At the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, Shen Wan was accidentally poisoned with an aphrodisiac, lost her chastity to someone, and became pregnant.
Her cousin Shen Wu and her maternal cousin Ye Caiwei conspired to deceive her, making her believe the child she carried was Prince Cheng Xiao Yun’s flesh and blood. She married him in a ten-mile bridal procession.
She poured all her efforts into supporting Xiao Yun’s ascent to the imperial throne, only to end up preparing the wedding dress for her cousin.
Xiao Yun killed her father and brother, exterminated her maternal family, pushed the twin children she had risked her life to bear into the lotus pond to drown, and even had her humiliated, driving her to self-immolation in the cold palace.
Perhaps her death was too full of resentment, for after she died, her spirit lingered for three years, attached to a jade pendant, witnessing those people meet their retribution.
Prince Jingbei’s heir, Xie Jingyu, survived an assassination attempt and a fall from a cliff, not only alive but raising an army in rebellion. With unstoppable momentum, he marched into the capital, dragged Xiao Yun down from power, and her great vengeance was achieved.
Yet Shen Wan truly had no idea when she had ever provoked this man.
In life, he shamed and humiliated her; after death, he even scattered her ashes in a fit of rage.
And after her ashes were scattered—
She.
Was reborn.
…
“Miss, we should hurry back to the Duke’s Mansion.”
While descending the steps, the maid Bao Cui urged Shen Wan just as she had in her previous life, even anxiously reaching out to tug at her sleeve.
Shen Wan was already certain she had been reborn.
And she had been reborn on the very day Xiao Yun saved her!
Originally, they had planned to go shopping today. Last night, Ye Caiwei had a nightmare, so Shen Wan accompanied her to Huguo Temple to pray for blessings. However, while Shen Wan was offering incense, the incense stick broke. Her eyelids fluttered uncontrollably, and her heart raced with unease. She insisted on returning to Dingguo Duke’s Mansion. The journey to Huguo Temple was long and not easy to make, and her cousins were unwilling to return so soon. Thus, only she left early.
On the way down the mountain, the carriage was startled, and she was thrown out, only to be rescued by Xiao Yun.
Tumbling down the hillside, Xiao Yun shielded her in his arms. She suffered only minor injuries, while Xiao Yun broke his arm.
Grateful for his life-saving grace, she secretly gave him her heart.
Her parents likely saw through the fact that the startled horse was no accident and forbade her from marrying Xiao Yun. Even though Xiao Yun had publicly saved her, they used the excuse that she had fallen into water at a young age, damaging her health and possibly rendering her infertile to decline the Emperor’s marriage proposal. Yet her heart already belonged to Xiao Yun. Later, she was poisoned, lost her chastity to “Xiao Yun,” and became pregnant. No matter how unwilling her parents were, they could only send her off to be married.
Thinking of how her parents were implicated and killed by those people, Shen Wan felt suffocated.
Heaven had favored her, granting her a chance to live again. She would never repeat the mistakes of her past life!
The schemes and plots inflicted upon her—she would repay them one by one!
She would make them repay blood debt with blood!
Shen Wan shook off Bao Cui’s hand. “My heart is racing terribly. Go buy me something to eat.”
Shen Wan had a habit of eating whenever she felt uneasy. Bao Cui, suspecting nothing, hurried off to buy food.
Under a tree nearby, there was a fortune-telling stall.
No one was seeking a divination, and the old Taoist priest was dozing off.
Shen Wan walked over and placed a gold ingot on the stall.
“Serve me, and I will help you become renowned for generations.”
The old Taoist smiled and opened his eyes.
“Miss, this old Taoist has been waiting for you for a long time.”
…
When Bao Cui returned with some candied fruits, she saw Shen Wan leaving the fortune-telling stall. Bao Cui approached her. “Did you have your fortune told, Miss?”
Shen Wan ignored her.
After boarding the carriage, Shen Wan handed Bao Cui a spare dress. “Change your dress with mine.”
Her tone brooked no refusal, and Bao Cui would not refuse anyway.
Usually, Bao Cui often stole Shen Wan’s jewelry to wear. Now that she was given the chance to wear it openly, how could she bear to refuse?
Shen Wan changed into a maid’s clothes and tossed a veil to Bao Cui. “Put on the veil and return to the manor in my place. Don’t let Father and Mother see through it.”
Watching the servant drive the carriage away, Shen Wan’s eyes darkened.
In her past life, Bao Cui had gone to Prince Cheng’s mansion several times to deliver items on her behalf. After a few visits, she ended up entangled with one of Xiao Yun’s guards, becoming pregnant out of wedlock. This brought immense shame upon Shen Wan as her mistress, leading to her being beaten to death with sticks by her parents.
Was Xiao Yun already waiting to rescue her by now?
Shen Wan couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation. She wondered what expression Xiao Yun would wear after saving someone, only to realize he had rescued her maid instead.
“Help!”
A faint cry for help echoed in the distance.