What's Wrong With My Princess – Wu Mingjing, Chang Bin

Murong Qiuyu used to be a general in West Chu. She spent years on the battlefield, risking her life and enduring countless wounds to help her beloved, Li Mo, secure the throne. Despite the hardships, she never regretted her choices. Now that the realm is stable, Li Mo has fulfilled his promise to her. Qiuyu has taken off her armor and, as the Empress, stands by his side, like an ordinary woman, ready to bear his children.

Standing at the gate of Guan Ju Palace, pregnant Qiuyu eagerly gazes inside. Li Mo has been absent from the palace for a long time. Xiao Ju, her loyal maid, hesitates to reveal the truth that the Emperor intends to depose Qiuyu and elevate Xiner to the position of Empress. Qiuyu, unable to believe it, feels a faint pain in her abdomen.

Sweating profusely, Qiuyu lies on the bed, repeatedly asking Xiao Ju about the Emperor's arrival. Only when she sees the Emperor and Murong Xiner does she manage a faint smile. Xiao Ju reveals her wicked intentions with a sinister grin and cruelly presses on Qiuyu's belly. Even the Emperor lends a hand to hold Qiuyu's struggling arms. In that moment, all that remains is feeble cries and boundless despair.

The unborn child perishes in Qiuyu's womb, and Li Mo tightens his grip around her neck, taking her life. In her heart, Qiuyu silently vows that if there is another life, she will make them pay for their blood debt.

When she awakens again, she is dressed in wedding attire and bound with ropes. Seventh Prince Li Jian stands before her, surveying the surroundings. She has indeed traveled back five years in time.

Li Jian casually picked up the candle next to him and threatened Qiuyu. Thinking back to the scenes from their previous life, Qiuyu quickly calmed down and persuaded Li Jian. She only wanted peace now. With gentle words, she convinced Li Jian to put down the candle and helped Qiuyu loosen her restraints. Listening to Qiuyu's explanation, Li Jian finally understood that Qiuyu intended to betray Li Mo and form an alliance with him. She believed that Li Jian would agree, as she knew both Li Mo and Li Jian well. After speaking, Qiuyu picked up a hairpin from her head, cut her hand with it, and used a handkerchief to soak up the blood, which she handed to Li Jian to show that she had someone watching him. Seeing Qiuyu's series of actions, Li Jian was both skeptical and cautious, deciding to give her three days to prove her words.

The next day, Xiao Ju, who came to wake Qiuyu up, found a dropped handkerchief on the ground. After picking it up and thinking for a moment, she was startled by a sudden voice behind her. Remembering Xiao Ju's actions in her previous life, Qiuyu slapped her directly. Under two more slaps, Xiao Ju knelt on the ground, begging Qiuyu to spare her life. She used a calculated act to appeal to Qiuyu's mercy. Qiuyu, while caressing Xiao Ju's face, made a firm decision not to let them off easily. This was just the beginning, and they would have to pay back what they owed little by little.

After conducting an investigation, Li Jian confirmed Qiuyu's story, but he still had doubts and boundaries. Qiuyu revealed her plan to Li Jian: on the day of her return to the family, she would pretend to be insane to fool them into thinking that they were not in agreement and to relax their guard. All of this was heard by Xiao Ju, who was hiding behind the curtain.

Li Jian brought Qiuyu back to the family home. Looking at her stepmother in front of her, Qiuyu remembered the blame and insults she had endured from her in her previous life, filling her heart with hatred. When Murong Xiner, who was holding her arm, tried to approach, Qiuyu shook her arm free and hid behind Li Jian. Immediately, Li Jian explained to everyone that Qiuyu had been in poor spirits and feeling unwell recently. Murong Xiner, upon hearing the news, suspiciously eyed Qiuyu, thinking she might be pretending. Murong Hao, her father, who was familiar with her daughter's usually resolute personality, also shared those doubts. However, Li Jian's testimony on Qiuyu's behalf seemed to alleviate their concerns.

Meanwhile, Qiuyu remained silent, pretending to be mentally challenged, not uttering a word. She grabbed a handful of peanuts from the table and threw them at her stepmother, Liu Yun, while acting deranged. In a fit of madness, she also pushed Xiner down. Xiner, looking to retaliate, was blocked by Li Jian, which made her lower her raised arm.

