Reborn Crown Princess

Jiang Yitang awakens in her body seven years in the past, finding herself back in the Ministry of Rites Minister’s Residence on the eighth day of the seventh month. In her previous life, she died a miserable death at the hands of her elder sister, Jiang Shuangyuan, who forced poison down her throat on the day of the new emperor’s coronation. Jiang Yitang had been betrayed by her own family, ordered to die by her father, Jiang Ze Min, to avoid political repercussions after the Crown Prince, Xie Yuzhao, rebelled against the throne. Having experienced the agony of broken fingers and internal torture, she is determined to change her fate and seek revenge against those who destroyed her life.

The critical turning point arrives when Jiang Yitang learns that the Crown Prince, suffering from smallpox, has been moved to the residence for recovery. In her past life, she had seized this opportunity to care for him, eventually becoming his secondary consort and experiencing two years of protection and kindness before his downfall. This time, despite her natural timidity and fear of the contagious disease, she decides to gamble on saving him again. She believes that securing his favor is her only path to escaping the oppressive environment of the minister’s residence and gaining the power necessary to avenge herself against Jiang Shuangyuan and her father.

Jiang Yitang enters Songrong Courtyard, where Xie Yuzhao lies isolated and neglected by servants who fear infection. She finds him weak and vulnerable, covered in the sores of smallpox. She tends to his wounds, feeds him, and cleans his body, enduring her own terror to keep him alive. Xie Yuzhao, who has also retained memories of his past life, recognizes her immediately. He recalls the woman who abandoned him during his house arrest and the one who died tragically because of his rebellion. When Jiang Yitang makes a pact to save him in exchange for her protection, he agrees, though his motives are complex, driven by a mix of gratitude, suspicion, and a desire to prevent history from repeating its tragic course.

As Jiang Yitang cares for the Crown Prince, the dynamics within the minister’s residence shift. The Old Madam, seeking to control the situation and protect her favored legitimate children, officially assigns Jiang Yitang to tend to Xie Yuzhao, using her as a shield against the political fallout. Jiang Shuangyuan, who once killed Jiang Yitang, now watches with confusion and resentment as her younger sister voluntarily enters the quarantined courtyard. The household servants, fearing contamination, isolate both Songrong Courtyard and Jiang Yitang’s own residence, Song’an Yuan, cutting them off from the rest of the estate.

Despite the physical danger and social isolation, Jiang Yitang persists in her care. She shares her meager resources with Xie Yuzhao, offering him preserved fruits she had hidden for herself. Their interactions reveal a deepening, albeit complicated, bond. Xie Yuzhao observes her fear and hesitation, recognizing that she is not acting out of pure altruism but out of necessity and a desire for survival. Meanwhile, Jiang Yitang begins to see the vulnerability beneath Xie Yuzhao’s royal exterior, noting his emotional pain and the loneliness he feels as everyone around him withdraws in fear.

The story progresses with Jiang Yitang navigating the treacherous politics of the inner courtyard while managing the health of the future emperor. She faces hostility from Jiang Shuangyuan and indifference from her father, yet she remains focused on her goal. The narrative establishes a tense atmosphere where past traumas influence present actions, and every interaction between Jiang Yitang and Xie Yuzhao is layered with unspoken histories and mutual assessment. Jiang Yitang’s gamble has begun, and her survival now depends on her ability to navigate both the physical threat of smallpox and the political machinations of a household that views her as expendable.