When Jiang Zhuo returned home, her father was not in the residence.
Jiang Dun was diligent in his duties and often worked through the night at the Council of State. This had been normal in the past.
But things were no longer the same. According to Jiang Zhuo’s memory, the day after drawing the fortune slip at Baima Temple was the Qionghua Banquet, and five days after that banquet, the imperial decree ordering the confiscation of the Jiang family arrived.
By calculation, she had only three or four days to prepare.
“Tonghua, go tell the steward that my schedule today was leaked. I suspect there are people in the residence communicating with outsiders. Have him tighten security and thoroughly investigate any spies within the household.”
“Yes!”
Tonghua had just argued fiercely with someone earlier and was still full of pent-up energy. Hearing that her mistress was taking things seriously now made her even more excited.
“So Miss also thinks that man named Xie is suspicious, right?”
“Also, send people to find my father and tell him I have urgent business.”
Jiang Zhuo did not answer Tonghua’s question. Instead, she issued a new command.
Having been reborn, she knew that most of her actions were based on clues from her past life. If she explained directly, not only outsiders—even Tonghua and her father would think she had gone mad.
Fortunately, Tonghua did not question her and left immediately to carry out the order.
Jiang Dun had no fondness for women and kept no concubines. After his wife passed away, he had only Jiang Zhuo as his daughter.
This gave Jiang Zhuo a unique status among the noble ladies of the capital and also allowed her to take charge of household affairs early on.
But in her previous life, she never realized the power this granted her. It only nurtured an arrogant and willful temperament.
Passing through the long corridor, she entered her father’s study.
The setting sun cast the faint silhouette of a begonia-patterned window lattice across the bluestone floor. The elegant bamboo shelves held classics and histories neatly arranged. A large cypress desk sat in the center, and the Lushan pine in the corner showed slight signs of withering.
Living a second life, Jiang Zhuo suddenly realized that she hardly understood her father at all.
She had only known that he twice passed the imperial examinations, his political essays were widely respected, and he was exceptionally refined—rumors of his elegance were common among the people. As a result, whenever Jiang Zhuo failed to compose a poem at gatherings, she had to endure ridicule comparing her unfavorably to her talented father, the Deputy Minister.
Border defense essays, agricultural irrigation proposals, tax theory, letters to colleagues…
Jiang Zhuo flipped through his documents carefully, trying to find evidence relating to the charges that had doomed their family in her previous life.
But she found nothing.
The vice minister had endless duties. It wasn’t surprising that he corresponded widely. Furthermore, he was a civil official—yet the charge from her past life accused him of conspiring with the fifth prince on the frontier to rebel.
By the time the sky lightened to pale dawn, an anxious Tonghua had searched the entire Jiang estate before finally finding Jiang Zhuo asleep on the desk.
Tonghua sighed, exhausted from worry, and gently woke her half-asleep mistress. Several maids stepped forward with scented towels to wash Jiang Zhuo’s face, then styled her hair, applied powder, shaped her brows, and tinted her lips.
In the mirror, her eyes were clear as cold stars, her brows refined, and her cheeks as fair as porcelain untouched by hardship. Combined with her preference for high updos adorned with jeweled hairpins, and her embroidered robes, her already vibrant beauty now looked even more noble.
But this time, Jiang Zhuo refused the luxurious gown Tonghua handed her and instead chose a simple pale cloud-patterned garment from the clothing chest.
“Miss, what are you doing?” Tonghua was puzzled. “This gold-brocade litchi-patterned overcoat was custom-made for today’s banquet. You spent half a month waiting for it at Zhenyi Workshop!”
Standing out too much was not a blessing. In her previous life, the Jiang family’s downfall may have been triggered by her drawing excessive attention at the Qionghua Banquet.
Besides, for someone who had lived two lives, this cloud-patterned garment—simple yet high quality—was more than enough.
“…Plain silks are the trend in the capital lately.” Jiang Zhuo made up a casual excuse.
“But—”
“Miss! The young lady of the Shen family has arrived and is waiting outside!”
Before Tonghua could protest further, a servant announced urgently. Jiang Zhuo headed out immediately.
Before marriage, she and Shen Guanzhi had been close and often went out together.
Though the daughter of a Court Attendant Doctor, Shen Guanzhi was neither the most beautiful nor the most well-born among the noble ladies of the capital—but she was undeniably the smartest.
The first time Jiang Zhuo met her was at a poetry gathering. Shen Guanzhi had followed her elder half-sister’s attempt to embarrass her, composed a poem on the spot, and with a few cleverly veiled remarks nearly made that sharp-tongued sister lose face.
Noble ladies in the capital frequently organized gatherings such as poetry meetings, polo matches, and hunting events. In truth, these were opportunities for unmarried girls to present themselves well and earn good reputations for future marriage prospects.
But while there were many noble young ladies, the number of eligible and sought-after young men in the capital was limited.
Thus, they were both rivals. It wasn’t uncommon for other ladies to play small tricks meant to humiliate Jiang Zhuo or Shen Guanzhi.
Sometimes their clothes were torn; sometimes their handkerchiefs were hidden.
But Shen Guanzhi always noticed the schemes first—and would retaliate precisely against the instigator.
This was why Jiang Zhuo enjoyed being friends with her.
Shen Guanzhi was clever. Clever girls didn’t waste their time on petty sabotage.
But thinking back now, Shen Guanzhi had been too clever. It seemed she knew everything, and she obtained everything she wanted.
“Why is younger sister Jiang dressed so plainly today?”
“Qionghua flowers are known for their purity. Would it be proper for guests to steal the spotlight from the blossoms?” Jiang Zhuo smiled lightly, masking her true thoughts.
Shen Guanzhi wore a sky-blue robe with a drooping collar today. The faint red on her cheeks made her appear especially gentle.
Tonghua had piled several jingling hairpins onto Jiang Zhuo before she left, so compared to Shen Guanzhi, she still wasn’t very “plain.”
“That’s true. Clothes and ornaments are external things. You usually dress lavishly, so wearing something simple today actually highlights your elegance even more. I imagine Prince Jing will think of you day and night when he sees you.”
“Don’t say such nonsense! I have no interest in being anyone’s princess consort.” Jiang Zhuo cut her off quickly, face flushing at the memory of her past-life misfortune.
But in Shen Guanzhi’s eyes, her reaction only looked like a maiden’s shy denial.
Shen Guanzhi smiled and smoothly changed topics, chatting about her recent experiences.
“The other day, our household got some crabs. Guess what—the mistress sent more than half of them to my room last night!”
“She’s being kind this time? It seems she’s finally realized your capability and hopes to flatter you.”
“What? No!” Shen Guanzhi’s eyebrows danced. “There’s a pear tree right outside my door. It’s fruiting right now. If I really ate crabs and pears together, I’d probably still be in bed with stomach pains!”
“That really happened?” Jiang Zhuo was mildly surprised. “Even if you’re not her biological daughter, if you shine at today’s banquet, it benefits the Shen family. Why does she still try to harm you?”
“Precisely because I’m not her biological daughter!” Shen Guanzhi scoffed faintly. “She and that precious daughter of hers are used to bullying me. How could they allow me to surpass them?”
“Then… what about your father? Does he know?” Jiang Zhuo asked cautiously.
“Hmph.” Shen Guanzhi let out a cold laugh. “He doesn’t care about the women’s quarters. No matter which daughter appears today, as long as we don’t embarrass him in public, he’s satisfied.”
Jiang Zhuo silently held her hand in comfort.