The Golden Millet Dream: War of the Roses

NAMES: 夏晓琳 → Claire 战家 → Warrington 沈家 → Ashford 萧家 → Shaw 安家 → An 陆家 → Lu 林家 → Lin 宋家 → Song 晋王 → Prince Jin 太子 → Crown Prince 福王 → Prince Fu 贤妃 → Consort Xian 长公主 → Grand Princess 太后 → Empress Dowager 黄太医 → Dr. Huang 李御厨 → Chef Li 安悦容 → An Yuerong 陆熹合 → Lu Xihe 萧长乐 → Xiao Changle 小柳 → Little Willow 兰姨娘 → Concubine Orchid ---

After Second Sister fell into the water, she was like a completely different person.

She had the audacity to seek out Prince Jin, claiming she could help him claim the Dragon Throne, asking only for his promise to be hers and hers alone for a lifetime.

When Eldest Sister heard about this, she was furious. She sent men to chop that arrogant fool into mincemeat.

"How could a mere time-traveler compare to a lady who has been meticulously groomed for over a decade by a noble family?"

That was Prince Jin's comment when he learned of the matter.

I huddled beside him, not daring to breathe, because I was a time-traveler too.

01

I had been in Great Jin for five years, but I never sought advancement. With my frail constitution, I spent my days holed up in my little courtyard, unwilling to move.

My original body was the Third Miss of the Chancellor's mansion. Above me were my legitimate elder brother and sister, and my half-brother and half-sister from a concubine.

The Chancellor was a man of great learning, but his heart harbored an unrequited love. Yet, for power, he married the legitimate wife.

The Madam was kind-hearted. She not only allowed that moonlit love to enter the household as a concubine but also gifted her many rare treasures, hoping only for a peaceful life.

Unfortunately, Concubine Orchid was not content with being a secondary wife. After giving birth to Second Miss and Second Young Master, she set her sights on the position of the main wife.

At that time, the Madam was pregnant with me. Concubine Orchid sent someone to poison her, causing me to be born with a chronic illness.

No matter how favored Concubine Orchid was, she could not escape death.

A concubine was, after all, a concubine. How could she stand on equal footing with the legitimate wife? And daring to poison the mistress? She had lived long enough.

The Madam was soft-hearted. She did not send Second Miss and Second Young Master to a separate estate but kept them in the mansion and cared for them well.

As the Madam said, how could the sins of the parents be visited upon the innocent children?

The household kept the news of Concubine Orchid's death from them, but there were always loose lips that did not heed their master's words.

When I was ten, Second Miss finally learned the true cause of her mother's death.

It was the twelfth lunar month. I was in the garden watching the snow when Second Miss suddenly appeared and pushed me into the lake.

The wind was biting, let alone the icy water.

When I crossed over, I was still struggling in the water. My soaked cotton clothes weighed me down like iron blocks, dragging me to the bottom.

Despair and helplessness washed over me. The piercing cold stabbed into my bones like knives. The suffocation made me instinctively open my mouth, but only lake water poured in, not air.

Just as I was about to give up, a figure jumped into the lake.

When I woke up again, it was three days later.

The quilt on me was so heavy I could barely breathe. I reached out to push it away, but Eldest Sister stopped me.

"The imperial physician said you must not catch a chill." Eldest Sister brought a bowl of plain congee. "Drink some hot congee first to warm your stomach."

A bowl of plain congee, yet it tasted like a thousand flavors.

When the bowl was empty, I stared at the bottom, still wanting more.

Eldest Sister chuckled. "No more. You can't digest too much."

I reluctantly looked away and then stared straight at Eldest Sister.

She was truly beautiful, with an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows—a dignified classical beauty.

Eldest Sister's cheeks flushed slightly. "What are you looking at? Rest well. When you're better, I'll take you to see the plum blossoms."

Speaking of plum blossoms, I suddenly craved plum blossom cakes.

I swallowed. I seemed even hungrier.

Eldest Sister laughed. "Do you want plum blossom cakes? I'll have someone make them for you later."

