Chapter 1 Chapter 1 This is the third year of her marriage to Li Che...

"Grandma, the old lady and the young master have sent something again."

The maid carried the wooden box and walked into the Moon-Raising Pavilion.

Zhao Qingyi just woke up from a dream and lay on the couch, staring at the shark-shaped gauze curtain above her head in a daze.

"grandmother."

Tan Yue opened the bead curtain and walked into the inner room. She placed several boxes neatly on the lotus-shaped mirror table and spread them out one by one.

"Next month, Master will be transferred back to the capital. Madam Zhao has specially sent two new sets of clothes, a pair of fine mutton-fat jade bracelets, and some ginseng and bird's nest for Grandma to use as a supplement. She hopes Grandma can take advantage of this opportunity to recuperate before Master returns. By then, the maids will decorate the Moon-Lan Pavilion and give Master and Grandma a wedding night..."

Tan Yue spoke slowly, but before she finished speaking, Qiao Yue beside her quickly took over the conversation.

"My cousin also sent three rolls of the new dark-flowered satin from the Meng family silk shop, but the most important thing is this Xiaying gauze skirt. I heard it's worth a hundred gold! If grandma wears it on the day you come back, you will definitely be unable to take your eyes off it..."

The maid chattered for a while before she realized that the person in the bed did not respond.

Qiao Yue's breathing quickened.

My grandmother has been in the Li family for three years, but she has never been in bed after the hour of Mao. Could she be ill?

"grandmother?"

Qiao Yue tiptoed forward, and suddenly a figure sat up in the translucent gauze curtain.

Zhao Qingyi finally woke up. Although she had opened her eyes long ago, the tide of memories only flooded into her mind after a long time. Those memories were too suffocating, and she had to gasp for breath like a dying fish on the shore.

"Grandma, what's wrong with you?" The maid hurriedly drew up the gauze curtain and surrounded Zhao Qingyi, her eyes full of concern.

Looking at the two faces of young girls in front of him, Zhao Qingyi was in a daze.

"Tan Yue? ...Qiao Yue?"

"The maid is here." The two of them squatted on the footstool, holding her hands on the left and right. They felt wet and cold.

Without waiting for the two maids to speak again, Zhao Qingyi exerted force with his palms and held them back.

"I'm really not dreaming?" The trembling in his voice could not be hidden.

The Tan Yue Qiao Yue in her memory had gray hair and a haggard face, just like herself when she suddenly fell ill later. At the age of early thirties, she was already shrouded in a layer of death and aged prematurely.

But when I closed my eyes and opened them again, it was as if I saw the face of eighteen years ago.

"Grandma had a nightmare?"

Qiao Yue smiled and took her hand, motioning her to look at the dressing table. "Don't be afraid, dreams are always the other way around! Look, grandma, that Xiaying gauze dress is so beautiful. You'll definitely be delighted when you see it!"

Tan Yue cooperated and brought the wooden box and presented it to Zhao Qingyi.

This is a material unique to the Meng family business. The neckline and hem are embellished with pearls. The yarns used are bright and reflect various dazzling lights as the light changes. It is as beautiful as the shadow of the sunset. This is the "Xiaying Shade".

This rosy gauze dress was deeply engraved in Zhao Qingyi's memory, but she didn't have the chance to wear it at that time, and it was taken away by her husband's sister, her aunt Li Susu.

Zhao Qingyi pursed her lips and said nothing, and the two maids felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

Tan Yue hesitated, "Grandma, this time's stuff... won't it also be sent to Qionghua Hall?"

Qionghua Hall is the residence of mother-in-law Luo and sister-in-law Li Susu.

Ever since their grandmother had to abide by her old engagement and marry into the Li family, she had lived a very hard life. The Zhao and Meng families couldn't bear it, so they sent people to send clothes, jewelry, and nourishing medicinal herbs to her grandmother every fifteenth day of the lunar month so that she could live a more decent life.

But grandma has a gentle personality and always puts her mother-in-law and sister-in-law first. When good things are sent to her, she always picks them first, and only then are there some worthless little things left for grandma to enjoy.

Given Qionghuatang's stingy nature, sending something over there again would probably be like throwing meat buns at a dog, with nothing coming back.

"Grandma." Qiao Yue couldn't hold back her anger. "Everything else is easy to deal with, but this gauze skirt. My cousin had the embroiderer work for two months to make it according to your measurements. It was so hard to get this one, just so that you can wear it on the day my uncle returns to Beijing. I can't give it away..."

Qiao Yue was afraid that her grandmother would not understand and that someone else would get the benefit for nothing.

"I know you've felt unfair for me over the years."

