Before dawn on the third day, Xiao Guiwan found herself feeling strangely restless.
For the past two nights, she had been sneaking out after dark. Staying put tonight felt almost unnatural.
Then she suddenly remembered something from her previous life.
Xiao Shuwan’s husband—the Prince of Zhenbei—had eventually had his mansion confiscated.
She couldn’t remember how much wealth had been seized, but there was no reason to let it end up in Prince Ning’s hands after the imperial confiscation. She might as well take it herself.
That’s it. I’ll visit Prince Mu’s Mansion.
Though she had no grudge against Mu Hanhe, he had simply been an unfortunate man.
At Prince Mu’s Mansion…
Xiao Guiwan emerged from her pocket space outside the rear gate.
The sky was still dark.
The mansion was far quieter than she had imagined.
There were no patrolling guards.
No gatekeepers.
Even the lantern by the back entrance hadn’t been lit.
She vaulted over the wall and landed in the rear garden.
The mansion was larger than she had expected—but also much older.
The paint along the covered walkways had peeled away. The flowers and shrubs had gone untrimmed for so long that they had grown into tangled masses. The paper windows of several rooms were torn, fluttering noisily whenever the wind blew.
Making her way toward the front courtyard, she discovered that many of the buildings were empty.
The servants’ quarters were completely deserted.
The bedding had been neatly folded, as though everyone had packed up and left.
Did Mu Hanhe dismiss all of his servants?
She didn’t dwell on it and headed straight for the treasury.
The treasury stood on the eastern side of the mansion.
It consisted of a row of gray-brick storehouses, larger than the Xiao family’s treasury but much smaller than Prince Ning’s.
A heavy brass padlock secured the entrance.
Using the same trick as before, she slipped directly inside.
She struck a fire starter.
As the dim light illuminated the room, she froze.
The treasury…
…was almost completely empty.
Several chests sat against one wall.
She opened the first.
Silver.
Loose silver ingots, stacked inside.
At a glance, there couldn’t have been more than three thousand taels.
She opened the remaining chests.
Silk.
Only five or six bolts.
All plain-colored, with no embroidery or patterns—simple fabric suitable for making everyday clothing.
The medicinal herbs were even fewer.
A small wooden box contained only a few packets of licorice root and dried tangerine peel, herbs worth almost nothing.
No gold.
No jade.
No antiques.
No paintings or calligraphy.
Nothing of real value.
Holding the flame high, Xiao Guiwan carefully searched every corner of the empty treasury.
Nothing.
Still unwilling to give up, she went to Mu Hanhe’s study.
The study was far plainer than she’d imagined.
A writing desk.
A chair.
A bookshelf.
Several military manuals lay atop the desk beside a map covered in dense markings.
An old sword hung on the wall.
Its scabbard was badly worn, and even the wrapping around the hilt had begun to unravel.
She searched the shelves.
Every book was either military strategy or history.
Not a single rare volume.
Inside one drawer lay a stack of letters.
She didn’t bother reading them, but she touched the paper.
It was ordinary bamboo paper.
Even the servants of the Xiao family used better-quality paper than this.
Standing in the study, Xiao Guiwan suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.
He was the mighty Prince of Zhenbei.
A celebrated general with countless military achievements.
Commander of two hundred thousand troops.
Yet his mansion was impoverished beyond belief.
She remembered hearing stories in the imperial palace during her previous life.
People had said Mu Hanhe gave away most of his salary to the families of fallen soldiers and lived more frugally than a sixth-rank official.
Back then, she’d dismissed it as rumor.
Now…
She believed it.
This wasn’t merely frugality.
It was practically asceticism.
She sighed and returned to the treasury.
Since she’d already come this far, she couldn’t very well leave empty-handed.
She collected the three thousand taels of silver.
Then the plain bolts of silk.
Even the worthless herbs went into her space.
Something was better than nothing.
As she prepared to leave, another thought crossed her mind.
