In the main hall of the Song Manor, the welcome-home banquet was in full swing.
Song Sangyu, dressed in a goose-yellow wrap-around robe, her cheeks flushed with the delicate blush of a crabapple blossom, cupped a wine cup in both hands.
“Elder Sister, welcome home. Seven years on the frontier… you have endured much. Allow me, Sangyu, to toast you first. May you be blessed with boundless fortune and a brilliant future from this day forward.”
The moment the cups clinked, memories flooded her mind like a tidal wave.
The scene before her was no longer a brilliantly lit banquet hall, but a cold, damp woodshed.
Her eldest brother slicing off her ear with a razor; her second brother sneering as he severed the tendons in her hands and feet with a hairpin; her third and fourth brothers shattering her kneecaps…
And her father, his face cruel and resolute, plunging a blade deep into her heart.
In her past life, right here, her adopted sister had slipped an aphrodisiac into her wine, framed her for having an affair with a stable hand, and utterly ruined her reputation.
She had foolishly followed her grandmother’s last words, genuinely plotting and planning for her family’s sake. After returning home, she had rushed about, working tirelessly for them, seeking promotions and opportunities for her brothers.
Yet before she died, all she got in return were their words: ‘vulgar,’ ‘a social climber,’ not even a fraction as good as Sangyu.
In the end, her reward was a sword through the heart.
The searing pain of the blade piercing her chest lingered from her past life. She sucked in a sharp breath, the wine in her cup sloshing as her fingers trembled.
Such devoted family, such deep affection.
In this life, they could forget about her believing a single word!
Song Sangyu’s smile stiffened slightly, her hand holding the cup suspended in mid-air, making her look pitiful and wronged.
“Elder Sister? What… what’s wrong? By not drinking this wine, are you refusing to acknowledge me as your younger sister?”
Seeing Song Yiqiu remain unmoved, the surrounding guests began to whisper amongst themselves.
“This Eldest Miss Song… she’s putting on quite the airs.”
“Indeed, the adopted daughter is already being so humble…”
“I heard she became savage from all the killing on the frontier…”
“She is the legitimate daughter, after all. Perhaps she looks down on the adopted one…”
…
Hearing the gossip, their mother, Madam Shen of the Song family, looked on with a cold face and disgust in her eyes.
“Yiqiu, don’t make things difficult for your father and me. Sangyu is showing you her goodwill; do not betray it. Drink it, quickly. Don’t ruin everyone’s mood! You haven’t been home for seven years, and you’re already causing trouble the moment you return!”
Song Sangyu feigned grievance, but was in fact fanning the flames.
“Mother, I know my place as an adopted daughter. Elder Sister and I are as different as clouds and mud. It must be that my status is unworthy of toasting her. It’s only natural that she refuses to drink.”
Upon hearing this, their father, Song Qingming, furrowed his brow even deeper.
“Yiqiu, do not be rude. Your sister is toasting you; just accept it. Do not disappoint your grandmother’s spirit in heaven.”
He deliberately mentioned the grandmother Song Yiqiu revered most to pressure her.
Song Yiqiu suppressed her hatred, her face instantly shifting to a warm smile as she reached out and steadily took the cup.
“Younger Sister, don’t overthink it. The journey home these past few days has been long and dusty. My head suddenly began to ache terribly, and I was lost in a daze for a moment. I didn’t mean to slight you.”
“Since you are toasting me with such sincerity, how could I not accept? However, won’t you drink first, Younger Sister?”
Song Yiqiu held the cup out steadily toward Song Sangyu, her eyes fixed on her.
A flicker of astonishment crossed Song Sangyu’s eyes, which was immediately masked by an even sweeter smile.
“What are you saying, Elder Sister? It was my oversight. You must be tired after just returning. Very well, I will drink first as a sign of respect. You may drink as you please!”
With that, she tilted her head back and, without hesitation, drained her own cup in one elegant motion, showing the bottom to Song Yiqiu.
Just as she thought!
There was nothing wrong with the wine! She had drunk it so readily.
Then where was the problem? In her last life, it was after drinking this cup that…
Song Sangyu set down her empty cup, picked up the wine pot, and leaned forward slightly, her posture intimate as she prepared to pour for Song Yiqiu.