I smiled at Eldest Sister. She was truly kind.

02

Before crossing over, I was only nineteen, still in school.

Eldest Sister was also nineteen, but she was already married—to the Crown Prince.

I heard that when I fell into the water, she rushed back from the Eastern Palace in a panic.

With just a few questions, she found out that Second Miss had pushed me in.

The Crown Princess was furious. Even though the Chancellor was reluctant, he had no choice but to send Second Miss to a separate estate.

If nothing unexpected happened, Second Miss would never return to the Capital City in her lifetime.

As for Second Young Master, who shared the same mother as Second Miss?

He was clever. He buried himself in the sages' books and ignored worldly affairs. That was his best path.

03

My original body had always been weak, but with the imperial physician's treatment, I gradually improved.

However, that fall into the water was too severe. It destroyed ten years of careful nurturing, leaving me breathless after just a few steps.

I was thin. No matter how much I ate, I couldn't gain an ounce of flesh. This worried everyone.

Every time she saw me, the Madam would beat her chest and blame herself. "I'm sorry. If I had dealt with that wretch cleanly back then, none of this would have happened!"

I held her hand and told her it wasn't her fault.

The Madam looked at me with tear-filled eyes, laughing and crying at the same time. There was relief and sorrow in her gaze.

04

Because of the fall, the Chancellor came to hate me.

Even though I was his own flesh and blood.

I was born with a love for food. I spent my days holed up in my courtyard, either fiddling with food or preparing to fiddle with food.

As for music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—in Prince Jin's words, "Someone who won't live long, learning these things? Are you preparing to perform for the King of Hell?"

Because of that remark, Prince Jin got scolded.

But Prince Jin had a point. The Madam came to ask me if I really wanted to learn.

I said I only wanted to learn to cook.

So the Madam hired a chef to teach me and even raised chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep in the mansion.

When the Chancellor found out, he stormed over to confront the Madam.

"Instead of learning music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she learns to cook? Disgraceful!"

"Do you think the Chancellor's mansion is a barn? Bringing all these animals in—aren't you afraid of the filth?"

"I am the head of this household. What are you, a woman, doing, acting wild here?"

I was holding a plate of freshly made pastries, intending to give them to the Madam, when I overheard these words.

I was furious. I handed the tray to a servant, lifted my skirt, and charged inside.

"You useless man! You only became Chancellor because of my mother's family, and now you dare to boss her around? What do you think you are?"

"Little beast? I'm a beast only because I carry your blood!"

"Drop dead! I'll go buy you paper money right now, so you won't be penniless in the underworld without my mother!"

"Yes, I'm disrespectful! Yes, I'm a bully! If you insult my mother again, I'll not only complain to my brother-in-law but also to His Majesty!"

"Don't think that just because the Shaw family has no one left, you can bully my mother! Let me tell you, His Majesty and all the people of Great Jin remember the Shaw family's loyalty and sacrifice!"

I planted my hands on my hips and glared at the Chancellor.

So what if he was talented? Great Jin never lacked talented men.

A penniless social climber with no power—if not for the Shaw family, what right did he have to be Chancellor?

I hit a nerve. He pointed at my nose, unable to speak for a long time.

Finally, he flicked his sleeves and left.

As soon as he was gone, I gasped for air.

This wretched body of mine—when I'm angry, I'm as strong as an ox.

But once the anger fades, I feel like I'm about to breathe my last.

The Madam felt sorry for me and told me not to get angry. Let him say what he wants; it's not like we'll lose a piece of flesh.

"Hmph, I'll say it anyway! He's heartless and ungrateful!" I panted. "Anyway, he's not allowed to say anything bad about you. You're the best person in the world. No one can say otherwise."

The Madam nodded and praised me for being sensible, for knowing how to care for my mother.

I looked at the gray hairs at her temples and felt a pang of sympathy. I hugged her tightly, leaning into her embrace.

I loved the Madam, and I loved Eldest Sister and Eldest Brother.

Because they gave me the feeling of family—something I had always longed for.

