In her previous life… Zhang Family’s Old Woman had exhausted all means to make her pregnant. After finally conceiving, when the fortune-teller said “it appears to be a female fetus,” this old hag immediately changed her expression and began using every possible method to abort the child in her womb!
Later, for some unknown reason, this old wretch quieted down but spent all day staring at her belly, eyes gleaming with greed, muttering strange incantations.
It wasn’t until later that Meng Xizhou discovered the truth—a noble from the capital had offered two taels of Snowflake Silver to buy that “Placenta” after she gave birth! Two taels of silver! Enough for these jackals and wolves to live in luxury for half their lives!
On the day of delivery, she was already extremely weak, yet encountered difficult labor, suffering excruciating pain. Seeing her barely breathing and that precious placenta about to be buried with her, this old hag suddenly climbed onto the delivery bed like a mad dog!
Those feet covered in mud and filth brutally stomped on her belly!
Once! Again! Using all her strength to stomp downward!
“Ah—!!!”
What kind of agony was that? It felt as if her internal organs and bones were being crushed alive! Lying in a pool of blood, her face covered in tears, sweat, and blood, she couldn’t even scream, only opening her mouth futilely like a dying fish…
That bone-deep pain! That overwhelming hatred! Even if this old hag were sliced into a thousand pieces and her bones ground to dust, it wouldn’t begin to extinguish the hatred in her heart!
Now finally…
Her laughter cut off abruptly.
The last trace of warmth disappeared from Meng Xizhou’s eyes. Looking at Zhang Family’s Old Woman gasping violently on the bed, her voice became terrifyingly calm: “Indeed, karma cycles. Isn’t my arrival exactly the retribution your Zhang family… deserved?”
“I pushed your daughter and son-in-law into the well, smashing them to pulp.”
“I drugged your youngest son and personally severed his roots.”
“I sent your eldest son to serve the country gentleman with Male Homosexuality tendencies…”
With each sentence, she stepped closer, each word like a poison-tipped needle stabbing into Zhang Family’s Old Woman’s heart!
The veins on Zhang Family’s Old Woman’s neck bulged, her eyes bloodshot red, eyeballs seeming about to pop out!
“Your family has finally been cut off from descendants.”
“Ahhh ahhh!” Hearing this, Zhang Family’s Old Woman could no longer restrain herself, screaming like a madwoman!
“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” She twisted violently on the bed, trying to rush down and tear Meng Xizhou apart!
Meng Xizhou deliberately stood just beyond the old woman’s reach, her voice tinged with laughter: “You’ve got it backwards.”
“You… what are you going to do! Poisonous woman! How dare you! How dare you! Heaven above—”
Meng Xizhou smiled with extreme gentleness: “What am I going to do? A dark and windy night is the perfect time for murder and arson.”
She turned and went to the woodshed to bring dry firewood, stacking it layer by layer around the bed until it was completely surrounded.
Ignoring the screams that nearly lifted the roof, Meng Xizhou calmly struck a fire starter, the jumping flames licking upward.
With a “whoosh,” flames instantly surged and spread, immediately reaching the nearby wooden bed frame, engulfing the figure on the bed.
Meng Xizhou leaped lightly out the window and walked toward the village entrance without looking back.
Behind her, flames filled the sky, burning Zhang family’s accumulated sins and her fears into ashes together!
Tonight, Xiaohe Village was destined to face destruction in terror, while her rebirth… had only just begun!
Meng Xizhou rendezvoused with the Crown Prince’s men sent to assist them. After digging Zhang Zhuo out from the grave at the academy where he studied, confirming it was indeed him and that he was thoroughly dead, they officially began their return journey to the capital.
No more delays. Surely, her younger sister and mother were waiting anxiously for her return. After all, the depths of the manor were endlessly lonely.
Jingcheng, Zhongyong Hou Estate.
Meng Nanyi sat beside her mother, Ji Shi, sweet-talking and coaxing until Ji Shi laughed incessantly, her embroidery needle remaining untouched for quite some time.
Suddenly, a maid announced that the trusted Steward Lin requested an audience. Ji Shi’s smile faded slightly as she frowned impatiently, “The letter is so late. Let him in.”
Meng Nanyi’s fingers tightened imperceptibly in her sleeves, her heart racing—this was news about that wretched girl!
She had urged her mother to instruct those men to document every detail, preferably even noting how many times that person had shed tears, so she could savor it all.
The former top talent of Jingcheng?
Hah, by now, she was probably lying on some shabby, filthy farmer’s bed, wagging her tail and begging for mercy, selling her smiles and favors!
Just imagining even a fragment of such scenes made Meng Nanyi tremble with excitement, almost unable to suppress the coquettish laughter in her throat!
She had endured it for over a decade! Finally, finally, she was completely rid of that bastard! Her mother was right—the legitimate young lady of this Hou Manor had always been her, Meng Nanyi, and no one else!
How dare that lowborn wretch, with a face identical to hers, occupy the position and glory that rightfully belonged to her?
This status, this beauty, everything that came with being the Hou Manor’s legitimate eldest daughter—it was all hers! How dare Meng Xizhou claim any of it?!
As a child, how many times had she wanted to tear that face right off Meng Xizhou! The older she grew, the more this desire festered, like maggots gnawing at her bones!
Especially… when the Phoenix Fate was bestowed upon Meng Xizhou!
She went mad on the spot! A bastard, a stray, how dare she covet her future husband—the Crown Prince?!
A lowly creature like Meng Xizhou only deserved to serve the lowest of servants in the manor, rolling in the filth and grime like a mangy dog in the gutters, clinging to life by a thread!
Thankfully… thankfully, her mother had means… without gods or ghosts noticing…
Now, that pile of trash was right where she belonged, while she, Meng Nanyi, was the esteemed young lady of the Hou Manor, the future Crown Princess “Meng Xizhou”!
From now on, she would treasure every report of success, hiding them beneath her embroidered pillow. Each night, resting on these joyful tidings, she was sure to have the most exhilarating dreams!
Steward Lin entered and presented the letter. “Madam.”
“Why the delay?” Ji Shi asked condescendingly.
Steward Lin was already sweating nervously from the tension. He replied cautiously, “For some reason, there were many more soldiers conducting searches. This humble one’s identification was forged, so it took some effort.”
Ji Shi snorted coldly and was about to take the letter when Meng Nanyi giggled and snatched it first. “Mother~ let me read it first!”
Ji Shi shook her head indulgently. “You!”
Meng Nanyi unfolded the letter, her sweet smile instantly freezing on her face. The further she read, the darker her expression grew. Her chest heaved violently, her eyes seethed with malice, until she finally hurled the letter to the ground with a furious throw!
“What’s wrong, Nannan?” Ji Shi asked in alarm.
Meng Nanyi abruptly snatched the gleaming embroidery needle from Ji Shi’s hand, stepped forward, and viciously stabbed it into Steward Lin’s left eye! The force was so great that the needle tip sank deep to the hilt!
“Ah!” Steward Lin let out a miserable howl, the excruciating pain piercing his heart. Yet he dared not even cover his injured eye, instead throwing himself to his knees with a thud and knocking his forehead heavily against the ground. “Spare me, Young Miss! This humble servant knows nothing of what was written in that letter!”
Ji Shi quickly pulled her daughter’s hand toward her, her heart aching as she began massaging it. “Silly child! Was this worth dirtying your hands? Let Mother see at once!”