Zhao Qingyi had just woken up and felt a little tired. "These were gifts from my parents, so it's my duty to keep them. From now on, all items sent to Lanyue Pavilion must be registered and stored in the warehouse. No one else can withdraw them without permission."

The two maids had been waiting for this day for a long time. They responded in a hurry, sorted the things and put them into the warehouse, then returned to help Zhao Qingyi dress up.

It was midsummer in May, and it was extremely hot. The room was covered with ice mirrors. Zhao Qingyi was only wearing a single layer of clothes, looking at herself in the mirror.

Even though I guessed it, it was still hard to believe.

She suddenly fell ill and died on the day she was given the imperial decree. She thought her soul would return to the underworld, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself back at the Li family, back at...

She was eighteen years old.

It was also the third year of her marriage to Li Che.

The thirty-six years she had actually lived were like a long nightmare. Whenever she closed her eyes, those horrible and hypocritical faces would appear in her mind.

Her husband, whom she had worked tirelessly to support for many years before he was promoted to the position of Prime Minister, left her a letter of divorce before her death.

She carefully taught her adopted son who became a successful Jinshi, but he turned around and hated her to the core.

The mother-in-law whom she had served for twenty years not only tried to steal her dowry but also tortured her in every possible way.

And her illegitimate cousin, whom she had loved for many years, was wearing her imperial robes, standing beside her husband, holding hands with him until old age, and speaking the most vicious words in the softest voice.

"Thank you, sister, for raising my child. I will take over the Li Mansion in your place and will definitely live up to the honor you've earned."

Zhao Qingyi only realized before his death that his life in the Li family's backyard, where he had devoted all his energy and efforts, was a complete joke.

Her husband, the Prime Minister, was supported by someone else, her son, a Jinshi, was also raised by someone else, and even the imperial edict that she had worked hard for her entire life became someone else's.

They are a harmonious and happy family of three.

At that moment, Zhao Qingyi's heart was filled with overwhelming hatred, and he was so angry that he almost died.

Now, fate has forced her to start over again.

Zhao Qingyi suppressed his emotions and once again stroked that beautiful face that had not experienced any vicissitudes of life and was in the prime of its youth.

She almost forgot that she once looked so delicate and beautiful. In this life, she must break free and break the cage of the Li family.

Qiao Yue adorned her jet-black bun with gold hairpins, and put on her wrist the mutton-fat jade bracelet that the Zhao family had just given her. The warm jade matched her fair skin that was as white as snow, complementing each other very well.

"Grandma is indeed the most beautiful woman in the capital. With such good looks and character, I have really gotten a great deal."

"It's more than just a bargain. It's a fortune for the Li family." Tan Yue echoed, "If the two old grandfathers hadn't made the engagement when they were still alive, it wouldn't be the eldest master's turn to marry our grandmother."

At that time, the Zhao family had not yet become rich, and the Li family had not yet fallen on poverty, so they were barely a match. However, in the blink of an eye, more than ten years later, the Zhao family rose step by step, while the Li family fell on poverty. The Zhao family was upright and kept their promise, so they married their eldest daughter to the Zhao family.

Zhao Qingyi didn't care much. She swept through the dressing table and gave each of them a new set of cotton and silk clothes. She also took out two pairs of silver earrings that were not eye-catching but heavy and stuffed them into their hands.

“You followed me to this Li family and suffered.”

The maid usually received a lot of rewards, "Grandma, no..."

"Take it. Our good days are still ahead." Zhao Qingyi said in a firm tone.

She was originally a noble lady from a prominent family. Her grandfather was a former cabinet minister. Although her maternal grandfather, the Meng family, was a merchant family with no official position, they were wealthy enough to rival a country and had strong financial resources. Her father was now a third-rank judicial inspector in Shanxi. According to her memories from her previous life, her father would be promoted to the cabinet soon after Li Che returned to Beijing.

Before she got married, Zhao Qingyi was the most favored daughter in the mansion and one of the most noble ladies in the capital. Even the two maids who served her personally dressed like ordinary ladies from merchant families.

But now, her husband Li Che is only the seventh-rank magistrate of Heshan County. Even if he returns to Beijing next month to join the Hanlin Academy, it still cannot change the fact that his position is low, which makes her two maids follow the rules of servants of a seventh-rank official. They are not allowed to wear this or that.

For the first time, Zhao Qingyi realized the difference between herself and Li Che, and she looked down on herself in her previous life even more. At that time, she strictly abided by the ethics and obeyed her husband's orders, and suffered in vain for twenty years.

Tan Yue Qiaoyue did not hear anything wrong in Zhao Qingyi's words. She just thought that she was hoping that her master would have a smooth career in the future and be promoted step by step, so that they could rise to prominence and live a rich and prosperous life like before.