Even if my body was weak, having them made everything worth it.

"Mother."

"My Lele is willing to call me Mother now. How obedient."

05

In the blink of an eye, I had lived in Great Jin for five years.

Thanks to the care of the Madam, Eldest Brother, and Eldest Sister, I lived quite comfortably.

Prince Jin was the Crown Prince's full-blooded younger brother. Sometimes he came to discuss essays with Eldest Brother.

When he came, I was happiest.

Because he always brought some novelties—sometimes amber, sometimes foreign goods. But whenever he gave me something, he always looked at me with pity.

I played dumb and simply ignored his sympathetic gaze.

I knew it all. I didn't have long to live.

Although Eldest Sister kept this news tightly under wraps, Dr. Huang always frowned and sighed whenever he took my pulse.

The imperial physician said I must never get angry again.

But that deadbeat father still found ways to provoke me. Although he always left in disgrace, he never failed to infuriate me.

In the end, my mother waved her hand and took me and Eldest Brother back to the Shaw mansion.

The moment we left, that deadbeat father brought Second Miss back to the mansion.

But no sooner had Second Miss returned to the Chancellor's mansion than she fell into the water.

Little Willow gleefully described the scene, wishing she could take me to the Chancellor's mansion to see it for myself.

But no one expected that Second Miss, after living in the countryside, would shine so brightly.

When I saw those poems, I realized that Second Miss was also a time-traveler.

"Moonlight before my bed, I suspect it's frost on the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon, lower it to think of my hometown."

"At noon, I hoe the fields, sweat dripping onto the soil. Who knows that every grain on the plate comes from hard work?"

Hah. No real talent, but plenty of nerve to borrow from others.

06

The Second Miss of the Chancellor's mansion stole the show at Old Madam Lu's birthday banquet.

One poem about moonlight expressed her five years of homesickness.

Another poem about farming conveyed her reflections during her stay at the separate estate.

Those who had been waiting to mock her now praised her endlessly, calling her the talented woman of Great Jin, even surpassing the eldest Miss of the An family.

"Surpassing my sister? Bah! My sister wouldn't even deign to compete with her." An Yuerong rolled her eyes. "The more I think about it, the more irritated I get. How dare they compare my sister to someone like that? What an insult!"

"By the way, did she really write those poems? Five years ago, she had no such talent. After five years in the countryside, she suddenly skyrocketed to become the Capital City's talented woman?" An Yuerong grabbed a handful of melon seeds. "I bet your father wrote them for her in advance, just to make her look good."

I smiled and said nothing. Even when Yuerong pressed me, I only said I knew nothing about Second Sister's affairs.

Seeing she couldn't get anything out of me, Yuerong turned to ask about my future plans.

I didn't have long to live. What future plans were there? As far as I was concerned, living well in the present was what mattered.

Yuerong comforted me, saying I looked rosy-cheeked lately. Perhaps heaven had taken pity on me and granted me a healthy life.

But then, she started talking about marriage.

Her own marriage was already arranged, but her husband was stationed at the border. He wouldn't return to the Capital City until the end of the year to hold the wedding.

More than her own marriage, she was concerned about mine. Her words were full of hints, probing about my relationship with Prince Jin.

As Yuerong said, Prince Jin and I were indeed close, but only as siblings. There was absolutely no romantic involvement between us.

"Really?"

"Really."

Hearing this, Yuerong smiled.

"Then let me introduce you to a young gentleman." Yuerong pulled a portrait from her sleeve. "The second son of the General of the Cavalry, Lu Xihe. What do you think?"

"What? Do you have a grudge against him, that you'd set me up with him?"

"Pfft! How can you say that?" Yuerong placed the portrait on the table. "He said you're the most pleasing person in the entire Capital City. His mother asked my mother to send me to sound you out."

"I've never even met him. How does he know I'm pleasing?" I rolled up the portrait and handed it back. "He's probably just using me as an excuse to avoid marriage."

"That's true. I'll tell his mother that your mother cherishes you and can't bear to marry you off. How about that?"

