“Ahhh !” Ruan Changzheng let out a blood-curdling scream. He no longer had the strength to hurl insults, but his eyes blazed with intense hatred as they fixed on Liuzheng.
In Liuzheng’s dark eyes, the blurred shadows of the guards’ swinging cudgels were reflected but what she saw instead was the scene from her past life: a sack being forced over her head, and Ruan Changzheng himself stepping forward, wielding a heavy stick and striking her legs again and again until they were shattered and useless.
Her gaze turned icy cold.
An eye for an eye, a leg for a leg. In her previous life, he had broken her legs; in this life, she would make him pay back every bit of pain he had inflicted.
Every bit of suffering she had endured back then she would return it tenfold, a hundredfold, and then finally send him to his grave!
Madam Song’s heart ached so terribly that she could no longer bear to watch. She pressed her handkerchief tightly over her eyes, her shoulders shaking with deep, heartbroken sobs.
Ruan Changzheng passed out from the pain once more, only to be jolted awake again moments later by another wave of agonising blows. His screams were so loud it seemed as though they would tear the roof apart.
After he blacked out several times in succession, Liuzheng finally raised a hand to signal them to stop.
“Thank you all for your hard work,” she said, clasping her hands together in a gesture of thanks.
“It is our honour to serve you, General Zhaoyong!” the guards replied respectfully.
They had wanted to add that it was no trouble at all, and that she could always call on them again if the need arose but seeing Master Ruan’s face dark and twisted with suppressed anger, they thought better of it and swallowed their words before they could be spoken.
“Father, please see these gentlemen out,” Liuzheng said calmly. “I will stay here with the physician and tend to Elder Brother’s injuries.”
Master Ruan nodded stiffly, his expression tight and unyielding.
Though he loathed how ruthlessly and mercilessly the guards had struck his son, he had no choice but to force a smile and escort them out of the courtyard.
When they reached the main gate, he even had to press silver coins into their hands as a token of his ‘gratitude’.
As he watched them leave, he squeezed his now-empty money pouch in his hand and frowned. Something about the whole situation felt strangely… off.
But then he turned his head and caught sight of the dozen or so chests brimming with gold, silver, and precious jewels all gifts bestowed by the Emperor and his eyes instantly lit up with unmasked delight and greed.
Back in the inner courtyard, Madam Song wept as she ordered the servants to carefully carry Ruan Changzheng inside and lay him down comfortably on a soft couch.
When she turned around to face Liuzheng, her eyes were cold and filled with resentment.
“You must heal your brother’s legs completely!” she demanded sharply.
“Rest assured, Mother. Elder Brother is my own flesh and blood how could I ever abandon him or leave him to suffer?” Liuzheng replied smoothly, then turned to give an order: “Bring the physician in at once, Pan Zhan.”
“Understood!”
Pan Zhan quickly returned with the doctor in tow, and the man set to work cleaning the wounds, setting the broken bones, and applying medicinal plasters.
Unable to bear the sight of her son in such pain, Madam Song turned away and, leaning heavily on her adopted daughter’s arm, walked out to the outer reception hall to wait.
The moment they left, Liuzheng handed the physician a prescription she had already prepared.
This doctor’s surname was Chen. He had once served as the chief military physician under her command, retiring to his hometown three years ago and she had sent men to find him and bring him back as soon as she returned to the capital.
They understood each other perfectly after years of working together. Without asking a single question or speaking a word, Doctor Chen nodded slightly and accepted the prescription.
Liuzheng did not linger in the sickroom either. She soon walked out to the reception hall.
There, Ruan Yunzheng was gently feeding Madam Song her medicine.
She had clearly been badly shaken by everything that had happened that day; her face was still deathly pale.
When she saw Liuzheng step into the room, that pale face twisted for a moment, looking almost like a vengeful spirit.
Liuzheng felt a cold sneer rise in her heart.
