I’m Done Being The Female Lead In This Historical Romance - Chapter 1

In the dream, the pitch-black sky spread overhead like spilled ink. Fierce winds carried fine flurries of snow that struck her face like countless needles. Several evergreen pines and cypresses stood within the courtyard of white walls and vermilion tiles. The ground was blanketed in silver, and icy snow drifted down all around her.

A fire crackled inside the house on that winter night, but Ji Lanyin, stripped of her elaborate hair ornaments and magnificent robes, was kneeling in the snow. Her knees had long since gone numb. After kneeling for so long, all strength had drained from her body, and darkness repeatedly clouded her vision.

“Prince Consort,” she heard her dowry maid pleading desperately through the haze of her fading consciousness. “The princess has a delicate constitution. Kneeling for five shichen—ten full hours—has already pushed her beyond her limits. H-How can you casually gouge out the blood from her heart? Concubine Xie has gone much too far!”

“Silence!” The man’s deep voice carried cold, unyielding resolve. “Concubine Xie’s poor health was caused entirely by Ji Lanyin’s torment. If this vicious woman were not so narrow-minded, how could Concubine Xie have fallen unconscious?”

His gaze was icy.

“She may be a princess, but once married, she must still abide by the rules expected of a wife. Ji Lanyin is cruel and consumed by jealousy. Men, carve out the blood from her heart and use it to treat Concubine Xie. If Concubine Xie cannot be cured, I will have every last one of you buried with her!”

At the man’s command, the courtyard erupted into chaos. The maid’s anguished cries tore through the silence of the endless night. Ji Lanyin was a princess, yet the prince consort intended to cut open her chest while she was still alive to treat a mere concubine. Her dowry maids were fiercely loyal and naturally rushed forward to stop him, only to be dragged away by the prince’s well-trained guards. From the distance came the muffled thuds of heavy clubs striking flesh.

The snow fell harder, nearly blinding her. Struggling to support her weakened body amid the wind and snow, Ji Lanyin raised her head and caught the cold metallic scent of steel mingled with blood.

The next moment, a guard’s savage face appeared before her, and a razor-sharp saber came crashing straight down!

Ji Lanyin jolted awake from the nightmare. Only then did she discover that even her innermost garments had been soaked through with sweat, clinging damply and uncomfortably to her skin. A palace maid stood nearby and hurried forward when she heard Ji Lanyin awaken.

“Princess, you’re awake?”

“Princess, following your instructions, the guests are currently admiring this year’s newly bloomed white chrysanthemums in the garden. Would you like to wash and dress before joining them?”

The maid’s gentle voice gradually brought Ji Lanyin back to her senses. By the time she got out of bed and began tidying herself, the lingering palpitations had finally eased.

She looked at the face reflected in the quatrefoil mirror before her. The beauty in the mirror had skin as fair as jade and long, keen eyes. Her brow bones and the bridge of her nose appeared naturally sculpted, lending her features elegant, striking definition. However, her lips, delicate as peach-blossom petals, and the coolness in her eyes added a sense of distance to her beauty, making her seem difficult to approach.

At that moment, she truly was irritated.

Her maid Qiao’er lived up to her name, her clever hands nimble and deft. She applied one final stroke of cinnabar between Ji Lanyin’s brows, making her already exquisite appearance even more refined.

Once her makeup was finished, Ji Lanyin left the side chamber where she had taken her nap, surrounded by her attendants. Only after returning to the courtyard overflowing with flowers did she slowly begin recalling the infuriating dream she had experienced not long ago.

A voice in that dream had told her that the world she lived in was merely a storybook written by some idle good-for-nothing, while she was the “female lead of an angst novel.” In the future, she would marry Gu Xuan, the heir of Prince Wu’an, who was supposedly the male lead of this world.

Gu Xuan appeared gentle, but he was actually quite strong-minded. After their marriage, he would take a concubine to strengthen his family’s political influence. At first, he would claim it was merely to win over an official, yet he would treat that concubine like a precious treasure, cherishing her in the palm of his hand.

The version of Ji Lanyin in the dream was no pushover. She quickly discovered that Gu Xuan and the concubine had long harbored feelings for one another. Furious, she began targeting the woman relentlessly. But that “green tea” responded by presenting herself as pitiful and vulnerable, arousing Gu Xuan’s sympathy and protective instincts.

