Jiang Yunshu had no time to change her clothes and could only wear the light dance attire she had on, without a single piece of jewelry on her body or hair. Urged by the maidservant sent by Lady Hou, she hurriedly rushed to the main courtyard.
This was her first visit to the main courtyard since the imperial decree had arrived. The eaves were adorned with silk lanterns, the pillars wrapped in brand-new satin, and both sides of the courtyard were filled with large clusters of hydrangeas, a riot of colors—a scene of splendid festivity.
Yet when she stepped into the main hall, she saw that not a single person inside wore a hint of joy on their face.
The elderly matriarch, the Marquis, Lady Hou—all were present. Even her eldest sister was there.
Her usually dignified eldest sister was leaning against a large soft pillow, her face sickly pale with dark circles under her eyes.
The moment Jiang Yunshu crossed the threshold, her eldest sister’s gaze shot toward her like a sharp arrow!
Jiang Yunshu was stunned. She knew her eldest sister had always disliked her—a strict, self-disciplined legitimate daughter looking down on a "self-degrading" illegitimate one.
But the look her eldest sister had just given her was filled with deep hatred—as if she wanted to skin her alive!
No… her eldest sister’s gaze was a mix of jealousy and resentment, as if she wanted to strip Jiang Yunshu’s skin and wear it herself…
The thought sent a shiver down Jiang Yunshu’s spine.
No, no, it must be her imagination. She must have been influenced by the ghost story she read before bed last night, about a protagonist encountering a skin-stealing demon.
Her eldest sister’s expression lasted only a moment before reverting to its usual dignified composure, leaving no trace behind.
It must have been a trick of the eye. Jiang Yunshu knew her eldest sister disliked her—hatred was understandable.
But jealousy?
Impossible.
Her eldest sister was the exalted legitimate daughter, while she was the ignored illegitimate one.
How could her eldest sister possibly envy her?
Steadying herself, Jiang Yunshu bowed to her grandmother, father, stepmother, and eldest sister before turning to Lady Hou. "Mother, why have you summoned me?"
Lady Hou pressed her fingers to her temples, looking pained, then turned to the Marquis. "What does the Marquis think?"
Even before this, Jiang Yunshu had felt her so-called father’s scrutinizing gaze.
He was looking at her as if he had never seen this daughter before—inspecting her from head to toe like a piece of merchandise.
No doubt, her father had long forgotten what she even looked like.
The last time she had seen him was during the New Year’s banquet. He had sat at the head of the table while she was relegated to the far end, and he hadn’t spared her a single glance.
Jiang Yunshu held no resentment over this. On the contrary, she was perfectly content—she wanted nothing more than to remain an unnoticed shadow in the marquis’ household!
But why were so many people waiting for her today? Why was her father looking at her like this?
Alarm bells rang in her mind. Was her peaceful life as an invisible member of the household about to end?
After a long, assessing silence, the Marquis finally nodded in satisfaction at his daughter.
"Let’s proceed as Zhaohua suggested," he said.
Jiang Yunshu’s heart sank.
What had her eldest sister, Jiang Zhaohua, proposed?
What were they planning to do to her?
She knew this decision would shape her fate—yet everyone in the room knew except her.
Lady Hou, seeing Jiang Yunshu’s bewildered expression, offered a faint smile. "It’s a joyous occasion."
In that instant, Jiang Yunshu felt Jiang Zhaohua’s venomous gaze on her again.
This time, though fleeting, she was certain—it was no illusion.
---
Jiang Zhaohua stared at her second sister’s youthful, delicate face, consumed by raging jealousy.
Heaven was unjust!
How could her worthless, disgraceful second sister be so fortunate?
While she, the marquis’ legitimate daughter who surpassed her sister in every way, had been reduced to living like a servant in a eunuch’s household!
—Yes, Jiang Zhaohua had been reborn.
After a high fever, she had returned to her seventeen-year-old self. The imperial decree had just arrived—she was still in the marquis’ residence, not yet sent to the palace!
