In the sixth year of Chengqing, on the Qianqiu Festival, noble families from across the capital entered the palace to celebrate the empress’s birthday.
In the imperial garden, the sound of string music echoed, and young girls played and laughed joyfully, creating a scene of springtime beauty.
In a side hall near the Tingyue Water Pavilion, a beautiful young girl sat in a daze on a chaise lounge.
Her hair was as black as ink, her lips like dotted pearls, and her fair, smooth skin was as delicate as congealed cream. Sunlight poured down through the lattice window, enveloping her body like a bright pearl exuding a soft glow, so beautiful that neither brush nor ink could capture it.
“Eldest Young Miss Gu.”
The speaker was an imperial physician of about forty years old. He solemnly reminded her, “You need to apply the medicine to the wound on your face daily. Don’t neglect it; otherwise, it will definitely leave a scar later.”
Gu Zhizhuo tilted her head slightly, revealing a large patch of black medicinal ointment on her cheek. The strong scent of the medicine and the faint stinging pain made her fully aware of a harsh reality—
She was reborn!
She had returned to this day, the beginning of a nightmare.
On this day, she accompanied her grandmother into the palace to celebrate the Qianqiu Festival.
After the imperial ceremony, the empress kept a few madams to chat with and had the palace attendants lead the young ladies to play in the imperial garden.
They played a game of pitch-pot in the Tingyue Water Pavilion. No one knew who had poor aim, and the arrow struck her face. Fortunately, the arrowhead was made of wood and polished very smoothly, so it only left a slight reddish scratch on her cheek when it grazed her.
To avoid losing manners at the upcoming palace banquet, Gu Zhizhuo went to a side hall, intending to apply a cold compress.
Later, the imperial physician arrived.
At that time, who could have thought that such an insignificant scratch would fester within just a few days after she returned?
Half of her face became red and swollen, with pus oozing out. Not to mention wiping it; even the slightest touch while applying medicine would tear the skin, exposing raw flesh.
It hurt.
But when she sat before the bronze mirror and watched herself gradually transform into something resembling a malevolent ghost day by day, it was no longer just pain.
It was a despair etched into her very bones.
Gu Zhizhuo’s fingers, hidden within her sleeves, were taut like dawn strings.
Her personal maid, Qiongfang, was frightened by the imperial physician’s words and hurriedly asked, “Imperial Physician Liu, is there anything else we need to pay attention to?”
Imperial Physician Liu stroked his beard and said, “My medicinal ointment, Eldest Young Miss Gu, must be applied daily for seven consecutive days.”
“During this period, there will be some itching, pain, and fever. Remember not to scratch it with your hands. If there is some redness and swelling, do not worry; just continue applying the medicine.”
He solemnly reminded, “If you don’t want to leave a scar, you must not stop halfway.”
Qiongfang nodded repeatedly, almost to the point of taking out a brush and paper to jot things down.
Gu Zhizhuo had originally kept her eyes lowered, but at the moment, she suddenly opened them. She had a pair of strikingly beautiful phoenix eyes, with slightly upturned corners. As her gaze shifted, a faint aura of murderous intent flickered within.
She watched as Imperial Physician Liu placed a fine, sky-blue porcelain medicine jar on the table.
She then watched as he tidied up his medicine box and rose to take his leave.
Suddenly, she asked, “Imperial Physician Liu, what medicine is this?”
Imperial Physician Liu cupped his hands and replied vaguely, “It is called the All-Healing Treasure Ointment, a formula derived from an ancient text.”
“The imperial consorts and princesses in the palace use this for scratches and bruises. Not only does it heal wounds, but it also nourishes the skin.”
Before she could ask further, he smiled warmly and said, “Eldest Young Miss Gu, rest assured. His Highness Third Prince had specifically instructed me, and I will not be negligent. I will come to your residence for a follow-up examination in three days. By then, you should be almost recovered.”
Gu Zhizhuo nodded and instructed, “Qiongfang, see him out.”
Qiongfang responded and followed him out, not forgetting to ask, “Imperial Physician Liu, please tell me again, what else do we need to pay attention to?”
“Besides avoiding spicy and greasy foods, is there anything else…”
“……”
As soon as Imperial Physician Liu left, Gu Zhizhuo wiped the ointment off her face with a handkerchief.
