Imperial Palace of Yan Country.
The sun was blazing high in the sky, and the Young Master Gu furrowed his brows, sluggishly following behind a palace maid, his face full of reluctance.
The palace maid turned back to look at him, hesitated for a moment, and reluctantly urged, "Young Master, the selection of the Heir's Companion for Prince Rui is of great importance. The Empress Dowager has been waiting for a long time. Please hurry up."
The Young Master Gu kept a cold face: "The selection for the companion isn't even finalized yet. The Empress Dowager herself isn't in a hurry, so why are you?"
The young palace maid, seeing this, dared not say more.
It was midday, and in the summer's Imperial Garden, clusters of flowers were in full bloom, with shadows of trees swaying. The lotus flowers in the Yuanqing Pool were in full bloom, the rosy pink and green hues flowing above the rippling waters, befitting the name of the distant Floating Green Pavilion.
In the Floating Green Pavilion, two young figures became visible, followed by the sounds of a quarrel and angry shouts.
"I want the lotus roots from the Yuanqing Pool today. Rong Five, you must get into the pool!"
The Young Master Gu paused in his steps and curiously peered over.
The imposingly arrogant one was the Second Prince of the current Emperor, and beside him stood a young man in a light blue robe, who was an unfamiliar face.
The Second Prince noticed the passing Young Master Gu and stepped over to him, jokingly, "Gu Lan, what brings you to the palace... Come, hold up a green canopy for the Young Master Gu."
The Young Master said, "Isn't it because—"
Before he could finish his sentence, something shifted unexpectedly, causing the Young Master Gu to trip and fall into the water.
In the midst of the struggle, he only heard the Second Prince shout loudly: Rong Heng, how dare you push Young Master Gu into the water...
Gu Lan slowly opened her eyes, feeling a splitting headache, and all she saw was a blinding white light.
Only after a long time did she adjust to the light, slightly turning her neck, and next to her, a surprised female voice exclaimed, "The young lord is awake!"
"Quick, go inform the madam!"
Gu Lan squinted her eyes as the hazy light gradually coalesced into a shimmering red canopy. A strange young girl's face appeared before her, and upon seeing her eyes open, the girl wept with joy.
"You've been unconscious for three days since you fell into the water. I thought—"
Fell into the water?
She was clearly on a mission aboard an airplane, so how did she end up in the water?
Gu Lan moved her fingers, and before she could speak, a gentle breeze brushed against her face, and she was already being gently embraced by a woman, with the faint scent of sandalwood wafting into her nostrils, warm and comfortable.
"Lan'er, my Lan'er, you've finally woken up!" The woman cried out, her eyes red as if she hadn't slept for several days and nights, with teardrops falling on the back of Gu Lan's hand, a slight coolness arising.
Meanwhile, the young girl who had just been there had already knelt on the ground, her hands clasped together, uttering, "Bodhisattva, please bless the Young Master to be safe."
Gu Lan slowly raised her hand, startled into silence.
These were the hands of a young teenager, delicate and fair. As an assassin, her hands have never been this soft and tender.
"...Young Master?" she murmured softly.
Though the woman's appearance was haggard, she did not lose composure over Gu Lan's awakening. Nearby, two doctors stood ready, prepared to attend to her at any moment.
Gu Lan's head throbbed with a dull ache, but she had already guessed something, lowering her head to listen closely.
After the doctors carefully took her pulse, they said, the Young Master is physically unharmed, just startled with unsettled emotions, hence needing plenty of rest.
The woman who had just embraced Gu Lan saw the weariness on her face and, after expressing concern again and again, reluctantly left her room.
Upon leaving, the woman earnestly said, "Lan'er, take some rest, don't think too much about what happened that made you fall into the water. I, your mother, will ensure you are not wronged in any way."
Suddenly, the room was left with only the previously joyful and tearful girl and Gu Lan.
Gu Lan's index fingertip rubbed across the smooth cooling silk quilt, she asked gently, "Did you call me, Young Master?"
The girl was startled, nearly rushing out to call for the doctor, but seeing Gu Lan's calm demeanor, she steadied herself and asked quietly, "Young lord, are you still caught up in a nightmare?"
She carefully observed her young lord, who looked the same as ever, handsome and fair, the black and white of his eyes flashing with a certain brilliance making her feel her lord seemed different somehow from before.
Gu Lan slightly frowned, and calmly spoke, "I felt dizzy after falling into the water, tell me about everyday matters to help me recall."
"Then I'll speak about everyday matters... It's now the sixth year of Chengping in Dayan Country, and you're the legitimate son of Dingyuan Marquis — Gu Lan." The girl cautiously stated.
Hearing this name, Gu Lan confirmed her suspicion: "And who might you be?"
The girl's eyes reddened, looking as if she might cry again, "Young lord, do you not recognize your own servant? I'm Zijin, the maid who has served you since childhood."
Gu Lan sighed helplessly. A servant of a cannon fodder character, naturally, she did not know her.
Moments before, she was on a high-altitude mission and hadn't expected the plane to crash, leading her to transmigrate into the novel she had read last night.
As an assassin, Gu Lan's sole leisure interest was reading novels, and the book titled "Dayan Wind and Cloud Record" was right up her alley. She read more than half of it in one night.
"Dayan Wind and Cloud Record" is a male-centric power fantasy novel set in an alternate, fictional country named Yan Country. The male lead, Rong Heng, is the youngest brother of Emperor Yan, distinguished by a singular focus on career with no emotions, a cold-hearted prince unlike the typical male protagonist who levels up by vanquishing monsters and then fills his harem.
The novel's contents were rich and exciting, with its sole regret being the lack of a female protagonist. Whenever a female character seemed poised to spark with the male lead, she wouldn't survive beyond three chapters before being slain by him.
Over time, readers referred to Rong Heng as:
Women, only impede his blade's speed.
She remembered how the novel began with Yan Country's defeat on the battlefield. Faced with national peril and a lack of capable men, the Emperor had no choice but to dispatch Rong Heng and Dingyuan Marquis to lead troops to repel foreign enemies.
As the protagonist, Rong Heng defeated enemy forces, reclaimed lost territory, winning countless victories, and became the Great General commanding significant military forces.
After reading most of the content, Gu Lan flipped directly to the novel's ending — Rong Heng becoming the War God of Dayan, ascending as Emperor.
The character Gu Lan, had been a minor hindrance in the male lead's path to imperial conquest. If not for sharing the same name, Gu Lan might not have even remembered the character.
She took a long time to recall the scant few chapters concerning her own character in the book:
"Young Master Gu Lan, the legitimate son of Dingyuan Marquis, arrogant and ignorant from a young age. After joining the army on the battlefield, continuously plotted to harm the male lead. Unfortunately, outwitted in intelligence, he was eventually slain by a subordinate who could not stand him. This subordinate offered his head to Rong Heng."
Such succinct words summarized the original host's short life.
Isn't this the kind of character who couldn't even survive ten chapters, a cannon fodder male support!
Gu Lan glanced at the polished copper mirror beside the bed, which was intricately engraved with elegant patterns, suggesting a deep underlying history at Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.
In the mirror, was a delicate and slightly pallid face.
About fourteen or fifteen years old, her black hair casually tied with a crimson silk ribbon, setting off the clear and dark eye color, with a slightly upturned outer corner, an appearance both extraordinarily handsome and androgynous.
Gu Lan gently touched her face, not wanting to lose such a large head.
Immediately, she touched her chest.
Soft, very comforting.
—She's still female.
This heir to Dingyuan Marquis is actually a girl?
The book never mentioned that!