Tearfully embracing her mother, the reborn Jiang Zhaohua sobbed in relief.
There was still time. Everything could be changed!
"I refuse to enter the palace! Make Second Sister go in my place!"
Lady Hou was stunned. "Zhaohua, what nonsense are you saying? Why?"
Jiang Zhaohua’s face darkened. Because…
Because in her past life, after accepting the decree, she had entered the palace full of joy—only to become an imperial consort for a single night!
On her wedding night, the emperor had died suddenly!
The all-powerful Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord had ordered all the imperial consorts to accompany the emperor in death!
Jiang Zhaohua had thought her fate was sealed—yet while the others perished, she alone survived.
The Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord had abducted her to his private residence. She became part of his harem—a eunuch’s woman!
She, a noble-born legitimate daughter of a marquis’ household, forced to serve a castrated monster?
Jiang Zhaohua had contemplated suicide multiple times but lacked the courage.
On the night the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord came to her, she had prepared herself to endure the humiliation…
Yet when he lifted her veil, he had merely glanced at her before turning away in disgust.
"Thought I’d found a pair of fine eyes," he had muttered. "Turns out they’re just dead fish eyes… Must have been mistaken that day."
Jiang Zhaohua didn’t understand—when had the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord ever seen her before?
And how were her eyes "dead fish eyes"? Everyone praised her peach-blossom eyes as exquisite.
Her eyes resembled her father’s—charming and alluring on a man, yet soft and tender on a woman.
How could the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord… disdain them?
She had thought serving him would be a life of shameful survival, but he never summoned her again. What followed was worse than death!
After that night, she never saw the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord again.
The legitimate daughter of the marquis’ household, Jiang Zhaohua, was dead—buried with the emperor.
She lost her identity, her name, trapped in the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s estate…
She became "Zhao’er"—a servant!
Eating from a communal pot with maids, going hungry if she couldn’t snatch food in time!
Combing her own hair, washing her own clothes—even emptying her own chamber pot!
The delicate hands nurtured in the marquis’ household quickly grew as rough as those of lowly laborers.
In winter, washing clothes in icy water gave her painful, itchy, bleeding frostbite…
At her lowest, Jiang Zhaohua heard endless news about her second sister and brother-in-law.
The first time, she overheard two maids gossiping:
"Yesterday, I saw the top scholar’s parade!"
"The new top scholar, Duan Jinxing, is only twenty this year—handsome as jade, a true gentleman!"
"They say the third-ranked scholar is good-looking, but this year’s top scholar outshines him completely!"
Jiang Zhaohua froze.
Duan Jinxing? Could it be the same man?
Before entering the palace, her family had been arranging a match for her second sister—a poor scholar named Duan Jinxing.
Unable to resist, Jiang Zhaohua asked, "Has this Duan Jinxing married?"
The two maids started, surprised that Zhao’er—who usually acted too high and mighty to speak to them—had suddenly engaged in conversation.
One of the maids, unable to hide her disdain for Jiang Zhaohua, sneered, "Of course he’s married! The top scholar wed the daughter of the Marquis’ household!"
"What’s this? Hearing how handsome the top scholar is, has your heart started to flutter?"
"Go take a look in the mirror! How could someone like you ever dare to dream of the top scholar?"
Jiang Zhaohua was so furious she felt faint. These insolent servants… they had no idea who she truly was!
What kind of noble daughter was Jiang Yunshu? Just an insignificant concubine-born girl—back then, Jiang Yunshu wasn’t even worthy of the jewelry Jiang Zhaohua had discarded!
But she couldn’t reveal her true identity… not a single word.
Besides, Jiang Zhaohua couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Once, she had been the honored legitimate daughter, while Jiang Yunshu was nothing but a lowly concubine’s child.
Yet now, Jiang Yunshu was the lawfully wedded wife of the newly crowned top scholar, while Jiang Zhaohua was a hidden servant in the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord’s inner court.
The bitterness gnawed at her… Oh, how she hated it!