“Elder Sister, please drink. This is a fine vintage from Father’s personal collection.”
Her wide sleeve slid down, revealing slender fingers with painted nails.
Song Yiqiu’s pupils narrowed. Song Sangyu’s long fingernail seemed to casually brush against the inner rim of the cup in Song Yiqiu’s hand.
She clearly saw a minuscule, fine powder fall from the crevice of that nail, shaken loose by the slight tremor of her finger and dissolving into the wine.
So that was it. Hidden in her fingernail.
What an exquisite method. No wonder no one could find anything wrong with the wine in her past life.
Song Yiqiu discreetly scanned the hall, searching for any opportunity she could use.
Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a figure in the corner.
The man was dressed in a simple robe of ink-black with bamboo patterns. He sat straight as a pine, alone in the shadows of the corner.
His sharp brows slanted up toward his temples, and his starry eyes were as deep as an abyss.
His thin lips were pressed into a firm line, and his entire being radiated a grim, murderous aura that was utterly at odds with the festive banquet.
Crown Prince Xiao Yongjing!
What was he doing here? How could a mere welcome-home banquet for the Song family have drawn the attention of this god of death?
Rumor had it that he was perverse and unpredictable, ruthless in his methods, and unfathomably cunning. Even the high-ranking ministers of the court avoided him at all costs.
Seeing Song Yiqiu freeze again, a hint of urgency flashed in Song Sangyu’s eyes, and her voice became even more delicate.
“Elder Sister? The wine has been poured. It’s all been warmed, so please drink it while it’s hot. Or is this wine… not to your taste?”
As she spoke, she pushed the cup a little closer to Song Yiqiu.
Song Yiqiu suddenly broke into a smile. She held the drugged cup steadily, but instead of drinking, she rose to her feet.
“A toast from my younger sister is, of course, a fine thing. It’s just…”
Her gaze shifted to the corner, and her tone became respectful. “Your subject, Song Yiqiu, pays her respects to His Highness the Crown Prince. I was not aware of Your Highness’s arrival and failed to welcome you. I beg for your forgiveness!”
Her words plunged the entire hall into a dead silence.
She dared to provoke the legendary demon who killed without batting an eye?
Xiao Yongjing slowly raised his eyes. He did not rise, but merely toyed with the empty wine cup in his hand, his fingertip tracing the rim.
“Oh? General Song… you recognize me?”
Ignoring her family’s stunned gazes, Song Yiqiu carried the specially prepared cup and walked with steady steps toward the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness possesses the majestic bearing of a dragon and the countenance of the sun. Though I was far away on the frontier, I was fortunate enough to glimpse Your Highness’s august presence from afar during the victory procession. The memory is etched in my heart.”
“Your Highness’s presence graces our humble home today, making it shine with splendor. I am overwhelmed. This cup of wine…”
She stopped three paces from the Crown Prince’s table, bowed slightly, and presented the cup with both hands.
“I boldly offer this borrowed flower to the Buddha by toasting Your Highness. First, to thank Your Highness for patrolling on behalf of the Emperor and protecting the peace of the frontier. Second, to thank Your Highness for deigning to grace our humble home, adding luster to my return. I will drink first as a sign of respect!”
After speaking, Song Yiqiu unhesitatingly reached for another cup on an adjacent table—one clearly prepared for the Crown Prince. Her movement was so swift that Song Sangyu had no time to stop her.
“Elder Sister! Don’t!”
Hearing that shriek, Song Yiqiu’s lips curled into a smile. This was the moment she had been waiting for.
Drugging the Crown Prince was a capital offense; Song Sangyu was bound to react.
Her wrist trembled violently, as if she had been scared out of her wits by the scream.
The cup of wine tilted, and its entire contents splashed precisely onto Crown Prince Xiao Yongjing’s outer robe.
The dark wine stain spread rapidly, exceptionally glaring.
The hall fell silent in an instant. Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Xiao Yongjing slowly lowered his head, looking at the rapidly spreading stain on his robe. He then slowly raised his eyes.
“Song Yiqiu. I was not aware that in this dynasty… it is customary to toast the living by pouring wine on the ground. Hmm?”