Chapter 1 Rebirth

After being reborn, Shen Wantang's favorite thing to do was to eavesdrop on Shen Mingxuan and her stepmother Qi Shi arguing in the corner of the wall.

At this moment, Shen Mingxuan cried and made a scene: "I said, I don't want to marry the Prince of Ning this time! I'd rather die than marry him! If you force me any further, I won't live anymore!"

Interesting, her elder sister said, "This time."

Could it be that she did it before?

She was reborn too?

In her previous life, she enjoyed two years of glory after marrying the heir of the Prince of Ning, but her life ended tragically, even implicating the entire Shen family.

"Xuan'er, what's wrong with you? Didn't we already agree on this? Why have you changed your mind now?"

Lady Qi was extremely anxious: "You've met the Prince of Ning's heir, and you said you liked his handsome appearance and dashing demeanor, so why are you suddenly not going to marry him?"

"Mother, he's become a monk! He's become a monk for a slut, why should I marry him? Am I going to live a life of widowhood?"

"Xuan'er, it's only because he became a monk that our Shen family was able to barely secure this marriage. Otherwise, do you think he, the heir of the Prince of Ning's mansion, would marry a daughter of our Shen family? He's a true member of the royal family, something ordinary people can never achieve in their entire lives!"

"I don't care if he's a prince or some kind of royal relative, I'm not marrying him. Marrying him means certain death, so I might as well just die now!"

After she finished speaking, the room erupted in another round of commotion and crying.

Shen Wantang's thoughts drifted back to her past life.

Prince Ning's heir, Xiao Qingyuan, was a hopeless romantic. He was in love with a girl from a lowly ninth-rank official family and was determined to marry her. Princess Ning had no choice but to send someone to propose marriage after a year of stalemate with her only son.

However, on the day of the marriage proposal, she learned that the girl was already four months pregnant and had no idea who the father of the child was!

Princess Ning was so disgusted she almost vomited blood, while Prince Ning was furious and went directly to the emperor to impeach that lowly ninth-rank official.

That lowly ninth-rank official first lost face, and then he lost his position as well. In anger, he sent his daughter to a nunnery to become a nun.

The girl was sent to become a nun, and Xiao Qingyuan followed suit and became a monk.

Princess Ning was so angry that she fainted. After she woke up, she began to arrange a new marriage for her son. She did not care about social status or appearance, only that the girl be of good character and have a respectable family background.

Even though she had lowered her requirements to the bare minimum, she still couldn't find a suitable one.

The girl didn't even know whose child she was carrying, but Xiao Qingyuan remained devoted to her. He often went to the nunnery to see her, and because she was pregnant, he would bring her some delicious food to help her recover.

People openly call him a romantic, but behind his back, who doesn't laugh at him for going out of his way to be the father of a bastard? What respectable family would be willing to marry their daughter to such a family? It's shameful enough; they care about their reputation.

Of course, not everyone cares about their reputation; some people are still willing to form a marriage alliance with the Prince Ning's family, such as the Shen family.

Shen Wantang's father, Shen Guannian, had been observing a three-year mourning period at home after his father passed away. When he returned to the capital after the mourning period, he found that his position had already been filled by someone else, and he was unable to regain his original post.

As a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites, Shen Guannian's position was not high, but he couldn't just give it up. He tried to make connections everywhere, but to no avail.

Therefore, he considered forming a marriage alliance with the Prince of Ning's family. The Prince of Ning was the emperor's own brother, and if he was willing to help him, not only would he be reinstated to his original position, but he would also be promoted in no time.

The Shen family wasn't the only one hoping to advance their careers through marriage with the Prince of Ning's family, but regardless of whether their official rank was higher or lower than the Shen family's, none of their daughters possessed the dignified and serene demeanor of the Shen family's daughters.

After seeing the two Shen sisters in person, Princess Ning immediately chose Shen Wantang as her daughter-in-law. Besides her dignified and quiet demeanor, Princess Ning had another important reason for choosing her—she bore a striking resemblance to the girl who had captivated Xiao Qingyuan.

However, how could such immense wealth and honor as marrying into the royal family and becoming the crown prince's wife be reserved for Shen Wantang, a concubine's daughter? Her stepmother, Madam Qi, resorted to a series of underhanded and malicious schemes, forcibly switching the marriage to her own daughter, Shen Mingxuan.

Ten years have passed, and Shen Wantang has been reborn, yet she still vividly remembers the glory and pride of her elder sister's wedding day.

The ruby ​​and gold crown sent by the Prince of Ning's mansion was placed on her head, shining brightly in the candlelight, making her look incredibly wealthy.

She stroked the pearls hanging on her wedding dress and said insincerely, "Sister, I married into the royal family for your sake. Although the Prince of Ning is handsome beyond compare, he has become a monk. You will be left alone in an empty room after you marry him. How pitiful! I will suffer this hardship for you!"

