The plum rains are falling incessantly, and the air is filled with a damp atmosphere.
“Huaiyu, although the Lady of Jingyuan Marquis favors you greatly, you are not my flesh and blood. Therefore, it is not appropriate for you to marry into the Qin family.”
Hao gently stroked her teacup, sipping her tea with elegance, but her gaze never fell on the girl standing in front of her.
After a moment, she put down her teacup, her tone resolute: "You and Shuqin will exchange marriage certificates, so that Shuqin can marry into the Jingyuan Marquis's mansion, and you will take her place and marry Bai Yujing!"
Jiang Huaiyu seemed oblivious to everything around her. Her gaze was empty and dull as she stared at a cluster of roses in the misty rain, lost in thought.
She was still deeply mired in the despair of being plagued by illness and powerless to recover, never expecting that in the blink of an eye she would return to that youthful time—the day after the Qin family came to propose marriage when she was fifteen.
When Hao saw that she had no reaction, her eyes turned icy cold.
"If you remain silent, does it mean you are defying my plan? You must remember, your birth and status are only chosen by the Marquis's family, who were kept in the dark. Otherwise, how could you have the qualifications to rise to prominence?"
Hao's words were like frost and dew in the cold wind, chilling and sharp.
Jiang Huaiyu's expression gradually calmed down from the shock.
That's right, she's just an adopted daughter, while Jiang Shuqin, who was recognized by her ancestors last year, is the real eldest daughter of the Jiang family!
However, some unsolved mysteries still lingered in her heart, so she cautiously asked, "Mother has misunderstood. How could Huaiyu dare to be presumptuous? If I may ask, did this proposal for a marriage exchange come from Father, or was it Shuqin's idea?"
Hao glanced at her coldly and said in a flat tone, "This is Shuqin's idea."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaiyu's mind immediately cleared. So, Jiang Shuqin had also been reborn!
As everyone knows, the young master of the Jingyuan Marquis's mansion, Qin, has been bedridden for many years, barely clinging to life. The Marquis's wife arranged the wedding for him only to use the opportunity of a "lucky marriage" to pray for her son's recovery.
High-ranking families of similar status would naturally be reluctant to send their daughters into danger, so Lady Jingyuan had no choice but to turn her attention to the families of minor officials in the capital. After some consideration, she finally chose Jiang Huaiyu.
Otherwise, with her father Jiang Wenyuan being only a sixth-rank official in the Imperial Academy, how could she have gotten the chance to climb the social ladder?
In their previous life, when Lady Jingyuan visited in person, Jiang Wenyuan knew the situation perfectly well. He dared not offend the Marquis's family, nor did he want his own daughter to live a life of widowhood. So, they deliberately had Jiang Shuqin feign illness and stay in bed, while Jiang Huaiyu received Lady Jingyuan. In the end, they managed to arrange this troublesome marriage with the Marquis's family.
As for Jiang Shuqin, she ended up marrying Bai Yujing, a poor and uneducated scholar.
Although Bai Yujing was born into a poor farming family, he was excellent in both character and academics, and of noble virtue. He was the son-in-law that Jiang Wenyuan had carefully selected.
Everyone laughed at Jiang Huaiyu, saying that once Jiang Huaiyu entered the Marquis's mansion, it was like entering a deep sea, and he would live out his days alone in the Marquis's mansion.
Jiang Shuqin's husband is exceptionally talented and enjoys strong support from the Jiang family. He is destined for a successful official career and will surely achieve great things.
But the result was beyond everyone's expectations. Not long after the marriage, the originally weak and sickly Prince Qin Zheyuan gradually recovered. The couple supported each other and lived in harmony. Even though Jiang Huaiyu had not been able to give birth to any children for the Qin family, Qin Zheyuan never had the idea of taking a concubine.
This beautiful story became a popular tale in the capital, with people praising Qin Zheyuan and Jiang Huaiyu's unwavering love, which was the envy of many.
On the contrary, ever since Jiang Shuqin stepped into the Bai family, she has been like a storm, causing numerous conflicts and chaos between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. As Bai Yujing entered officialdom, Jiang Shuqin's careless actions angered the powerful and influential, leading not only to her own tragic death but also to implicate Bai Yujing, who was dismissed from his post and returned to his hometown, ending his life in tragedy.
