At the Capital of the Great Zhou.
It was 18th August. Besides an auspicious day, it was also the wedding day of Mu Yexiao, as known as Lord Xiao, and Qian Yuge, the daughter of Minister Qian.
A bridal carriage, together with a substantial amount of dowry and trousseau, were on their way to the Lord Xiao's residence. As the band celebrated this meaningful day, the parade attracted the attention of everyone in town.
It was supposed to be a day worth celebrating for. Yet, a few men were sighing among the crowd.
"They would make a good match if Lord Xiao weren't injured."
His friends agreed, "You've heard about it too?"
"Lord Xiao injured himself at war, and will not be able to have young. Moreover, his legs have been crippled and his life is now at stake. Life is so unfair to him."
Another man added, "Exactly. However, the Qian family are men of their word. Even after learning that Lord Xiao is sterile, they still wed their daughter to him, hoping to bring some good luck to Lord Xiao."
"Hopefully this wedding can hasten his recovery."
Among the crowd, the conversation continued. The bride inside the shoulder carriage overheard the gossip.
Her lips curled upward before it turned into a disdainful grin. Is she Qian Yuge, the daughter of the noble Qian family? No, she's not.
She was a soul hailed from modern times.
On top of that, she took over the body of an unlucky girl, who shared the same name as her—Qian Jiujiu.
The initial owner of this body was born on 9th September. As Minister Qian was too lazy to think of a name for his daughter, Jiujiu1 was named after her birthday.
In fact, children born on 9th September were supposed to bring luck to their families.
Unfortunately, Qian Jiujiu was an exception. When she was born, the shaman told her parents that her presence will bring misfortune to her parents. As expected, her father's first wife was affected.
Right after she was born, her father's first wife fell ill.
Therefore, Qian Jiujiu, the cursed girl, and her mother were sent to a village outside of the Capital.
She spent 16 years in the village with no one caring for her.
This time, she was brought home only to marry Lord Xiao on behalf of her sister.
However, the foolish Qian Jiujiu actually fell head over heels in love with the Third Prince. When she learned that the wedding was proposed by the Third Prince, she immediately agreed to it.
Later, when she found out the truth, she felt as if she was going to be killed by her sorrow. Indeed, she was now dead. When she was knocked unconscious and brought into the shoulder carriage, she breathed her last.
Then, the modern-day Qian Jiujiu came to replace her.
Qian Jiujiu was a physician who practiced both Chinese and Western medicines. She reckoned that she would thrive if she was to live in the ancient time.
However, she needed to first bring luck to Lord Xiao and cure his illness.
In fact, what she believed in was not luck. For her, luck was something with no scientific basis, and she would not rely on it. Instead, she believed in her own skills.
Qian Jiujiu pouted, as she grumbled under her breath.
"This stupid bridal carriage is no fun at all! It's giving me motion sickness, and we're still not arriving at our destination."
When she finished her rant, the carriage came to an abrupt halt. Someone announced, "Here comes the bride!"
I've arrived? Then? What should I do? Oh, I passed out before I was brought into the carriage. Perhaps I should pretend to be unconscious.
Right after she lay down in the carriage, she sensed that someone had drawn open the curtain of the carriage. Through the veil, she studied her surroundings through her squinted eyes.
She saw a fleshy woman before she was picked up and placed on the woman's back.
She was sent directly into a room, skipping the traditional wedding ceremony.
The plump woman flung the room's door open and threw Qian Jiujiu into the room.
Followed by a loud thud, Qian Jiujiu fell on the floor, narrowly missing the bed. Once again, the door squeaked when the lady closed it behind her.
A few moments later, after Qian Jiujiu made sure that there was no one outside the door, she slowly rose to her feet as she massaged her bruised back.
Facing the door, she gave the finger and said, "Fat a*s. Don't you ever run into me, or I'll throw you down onto the floor. You almost broke my spine."
She stretched her body. However, as Qian Jiujiu moved around, her gaze was fixed on the masked man who was lying on the bed.
She approached the man and scoffed.
"So, you're the dying Prince? Hmph! Let's see what an ancient royalty looks like!"
Intending to remove Mu Yexiao's mask, she tried to reach out, but her arm quickly paused midair.
All of a sudden, Qian Jiujiu felt intimidated by the man's aura. As she retreated, she looked at Mu Yexiao and pouted.
"Fine. I won't remove your mask. I'm not interested in seeing your face, and you don't have to get so annoyed."
Just when Qian Jiujiu finished her words, she noticed that the man had put down his guard. Abruptly, Qian Jiujiu spun around and, at a gallop, unmasked the man.
She exposed a face so beautiful that it took her breath away.
Despite his pale skin, his alluring facial features stood out sharply, save the pair of eyes which was shut tightly.
On top of that, Qian Jiujiu found Mu Yexiao's thin lips utterly irresistible.
Qian Jiujiu gulped. This man is better looking than all the modern-day celebrities combined!
It would be a waste if such a handsome man dies.
When the idea struck her, she swiftly grabbed Mu Yexiao by his wrist and started checking his pulse.
Although Mu Yexiao's eyes remained shut, he was conscious.
He knew what was happening around him, and had not missed a thing Qian Jiujiu did since the moment she entered the room.
My lucky bride seems like an interesting woman!
After Qian Jiujiu checked his pulse, she furrowed her brows, and intuitively reached out for a silver needle, intending to treat him on the spot.
However, she realized that she did not have anything with her. She stared at Mu Yexiao, and patted him on his shoulder.
"Brother, wake up. I've something to discuss with you."
Upon listening to Qian Jiujiu's strange request, the corner of his lips twitched. Yet, he was afraid that Qian Jiujiu would notice that.
With no other option, he spat out some blood, and that shocked Qian Jiujiu.
"Hey, hey! Stop bleeding! You'll get me into trouble if you die!"
As she spoke, she lifted the hem of her wedding gown to wipe the blood off the corner of Mu Yexiao's lips.
Her action had finally irritated Mu Yexiao. Who is this woman? I've seen Qian Yuge from the Qian family before, and this woman is not Qian Yuge.
Qian Yuge would never dirty her bridal gown. Abruptly, he opened his eyes and let out a few violent coughs.
All of a sudden, two guards entered the room. They asked, "Your Highness, are you alright?"
Upon finishing their words, they glared at Qian Jiujiu. Meanwhile, Qian Jiujiu was kneading her own cheeks.
I don't think I've done anything wrong. Why are you glaring at me?
Feeling wronged, Qian Jiujiu returned glare for glare.
Upon seeing Qian Jiujiu's response, Mu Yexiao let out another cough. Is this woman a comedian?
This time, the guards removed their gaze from Qian Jiujiu before they promptly took out a pill and fed it to Mu Yexiao.
Qian Jiujiu stood on tiptoe, trying to take a peek at the pill. Unfortunately, not only she failed to see anything, but she also received another glare from the guard.
Flustered, she rubbed her nose. I'm a Princess Consort, and I might dig out your eyes if you continue staring at me like this.
Jiujiu (九九) - "nine-nine" in Chinese