I am Yunshu. Although I am the daughter of Earl Wenchang, I live like a weed.

My father had many women and many children. I was the eighteenth in the family. When I was born, my father left on the spot when he heard that I was a girl, without even giving me a name.

My father was neither a scholar nor a warrior, and he had no official position in the court. He did nothing all day long, and whenever he sold his property, he suffered a loss. Whenever the court issued a subsidy for the title, he took away most of it.

He divided the remaining money into two parts, one for raising male offspring, and the remaining part for women was only a thin portion, which was only enough for each person to eat coarse food every month.

My aunt told me that after she gave birth to me, she didn't even have anything to nourish her body. My mother couldn't bear to see this, so she used her dowry to subsidize her. But even so, she still developed a chronic illness.

She also told me that if I didn't want something, I should go and fight for it myself. She said that if she hadn't been bought by her father, who held her indenture contract in his hand and whose health was not good now, she would have left the house to find a future for us.

"You are different from my aunt. Although you are a concubine's daughter, you are the daughter of an earl. You must fight for what you want. Don't listen to your father and just promise it to someone else. You must seize all the resources around you and become the best."

My aunt's illness never got better and lasted for more than ten years. Finally one day she left me, leaving me alone in the world. Every day when I was hungry and cold, I kept telling myself: I must be a superior person.

Yun Yuan has the best relationship with me among all the sisters. Her biological mother died early, and most of the things she brought with her were taken away by her father, leaving only a small amount of money for her. She lives well in the backyard with that money and can even help me.

I envied her very much. She said she wanted to find a good marriage, and I gave her some advice.

But all the plans I took part in ended up falling through, and I didn’t understand why. Until one day when I was strolling around a temple, I heard those ladies gathered together and talking about the criteria for choosing a daughter-in-law.

I hid in the dark and listened attentively. Later, when they were talking, they mentioned us and said that I was too goal-oriented and my eyes were full of ambition.

They also talked about Yun Yuan, saying that she looked simple-minded, but was just a concubine's daughter of the Bo family, unfavored and with an unreliable father, and there were ambitious people around her who instigated her. They were afraid that the family would be in turmoil in the future, so they would not choose her.

I was furious. What right did they have to say that to me? I had no choice about my birthplace. Was it wrong for me to want to marry into a family of prominent family? I didn't want my future children to have the same hardship I had, fighting openly and secretly for even the right to wear nice clothes.

Because of what those ladies said, a rift eventually developed between Yun Yuan and me. One day she asked me if I wanted to go out, and I refused. When I came back, she was engaged to the illegitimate son of Marquis Annan.

The Marquis of Annan is not as decadent as the Marquis of Wenchang, and he holds military power. This is a very good marriage for our concubine's daughter.

Yun Yuan said that she helped the old lady of Marquis Annan by chance, and that's why she chose her as her grandson's wife. But I don't believe it. I think she planned it for a long time. They had been out together for so long without any results, and it became a success as soon as I didn't go with her. She must be guarding against me.

After getting engaged to Marquis Annan, her father finally began to pay attention to Yun Yuan, but she wore a veil every day. When her father asked her about it, she said she was afraid of getting along with others. Her father thought she was timid and just let her be.

The old lady of Annan Marquis sent someone to send Yun Yuan gorgeous clothes and jewelry. I tried them on one by one, and looking at myself dressed up in the bronze mirror, an idea came to my mind.

"Sister, your marriage is settled, but mine is still unsettled. People always say that one should respect the clothes before the person. Can I wear your clothes and jewelry? My rags make me look poor and shabby. People will know I'm not favored and won't want to understand my inner qualities and thoughts."

Yun Yuan bit her lip and said in embarrassment, "But these were given to me by the old lady of Annan Marquis. I can't do anything with them. Giving them to you would be disrespectful to her. What if people misunderstand..."

"Sister!" I interrupted her, "We are about the same size. We both wear veils when we go out, so no one will notice us."

"But……"

"Just think of it as helping your sister. I'm already sixteen, only two months younger than you. Once your marriage is settled, I'll be the next in line. I don't want to be betrothed off by my father at will."

"Okay." Yun Yuan finally agreed.

During those years in Jinling, my father hung out with his bad friends every day, and something happened during that time.

The wife of my father's drinking buddy, who was in his fifties, passed away. He went to comfort his drinking buddy and got drunk. He then agreed to give one of his daughters away as a second wife without thinking.

When he sobered up, he didn't remember the incident, but his brother came to me with a token of trust. It was Yun Yuan who tipped me off that saved me. The old man chose nineteen.

He had just turned 19 and was a young adult, so my father was a little hesitant at first. However, that drinking buddy had some reputation in the local area and was of a lower generation than my father, so he agreed.

Because of this incident, Nineteen has always hated me. She said I ruined her life, but wasn't my father the culprit? Why doesn't she resent my father?

It’s not that she doesn’t feel resentful, it’s that she doesn’t dare to feel resentful, so she can only vent her anger on me.

This is the sorrow of the weak.

I went out wearing Yun Yuan's clothes all day long until one day I met Yi Xianyu, the third young master of Annan Marquis. He recognized the gift from Annan Marquis's mansion and mistook me for Yun Yuan.

A vicious thought came to my mind. We are both concubines of the Bo family. If Yun Yuan can marry me, then naturally I can too. I want to replace her.

Yi Xianyu was indifferent to me at first, but after a few intentional encounters, he gradually fell in love with me.

I am not as old-fashioned as Yun Yuan. After getting engaged, I stayed at home to prepare for the wedding and never thought about cultivating feelings with Yi Xianyu first. This gave me a good opportunity.

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