“My sister is truly blessed. Mother is kind-hearted and has already chosen a good family for you. Although the family is poor, it is a modest household. Once you marry into it, you will be able to manage the household and no one will be able to control you. With Father backing you up, even if you are an illegitimate daughter, no one will dare to look down on you.”

"Sigh, I'm different. The Ning Prince's Mansion is a very prestigious family. I'll be considered a royal lady in the future. As a member of the imperial family, I have to restrain myself in every word and deed. When can I ever relax?"

"I really envy you. Your wedding ceremony will be much simpler; you'll just be picked up in a small sedan chair. Unlike me, my wedding is so grand and elaborate, with no room for error. Look at this golden crown of mine, it's beautiful, but it's so heavy! It's exhausting!"

...

Another sharp scream pulled Shen Wantang back to reality from her memories.

She heard Shen Mingxuan still crying and making a scene: "This marriage is clearly hers, Shen Wantang's, why should I suffer in her place? Let her marry, I won't marry!"

Madam Qi was annoyed by her crying: "If you don't marry into the Ning Prince's family, where else can you marry? Is there a better marriage in the world? The Ning Prince's heir can't be a monk forever. He will definitely come home in less than two years. You're being foolish now, and you'll regret it later!"

"I won't regret it! You can have Shen Wantang marry into the Ning Prince's family, but I want to marry Liao Youhe! Marrying him is the greatest blessing!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wantang suddenly laughed.

The maid, Dujuan, looked at her strangely and asked in a low voice, "Miss, what are you laughing at? Who is this Liao Youhe? Do you know him?"

know?

They were more than just acquaintances; they spent a full ten years together!

The Liao family was the "good family" that Shen Wantang's stepmother, Madam Qi, had chosen for her.

Liao Youhe came from a poor family and was once so poor that he had no money to go to the capital to take the imperial examination.

It was Shen Wantang who sold her dowry to support his studies and meals in the capital.

Fortunately, Liao Youhe lived up to expectations. The year after his marriage, he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi. After that, his official career was smooth. He rose from a local county magistrate to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. In just ten years, he was promoted four ranks, from a seventh-rank official to a third-rank official, becoming the youngest Minister of the Court of Judicial Review since the founding of the Great Feng Kingdom.

Moreover, because he solved many strange cases and even exposed spies from enemy countries in the court, he received numerous commendations from the emperor.

Even the Seventh Princess took a liking to him and wanted to marry him. The Emperor also tried to test Liao Youhe for his daughter, but Liao Youhe refused on the grounds that he was already married.

Until his rebirth, Liao Youhe only had one wife, Shen Wantang. Even though Shen Wantang did not give him any children, he did not take any concubines or maids. He was devoted, affectionate, chaste, upright, and had a good reputation.

Everyone envies Shen Wantang for being so lucky. A man like Liao Youhe, who remains devoted to his wife even after achieving great success, is hard to find even with a lantern. Not to mention that Liao Youhe was willing to refuse even a princess for his wife's sake, and when the princess deliberately made things difficult for Shen Wantang, Liao Youhe stepped forward to protect her.

Many people compare Shen Mingxuan and her. The two sisters are of different origins: one is born of the principal wife, and the other is born of a concubine. One married into the prestigious and noble Ning Prince's Mansion, while the other married a poor scholar from an insignificant family.

Ten years later, the illegitimate Shen Wantang was living a life of luxury, enjoying the protection and love of her husband. Even the princess envied and was jealous of her. Meanwhile, the legitimate Shen Mingxuan was imprisoned and retaliated against by the Prince of Ning for forcing the Prince of Ning's beloved girl to her death.

Later, the prince committed suicide for that girl, and Shen Mingxuan became a sinner of the Ning Prince's Mansion. She was sent to prison by the Ning Prince's Mansion and died in prison half a year later.

At that time, a popular folk song in the capital went: "Marry a man from the Liao family, for he will bring you happiness, health, and lasting love."

Shen Wantang chuckled. Her dear elder sister must have been brainwashed by that song too, and actually thinks that marrying Liao Youhe is a blessing?

Without her help, could Liao Youhe have solved so many strange cases? Could he have exposed the spies in the court? Could he have become the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review at the age of twenty-nine?

Putting everything else aside, the hardships that Liao family endured after Shen Mingxuan married into the family were enough to make her suffer. After he passed the imperial examination and became a county magistrate, he went to a poor and remote place where life was even more difficult.

If Shen Wantang hadn't seized the opportunity to save an old lady, and the old lady's son, who was an official in the capital, hadn't been grateful to her and secretly helped Liao Youhe, Liao Youhe wouldn't have been able to be transferred back to the capital at all.