Jiang Yixi had been reborn for three days, traveling from the twenty-second year of Jianrong back to the sixteenth year of Jianrong.
Fifteen years old—a blooming age.
Three days ago, at the Peach Blossom Banquet held at the estate of the Grand Princess of Yichang, Jiang Yixi was suddenly jostled, causing her to slip. As she teetered on the edge of falling into the lake, she instinctively grabbed onto Third Young Master Meng, Meng Ciyu, who was standing nearby, and both of them tumbled into the water.
When she awoke again, she was the weathered Jiang Yixi. After struggling to marry into a prestigious family, she endured mistreatment from her husband and in-laws, was framed for an “adulterous affair” with her Husband’s Elder Brother, and ultimately died in a convent.
It felt as though she had dreamed a very long dream, yet it was so vivid. Upon carefully recalling everything that had happened in the dream, she concluded it was not a dream but her own rebirth.
Though she had been reborn after the fall into the water, fortunately, she had not yet been betrothed to Third Young Master Meng. There was still time to change everything.
She knew that the streets and alleys of the capital were now abuzz with rumors: Second Miss Jiang of the Marquis of Wuxiang’s household was ambitious and ill-hearted, shamelessly clinging to the legitimate second son of the Duke of Chengguo—Meng Ciyu, who possessed the looks of Pan An and the talent of Cao Zhi, captivating nearly every young maiden.
Many lamented that if Second Miss Jiang were to marry Third Young Master Meng, it would be like placing a fresh flower on a heap of cow dung. Some idlers even placed bets on whether Second Miss Jiang would succeed in marrying Third Young Master Meng, with odds at twenty to one.
The Dowager of Jiang, the Marquis of Wuxiang Jiang Xiao, and his wife Mrs. Zhou were so furious they wished they could strangle Jiang Yixi.
The Marquis of Wuxiang’s household had already declined, and top-tier aristocratic banquets would never extend them an invitation. The legitimate second daughter of Jiang Xiao and his wife, Third Miss Jiang Yiyan, was already fourteen. To secure a good marriage for her, Mrs. Zhou had begun planning months ago—pulling strings upon strings and sending lavish gifts—finally reaching Madam Zheng, the daughter-in-law of the Grand Princess of Yichang, to obtain an invitation.
There were five young ladies in the Jiang family in total. The eldest, Jiang Yihui, had just married at the beginning of the year. The remaining four, aged twelve to fifteen, were all of marriageable age. The Dowager had instructed Mrs. Zhou to bring all the young ladies to the banquet.
No one expected Jiang Yixi to cause such a major incident.
The deed was done. If Jiang Yixi could indeed marry into the Duke of Chengguo’s household, a misfortune could turn into a blessing, making the Jiang family in-laws with the Duke of Chengguo. But if the Duke of Chengguo ignored them and allowed the rumors to run rampant, the reputation of the Jiang family’s young ladies would be ruined. Not only would Jiang Yixi never find a good match, but the other young ladies would also struggle to secure favorable marriages.
The Jiang family still held a sliver of hope that the Duke of Chengguo might consent to the marriage. During the great war between the Jinhe Dynasty and the Xiliang Kingdom, Jiang Yixi’s father, Jiang Chen, had died saving the eldest grandson of the Duke of Chengguo, Meng Cimo.
Meng Ling, the Duke of Chengguo at the time, was the Grand Marshal of the Jinhe Dynasty’s forces in that great war. At the advanced age of fifty-five, he took command and led the campaign, defeating the enemy kingdom in just four years, earning the emperor’s favor and the people’s admiration.
After returning to court the previous year, Meng Ling surrendered his military authority and passed the title to his eldest son, Meng Daoming. Though he still held the honorary title of Grand Preceptor, he stayed away from court affairs, spending nearly half his time accompanying his eldest grandson at the estate to recuperate.
Meng Cimo, on the journey back to court after the victory, had his horse startled while crossing a mountain, causing him to fall off a cliff. Though he survived, his left eye was blinded, and his right eye had blurred vision.
