Hua Manman had transmigrated into this world three months ago.
The reason for her transmigration was simply that she had read a court drama novel titled *Palace Intrigue*.
At this moment, her entire body was submerged in the icy water of the lake. She couldn't breathe and was in extreme discomfort.
'If I had known I would transmigrate into the book and become its vicious, brain-dead female supporting character, I would have sooner died of boredom—or even jumped from my own apartment—than ever click on *Palace Intrigue*!'
Someone jumped into the water, grabbed her arm, and began dragging her toward the shore.
The moment Hua Manman was pulled ashore, before she could even catch her breath, Hua Dingzong slapped her hard across the face.
A crisp SLAP echoed.
Everyone present froze in shock.
The force of the blow snapped Hua Manman's head to the side, her left cheek stinging with a fiery pain.
Hua Dingzong unleashed a torrent of abuse at her.
"You're already fifteen! You've had your coming-of-age ceremony, so why are you still so willful? Don't you ever think before you act or speak? What sins did our Hua Family commit to deserve raising such a disobedient, unfilial fool like you!"
Not far away, Li Ji sat in his wheelchair, watching everything unfold with the cold detachment of a bystander.
Elder Zhong'an was in a towering rage, and no one dared to intervene.
Someone slipped away to notify the Madam.
Hua Manman clutched her red, swollen cheek. Tears welled in her eyes, and her delicate frame trembled uncontrollably. She was a wretched sight.
But even so, she lifted her head as if making a final, desperate gamble, and said through her sobs,
"I don't want to marry Prince Zhao! I won't marry a cripple!"
She knew Prince Zhao was watching from not far away. She also knew that this prince in the wheelchair would one day seize immense power and become the Regent King, his authority eclipsing the entire court.
Offending him would certainly lead to a bad end.
But she had no choice.
She had to complete her mission.
She could only wail inwardly—
'WAAAH! Your Highness Prince Zhao, I'm begging you, please be the bigger person and don't hold a grudge! Please, please don't take any of the crap I just said to heart.'
Hua Dingzong was half-dead with rage at his second daughter's unrepentant stubbornness.
He raised his hand to slap his second daughter again.
But he was stopped just in time by Madam He, who had rushed to the scene.
Madam He shielded her precious daughter and resorted to her usual shrewish tactics.
"Manman is already so miserable! It's one thing not to show any concern, but to hit and curse her? Are you even her father? Go on, hit me instead! If you have the guts, just kill us both, mother and daughter!"
Hua Dingzong was about to be driven mad by this mother-daughter duo.
But in front of outsiders, he had to do everything he could to preserve the dignity of the Uncle's Mansion.
So, he allowed Madam He to lead Hua Manman away.
A system notification sounded in Hua Manman's mind—
[Congratulations, Host, for completing an important plot mission!]
Hua Dingzong ordered the servants to keep their mouths shut and not breathe a word of this to anyone. Then, he walked over to Prince Zhao, bowed low, and began to apologize profusely.
"My young daughter was ignorant and has disturbed Your Highness. I implore you, Your Highness, on account of her youth and foolishness, not to lower yourself to her level. I will discipline her thoroughly later and guarantee that nothing like this will ever happen again."
After a long wait, there was still no response from Prince Zhao.
Hua Dingzong cautiously raised his head, only to see Prince Zhao staring intently in the direction Madam He and Hua Manman had gone, his gaze deep and inscrutable.
A growing unease settled in Hua Dingzong's heart.
Although this Prince Zhao had only just returned to Shangjing, rumors about him were rampant. He was said to be capricious, to kill without batting an eye, to be sinister and treacherous, and to seek revenge for the slightest offense...
In short, none of it was good.
After the scene Hua Manman had caused today, she had surely offended Prince Zhao to the point of no return.
He feared the marriage between Prince Zhao and Hua Manman would now be called off.