The two maids were carrying their things, happily preparing to serve Zhao Qingyi dinner. Zhao Qingyi remembered what the maids had said when they first came in, and suddenly asked, "Is my cousin still here?"

Tan Yue was the first to react, "I'll go after her right away."

"No need. Since I'm gone now, you can just take a letter for me later."

In his previous life, my father was indeed promoted in the same month that Li Che returned to Beijing. Everyone, including the entire Li family, was happy to hear this, because once he entered the cabinet, he would occupy the center of power. With a father-in-law who was a cabinet minister, why would he worry that Li Che would not be able to rise to prominence in the future?

But in that month, when his father, mother and his younger brother were on their way back to Beijing from Shanxi, the three of them were encountered by robbers and all killed. The eldest branch of the Zhao family was completely cut off.

Looking back on her past life, the last time she saw her parents and brother was the day she married Li Che. For the next twenty years, she never had the chance to see her family again, which became a lifelong pain in her heart.

Now that she has been reborn, Zhao Qingyi always feels uneasy, perhaps because the day when her parents and brother are about to get into trouble is approaching. She must do something to try to prevent all this from happening.

Without even bothering to eat, Zhao Qingyi quickly went to the desk to write a letter and handed it to Tan Yue, "You have always been calm and thoughtful in your work. This letter must be delivered to my cousin. Ask him to send it to Shanxi before next month. There is one more thing..."

She waved, and Tan Yue leaned over to whisper.

Zhao Qingyi whispered a few words and saw Tan Yue's expression change. She frowned, then gradually relaxed, and finally showed a hint of joy.

"I'll do it right away!"

After the people left, Qiao Yue pouted and wanted to complain that her grandmother was partial.

Tan Yue is steady and she is not bad either.

Zhao Qingyi sat back at the Eight Immortals table and waited for dinner. Qiao Yue had no choice but to go over and set the dishes. After a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Grandma, what good thing did you ask Tan Yue to do?"

"The Meng family has been a royal merchant family for generations, and they have frequent dealings with officials in the capital, so the flow of information is very convenient. I just asked Tan Yue to tell my cousin a few words and ask him to say more good things about me outside."

Zhao Qingyi didn't mention what kind words he said, but just smiled and comforted, "Don't worry, there will always be a time when I can use you."

The two maids have different personalities. Tan Yue is steady and Qiao Yue is lively. Each has her own advantages. For example, Qiao Yue will have to show up tomorrow.

Zhao Qingyi picked up the bird's nest and took a sip. Thinking about what was going to happen next, he felt relaxed all over.

"I have done many wrong things in the past, allowing my mother-in-law, who is not good at managing the household, to run the affairs. Now that my master is coming back, I will have to spend money to maintain relationships in the capital. I have no money on hand, and even the best cook cannot cook without rice. I hope my mother-in-law can understand my good intentions and return my dowry as soon as possible."

Qiao Yue curled her lips in disdain, "That old hag came from a humble family after all, and wasn't good at managing the household. She's lost all the little wealth the Li family had in the past. If it weren't for Grandma's generous dowry, the Li family wouldn't have been able to afford this mansion over the past three years."

In private, Qiao Yue never lets anyone off the hook. Normally, Tan Yue would try to stop her, but now that Tan Yue was out, she had to let it all out.

Zhao Qingyi listened quietly, without any intention of scolding.

Seeing this, Qiao Yue talked incessantly.

"...Look at what you're saying, the Li family mansion? This mansion is all Grandma's dowry. Back then, the Li family was so destitute that they only had a small, cramped courtyard house in the outer city. There were only three or four rooms, and the whole family was crammed in there, with no room for servants."

"If it weren't for the fact that the eldest lady cared about you and bought you a three-story house in Fuxue Hutong in the inner city, how could the Li Mansion exist today?"

Although the scale is not as large as that of their Dongcheng Zhao family, for a seventh-rank official like Li Che, being able to barely live in the inner city and be close to the government school is already a luxury.

After a lifetime, Zhao Qingyi could no longer remember such trivial matters, but from Qiao Yue's mouth, she remembered many things that she had never cared about in the past. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, and the more she thought about it, the colder she felt down her spine.

The Li family had been plotting against her for a long time. No wonder she emptied her family savings to subsidize her husband's family in her previous life, but ultimately ended up with nothing good. In this life, she didn't want to waste a penny on these unworthy people.

If she wants to escape, getting back her dowry and the power to manage the household is a step she must take, but she is in the inner house, and some things cannot be avoided without the help of outsiders.

Zhao Qingyi had a plan in mind. After leisurely finishing his breakfast amid Qiao Yue's complaints, he sent her to get the dowry list.

In the past three years, her mother-in-law Luo and her sister-in-law Li Susu have eaten and taken things from her. Tomorrow, they must spit it all out to her, not a single cent less!