“You can’t let Grandma Qin see you looking like this. Second Miss, you need to get dressed or you won’t make it to the bridal sedan chair in time!” a woman said, hurrying into the room. This was Nanny Fang. She stretched out her arm, showing off the fine red wedding dress and hoping the sight would tempt Qin Wanru into getting ready. “Have a look, Second Miss. This is the wedding dress that you sister prepared for you. Isn’t it beautiful? You should try it on!”
Qin Wanru looked at Nanny Fang, then the dress in her hands, and sneered.
“Second Miss… is something wrong?” Nanny Fang stammered.
The normally sweet and naive young lady seemed to have bloodlust in her eyes. Nanny Fang felt like that icy, black glare could see her soul.
“Qing Yue, hurry up!” Qin Wanru ordered coldly, ignoring Nanny Fang.
Qing Yue rushed over, taking a comb off the dressing table. She arranged Qin Wanru’s hair in double ringed buns suitable for a girl of her age.
“Second Miss, why are you messing around?” Nanny Fang asked. “Old Grandma Qin will be angry if you don’t hurry up!”
She tried to pinpoint what about Qin Wanru was so different today.
The little girl still held a teacup in her hand. She looked around the room and, when her icy glare landed on Nanny Fang, she threw the cup at her.
Nanny Fang dodged without thinking. The teacup smashed against the wall, pieces falling at her feet, and the whole room went silent.
“Give me the scissors!” Qin Wanru ordered coldly. She pointed at the dress.
“Uhm…” Nanny Fang couldn’t manage any more than that. She tried to avoid looking at Qin Wanru.
Qing Yue took a pair of scissors off the desk near the window and handed them to her mistress.
Qin Wanru took them, stood up, and reached out to grab the dress. She held it out and drove the scissors through the fabric, dragging them down to leave a gaping hole in the dress. She showed no intention of stopping their either.
Qing Yue was shocked, but once she understood, she set to helping Qin Wanru tear the dress apart.
“Second Miss…!” Nanny Fang rushed over. She grabbed for Qin Wanru’s hands, hoping to grab the scissors from her.
Nanny Fang had no idea the sedan had been smashed. She simply knew the wedding dress was now unwearable. Without it, Wanru could not get married and their plan to frame Wanru would be ruined. Lady Yuru would be forced to marry Qi Tianyu or lose face. Lady Yuru and Madam Di would have her cast out for this failure.
When she saw Nanny Fang grab the scissors, Qin Wanru met her eyes and threw her arm into Nanny Fang’s way. The scissors plunged into Qin Wanru’s arm and the blood started to rush out in torrents.
Nanny Fang’s eyes widened in fear and her hands started to spasm. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees.
As the pain spread, Qin Wanru could no longer stand either. She took two steps backwards and fell heavily, eyes closed. She tried to fight the dizziness, listening to the approaching footsteps.
Old Grandma Qin had arrived.
“Second Miss,” Qing Yue screamed. She ran to Qin Wanru’s side.A crowd of people stood at the door, including Grandma Qin and her servants. They saw Qin Wanru lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Grandma Qin’s face changed from scolding to horror.“Hurry! Somebody get a doctor!” she screamed.The servant girls rushed to obey as Grandma Qin picked up her half dead granddaughter.“Zhuozhuo! Zhuozhuo, what happened?” she asked, voice trembling on the edge of tears.Zhuozhuo was Qin Wanru’s nickname, but nobody called it with love like Old Grandma Qin.“Grandma, big sister wants me to marry brother Qi, but… but I don’t want to marry him! She won’t let me just… I don’t want to marry him! Please don’t let her kill me…” Qin Wanru said, words broken and faint. Her hands went slack and she lost consciousness.It was a risky move, letting herself get injured so severely, but Grandma Qin would remember her tantrum when she insisted on the marriage. W
