The canopy of the carved pearwood step-out bed resembled a translucent veil, shimmering with subtle light and shadow in the morning twilight. The twin lotus embroidery, worn with age, emanated from the threads the rich aroma of aged incense, mingled with the sweet, cloying scent of cheap lead powder. The moment this scent entered Su Jinli's nostrils, her blood nearly froze.
Her eyes snapped open, her gaze fixed on the patterns of the gauze curtains overhead. The embroidery of the twin lotus flowers, the carved lotus flowers entwined on the bedposts, even the frayed edges of the tassels dangling from the foot of the bed—they were all so familiar that her heart tightened. If this wasn't the Sui Yu Xuan where she'd lived while waiting to be married, then where else could it be?
A familiar, sweet, and fishy taste welled up in her throat, as if the lingering, stagnant breath of her last breath still lingered. Wasn't she supposed to die in the deep winter of the 30th year of Yong'an? She died in that drafty side courtyard of the palace, her lungs pierced repeatedly by icicles, each breath tinged with the salty bitterness of blood. By her side was a single, perfunctory servant, huddled by the charcoal basin, dozing. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't even get a sip of hot soup.
She took one last look at the dusty bronze mirror. The figure in the mirror was emaciated, cheeks so sunken that prominent cheekbones could be seen. Only her eyes were abnormally flushed from the constant coughing up blood. And the mutton-fat white jade bracelet on her wrist was the very thing her stepmother, Liu, had given her as a "loving gift" the year she came of age, saying it would "calm the mind and calm the nerves." Thinking about it now, the wisps of black energy seeping deep into the jade bracelet weren't natural veins at all, but the result of a poison accumulated over time!
"Girl, are you awake?"
The carved diamond-lattice window was pushed open a fraction, letting in morning light wrapped in dew, illuminating the green calyx that had just emerged from the curtains. A young maid, with her hair in twin buns and a fresh pomegranate blossom in her hair, noticed her daughter staring blankly at the ceiling and could not help but tread softly. "It's time to go to the front hall. Madam specifically instructed us that today is your coming-of-age day, and we must not miss the auspicious time."
She paused, and seeing that Su Jinli still didn't respond, she couldn't help but reach out and touch her forehead: "You said you had a severe headache yesterday, could it be that you were confused from sleeping? Why are you so pale?"
Coming-of-age banquet?
Su Jinli sat up abruptly, her brocade quilt sliding off, revealing her moon-white undergarment. She grasped Lu'e's wrist, her fingertips turning white from the pressure, startling the maid and causing her to gasp, "What year is this? How old am I?"
Lu'e was stunned by the unprecedented sharpness in her eyes. After a long while, she stammered, "What's wrong with you, young lady? This year is the twenty-seventh year of Yong'an, and you are fifteen years old. Isn't it time for you to come of age? Yesterday, you were looking in the mirror and trying to decide which pearl hairpin to wear..."
The twenty-seventh year of Yong'an!
Su Jinli let go of her hand and stumbled back onto the bed. Her fingertips touched the cool quilt, and the touch was so real that it made her eyes burn. She was really back. This wasn't just a dream on her deathbed. She was truly back to when she was fifteen, back to the coming-of-age party that had pushed her into the abyss!
At this moment in her past life, she was still naive, completely swayed by Liu's rhetoric of "this is for your own good." The woman took her hand, tearfully describing the Wang family's splendor and wealth: "Jinli, I know Wang Erlang has a bit of a whimsical streak, but the Wang family is a hereditary earldom. If you marry him, you'll be the legitimate wife, never worrying about food and clothing, and your mother's family will also be honored..."
She believed it. She believed this poisonous snake disguised as family affection, the nonsense that "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, and her true ability lies in marrying well." The day she was crowned with the phoenix crown and the red robe, she thought she was heading for a bright future, but she had no idea that the sedan chair was carrying the tragedy of her life.
Three years after their marriage, Wang Erlang squandered her dowry in casinos and brothels, beating her at the slightest provocation. Once the daughter of the prime minister, she became a deserted woman, bullied even by the servants. She coughed up blood nightly, emaciated. And what about Liu? She used her dowry to support her own son, Su Mingxuan, and managed the prime minister's household impeccably, earning a reputation as a virtuous woman throughout the capital.
Even when she was seriously ill and on the verge of death, Liu had once, out of "compassion," visited her. Seeing her emaciated appearance, she feigned tears and said, "Jinli, why are you so ill? It's all mother's fault for not choosing a good husband for you..." Turning to the nanny beside her, she whispered, "You're just unlucky and can't handle the fate of wealth and luxury."
The deep hatred wrapped around her heart like poison ivy, strangling Su Jinli so tightly that she could hardly breathe. She threw back the quilt, stepped barefoot on the cold blue brick floor, and walked step by step to the dressing table.
The bronze mirror reflected a face still reminiscent of childishness. Her eyebrows were as dark as distant black, her eyes were like autumn water, and her skin was whiter than snow. Her lips were a little pale, and a hint of girlish innocence still lingered between her brows. But deep within her eyes, a coldness and resentment completely different from that of her face surged.
"Lü'e," Su Jinli began, her voice trembling slightly with emotion, yet filled with unquestionable determination, "bring me my most simple moon-white skirt. You don't need to wear any jewelry, just a simple bun."
Lu'e, though perplexed, dared not question the situation and hurriedly retrieved her rarely worn plain clothes from the closet. Facing the mirror, Su Jinli personally pulled her dark hair into a loose, hanging bun, securing it with a single white jade hairpin. The figure in the mirror had lost her former naiveté. Her plain clothes accentuated her slender figure, while her eyes were as cold as ice in the twelfth lunar month.
She took a deep breath and pushed open the carved wooden door.
The front hall of the Prime Minister's residence was already filled with the melodious sounds of stringed instruments and overflowing with guests. Beneath the crystal curtains, elegant figures mingled, and the clamor of laughter and chatter in the hall died down as if pressed to a halt the moment she appeared.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the doorway. Su Jinli, the daughter of the prime minister's family, was barefaced today, her moon-white dress spotless, her black hair simply tied up. She looked even more beautiful than her usual heavily made-up attire. However, her eyes, usually timidly downcast, now stared straight ahead, their gaze as cold as a knife. As they swept across the room, they carried an imposing presence that made many who met her gaze subconsciously look away.
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