"Excellent."

07

Yuerong came and went in a whirlwind.

Little Willow must have inherited her temperament. She walked like the wind, as if she had wind-fire wheels under her feet.

"Second Miss knows medicine too! I saw her bring a dying person back to life with my own eyes!"

After downing a pot of tea, Little Willow began gesticulating excitedly as she recounted her day's adventures.

From the doctor's prognosis that the patient had only days left, to Second Sister's miraculous cure, to the patient kneeling in gratitude on the spot—Little Willow told it all vividly.

I didn't expect this time-traveling Second Sister to be so remarkable. I set aside my previous prejudice and felt a new respect for her.

But then, Little Willow got angry again.

"I went to her and asked her to treat you, but she said she only treats people when she feels like it." Little Willow's face reddened with fury. "She's the one who harmed you! If she really has the skill, why won't she treat you?"

"Maybe she can't cure me either. Besides, only you went to invite her. We were the ones who didn't show proper respect."

"She's the one who harmed you! If you ask me, she should come to you on her own initiative."

"Now we're the ones asking for help. We have to lower our posture. Besides, medical treatment isn't an ordinary matter. If she doesn't want to treat, no amount of pressure will help."

And if we're being precise, it wasn't her who pushed me into the water. If she didn't want to treat me, I couldn't say much. After all, she was the one with the medical skill.

When Little Willow told my mother about Second Sister's life-saving feat, my mother immediately wanted to leave the mansion.

She said that regardless of the outcome, she had to try. As for the past events, tracing them back, the root cause was Concubine Orchid's actions.

But the Empress was faster than anyone. Before my mother could leave, news came that Second Sister had entered the palace to treat the Empress.

Second Sister was gone for three full days.

When she came out, she was rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and the title of Commandery Princess.

Second Sister's medical skills were hailed as miraculous. Many nobles and officials came to seek treatment, but all were turned away, including my mother.

But Second Sister had the Empress's backing. Those nobles couldn't say much even when refused. Only my mother was determined to have Second Sister come to the Shaw mansion.

My mother had already divorced my father and taken most of the Chancellor's mansion's wealth with her. Naturally, she couldn't enter the mansion now.

But that didn't stop her. She led a hundred strong servants to block the Chancellor's mansion's gate. I tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't listen.

It wasn't until the Empress summoned her to the palace that the matter ended.

The Empress's stance made Second Sister even more famous. Some households began inquiring about her marriage prospects.

But no one expected that Second Sister would stop Prince Jin's carriage in the street.

08

Prince Jin's fief was Yuhang, but he usually lived in the Capital City. Because the court was discussing foreign trade, he had returned to his fief to oversee the matter. He had only just returned to the Capital City today.

"Oversee" was just for show.

The court had enforced a maritime ban for forty years. But after Prince Jin received his fief, he tacitly allowed his subordinates to do business with foreigners.

Fortunately, he was the second legitimate son. If he were any other prince, the Emperor would have stripped him of his title long ago.

By my calculation, Prince Jin had been in his fief for three or four months. He must have found many interesting things.

As I guessed, Prince Jin returned to the Capital City with fifty or sixty carriages, even more lively than a vassal king's tribute.

But most of those carriages carried foreign merchants.

When Prince Jin's carriage was stopped, many people stopped to watch. The merchants got off to see the commotion—yellow-haired, blue-eyed—drawing even more onlookers.

The entire street was clogged. It happened to coincide with the National Academy's field leave. In the end, the Commander of the Nine Gates had to personally intervene to clear the road.

As for Second Sister, she eventually got onto Prince Jin's carriage.

According to Little Willow, Second Sister shouted that she wanted to treat Prince Jin's illness, which was why she stopped his carriage.

What they talked about in the carriage, no one knew.

09

I saw Second Sister in person half a month later, at a birthday banquet.

Eldest Sister was several months pregnant. I was afraid of passing my illness to her, so I refused to enter the palace to see her.

Strangely, ever since I started using the spring water my mother brought from the palace to boil my medicine, I felt my body growing warmer.