“I want the engagement nullified. This wasn’t my idea. Big Sister talked me into it. She couldn’t take it when I backed out of her plan at the last minute, so she had Nanny Fang attack me with a pair of scissors! Is she trying to force me to marry him no matter what?” Qin Wanru asked. She pushed Qin Yuru’s hang away and ran into Qing Yue’s arms where she could hide her cold eyes.Hearing that, all the people watching felt the blood drain from their faces. Qin Wanru was still at the age where she spoke her thoughts openly, so it felt reasonable for her to say something so bold. They all turned to look at Qin Yuru.Qin Yuru stepped back, face falling.“W-what did you say, Second Sister?” Qin Yuru blurted, pointing at her sister with a trembling hand. She felt her panic rising.“What are you saying, Wanru? You forced your sister to let you marry him. How can you say she forced you into it? As for the injury, it’s just an accident! You never change. You always bl
The Qin Mansion was relatively small, so it did not take long for Qin Wanru to lead the group to Qin Yuru's room. When she saw Qin Wanru about to let them through the door, Qin Yuru lost her nerve. Casting her other concerns aside, she walked up to Qin Wanru and put out her arms out to block her."What do you plan to do in my room, Second Sister?" said Qin Yuru and she glared fiercely at Qin Wanru, her face drained of color."Not much. I just want to look at the letters our cousin wrote you!" replied Qin Wanru calmly, staring back at Qin Yuru."Letters... what letter?" Qin Yuru was so terrified that she almost bit her tongue. She had no idea how Qin Wanru had found out about the letter.When Madam Di had first begun trying to set up the match with Duke Yong’s family, Qin Yuru had started corresponding with Di Yan. Their letters expressed their mutual commitment to make their relationship work. It was, in fact, Di Yan who had urged his mother to agree to their
Inside, Qin Yuru sat paralyzed on the floor, overcome by shock. She stared blankly at Qi Tianyu, who forced his way in by kicking down the door, shaking like a leaf. She looked so frail and pathetic.On any other day, Qi Tianyu would be pained to see Qin Yuru in such a state. At this moment, however, Qi Tianyu's eyes were filled with violence.He snatched the rosewood box from Qin Yuru's hand, opening it without hesitation. He pulled out the letter and a quick glance told him what Qin Wanru had said was true."Alright, the Qi family is not worthy of you. If we are not worthy, you could have just broken off the engagement amicably..." Qi Tianyu scoffed. He looked ready to slash the delicate Qin Yuru into a thousand pieces."Brother Tianyu, it's not what you think..." Qin Yuru said, panicked. She reached out her hand to touch his leg and began to weep.Consumed with rage, Qi Tianyu kicked Qin Yuru away. He thought of the years he’d spent dreaming of their
The engagement between the two families was broken. The eldest daughter of the Ningyuan army general did not guard her chastity. She had such a malicious heart that, pregnant with another man’s child, she devised an evil plan for her younger sister to take her place in marriage.The news snowballed as it spread.Within half a day's time, the entire city of Jiangzhou was talking about it. In a matter of hours, the eldest Miss Qin despised, universally agreed to be the most shameful girl they’d ever heard of. Some even weaved her story into a ballads. When the news reached Qin Huaiyong, he quickly sent men to suppress the rumor, but it was impossible to completely stop people from talking. The Qi family was secretly protecting and spreading the story. By now, the news had even spread far beyond Jiangzhou...The Ningyuan army general was furious. Qin Yuru wailed and cried and even tried to commit suicide. She had shaken the foundation of her entire household.
Chu Liuchen was the crown prince when the late emperor was still alive. He was only a few months old when his uncle usurped the throne and scraped his status as the crown prince. He became Prince Chen, half locked up under house arrest in the South Court in the palace. This was why he was also known as the Crown Prince of South Court.She remembered hearing about him in her previous life. Some said he was a handsome, distinguished gentleman. Other claimed he was a sly and bloodthirsty man. Either way, Qin Wanru didn’t see it as any of her business who he was. She’d only seen him once from far off.Back then, he was the high and mighty crown prince, looking down at her like she was some kind of lowly creature.Right now, on the other hand, she had no choice but to face up to this younger version of Prince Chen.She wanted to keep her distance from him as much as possible, but she couldn’t help but perk at the chance to be recognized by somebody so powerful.