Even so, she still felt uneasy. She looked around the side hall and spotted a washbasin and bronze mirror in the corner. The washbasin was still half-filled with clear water, which had been specially brought by a palace maid earlier for a cold compress on her face.
Gu Zhizhuo cupped the water in her hands and splashed it onto her cheeks, then meticulously wiped her face with a handkerchief, over and over again.
“Eldest Young Miss, I just inquired—this Imperial Physician Liu is a master in treating injuries. His father was also an imperial physician in the palace. He’s truly skilled.”
Qiongfang was still outside, but her cheerful voice reached in first.
“His Highness the Third Prince really cares about you…”
She stopped speaking abruptly, then hurried over nervously and said in a slightly raised tone, “Eldest Young Miss! Imperial Physician Liu said that this medicine must be applied every day.”
“It’s fine,” Gu Zhizhuo replied without even looking up. “Go and close the doors.”
Qiongfang let out an “Oh” and obediently went to shut the doors first.
Gu Zhizhuo dried the water off her face and looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror. Her skin was as fair as snow, her brows like distant mountains, and her features were exquisitely flawless.
Her slender fingers gently touched her soft cheeks, and her full red lips curved slightly, causing two shallow dimples to appear at either side of her cheeks.
After her face had been disfigured, she hadn’t dared look into a bronze mirror again, nor had she seen her own face for a very long time.
In this moment, it felt like a lifetime ago.
She had almost forgotten that she had once been so beautiful and lovely.
Qiongfang closed the doors and anxiously muttered, “Eldest Young Miss, Imperial Physician Liu said the medicine must be applied at all times.”
Qiongfang thought she worried about appearing improper in front of the palace hall.
“How about I report to the Old Madam and ask for a leave on your behalf?”
“This isn’t a good thing.” Gu Zhizhuo picked up the small medicine jar and shook it gently. Her slightly hoarse voice carried a hint of lingering fear: “Using it will cause the skin to fester and rot. Within three days, my face will be completely disfigured, and there will be no cure.”
She had already suffered this pain in her previous life, and she had enough of it!
“Ah!”
Qiongfang let out a startled cry and then quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Her eyes were widened, and her voice seemed to have gotten stuck in her throat.
Qiongfang had been by Gu Zhizhuo’s side since childhood, and she had never once doubted her words.
Now, she was so anxious that her face turned bright red: “How could Imperial Physician Liu do such a thing! I’ll go find him and settle the score!”
Gu Zhizhuo’s tone was laced with mockery: “A mere imperial physician, how could he dare to harm a noble lady within the palace?”
“It was Xie Jing.”
Those three words—Gu Zhizhuo spoke them with absolute certainty, a deep, seething hatred lingering in her heart.
Qiongfang’s mouth hung half-open, and after a long moment, she stammered, “Wh-why?”
“His Highness the Third Prince? He… he’s your fiancé!”
Yes. Gu Zhizhuo tugged at the corner of her lips, revealing a self-mocking smile.
“Because he has someone he loves. He wanted to break off the engagement but didn’t want to be criticized for it.”
She, too, couldn’t figure it out before.
But after experiencing the confiscation of her family’s property, exile, and witnessing her loved ones die in agony one by one, when she looked back on everything that had happened, it was as if the fog before her eyes had finally lifted, and everything became clear.
The Gu family belonged to the prestigious Duke of Zhenguo manor. Their ancestor followed the great ancestor in the uprising, fighting valiantly across the land and earning great military merits.
After the Taizu Emperor ascended the throne, he rewarded their merits and bestowed upon them the title of Duke Zhenguo, which was hereditary.
Since then, the Gu family had guarded the northern borders of Da Qi and commanded the military for generations.
Among all the military generals of Da Qi, only the Gu family held the power of two hundred thousand troops, and only the men of the Gu family have died in battle, generation after generation, without a single one meeting a peaceful end.
More than four years ago, the Liang Country invaded the border with overwhelming force. General Zhou Jian, who guarded the northwest, died in battle, and his army of eighty thousand was completely wiped out. Several border cities were massacred one after another, with countless civilians killed and injured.
The Liang’s iron cavalry burned, killed, and looted all the way, and in just three months, they approached Luoxia Pass.
