Water vapor swirled and billowed across the wide bath. As a pale, flawless body walked through, the water swayed, sending out ripple after ripple.
Droplets of water cascaded down this delicate figure, gliding over her cheeks, her collarbones, her shoulders and arms, her flat stomach, her thighs… finally falling back into the bath with soft, splashing sounds.
“Whoosh!”
Di Lingwei stepped out from the bath. Before her stood a massive bronze mirror, perfectly reflecting her entire form.
Her jet-black, beautiful long hair draped over her chest and behind her. Beneath her willowy brows were a pair of phoenix eyes, very beautiful, yet at this moment, they revealed a hint of bewilderment.
“Hiss… Did I transmigrate?”
Di Lingwei clutched her aching head, astonishment surging through her heart. After all, she had only just abandoned a novel, so how had she transmigrated? And not just transmigrated, but turned into a girl as well?
Looking at her reflection in the bronze mirror, Di Lingwei couldn’t help but swallow. Her figure was simply too perfect, curvaceous and full, naturally sculpted, her skin so flawlessly white that it was utterly mesmerizing.
Feeling a slight tickle in her nose, she quickly focused her gaze on her face. It was a breathtakingly beautiful face, even without makeup, not inferior to the so-called major celebrities of her past life.
But… what was her identity?
Di Lingwei pondered for a moment, realizing that after transmigrating, she hadn’t inherited the Original Host’s memories. She only instinctively knew her name was Di Lingwei, and knew absolutely nothing else.
“Where’s my Golden Finger?”
“System?”
“I have nothing?”
As a novel author, she had read countless novels, and being an orphan in her past life, having no attachments, Di Lingwei quickly accepted the fact of her transmigration. However, she felt rather helpless about the lack of any cheat ability appearing.
Knowing nothing about her surroundings, and without any cheat, what was she supposed to do next?
But no matter what, Di Lingwei decided to get dressed first. Next to the bath were two piles of clothes. One was messy, likely the ones she had changed out of; the other was neatly folded, presumably the clothes she was meant to wear.
Picking up the garments and examining them, Di Lingwei couldn’t help but be surprised. “Judging by the surroundings, I knew I must have arrived in ancient times, but these clothes… are these normal clothes to wear?”
The garment looked resplendent and magnificent, almost like a dragon robe… or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say a Phoenix Robe. Could such attire be worn casually in ancient times?
Di Lingwei hesitated for a moment, but there were no other clean clothes around, so she had no choice but to put them on piece by piece.
Ancient clothing was naturally different from modern styles, but as an author who often had to research various materials, she had some knowledge in this area. So, after fumbling around for a bit, Di Lingwei managed to get all the clothes on properly.
After draping on the outermost golden-yellow Phoenix Robe, Di Lingwei looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror. She felt that wearing these clothes somehow emanated an invisible aura of majesty.
Especially when she didn’t show any expression, her face gave off a feeling of coldness, nobility, being high above, overlooking all living beings. An indescribable, domineering aura radiated from inside out.
Such an overbearing feeling was rarely seen on a woman, yet Di Lingwei, looking at her reflection, felt precisely that. She grew even more curious about her identity.
“I’ll know what my identity is once I interact with someone.”
Di Lingwei took a deep breath to calm her turbulent heart, turned around, walked out of this enormous bathroom, and opened the door leading outside.
“Greetings, Your Majesty!”
The door had barely opened when Di Lingwei saw two rows of palace maids kneeling before her.
This grand display startled Di Lingwei, but what shocked her even more was their form of address.
Your Majesty?
She was the Emperor?
This title made Di Lingwei feel a little dizzy, but she subconsciously straightened her posture and tightened her expression, not showing any sign of anything amiss.
However calm the surface was, Di Lingwei’s heart was in turmoil.
‘I actually transmigrated into a Female Emperor? What kind of world is this? And I don’t have any of the Original Host’s memories. How am I supposed to continue on as this Female Emperor? What will happen if everyone discovers I’m not actually the Emperor?’
Di Lingwei’s heart was filled with bitterness, thinking that the future seemed rather bleak.
“Your Majesty, it is time for morning court.” At this moment, a palace maid stepped forward and said.
The surrounding palace maids each wore double-loop hairpins and were dressed in long-sleeved upper garments and Mamian skirts, their colors a pinkish-red with exquisite embroidery. It seemed this attire was the uniform for the palace maids.
The maid who spoke was also dressed in a similar manner, but her clothes were black, and her embroidery was different, more intricate, clearly indicating a higher status than the others.
This maid had an extremely gentle face, bright eyes and white teeth, skin like snow, her soft temperament clearly evident.
“Lead the way. Zhen needs to think on some matters.” Di Lingwei tried her utmost to maintain her dignity, stepping out unhurriedly.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The black-skirted maid’s voice was exceptionally gentle.
However, she didn’t actually walk ahead to lead the way, but rather accompanied Di Lingwei at her side, her steps half a pace behind.
As she emerged, Di Lingwei swept her gaze around, taking in all the external scenery.
This seemed to be deep within the Imperial Palace. Palace halls stood with red walls and black tiles, their roof beams soaring as if holding up the moon, majestic and grand, resplendent in gold and jade. Around the great halls, trees lined the green spaces, and ancient timbers reached for the sky. In the distance, a vast square was incomparably huge, as if paved with white jade.
The rays of the rising sun cast down beams of light, like a golden veil, giving the palace halls even more brilliance.
Retracting her gaze, Di Lingwei noticed the black-skirted maid falling behind her steps. If she did that, she wouldn’t be able to lead the way. What if she, walking in front, took a wrong turn?
Thus, at every possible junction, Di Lingwei would assume an air of being lost in thought, deliberately slowing her pace to let the black-skirted maid briefly surpass her. Although the black-skirted maid would immediately step back again, it was enough to provide Di Lingwei with the right direction.
Soon after, the Great Phoenix Hall came into view!
Di Lingwei saw the characters on the plaque and automatically recognized them. This also allowed her to secretly breathe a sigh of relief, knowing she wouldn’t have trouble reading.
But…
Was she about to attend morning court next?
Thinking of this problem, Di Lingwei felt a massive headache. She was just an ordinary transmigrator! How was she supposed to know how to run a court session? What if she showed something inappropriate in front of the entire court of civil and military officials? Would a huge disaster follow?
‘Amitabha, Immeasurable Heavenly Lord, please, please bless me, Amen.’
——
