Everyone in the Pingxi household turned pale. This was indeed a loophole—but from the very beginning, the claim of “marrying on behalf of the deceased elder son” was something the wealthy Yun family would never have agreed to. So, from the start, their true aim was a legitimate marriage.
Yet Jiang Wenzhou had gone on hunger strike, insisting on marrying his beloved Ye Yizhen. His family, unable to bear his suffering, resorted to deception, swapping identities to stage this farce.
Ordinarily, with the Marquis household’s power and the protection of officials, as long as the bride’s side did not make a fuss, who would bother with such a scandal? But Yun Zheng did make a fuss—and she made it loud and spectacular.
Ye Yizhen’s expression froze, her eyes full of disbelief.
Wasn’t Yun Zheng supposed to be a merchant’s daughter, low-born, shallow in knowledge, easy to control and deceive? Did she not fear retribution afterward? Or was she truly trying to destroy the marriage?
The guests whispered among themselves.
One wife and multiple concubines were permitted. Even marrying two wives to continue the family line was not impossible. But in such cases, the marriage contract bore the elder brother’s name.
Everyone present was shrewd enough to see through it: the Marquis household had tricked the Yun family, coveting their wealth while scorning them.
If the Marquis had openly declared it was a marriage for the deceased, what loving father would give his daughter to such a fate?
The Yun family was the richest in Great Qi. Even finding a son-in-law to join their household would be better than marrying a dead man.
Normally, such matters would be ignored—if the people did not raise it, the officials would not pursue it. The deception could be glossed over. But now, with Yun Zheng exposing it publicly, with the matter laid bare before all, if it were not dealt with, where would the Emperor’s dignity go? Where would the court’s face be?
The Marquis reacted first, loudly denying: “No! Absolutely not! The Pingxi household is loyal to His Majesty; Heaven and Earth can bear witness!”
Yun Zheng’s voice was cool: “Words of loyalty on the lips, but actions tell another story. All you do is deceive the Emperor…”
Deadly! Her words were deadly! The Marquis’s head buzzed, rage surging. “Yun girl, silence!”
From the moment he set his sights on the Yun family to the proposal, every step had been under his control. As long as the Yun daughter entered the Marquis household, his plan would succeed. Who could have foreseen that at this most critical moment, everything would unravel? He had never imagined the Yun daughter could be so ruthless, so deranged.
Did she not understand the principle of shared honor and shared disgrace? If the Marquis household fell into trouble, she would not escape unscathed either. Ah, low birth meant no broad vision, no sense of sacrificing for the family.
But Yun Zheng, having suffered so miserably in her past life, could never let them go. Why should she alone be sacrificed to benefit these heartless wolves? Sacrifice herself for the Jiang family? Why?
With a look of pity, she spoke: “Miss Ye, how pitiful you are. A fine young lady deceived into marriage, your purity ruined—truly tragic. I suggest you petition His Majesty. Believe in our sovereign: he is just and upright, loving his people as his own children. He will surely uphold justice for you.”
Every word was a trap. Ye Yizhen was left speechless, suffocated with grievance.
The Marquis father and son had calculated everything, waiting for the Yun family to fall into their snare. Yet Yun Zheng turned her attack on Ye Yizhen instead.
What could Ye Yizhen say? She had always cultivated the image of a lofty, untouchable noblewoman. After much thought, she gritted her teeth and said: “Elder Sister Yun, things have come to this. Why not close one eye and cover it with a quilt? We are already daughters-in-law of the Marquis household; we must put the household first in all things.”
See—compared with Yun Zheng, she appeared so composed, so considerate. The Marquis household’s favor toward her soared.
The Marquis nodded slightly. Yes, she was obedient and sensible, more suited to be mistress of the household. Too bad she was poor and couldn’t bring wealth to the family.
Jiang Wenzhou’s gaze overflowed with love, so tender it was nearly drowning.
Yun Zheng saw it all clearly. Indeed, Ye Yizhen was that kind of person. In her past life, she had seized every advantage, winning reputation and popularity—an ability in itself. But this time, she would not climb upward by stepping on Yun Zheng.
“So you knew beforehand? Your Ye family is so greedy for power that you disregard basic morality and law? Have you gone mad with poverty? By the way, how much dowry did your Ye family provide?”
“Our Yun family’s dowry includes 1,600 chests, worth ten million taels of silver.”
Gasps filled the air. Truly worthy of being the richest family in Great Qi—so wealthy! No wonder the Marquis household bent over backward to marry her. With such fortune, their descendants would enjoy prosperity for generations.
But Yun Zheng’s blunt words enraged the Marquis father and son. Some things could be done, but not spoken aloud. Did they not care for face at all?
Jiang Wenzhou’s face flushed red, humiliated and furious. “Always talking about silver—so vulgar, so mercenary, utterly unpresentable! I’m ashamed to be associated with someone like you. My cousin from the Ye family is noble in character, understanding of the greater good—she surpasses you a hundredfold.”
In his anger, he blurted out the plain truth. From the start, he had only wanted to marry his cousin Ye. They were childhood sweethearts, deeply devoted, long since pledged to one another. If not for his father’s pressure, he would never have agreed to marry a merchant’s daughter.
Yun Zheng’s mind flashed back to her past life: her family ruined, her dowry drained, herself imprisoned in the inner courtyard, poisoned slowly until life was worse than death—for ten whole years. In the end, they found her troublesome, forced poison down her throat, and threw her into a mass grave. Now reborn, she would fight them to the bitter end. Even if it cost her life, she would drag them down with her, splattering them with blood.
“Your Ye cousin? The orphan girl who came to the capital ten years ago to seek refuge with the Marquis household? I heard you were dressed in rags then, penniless…”
Feigning sudden realization, she continued: “I see now. You had no dowry, no qualification to be the sole wife of the heir. But since your love was so passionate, so inseparable, you found a wealthy fool to fill the gap, didn’t you?”
Ye Yizhen’s face changed drastically. How did she know this? These details had been tightly concealed—how could they have leaked? What else did she know? At the thought of that secret, Ye Yizhen’s heart pounded, sweat breaking out in nervous beads.
Yun Zheng’s gaze fixed on her. She was nervous? Shouldn’t she be angry? Something was off.
“So now, you have the silver, and your lovers can finally be together. Only I, the unlucky fool, became the stepping stone for your so-called tragic romance—spending my Yun family’s fortune, while you sneer at it as filthy, while despising me for being in your way.”
“You get to be clean, noble, and magnanimous. I admit, in the art of scheming, you are indeed a hundred, a thousand times stronger than me. Thank you for showing me the true nature of humanity.”
She ripped open Ye Yizhen’s shameful past and laid bare the Marquis household’s schemes, exposing their ugly faces for all to see. It was a strategy of mutual destruction—hurting the enemy eight hundred, wounding herself a thousand. But she had no other choice. Without fighting, there was only death.
The Marquis’s gaze turned terrifyingly dark. What a daughter of the Yun family—she was insane, determined to burn jade and stone alike. Where did she find such courage?
Yun Zheng’s answer was clear: she dared. And this was only the appetizer—the true madness was yet to come.