Fate Trading System – Chapter 185

Plan A

Guiding Stars 1

Dead End

The two people hadn’t properly celebrated New Year due to running around for the mission, and they weren’t very happy, especially since the mission targets were so disgusting, doing things that made one nauseous.

“Let’s go home and rest well. This employer is generous, we can take another long break.”

“Mm.”

Lord Fourteen, I’m ready, can start the mission immediately.

Su Xin said after getting enough sleep and recovering her spirit.

【Alright, there’s a request from an ancient dimension, do you accept?】

Accept.

【Host, this commissioner’s identity is somewhat special.】

Oh?

【She is a reborn person】

Meow meow meow???

Is this for real? Since she’s already reborn, why does she need to find her for a mission?

Isn’t the usual reborn pattern about reaching life’s peak, face-slapping revenge, and succeeding in both love and career?

【Because she has no golden finger】.

Ah, this needs consideration.

Some people were ordinary and mediocre in their previous life, but through the chance of rebirth, they obtained a golden finger, rising from there to reverse their fate. From serfs singing songs [農奴把歌唱 | nóng nú bǎ gē chàng | metaphor for dramatic rise in status], they became awesome figures, growing all the way.

Some people were already outstanding and excellent in their previous life, but died from accidents, murder, or betrayal. Being reborn once more was just to help them see things clearly, then obtain things they didn’t have before, climbing even more impressively to life’s peak.

But hearing Lord Fourteen speak thus, this commissioner should be in the third situation.

That is, having no merits and being mediocre but reborn, and after rebirth still having no golden finger, with no major changes except knowing a limited future.

The same brain, the same intelligence quotient, though personality might change – specific changes unknown.

【Reality world in cryosleep, now entering system space, transitioning with commissioner.】

Su Xin saw a woman standing there in ancient dress, her hair neatly bound with a jade crown, face looking young, height above one-seven meters, quite tall.

The woman’s face showed anxiety, slightly relieved upon seeing Su Xin.

“This king…” [本王 | běn wáng | royal self-reference] the woman paused, “I am called Yue Xingchen [越星辰 | yuè xīng chén | meaning: surpassing stars], the imperial eldest daughter of Da Yue, one month ago, I was reborn.”

“The specific details, you should know from receiving my memories. My wish is…”

Yue Xingchen’s expression showed a trace of hesitation, but then became firm again.

“My wish is to become Da Yue’s emperor, to be the supreme ruler, uphold the royal lineage, and prevent treacherous usurpation.”

“Good.”

Su Xin didn’t ignore that moment of hesitation – perhaps her original wish wasn’t this. People have many wishes, but Su Xin didn’t care if she changed it or not. Once a wish is made, it cannot be changed.

Su Xin entered Yue Xingchen’s body, receiving two sets of memories – one from before rebirth, one from after.

This was a female-respected world [女尊世界 | nǚ zūn shì jiè | world where women hold supreme power], as the name implies, women were respected and men lowly, men bore children, women could have three husbands and four male concubines. Yue Xingchen was the imperial eldest daughter, should have been the most hopeful heir to the throne.

But her father-consort [父妃 | fù fēi | male imperial consort] died early, and she had no protective forces in court. Moreover, she was naturally weak, disliking power struggles, preferring romance and pleasure, enjoying eating, drinking, and entertainment.

At first, everyone saw her as promising material, and some plotted to align with her, but later upon seeing other imperial daughters’ outstanding performance while she remained mediocre, they gradually shifted their aims.

Yue Xingchen was actually in a very awkward position. Her father-consort was from a noble family, but their clan was thin and gradually declined. After her father-consort passed, she had no one to rely on. Besides the female emperor, she had no other direct blood relatives. The title of imperial eldest daughter was empty, without any power to rely on.

Yue Xingchen was raised by the emperor consort, who was actually very scheming. Over many years, she imperceptibly raised her to be useless. Yue Xingchen thought since she had no power to rely on, and wasn’t suited for such matters anyway, disliking struggle and making enemies, she’d just slack off and live aimlessly.

Under the emperor consorts’ subtle influence, Yue Xingchen gave up struggling, thinking just living her small life was enough, completely uninvolved, playing around each day.

This wasn’t necessarily bad, but problems arose later. The female emperor had twelve children in total – seven imperial daughters, five imperial sons.

Excluding Yue Xingchen herself, she had six younger sisters fighting for that supreme position.

The six sisters fought severely, while the female emperor’s health gradually weakened.

Yue Xingchen discovered her sisters dying one after another for various reasons, with varying intervals between deaths. The female emperor’s health entered a critical state amid the loss of daughters.

Finally, the Fifth Imperial Daughter ascended the throne. Of the eight imperial daughters, only Yue Xingchen and the Fifth Imperial Daughter survived, none others remained.

The female emperor passed away, passing the throne to the Fifth Imperial Daughter before death.

