Real and Fake Wives

In the dead of winter, as snow fell heavily in Chang'an, Sui Zhixu, dressed in a tattered Taoist robe, tore down the white cloth used for funerals at the entrance of the East Market and knocked on the door of the Prime Minister's residence, all under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

“Sui Zhixu, daughter of the head of the family and Cong Xiang, is returning home today. Please allow me to enter!”

With her pale face, Sui Zhixu stood in the wind and snow, calling out timidly again and again, moving all who passed by.

The surrounding people whispered among themselves, their words suggesting that Uncle Sui coveted the position of head of the Sui family.

These words caused a huge uproar. Sui Zhixu pretended to stagger, almost falling in the snow, cleverly revealing the wound on his forehead. The scene escalated, with speculation, suspicion, insults, and accusations all being leveled against Sui's uncle.

Sui Zhixu lowered her eyes and listened to the direction of the crowd. For now, everything was still under her control. She could not go to see her nominal uncle alone. He firmly refused to acknowledge her and would definitely kick her out of the mansion or take advantage of her father and mother being in the palace to get rid of her in advance.

She wanted to make a big deal out of it and force her uncle to come see her.

Sui Zhixu took a deep breath, the cold wind filled her lungs, and a chill went straight to her mind. She used the coolness to force herself to calm down and wait patiently for her uncle to come out.

When Uncle Sui heard the gatekeeper's report, he gritted his teeth. Sui Zhixu was his sister's only daughter, and according to clan rules, she was the rightful heir. He was unwilling to accept this; once Sui Zhixu died, the position of head of the Sui family should fall to his descendant.

His sister would worry every now and then that the girl wouldn't live past eighteen. For many years, he really thought that Sui Zhixu wouldn't survive the great tribulation of turning eighteen, but he never expected that she would still be alive.

At the entrance, he glanced at the fake corpse arranged in the mourning hall, then stepped out. He absolutely could not let Sui Zhixu come back.

The moment the door opened, Uncle Sui's gaze fell on Sui Zhixu. Besides the bloodstains on her body, what was more important was her face, which was clearly a carbon copy of his sister's, and her peach blossom eyes were just like his brother-in-law's.

Who could deny that these are their girls!

He shouted, "Who are you? How dare you cause trouble in front of the Prime Minister's residence! My niece died on her way home last night. The mourning hall is properly set up in the front hall. And who are you? Go back to where you came from. If you stay any longer, I'll drag you to the authorities to report you to the authorities!"

A cold glint flashed in Sui Zhixu's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He looked hesitant and took two steps forward. "Uncle, what are you doing? I am Xu! Eighteen years ago, the Imperial Preceptor predicted that I would face a calamity. My father and mother specially raised me in a Taoist temple for eighteen years. The eighteen years have passed, and I have come home. How can you curse me like this, Uncle?"

"Hmph, you know quite a lot! It was precisely because of the great tribulation at eighteen that my poor niece didn't survive and passed away. I was hoping that she could come home for a family reunion as the year draws to a close, but alas, alas, my niece never had a chance to reunite with her family since she was a child, and she never had a single day of filial piety with my elder sister before she was gone."

As Xu Jian saw her uncle wiping non-existent tears from his eyes with his sleeve in front of her, his voice trembling with sobs, looking deeply affectionate, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips.

As he pondered the details the mysterious voice had told him, he revealed only half of what he had said.

"Uncle, don't you know that the eighteen years I spent in the Taoist temple was the solution the Imperial Preceptor gave me back then? Otherwise, why would Father and Mother have placed me in the Taoist temple?"

As she unconsciously rubbed the blood-stained Taoist robe on her body, her peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly. How could she possibly contend with Prince Xuanping if she didn't return home? How could she possibly avenge herself?

No one can stop her from returning to the Prime Minister's residence.

Uncle Sui: "This..."

"Is Uncle doubting the Grand Preceptor's abilities?"

When Sui Zhixu heard that some people around her had turned against her because of what her uncle had said at the beginning, she remained calm and pressed him step by step. She had even arranged for people to come beforehand.

The next second, the crowd started to jeer, recounting the imperial advisor's many years of service to the court, and how they themselves had escaped the winter snow disaster because of the imperial advisor's prophecy.

Uncle Sui stared intently at the jeering crowd, unaware that he had run off as soon as he finished speaking, leaving Sui Shan no chance whatsoever.

The crowd erupted in noise again, and a look of satisfaction flashed in Sui Zhixu's eyes as he secretly awaited his uncle's reply.

