“I have nothing to do with the Marquis’ Manor. Jiang Wanyue is the real daughter!”
“I’m telling you, I saved the Crown Prince’s mother! If you dare show me any disrespect, I’ll have His Highness chop off all your heads!”
The moment she heard those words, Jiang Wanyue—who had transmigrated into this world—immediately realized one thing.
Lin Yurou had been reborn.
Looking around, she saw the courtyard packed with kneeling people. Every face was pale with terror, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Nearby, soldiers were smashing furniture and rummaging through every cabinet and chest.
She had arrived…
Right in the middle of a confiscation raid.
Pinned to the ground, Jiang Wanyue struggled to process the memories flooding her mind.
She had transmigrated into a novel about switched-at-birth daughters and exile—a novel in which the heroine happened to share her exact name.
In the story, Jiang Wanyue was the true daughter of the Marquis’ household who had been mistakenly exchanged at birth and raised by a butcher. She grew up mastering the art of slaughtering pigs.
By chance, she once saved the Crown Prince’s mother. That life-saving favor eventually earned her the position of Empress.
As for Lin Yurou, she was supposed to be exiled alongside the entire Lin family.
But according to the memories of this body’s original owner…
Everything had changed.
Three days ago, she had been struck on the head, locked inside a woodshed, and left without food or water.
It must have been during that time that Lin Yurou stole the life-saving opportunity that had originally belonged to her.
Now Jiang Wanyue was dizzy, starving, and her memories were still in complete disarray.
She let out a helpless sigh.
What kind of start is this?
She hadn’t enjoyed a single day of good fortune, yet she was already about to be sent into exile.
Meanwhile, Lin Yurou’s declaration left the Lin family completely stunned.
The Minister of Revenue, Lin Jingyuan, was the first to shout.
“Yurou! What nonsense are you talking about?”
“I’m not talking nonsense! I’m not your daughter! I’m not going into exile with you! Your real daughter is that pig butcher. I want to sever all ties with your family!”
The members of the Lin family’s first branch exchanged shocked glances.
Her eldest brother, Lin Xiuran, looked heartbroken.
“Yurou, the Marquis’ household treasured you for fifteen years. They never treated you unfairly. How could you speak to Father like that?”
“If you want to die, then die yourselves. Don’t drag me down with you.”
Shen Qingru looked at the daughter who had once been so obedient, tears streaming down her face.
“Yurou… how could you not be my daughter? I raised you myself—from your first words until you grew into a young lady.”
Lin Yurou was the fourth child of the Lin family’s eldest branch.
After three sons, they had finally been blessed with a precious daughter, whom they doted on endlessly.
Minister Lin Jingyuan and his wife, Shen Qingru, shared a loving marriage and had no concubines.
Although the old matriarch often caused trouble for the eldest branch, she, too, adored Lin Yurou.
Growing up, Lin Yurou had been the family’s beloved treasure and had never suffered a single hardship.
Yet now, the moment the family was condemned and their property confiscated, the daughter they had cherished above all else was eager to cut ties with them.
How could they not be heartbroken?
If they had wished for anything, it was that their beloved daughter might somehow avoid exile—
But not like this.
The betrayal was simply too cruel.
Unable to believe her precious daughter had changed so completely, Shen Qingru crawled forward, reaching out to grab Lin Yurou.
Before her hand could touch her, Lin Yurou violently slapped it away.
Smack!
The crisp sound echoed through the courtyard.
Shen Qingru had never endured hardship in her life. Her hand immediately turned bright red.
She froze, her tear-filled eyes staring blankly at Lin Yurou.
She couldn’t even cry anymore.
“Yurou…”
Lin Yurou only screamed louder.
“Get away from me! I already told you I’m not your daughter! Are you blind or deaf? She’s your real daughter!”
Jiang Wanyue’s mind was already pounding from hunger and dizziness. The constant shouting made her head throb even more.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Enough! Shut up, all of you!”
Her shout immediately drew everyone’s attention.
The moment they saw her, the members of the Lin family’s eldest branch, led by Lin Jingyuan, fell silent.
The second and third branches, however, burst into whispers, openly mocking them.
Jiang Wanyue looked so much like Shen Qingru that it was as though they were looking at a younger version of her.
