The constant fear of discovery, the loathing of her male disguise, had kept Shang Wuxin confined within the walls of the Eastern Palace. 

But recently, swayed by the persistent coaxing of a palace eunuch, she had ventured out, only to be met with the cruel taunts and jeers of noblemen. Unable to muster even a flicker of anger, she had fled back to the palace in tears.

There, she had locked herself away, refusing food and drink, consumed by despair. It was then that a trusted handmaiden, one who had always been close to her, had whispered of a wishing tree in the valley behind the Imperial Mausoleum, a tree said to grant any desire. 

Naive and desperate, Shang Wuxin had stolen away to the valley alone, only to be frightened by wild beasts and venomous snakes. 

Fleeing in terror, she had stumbled into this cave, where, by a cruel twist of fate, the poison within her frail body had finally taken its toll, paving the way for Shang Wuxin’s arrival.

Shang Wuxin touched her new face, sighing inwardly. The original Shang Wuxin had been foolish, easily manipulated. The handmaiden had undoubtedly been a plant, placed there to exploit the prince's vulnerability. 

A simple ploy, and Shang Wuxin had fallen for it, losing her life in the process. She had yearned to shed her male disguise, to live as a woman, to marry and raise a family. Perhaps it was for the best. With such a timid nature, she would only have continued to suffer.

Lying there, Shang Wuxin sifted through the tangled memories. Though hazy and incomplete, they didn't hinder her resolve. The past could be unravelled later; for now, survival was paramount.

"D*mn it!" she cursed under her breath. She had assumed her martial arts skills were lost, gone with her previous life. But as she stood and channeled her inner energy, she realized the original Shang Wuxin possessed considerable skill. 

To have endured such torment with such power at her disposal, to have fled from wild beasts instead of fighting… Shang Wuxin felt a surge of disdain for the former prince. In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, such a timid nature was a liability, even more so for a prince. To have survived this long was a miracle in itself.