Chapter 99: Chapter 99

The next second, feeling the familiar flowerpot-shaped shoes beneath her feet and the all-too-familiar Manchu gown on her body, An Ning couldn't help but freeze speechlessly for a moment.

If one were to ask which era was the most troublesome, the Qing Dynasty would undoubtedly rank near the top. Not only were its rules and etiquette cumbersome, but under such highly centralized imperial power, everyone had to lower themselves by a notch.

Fortunately, this body was clearly that of someone who lived in luxury. The clothing and jewelry adorning it were obviously of immense value at first glance.

Well... this was good.

In her previous life, she had worked herself to the bone for that damned system almost her entire lifetime. In this life, she absolutely refused to exert herself any further—whether physically or mentally.

Supported by the little maid beside her as she boarded the carriage, An Ning quickly began absorbing this body's memories.

Donggo An Ning, daughter of Donggo Qishi, a Commander-in-Chief of the first rank. Moreover, she was the late-life daughter born to her mother, Aisin Gioro. She had three full elder brothers ahead of her.

One could say she was truly a top-tier noblewoman born with a golden spoon in her mouth, showered with affection since childhood. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she could ask for the moon if she wanted a star.

Logically speaking, even in feudal society, such a noblewoman's life shouldn't have been too difficult. Unfortunately, she had married an unlucky husband who dragged down both wife and daughter, stubbornly risking his life for his sworn brothers and bringing ruin upon the entire household.

The ninth prince under Emperor Kangxi's reign. To be honest, An Ning was quite familiar with Yintang.

During her first transmigration, when she was still a prince's side consort, she had seen this man quite often.

After all, if one were to count, this lord visited her residence no less than once every few days—if not every two or three days—making his visits far more frequent than his returns to his own mansion. Later, many of the Western curios and foreign books in her possession came from him.

What's more, due to his friendship with her son, this lord had even kindly translated everything from beginning to end before gifting them, afraid that this "country bumpkin" with little worldly experience wouldn't understand.

Whenever Mingyu needed anything, this lord would rush over faster than anyone else, offering manpower, resources, or money without the slightest hesitation or delay.

To put it simply, as a companion, this lord was truly loyal, the epitome of an exemplary sworn brother—the kind who would stab himself twice for his brothers without hesitation.

But as his wife and daughter? Judging by young Miss Donggo's future memories, one could only say they had the worst luck imaginable.

Unlike in that lifetime—where Mingyu's existence meant Yintang's relationship with the eighth prince, while good, was far from being true best friends, let alone expending effort and wealth to gamble the entire family's future on supporting the eighth prince's succession—here, because Mingyu was on good terms with the crown prince, Yintang could at least maintain superficial courtesy. Even if he disliked Yinreng for being favored by the emperor and acting high and mighty, he never deliberately opposed him.

Among the brothers vying for succession, he could be considered relatively untainted. Later, after Yinreng ascended the throne, he even granted Yintang a decent noble title.

But the lifetime this young lady experienced was far more tragic—the kind of tragedy where the entire family met bad ends due to the succession struggle, just like in official history.

Especially for this body, as the primary wife, she and her husband were essentially one entity, sharing both honor and disgrace.

As a failed contender for the throne and the emperor's greatest political enemy—not to mention facing the narrow-minded Emperor Yongzheng—not only did she suffer a bleak later life and bring ruin to her family and brothers' prospects, what pained the original owner most was her daughter.

In the fourth year of Yongzheng's reign, just after Yintang was stripped of his imperial yellow sash, removed from the imperial clan register, and given the humiliating name "Seshe," the original owner's only daughter coincidentally died of "serious illness" at her marital home.

She had just turned twenty.

The Zhao family claimed it was due to melancholy-induced illness.

Originally, marrying an imperial clan daughter to a Han Army Banner family was already a step down. The original owner had specifically chosen this match because she saw her unreliable husband for what he was, hoping that if disaster struck, her daughter's Aisin Gioro bloodline might spare her life.

But the original owner had clearly underestimated human malice—and her husband's talent for courting death.

He successfully destroyed both his daughter's status as an imperial clan member and her very life.

This daughter was the original owner's only child, the apple of her eye. Within a month of the girl's death, the original owner succumbed to grief and passed away.

After sorting through the original owner's memories, even someone as even-tempered as An Ning nearly couldn't resist the urge to go kick someone.

Simply put, it was too infuriating.

What the original owner hated most wasn't even her unlucky husband backing the wrong side—it was that even when disaster loomed, he remained stubbornly unrepentant, charging down the path to ruin without leaving even a single escape route for their daughter.

This time, the original owner's wishes were clear.

The most important was naturally her daughter—to live a peaceful, fortunate life free from suffering.

Secondly, not to implicate her family.

And finally, because most of her and her daughter's suffering in that lifetime stemmed from her husband's "touching" brotherly bond with the eighth prince, she hoped that in this life, the two would at least become complete strangers beyond basic courtesy.

In An Ning's opinion, this last wish was still too "merciful." If it were her...

Having been screwed over , to be honest, she wouldn't let either of those two off easily.

But looking at her clearly maidenly attire, An Ning couldn't help sighing. If she remembered correctly, today happened to be the final day of the imperial selection.

Barring surprises, the imperial edict of betrothal would arrive the next day.

The system had once said that the timing of a task-taker's arrival was often related to the original owner's obsession. An Ning had thought the original's greatest obsession would be the day her daughter was born.

But now, through the carriage curtain, seeing the affectionate face of Madam Donggo waiting at the entrance, An Ning suddenly understood.

Only a child one personally gives birth to can receive a birth mother's complete love.

The original owner didn't not want to bring her daughter into this world—she was afraid. Afraid that An Ning, her successor, wouldn't treat her flesh and blood fairly. Afraid she couldn't give the girl true love.

Just like the original owner herself—did she truly not resent her unlucky husband? How could that be?

But for her daughter's sake, no matter how much she resented him, apart from breaking that brotherly bond, she wouldn't make any wish that might harm him.

In her consciousness, the system was still sighing.

"The other tasks are manageable, but the last one is too difficult! Those two have an unusually close relationship, and with the ninth prince's personality..."

The system clearly recalled their first arrival in this world, its entire dog face now scrunched up as it kept sighing:

"Host, after you marry him, you'll be kept busy!"

Busy? An Ning couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

The system meant she'd be busy subtly sowing discord after marriage? How ridiculous.

Not only were imperial family members extremely perceptive—they were experts at scheming and sowing discord. Trying to play mind games with them, even someone as confident as An Ning wouldn't attempt it.

Why use one's own weakness against another's strength?

"Ah, if not scheming, then how does the host plan to handle it?"

"System, do you know what your host likes most?"

Leaning against the carriage, An Ning's gaze suddenly darkened. After a moment, she smiled under the system's nearly frightened gaze:

"Of course, solving problems at their root!"