She was furious. Did all those years of sincerity from her mother only earn her an ungrateful wretch?

Gu Jiangru's face showed no remorse, only hatred.

"You think the mistress has treated me well? Only you would think that."

"That's true. From childhood to adulthood, I've had everything you have. She said that as long as you're a child of the Gu family, regardless of whether you're a legitimate or illegitimate child, everyone is the same."

“I was even grateful to my stepmother at one point, because she truly treated me, a child born out of wedlock, equally.”

"But that was just a pretense! Utterly hypocritical!"

"You've probably forgotten that when the Crown Prince was selecting his consorts, we were both on the list. On the day of the selection, you suddenly fell ill and were unable to attend the ceremony at the Crown Prince's residence."

"But you're sick, what does that have to do with me! I'm healthy and beautiful. If I had participated in the Crown Prince's selection of consorts back then, with my looks and talent, I could have easily won a concubine position."

"When His Majesty ascends the throne, I, as the Crown Prince's concubine, can directly ascend to the rank of a third-grade consort! Why should I have to climb up from a sixth-grade noble lady during the imperial concubine selection three years later!"

"Why should I be disqualified from being chosen as a concubine just because you're sick?!"

“Gu Jiangli, it was only then that I realized that all along, what you had, I also had a share of; it was the mistress’s charity to me.”

"And what you don't have, I can't have either, because the mistress is afraid that I'll steal the limelight from you, the legitimate daughter!"

"How ridiculous! Should I be grateful to such a hypocritical person?"

"After entering the palace, I will always be superior to you! I will have a higher rank, receive more favor, and be rewarded more generously!"

"After the mistress finds out about all this, she must be so angry that she can't sleep at night, lying in bed!"

“Gu Jiangli, ever since I learned that the art of cursing can be used to harm people, I have acted without hesitation.”

"Only a fool wouldn't kill off a hypocritical mistress and make you suffer the pain of losing your birth mother?"