When Dr. Huang came to take my pulse, he no longer frowned. Instead, he marveled that the gods were watching over me, that the Crown Princess's and the Madam's daily prayers had been heard.

Only then did I realize that Dr. Huang's constant frowning wasn't because I didn't have long to live, but because my body was actually getting stronger.

He said that every time he took my pulse, he doubted his own medical skills.

But his confusion had been resolved. As for how, he wouldn't say.

I guessed it had something to do with that jar of spring water.

With my health improving and my sister missing me dearly, I used the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet to enter the palace and spend time with her.

But as soon as I entered the Eastern Palace, Consort Lin pulled me aside.

"Stay away from your second sister. I smell demonic energy on her."

Judging by her tone, Consort Lin had been reading demon-hunting novels lately.

"Don't disbelieve me. I may be younger than your sister, but my intuition is very accurate." Consort Lin put one foot on a stool. "Besides, my ancestors were demon hunters. I can tell with a snap of my fingers that your second sister is possessed by evil."

"Sister Lin, last time you said your ancestors were tomb raiders."

"Demon hunting and tomb raiding—no conflict. Anyway, your second sister is definitely not a good person." Consort Lin flicked the stray hair from her forehead. "The first time she entered the palace, I saw her deliberately bump into the Crown Prince. Now she stops Prince Jin's carriage in the street. If she's a decent woman, then all my novels have been for nothing!"

As she spoke, Consort Lin pulled out a thick stack of papers.

"This is my summary of the Ten Strategies for Palace and Household Struggles. With this, you can conquer all. Not just minor demons—even Zhen Huan herself would have to call you ancestor."

Yes, that Zhen Huan.

But even more powerful, with even more plot twists. Perhaps it incorporated the author's own experiences.

And I had long noticed that I was not the only time-traveler in this world.

10

The Empress Dowager cared for the people and disliked wasting resources, so her birthday banquets were always simple.

But I never expected Second Sister to appear in plain white clothes.

The moment she appeared, she drew everyone's attention. Her light white ruqun was completely out of place, and the white flower in her hair seemed to carry some hidden meaning.

Worse, she arrived later than the Empress Dowager.

Eldest Sister, who was heavily pregnant, had already taken her seat early. But Second Sister took her time, arriving only now, choosing the moment when the Empress Dowager and others had just sat down.

Perhaps because she held the title of Commandery Princess and enjoyed the Empress's favor, the eunuch on duty dared to let her in.

I didn't dare look too closely at the Empress Dowager's expression. I could only silently thank the heavens that my mother had already divorced.

I looked toward that deadbeat father. His eyes were actually red. Was he seeing the ghost of his lost love in Second Sister?

The once-lively banquet had fallen silent. Even Prince Fu was bowing his head, not daring to speak.

Then a male voice broke the silence.

"Dressed like you're attending a funeral. Anyone would think the Chancellor had died, and you've come to cry at his grave."

Only Prince Jin would dare say such a thing.

Second Sister's face turned pale. She looked at Prince Jin in disbelief, her eyes full of disappointment.

But Prince Jin's words had broken the awkwardness.

The Empress Dowager pretended to be angry. "Yi'er, apologize to the Chancellor immediately!"

That deadbeat father snapped out of his reverie. He looked at the Empress Dowager and remembered that this was her birthday banquet. He quickly pulled Second Sister to kowtow and apologize.

The Empress Dowager praised Second Sister's beauty, saying her white clothes reminded her of her youth. That was the end of the matter.

Meanwhile, the Emperor and Empress were whispering to each other on the high seat.

I suddenly felt that the Chancellor might soon be replaced.

11

After the customary pleasantries, the Emperor left with the Crown Prince in a hurry.

The Empress Dowager told everyone to make themselves at home. Some close friends gathered to drink and chat. An Yuerong took the opportunity to sit beside me.

"She wore the same outfit at Old Madam Lu's birthday banquet. Old Madam was afraid she'd feel awkward, so she praised her for looking good. Who would have thought she'd actually believe that wearing white to a birthday banquet makes her look like a fairy?"

