Chapter 1: Awakening from a Dream to a New Life

Winter of the 33rd year of Kangxi, on a moonlit night.

Before long, heavy snow began to fall, gradually covering the Forbidden City, which held countless untold stories.

The bone-chilling cold was shut out beyond the window, while inside the room, there was a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Qingzhu, a second-tier maid, stood by the charcoal fire, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she watched the glowing red embers, occasionally reaching out to warm her hands.

The high-quality silver filament charcoal burned brightly, without emitting any unpleasant odor, unlike the inferior coal that had been used in the past, which not only produced smoke but also had a foul smell.

It was because the Lady Fucha's supply of high-quality charcoal had run out, and no one in their courtyard had bothered to replenish it, so they had been using the low-grade coal meant for servants.

Recently, Lady Fucha had given them some silver to purchase better charcoal, and that was when they started using the silver filament charcoal again.

Meanwhile, the senior maid Zao'er paid no attention to the charcoal fire, her gaze fixed on the woman tossing and turning on the neighboring couch.

That woman was her mistress, the legitimate consort of Prince Yinzhen, Ula Nara Chuyu.

Seeing her trying to lift her foot over her head, Zao'er couldn't help but furrow her brow and unconsciously edge closer.

"Mistress, please don't push yourself too hard. You've only just recovered from your illness. If you feel upset, you should... you should... cry it out! Or you can talk to Zao'er, don't torment yourself like this."

Chuyu was practicing yoga and, upon seeing the maid with wide eyes, she seemed to be genuinely concerned for her. Rolling her eyes, she thought to herself, "Why would I be upset?"

She decided that next time she practiced yoga, she wouldn't allow the maid to attend to her in the room. She was too timid and naive.

"Silly girl, I'm practicing a dance," she said, reaching out to tap her on the forehead.

Zao'er covered her forehead with her hand, thinking to herself, "This dance must not be seen by anyone!"

Now that the master didn't come to their courtyard anymore, she couldn't bear the thought of him seeing... Shaking her head, she dared not think about it.

"Mistress, you are the consort, and this dance... this dance..." It lacked grace and wasn't pleasant to watch!

Before Zao'er could finish, Chuyu interrupted, "Don't worry, I'm dancing for you, my maid."

With a sly smile in her watery eyes, she looked stunningly beautiful.

Zao'er was left speechless. Had her mistress become more beautiful recently? How could those people not see how beautiful her mistress was?

The moonlight shone through the window, casting a hazy glow over her, and combined with the candlelight, her mesmerizing eyes seemed enchanting.

Dressed in loose white nightwear, she appeared exceptionally beautiful, yet also fragile.

Thinking of this, Zao'er immediately fetched a thin blanket to cover her.

Chuyu was speechless. She had just finished her yoga practice and was still sweating, so why was she being covered?

Seeing her mistress curled up, looking even more delicate, Zao'er felt a pang of pity.

Her mistress was so good, why didn't the master like her?

She had been ill for so long, and the master hadn't come to see her.

It had been half a year since their marriage, and the servants in the palace were starting to show disrespect. When she went to collect the meals earlier, the attitude of the young eunuch made her furious. Her mistress was still unwell, and she couldn't bear this humiliation.

In the end, she had to bribe him to make the food more palatable.

Her mistress was the legitimate consort of the Fourth Prince, how dare they!

Chuyu noticed Zao'er's troubled expression and smiled, "My dear Zao'er, look at all this sweat. Please fetch some water."

Zao'er, upon hearing her mistress's request, had no other thoughts and hurried to fetch the water.

Fifteen minutes later.

Chuyu was soaking in a large tub filled with flower petals, sighing contentedly, "Ah, this is so comfortable!"

Zao'er, accompanied by Qingzhu and Qingning, came in to attend to her. Chuyu only showed her head, gesturing for them to leave and wait outside.

The three hesitated but eventually left the room.

Alone in the room, Chuyu stretched lazily.

She had poured the remaining milk into the tub earlier, and now she immersed herself in it.

Observing her increasingly fair skin, Chuyu felt good, no longer as pallid as when she first arrived.

After soaking for a while, she emerged from the tub and applied a cream, delicately rubbing it all over her body.

This cream, specially made by the imperial hospital with some added rose petals, was not particularly exquisite, but it left a fragrant scent without feeling greasy.

She also applied some to her hands, feeling satisfied with how smooth and tender they had become under her care.