Luoxia Pass was the most crucial stronghold on the western frontier of Da Qi. If it were to fall, the entire nation would be in grave danger.
The Emperor had no choice but to urgently over eight hundred li to recall her father, the Duke Zhenguo, from the northern border and ordered him to go to Luoxia Pass to resist the enemy.
It was well known that the Duke Zhenguo, Gu Taotao, was a brave and formidable warrior who had never been defeated.
This war lasted for a full year and a half. Liang Country was utterly defeated and fled, ceding several cities and sending a petition to surrender. Seizing the momentum, the duke pursued them relentlessly, pushing Da Qi’s border nearly a thousand li westward.
Da Qi achieved a grand victory, and the entire nation rejoiced.
But the duke left his life on the plains, leaving only posthumous honors.
The emperor was grief-stricken and canceled court for three days. Later, before the entire court of civil and military officials, he promised her to the Third Prince, Xie Jing, in front of her father’s spirit.
As the legitimate son of the empress, Xie Jing had a boundless future ahead of him. The imperial court and commoners all praised the emperor’s deep, ocean-like grace toward the Duke Zhenguo.
However, Xie Jing’s heart already belonged to another. He didn’t want to let his sweetheart be a concubine, so he was determined to break off the engagement. But this marriage was actually a way for the emperor to placate the military. If he acted rashly, he would offend many military generals and jeopardize his path to becoming a crown prince.
Unless she herself became “unworthy” of being the Third Prince’s consort.
She was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Duke Zhenguo, and by family background, she was worthy to become the mother of the country.
To be deemed “unworthy” of the Third Prince, she would have to lose her chastity, become crippled, or…
Be disfigured!
Qiongfang was anxious and angry: “How could someone do such a vile and despicable thing!”
This was simply too much bullying. Qiongfang was so angry she was nearly in tears.
Gu Zhizhuo’s emotions were in turmoil.
Memories from her previous life flooded her mind like a nightmare, mingling with deep-seated hatred, loathing, and rage.
In her previous life, after returning to the manor, she developed a high fever and was in a dazed, delirious state.
At first, the manor had specifically invited Imperial Physician Liu over. He repeatedly assured them that it was normal and nothing to worry about.
But when she awoke from her fevered sleep, she discovered that her face had already begun to rot.
In that moment, she nearly broke down.
Right after that, even more devastating events occurred one after another.
Her twin brother, Gu Yican, who was tasked with leading troops to suppress bandits, failed in his mission and allowed the bandits to break through into the outskirts of the capital, where villagers of several villages were massacred under their butcher knives.
The common people of the capital and surrounding regions were gripped by fear, restless, and anxious.
The emperor was furious and issued an edict ordering Xie Jing to personally escort Gu Yican under guard.
Gu Zhizhuo was both shocked and deeply worried, anxiously waiting day and night. At last, Xie Jing returned to the capital, but her brother did not return with him.
At the Meridian Gate public square, in front of a full court of officials and the onlookers, Xie Jing reported with righteous indignation: Gu Yican, out of cowardice and fear of death, killed his guards and fled, and his whereabouts were unknown.
Gu Zhizhuo didn’t believe such words at all. In a moment of lost composure, she rushed forward, wanting to demand the truth.
However, Xie Jing casually lifted the veil from her face with the tip of his sword in his hand.
Under the gaze of the crowd, her festering, pus-filled face was exposed.
Xie Jing looked at her with a half-smile and said:
“As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart. Your appearance is just like your brother’s nature—vicious and cruel.”
“It’s a pity that the Duke Zhenguo’s lifetime of honor was wasted.”
From then on, everyone in the world knew that the legitimate eldest daughter of the Duke Zhenguo’s manor was ugly as a demon and was vicious at heart without self-awareness. She shamefully clung to the Third Prince, who was as bright and pure as the moon, refused to let go of the engagement, and even insisted the Third Prince protect the defected Gu Yican out of favoritism.
Gu Zhizuo’s mind was filled with the memory of Xie Jing’s cold, indifferent gaze on that day, and the surging emotion welled up in her heart, causing a dull pain in her chest.
She had thought countless times about what she would do if given the chance to start over.
And now, heaven had truly given her that chance!