"Speaking of which, why did your sister stop treating people after leaving the palace? Never mind others—she won't even treat you. My mother's circle of old friends has been talking about it."

"Not treating is one thing. The other day, she went to treat Prince Jin. That man is as strong as an ox. Could he have some hidden illness?"

"By the way, have you really considered the Lu family's second son? He's over there. Not bad-looking."

I put a piece of cherry-glazed pork in Yuerong's bowl. "Chef Li made this. It's even better than mine."

"Really? I have to try it." Yuerong stuffed it into her mouth, her eyes lighting up. "Delicious! I'm going to take my mother's table's portion too."

I smiled and said nothing. This trick of using food to shut Yuerong up always worked.

By the time she had eaten her fill, people had already started heading to the Imperial Garden. I pulled Yuerong along for a digestive stroll, and we happened upon Prince Jin, who was admiring the moon. Second Sister stood beside him.

When she saw me, Second Sister smiled and then leaned her head affectionately on Prince Jin's shoulder.

For some reason, I felt that Second Sister was deliberately showing off to me. I furrowed my brow instinctively, and Second Sister's smile grew even brighter.

Suddenly, I felt like cursing.

Maybe it was because Second Sister looked like that deadbeat father.

12

Unlike Second Sister, Prince Jin's expression was subtle. His face was stiff—not quite disgust, but not exactly pleasure either.

Strangely enough, in the past, Prince Jin would always come to see me after returning to the Capital City.

But this time, I hadn't seen him until now. It was as if he was deliberately keeping his distance.

Was it because of Second Sister?

I didn't know, but Prince Jin always had his reasons. If he wanted to keep his distance, I would follow his lead.

I nodded at Prince Jin and was about to walk inside with Yuerong when Second Sister blocked my way.

"What terrible manners, little sister. You don't even bow to me? Is this how your mother raised you?"

She crossed her arms, her face full of contempt.

Oh, she was a Commandery Princess.

But so was I. If we were to exchange bows, we should do so equally.

And now, with her ordering me around, if I obediently bowed, I would only bring shame to the Shaw family.

I smiled at her. "Sister, have you forgotten that I am also a Commandery Princess?"

Unlike Second Sister's title, my original body's title was earned with the Shaw family's blood.

Even for that reason alone, I could never bow to her.

I no longer avoided her gaze. Instead, I met her eyes directly. Our gazes clashed, knives drawn.

I refused to back down. She refused to yield.

We stood there, drawing the attention of many onlookers.

She was unafraid. She laughed lightly. "I am still your elder sister. Can't you bear to give me a bow?"

I didn't respond. I just looked at her calmly. In this situation, all I had to do was stand there. Someone would come to uphold justice.

As I expected, the Grand Princess approached, surrounded by a group of noble ladies.

"A mere concubine's daughter dares to demand a bow from a legitimate daughter? After five years in the separate estate, have you forgotten all sense of propriety? Miss Ashford, what excellent upbringing!"

The Grand Princess was the Emperor's own sister. With the Empress and Empress Dowager absent from the Imperial Garden, she held the highest status there.

The moment she spoke, Second Sister's arrogance vanished.

But she was still unwilling. She moved closer to Prince Jin and tugged at his sleeve, as if asking him to stand up for her.

Prince Jin looked embarrassed, but he still stepped in front of Second Sister.

"Miss Ashford has had too much to drink. She lost her composure. Please forgive her, Aunt."

Since Prince Jin had spoken, the Grand Princess naturally wouldn't pursue the matter further.

But Second Sister hid behind Prince Jin without even a hint of apology. This greatly displeased the Grand Princess.

She looked coldly at Second Sister and sneered, "Lost her composure? I'd say she's lost her virtue."

The young ladies watching wore expressions of schadenfreude. Second Sister glared hatefully at the Grand Princess, as if she might charge forward at any moment to teach her a lesson.

But what could Second Sister do, no matter how unhappy she was?

