After Entering The Abusive Novel, I Became The Empress - Chapter 33

The spring sunlight wasn’t harsh, but it warmed the heart. Youthful stirrings of emotion hid within tender new buds, quietly sprouting and taking root.

The two gazed at each other in silence—one intense like freshly brewed liquor, the other light and unripe like fruit wine. Both intoxicating, but each in a different way.

“I…” Qin Yuqing suddenly felt regret. She had spoken without thinking. If she truly had lost memories, how could she possibly have gone so long without realizing it?

On the other hand, the system stood above this world. If it truly wished to block her from investigating the truth here, it had ten thousand means of doing so—none of which she could perceive.

“Regret is useless.”

Lu Jingchuan seemed to see through the hesitation in her heart. His face was tinged red from drink, though it was unclear whether from tears or alcohol. For once, he crossed the line—reaching out to gently brush the back of her hand. When she didn’t pull away, he cautiously covered it with his own and said softly:

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll always be here.”

Such simple words, yet they gave Qin Yuqing limitless courage. She didn’t want to blindly finish tasks. But she was also afraid—if this world truly was as she suspected, then who in the real world had written this book?

And who was the original heroine who had lived inside this body? Why had she ended up here?

Countless riddles lay ahead of Qin Yuqing. She could see her future road shrouded in mysteries, with only the path offered by the system being one-way and guaranteed.

This time, the system did not sound any warnings. It seemed, for now, it could do nothing to her—at the very least, it needed to preserve her.

If that was the case, then the three assassination attempts in Wenshan deserved deeper thought. The first two, the system declared non-fatal, but the third carried genuine danger—and the system had been visibly anxious then.

On what basis did the system make its judgments?

“Lu Jingchuan.” Qin Yuqing hesitated. Her earlier words had been impulsive, and when it came to feelings, she was utterly inexperienced. But she would never betray anyone—just as she herself refused to be betrayed. “If my memory truly isn’t flawed, then the one I hope for is you.”

She thought for a moment, drew a deep breath, and withdrew her hand—only to clasp his in return. “I hope you understand: I am me, she is her. We are not the same person.”

Lu Jingchuan’s face flushed deeper. His gaze was clear as water, and after hearing her words he nodded obediently: “I know. Before that, I’ll help you search for your memories.”

Qin Yuqing let out a sigh of relief. She had feared he would stubbornly insist she was the one he had always waited for—but thankfully, he hadn’t.

Yet she still felt a trace of sadness. She wanted to know: who exactly was that woman named A’Ruan, that Lu Jingchuan remembered her so dearly?

Just as Qin Yuqing was about to speak again, she felt a sudden weight on her hand. Looking down, she saw a fluffy head of hair resting there. Perhaps it had gone uncombed for a few days, with strands rebelliously falling out of place.

“So obedient.” Qin Yuqing used her other hand to gently tidy his hair. She seemed to hear him murmuring something, so she bent down to listen.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll always be here.”

“I’ll always stay with you.”

Qin Yuqing’s heart softened. If she stayed any longer, she feared she wouldn’t be able to control her emotions.

“Sixth Princess, please leave the rest to us.” The steward, tactful as ever, stepped forward.

Qin Yuqing nodded, gently withdrawing her hand. In a low voice, she said: “Bring me paper and ink, if you would.”

The steward nodded, and a servant carefully brought over brush, ink, and paper. Qin Yuqing quickly wrote out a recipe and handed it over: “This is a stomach-nourishing medicinal dish. Just say I left it—he’ll eat it.”

Passing the note to the steward, she then departed the Lu residence, returning to the palace with Chun Tao accompanying her.

Standing at his son’s bedside, Father Lu looked at the usually cold and frosty young man who now wore a rare smile. With a sigh of helpless emotion, he muttered:

“You… why make things so hard for yourself?”

He had always known of Jingchuan’s condition. He had never supported his actions. Even if the Emperor trusted him, to the throne the Lu family was still too dangerous.

“Jingchuan, if you want to marry the Sixth Princess… this alone isn’t enough.” Another sigh, and he turned away.

Forget it. Let the young handle their own affairs. Old bones like them had better start learning to let go.

Qin Yuqing leaned back in the carriage, watching the bustling streets. For the first time, she felt a sense of belonging—as if these people weren’t just NPCs in a world.

Back at the palace, she idly waited for the exam results. She had underestimated how fast the ancients graded papers.

【Host has completed Main Quest II: Escape.】

【Congratulations. All beginner quests completed. Please continue altering the original story and complete the ultimate goal: becoming Emperor.】

“Oh?” Qin Yuqing, startled by the system’s sudden announcement while she sat on a swing, raised her brows. “So the exam results are out?”

“What’s the progress bar on altering the plot?” she asked idly. By now, so much had changed compared to the original novel.

In the original, around the imperial exam, the heroine would marry the male lead—thus gaining the chance to leave the palace. But now? Qin Yuqing hadn’t even met the male lead, let alone married him.

【Upon analysis: as the host has not yet interacted with the original male lead Yu Bingyan, the progress cannot be calculated.】

Qin Yuqing: ???

