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Looking at the unusually frail woman with her head bowed before him, Zhao Defang's calm heart was slightly disturbed.

Wanlan must have truly forgotten what happened between them, otherwise, someone as stubborn as her would never have shown weakness in front of him. She was such a strong-willed woman, never hesitating to make any decision.

Perhaps she was just tired.

"Take good rest. Don't worry, you'll gradually remember after a while," he said before leaving her room.

And she—now Wanlan—could only watch him leave in silence, feeling flustered by this unfamiliar world and worried by his distant yet seemingly close attitude.

Zhao Defang and his wife... seem to have a bad relationship.

Chapter 2, My Soul Enters the Song Dynasty, My Heart Is Unsettled (1)

Tokyo, also known as Kaifeng of Bian. It served as the eastern capital during the Liang dynasty, was abolished during the Later Tang, re-established as Tokyo during the Jin dynasty, and became the capital during the Song dynasty, following the Zhou dynasty's precedent. In the third year of the Jianlong era, the northeastern corner of the imperial city was expanded, and officials were ordered to draw up plans of the Luoyang palaces, which were then used for construction, thus making the imperial residence magnificent. In the third year of the Yongxi era, there was a desire to expand the palace city, and an imperial edict was issued ordering Liu Yanhan, the commander of the palace guards, and others to survey the area. However, due to the reluctance of many residents to relocate, the plan was abandoned.

She knew some of the history of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Growing up, she was accompanied only by the vast sea of books, with history books being her favorite.

I first heard of the name "Zhao Defang" in a novel written by a friend. She portrayed Zhao Defang as a middle-aged man around forty years old. I wouldn't have paid much attention to it originally, but my friend specifically mentioned in the preface that this historical Qin king actually died at the age of twenty-three.

That time, it was the first time she couldn't control her normally calm but fragile heart. She heard it pounding and screaming in her chest, and it was the first time she had a serious illness that led to her being sent to the hospital and confined to a ward for a whole year.

To this day, she still doesn't understand why she fell ill because of a stranger's name.

Her life was measured in seconds. For her, who suffered from a congenital heart defect and whose heart could stop beating at any moment, every second was precious. She couldn't run or jump like a normal person. She had to strictly control her thoughts and emotions at all times, and the only guarantee that she could live a longer life was to abandon the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow and happiness.

From the moment she was born, what she saw most was not the meticulous care of her parents, but the medical staff in their white coats. For almost half of her twenty years, she has spent time in the hospital, in her own private ward.

She was lonely, but she knew that loneliness was also a kind of beauty. Each time she woke wearily, whether she saw the rising sun or the twinkling stars, she would smile wryly—her soul still clung to her body, not yet taken to heaven. Over time, the concepts of life and death became blurred in her heart, not out of resignation, but because they had become a reality.

Who would have thought that today, she would awaken from her slumber once again? Her soul had not yet been taken to heaven, but—she was far removed from her original self, far removed from the familiar hospital and doctors, far removed from the ward that suffocated her yet she had to get used to.

She became Zhao Defang's wife, and was not only already a wife but also a mother.

After the initial shock and panic subsided, she calmly accepted everything before her. Twenty years of self-control allowed her to easily dispel the vague panic in her chest. Once all her emotions had calmed down, all that remained was a faint doubt—was she having a deep dream, or was it time travel as described in novels? But shouldn't time travel involve a medium? How did her soul leave her body and travel through the gaps in time and space to arrive here?

Before she could figure out what was going on, she obediently continued to do the work of Wanlan, following all the instructions of Yuanniang, who came to see her every day, and also obediently ate the tonics and medicinal meals that her maidservants brought her from time to time.

She was very quiet, so quiet that no one could feel her presence. At least Zhao Defang couldn't feel it, or so she thought, because she hadn't seen him since she woke up that day, including the son who caused her so much pain.