She was the Grand Princess of Great Jin. Even her father had to bow before the Grand Princess.

13

Second Sister, relying on her title as Commandery Princess, had tried to force me to grovel. Instead, she had made a fool of herself.

If you ask me, rather than stealing the spotlight and standing at the center of the storm, it's better to hide one's light and bide one's time. That way, you won't be targeted and end up in a miserable state.

Second Sister and I were clearly not on the same path. But I could vaguely guess that she had lofty ambitions. A mere Chancellor's daughter would never satisfy her appetite.

Prince Jin's consort? Given her background, that would be quite difficult.

But among the Emperor's sons, apart from Prince Fu, only Prince Jin had not taken a wife or concubine. Perhaps that was what Second Sister was aiming for.

But how could Prince Jin be interested in her? He was always shrewd, calculating every move, with high standards.

By all logic, he should look down on her. Yet now he was so close to her.

Could it be love at first sight? Members of the royal family rarely had deep feelings. More likely, he had other motives.

When the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat suffer.

I saw through it but said nothing. Besides, Second Sister's fate was her own choice.

Even if I subtly hinted, if she thought herself above others, she wouldn't listen to my advice.

Besides, I didn't even like her.

14

The birthday banquet incident made Second Sister famous again, but this time, it wasn't for a good reason.

Second Sister didn't sit idle. She packed up early and went to the outskirts to distribute porridge.

It was a good tactic. It earned her the title of "Great Benefactor" among the common folk.

But in the noble households, no one praised her. After making a mistake yesterday, she went to do good deeds today. Everyone knew what she was up to.

Some overthinkers couldn't help but wonder: If she hadn't made a mistake, would she still have done good deeds?

But everyone only gossiped behind her back. When they met her in person, they would praise her for being beautiful and kind.

She loved hearing such flattery. But that wasn't enough.

Perhaps because she had a grudge against me, she even spread rumors, comparing me to her. She said I was uneducated and ugly, inferior to her in every way.

"She wants to steal the spotlight, fine. But stepping on others to lift herself up? What kind of behavior is that?"

Little Willow was furious. She wanted to rush to the Chancellor's mansion and beat Second Sister up.

I teased Little Willow for being impatient and hot-tempered. If Eldest Sister found out, she would scold her again.

Little Willow felt wronged. She said I was too soft, that even Second Sister dared to push me around.

Push me around?

I simply didn't deign to compete with her. Besides, I was indeed uneducated.

But being uneducated had its benefits. Good things might not come my way, but bad things certainly wouldn't target me first.

After all, who would bother dealing with a harmless "good-for-nothing"?

But Second Sister hadn't spent enough silver. Her "step on one to lift the other" rhetoric was suppressed within half a day.

Who did it, I didn't know.

Perhaps it was my mother, or maybe Eldest Sister.

As for Eldest Brother? He had been in the northwest for days and hadn't returned yet. If he found out, he would probably kick the Chancellor's mansion's door down.

15

A few days later, Second Sister came up with another new trick.

She opened a restaurant in the Capital City. It was quite large, combining several storefronts.

The restaurant had started renovations on the third day after Prince Jin returned to the Capital City and had only just finished a few days ago.

According to Second Sister's advertisements, the restaurant would sell many things—milk tea, hot pot, barbecue—everything. It was as if she wanted to turn it into a food street all at once.

This scale probably meant she had poured all ten thousand taels of gold gifted by the Empress into it.

On opening day, it was naturally bustling.

Everyone wanted to know what she had spent so much money on. Now that it was finally open, how could they miss it?

But on opening day, something went wrong.

Rumors said Prince Jin also had a stake in the restaurant. Many nobles came to offer their congratulations.

Before opening, Second Sister had also heavily advertised a free tasting on the first day, attracting many commoners to come and see.

By all logic, this should have been a good thing.

But too many people came. The commoners pushed and shoved.

The restaurant manager and servants were useless. They couldn't maintain order, and disaster struck.