By the time Qin Wanru regained consciousness, it was evening. An old woman bent over the lamp, holding scissors to cut the wick.This was her grandmother, the only member of her family who doted on her. The bandages on her arm had been rewrapped."Are you feeling better, Grandma?" she said, almost in a whisper. Old grandma looked up and saw that Qin Wanru had opened her eyes, her face brightened immediately and she got up to walk toward Wanru, and with a gentle voice, she said, “Zhuozhuo, you're finally awake. Quick, will someone prepare her dinner?"Qing Yue emerged from behind the screen and came up to Qin Wanru help her sit up on her bed and slipped a cushion behind her for support. Her injured arm seemed to have been re-bandaged and so she could not see any blood soaking through the gauze, and it was not hurting as much as before.Another maid came into the room to place a bowl of porridge and some dishes in front of Qin Wanru.Qin Wanru was indeed
"Don't meddle with this affair, you're just a kid..." Qin Huaiyong said as he frowned and waved his hand as if to dismiss what Qin Wanru said. "Asking a kid not to meddle with this affair. How about me? Am I too old to meddle with this?" Old grandma cut in. Qin Wanru indicated for Qing Yue to help old grandma to the chair to sit down. "Mother, something did not add up here..." Qin Huaiyong tried to explain when he heard old grandma's angry tone of voice. "What are you doubting? As a father, would you rather believe the words of an old maid or your own daughter?" said Qin Wanru as she looked up at Qin Huaiyong with a pair of bright eyes. Mammy Fang followed Mrs. Qin when she married into the Qin family. Qin Wanru would like Mammy Fang's arm to be severed by Mrs. Qin personally. She wanted to see how many maids would remain faithful to their mistress if the mistress could not even protect her own henchmen.
"Not yet. My leg just cramped up." Shao Wanru reached out to touch her calf, but her belly was too big to reach it.The Emperor reached out his strong hand and massaged her calf. The young and handsome Emperor breathed a sigh of relief. "Thankfully, you are not going to deliver the baby!"As soon as he said this, Chu Liuchen realized he had said something wrong. He hurriedly explained, "I didn't mean that. It's good that you are not delivering the baby now."After saying that, he realized that something was wrong again and laughed.Shao Wanru laughed so hard that she couldn't speak. Since when did Chu Liuchen, who was as scheming and gloomy as a demon king, could not even speak clearly?"You're still laughing. Did I say anything wrong?" Chu Liuchen glared at her. However, with an elegant smile on his face, he didn't look domineering at all.Shao Wanru continued laughing happily. After a while, she s
Everything in the past had a cause, but this cause was concealed in many mists, so it appeared unreal.After reading the letter in her hand, Shao Wanru put it down with a trace of a smile across the corners of her eyes. She had been relieved of some things. Once she hoped that Qin Huaiyong would treat her like Qin Yuru.This was what she hoped for most in her last life. After all, at that time, she had always thought that she was Qin Huaiyong's biological daughter, and she had no idea that her identity had been seized by Qin Yuru. Right now, Shao Wanru didn't want to mention it again. After the rebirth, she found out the truth and could not be reluctant to get close to Qin Huaiyong anymore.The memories of her last life were fading away, and they become blurred in her eyes.Putting down the memorial in her hand, Shao Wanru smiled with an elegant and calm look in her eyes. "Madam, please pass my gratitude to Ningyuan Army Gen
Shui Ruolan followed the Nanny who led the way ahead and felt uneasy. Since she came to the capital, she occasionally associated with some Madams from aristocratic families. She would not attend their parties unless it was necessary.On the one hand, she always had a weak character. On the other hand, every time she joined them, some Madams always asked about Madam Di intentionally or unintentionally. They were polite to Shui Ruolan on the surface, but they sneered at her behind her back when talking about her.People in the capital thought that Madam Di was Qin Huaiyong's legal wife. Shui Ruolan was a divorced woman. How could she compare with a decent Madam from an aristocratic family? Her status was much lower than Madam Di's. Of course, there were some people who flattered her. They were two-bit nobodies who wanted to curry favor with Qin Huaiyong.This was the first time Shui Ruolan had entered the Palace since she came to the capit