Xiner then changed her mind and, pretending to have some medical knowledge, took Qiuyu back to her room to treat her. Xiner provocatively stared at Qiuyu and administered a painful injection. Unable to bear the pain, Qiuyu immediately slapped Xiner and then grabbed her, demanding to know the whereabouts of her real sister. Xiner, distressed by the commotion, ran back to her mother. Witnessing Qiuyu's outburst once again, Li Jian interrogated Xiner about what she had done to Qiuyu.

Seeing Seventh Prince Li Jian getting angry, Xiner was forced to apologize. However, Li Jian was not satisfied at all. He made Xiner kneel and beg for mercy directly. Though Xiner felt resentful, she had no choice but to comply under the pressure of imperial authority. She silently swore that what she did today would make them regret it.

Back at Guan Ju Palace, Qiuyu continued to feign madness in front of Xiao Ju. Xiao Ju, holding Chinese medicine, kept testing Qiuyu. When she realized that Qiuyu was truly insane, Xiao Ju attempted to force-feed her the medicine. However, Qiuyu fought back relentlessly, causing Xiao Ju to slink away in defeat.

Not long after Xiao Ju left, Li Mo appeared. He didn't believe that Qiuyu was truly insane and approached her, but to his surprise, Qiuyu pushed him away and knocked him to the ground. Listening to Li Mo's vows, Qiuyu chuckled with scorn, recalling the previous life when Li Mo had named Xiner as a noble concubine while she fought on the battlefield. She then gave Li Mo a resounding slap.

Qiuyu slapped Li Mo repeatedly, one after another. Li Mo, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed Qiuyu's wrist. Fortunately, Li Jian arrived in time to stop Li Mo's actions, reminding him to maintain a proper distance from his queen. With nothing to say in response, Li Mo had no choice but to leave.

Qiuyu finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her normal self. Li Jian couldn't believe that Qiuyu, his childhood friend, harbored such deep hatred for Li Mo. Qiuyu thanked Li Jian for his cooperation and candidly revealed that she had come for revenge. Li Jian began to gradually believe in Qiuyu's intentions.

Murong Xiner, dressed beautifully, approached Li Mo and immediately noticed the scars on his neck. She hugged him and expressed her concern. Seeing Xiner's stunning appearance, Li Mo was also captivated.

The Emperor specifically summoned the top talent of West Chu, Xiner. She couldn't help but reminisce about the last time she danced when Qiuyu played the zither and sang beside her. Unfortunately, Qiuyu was seriously ill now. However, to everyone's surprise, just as the words left her mouth, Qiuyu appeared before the Emperor, in good spirits. Li Jian explained that the royal physician had already treated Qiuyu, and she was now well and healthy.

With the Emperor's permission, Qiuyu bent over to play the zither, while Xiner danced gracefully. Sudden changes in the tune repeatedly caught Xiner off guard, causing her to fall to the ground. Qiuyu kindly helped her up. The Emperor on the other side continuously praised Qiuyu's musical skills, leaving Xiner feeling neglected.

Once the Emperor left, Xiner began to question why Qiuyu pretended to be insane. This time, Qiuyu feigned memory loss, leaving Xiner speechless. Then, she expressed concern for Li Mo's injury, making Xiner laugh when she learned he was okay.

Li Jian looked into the mirror and, as usual, covered the scar on his left eyebrow. He felt satisfied but didn't know how much longer he would have to maintain this disguise.

After the incident with playing the zither, Li Jian became certain that Qiuyu was an enemy, not a friend. He observed her frequently rotating her wrist and personally found a pharmacist to prepare an ointment for her injuries. After a few pulls and tugs, Li Jian applied the ointment to Qiuyu's wrist himself, surprising her. She had never expected that they could get along so peacefully.

Recalling Liu Yun's actions towards her, including the murder of her own biological mother, and how she reduced Qiuyu to a servant in the backyard, using cold water for laundry as a child, which led to her suffering from a cold-related illness, Qiuyu's hatred for her ran deep. Li Jian empathized with Qiuyu's experiences, and he was determined to help her embark on the path of revenge.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, Xiao Ju used the excuse of helping Qiuyu tidy up her clothes to finally bring her in front of the Emperor. During the toast to celebrate the occasion, the Empress Dowager noticed that she had lost her necklace. After a thorough search, one of Xiner's maids informed the Emperor that she had seen Seventh Prince and his consort take the necklace. She mentioned that as the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were leaving the Imperial Garden, a palace maid had placed something black in Seventh Prince's and his consort's hands. However, the Emperor was skeptical, and Xiner immediately pressured Qiuyu to be searched to prove her innocence.

