Chapter 387
**Chapter 385: The Mistaken Exchange**
In the hidden underground cave of the Southern Chu Imperial Palace, a pungent smell of blood permeated the cold air. In the center of the frigid pool lay a coffin, where Lu Yun's lifeless body rested in eerie silence. The atmosphere in the cave was oppressive, and Emperor Li Yuanli of Southern Chu stood by the coffin, his expression dark and brooding.
He silently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"I told you, forcing the device to start is dangerous," Mo Xun said, sitting cross-legged on the ground, rubbing her sore wrists with a look of helplessness.
Li Yuanli remained silent.
Mo Xun continued, "Now look what you've done. Not only did you fail to bring Shen Wei back, but you've also put her in a perilous situation. The world is vast; Shen Wei could be anywhere. She might be a dying old woman, a prisoner about to face the guillotine, or even a man... how are you going to find her?"
"Shen Wei is already the Empress Dowager, living a good life. Why do you have to ruin it? If I were Shen Wei, I would stab you to death."
"Do you think Li Yuanjing is a fool? If his wife has been swapped out, he will definitely notice."
Mo Xun felt utterly helpless. Trapped in this cramped cave, she could only watch as Li Yuanli took risks, unable to stop him.
The device was unstable, and during its operation, a malfunction had caused Shen Wei to go missing.
Li Yuanli stood up, his black and gold imperial robe sweeping over the blood on the ground. He slowly wiped the blood from his mouth and said coldly, "No matter where she is, I will bring her back."
Mo Xun: ...
With a kick, Mo Xun sent a nearby stone flying into the cold pool, where it made a sharp "thud."
She cursed under her breath, "Zhang He'an's genes are truly problematic! If I had known, I wouldn't have slept with him back then!"
After a moment of silence, Mo Xun's brow furrowed, a flicker of unease crossing her mind. "I've been missing for two years, and he still hasn't come looking for me... what if something happened?"
---
In the Jiangnan region of the Qing Kingdom, Shen Wei suddenly fainted and slept through the night. The Empress Dowager was extremely worried, suspecting that Li Yuanjing was secretly bullying Shen Wei, while Li Yuanjing found himself at a loss for words.
Li Yuanjing couldn't sleep a wink that night.
As dawn broke the next day, the morning light was faint, and birds chirped from the treetops in the courtyard.
Shen Wei slowly regained consciousness, her eyes fluttering open as the blurry scene before her sharpened. She found herself surrounded by luxurious silk curtains, the faint scent of incense wafting through the air, and beside her stood a tall, handsome middle-aged man.
Li Yuanjing had kept vigil by her bedside all night. Hearing a slight movement, he instantly opened his eyes and locked gazes with Shen Wei. "Weiwei?"
"Shen Wei" felt a flicker of movement in her brow, and a faint smile tugged at her lips. She seemed about to call out to Li Yuanjing, but the words caught in her throat.
She had no idea how the original Shen Wei had addressed this former emperor in private. Did she call him "Your Majesty"? Or "Husband"? Or perhaps something else entirely?
So she chose to remain silent, pretending her condition had not yet improved.
"Weiwei, do you feel unwell anywhere?" Li Yuanjing, unaware that Shen Wei's body had been taken over by someone else, held her hand with concern.
"Shen Wei" recalled the original Shen Wei's demeanor. As the virtuous empress in the hearts of the people of Da Qing, Shen Wei was known for her gentle and kind nature.
Thus, "Shen Wei" gazed at him with warmth and softly replied, "I am fine."
Her voice was as gentle as flowing water, filled with deep affection, like any woman in love with her husband.
Li Yuanjing's expression changed in an instant.
---
Both the Emperor of Southern Chu and the Emperor of Qing were filled with unease, while far away in a coastal fishing village, Shen Wei remained in a state of confusion.
She looked around, finding herself in a dilapidated hut. The walls were crumbling, and the wooden windows had been repaired multiple times, with only a crooked board propped against the bed. The door was a tattered fish-skin curtain, and a cold breeze swept into the room, gradually waking Shen Wei from her stupor.
"Big sister, drink... drink your medicine." The fish-skin curtain was lifted, revealing a dark, thin young boy holding a broken bowl, awkwardly approaching her.
Shen Wei focused her gaze and saw that the "bowl" in the boy's hands was a palm-sized shell filled with a dark, bitter medicinal liquid.
Shen Wei was bewildered.
Where was she?
Wasn't she in Jiangnan enjoying the lantern festival? After fainting, how did she end up in this place?
Could it be a dream?
The room was so shabby that there was no mirror. Shen Wei turned around and, in a moment of frustration, banged her head against the wall.
Thud—
The sharp pain in her forehead confirmed that this was not a dream.
The dark-haired boy seemed frightened; he quickly set the shell bowl on a small table and rushed over, tears welling in his eyes as he grasped Shen Wei's hand. "Big sister! Don't die, sob sob, even if you die, Prince Wu won't look at you any more, sob sob."
Shen Wei held her throbbing head and shook off the boy's hand. "Get me a mirror."
The boy, red-eyed, dashed out of the hut. Moments later, he returned, lifting the curtain with a small, broken copper mirror in his hands.
Shen Wei took the copper mirror. The surface was cloudy, but she could vaguely see her reflection.
It was a different face—thin, slightly dark, with large eyes and messy hair, a face that could barely be considered pretty.
She looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years old.
Shen Wei set down the copper mirror, a string of curses bubbling up inside her. After twenty years of hard work, she had finally earned the right to retire and enjoy a life of luxury. Yet, just as she was beginning to savor it, she found herself in another person's body!
Was her future to be spent endlessly repeating this cycle of reincarnation?
Shen Wei felt a wave of despair wash over her, an endless despair.
But as she thought more carefully, something felt strange. Twenty years ago, she had arrived in this world after a car accident, becoming the maid Shen Wei in the royal mansion. At that time, she had inherited all the original owner's memories.
Now, having transformed into a thin fisher girl, Shen Wei found no memories of this new identity in her mind.
"Just go outside; I need to lie down for a bit," Shen Wei said, her face darkening.
The dark-haired boy seemed frightened of her; he stammered, "Big sister, remember to take your medicine."
Shen Wei closed her eyes and nodded.
The boy left the shabby hut.
Shen Wei lay back on the bed, devoid of any desire for life, her eyes unfocused, like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.
After twenty years of hard work, to wake up back at square one—who could accept that?
Shen Wei no longer wanted to fight. She murmured to herself, "If life is just a series of repetitions, what’s the point of striving? I might as well lie flat and give up; if I die, I can just be reborn again."
With no fighting spirit left, she closed her eyes.
After lying there for a while, Shen Wei suddenly flipped over and sat up, slapping her face in frustration. "I can't just lie flat!"
She was destined to be the queen of competition!
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