Chapter 1: Same Name, Same Surname

Zhou Ziling sat on the bed, gazing absentmindedly at the antique room before her. In her hand, she held a bronze mirror that reflected her fair skin, black hair, bright teeth, and the disbelief in her eyes.

She was certain that she must be dreaming.

None of this before her was real.

She had only succumbed to her best friend's relentless pleas and accompanied her and her aunt to Mount Wutai to pray to the Buddha, hoping for a chance to break free from being single. On a whim, she had grabbed a fortune stick, and the inscription on it claimed that she would get married within seven days. As a single woman who had remained unattached for twenty-seven years, the idea of getting married within a week seemed like a joke.

She scoffed at it and crumpled the fortune stick. Her friend rushed over to take a look while playfully tussling with her. In the midst of their laughter, she slipped and accidentally bumped into the Buddha's foot, causing her vision to fill with stars before falling backward.

When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying on this intricately carved bed emitting a faint scent of sandalwood. As a physician of the 20th century, she was startled to be awakened by a doctor using silver needles.

Zhou Ziling repeatedly told herself that this couldn't be real, but the throbbing pain in her forehead and the footsteps beside her were all too vivid.

Entering the room was a delicate-looking young maid, her eyes red and holding a tray adorned with gold patterns. On the tray sat a bowl of dark medicine. She approached and said, "Miss, the medicine is ready. Please drink it while it's hot."

The young maid's name was Qian Qian.

She offered the medicine to Ziling, but Ziling didn't move. With teary eyes, Qian Qian choked and said, "Miss, you have to take the medicine in order to remember your past."

Listening to her sobbing, Ziling was afraid she would start wailing again.

No one recognized her when she first woke up. The doctor diagnosed her with a head injury, prescribed some medicine, and left. It was only after that the maid approached her bedside. Her eyes shimmering, she said, "Miss, you really played sick this time. Even I almost fell for it. Fortunately, you're clever, so you don't have to worry about being punished by the master and madam. I can't bear to see it."

The young maid continued to chatter on, but Ziling stared at her blankly and asked, "And who are you?"

At that moment, there were only the two of them in the room, and the young maid was at a loss. Confirming that Zhou Ziling truly didn't remember her, she began wailing, causing Ziling's headache to worsen.

However, from the maid's mouth, Ziling did manage to extract some amusing and tear-inducing information.

Half an hour ago, with tears in her eyes, the maid proudly informed her that she was a renowned female bandit of the Great Qi Dynasty, the cherished pearl of Zhou Jingyan, the master of Feihu Mountain and his wife Tang Shi. She was the legitimate daughter of the Eastern Ling Marquis's residence, and most importantly, she was the emperor's lifesaver.

Surname Zhou, given name Ziling. It's quite a coincidence that we both have the name Zhou Ziling, although she is already twenty-seven, while her appearance is that of a youthful twenty-eight.

Two months ago, Ziling and her maid were boating on the lake at the foot of Qingyun Mountain when they coincidentally saved the current Emperor from an assassination attempt. In addition, Qingyun Mountain's terrain is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, causing every imperial expedition sent to suppress it to return in defeat.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Emperor granted amnesty and bestowed the title of Duke Dongling upon Zhou Jingyan, along with this magnificent mansion.

Three days ago was supposed to be a joyous occasion, the grand celebration of the Duke Dongling's mansion relocation. It should have been filled with distinguished guests and well-wishers, but not a single person came to offer congratulations. Only the Emperor's messenger delivered a gift.

The reason was simple: during a morning court session, the Duke Dongling mentioned his desire to arrange a suitable marriage for his two children at the banquet. After all, in ancient times, young ladies married at a young age, and Ziling would be turning sixteen in a month, while her elder brother, Su Chong, was already nineteen.

Fearing the Duke Dongling's intentions, the entire court, civil and military officials alike, kept their distance, turning the Duke Dongling's mansion into the laughingstock of the capital. The whole city whispered and ridiculed the Duke Dongling's mansion. Their own adopted wild duckling had no suitors, while they yearned for the elegant swan outside.

The toad wished to eat swan meat, overestimating its abilities, and infuriated Duke Dongling. He slammed the table and exclaimed, "Are my daughter, Zhou Ziling, a flood or a fierce beast? How dare they slander her behind our backs! They think they can hide and everything will be fine. If my daughter truly fancies someone, even if they're buried underground, I will dig them out for her!"

Tang, his wife, glared at him and said, "Whom do you want to snatch a husband for our daughter?"

Duke Dongling pondered for a moment and replied, "I think the two young masters of the Nie Beihou's mansion seem quite suitable..."

The conversation between Duke Dongling and his wife happened to be overheard by the maid, who rushed back to comfort Ziling. She assured her that she wouldn't end up unwed, as the Duke would find a husband for her.

Wiping away her tears, Ziling said, "Even if Father brings someone back for me, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll like them. If there's something worth snatching, I'll do it myself."

And so, early in the morning, Ziling dressed herself in new clothes and, accompanied by her maid, strode confidently onto the streets. After searching in vain for a suitable candidate, she was about to return home when she noticed a man riding towards her on a horse. His handsome and refined appearance overshadowed the entire bustling street.

As she gazed upon his mesmerizing features, Ziling's heart raced uncontrollably.

