Chapter One: Rebirth
The Chengwu Marquis Residence, festooned with colorful lanterns and decorations, was meticulously cleaned and polished, with the flowers and trees neatly trimmed and vividly bright. The servants wore new clothes, presenting the scene of an esteemed guest’s arrival.
Yet from within the exquisite chamber of the young lady came the sound of incessant weeping.
The Marchioness sat sideways beside a finely crafted golden nanmu bed, then suddenly turned her head and barked at the flower-aged girl standing not far from the bed:
“Kneel down!”
Seeing the usually calm woman so enraged, the maids and servants in the room immediately dropped to their knees, holding their breath in silence.
Only the girl remained unmoved.
The Marchioness’s fury grew, and she scolded sharply:
“That day, I had no choice but to give birth at the Meng family’s home, which led to the child being switched. What grievance or hatred you have should not be directed at Zhixi!”
“Zhixi has been wholeheartedly trying to make amends, preparing everything carefully for your return to the residence, attentive in every detail, spending countless personal belongings on you. It was even her idea to wait for you in the countryside today, yet you cruelly pushed her off the carriage!”
“Zhixi has been frail since childhood; how could you have the heart to push her?”
Meng Zhenyue was suddenly awakened by these harsh words, and her eyes met the Marchioness’s fierce gaze, still wet with tears.
The slender woman on the bed propped herself up and gently tugged at the Marchioness’s sleeve, her voice trembling from crying:
“I don’t blame sister. Ever since I knew I was not my mother’s daughter... I have been thinking about how to... how to make it up to sister. If sister would just push me a little, it would at least ease her anger.”
But the Marchioness only looked at her with increasing severity.
Watching this all-too-familiar scene before her, Meng Zhenyue’s eyes widened.
Isn’t this—
the very moment on the first day she was brought back to the Chengwu Marquis Residence, falsely accused of pushing her sister?
She had just been executed in the Eastern Palace moments ago, so how...?
Could it be that Heaven, in its mercy, has granted her a chance to live again?
In her previous life, she had come back because of matters involving her foster parents and the Chengwu Marquis Residence.
But on the very day she returned, the so-called eldest son of the Marquis, Zhao Xianzhi, schemed to drive a wedge between her and her sister.
Forced into rivalry with her sister, she had no time to attend to her foster parents’ affairs.
The truth behind her foster parents remained unresolved, and she was deceived by Zhao Xianzhi, who orchestrated everything.
In the end, the blood of her parents and siblings was all exploited by Zhao Xianzhi to fuel his ambition!
Before she could think further, the Marchioness’s harsh rebuke came again:
“Since your nature is so unruly and you cannot tolerate Zhixi, you shall be sent to the countryside to learn proper manners! Servants!”
Two burly housekeepers promptly responded.
Meng Zhenyue looked at these fierce women but did not feel the urgency she had in her past life.
“Mother, please calm down! There might be something suspicious at play. Today is my sister’s return home—a good day. Why would she cause trouble now?”
Sure enough, just as the housekeepers approached her, an urgent voice came from beyond the screen.
Meng Zhenyue turned to see Zhao Xianzhi, whose handsome face was filled with anxiety as he hurried forward.
At his words, the Marchioness’s anger visibly softened, and the servants stopped in place to listen. Even the sobbing Zhao Zhixi on the bed ceased crying.
Once the room quieted, Zhao Xianzhi looked at her and gently said:
“Sister, don’t be hasty. Think carefully—was there anything unusual at the time? We must not let villains sow discord between us.”
Looking at Zhao Xianzhi, whose jade-colored silk robe shimmered like a clear moonlit night, Meng Zhenyue’s hatred surged anew.
In her previous life, Zhao Xianzhi had always acted this way—defending her when she was slandered and fiercely protecting Zhao Zhixi when she was about to be banished for her character flaws.
Thus, the two sisters, estranged and distrustful of each other, both placed their faith solely in Zhao Xianzhi.
Yet in the end, Zhao Xianzhi used them both as pawns to win over those he needed.
The frail Zhao Zhixi was imprisoned in the military camp and reduced to a military prostitute.
And she, deceived into becoming a concubine in the Eastern Palace, became the first blood spilled on the day Zhao Xianzhi rebelled.
Only before her death did she learn that Zhao Xianzhi’s actions were not merely to win hearts but to cover up the truth that he was not the true son of her foster parents!
Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Meng Zhenyue gratefully replied, “Big Brother, your words make sense.”
With that, she began to investigate just as she had in her past life.
After several fruitless searches, Meng Zhenyue, feeling the gaze of many eyes upon her, intended to approach Zhao Zhixi for questioning.
But something caught her attention, and she paused, bending down to pick up Zhao Zhixi’s shoe.
After examining it, Meng Zhenyue calmly looked at the Marchioness and said:
“Increase the search party, and bring up all the servants who were around today for thorough inspection.”
The Marchioness regarded Meng Zhenyue with suspicion for a long moment before nodding.
Meng Zhenyue seemed distrustful of the Marquis household and ordered her own maid to watch nearby.
Zhao Xianzhi, already seated, casually observed Meng Zhenyue.
Dressed in a deep blue gown, tall and straight, her brows and eyes inherited the Marquis’s strong features, she stood like a solitary red plum blossom against the snow—proud and captivating.
Not hurried despite finding nothing, and silently pleased when noticing the anomaly on the shoe sole.
Indeed, just as the informants had reported, she was stunningly beautiful, calm and steady, and remarkably intelligent.
He was somewhat satisfied.
Just as Zhao Xianzhi was planning how to make the most of Meng Zhenyue, the Marchioness’s trusted maid, Mama Xu, arrived with news.
“Madam, we found beeswax on two people!”
Two people?
Zhao Xianzhi’s thoughts snapped, and he looked toward the screen with confusion.
At that moment, two voices came from beyond the screen:
“Madam, I’m innocent!”
“Miss! I swear I did nothing wrong to you!”
Hearing the voices, Zhao Xianzhi’s grip on his teacup tightened. One of them was his personal attendant, Wu De?
How could Wu De be found with beeswax?!
Meng Zhenyue caught the flash of shock on Zhao Xianzhi’s face and the corner of her mouth barely twitched into a smile.
Indeed, one was Zhao Xianzhi’s attendant.
In her previous life, only the “prime culprit” that Zhao Xianzhi had prepared for her was found.
At that time, seeing it belonged to Zhao Zhixi’s maid fit her suspicions, and everyone imagined that Zhao Zhixi had set a trap to drive Meng Zhenyue away. Thus, the misunderstanding was born.
Of course, Zhao Xianzhi’s own attendant would never carry evidence.
But couldn’t she fabricate some?
She took some beeswax from the shoe sole and secretly had her maid plant it in Zhao Xianzhi’s attendant’s pocket. That was no difficult task.
This time around, she would make Zhao Xianzhi pay for his blood debts, in blood!
Soon, everyone gathered beyond the screen, even Zhao Zhixi, curious, painfully got out of bed.
Meng Zhenyue explained to the crowd, “I just noticed beeswax stuck on my sister’s embroidered shoe sole, which matches the residue found on the horse stool.”
She scanned the onlookers and added, “Normally, why would my sister’s shoe sole have beeswax...?”
Before Meng Zhenyue could finish, Zhao Zhixi stepped in front of her maid, choking back tears:
“Sister, if you don’t want me in the Marquis Residence, I’ll leave. Why must you harm those around me?”
Meng Zhenyue knew Zhao Zhixi believed she was framing her maid, which angered her deeply.
Just as in her past life, the misunderstanding only grew deeper.