He forced a smile and said, "How could I possibly doubt the Imperial Advisor..."

"Then why did my uncle assume I was dead? I was assassinated along the way, and it was only thanks to the protection of the Imperial Preceptor that I was able to reach Chang'an safely. I never expected to be stopped at my own doorstep, and he still suspected that I was an imposter."

He could cry, and so could Sui Zhixu. Holding up his blood-stained Taoist robe, he cried even more pitifully than Sui Shan, since no one wanted to see an old man cry than a young woman.

Sui Zhixu occasionally glanced at his bluish face and guessed that the scene should be coming soon.

"The Imperial Preceptor resides in the Imperial Preceptor Hall, how can he protect you from thousands of miles away! And you're even throwing mud at me, saying I'm plotting against you?" Uncle Sui was furious, convinced he had caught Sui Zhixu in the act. "I think you're a fake. Speak! Who sent you to the Prime Minister's residence as a spy? Confess now!"

The person who harmed her was certainly not her uncle, but that doesn't stop her from saying it now.

Sui Zhixu looked puzzled upon hearing his words. "Uncle, don't you know? The Imperial Preceptor even gave me a jade pendant to protect me from harm, even though I'm thousands of miles away. How could Uncle, as my mother's brother, know nothing about this?"

Tears welled in the young woman's dark eyelashes, and her alluring peach blossom eyes made her look pitiful. The winds of fate once again swayed towards Sui Zhixu.

Uncle Sui: "..."

He truly didn't know; when Sui Zhixu was born, he was far away in his hometown of Jingzhou and hadn't yet entered Chang'an, so how could he have known?

Knowing that Xu was waiting, she covered her eyes with her Taoist robe and glanced at the direction of the palace gate out of the corner of her eye. He should be here soon.

Sui Zhixu glanced at her uncle, who was twitching with anger, his hand still pointing at her without moving for a long time.

"Has anyone gone to the palace to deliver a letter? The young lady is so thin and frail; if this snow falls any heavier, she'll probably fall ill."

"Yes, yes, the Pei family and several other families have sent letters to the palace. I believe the head of the Sui family and Prime Minister Cong will return soon."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Sui's expression immediately tensed up. What?!

How could it be so fast? He met Sui Zhixu's gaze, his eyes deep and intense.

Let's get her in there first, we have to deal with her before my sister comes back!

"Uncle is not..."

He was about to smooth things over and welcome Sui Zhixu inside when he noticed the young woman in front of him looking towards the palace gate. He knew something was wrong.

The next second—

"Ah Xu!"

The young woman, who had just been arguing vehemently in the wind and snow, dropped her facade of strength and revealed her vulnerability, collapsing into the arms of the newcomer.

"Mother, I'm in so much pain—" Sui Zhixu only managed to say one sentence before fainting.

"Acting is so hard." Sui Zhixu nestled in her mother's arms and silently complained to herself.

Hearing Sui Zhixu's thoughts, the mysterious voice said, "Alas, a weak and delicate young lady evokes more sympathy, which is advantageous to your current situation!"

The head of the Sui family had just alighted from the carriage and caught Sui Zhixu when Sui Zhixu fainted in her arms, much to her alarm. The Prime Minister Cong, who alighted shortly after, was in no better shape; he hurriedly got out of the carriage, picked up Sui Zhixu, and headed straight for the Prime Minister's residence.

The head of the family glanced at his uncle, instructed his servants to quickly summon the imperial physician, and hurriedly went inside.

As his uncle's body went limp, he was finished. He shouldn't have listened to that person.

No! No, no, no, he is my sister's own brother, she can't abandon him.

As Xu was carried into the house, the crowd in front of the Prime Minister's residence gradually dispersed. Fan Lingzhang stood at the street corner, looking towards the Prime Minister's residence.

"Sui, you're really ruthless to yourself. You came here in this freezing weather wearing your tattered Taoist robe. Aren't you afraid of hurting yourself?"

Fan Lingzhang raised an eyebrow. "Indeed ruthless."

The jade pendant at his waist was long gone, and Fan Lingzhang could neither hold it nor play with it, so he waved his hand and gave up.

I recall being at Fan Lingzhang's villa not long ago.

While Fan Lingzhang and his entourage were discussing outside, Sui Zhixu pushed open the door, wearing a Taoist robe stained with blood, with tears everywhere on the sleeves and hem.