When Mu Hanhe’s property had been confiscated and he was exiled in her previous life…
Where had all his wealth gone?
After thinking it over, she arrived at only one conclusion.
He had probably never possessed any wealth to begin with.
His salary and rewards had either been distributed to his soldiers or spent on the army.
He had kept nothing for himself.
Standing in the empty courtyard, Xiao Guiwan looked toward the eastern horizon, where the first pale light of dawn had begun to appear.
Daybreak was approaching.
She remembered hearing that during exile, Mu Hanhe had been betrayed by his princess consort and ultimately murdered.
Back then, she’d only sighed at the tragedy.
But standing in his desolate mansion now…
That distant sympathy had become an inexplicable ache in her heart.
He had been so terribly wronged.
She didn’t know whom he would marry in this lifetime.
As long as it wasn’t that venomous woman Xiao Shuwan.
A sudden thought surfaced.
If I ever have the chance…
I’ll help this unlucky prince.
She would consider it repayment for her previous life.
After all, she had served as Empress for five years and had never once spoken a single word in his defense.
When the entire court impeached him…
She had remained inside Fengyi Palace…
Doing absolutely nothing.
This lifetime…
If fate brought them together…
She would repay that debt.
After one final glance at Prince Mu’s Mansion, Xiao Guiwan disappeared into the morning light.
On the morning of her wedding day, Xiao Guiwan rose early.
She retrieved a few decent garments from her pocket space.
A lotus-purple ru skirt.
A moon-white silk shawl.
She pinned a simple silver hairpin into her hair and selected a pair of small pearl earrings from her jewelry box.
Nothing extravagant.
But clean.
Neat.
Respectable.
Far better than the faded old clothes she usually wore.
When the old maid came to deliver breakfast and pushed open the woodshed door, she was startled.
The Second Miss sat atop the pile of hay.
Her clothes were immaculate.
Her complexion was radiant.
“Second Miss… you…”
Xiao Guiwan smiled.
“I’m getting married today. Naturally I should look presentable.”
The old maid muttered, “Crazy girl,” before setting down the food and leaving.
Xiao Guiwan calmly finished breakfast, neatly stacked the bowls and chopsticks, and quietly waited for the bridal sedan.
Soon, a commotion erupted from the front courtyard.
First came Madam Zhou’s shrill scream.
Then Xiao Shuwan’s sobbing.
Finally, Xiao Yuanshan’s furious roar.
“Who did this?!”
“Who emptied the treasury?!”
“My jewelry!”
“My pure gold bridal ornaments!”
“Father! Even the silver notes in my dowry chest are gone!”
Leaning against the woodshed wall, Xiao Guiwan listened to the uproar with the corners of her lips gently curving upward.
She closed her eyes.
Her fingers lightly stroked the jade bracelet around her wrist.
The blood-red vein hidden inside the bracelet had deepened another shade since yesterday.
The bridal sedan that arrived was even shabbier than she’d expected.
It was a battered little sedan chair.
Even the embroidery on its curtains had long since worn away.
There were four sedan bearers.
They were dressed even more poorly than she was.
Two of them had shoes with holes exposing their toes.
There was no wedding band.
No welcoming procession.
Not even a respectable matchmaker.
Only an elderly servant from the Xiao family walked ahead, his face filled with reluctance.
The old maid helped Xiao Guiwan into the sedan chair.
The curtain fell, hiding her face.
The sedan lurched forward.
It passed through the Xiao family’s side gate and entered the main street.
Lifting one corner of the curtain, Xiao Guiwan cast one final look at the gates of the Xiao residence.
The vermilion gates were tightly shut.
Above them hung the plaque bearing the words “Xiao Residence,” gleaming gold beneath the morning sun.
“Dear sister… Father… Stepmother…”
she murmured softly.
“We’ll meet again.”
The sedan swayed as it left the city…
Heading toward Willow Tree Village.