At a single glance, anyone could tell she was the real daughter of the Lin family.
Lin Yurou possessed a gentle, delicate beauty.
Although Jiang Wanyue had spent fifteen years slaughtering pigs and now wore rough homespun clothes stained with dried black blood, none of it could hide her breathtakingly striking features.
The relatives from the second and third branches watched the spectacle with astonishment.
“Oh my heavens! They’ve spent over ten years raising someone else’s daughter. How embarrassing!”
“Just look at them. Lin Yurou doesn’t resemble Shen Qingru at all.”
“She’s clever enough. The moment she heard the family was being confiscated, she immediately tried to run.”
The instant Lin Yurou saw Jiang Wanyue, overwhelming hatred flashed across her eyes.
That bitch…
She’s so beautiful. No wonder she seduced the Crown Prince in my previous life.
But not this time.
The life-saving favor… and the Empress’s throne… will both be mine.
Unable to hide her smug delight, she sneered,
“See? She’s your real daughter—not me!”
The commotion soon caught the attention of the officials carrying out the confiscation.
One of the soldiers cracked his whip viciously.
“Quiet down! Any more trouble, and you’ll get a taste of the whip!”
Crack!
The sharp crack of the whip slicing through the air instantly silenced the previously chaotic Marquis’ household.
Even the hysterical Lin Yurou didn’t dare make another scene.
When she noticed the soldiers were no longer paying attention to her, she leaned toward Jiang Wanyue and hissed viciously,
“Jiang Wanyue, this lifetime, you’re the one who’ll be sent into exile. You’ll live a life worse than death, crawling like a stray dog. That crippled fiancé will be yours too.
In the end, you’ll be forced to marry a widower, and he’ll beat you to death.
As for me…
I’ll become the Empress, Mother of the Nation!
Hahaha…
Aren’t you looking forward to it?”
Jiang Wanyue rolled her eyes.
She couldn’t be bothered with someone whose only talent was making empty threats.
If she remembered correctly, in the original timeline, the original Jiang Wanyue had indeed married the Crown Prince.
Outwardly, the Crown Prince was refined, gentle, and the dream lover of countless noble ladies.
But behind closed doors…
He was a complete monster.
Especially in bed.
He took pleasure in tormenting women.
Though she had become Empress and appeared to enjoy boundless favor, aside from her beautiful face, there wasn’t a single inch of her body that wasn’t covered in injuries.
With no powerful family or influential backers, the original Jiang Wanyue had been the perfect target for abuse.
She suffered in silence, unable to tell anyone.
That kind of “good fortune”…
Jiang Wanyue wanted absolutely no part of it.
Her body was completely drained of strength, and her stomach was painfully empty.
She was so hungry she couldn’t even remain kneeling.
Giving up, she simply plopped down onto the ground.
The soldiers continued smashing and confiscating property, carrying one large chest after another into the courtyard.
After what felt like an eternity—just when Jiang Wanyue thought she was about to faint—the soldiers finally stopped bringing things out.
It seemed the confiscation was finished.
Go ahead.
Confiscate everything.
The sooner you’re done, the sooner there’ll be some peace and quiet.
Just then, a eunuch entered the courtyard.
He whispered a few words to the officers overseeing the confiscation before turning to the kneeling crowd.
“Which one of you is Lin Yurou?”
At the sight of the eunuch, Lin Yurou’s heart leaped with joy.
The Crown Prince must have sent someone to fetch me!
She immediately answered,
“I am!”
The eunuch’s gaze settled on her face, his expression unreadable.
“After investigation, it has been confirmed that Lin Yurou is not related to the Lin family by blood. She is therefore exempt from this sentence of exile.”
“Come with me.”
“Thank you, Eunuch!”
Lin Yurou jumped to her feet in delight.
As she walked away, she flashed Jiang Wanyue a smug, triumphant smile.
She was so intoxicated by her own victory that she completely failed to notice the looks on the Lin family’s faces—
Disappointment.
Heartbreak.
Confusion.
Pain.
And countless other complicated emotions.
Just as Lin Yurou was about to leave, Jiang Wanyue forced herself to stay conscious.
She raised her hand high into the air.
“Officer!”
“I have something to report!”