Back in her past life, when she had lain paralysed and helpless in bed, she had never once seen Madam Song look so heartbroken or distraught.
“Mother, are you feeling any better?” she asked, her voice laced with apparent concern.
“How could I possibly feel well when you have reduced your own brother to such a state?!” Madam Song snapped, her tone sharp and filled with undisguised hostility.
She was nothing like the gentle, seemingly benevolent mother Liuzheng remembered from her past life. Now that the roles were reversed and it was her precious son suffering, she no longer bothered to pretend or hide her true feelings.
Liuzheng paid her harsh words no mind. She simply replied in a soft, steady voice: “Please take good care of yourself, Mother. Only if you remain strong and healthy can Elder Brother rest assured and focus on healing.”
Madam Song let out a cold, disdainful snort through her nose and turned her face away, refusing to answer.
If only she could she would have gladly traded places, and made Liuzheng suffer every bit of pain her son was enduring right now!
Ruan Yunzheng stood quietly beside her, attending to her every need and speaking not a word.
Just then, Master Ruan returned.
“I have seen them all off,” he announced, then continued without pausing, “As for the rewards and treasures you brought back… I shall take charge of keeping them safe for you. You are a young woman after all carrying around so much gold and jewellery is like a small child wandering the streets holding a pile of gold. It will only bring you trouble, and it is simply not proper.”
He hadn’t even asked how his eldest son was doing; his first thought had been for those twelve chests of imperial gifts.
Liuzheng could not help but twist her lips into a faint, mocking smile. She knew very well that the person her father loved most in the world was neither his eldest son nor any of his daughters it was himself.
But in a strange way, that made things easier for her.
“You speak wisely, Father. Thank you for looking after them for me,” she said with a respectful curtsy. Then she casually brought up the residence she had lived in before leaving home years ago.
“By the way… the Glazed Courtyard has stood empty and unused for quite some time now. I was thinking it might be time to have the servants clean it thoroughly and prepare it for me…”
The moment these words left her mouth, Ruan Yunzheng, who had been standing quietly by the side, looked over at Madam Song with an expression of obvious embarrassment and unease.
Madam Song patted her adopted daughter’s hand gently to comfort her, then said in an indifferent, matter-of-fact tone: “Ever since you left home all those years ago, the Glazed Courtyard had been left deserted and gathering dust. So I asked Yunzheng to move in and live there, to keep it occupied and well-maintained. All her things are already inside now it would be too much trouble to pack everything up and move her out again. Why don’t you stay in the Jade Tranquility Courtyard instead?”
Liuzheng was not surprised in the least.
In her past life, after her legs were broken, she had been carried into that very same Jade Tranquility Courtyard. It was a small, cramped place, dark and damp, usually reserved for the lowest-ranking servants and old maids who had nowhere else to go.
She caught the flash of triumph that quickly passed across Ruan Yunzheng’s face, and said calmly: “So Mother wishes for Sister Yunzheng to continue living in the Glazed Courtyard?”
“What of it?” Madam Song shot her a sharp, displeased look. “You spent nine years roughing it on the borderlands. Surely you haven’t become so delicate and pampered that you cannot even bear to stay in the Jade Tranquility Courtyard?!”
She was seething with anger and frustration, and had been waiting for any excuse to snap at her.
“Mother…” Ruan Yunzheng hurriedly spoke up, her voice soft and humble. “The Glazed Courtyard has always been Eldest Sister’s residence by right… Please do not be angry with her. If Eldest Sister wishes to move back into her old home, I shall simply pack my things and move out at once. It is no trouble at all! Just knowing that Eldest Sister allows me to remain here by your side is more than enough to make me happy and content.”
Though her words sounded so reasonable and generous, her tone and the look in her eyes were pitiful and sorrowful, as if she were the wronged party.
Madam Song’s heart softened instantly as she looked at her. She remembered clearly how, just a little while earlier when they had all believed their entire family was facing certain death it was Yunzheng who had stood fearlessly by their side, declaring she would live or die with them. Her heart ached with affection and protectiveness.
