Cao Luomei was reborn and not at any other time but on the same day she was sold off to the traffickers. She was overjoyed. Who knew she would be able to receive a second chance!
No one would ever refer to her as courtesan Xiao ever again. She thought back to Cao Yuemei's graceful figure on the day she died. That could be her! In fact, that was meant to be her!
Just like the first time, Cao Luomei followed Wan Ruo to the temple but this time, she was on high alert. She was no longer the naive little girl of the past.
First, she threw a tantrum and switched out two of Wan Ruo's servants with the servants that took care of her in her past life. They belonged to her missing mother so she was certain they were loyal.
On the way, their carriage had bumped into a high class carriage that was parked in front. The owner had been discussing with someone then.
After observing the carriage, a plan formed in Cao Luomei's mind. She started pestering Wan Ruo over a mask she found and the woman finally gave in. After all, this was the last time she was going to see the little girl.
Cao Luomei got down from the carriage and used that opportunity to try her best to catch the young lord's attention with her childish antics. She succeeded.
In the end, they continued on their journey and she had successfully pissed the young lord enough that he sent one of his subordinates to trail the little girl.
When they got to the secluded cabin, Cao Luomei managed to escape the clutches of the traffickers with the help of her personal maids. As she ran, the subordinate of the young lord from earlier picked her up and took her away.
After Cao Luomei put up a show of false bravery, the young lord was amused by her showy behaviour. He thought she was quite cute and so he had her delivered to the Cao mansion.
The subordinate, seeing the attitude of his young lord, made the decision to explain how and where he found little Cao Luomei to the left prime minister.
Cao Long was furious. How could Wan Ruo do such a thing?! When Wan Ruo returned, she tried to lie her way through but Cao Long was not having it. He started getting ready to divorce her but then, they found out Wan Ruo was pregnant.
It was against the laws to return a pregnant woman to her maiden home and Wan Ruo's wet nurse took the fall for the incident so Wan Ruo was placed under house arrest in the isolation courtyard.
The next day, Cao Luomei realized that the young lord she troubled was, in fact, the sixteen year old first prince and that was how she got the first possessive member of her harem.
After becoming attached to Cao Luomei, the first prince took it upon himself to enact revenge on Cao Luomei's behalf so he had a midwife drug Wan Ruo during childbirth. The child survived but Wan Ruo lost her life.
Once Wan Ruo breathed her last, Cao Luomei suddenly felt like the punishment wasn't enough and so she set her sights on Cao Yuemei and the new born. She had been haunted by Cao Luomei's graceful look in her past life so she had to do everything to tear her down.
She would hog Cao Long's attention all to herself and when the prime minister wasn't looking, she would laugh and sneer at Cao Yuemei, doing her best to sadden the child.
And it worked perfectly, the little Cao Yuemei had yet to fully learn the proprieties of a proper noble lady and she was a far cry from her graceful self in Cao Luomei's memories so whenever Cao Luomei tried to get under her skin, it was successful.
This made Cao Yuemei act impulsively and throw tantrums upon tantrums, making the grown ups to dislike her and Cao Long to ignore this unlikeable daughter of his, even more, in favour of his more obedient Cao Luomei.
Cao Luomei had everyone wrapped around her little finger. She used to be a courtesan in her past life so if there was one thing she knew best, it was pleasing and flattering people.
Slowly and surely, Cao Luomei and Cao Feng grew up in the spotlight. Under the admiration of many whilst Cao Yuemei and her little brother, who were also di children, were hidden deeper and deeper in the dark.
At age fourteen, Cao Luomei ran into the young general. She remembered when a particular patron she served in her past life, who was a soldier, had talked about how his general was ambushed in the capital, suffering a grave injury.
Although it was quite inappropriate, the lips of the patrons were usually loose after a night of pleasure. And so armed with that knowledge, noble lady Cao Luomei rushed over and took the arrow on behalf of the general, earning her the second possessive member of her harem.
The young general had gifted her a martial arts manual on a platter of his love and Cao Luomei diligently practiced it.
Two years down the line, the general suffered a casualty in war and went missing. Stricken with grief, Cao Luomei decided to journey over to the frontline in search of her love.
On the way, she ran into a genius doctor who was being ambushed by bandits. She quickly brandished her sword and saved him. Earning her the third and final possessive member of her harem.
After saving the general, Cao Luomei returned with him and the genius doctor in glory. Earning the praise of everyone, including the emperor, who bestowed her with numerous rewards.
With her men by her side, Cao Luomei finally decided it was time to take care of the small fry, Cao Yuemei, who had been minding her business all along. Although Cao Yuemei did her no arm, she justified her actions with the saying 'the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children.'
Only difference was that Wan Ruo was a mother instead.
When her men caught wind of her plan, they didn't let Cao Luomei lift a finger. How could they? So the genius doctor drugged Cao Yuemei and the prince commanded his subordinate to set Cao Yuemei up with the infamous wastrel, Ba He.
When Cao Yuemei woke up the next day, it was already too late. There was a crowd of people outside who had come to catch her in the act.
The general was the cherry on top as he pressured the emperor in court, out of 'goodwill' to make Cao Yuemei marry Ba He. Why he was so invested in the marriage of the daughter of a fellow court official, no one found inappropriate or bothered to question.
Even Cao Long was silent. He was seemingly embarrassed by his second daughter's wanton behaviour. She had brought shame to the Cao household.
Cao Yuemei was unceremoniously married off to Ba He who had the perverse habit of inserting all manner of tools and sharp objects into the women he slept with. Cao Yuemei did not last more than one week in his hands.
As for Cao Yuemei's younger brother, he was drugged by the genius doctor. Making him a fool for the rest of his life. This was done so that there would be no one to drag the position of left prime minister with his sweetheart's brother, Cao Feng.
In the end, the prince ascended the throne with Cao Luomei as the empress, the genius doctor and general moved into the imperial palace, and they all spent the rest of their days indulging in debauchery and bearing children whose actual father, no one could distinguish.