Great Xia, Kyoto.
Two bridal sedans from the Prince An Estate arrived at the gates of the Marquis Weiyuan Estate at the same time.
“Su Yunzhao, what are you still dawdling for… if you delay Seventh Sister’s wedding, even ten deaths wouldn’t be enough for you to atone for your sins!”
Su Lu, the youngest son of Marquis Weiyuan, kicked open the door and glared at Su Yunzhao, who was currently drawing her eyebrows in the mirror.
Su Yunzhao didn’t even turn her head. She calmly traced the final stroke and said with disdain, “I, the Heir’s Consort, am not in a hurry. What right does she, a woman throwing herself at a concubine-born son, have to be anxious?”
As she spoke, she leisurely draped the fiery red Xiapei over her shoulders. Combined with a face that had never been inferior to anyone else’s and the makeup she had applied herself, she was truly breathtaking.
Seeing Su Yunzhao replace her usual submissive and fawning expression with one of contempt, Su Lu’s face turned pitch black.
“Su Yunzhao, you common pheasant, do you really think you’re the Heir’s Consort? You’re nothing but a stepping stone for Seventh Sister. Once that terminally ill Heir kicks the bucket, Seventh Brother-in-law will become the Heir.”
Su Lu grew more excited as he spoke, finally mocking her mercilessly, “If it weren’t for the fact that Seventh Brother-in-law couldn’t marry before his sickly ghost of a brother, would you even be worthy of marrying into the Prince’s Estate?”
Su Yunzhao’s eyes turned cold as she took a step forward. “A common pheasant, is it…?”
Su Lu originally thought she was about to back down, but he only heard a gust of wind past his ear. Before he could react, a slap landed squarely on his face, leaving half of it numb.
Su Yunzhao’s strike was fast, fierce, and accurate, giving Su Lu no time to dodge.
“You’re looking for death!”
Su Lu looked at Su Yunzhao with venomous spite. Without thinking, he raised his hand to slap her back.
But Su Yunzhao was faster. She raised her leg and kicked him directly in the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel uncontrollably. She then followed up with two heavy slaps across his face that left him seeing stars.
A surge of rage boiled in Su Lu’s heart. Just as he was about to get up and resist, he heard Su Yunzhao’s cold voice: “You’re quite clever, knowing that your Seventh Brother-in-law can’t marry before his brother because his brother is the Heir, the legitimate son of the Prince An Estate, and my, Su Yunzhao’s, betrothed husband. As long as I am the Heir’s Consort for one day, I will firmly suppress your Seventh Sister. If I don’t board the bridal sedan today, let’s see which of you dares to step out the door!”
Meeting Su Yunzhao’s contemptuous eyes, Su Lu felt his heart tighten with panic. His knees, pressed against the floor, felt as if they were nailed there, unable to move. He couldn’t understand why Su Yunzhao seemed like a different person in just a single day.
In fact, she truly was a different person. Su Yunzhao was a world-renowned medical expert and a figure in top-secret files. However, due to overwork while researching malignant diseases caused by a certain island nation’s discharge of nuclear wastewater, she had died suddenly in the laboratory. When she opened her eyes, she found she had transmigrated.
The original owner of this body was an unfavored concubine-born daughter of the Marquis Weiyuan Estate. Since childhood, she had to navigate everyone’s moods, striving to please everyone just to have a place to stay.
And now, this unfavored Su Yunzhao was to marry the high and mighty Heir of the Prince An Estate.
Everyone knew the Heir of Prince An didn’t have long to live. Once he died, the title of Heir would naturally fall to Su Yunxiu’s husband. As for what would happen to her, the former Heir’s Consort whose marriage bed wouldn’t even be cold yet, who would care?
The original owner had lost all hope for life, swallowed a cup of poisoned wine, and ended her miserable existence.
Seeing Su Lu kneeling in the way, Su Yunzhao kicked him aside with satisfaction and walked straight out.
Outside the door, Marquis Weiyuan saw Su Yunzhao finally emerge. He didn’t have time to be angry and hurriedly arranged for her to board the bridal sedan.