Now, the two sisters have miraculously been given a second chance at life.
Jiang Shuqin knew that her fate in her previous life was full of hardships, so she insisted on exchanging marriage contracts with Jiang Huaiyu.
However, she was only attracted by Jiang Huaiyu's glamorous appearance, little did she know that her marriage to the Jingyuan Marquis's family was actually a carefully designed conspiracy!
The Crown Prince of Qin was not interested in women and had a penchant for male lovers. He was not suffering from a serious illness, but was tormented to the point of near death by the Marquis of Jingyuan.
The Qin family arranged his marriage merely to conceal his unusual behavior and silence the endless gossip. The widely circulated tales of their mutual affection were nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion.
Jiang Huaiyu pulled her wandering thoughts back to reality and said gently, "If my sister really wants to marry into the Marquis's family, I will definitely support her with all my might."
Jiang Shuqin wanted to arrange a marriage exchange, so we went along with it!
Having been reborn, she should also fully embrace her own life and no longer be manipulated by others.
In his previous life, Bai Yujing was born into a humble family, but he passed the imperial examination at the age of fifteen and was listed on the golden list. If Jiang Shuqin had not become his stumbling block, he would have been able to rise to the top and wield power over the court one day.
In addition, Bai Yujing was a devoted lover. Even though he and Jiang Shuqin had become enemies and were like strangers, he still worked tirelessly to clear her name after she suffered a misfortune. He remained faithful and lived a lonely life until his death, guarding Jiang Shuqin's lonely grave for many years.
Thinking of this, Jiang Huaiyu was deeply moved and felt even greater respect for this person.
In her past life, she toiled and suffered alone. If she could find a loving partner in this life to weather the storms together, it would undoubtedly be a great blessing.
"Hmph! Stop pretending. Do you think I need your charity?"
Just then, the door was suddenly flung open by a violent force, and Jiang Shuqin stormed in like a whirlwind, her eyes blazing with fury, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, staring straight at Jiang Huaiyu.
"You are nothing but an adopted daughter living under someone else's roof. Even if you were to marry a poor scholar, it would still be considered climbing the social ladder. It would be an extraordinary favor I bestowed upon you! Prince Qin is a nobleman destined by heaven, and he will surely turn misfortune into good fortune. You are simply not qualified for this marriage!"
In her past life, she was foolish and ignorant, bewitched by Bai Yujing's handsome appearance, and coupled with her fear of becoming a widow, she married Bai Yujing according to her father's wishes. However, she unexpectedly died a violent death, and the fake heiress Jiang Huaiyu got the benefit of the fittest!
Thinking of this, a fierce glint instantly flashed in Jiang Shuqin's eyes.
"To tell you the truth, not only will you not be able to enter the Marquis's mansion, but even if you want to bring a dowry to the Bai family, we have no money to provide it for you."
Jiang Huaiyu was stunned upon hearing this, and turned her questioning gaze to Hao Shi.
Hao's gaze darted away, her tone calm yet resolute: "Huaiyu, I know your grievances, but who can blame me when you're not my biological daughter? The Jiang family raised you for fifteen years, which is a great kindness. Besides, Shuqin is about to marry into the Marquis's mansion, and a dowry that's too small would be inappropriate and might attract criticism. The Jiang family isn't exactly poor, but they're not wealthy either. After we've gathered enough for Shuqin's dowry, there really isn't any money left to prepare another one for you."
Jiang Huaiyu frowned deeply, her knuckles turning white from gripping the weight tightly.
In her previous life, she was betrothed to a noble family. Her father, Jiang Wenyuan, worked at the Imperial Academy. To preserve the family's reputation, he managed to raise more than ten boxes of dowry.
This time, she married into a poor family, yet he wouldn't even leave her a single copper coin.
She knew very well that she was not a member of the Jiang family and should not have any improper thoughts.
However, if a woman gets married without a dowry, she will be subject to criticism and disdain from others.
The Jiang family's actions have pushed her to the brink of despair, leaving her with no foothold.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