Qiuyu, calm and composed, agreed without panic and, to everyone's expectation, a black necklace was indeed found on her. She explained that the necklace was a gift from the local people during her time leading troops in foreign lands.

After a careful examination, the Empress Dowager confirmed that this was not her own necklace, causing Xiner to pale at the realization.

Xiner instigated that Qiuyu had not appeared at the banquet, wondering where she had gone. The Emperor began to question whether there were any witnesses to Qiuyu's absence. Qiuyu was momentarily at a loss for words, but Li Jian, who was by her side, stood up to testify. He explained that he had accidentally bumped into a palace maid in the hall, causing his clothes to be splashed with tea. He and Qiuyu then went to the carriage to change their clothes, using this as evidence of Qiuyu's innocence.

Li Jian then shifted the blame to Xiner, which left Xiner flustered. She questioned her maids, who were equally clueless and kept their heads low. Qiuyu, daringly, requested a body search. The maid, intending to prove her innocence, took out a necklace from her own pocket. After observing it, the Empress Dowager confirmed that it was indeed her necklace. The maid knelt down in panic, begging Xiner and falsely claiming that she had found it. The Emperor immediately ordered her to be imprisoned in the dungeon awaiting judgment, leaving Xiner breathless.

Afterward, Xiner attempted to leave but was stopped by Qiuyu. Qiuyu grabbed her arm and checked her pulse, diagnosing her with a guilty conscience. Hearing this, Xiner felt even more uneasy and left in a hurry. Qiuyu tried to follow but was halted by Li Mo. Li Mo held Qiuyu's hand affectionately, and after exchanging a few words, Li Jian also appeared. Together, they took Qiuyu home, and as they were leaving, Qiuyu nodded to Li Mo to signal something.

Li Jian rubbed the necklace, lost in thought. Although it was still unbelievable, a series of events had verified that Qiuyu could indeed foresee the future, implicitly acknowledging their alliance. In the midst of their conversation, Qiuyu raised her hand to signal Li Jian to stop speaking. She became alert when she noticed a figure at the door. Hearing the silence in the room, Xiao Ju, who had been hiding outside, quietly slipped away.

The next day, Li Jian played host to Li Mo and Xiner at his home. Li Jian's subordinates whispered something to him, and he slammed the table in anger. Immediately, Xiao Ju was brought in and knelt on the ground. On the table were confiscated items and correspondences related to her interactions with someone else. Xiner's expression drastically changed upon seeing this.

Qiuyu questioned Xiao Ju about who had sent her. When Xiao Ju refused to admit it, Qiuyu slapped her. Li Jian threatened Xiao Ju's life, and she knelt, seeking help from Xiner. However, Xiner responded with a heartless kick, causing Xiao Ju to point out her master—Xiner. To prevent Xiao Ju from saying more, Xiner added another kick, sending her sprawling to the ground. At that moment, Qiuyu was examining the handwriting on the correspondence and admitted that she couldn't decipher it. She asked Li Mo to analyze it. Hearing Li Mo's explanation about sibling love, Qiuyu ordered her subordinates to drag Xiao Ju away and beat her to death. Xiner glared at Xiao Ju as she was being dragged away and breathed a sigh of relief.

Qiuyu fondled the necklace, reminiscing about Xiao Ju's actions in her previous life and how she had received the retribution she deserved. This brought her great satisfaction, and she happily selected a hairpin in front of the mirror.

Li Jian entered the room with light steps. He had heard that since the banquet for Murong Xiner, Qiuyu had claimed to be frail and unwilling to see anyone, but in reality, she had been plagued by nightmares and had trouble sleeping and eating. Qiuyu was pleased with everything that had happened. She shared with Li Jian the information about Li Mo building an army in Feiying Fortress in their previous life, intending to frame and harm him. Li Jian had mixed feelings but decided to investigate further.

The next day, Qiuyu met with Li Mo. She told him that, based on her observations, Li Jian might be plotting a rebellion and showed him the wound on her arm. Li Mo, deeply concerned, gently touched the wound and gave a sinister smile. Qiuyu expressed her genuine feelings to Li Jian, and Li Mo held her hand, nodding in agreement. Xiner, who had been hiding in the distance, witnessed everything with a fierce expression.

When Li Mo returned to his room, he realized that Xiner had eavesdropped on their conversation. He scolded her, explaining that he had only used Qiuyu, which made Xiner feel very uneasy.