The Vicious Woman and the White Moonlight are both me - Chapter 1

Jiang Xiaoyu stood completely still, staring at the futuristic digital world all around her. It took her a long moment to finally understand her strange situation.

“So, you’re saying… I’m already dead, but by some stroke of luck, I’ve transmigrated into a book—and now I’m a princess who has a life of luxury. But if I want to keep living as this character, I must finish the tasks you give me. Otherwise, I’ll die all over again.”

The cold, mechanical voice echoed in her head:

[That is correct. The original owner of this body was killed. To stop this world from being destroyed, a new host was brought here to continue the story. Do you accept this role?]

Jiang Xiaoyu suddenly clapped her hands together and jumped up.

Why would she choose death when she could live? If she refused, the system would probably just find someone else to complete the task.

“I accept!” She said immediately, raising her hands. “So, what do I need to do?”

[System processing…]

This time, the system didn’t answer her. It just kept working, following its own robotic commands.

[Binding to the host. Synchronizing data.]

Jiang Xiaoyu felt a thrill of anticipation, but she waited quietly for the system’s response. Finally, it spoke: [Binding successful. The host may now review identity information.]

Immediately, details about her new identity flooded her mind:

Song Zhaoyan

> Female

> Formerly named Song Yuyan

> Childhood nickname: Man’er

> Current Age: 15

Background: Her father was a general who defended the country. Her mother was the daughter of a Hanlin Academy scholar. She herself is the current emperor’s cherished “white moonlight.”

The Emperor and her mother were deeply in love, but fate intervened, and the woman he loved married another man for complicated reasons.

Her father and his entire family died serving the country. Her mother, stricken with grief, died of depression. Not only that, but her maternal grandparents could also not bear the sorrow and passed away from illness a year later.

Thus, at the mere age of two, the orphaned Song Yuyan was taken into the palace to be raised by the emperor. He even bestowed the character “Zhao” (昭) upon her, changing her name to Song Zhaoyan and granting her the title Princess Zhaohua.

Those unaware of the truth praised the Emperor for his benevolence in so generously caring for the daughter of the late General Song.

However, those within the palace who knew the truth understood the Emperor’s motive: his love for the mother extended to the child. Having failed to marry his beloved, he was now deceiving himself, treating Song Zhaoyan as the daughter they would have had together.

Having entered the palace at far too young an age, Song Zhaoyan had no memory of her biological parents. She grew up genuinely believing she was born of imperial bl00d. Coupled with the Emperor’s excessive doting, her temperament became utterly spoiled and unruly, allowing her to run rampant through the palace.

Once, a princess who disliked her tried to put her in her place, telling her she was an orphan with no real parents, merely a fake princess. “If you were a real princess,” she taunted, “why don’t you bear the imperial surname Pei instead of Song?”

In a fit of rage, Song Zhaoyan pushed the princess into a lake.

When the Emperor learned this, he did not punish Song Zhaoyan. Instead, he punished the accusing princess. Not only that, he also soon after decided that she would be the one sent for a political marriage when a foreign kingdom sought a princess bride.

In the past, while the other imperial children resented the Emperor’s favoritism towards Song Zhaoyan, they hadn’t been overly concerned. They never believed their father would side with a mere adopted daughter over his own flesh and bl00d.

But witnessing their own sister, for the simple crime of offending this foster girl, be sent away by their father to a political marriage… that was when they truly understood Song Zhaoyan’s standing in the Emperor’s heart.

From then on, no matter how much they disliked her, they no longer dared to cross her.

… At least, not openly.

Jiang Xiaoyu quickly scanned the information about her new identity while the system relayed its mandatory guidelines.

[Host, please note: You are now bound to this identity. While performing tasks, you must not act in ways that violate the original character’s established personality. Failure to comply will result in penalties.]

The word “penalties” immediately caught Jiang Xiaoyu’s attention. A cold dread crept down her spine as she read about the original host’s future actions.

“What’s all this? My character is a vicious supporting female? A cannon-fodder villainess who’s infatuated with the second male lead and specializes in tormenting the main couple? I’m just a stumbling block on their path to love, destined to be burned alive in the end.”

The reply that came was the same cold, mechanical voice: [Affirmative. The host is bound to the identity ‘Song Zhaoyan.’ Binding can be revoked within ten minutes, but the host will experience complete and permanent death. Does the host wish to revoke the binding?]

The terrible fate awaiting the original character filled Jiang Xiaoyu with fear. But then she remembered that rejecting this meant actual death, right now. That thought made her fear gradually fade.

However—

Jiang Xiaoyu quickly reviewed the information and immediately spotted a loophole.

The system said she couldn’t act against the original character’s personality while performing tasks. So, during times when the original character wasn’t involved in the plot, could she just be herself?

It might feel a bit disjointed, but that was far better than having to pretend to be someone else all the time.

And another thing—the system said the original host was killed by a plot. If Song Zhaoyan was now suddenly “alive” again, wouldn’t that make Jiang Xiaoyu a target?

Thinking of her future safety, Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t rush to agree. Instead, she asked the pressing question.

“Who killed the original host?”

The system hesitated. Jiang Xiaoyu heard a faint buzzing static, as if it was searching.

[No relevant information was found. The system is currently undergoing repairs.]

Jiang Xiaoyu thought. Excuse me, but are you even a legitimate system?

“So, when I’m ‘off-stage,’ when there’s no plot for me, can I act against the character’s personality then?”

[Correct!]

So, Jiang Xiaoyu lowered her head, sinking back into thought. She wanted to analyze her situation more carefully to see if she could find any other loopholes and get answers to all her remaining questions.