The old Duke of Cheng’s estate remembered Jiang Chen’s favor. Even before returning to the capital, they wrote to their eldest son, sending five thousand taels of silver to Old Lady Jiang and promising to find a good marriage for Jiang Chen’s daughter Jiang Yixi after her mourning period ended, along with providing a dowry. They also pledged to take responsibility for the future prospects of Jiang Chen’s son Jiang Xun once he came of age. For the mediocre and slightly lame Wu Xiang Bo Jiang Xiao, they secured a civil position in the Central Military Command, and also promoted Third Master Jiang Bo to the rank of Deputy Commander of the fourth grade.
Thus, apart from Jiang Yixi and her brother becoming orphans, the rest of the Jiang family greatly benefited from Jiang Chen’s death.
This year marked the end of the three-year mourning period.
If the old Duke of Cheng’s estate still remembered that favor, there remained a possibility of finalizing that marriage.
Holding onto this slim hope, Old Lady Jiang and Lady Jiang endured immense frustration, restraining themselves from immediately punishing Jiang Yixi.
Old Lady Jiang waited at home for someone from the Duke of Cheng’s estate to come and discuss the aftermath, but by noon that day, no one from the Meng family had arrived. After lunch, the old lady took Lady Jiang and Third Lady Jiang to the Duke of Cheng’s estate.
Jiang Yixi knew that the Duke of Cheng’s estate did not even let them through the gate. She also knew that the next afternoon, the Duke of Cheng and Lady Meng would personally visit the Wu Xiang Bo estate to finalize the marriage between Meng Ciyu and Jiang Yixi, scheduling the wedding for the following January.
The Duke of Cheng and his wife deeply resented Jiang Yixi for scheming against their son and had no intention of agreeing to this marriage, keeping it hidden from the old Duke of Cheng, who was at a manor in the outskirts. However, the old Duke suddenly returned to the estate, learned of the incident, and forced his son and daughter-in-law to go to the Wu Xiang Bo estate to settle the marriage…
Jiang Yixi could no longer lie idly in bed. She decided to confront the old lady upon her return.
Her wet nurse Mama Wu and maid Shui Xiang helped Jiang Yixi get up.
In her previous life, after the incident, both Mama Wu and Shui Xiang had been beaten to death. Seeing them now filled Jiang Yixi with guilt.
Mama Wu looked worried and whispered, “Miss, even if the Meng family wants to marry you, I don’t think you should agree. They won’t treat you sincerely, and you’ll suffer.”
Jiang Yixi replied, “Don’t worry, Mama, I won’t entertain such illusions.”
Something even Mama Wu could see clearly, she and many others in the Jiang family had failed to perceive in her past life. Perhaps they had been too optimistic, blinded by vanity and ambition.
After lying in bed for three days and nights, her entire body felt sore.
Jiang Yixi stepped into the courtyard. The small yard was modest, with only three main rooms and two side rooms. A privet tree grew by the right wall, its canopy shading half of this courtyard and extending into the neighboring courtyard of Fourth Miss Jiang Yirou.
A flowering quince stood by the window. When its red blossoms covered the branches, they resembled clouds and radiant mist. Several pots of large, vibrant roses were arranged on the ground. Jiang Yixi had named this courtyard “Blazing Courtyard.”
She had returned here from the Blue Stone Nunnery six years in the future, now in the midst of spring, with youth and beauty at their peak…
Tears welled in Jiang Yixi’s eyes, but she smiled and stepped out of the courtyard.
Shui Xiang followed her.
Jiang Yixi shook her head. “I’ll walk alone.”
After six years and a lifetime apart, this home felt utterly unfamiliar to Jiang Yixi.
Passing through several Moon Gates, traversing Covered Corridors and the Paved Path beside the Green Pond, she arrived at the garden.
Flowers of all colors bloomed wildly in the garden, a riot of brilliant hues, with the wind carrying the rich fragrance of blossoms…
She walked to the peach blossom tree, where a canopy of pink stretched overhead, and a swing hung between two trees. As the wind passed, the swing swayed a little higher, and petals drifted down with the breeze. The petals brushed against her cheeks, soft and moist.
She settled onto the swing. It was a long white bench coated with paint, gently rocking, utterly comfortable. This leisurely state of mind was something she had only experienced before marrying into the Meng family.
As the swing swayed back and forth, drowsiness washed over her, and she drifted into a hazy slumber.
The dream of her past life clung to her like a shadow.