Begin Again

In the resplendent Golden Hall, Linda Lin knelt on the cold ground, her head raised resolutely as she declared, "I did not poison Laura Shen, I absolutely did not!"

"Impertinent! The poison in Lauras system was clearly the Qixiang Powder, a concoction only you know how to make. How dare you argue! I told you long ago, once I ascended the throne, you would be my empress, and Laura would be my noble consort. Yet you are so jealous and malicious; how can I believe you?!"

The man in the dragon robe, after uttering these cold words, ordered the eunuchs to cast Linda into the filthy and cold dungeon.

In the cramped and dark cell, reeking of foul odors and occasionally visited by rats, the once terrifying conditions meant nothing to Linda, who was born into a prestigious family and coddled from birth.

From the day she was imprisoned, she was subjected to all manner of torture in the Ministry of Punishments, believing that if she held firm and did not falsely confess, Austin would realize her innocence.

But all she awaited was the news of Austins coronation of Laura as empress and the order for her own beheading.

The moment of her death was agonizingly painful.

Yet for Linda, the pain in her heart was even more unbearable.

She could not forget the night before her execution when Laura, dressed in the empresss regalia, arrogantly visited her cell and had her violated by filthy beggars, triumphantly revealing the truth:

"Since you are about to die, I might as well tell you, I was never poisoned. This was all a scheme between Austin and me. You foolish woman, did you truly believe that your talents and beauty could steal the throne from me?"

"Let me tell you, Austin was with you only for the military power of your Lin family. Now that he has ascended, he naturally cannot tolerate you, nor your entire family, which will soon be executed. They will join you in the afterlife!"

A faint and unwilling spirit wandered above the Capital City, Lindas body lacerated, her eyes gleaming with hatred.

She witnessed the Regent, Leon Gong, rushing back upon hearing of Austins intent to annihilate the Lin family; she saw her beloved parents and brother, framed by Austin with trumped-up charges of treason, and executed in the most brutal manner.

She also saw the treacherous couple, Laura and Austin, entwined in the luxurious imperial bedchamber, their voices filled with triumph:

"Now that the Lin family is extinct, we only need to eliminate the Regent, and the world will be ours!"

"Still, my dear Laura understands my heart best. Linda, as rigid and pedantic as her father, spoke only of being a good emperor for the welfare of the people. The sight of her makes me want to vomit!"

"Your Majesty, you are so naughty, I cant bear it..."

"Let me pamper you properly!"

"..."

It was then that Linda realized her mistake from the beginning.

She should not have been deceived by Austins sweet words, nor should she have persuaded her father to support Austins ascension. It was her own failure to recognize people that led to this outcome, dooming her entire family!

As her last consciousness faded, Linda knew she was dead.

But she was not willing, she was not willing to let herself and her family die in vain, to let that despicable couple trample on her, leaving the Lin family without even a grave.

She wanted revenge, she must have revenge, she would make Austin and Laura suffer a hundred times over for the pain she had endured.

"Ah!"

The nightmare, like a knife, woke Linda from her sleep, her heart aching terribly as she sat up abruptly. The guards outside, hearing the commotion, rushed in and harshly scolded her:

"Howling for what?! You, who will be on the execution ground in a few hours, still think you are the daughter of the great general?!"

Though the guards voices were fierce, they also helped Linda quickly come to her senses from the nightmare.

She sat silently in the corner, slowly lowering her head.

Seeing her docile appearance, the guards grumbled and went back to their drinking.

The moment they left, Linda looked up slightly, exchanging glances with one of the guards, and felt much more at ease.

She was reborn!

Although she was reborn in this very cell and could not prevent the fate of being framed by Laura and Austin.

No matter what, as long as she was alive, there was hope.

Fortunately, there was a guard in this cell who had been favored by her father in the past, so Linda easily found a way to plan from the outside, to save herself and her entire Lin family.

Linda calculated the time carefully and asked the guard some questions, quickly realizing that her family had not yet been exterminated, only placed under house arrest due to her situation.

And the illustrious Regent, Leon Gong, had received the secret letter she had sent with great difficulty.

Although she was to be executed in a few hours, Linda was not afraid at all.

She had excellent medical skills, the support of the entire Lin family, and now had contacted Leon Gong, holding the most powerful chip.

Heaven had mercy on her and gave her a chance to be reborn, and she would not miss it in vain!

As dawn broke, Linda was bound and taken to the execution ground. Before leaving, the old guard whispered in her ear:

"Miss, dont worry, I heard that the Regent is on his way back and will definitely save you!"

Linda nodded slightly, but upon seeing the guillotine that was identical to the one in her past life, a trace of fear still flashed through her heart.

The guillotine was already surrounded by citizens who had come to watch the spectacle, and their murmurs reached Lindas ears without missing a word:

"Did you hear? The woman to be beheaded is the daughter of General Lin, who was supposedly the future empress, but because of jealousy, she wanted to poison the future noble consort and was ordered by the Emperor to be beheaded!"

"That cant be true. General Lin is such a good man, loyal and upright, he has fought so many battles for us, his daughter should not be such a malicious person!"

"I know that girl, she is proficient in medical skills. I used to have a severe skin disease and almost died on the street. She, a beautiful and noble young lady, did not disdain me at all and treated my illness. She could not have done such a thing!"

"..."

The voices of the people warmed Lindas heart and gave her a sense of security.

The prestige and reputation of the Lin family in the Capital City far exceeded her expectations. If that was the case, it would be difficult for Austin to lay a hand on her in this life!

The sun gradually rose, and the executioner, under the command of the official in charge, raised the blade high. Lindas heart skipped a beat.

Just as the blade was about to fall, a deep and domineering voice rang out from afar:

"Who dares to kill the woman of this king?!"