[While the host is completing tasks, this system will provide appropriate assistance. Furthermore, when the host advances the plot without violating the character’s established personality, corresponding points will be awarded. Once a certain number of points are accumulated, they can be exchanged for any item in the system mall: gold, silver, treasures, medicines, secret manuals, land, shops… Should the host successfully complete the storyline, these items can be used to build a life in this world.]

Perhaps seeing Jiang Xiaoyu’s continued hesitation, the system quickly offered these benefits, trying to lure her into accepting.

But the more it rushed her, the more Jiang Xiaoyu worried it was a trap. However, watching the countdown timer steadily decrease and considering her dire situation, she had little choice but to accept.

If it were a real scam, the system probably wouldn’t offer her a way to cancel in the first place, right?

“But…” she countered, “I’m a princess now. Wouldn’t it be easy for me to get those things anyway?”

Clearly, these offers hadn’t won her over.

[Even if you, using your princess status, secretly acquire those things under the name Jiang Xiaoyu, are you not afraid of being discovered? Especially since your role is merely a supporting one, while the main protagonists are others. The items you exchange for will be completely untraceable, having no connection whatsoever to the original Song Zhaoyan. You can use them with peace of mind.]

Jiang Xiaoyu thought about it again. That did seem to make sense.

“Alright!” Jiang Xiaoyu declared, squaring her shoulders and clenching her fist with determination. “I accept!”

[Initiating permanent host binding. Your first task is: Frame the male lead, the Ninth Prince—Pei Shen! And see that he is punished.]

As soon as the system finished speaking, Jiang Xiaoyu felt a powerful force tug at her very being. A wave of dizziness followed, and her vision went completely black.

She struggled to open her eyes. Her sight was blurry, but she could just make out the figure of someone watching over her. Then, she heard someone talking.

“Man’er, are you awake?”

The concerned voice of a middle-aged man reached her. Jiang Xiaoyu struggled to open her eyes fully, bringing his face into focus.

The man appeared to be in his late thirties, perhaps forty, with a somewhat sturdy build. Even without the system’s prompt, she could guess his identity from his clothing.

A black robe embroidered with golden dragons… surely, aside from the Emperor, no one else could wear such a thing.

This was Song Zhaoyan’s adoptive father—Pei Hongzheng!

“Father…” Jiang Xiaoyu’s voice was weak.

Hearing her speak, the emperor visibly relaxed. “Man’er, you’re awake! That’s good. Now, tell your father who pushed you into the water. I’ll take care of you!”

Remembering that the original host had been murdered, a wave of tension washed over Jiang Xiaoyu. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see past the room’s screen. Several figures were kneeling on the floor outside.

They looked short. They weren’t adults.

To get a clearer look, Jiang Xiaoyu tilted her head slightly toward the outer chamber. Seeing this, the Emperor raised his voice reassuringly, “Don’t be afraid, Man’er. Your father will ensure justice. Just tell me who pushed you into the water?”

Upon hearing these words, several of the figures outside trembled and shrank back in fear.

Even the timid princesses even began to sob quietly.

These were all the Emperor’s own sons and daughters.

Yet, for the sake of an adopted daughter, he showed no regard for his own flesh and bl00d. Jiang Xiaoyu thought that the mothers of those children must surely despise this Emperor from the bottom of their hearts.

Her eyes quickly scanned the figures outside until they finally landed on the boy whose current appearance the system had shown her—the male lead, Pei Shen.

Kneeling in the outer chamber, Pei Shen looked frail and thin. His clothes were noticeably less ornate than those of the other princes. He knelt at the very edge of the group, but his posture was straight.

His gaze was fixed downward, seemingly unaffected by the fearful weeping of the sister beside him. Perhaps it was because he knew he was unloved and assumed no one would pay him any mind. He had no connection to this unrelated “sister,” Song Zhaoyan. Since he hadn’t pushed her, he felt no fear in his heart.

Through the screen, Jiang Xiaoyu’s view was unclear, but the Emperor misinterpreted her silence as fear, a reluctance to name the culprit.

The Emperor turned his head, his sharp, severe eyes sweeping over the outer chamber. He began to speculate about which consort, emboldened by recent favor, had incited her child to bully Song Zhaoyan.

“Father.”

Just as the Emperor was lost in conjecture, Jiang Xiaoyu finally spoke. He turned back to her, the sternness in his gaze instantly replaced by concern.

“Don’t be afraid, Man’er. Just tell me who the culprit is. I will take care of it!”

Jiang Xiaoyu had no grudge against Pei Shen and naturally didn’t want to falsely accuse him. Besides, the system itself said it didn’t know who pushed Song Zhaoyan. So, she wondered, if she claimed she had been careless and fallen into the water by accident, could she possibly get away with it? Just as this thought crossed her mind and she opened her mouth to lie, a sharp, searing pain stabbed through her chest. It felt like a blade had sliced right through her. The agony was instant, cold sweat beading on her forehead as she clutched her chest, her entire body huddled in agony.

Seeing her in such a state, the Emperor’s concern flared again. “Man’er! What’s wrong? Where does it hurt? Physicians! Attend to Zhaoyan at once!”

[Warning: Host attempted an action that violates the character’s established personality. One penalty was administered. We advise the host to comply with the rules and complete the assigned task successfully.]

The system’s voice, silent for so long, echoed in her mind. Having now truly experienced its punishment, Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t dare deviate from the character’s script again.

Adopting the principle of ‘better him than me,’ she resolved to frame the male lead.

She first assured the Emperor she was fine. After a moment to recover, she let an expression of rage twist her features.

Sitting up, she pointed a trembling finger toward the outermost figure visible beyond the screen, her voice shrill and demanding.

“Father! You must punish the culprit severely! The one who pushed me into the water was him—Pei Shen!”