Author's Note: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR EVERYONE TO READ THIS PART as it would answer a lot of questions during the first few chapters. You can choose to skip as this would be explained around Chapter 100+.
But for the basic FAQS: No, Tianshi Xue did not time travel. She's in the same world as the rest of the royals. Her soul merely transferred to the body of Princess Yingyue. No, Tianshi Xue does not have the memories of Princess Yingyue.
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WORLD SETTING:
This is not a historical drama. You can think of the monarchy's existence like the British Royal Family.
The Palace of Heping is situated in the province (rural area) before The Wars started. Most of the major cities were heavily affected and got destroyed. Hence, most of the civilization around the now Heping had been preserved by the people who were living there. Everything inside the walls of Heping progressed and continued from the Old World's way of living, but outside of its walls lay destruction and wastelands.
To ensure that nothing would disrupt their peace, the people of Heping created walls to protect themselves against enemies. One wall was around the palace grounds. Another wall surrounded their whole area.
Heping is a small country compared to the others. It is about the size of ten countries (in Old World setting) while its enemy Shanmai is a whole continent.
Most of the surviving people were from the provinces, that's why they are too faraway from one another. In the places where civilization was not taking place in the New World, is a wasteland and nothingness.
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The Wars:
The Wars is basically World War III. It happened when four dictators sat as the leader of major countries and when disagreements could no longer be resolved, resulted in nuclear bombings. Basically, these dictators made the earth their playground. Most of the major cities and countries got bombed and a lot of people died.
The Wars resulted in the creation of The New World where people created new boundaries of their territorial lands.
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THE NEW WORLD:
Around fifty years ago, the world succumbed to war and chaos. Countries fought, men lost their lives, families lost their homes, and when the government fell, the cities crumbled and turned into lawless lands.
Only the lucky ones survived and the strong were worshipped. In dust and rubbles, there rose kings from every corner.
But one king wished to conquer all.
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Lin Zhiqiang had been a general before he was chosen to rule over the city he had protected from outsiders when The Wars began. He was very successful in keeping the peace and prosperity in the Kingdom of Shanmai. But it was also the reason why he had turned greedy and plotted to invade other countries. He had been able to extend his dominion in all directions possible, making him an Emperor and his little kingdom turned into Shanmai Empire.
There was another emperor all the way in the west from the Heping Empire. In this Empire, most of the civilization had been preserved, life went on as usual. But outside its walls the world was a battlefield. Emperor Yang Yong found out about Emperor Zhiqiang's plan and decided to offer a treaty between them. The land was wide enough to fit two rulers. But for Emperor Zhiqiang, it was only him that could be the supreme ruler. He tried to invade Heping and failed.
Emperor Yang Yong decided that Emperor Zhiqiang had to be stopped. He brought all his men and slew the other emperor in battle. He took the daughter of Zhiqiang as a hostage, to make sure that the Shanmai Empire would never be a threat to the Heping Empire.
To this day, Princess Yingyue still lived in the Heping Empire, not allowed to step foot outside its walls that reached the heavens, forever trapped with the family that broke hers.
—
In the midst of it all, a rather unimportant person—a scandalous actress—got caught in the middle of drama and conflict between the royal families.
—
Tianshi Xue was pretty sure she had already died.
After falling into the depths of the sea and feeling her last breath leave her body… she was sure she was going to the afterlife.
But then she woke up.
In another woman's body.
And that body belonged to Princess Yingyue.