"Yes, Her Highness fainted. Hurry up... Inform His Highness to go to see her. Mingqiu Nun is also there... Hurry up!" Yujie was so excited that she spoke incoherently."Are you stupid?" Xiao Xuanzi looked at Yujie as if she were a fool."Quick! It's true. Believe me." Yujie was overjoyed and kept urging."His Highness will get angry," Xiao Xuanzi reminded Yujie.Yujie blinked her eyes in confusion. "Go quickly. His Highness will be happy.""His Highness will be angry!" Xiao Xuanzi said loudly. He thought that Yujie was out of her mind. What nonsense she was talking about! Xiao Xuanzi had seen with his own eyes how his master treasured Princess Chen. Princess Chen fainted now, but Yujie said that Prince Chen would be happy. What could he be happy for?Xiao Xuanzi felt a chill on his back. He even thought that he might not be safe. Instead, this silly girl was giggling here.Yujie looked
The swing swayed slowly. Shao Wanru sat on it and slightly narrowed her clear eyes in the sun, enjoying the gentle breeze. After a shower, the sky cleared up. Under the blue sky, she felt quite pleasant.It was the third day since the violent political upheaval in the Palace. Everything had returned to the right path, and the Emperor had woken up. The Fake Dead Medicine was remarkably effective.Chu Qing planned to kill the Emperor and shift the blame onto Chu Liuyue. In the end, he occupied the Palace, but at the last moment, Chu Liuchen changed the ultimate outcome.Chu Qing was not the deceased emperor's son. As the truth was exposed, he became a surviving supporter of the previous dynasty.Consort Dowager Qing had an affair with the prince of the previous dynasty on the run and was pregnant. After that, she met the deceased emperor, who had come to wipe out the rebels. She seduced him and entered the Palace. Not long aft
Chu Liuyue looked at the Emperor indifferently. During this period, the Emperor often vomited blood. He was used to such a scene. He fainted again, but so what?He walked up to pull the Emperor up and said, "Father, you'd better write it carefully so as not to cause me more trouble..."The next moment, his hand paused before the Emperor. Abruptly, Chu Liuyue reached out to feel his breath, and his face changed drastically."Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Derong was terrified and looked at Chu Liuyue. Likewise, he reached out to feel the Emperor's breath and knelt on the ground in a panic. "His Majesty... passed away!"Chu Liuyue looked sullen and reached out to feel his breath again. He found it hard to believe that the Emperor would die of anger because of him. Although he had said he was not afraid of this result, it became more difficult for him to clear up such a messy situation when the Emperor died. Since he was in t
Lights of every palace in the imperial Palace went out at night. There was a great noise somewhere. When the first scream came, many people put on their clothes and lit the lights again.These women in the Palace looked ghastly pale. They wanted to hide elsewhere but couldn't find shelter in the darkness. They trembled and huddled together, not knowing what had happened. Anyway, it didn't sound like a good thing. How could such a lot of awful noise appear in the Palace? The first idea that came to many people was that a rebellion was happening.In the night, Zhaoyi Di hurriedly followed a eunuch carrying a lantern and went to a palace out of use.Chu Liuyue was sitting in the middle of the hall."Greetings, Your Highness!" Zhaoyi Di said."How is it going?" Chu Liuyue asked."Commandery Prince Cheng has taken some people to the Emperor's resting place!" Zhaoyi Di reported."Good, well d
"From the previous dynasty?" Shao Wanru looked up. Though she was surprised, she didn't show it. She had figured it out. But after confirming it, she was wide awake."Will the Empress Dowager be in danger? I'll go to the Palace every day in the next few days!" Shao Wanru suggested."No, it's too dangerous!" Chu Liuchen shook his head."It doesn't matter. I have helpers by my side and bracelets!" Shao Wanru reached out her hand and cutely shook it. There was a pair of glossy sapphire bracelets on her wrist. At a glance, they were not ordinary.Chu Liuchen said with his face darkening, "No!"Such a close-fitting concealed weapon should be the last resort. As long as he thought Shao Wanru would be in such a dangerous situation, he would not be at ease. "Let Qin Yiyan accompany my Imperial Grandmother!""But someone should accompany and protect Noble Consort Lan. If those people deal with her..." Shao W
"Master, there is something wrong with the sandalwood." Qi Jue pulled an incense stick out of the incense burner at hand.Chu Liuchen took it and frowned. "What's the problem?"Qi Jue replied with a serious look, "There is something added to it. If it is used for a long term, one will be mentally and physically exhausted, then lack strength, and spit out blood. If putting another ingredient into the medicine at this time, it is very likely to cause sudden death."On the bed, the Emperor leaned against Noble Consort Lan with a pale face. Just now, he spat out blood again, and he felt very uncomfortable all over.Noble Consort Lan stroked the Emperor hard while looking toward Chu Liuchen with her red eyes, but she did not speak."What was added?" Chu Liuchen asked sternly. He didn't trust the imperial physicians in the Palace, so he brought Qi Jue to the Palace. After entering the Palace, Qi Jue did not check the