Why should Ruan Liuzheng come back and make life miserable for the two people she cherished most in this world? She had not been able to save her son from harm… but surely she could protect Yunzheng!
“The Glazed Courtyard belongs to Yunzheng now!” she declared firmly, glaring straight at Liuzheng. “No one is going to take it away from her!”
Master Ruan also spoke up, his tone authoritative: “It is just a house, Liuzheng. Do not provoke your mother any further. Wherever you stay is of no consequence. Let Yunzheng keep living in the Glazed Courtyard that is final.”
Liuzheng felt no anger only amusement.
It was laughable how something that had once belonged to her had, simply because someone else had used it for a while, come to be regarded as their property. It was the same with the Glazed Courtyard, and the same with her parents and brother.
She knew perfectly well what they were doing. If she agreed to move into the Jade Tranquility Courtyard, everyone in the Ruan household from family members down to the lowest servants would immediately come to the conclusion that Ruan Yunzheng, an adopted daughter, was held in far higher regard and favour than she was the legitimate eldest daughter and a decorated general.
Servants were always quick to side with the powerful and fawn over those who were favoured. Even though she now held high rank and great authority outside these walls, life within the inner quarters of the Ruan household could become very difficult and unpleasant indeed. The scheming, the petty jealousies, and the dark undercurrents of family life were no less dangerous than anything she had faced on the battlefield.
And yet despite knowing all this her parents had still chosen to side completely with Ruan Yunzheng.
Wasn’t that truly ridiculous?
In her past life, she would have been shaking with rage and resentment at such treatment.
Fortunately, she had spent ten long years as a wandering spirit after her death years during which she had learned to control her emotions and hardened her heart against such things.
Moreover, with the memories of the next ten years fresh in her mind, she had already planned exactly how to handle this situation.
Liuzheng took a step forward, curtsying gracefully to both of them, her expression innocent and sincere.
“Father, Mother, you misunderstand me completely,” she said softly. “I truly had no idea that Sister Yunzheng was already living in the Glazed Courtyard. If I had known, I would never have brought the matter up at all.”
Madam Song looked slightly taken aback. She had fully expected Liuzheng to put up a fierce fight for her old home never imagining she would simply back down like this.
Ruan Yunzheng, too, frowned slightly, feeling confused and uneasy.
She had won the dispute over the courtyard she ought to be overjoyed. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a deep sense of foreboding settled heavily in her heart.
And sure enough, her bad feeling was proven right the very next moment.
For Liuzheng spoke again, her voice calm and composed:
“By His Majesty’s great grace and kindness, when he learned that our family home is located here on Doufang Street, he also bestowed upon me a proper official residence befitting my rank as General.”
“The residence is quite large far too large for me to live there all alone. I was thinking… why not move the entire family there to live with me?”
“Actually, I had already sent people ahead to clean and prepare the house. My plan was to have everyone pack up here, and once we had moved out, we would rent this old house out to others…”
“But now that I know Father and Mother wish for Sister Yunzheng to continue living in the Glazed Courtyard… well, there is no need to rent this place out after all. Sister Yunzheng may stay here and live in peace for as long as she likes.”
Ruan Yunzheng’s face turned as white as paper in an instant.
She had spent ages carefully planning her words and putting on her best act, all just to secure the Glazed Courtyard a small, ordinary residence in an average neighbourhood.
But Ruan Liuzheng didn’t even want that courtyard! She didn’t care about this house at all!
She had an official residence of her own an entire grand mansion given to her by the Emperor himself!
Liuzheng continued smoothly: “The residence is called General Zhaoyong’s Manor, and it is located in the prestigious Black Robe Lane. It is a spacious compound with three separate sections and three entrance gates. I ordered the servants to clean everything thoroughly before I came home. Once you have rested a little, Father, Mother… we shall pack up and move there at once.”