In the dream, Gu Xuan soon grew disgusted with Ji Lanyin. At the instigation of his “green-tea concubine,” he tormented her in every conceivable way. Later, when the concubine fell ill, a rumor emerged from some unknown source that she needed to drink blood taken from Ji Lanyin’s heart to recover. Gu Xuan did not hesitate before ordering it done.

Afterward, Ji Lanyin seized the opportunity to fake her death. Heartbroken and despondent, she fled the capital, the place that had caused her so much pain. Yet after her “death,” Gu Xuan was consumed with belated regret and began his long journey of pursuing his wife. In the end, the two reconciled, putting all their former grievances behind them.

The dream had felt both fleeting and interminably long, and by the time it ended, Ji Lanyin was absolutely furious.

Gu Xuan was the heir of Prince Wu’an. Prince Wu’an was one of the few princes who did not belong to the imperial clan. His ancestor had accompanied Great Rong’s founding Emperor Taizu on his military campaigns and had been one of the emperor’s most capable and trusted right-hand men.

Ji Lanyin was twenty years old, while Gu Xuan was roughly two years her senior and had already passed the age of coronation. They had crossed paths several times before, and in Ji Lanyin’s opinion, he could at least be considered steady and composed.

Great Rong did not encourage early marriage. Most people only began discussing marriage around the age of eighteen. Ji Lanyin knew that her imperial father wished to win over his most influential officials, which meant marriage alliances were unavoidable. Her mother had also told her that if she married someone in the capital, no matter how their marriage turned out afterward, the prince consort would never dare slight her beneath the emperor’s watchful eye.

Therefore, although she had no particular feelings for Gu Xuan, she did not dislike him either. She had been adored since childhood and had always behaved dutifully, following her imperial parents’ wishes in everything.

But that dream had been far too vivid and intense.

The thought that she, a dignified princess of Great Rong, could be humiliated and mistreated so viciously by her own prince consort made fury churn uncontrollably inside Ji Lanyin.

Even now, the strange, indistinct voice from the end of her dream seemed to linger beside her ears.

“Please follow the script and reach a happy ending with him!”

“Please follow the script…”

Ji Lanyin remained silent.

The last ferocious spell of late-summer heat that had lingered over the capital had finally flicked its tail and departed several days ago. The lingering sultriness of summer’s end was gone, replaced by traces of coolness circling in the air.

A few days earlier, Ji Lanyin had received autumn chrysanthemums presented as tribute from various regions. She loved flowers, and the gardeners, eager to please the Eldest Princess, had long since planted all kinds of autumn-blooming flowers throughout her estate, including cotton rose hibiscuses, orange osmanthus, Oncidium orchids, and bougainvillea. With hundreds of flowers blooming at once, the scenery was no less splendid than the height of spring. Thus, she had invited the young ladies and gentlemen of the capital’s distinguished families to attend today’s Hundred Flowers Banquet.

The princess’s estate was breathtakingly opulent. Mountain springwater had even been specially diverted to form a lake. Young ladies and gentlemen chatted and laughed among the pavilions. When Ji Lanyin’s arrival was announced, everyone turned to welcome her and bowed respectfully.

She had felt somewhat tired earlier and had gone to a rear chamber to rest. Now that she had returned, she curved her red lips into a faint smile.

“I saw everyone enjoying themselves just now. Please continue admiring the flowers at your leisure. There is no need to gather around me and make yourselves feel constrained.”

Ji Lanyin’s status was exceedingly noble. She was the first child born to the reigning emperor and empress. At the age of sixteen, when she underwent her coming-of-age ceremony, she had been granted the title Princess Changping, given a princess’s estate of her own, and assigned a personal guard to protect her. These were all extraordinary honors.

Even though she had spoken that way, which of the noble young ladies present was not socially astute? They understood that the Eldest Princess wanted some peace and quiet, but they could not allow it to appear as though they were neglecting her. Thus, they approached Ji Lanyin in groups of two or three to make pleasant conversation.

“The autumn begonias in the princess’s estate are blooming so brilliantly! There are even rare wisteria flowers. From a distance, they look just like the waterfalls described in poetry. Gathering so many varieties of flowers could not have been easy, and each of them must be carefully pampered and tended. Anyone who saw this would surely envy how deeply Princess Changping enjoys His Majesty’s favor!”

“Exactly, exactly.”

The other noble young ladies all chimed in with their agreement.

