Another ledger—still more.
Huo Ran had no idea what words to use to describe the sheer excitement pounding through her chest.
This much money… had she gotten rich overnight?
She was starting to doubt her own eyes.
Watching her master flip through ledger after ledger, Zhao the steward was utterly confused.
"Master, there's also a stack of land deeds that need your private seal. Once they're stamped, Attendant Yu can register them."
At that, Huo Ran immediately began searching for the deeds Zhao mentioned.
After a flurry of activity, she stared at the thick stack in her hands, deep in thought.
Could the original owner's memories be wrong?
That didn't make sense. If it were her, there was no way she'd have this much wealth and not remember it at all.
"Um… Steward Zhao," Huo Ran said hesitantly. "These things in the ledgers—when were they…?"
Before she could finish, Zhao answered promptly.
"In reply to Master, Attendant Yu and several accountants compiled the records overnight. Many of the items listed were delivered after nightfall. Attendant Yu didn't dare disturb you."
Huo Ran immediately understood.
So the original owner hadn't even known she possessed all this wealth?
That figured. If she had known, she probably wouldn't have died in such an embarrassing way.
Scaring herself to death—how humiliating would that be?
She completely forgot that just moments ago, she'd already planned her own suicide.
Her mindset shifted instantly.
Dying was out of the question—for now. She hadn't even spent her money yet.
"Take me to the treasury," she said. "I want to see it myself."
She needed to assess her assets before deciding whether life was still worth struggling for.
"Yes!"
Realizing her task was finally moving forward, Zhao the steward broke into a genuine smile.
In the time it took to brew a cup of tea, they arrived at the treasury doors.
"Open the treasury. The master wishes to inspect it," Zhao instructed the guards.
"Yes!"
With a creak, the doors swung open.
Suppressing her excitement, Huo Ran stepped inside at a measured pace.
If not for her tightly clenched fists, she might've looked calm.
"Hiss—"
She sucked in a sharp breath at the sight before her.
Good heavens. You really do treat me like your own granddaughter.
Gold gleaming everywhere, silver piled high—there was even a jade cabbage half a person tall, along with vases that were obviously priceless.
The more she looked, the weaker her legs felt.
All of this was hers.
Zhao the steward waited quietly, not daring to lift her head or make a sound.
"Steward Zhao, you may leave," Huo Ran said, forcing her voice to remain steady.
"Yes. This servant takes her leave."
Once the door was shut, Huo Ran finally dropped all pretense.
She grabbed a gold ingot and took a bite.
"Huh?" Didn't even leave a mark.
Undeterred, she laughed foolishly and picked up a silver ingot instead.
Nice. Heavy. Very solid.
Then she lovingly stroked the jade cabbage on the shelf.
Back in the modern world, she'd visited jade exhibitions. Every single piece had been worth millions—some tens of millions.
She'd only ever been able to look.
But now?
She owned one.
How could she not be thrilled?
By the time she finished inspecting her belongings, a quarter hour had passed, and her smile was practically reaching the sun.
Before leaving, she rubbed her aching cheeks and forced herself to calm down.
Huo Ran, stay composed.
These things are yours. They're not going anywhere.
Yes. Composure.
"Let's go. I'll apply my private seal," she said, striding forward.
Zhao hurried to follow.
In just a few steps, Huo Ran dug the location of the seal out of the original owner's memories.
She was really going to stamp those land deeds.
By the time Su Ci came to ask where her master wished to dine, Huo Ran had already finished stamping everything and was reclining leisurely in her chair, sipping tea.
She couldn't really tell good tea from bad, but her mood was excellent.
"La la la— la la la—"
"Master, the meal is ready. Where would you like to dine?" Su Ci asked.
Her sudden voice made Huo Ran's heart jump.
"The dining hall," Huo Ran replied, glancing up at her.
"Yes."
From the original owner's memories, Huo Ran knew Su Ci had been purchased from traffickers in her hometown a month before she left for the capital.
The original owner had been surprisingly lucky—she'd pointed at random and bought someone who could read.
Su Ci had once been the legitimate daughter of a minor official in a remote region. After her mother's sudden death, she'd been schemed against, lost her family property, and was sold into slavery by her own aunt.
By the time Huo Ran finished recalling this, they had arrived at the dining hall.
The table was laden with dishes, enough to whet her appetite just by looking.
After one bite, she couldn't help thinking, This… this is life.
Just as she was eating happily, a sudden image flashed through her mind.
The original owner lay on the ground, hair disheveled, her body soaked in blood. Only the faint rise and fall of her chest proved she was still alive.
A gorgeously dressed man wiped blood from his hands with a handkerchief. The look he gave her was filled with hatred—and longing—an unsettling mix.
"Your Highness, let's go. There's no need to stay angry over her," the attendant beside him murmured.
"I'm not angry," the man replied calmly. "She betrayed me. I destroyed her. Fair enough."
His tone was as flat as if he were discussing the weather.
The attendant fell silent, standing respectfully at his side.
The vision vanished in an instant—but it left Huo Ran frozen, food forgotten in her mouth.
That scene…
Was that how the original owner had died in her previous life?
She swallowed hard, instantly losing her appetite.
She had the original owner's memories, but none of them carried the same impact as that brief, brutal image.
She'd accepted that she might die—but dying like that?
That wasn't death. That was torture.
Suddenly, she understood the original owner.
Sigh… what am I supposed to do now?
She poked at her bowl with her chopsticks, her face drained of all life.
Seeing her master's sudden change, Su Ci was baffled.
She hesitated several times before finally asking, "Master… are you thinking of the principal husband back home?"
It wasn't an unreasonable guess.
The original owner was far too good at pretending. Even Su Ci believed she was deeply attached to the husband left behind in her hometown.
In Su Ci's eyes, her master was likely wondering when to bring him to the capital.
At those words, Huo Ran shot to her feet.
That's right.
The "principal husband" Su Ci mentioned was the Empress's son.
If she could make him stop hating her… wouldn't that give her a chance to survive?
There was still time.
It wasn't too late.