The stairs suddenly collapsed. Dozens of people fell in a heap. Some were holding skewers. In the chaos, the skewers stabbed into others' arms. Blood gushed out like a flood.

The scene was terrifying.

Even more terrifying was that Prince Fu was the one who got stabbed.

Prince Fu screamed in pain. The two-hundred-pound fat man cried like a child. The young master of the Song family, trapped beneath him, cried even more miserably.

No one dared to move them. Doctors from the Revival Hall and imperial physicians ran until their legs nearly gave out, but they couldn't save the Song family's young master in time.

Seeing his friend dead, Prince Fu cried and made a scene. Even food couldn't calm him down.

Consort Xian, who had rushed over, held Prince Fu and cursed Second Sister.

Second Sister retorted: If Prince Fu weren't as fat as a pig, would the stairs have collapsed? Would the Song family's young master have been crushed to death?

Now Prince Fu stopped making a scene. He didn't want to live anymore.

Prince Fu stood up and charged headfirst at the wall.

The wall broke into a human-shaped hole. Prince Fu stood outside, turned back to smile at Consort Xian, and then fell straight to the ground.

The imperial physician examined him and declared that Prince Fu had no pulse. Consort Xian's eyes turned red.

16

Consort Xian was anything but virtuous. She rolled up her sleeves and slapped Second Sister several times across the face.

Second Sister was no pushover. How could she take a beating lying down? She grabbed Consort Xian's hair.

Consort Xian was trained. She pulled out her hairpin and slashed Second Sister's face.

"Disfiguring me? Unforgivable!"

Second Sister lunged at Consort Xian, but the Grand Princess arrived and kicked her away.

Consort Xian pounced, slapping Second Sister several more times. Not satisfied, she took her hairpin and slashed Second Sister's face again.

The Grand Princess tried to pull them apart, but it was useless.

It wasn't until the imperial physician announced that Prince Fu had been revived that Consort Xian slowly stood up and straightened her clothes.

Second Sister had just gotten up when Madam Song arrived.

The Song family was a noble house. The eldest branch had only that one legitimate son—a golden egg. And he had been crushed to death?

Madam Song forgot all decorum. She charged at Second Sister, wanting to kill her.

Now Consort Xian was virtuous. She held Madam Song back, saying, "She's just a child."

Madam Song couldn't catch her breath and fainted.

17

The direct line of the Song family didn't hold official positions, but their influence in the court was not weak. Many ministers were disciples of the Song family.

Their eldest legitimate son had died young. How could the Song family swallow that?

They not only demanded that Second Sister be buried with him but even wanted Prince Fu to pay with his life.

The Chancellor, who doted on his daughter, cursed the Song family in court for being treasonous and defying imperial authority.

The Emperor said the Chancellor was right to curse. The Song family was indeed arrogant. But given their grief over losing a son, they could be forgiven. Besides, tracing the root cause, it was the restaurant's fault. Let Second Sister pay with her life.

The Chancellor's face turned pale. He said Prince Jin also had a stake in the restaurant.

Prince Jin stepped aside. "I knew nothing. I only went to show support for Second Miss out of respect for you."

The Chancellor lost his arrogance. He bowed and scraped, saying he would find a way to seek the Song family's forgiveness.

The Emperor agreed. After all, it was his own daughter's mess to clean up.

A few days later, the matter was settled.

The Chancellor went to the Song family and moralized: The Song family had always been righteous. How could they force someone's daughter to die for a son?

The Song family patriarch was furious. He was about to have this shameless man thrown out when the second branch of the Song family stopped him.

"The eldest branch has lost a son, but the second branch still has sons."

"Besides, the Chancellor is the first Chancellor from a humble background, representing the commoner officials. If we let bygones be bygones, it will also be a gesture of reconciliation with the commoner faction, protecting the foundation of Great Jin."

The patriarch thought it reasonable. He asked the Chancellor and Second Sister to keep vigil for the eldest young master, and the matter was settled.

But poor Madam Song of the eldest branch was so angry she fell ill and took to her bed.

As for the restaurant, the shoddy construction was confiscated by the Empress for