Qin Yuqing: Is it me who doesn’t want to interact?

The system played dead.

Qin Yuqing sighed. Still, it was a useful clue: altering the plot also meant altering her relationship with the male lead Yu Bingyan.

And to what extent? Since the system hadn’t specified, she might as well go all the way.

Why stop halfway, when she could just cut him off completely?

【Warning!】

【Host is temporarily forbidden from killing the original male lead Yu Bingyan. If the male lead dies by the host’s hand, the host will be judged as dead.】

Qin Yuqing: What the hell?

But the keyword “temporarily” was intriguing. A bold idea crossed her mind—if the heroine herself chose another male lead, or outright abandoned him, then maybe…

System: No. Absolutely not. Maybe, just maybe—how about not being so murderous for once?!

The system was aggrieved, but dared not explain further.

At that moment, Eunuch Zhang, always at the Emperor’s side, entered beaming.

“Congratulations, Sixth Princess,” he said cheerfully. “Please come with this old servant to the inner hall.”

“The palace exam?” Qin Yuqing immediately caught on.

Though this era’s system differed from what she knew, the similarity lay in this: only those who passed could take the palace exam, where the Emperor himself posed questions to select the top three.

Eunuch Zhang all but skipped ahead, his voice brimming with joy: “To be honest, His Majesty was overjoyed by your results.”

She could sense his genuine happiness. Still, she asked: “Was the ranking fair?”

The eunuch glanced about and whispered: “To tell the truth, the Crown Prince and Second Prince personally oversaw the process. If they suspected foul play, whether through name-hiding or copying, even the chief examiners would be interrogated.”

“So you may rest assured, Sixth Princess—your and General Lu’s efforts were not wasted.”

“That’s good,” Qin Yuqing replied with a cold smile. Back in Wenshan, she and Lu Jingchuan had received the most bribes. Clever indeed—otherwise she would have found it boring.

A rival like that was exactly what she wanted.

Entering the hall, Qin Yuqing wasn’t surprised to see Li Muyan, though Lin Haiyan’s presence was unexpected.

“Your son greets Father Emperor,” Qin Yuqing said, ignoring the others’ gazes as she walked confidently to the center and bowed.

“Good, good, good! Truly my little Sixth.” The Emperor’s joy was unhidden. He gestured, and three eunuchs presented exam papers before Qin Yuqing, Li Muyan, and Lin Haiyan.

“You are all talents of Great Yin, and I am delighted. But the imperial exam permits only one top scholar.” His gaze swept toward the desks. “This question I personally wrote before tea—begin.”

Qin Yuqing drew a deep breath. The system had judged she had “escaped,” but she wasn’t satisfied with so little. If she was going to escape, it would be higher, farther—toward a future far more brilliant.

Unfolding the exam, she understood instantly.

The Luo and Chan rivers were the lifeblood of Great Yin. Yet in recent years, floods had devastated homes and farmlands. What solution could be proposed?

At first glance, Qin Yuqing thought of the modern Dujiangyan irrigation system. But she knew little of the Luo and Chan rivers, having never investigated them firsthand. With no better option, she borrowed from Dujiangyan’s principle of curved flow and scouring-and-deposit balance.

Time was short. Almost as soon as her brush touched paper, the eunuch announced the end.

The three papers were handed up to the Emperor.

This time Qin Yuqing felt uncertain. Her knowledge of flood control was purely theoretical, unlike Li Muyan and Lin Haiyan, who had studied the rivers directly.

The Emperor read carefully, marking with his brush, frowning in thought.

The tense silence dragged on until he finally set down his pen. Qin Yuqing realized then she was drenched in sweat.

Eunuch Zhang received the ranking list and proclaimed:

“First Rank: Li Muyan of Yongzhou’s Li Clan.”

Li Muyan could not hide his pride, his gaze haughty as it swept the room.

“Second Rank: Lin Haiyan of Lucheng’s Lin Clan.”

Though smiling, Lin Haiyan remained humble in thanks. He looked at Qin Yuqing with gentle surprise—he hadn’t expected to surpass her.

“Third Rank: Qin Yuqing of the Imperial House.”

Qin Yuqing breathed relief. She had feared being ranked first or second. After all, her essay was mere theory, not her own creation—it would have felt undeserved.

“A’Ruan, remain. The rest may leave.” Without lifting his head from her exam, the Emperor spoke. “Come, to Father’s side.”

She stepped forward.

“This is your idea?” He tapped the paper, eyes searching her. When she tried to kneel, he shook his head. “Not ruler and subject now—father and daughter.”

Qin Yuqing hesitated. She remembered the writings left behind by Consort Chen, full of personal notes on Great Yin’s waterways. So she answered:

“It was Mother—Consort Chen—who wrote it.”

A look of realization crossed the Emperor’s eyes. Carefully, he set the paper aside, patting her shoulder.

“Do you blame Father for not choosing you?”

She shook her head.

“Your mother truly lived up to her Bai Li family name. She had remarkable insight into waterworks.”

Qin Yuqing froze.

Consort Chen… was from the Bai Li clan?

What???