“Bl-Black Robe Lane?!”
Master Ruan’s jaw dropped open in shock. His eyes were shining with a look of utter amazement and greed.
Black Robe Lane! That was the most exclusive and noble neighbourhood in the entire capital home only to the highest-ranking officials, wealthy nobles, and powerful families! There was a saying among the people: if a stone fell from the sky above Black Robe Lane and hit someone on the head, the lowest-ranking official that stone could possibly strike would still hold a position of the Fourth Rank or higher!
In contrast, their current home on Doufang Street was situated in a remote, unfashionable part of town, right next to the capital’s largest drainage canal. On sunny days it was bearable enough but whenever the weather turned stormy and rain poured down, the dirty water would rise, and a faint, foul stench would hang constantly in the air.
It was so bad that whenever it rained, Master Ruan had to tell his students not to come to his study for lessons, lest they smell the stench and gossip about it later.
Madam Song was extremely fastidious and vain. Whenever she went to visit other noble families, she always had to perfume her clothes three times over with the finest incense, just to make sure no one would catch even the slightest whiff of that awful smell on her garments.
So when she heard that Liuzheng had been granted a residence in Black Robe Lane, her heart leaped with joy and excitement she could barely conceal though she still tried to sound displeased as she said, “This is such important news… why didn’t you mention it sooner?!”
“It was my oversight, Mother,” Liuzheng replied humbly. “I was so busy attending to urgent matters earlier that it completely slipped my mind. Please do not be angry with me.”
Madam Song was left with nothing to say. Her own complaint suddenly sounded petty and unreasonable.
But in the Great Jin Empire, filial piety was the foundation of all virtue. Even if her mother was clearly in the wrong, it was not proper for a daughter to point it out or make her look foolish and yet Liuzheng had done exactly that, without even raising her voice.
Madam Song’s expression turned frosty once more.
Master Ruan, however, was absolutely delighted.
“I shall go and order everyone to start packing immediately!” he exclaimed.
“Wait a moment, Father,” Liuzheng stopped him. “We must first write a letter to Grandmother, telling her to return from the Summer Retreat House. She should come and live with us in the General’s Manor as well.”
“Ah, yes! Of course! You always think of everything, my dear. I shall write the letter at once!”
“Once it is finished, I will have my deputy deliver it personally,” Liuzheng said. “His men are swift riders, so Grandmother will receive the news soon enough and can make preparations to travel back.”
Master Ruan glanced over at Pan Zhan, standing tall and imposing behind Liuzheng, and his heart swelled with even more pride and happiness.
Even though his eldest son had been seriously injured today… as the father of General Zhaoyong, his own status, honour and prestige were now greater than he had ever dared to dream of.
He hurried away happily to write the letter.
Liuzheng turned back to speak to Madam Song, but the woman merely turned her face away, stood up straight, and walked directly into the inner room to check on Ruan Changzheng completely ignoring her daughter’s presence.
Liuzheng didn’t mind in the least.
She had seen through all of them long ago her selfish father, her biased mother, her cowardly and cruel brother.
Ruan Yunzheng, however, seemed terrified that Liuzheng might feel offended or hurt. She stepped forward gracefully and curtsied deeply, saying softly:
“Please do not take it to heart, Eldest Sister. Mother is just… very emotional and upset right now. She will surely be her usual self again soon.”
Her words sounded like comfort and kindness yet hidden within them was the subtle message that she was now the one closest to Madam Song, the one who truly understood her heart, while Liuzheng was little more than an outsider.
Liuzheng smiled faintly. She reached out, lifting her index finger to gently tilt Ruan Yunzheng’s chin upward, forcing her to look straight into her eyes.
What a beautiful face she had bright, clear eyes, a tall, delicate nose, soft, rounded cheeks and jawline… the picture of innocence, purity and gentle beauty.
Yet it was this same sweet, angelic face that had plotted her ruin.