"Mother."
Little Fu'er struggled to climb over the high threshold of the main hall, her pink-and-white dress gathering dust.
Jiang Shiyao picked up her daughter. "Where's Father? Why are you alone?"
Fu'er obediently wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. "Father said he's looking for Mother."
Jiang Shiyao peered inside and saw Song Jiyun standing behind Zhou Congxian with a wronged expression, while Zhao Shi appeared to be speaking vehemently about something.
She tightened her hold on her daughter. "This place isn't fun. Mother will take you to see the little fish."
"Okay! Little fish!"
Fu'er's eyes curved into happy crescents—today was her happiest day.
To the west of White Horse Temple lay a clear spring, said to have been a muddy pond in earlier years that never dried up throughout the seasons.
After a westward-journeying monk preached scriptures here, the muddy pond transformed into a clear spring.
Beside the pond stood a straight pine tree, like a loyal guard standing watch.
There was also a legend that during the previous dynasty, a wealthy merchant's daughter and the estate's accountant fell deeply in love.
The daughter secretly pawned her jewelry to fund the young man's journey to the capital for imperial examinations.
When he returned a decade later having passed with high honors, he learned that three years after his departure, the merchant had forced his daughter into marriage. The young lady had chosen death at White Horse Temple to prove her constancy.
The successful accountant was overcome with grief, eventually transforming into this pine tree by the pond to watch over his beloved for eternity.
The stories were all beautiful tales.
But at this moment, little Fu'er's greatest desire was to take the little fish home with her.
"Mother, Fu'er wants this little fish."
Her small hands gripped the large stones at the pond's edge as she gazed longingly at the red fish in the water.
As her words faded, movement came from near the pine tree by the pond.
Mother and daughter both turned their heads toward the right side of the pine tree.
A young woman with slightly reddened eyes emerged from behind the railing.
Jiang Shiyao's eyes widened. "Miss Li?"
Then a simply dressed scholar followed her out.
Her eyes grew even wider.
Li Ruoshuang seemed completely unafraid of being seen, turning to the scholar and saying, "She is Niangzi Jiang from the Duke of Ying's Residence. Since we've been spotted anyway, Lord Liu must give me an explanation!"
Jiang Shiyao immediately picked up her daughter who still wanted to catch fish. "I—I saw nothing at all…"
Li Ruoshuang quickly grabbed her arm. "You must have seen."
"Jiang Shiyao."
The scholar accurately called her name.
Jiang Shiyao turned back. The scholar had refined features, but searching her memory, she didn't seem to recognize him.
She immediately looked at Li Ruoshuang. "Miss Li, don't misunderstand! I don't know him!"
Liu Minghan stepped forward. "Is Jiang Xingyao your elder brother?"
"I am Brother Jiang's longtime classmate and friend."
His gaze fell on the child in her arms. "Brother Jiang invited me to his home once. You were young then, so you might have forgotten."
Jiang Shiyao stiffly curved her lips. "I must have… forgotten."
"I won't disturb you two any longer. I'll take my leave."
As Liu Minghan seemed about to say more, she had already bowed hastily with her daughter in her arms and departed.
He pressed his lips together tightly. Brother Jiang had clearly said his sister served as a maid in the residence, yet she wore a married woman's hairstyle, and the child in her arms shared her eyes and brows.
Jiang Shiyao walked hurriedly, so quickly that even Fu'er sensed her mother's mood.
"Mother, don't be sad."
She blinked, then pressed her cheek against her daughter's small face. "No, Mother isn't sad."
Back when she had sold herself into servitude, she left the money by her brother's pillow. Her brother had furiously thrown the silver coins away.
"Go then! If you leave, you are no longer my sister Jiang Xingyao!"
She still left.
Not only did her brother need silver to save his life, but so did her father.
Without her father and brother, how could she, so young, survive on her own?
Rather than waiting for the whole family to perish, it was better to sell her alone.
Her brother had written her many letters, saying that once he saved enough money, he would redeem her.
She had been waiting for that day.
In her previous life, she thought her entire existence would be confined to that small courtyard.
But now she had been reborn—this was heaven giving her a second chance.
Once she escaped this cage, she would take Fu'er to see her uncle. Her brother was a good man; he would surely adore Fu'er.
Jiang Shiyao walked through the corridor and nearly collided with someone approaching.
"Are you blind? You almost ran into my young lady!"
Zisu stepped in front of her mistress.
Fu'er clung tightly to her mother, burying her little face in her neck. These two women seemed so fierce—she was scared.
Jiang Shiyao shielded her daughter and stepped aside. "It was my fault for bumping into Miss Song. Please, Miss Song, go ahead."
Song Jiyun had been in a good mood earlier—Zhou Congxian had just declared in front of Zhao Shi that he would only marry her.
But now, seeing the child in this lowly concubine's arms, she recalled Master Huineng's words.
If this girl was a lucky star, what about her own future children?
Would they all have to make way for this concubine's child?
Song Jiyun lifted her chin slightly. "So it's Niangzi Jiang. Zisu, have you forgotten your manners again? Don't forget, in the future, Niangzi Jiang will also be your mistress."
Zisu immediately knelt. "Yes, this servant knows her mistake."
Only then did Song Jiyun take two steps forward, reaching out affectionately to pat Fu'er's back.
But the little girl squirmed like a small snake, clearly unwilling to be touched.