On the other side, Su Yunxiu had long been waiting impatiently inside her sedan. Although she couldn’t see the outside, she listened to the commotion with undisguised malice on her face. That damned wench, making me wait for nothing for so long. Once I enter the Prince’s Estate, I’ll find plenty of ways to torment you…
With the wedding matron’s cry of “Lift the sedan!”, the two sedans were raised simultaneously. The two daughters of the Marquis Weiyuan Estate set off to meet their respective fates.
On the way to the Prince An Estate, Su Yunzhao’s head felt heavy. She quickly took her own pulse. The original owner had consumed quite a bit of poison. Because this was an era without chemical dilutions, the poison was potent; although the soul had changed, the residual toxins in the body had not completely dissipated.
Su Yunzhao focused her mind, and a vision seemed to appear before her eyes. She was pleasantly surprised to find that her studio and Mini-Pharmacy from her previous life were still there.
She tried to use her willpower to open a drawer in the Mini-Pharmacy, took out a Detoxification Pill, and swallowed it quickly.
While Su Yunzhao was quietly recovering, the bridal sedans reached the gates of the Prince An Estate, where another complication arose.
“You lot go over there, enter through that door…”
Judging by the voice, it was an elderly maid.
Su Yunzhao figured that anyone who could give orders in front of the Prince’s Estate on such a day was no simple servant.
The wedding matron accompanying Su Yunzhao was somewhat bewildered and asked, “Mama Du, when the Heir’s Consort enters the house, shouldn’t she use the main gate? Why is it that the Second Young Mistress can enter through the main gate, but the Heir’s Consort has to use the side gate?”
“Our Prince An Estate is a family of rules. The Heir’s Consort is, after all, a concubine-born daughter of the Marquis Estate. There is a distinction between legitimate and concubine-born; naturally, she cannot use the main gate… Although the Second Young Mistress was not born to the Marchioness, she was long ago recorded under her name, giving her the status of a legitimate daughter. You’ve handled many weddings; have you ever seen a legitimate daughter and a concubine-born daughter married off with the same pomp?”
Mama Du impatiently dismissed them to the side gate, then turned and ran to Su Yunxiu’s sedan with a flattering expression.
“Second Young Mistress, please wait a moment. The Second Young Master will be out shortly to kick the sedan door…”
Listening to their shameless interaction, Su Yunzhao slapped the side of the sedan. “Lower the sedan! I want to see which dog of a servant is here bullying people with borrowed authority!”
Mama Du was stunned, as were the guards at the gate. What did this unfavored little concubine-born girl from the Marquis Estate think she was doing?
Sitting in her sedan, Su Yunxiu was also baffled. Had Su Yunzhao gone mad today?
Su Yunzhao pushed aside the sedan curtain, moved the ceremonial fan that was supposed to hide her face, and revealed her exquisite features.
Mama Du had spent years acting imperiously under Consort Tian and quickly adjusted her mindset.
She offered a half-hearted, mocking smile. “Heir’s Consort, it is this old servant… Although the Heir’s Consort is a young miss of the Marquis Estate, you are a concubine-born daughter after all. This old servant is merely acting according to the rules of our Prince An Estate. I ask for the Heir’s Consort’s understanding…”
Looking at her arrogant behavior, Su Yunzhao remained calm and cold. She reached out and snatched the saber from the waist of the guard standing next to Mama Du, pressing the blade against the neck of the stunned old woman.
“Old hag, say that again!”
Mama Du was terrified. She never expected that this concubine-born daughter, rumored to be submissive and enduring, would actually dare to brandish a blade.
Just as the guard was about to reclaim his sword, Su Yunzhao shot him a frigid glare. “She has a master protecting her; do you have one too?”
The guard froze, not daring to move.
Mama Du seemed to be reminded of her backing. She carefully tilted her head, afraid that Su Yunzhao’s unsteady grip would cut her, and said with a hint of a threat, “Heir’s Consort, this old servant is one of Consort Tian’s people!”
There wasn’t even a flicker of emotion in Su Yunzhao’s eyes. She pressed the blade closer, her voice growing even colder. “I, the Heir’s Consort, can help you become one of Consort Tian’s ghosts.”