Then, Ziling, who was blinded by desire, didn't bother to inquire about the man's identity and just abducted him, using the whip bestowed by the emperor to tie him up and bring him back.

A little maid informed Ziling, who was very excited upon returning to the mansion. She shouted, "Father, Mother, I've brought back the most handsome man!" as she ran towards the mansion.

Due to excessive excitement, she tripped over the doorstep and fell flat on the ground, losing consciousness from the sudden turn of events.

Ziling eventually learned about what happened afterwards.

Considering her current predicament, Ziling felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. She asked, "Has everyone from the Duke's Mansion evacuated?"

Indeed, the man she had captured was the young master of the Duke's Mansion.

After Ziling fainted, chaos ensued at the Marquis of Dongling's residence. They urgently called for a physician for her and locked the man in a firewood room. By the time the doctor revived her, the Iron Guard of the Duke's Mansion had surrounded the Marquis of Dongling's residence. The Marquis and his wife personally escorted the Duke's Mansion's young master out of the firewood room and sent him away.

However, as soon as the young master of the Duke's Mansion stepped out of the mansion's gate, he vomited blood, his lips turned purple, and he fainted. The people from the Duke's Mansion had carried him back.

According to the little maid's speculation, the young master of the Duke's Mansion may have felt humiliated and resorted to poisoning himself.

Ziling didn't believe that he would resort to suicide so easily. If he truly wanted to end his life, he wouldn't have waited until he left the Marquis's residence. However, the young master of the Duke's Mansion had indeed encountered some misfortune by being abducted while strolling on the street. Hopefully, he would be fine.

There was also the most important point—when would she wake up from this nightmare? If she truly crossed over to another world, she would be branded as the woman who publicly kidnapped a man. The thought troubled her.

The little maid shook her head. She had been busy brewing medicine and didn't know if the people from the Duke's Mansion had left.

Outside, familiar footsteps approached, and the little maid turned around to see Lady Tang walking towards them.

Lady Tang had a beautiful and dignified appearance, without a trace of banditry. However, her face was filled with worry. She accepted the medicine bowl handed to her by the little maid, sat by the bedside, and looked at Ziling. In a gentle voice, she said, "Be a good girl and drink the medicine. You've caused a great calamity this time. If you don't take the medicine, your father will truly be angry."

Ziling blinked her eyes. Could she interpret this as both the Marquis of Dongling and her father not being angry with her yet?

Indeed, they are like a real father and mother.

Ziling held the bowl of medicine in her hands and swallowed the bitter concoction with a gulp. It was so bitter that she felt like spitting out her tongue, but she managed to suppress the bitterness by eating a few pieces of preserved fruit.

Outside, the Duke of Dongling walked in with determined steps. Unlike the worried expression on Tang's face, he was filled with anger. The Iron Guard of the Duke's Mansion had just issued a warning: as long as the young master of the Duke's Mansion remained unharmed, they would retreat. However, if anything unexpected happened, they would crush the Duke of Dongling's Mansion.

Moreover, no one, including the Duke of Dongling, was allowed to step out of the Duke's Mansion.

The Duke of Dongling was furious, and Ziling was afraid that he would scold her for taking advantage of someone else's daughter and endure the scolding. However, the Duke suddenly changed his tone and looked at her, saying, "Indeed, you are Zhou Jingyan's daughter. Your taste is truly exceptional. The young master of the Duke's Mansion is handsome, has a good family background, and excellent aptitude. Unfortunately, his body is weak, and he won't live for more than a year or so. Such a person can't be my son-in-law. We don't need him. I'll find someone else for you in the future. Although they might not be as good-looking as him, they will definitely be strong."

Zhou Ziling was bewildered.

Wasn't she angry? Clearly, she was quite happy!

Come on, can't you have some boundaries when indulging your daughter? The Duke of Dongling's Mansion is completely surrounded.

Tang glared at the Duke of Dongling and said, "Don't corrupt our daughter! The Iron Guard of the Duke's Mansion has completely surrounded our mansion, and the food inside will only last for three days. After three days, our whole family will be left starving."

The Duke of Dongling dismissed it, saying, "Let them surround us if they like. How many times have we been surrounded in Qingyun Mountain?"

Tang glared at him again, and the Duke of Dongling smiled, saying, "The Duke's Mansion is a reasonable family. Since the young master is ill and spitting blood, it's not entirely Ling'er's fault. He just lost face and vented his anger. Once he calms down, he will naturally withdraw the Iron Guard."

This sounded reasonable, but they were nothing but bandits. They had abducted the young master of the Duke's Mansion, and they were clearly in the wrong. Yet, they still expected to reason with the Duke's Mansion. The situation was getting stranger and stranger.

Tang was not as optimistic as the Duke of Dongling had thought. She worriedly said, "This is the capital city, where the noble families care the most about face. I don't think this matter will be easily resolved."

The Duke of Dongling felt that Tang worried too much. "Ling'er saved the emperor's life. The Duke's Mansion will consider not only the monk's face but also the Buddha's face. They wouldn't really want Ling'er's life. The young master wouldn't be willing to marry Ling'er with a disdainful look on his face, and the Duke's Mansion wouldn't want a grand mistress with a bandit-like aura."

Did she exude a bandit-like aura?

Ziling silently glanced at the bronze mirror beside her.

However, the Duke of Dongling's expectations fell far short of what was about to unfold.