With her face devoid of makeup and a listless expression, she looked at Fan Lingzhang and said, "Please, Young Master Fan, help me find a few people to create momentum. I'm going to the Prime Minister's residence now."

"You're just going to go like this?" Fan Lingzhang put away his folding fan, which he had been trying to make look elegant, and asked in a puzzled tone.

"Yes, go now. I will remember your kindness, and you will be able to board the Prime Minister's ship when I return home."

After waiting a while without hearing a reply from Fan Lingzhang, Xu grew impatient. "What are you hesitating about? You only have one chance. If I don't go back, it will be harder than climbing to heaven for you to get involved with the Prime Minister's mansion. Don't you want to find out the truth about your wife's death?"

"Go hire a few people to the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence and lead the people from the East Market over there, saying there's a good show to watch." Fan Lingzhang finished speaking, glanced at Sui Zhixu's thin figure, took two steps back, and felt a sense of familiarity with his stubborn nature, which stirred a vain thought in his mind.

"May I borrow your jade pendant again?"

Thus, Xu put on a good show at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence.

Cong Xiang carried Sui Zhixu to Jianjia Pavilion. She peeked at it and saw that the surrounding environment was beautiful. It was a boudoir that the two of them had prepared for Sui Zhixu in advance, and the courtyard had everything she needed.

Her gaze lingered on the plum blossoms scattered on the ground after Cong Xiang stepped on them. She tugged at his sleeve, feigning unconsciousness, and murmured to herself, "I'm not a spy... I just want to go... home..."

The fragmented words brought tears to the eyes of the head of the Sui family, who was also the mother. Under the heavy snowfall, the young woman's face was deathly pale, and the horrifying wound on her forehead was striking against her delicate features.

She recognized the young woman in the tattered Taoist robe as her own at a glance.

Inside the room, wisps of steam rose from the gilded incense burner on the table, and the fragrance spread with the breeze, instantly filling the room with the delicate scent of orchids.

Cong Xiang moved gently, trying his best not to touch Sui Zhixu's injuries, but Sui Zhixu still groaned.

"Where is the imperial physician?" Cong Xiang, whose peach-blossom eyes were similar to those of Sui Zhixu, narrowed his eyes. He couldn't bear to look at her. How could a child have so many injuries and still manage to return to Chang'an? He dared not imagine how much suffering she had endured along the way.

"They're here, they're here." Sui Zhixu overheard the servants respectfully inviting the imperial physician into the room with his eyes closed.

"Take a look at this child."

The imperial physician lifted up Sui Zhixu's sleeve, revealing bruises and scabs from abrasions. His abdominal wound had also been bandaged. Upon seeing this, the head of the Sui family grabbed Cong Xiang's sleeve tightly to keep him silent.

After taking Sui Zhixu's pulse, the imperial physician briefly described the severity of Sui Zhixu's injuries, stating that although they had been bandaged, he still needed to recuperate properly.

Cong Xiang nodded slightly. After hearing the imperial physician's words, the head of the Sui family rushed to see his maternal uncle. Knowing he couldn't stop her, he let her go. The maids serving Sui Zhixu in Jianjia Pavilion had already been arranged. Cong Xiang couldn't stay in Sui Zhixu's boudoir any longer, so after giving instructions to the imperial physician, he also went out.

Only the maid and Sui Zhixu remained in the room.

Su Zhixu's nose twitched slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes, asking the maid in the room, "Are you burning incense?"

"Yes, madam. This servant, Danhong, was sent by the master to take care of you." Before Sui Zhixu could ask any questions, Danhong cleverly gave her name.

"I understand. Go down and remove the incense; it's giving me a headache."

Dan Hong was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "Yes."

After Dan Hong subsided, Sui Zhixu tried asking, "You are the Imperial Preceptor Yue Ling, right? You said you know magic, and there aren't many people in the world who can help me transfer my soul and prolong my life."

There was no familiar voice in her ears, and Sui Zhixu did not think she had guessed wrong. "Although I have no memory, besides my father and mother, who would know so much about my major tribulation at the age of eighteen? Besides you who calculated it yourself, who else would know this so clearly?"

"Oh dear, it is me. How did you guess so quickly? I was planning to let you go home first and tell you when you asked me again, but unfortunately I'm currently trapped in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall because of Prince Xuanping, so I can't tell you in person..."

Before she could finish speaking, Sui Zhixu overheard her mother and uncle arguing outside the window. Her mother mentioned the Prince of Xuanping.

The person behind the uncle's scheme was actually the Prince of Xuanping.