Outside the door, Zao'er and the others were waiting for Chuyu's instructions, but to their surprise, she emerged from the room in her nightwear.

They rushed to assist her, but she waved them off and, leaning on Zao'er, entered the inner chamber.

Inside, she saw the comfortable large bed and threw herself onto it, rolling around in bliss.

It was so comfortable!

Zao'er, who was attending to her, felt somewhat helpless and quickly ushered the young maids out of the room.

Was her mistress different from before these days?

Perhaps she hadn't served her long enough to fully understand her true nature.

But it was good that her mistress was like this now, unlike before when she was always in tears.

"Zao'er, can you do needlework?" Chuyu asked, lying on the bed in her nightwear, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

The clothes are white and oversized, and the pants have a unique style. Although they both have ties, they come undone in the middle of the night, making it seem like a performance in bed!

"I know a little bit, but I'm not an expert. What would you like me to do? Should I find a seamstress for you?"

"No need, just make some small items. See if there's anyone in our courtyard who knows how to sew. You can work a little harder."

Zao'er quickly said it's not hard, and then asked Chu Yu in detail what she wanted to make.

Chu Yu asked Zao'er to help her make a nightgown, longer, reaching down to the calves. She made the shoulders with ties, and the pajama pants were made shorter, still in the original oversized style. She also had two bras and panties made. She made the bellyband smaller, stuffed some cotton inside, added a few more ties at the back, and it became a simple version of a bra. The panties were even simpler, with ties on both sides.

Chu Yu explained and gestured, and finally, after a quarter of an hour, Zao'er said, "I understand. I can do these myself. It's just that it might take a couple of days, and I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Mistress."

Zao'er's face was almost as red as blood at this point, but she still took on the task. After all, these were personal items for her mistress, and she couldn't trust anyone else with them.

"We're really capable, Zao'er. We can do anything," Chu Yu praised.

Seeing her blush, she added, "It's late today. Go to bed early. Good night."

She wasn't used to having someone stay up late, but rules couldn't be broken. So she didn't let Zao'er stand in the inner room and asked her to sleep on a small couch with an extra blanket, so she could be called if needed at night.

Zao'er lay on the small couch, still blushing. She felt embarrassed by her mistress's straightforward praise. Shouldn't all the maids in the palace know how to sew?

Chu Yu also couldn't sleep for a while, sorting out her somewhat confused thoughts.

It had been over half a month since she crossed over. She remembered feeling a suffocating sensation in her chest while half asleep, and then she lost consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she was here, transformed into Ula Nara.

The original owner of this body had passed away due to illness.

When Chu Yu woke up, she felt extremely dizzy and weak. She figured she must have had a congenital heart disease in her previous life, and it must have flared up before she crossed over.

In her previous life, she had put in a lot of effort to prolong her life, but alas, she couldn't escape the clutches of fate.

She grew up in an orphanage and the director never mentioned her background, but she knew it was related to her illness.

She had experienced sorrow but not resentment.

When she was young, she always watched other children play, never joining in the fun.

Now, crossing over here, she saw it as a compensation from heaven.

She took a deep breath, realizing how easy it was to breathe. Although her body was weak, it didn't affect her good mood. She was only fourteen years old now, and she had great potential.

She was very happy that she could finally live like a normal person.

In fact, Chu Yu had also received a lot of cold looks these past two days.

The original owner was not very favored. In this male-dominated Qing Dynasty, women in the harem had to rely on men to live. If the master didn't favor you, even if you were the legitimate consort, life wouldn't be easy.

Sorting through the memories of the original owner's experiences in this world, she felt a bit distressed. This era was somewhat cruel for a fourteen-year-old girl.

Ula Nara had a beautiful appearance, but she didn't know how to dress up, and her skin wasn't very good, probably due to her illness.

She clearly had a charming and beautiful appearance, but she liked to dress in a simple and plain manner, like a little white flower.

But it wasn't entirely her fault. At this time, the ideal beauty was ethereal and otherworldly, and the women in the harem wished to exude a hint of otherworldly charm.

The original owner, with such a appearance, even disliked herself.

She always wanted to dress more fresh and ethereal, and this desire to imitate others became stronger.

Not knowing how to dress up wasn't a big deal. For someone with delicate features, dressing up was just an added bonus.

As long as you were a little clever, life as the legitimate consort would definitely not be difficult.

To have such a good hand of cards and play them like this, sigh!