Though all was puzzling, overall there seemed no problem. But Yue Xingchen learned the truth on the day the female emperor was dying.

The female emperor secretly summoned her, telling her she only discovered before death that the Fifth Imperial Daughter wasn’t her biological daughter – the emperor consort had given her a green hat [帶綠帽子 | dài lǜ mào zi | idiom for infidelity], all admitted by the emperor consort himslef, aiming to anger her to death.

Yue Xingchen was greatly shocked – the royal legitimate status had been altered by traitors, the Fifth Imperial Daughter sitting on the throne wasn’t of royal bloodline.

But everything had already settled like dust. The female emperor had the will but not the strength, and the palace was already under the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s control.

Yue Xingchen was the only one who knew the truth. She returned to her mansion through secret passages. If she died too, then Da Yue would exist in name only, the imperial family truly usurped.

But like the female emperor, Yue Xingchen too had the will but not the strength. Even though she couldn’t read court politics well, she knew she had no voice now.

Before long, she was charged with fabricated crimes, all her husbands and children were killed.

The bloodline was truly severed.

But one month ago, the beheaded Yue Xingchen opened her eyes to find herself back in the past, when her six sisters were still competing.

Knowing the truth, she didn’t want the Fifth Imperial Daughter to win, so she entered the palace to explain the bloodline issue to the female emperor. But when she went to report [奏名 | zòu míng | formal court report] this matter to the still-healthy female emperor, she received no response, only long silence.

In her anxiety, she saw the Fifth Imperial Daughter walk out from behind the screen, and the female emperor originally sitting on the dragon throne actually bowed respectfully to the Fifth Imperial Daughter.

“I originally thought eldest sister was the most honest one, but didn’t expect you to be the most dishonest.”

The Fifth Imperial Daughter’s smile was eerie. Yue Xingchen knew what was wrong – this female emperor wasn’t real, but an impersonator.

“Where is Mother Emperor? Where have you taken her?”

“Guess? Has eldest sister become confused from illness? Mother Emperor sits right here, sitting perfectly well. Why do you speak such nonsense?”

Yue Xingchen was forced to swallow an unknown pill, then placed under house arrest in her own mansion, unable to speak or move her legs.

A dead end, truly a dead end.

To think the Fifth Imperial Daughter was already this powerful at this time, no wonder the entire imperial family was in her pocket.

What use was being reborn once? Things were ruined from the start. Even waiting and watching was useless, because Yue Xingchen didn’t understand the way of officials, nor how to maneuver in court. The real female emperor’s whereabouts were unknown, the fake female emperor completely obeyed the Fifth Imperial Daughter, and the other sisters fought endlessly – what meaning was there?

However, Yue Xingchen could be certain that in her previous life, the person who summoned her to speak was definitely the real female emperor.

Su Xin sorted through the memories in her mind, finding herself lying in bed like an invalid.

This… how could she complete the mission like this?

The situation was crystal clear – certain death.

If she hadn’t been discovered by the Fifth Imperial Daughter, the situation might be slightly better, but it wouldn’t make much difference, as the start was too late. The female emperor’s health gradually weakened, court officials were already restless, factions clearly divided. Though there were some neutrals, who knew what they truly thought?

The six sisters had already clearly divided their power. Even if Su Xin received a healthy body, there was no chance to intervene.

Yue Xingchen survived until the end only because she stayed uninvolved, not participating in power struggles, but still couldn’t escape death.

If she intervened earlier, likely before the Fifth Imperial Daughter made her move, she would have been reduced to fragments by her other sisters.

A dead end.

Su Xin lay paralyzed on the bed, feeling deeply powerless.

If this transmigration counted as one life, then this body was on its second attempt – three chances in total.

Su Xin had no confidence at all, because she could foresee the future. Even if she survived until the end, she would still die, let alone ascend to the emperor’s position.

When Yue Xingchen made this wish, it wasn’t without selfish motives – ultimately she chose her wish to become emperor.

She was actually a rather looked-down-upon imperial daughter. Each of the female emperor’s daughters had tiger-wolf ambition, determined to seize that position. Only she was cowardly and soft, knowing nothing, unskilled in learning, lacking talent for ruling, without military leadership ability, unable to establish civil order or maintain martial peace. She had nothing worthy to show – though the imperial eldest daughter, she was just a joke.

But ability isn’t something that changes just from being reborn once. Perhaps if you couldn’t solve a math problem in your previous life, starting over, you still couldn’t solve it.

It’s like life’s most intense exam – after it ends you get the answers, then suddenly return to before the exam, completely unprepared. Perhaps you could answer a few more fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice questions correctly, but the later major problems would still leave you helpless.

Yue Xingchen was in such a state, and she’d made it even worse. Because of her performance, the examiner suspected her of cheating, so expelled her from the exam hall.

There was no way out.

Lord Fourteen, this time you’ve chosen a dead end for me.

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