Ji Lanyin had only recently escaped from that extraordinarily lifelike dream. She clenched her fist inside her sleeve, concealing the murderous edge in her eyes. Her gaze drifted across the faces of the noble young ladies one by one. When it passed over a green-clad figure not far away, it lingered for a moment longer, seemingly by accident.

Xie Ling’an did not appear to notice that Princess Changping was looking at her. She was whispering about some private matter with the young woman beside her, her voice as sweet as an oriole’s song. To Ji Lanyin, however, it sounded strangely affected.

The young woman was exceptionally pretty. Her round, glossy black eyes made her appear completely harmless. Her face was slightly rounded as well, still carrying a trace of baby fat that had yet to fade entirely. At first glance, she looked sweet and adorable, but there was also a hint of spirited boldness in her features. Once she grew taller and her appearance matured, she would likely possess a gentle warmth without losing her dashing air.

But deliberately pitching her voice that way was far too pretentious.

Ji Lanyin thought coldly.

The capital was filled with high-ranking officials. The head of the Xie family, Xie Li, merely held the position of Vice Minister of Works, which was hardly impressive in the capital. Therefore, Ji Lanyin had to search her memory for some time before she even recalled which Xie family this was.

However, she remembered one thing very clearly. In that seemingly real dream, the “green-tea concubine” who had acted spoiled and coquettish with Gu Xuan, pretended to be ill, played the victim, and demanded Ji Lanyin’s heart’s blood as a cure was none other than the Xie family’s legitimate daughter, Xie Ling’an.

In the dream, everything began at this very Hundred Flowers Banquet in the princess’s estate.

Although Great Rong did not enforce extremely strict boundaries between men and women, that merely meant there was no rule forbidding boys and girls over the age of seven from sharing a table. According to the course of events in her dream, in less time than it took to drink half a cup of tea, she would lose her footing and fall into the water. Gu Xuan would then risk himself to save her.

With so many witnesses present, even if there had been no impropriety beyond the physical contact involved in the rescue, her imperial father would still be forced to issue an official decree granting them a marriage.

The moment Ji Lanyin thought of Gu Xuan, a wave of revulsion rose within her—even stronger than her dislike of Xie Ling’an.

Still, the dream was simply too bizarre. After thinking it over, she did not truly believe it.

But…

Without realizing it, Ji Lanyin had already dismissed the people around her with a few perfunctory remarks and walked toward the water with only two maids accompanying her.

The autumn lake had yet to freeze. Its surface was smooth as a mirror, disturbed only by the gentle ripples raised by the wind, which reflected the colorful shadows of the flowers. The autumn scenery was delightful, and a cool breeze blew softly. A thin layer of sweat had already formed on Ji Lanyin’s palms. Her soft-soled embroidered shoes stood firmly upon the solid ground as she hesitated briefly.

Gu Xuan was walking in her direction, accompanying two imperial princes as they chatted and laughed.

Ji Lanyin finally made up her mind.

Suddenly, one mishap followed another.

She made it seem as though she was turning to admire another patch of flowers near the water, only to accidentally step on the skirt of the maid in front of her. The maid slipped. Ji Lanyin reached out as though to catch her, but instead fell backward toward the lake.

A loud splash rang out as an enormous spray of water erupted from the lake’s surface.

Neither maid was a particularly strong swimmer. When they saw Ji Lanyin fall into the water, their faces turned deathly pale, and they frantically began calling for help.

Ji Lanyin could not swim. Gritting her teeth, she allowed herself to sink, having deliberately chosen this particular location beforehand. Many nobles were present, and with a lake on the estate, the princess’s household managers had naturally considered every possibility. In places frequented by female guests, they had stationed women who were excellent swimmers and ready to respond at any moment.

Gu Xuan was still some distance away from her. No matter what happened, she would never truly allow him to be the one who rescued her.

Yet the icy lake water pressed in from every direction. The burning pain of water flooding her nose and mouth, combined with the heavy sensation of sinking, cast a dark and dangerous shadow over Ji Lanyin’s risky gamble.

Within mere moments, her limbs felt as heavy as though they had been filled with lead, and she began struggling to breathe.

What she did not know was that the instant she fell into the water, Xie Ling’an’s face had abruptly turned deathly pale.

The frail, slender young woman lifted her skirts and, before anyone else could react, plunged into the water ahead of everyone.