Jiang Shiyao shifted her daughter away. "Miss Song, the child is a bit sleepy."
Song Jiyun's hand hung in the air, her eyes darkening slightly.
"Niangzi Jiang, are you guarding against me?"
Jiang Shiyao clenched her back teeth, suppressing any emotion.
Her protective stance over her daughter was evident. "Please forgive me, Miss Song. Fu'er is young and doesn't know any better. I'm just afraid she might start crying and fussing."
Song Jiyun withdrew her hand, a trace of disdain flashing in her eyes. "Already this big and still so unruly. It seems Niangzi Jiang doesn't know how to raise a child properly."
Without turning her head, she ordered, "Zisu, remember this. When we return to the estate, select two etiquette matrons."
Before she finished speaking, she spotted Zhou Congxian approaching from around the corner.
Her eyes flickered, and she lowered her voice. "Niangzi Jiang should know that children born of concubines are always raised under the main wife's supervision. Naturally, I must prepare the best etiquette matrons for our little lucky star."
"Proper upbringing and nurturing!"
The last few words pierced Jiang Shiyao's heart like needles.
She abruptly raised her head, meeting Song Jiyun's gaze directly.
In that moment, it was as if she saw through the barriers of time into Song Jiyun's eyes from her previous life.
The daughter she had nurtured with all her heart, under the guidance of those etiquette matrons, had become emaciated and timid as a mouse.
She held her daughter tightly, her teeth almost chattering.
"You already harbor such malicious intentions so early!"
"As long as I'm here, don't you dare…"
"Jiang Shiyao! What are you doing?!"
Jiang Shiyao's voice cut off abruptly.
She turned and saw Zhou Congxian striding toward them.
Song Jiyun had now completely changed her demeanor. "Brother Congxian, I only wanted to invite Niangzi Jiang to rest in my chamber since she looked tired from carrying the child."
"But Niangzi Jiang assumed I intended harm toward Fu'er."
Dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, she wept softly. "Niangzi Jiang, you've misunderstood me. Last time when Fu'er didn't greet me, I bore no grudge. This time she avoided me, but I wouldn't hold it against a child."
"How could you accuse me of being vicious… sob…"
With Jiang Shiyao's back turned and Fu'er clinging to her shoulder, Zhou Congxian approached and noticed Fu'er was awake.
He reached out and pulled Fu'er upright. "Fu'er, how could you be so impolite?"
Forced to lift her little face, Fu'er saw her father's stern expression and grew both frightened and wronged, her small mouth trembling.
"Zhou Congxian!" Jiang Shiyao blurted out.
Song Jiyun never expected the usually timid Jiang Shiyao to appear so transformed.
Zhou Congxian frowned. "What did you call me?"
Jiang Shiyao retreated two steps with her daughter in arms, her hands and feet trembling.
The persecution by the legal wife, the father's protection of the perpetrator.
Had such scenes occurred daily in her daughter's previous life?
"She is your daughter." Jiang Shiyao's eyes reddened. How she wanted to ask why he had turned a blind eye to their daughter's suffering in their past life!
"She's only three! What fault could she possibly have!"
Zhou Congxian didn't understand her sudden outburst. "She's not at fault—you are."
"If you cannot teach her properly, we shall engage a teaching matron starting today."
Looking at Zhou Congxian, Jiang Shiyao felt the hatred she'd suppressed since her rebirth surge uncontrollably.
"You will never lay a hand on my daughter again!"
Retreating two more steps, she turned and hurried toward the temple gate with her daughter.
Her footsteps were swift, as if riding the wind.
As if this could carry her daughter far from the nightmares of their past life.
Fu'er clung tightly to her mother's neck, her tiny voice whispering faintly.
"Mother, I'm scared."
"Don't be afraid, Fu'er. Mother will protect you. This time, I will definitely protect you!"
The moonlight flowed like water.
The little yellow dog bought from White Horse Temple lay curled asleep by the door, resting on a square soft pillow and covered with what appeared to be Fu'er childhood blanket.
A tall figure stood motionless for a long time.
Wei Xun, "Young Lord, won't you go in to check on them?"
Zhou Congxian, "No. They were frightened today and have finally fallen asleep. Best not disturb them."
Wei Xun muttered, "Your act was perhaps too convincing… the young miss is still so small…"
After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Congxian responded slowly, "If the performance isn't convincing, how can great matters be accomplished?"
"Young Lord, at White Horse Temple today, besides Minister Liu, Cheng Wang was also present."
Wei Xun hesitated, "What an unlikely coincidence."
Zhou Congxian glanced at him. "If not for my mother's scheme, I wouldn't have gone to White Horse Temple today either. Does that make my presence coincidental too?"
He understood Wei Xun's implication. "Regardless of whether it's coincidence, we cannot let our guard down."
"Cheng Wang lacks maternal clan support. This autumn, he should receive his fief and leave the capital."
"For now, we need not devote excessive attention to him."
With one last look at the tightly shut doors and windows, he turned and walked toward his own courtyard.
"Speaking of this Minister Liu, he's the rising star of the past two years, and also Grand Secretary Li's prized disciple."
"Grand Secretary Li already made his stance clear last year when he spoke frankly for Prince Jin, yet this Minister Liu…"
Zhou Congxian clasped his hands behind his back, "Very well, tomorrow you shall send an invitation to Minister Liu."
"I shall go meet this 'incorruptibly impartial' Lord Liu."