Wei Xiao Hua felt so tired.

At first, she knew that she had to treat everyone around her as if they were nothing more than a character inside a novel. Because of that, she didn't have to be afraid of anyone here and could just act as if she was the real Wei Xiao Hua.

It just felt like a game where she was the protagonist and it didn't matter what she did because plot armor would always help her. Relying on the information she gained from the novel she read before this transmigration, she could do anything she wanted.

Everything felt like a dream.

But as things progressed differently from the novel, she started to tread more carefully and no longer as playful as before. She started to feel the pressure that there were so many things she didn't know. Collecting information, learning how to fight with the women here, she had to learn everything from the very basic.

Just by relying on the information she had from the novels were not enough.

Time progressed extremely quickly and the events from the novels only made her felt that her position was always in danger. At the same time, the more she interact with these 'supposed characters,' the harder it was for her to treat them as mere characters.

'I can't look at them as if they're characters anymore.'

They were all living beings.

In the beginning, all of the schemes that Wei Xiao Hua made looked nothing more than a child play with it just being battle of words. She was only trying to gain her father's trust and pushed the concubines out of power. But…

The novel was not only that.

The setting of the novel was not during peaceful time, but instead, it was during upheaval. Even though Wei Xiao Hua would not be getting too deeply involved in the battles, many other characters were already having wars outside. And because of her connection with Prince Ji Shu, she would be dragged inside their battles.

And the battle that would occur next would be: succession's battle.

The Emperor might not be that old but he was not that young either. His children were already adults, albeit the youngest one just turned 20. But since they were all adults, the battle of successions had already started.

Both covertly and openly.

The main character was involved in the battle of succession, which meant that there would be a lot of people around her dying. In the novel, most of them would be strangers whom she didn't know but there would also be those whom she actually knew since they were her enemies in the resident. She had started to feel it from the moment she was in that temple, but Wei Xiao Hua would have to see more deaths in front of her eyes even more often.

The author made it so.

Because the main character was also a powerful person who could handle it. She was growing faster as the dreadful situation forced her to be.

'But it's hard….'

Seeing people dying in front of her for the first time, it was hard to believe. And having them getting killed so gruesomely would only make her want to vomit blood and cried until there was nothing left. Wei Xiao Hua was also haunted by nightmare after seeing someone died in front of her for the first time.

She was a person from modern world and the peace she had there was completely different from one she saw in this place. Back then, death was so rare and even if there was one, it would not occur in front of her.

But she had to act.

And act again.

Because if she acted like her real weak self, she would die in this cruel world. The only possible way for her to survive was by acting like the real Wei Xiao Hua and probably, once the novel end, she would be able to return back to her real world.

At least, that was what Wei Xiao Hua hoped.

She… was never suited for this world.

Slap!

Lightly slapping her own cheek, Wei Xiao Hua smiled. The same confident smile had returned. She knew that Lou was watching her from a distance not far from this room to give reports to Prince Ji Shu.

She couldn't let him know that the real her was not as ruthless as he thought her to be.

Because the thing that attracted Prince Ji Shu to the real Wei Xiao Hua was the fact that Wei Xiao Hua had the same ruthlessness and could stand beside him with no fear. A strong woman would be the one that suited Prince Ji Shu the most.

'I had to be strong.'

Knock! Knock!

"Yes?"

"Miss, there's a guest who want to come and see you."

Wei Xiao Hua's eyes narrowed. If she was not wrong, after this event, it would be Wei Yijun's mother's turn. The real Wei Xiao Hua was truly ruthless but then again, she was also afraid of keeping those concubines around.

They were always watching her and trying to trap her.

If not for the novel, she would have long died in their hands. Their schemes and the way they hid it was so perfect. Wei Xiao Hua was not a master of reading people's expression but she had learned how to do it bit by bit during her stay here.

"I'll meet her in the garden."

"Yes, Miss!"

…

Wei Xiao Hua was not the only one who was shaken up by the incident.

Wei Yijun's gaze was filled with deep apprehension. While he was glad that his 'somewhat useless' brother was out of the rivalry, there was a deep sense of unease within his heart. For the past few months, he realized that Wei Hong Zheng was actually growing much faster than before.

It was as if Wei Hong Zheng had finally found his path as a martial artist rather than an official.

"Yijun."

Hearing his mother's call, Wei Yijun raised his head. They had arrived in his mother's residence by now. "Yes, Mother?"

"Come inside. I want to talk with you."

"Yes?"