A Former Princess's Diary of Scraping By (Transmigrate into a Book)

Next novel: The Supporting Female Lead Works Hard Day and Night. Please add it to your reading list!

Blurb:

When she was three, Tang Zhi saw her father personally kill a minister who had come to pay his respects in the great hall. Blood splattered across the court.

When she was five, Tang Zhi saw a gaunt farmer working on the canal stumble and drop a stone from his carrying pole, earning a vicious whipping.

When she was seven, the capital fell. Someone covered Tang Zhi's mouth and nose to stop her from screaming as the rebels stormed the palace, shouting that they would slaughter every member of the imperial family. The maids and eunuchs fell to their knees, kowtowing in gratitude.

Her wet nurse changed her into old, ragged clothes and pushed her into a corner to hide. The great general who had broken into the imperial city took her home, hoping she might bring some comfort to his wife, who had lost her daughter.

When Tang Zhi looked at the little boy before her, called Yun Ya and already so mature for his age, she finally remembered that she had transmigrated into a novel she had read. The boy was the future male supporting character who would help the male lead rise to power, while hopelessly loving the female lead. She herself was the former dynasty's princess, who had lost her memory and believed the general had saved her. To repay him, she had become engaged to Fu Yunya, but before they could marry, she was assassinated.

Looking at Fu Yunya, who grew up handsome and elegant, Tang Zhi thought, He's so good-looking. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...

* No childhood arc. The story opens with the characters as adults.

* Contest entry reason: The heroine helps invent the seismograph. After being taken to the Southern Frontier, she helps the locals improve their iron-smelting techniques.

* The original female lead is not vilified.

The Supporting Female Lead Works Hard Day and Night (Transmigrated into a Book): Blurb

For as long as she could remember, Shi Fei had diligently played her part at Granny Meng's estate, offering a bowl of fragrant tea to the immortals passing through on their way to reincarnation or tribulation.

Her days were dull, but carefree.

Then one day, standing south of the River of the Underworld, she suddenly realized she was in a xianxia novel she had read in her previous life, where the male and female leads were locked in a passionate, tormented romance.

She was the supporting female character who had fallen for the male supporting character at first sight after seeing him with the Soul-Guiding Lantern, and kept tripping up the female lead. In the end, the man killed her and stole the treasure, taking her life in a single blow.

Thinking of that, Shi Fei looked down at the Soul-Guiding Lantern in her hands, the very thing that could help the male supporting character escape his confinement, and frowned. To hell with that!

If I can't afford to provoke him, I can at least avoid him!

To escape the plot that would leave her utterly annihilated, Shi Fei ignored everyone's bewildered looks and resolutely accepted the job of helping Granny Meng gather the spirit materials needed to brew her soup.

Later, Shi Fei looked at the young master glaring at her with deep resentment over a single steamed bun. Tell me, how is this the same elegant, handsome, tragic male supporting character?!

* A goofy, sweet collection of episodic stories

Theme: The people are like water: they can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it.