But Hua Manman insisted stubbornly.

"You will definitely have another chance to go into battle, defeat enemies, and perform great deeds."

’In *Palace Intrigue*, the reason Prince Zhao became the powerful Regent King was because war broke out again in the Great Zhou Dynasty.’

’The enemy was at the gates, the Emperor was gravely ill, the court officials were at their wits’ end, and the entire Great Zhou Dynasty was hanging by a thread.’

’It was Prince Zhao who personally led the troops to quell the rebellion.’

’After that, military authority returned to his hands.’

’And he used that opportunity to ascend to the throne of the Regent King, step by step.’

Li Ji heard her thoughts, and his long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly.

’What is *Palace Intrigue*?’

’And all that about war, military power, the Regent King... none of that has happened yet.’

’How could Hua Manman know about it in advance?’

Li Ji’s doubts grew, but his expression remained unchanged as he let out a small, unreadable smile.

"One can hope."

He picked up his wine cup and swirled it toward Hua Manman.

Back in her old life, Hua Manman had lived with her grandpa and grandma. Grandpa loved to drink and would have a small cup every day. Sometimes, when Grandma wasn’t looking, he would secretly let Manman take a little sip.

One time, Grandma found out and was so angry she chased Grandpa around, scolding him for a long time.

Thanks to her grandpa, Hua Manman could hold her liquor from a young age. Her tolerance was quite good compared to her peers.

So, Hua Manman didn’t hesitate. She reached for the cup in front of her and gently clinked it against Prince Zhao’s.

They both downed the wine in one gulp.

The moment the wine touched Hua Manman’s lips, she knew it was a fine vintage.

It was mellow and fragrant, with a smooth, delicate body and a long, lingering aftertaste.

She couldn’t help but sigh to herself.

’If only Grandpa were still alive.’

’He would have loved this wine.’

Later in life, her grandpa developed high blood pressure and wasn’t supposed to drink anymore, but he refused to listen and insisted on it.

In a fit of anger, Grandma gave away all the alcohol in the house.

But that couldn’t stop Grandpa’s love for alcohol.

The old man secretly hid a bottle of Erguotou in the firewood pile and would sneak a couple of sips every few days.

Later, Grandma discovered it. She secretly poured out all the Erguotou, replaced it with plain water, then put the bottle back in the firewood pile, pretending nothing had happened.

When Grandpa snuck out to drink again, he opened the bottle, tilted it to his lips, and discovered it was just plain water!

He was furious but didn’t dare confront his wife. In the end, he could only clutch the water-filled bottle and go cry to his granddaughter.

Remembering her grandpa’s pitiful, tearful face, Hua Manman couldn’t help but break into a silly grin.

After that, every year when she visited her grandparents’ graves, she would make a point of bringing a bottle of Erguotou.

She would open the bottle, place it before her grandpa’s tombstone, and declare magnanimously.

"You can drink as much as you want now. If it’s not enough, I’ll go buy more."

Li Ji watched her quietly.

He remembered that Hua Manman’s maternal grandparents had passed away many years ago.

Furthermore, Hua Manman had grown up in the Zhong’an Bo Mansion; she had never lived with her maternal grandparents for any extended period.

’These past events Manman is thinking of... they don’t seem to be her own.’

’But if they aren’t her memories, then who is this woman sitting in front of me?’

Li Ji poured her another cup of wine and asked nonchalantly.

"What are you smiling about?"

Hua Manman shook her head. "Nothing, just remembering some funny stories from the past."

Afraid he would press for details, she quickly raised her cup and pretended to be focused on her drink, avoiding Prince Zhao’s gaze.

Li Ji continued to pour for her.

The wine tasted excellent and didn’t seem very strong, so Hua Manman figured a few more cups wouldn’t hurt. She didn’t refuse and proceeded to drink several more in a row.

But who knew the wine had such a strong kick?

After a few cups, she started to feel dizzy. Her reflexes slowed, and she became dazed and groggy.

Seeing that the time was right, Li Ji finally stopped pouring her wine.

He set down the wine pot and called out, "Manman." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Hua Manman turned her head instinctively, looking at him with a blank expression.

"What?"

Her silly, dazed look was actually quite cute.

Li Ji couldn’t resist pinching her cheek.

Hua Manman slapped his hand away, pouting and muttering, "What are you doing? Stop it."

Li Ji chuckled. ’She’s not even using honorifics anymore. Looks like she’s truly drunk.’

He waved his hand, dismissing all the servants in attendance.

Once everyone was gone, only the husband and wife were left in the room.

Li Ji stared at Manman for a long moment before he finally gave in and voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind.

"Who are you, really?"

The woman before him looked like Manman, yet she didn’t seem to be Manman.

He couldn’t figure out who she really was.

The only thing he could be sure of was that she meant him no harm.

Hua Manman blinked slowly, her sluggish mind unable to process the question.

After a good while, she finally spoke.

"I’m Manman."

As if to prove she was telling the truth, she added emphatically, enunciating every word.

"My name is Hua Manman. The ’Hua’ of Hua Manman, the ’Man’ of Hua Manman, and the other ’Man’ of Hua Manman."

Li Ji: "..."

If not for her dead-serious expression, he would have thought she was just pretending to be drunk to mess with him.

His expression unchanging, he continued to probe.

"What are your parents’ names?"

Hua Manman tried hard to remember. "My mom’s name is... what was her name again?"

Too much time had passed. She had forgotten her mother’s name, and even her mother’s face had become a blur in her memory.

Hua Manman said dejectedly, "I forgot."

A moment later, she perked up again.

"But I remember my dad’s last name is Hua!"

Li Ji scoffed. "Oh, so your father’s surname is Hua, is it?"

Hua Manman was so muddle-headed with drink that she couldn’t detect the sarcasm in that damn man’s voice.

She just giggled foolishly.

Li Ji: "Did you live with your maternal grandparents when you were a child?"

Hua Manman shook her head from side to side as she spoke.

"Yep! Grandpa and Grandma were so good to me. I loved them so much."

Li Ji leaned in closer, staring into her eyes as he asked.

"Where did you get the Snow Jade Ointment, the Broken Jade Ointment, and the Truth Elixir?"

Hua Manman answered honestly, "The system gave them to me."

Li Ji pressed on, "Who is ’the system’? Where is he?"

Hua Manman was about to speak but suddenly paused.

Then, her little mouth turned down, and she started to cry. "WAAAH!"

"I don’t know where the system is!" she wailed. "I don’t know!"

The moment Li Ji saw her cry, he grew flustered.

He quickly wiped away her tears and soothed her in a gentle voice.

"Don’t cry. If you don’t know, you don’t know. I won’t ask anymore."

Hua Manman took the opportunity to lean into his embrace. Her crying gradually subsided, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

Li Ji looked down at her, seeing her sleeping soundly, and felt a sense of helplessness.

He picked her up, carried her into the bedroom, and gently placed her on the bed.

Since he smelled of wine from drinking, Li Ji decided to take a bath.

After he left, Hua Manman was alone in the room.

The woman who was supposed to be sound asleep suddenly opened her eyes.