Although she was as quiet as a doll, it didn't mean her heart was as calm as it appeared. She saw everything around her clearly. For example, there was Yuan Niang, around forty years old, with a kind and gentle face, who treated her very well. She could clearly feel Yuan Niang's concern for her, but that concern was tinged with helplessness, which puzzled her. Then there was the maidservant who attended her. After a few days, she learned that this round-faced, pretty girl was named Xuan'er. She was very dutiful to her mistress, but a faint sense of fear often lingered between her brows. There was another maidservant who caught Wan Lan's attention named Su Li, a very tall and beautiful girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old. She didn't serve Wan Lan directly, but she was the one who brought Wan Lan meals and medicinal dishes every day. And Su Li would always stare at Wan Lan with her long, narrow phoenix eyes while she ate, as if trying to see right through her. She was a very sharp maidservant.

When you are unsure whether your environment is beneficial or harmful, it is best to remain still and wait for the potential drawbacks to emerge before seeking solutions.

So the reborn Wanlan does nothing; in fact, she can't do anything at all.

While still in her postpartum period, she couldn't even leave her room. Fortunately, her room was very large and quite luxurious—with triple carved plum blossom archways, layers of red silk curtains, and beaded and green tassel curtains. On the first day she got out of bed, she was almost shocked by the enchanting scene before her.

The Song Dynasty did not favor extravagance, especially in the early years of its founding. Even the imperial palace was not necessarily very magnificent. Unexpectedly, a courtyard in the Prince of Qin's mansion was so exquisite.

After a few peaceful days, Wanlan remained calm, but someone else couldn't hold back.

That day, Su Li lingered after she finished her meal. Wanlan slightly curved the corners of her mouth, dismissed Xuan'er and the other maids, led Su Li into the inner room, sat on the soft couch and drank tea, not even glancing at Su Li.

"Miss!"

Wanlan glanced sideways in surprise. Su Li's voice was very pleasant, comparable to her beauty. But what surprised her was not that, but Su Li's obviously worried tone and how she addressed her.

Miss?

Over the past few days, everyone around her has been calling her "Madam," so why does Su Li call her "Miss"?

"Su Li, what did you call me?" She spoke softly, looking quietly at the girl in front of her.

Su Li was slightly taken aback by her words, then turned around and looked outside behind the screen. Seeing that no one was there, she returned to her side and lowered her voice considerably, "Miss, the Prince of Yan has returned to the capital. Would you like to go see him?"

The Prince of Yan? Why would she want to see this Prince of Yan?

"Su Li," Wan Lan said, rubbing her forehead as if in pain, and lowered her voice just like her, "I've had a headache ever since I woke up, and I can't remember some things clearly. Could you help me sort things out?"

Su Li paused for a moment, then, seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, hurriedly asked, "Miss, where do you feel unwell? This servant will fetch a doctor to take a look—"

“No,” Wanlan shook her head and smiled slightly at her, “I’m fine, just a little confused. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest. Tell me first, who is this Prince Yan and why I need to see him?”

"Miss?!"

What's wrong with that? Why does the girl in front of me look so shocked after hearing her question?

"Miss, what's wrong with you? How could you forget about the Prince of Yan?"

Wanlan frowned for a long while. Who exactly was this Prince Yan to her? Why should she remember him?

Suddenly remembering something, Wanlan's furrowed brows slowly relaxed—the Prince of Yan…isn't he the second son of Emperor Taizu of Song…the one named Zhao Dezhao, right?

As Zhao Defang's wife, what connection did Wanlan have with Zhao Dezhao?

"Miss?"

"Su Li, how could I forget?" She raised her head, looked at the worried girl in front of her with her brows furrowed, and smiled. "I just said that I'm just a little confused and haven't cleared my head yet."

Su Li looked at her hesitantly and asked cautiously, "Are you sure we don't need to call a doctor?"

"No need, I'll just rest more," Wanlan stood up, looking down at Su Li standing on the bed, clearly seeing the slight doubt on her face, and said slowly, "You can go now. Let me sort things out myself first. There's no rush to see the Prince of Yan. I'm still in my postpartum period and can't even leave the house. Leaving the manor rashly might cause trouble, as you should know very well." The maid in front of her seemed very unhappy that she had forgotten about the Prince of Yan, so... there were some things she had to do herself.

Su Li is on the side of the Prince of Yan, but what about Yuan Niang and Xuan'er?

Before Wanlan could sort things out, she spent two days lost in thought. She felt increasingly dizzy, her thoughts becoming more and more chaotic, and a strange yet familiar pain began to rise in her chest.