked dumbstruck when she was dragged out of the room by the imperial bodyguards and lashed to a cross.

  As Noble Lady Zhou struggled with all her strength, her expression became increasingly frightened.

  Translator: Kiara