Chapter 1
The late autumn weather was so cold that people shivered. Few people came to the deserted village, and the whole place was desolate and dilapidated. The woman standing under the porch was thin and looked as if she could be blown away by a stronger wind.
The maid brought a cloak from inside the room, her eyes full of worry. "Madam, it's windy at the door. Please take good care of yourself."
"Cough! Cough cough!"
A heart-wrenching cough erupted, as if the person needed to cough up their heart and lungs to feel better.
The maid patted her back, silently patting her back to help her catch her breath, and quickly draped a cloak over her shoulders. But the cloak was only a thin layer and couldn't keep out the cold wind at all.
It's to no avail.
"What day is it today?"
Maid: "It's already November, and it's so cold. The charcoal fire food on the estate won't last much longer. My lord should be arriving soon, right?"
Her butterfly-like eyelashes trembled, and Manjushri turned her face. Her bright and beautiful features were extremely delicate, but her porcelain-white skin had an extra layer of sickness, making her look both gentle and fragile.
The maid stared in astonishment at her profile. Such beauty was rare even in the entire capital. It was only a pity that she came from a humble background, otherwise...
She stopped herself from speaking in her mind, and then heard Manjushri speak.
"Even now, you still believe he will come?"
The maid was startled and said hastily, "Madam?"
He was sent to the estate overnight on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, ostensibly to recuperate, but in reality to be imprisoned, and has been there for more than two months now.
The Ningyuan Marquis's family has produced officials for generations, and Pei Lingjun, the heir apparent of the Ningyuan Marquis, is even more outstanding, excelling in both literature and martial arts. He is as pure and ethereal as the moon in the sky, untouched by worldly concerns.
How many women in the capital admired and adored him?
Yet this very person had a romantic relationship with her, the daughter of a disgraced official. It's no wonder that everyone in the capital said she was unworthy of her position and quite scheming, and they couldn't wait for Pei Lingjun to divorce her.
And now, they've finally gotten what they wanted, haven't they?
With a "bang".
Without warning, the door to the house was separated from the yard, and just then, one could see the yard gate being violently smashed open and a person being thrown in.
Those were the servants who worked on the estate.
"Madam! These people forced their way in, and I couldn't stop them!"
The servant got up from the ground, and seven or eight people came in behind him.
Wen Shu recognized the one in the lead; she recognized Cao Mama, the most favored servant of the First Madam.
"If you can't stop her, then don't." Upon seeing Granny Cao, Wen Shu felt a sense of calm settle down after more than two months of wandering since arriving at the estate.
The long-awaited ending has finally arrived.
“Miss Wen is a smart woman,” said Granny Cao, her hands tucked into her sleeves, her eyes never straying from Wen Shu’s side, as if she felt utterly disgusted. “She knows that this is still the Pei family’s estate. And since it’s the Pei family’s estate, how can she possibly stop the Pei family?”
They treated Wen Shu like an outsider in every way.
The maidservant, somewhat indignant, struggled with tears welling in her eyes, saying, "What do you mean? Isn't Madam still the young master's woman?"
Although the voice was loud, it sounded like a show of bravado without substance.
Wen Shu stopped her, "Caizhi, stop talking."
"What brings you here today, Granny?"
The voice was very flat.
Granny Cao finally gave her a proper look, and with a slight wave of her hand, the two guards beside her closed the courtyard gate.
"Having heard that the young lady loves to drink pear blossom wine, the young master specially brought it for his wife to try."
A servant brought over a pot of wine, its bluish-gray glaze as gray as the day itself. Wen Shu understood, blinked slowly, and said to Cai Zhi, "Pear Blossom Wine with Almond Cake is the most delicious combination. Cai Zhi, why don't you go to the street and buy some?"
"Can..."
Caizhi wanted to say something more, but seeing Wenshu's look, she hesitated and agreed.
After the person left, a servant brought wine and placed it beside Wen Shu.
She calmly poured herself a glass of wine, holding it in her hand, completely unaware that her fingertips were icy cold. "Why didn't he come to see me off on my final journey?"
This sounds like a question to someone else, but also like talking to oneself.
If it weren't for Granny Cao being there, she might not have even heard what she said.
Granny Cao stood outside for a long time, feeling very cold from the freezing weather. She frowned and said impatiently, "The young master and the princess are getting married soon, and they can't spare the time, so they can only ask this old servant to pass it on to them."
Is he really going to marry the princess soon?
Indeed, Pei Lingjun and the princess were childhood sweethearts. If she hadn't interfered, they would have married long ago in accordance with the imperial decree.
Fortunately, things have gotten back on track.
"Madam Wen, drink it." Granny Cao urged.
"The maids and servants in the courtyard are all from the Pei family. They have done nothing wrong. Would you make things difficult for them, Granny?"
Since it was likely that she was about to die, Granny Cao chimed in, "Of course not. Madam died of illness on her own. It can only be said that she was unlucky. What does it have to do with the servants of the Pei family? Madam is overthinking it."
"Too."
Wen Shu held the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
The sweet and refreshing pear flavor fills your mouth; it's as delicious as ever.
Granny Cao beckoned two people over and stood a little further away herself. "Help her inside, then lock the door. It's freezing cold in the dead of winter. Hurry back and report."
The maid seemed to sense something was amiss. Seeing the two guards drag the person inside, she whispered, "Shouldn't we wait until he's dead before we leave?"
Granny Cao, with a handkerchief under her handkerchief, picked up the celadon wine pot. "The poison in this wine is fatal upon contact with blood; even a god couldn't save you."
The door slammed shut.
She coughed up a mouthful of black blood, which soaked the plain-colored bedding. Wen Shu opened her eyes and watched as the door was locked from the outside.
It's as if everyone has a fleeting glimpse of their life before they die. Even with the poison reaching her lungs, her eyes glazed over, and her vision blurred, a clear image of a person remained in her mind.
She wore a white jade robe and a blue hairband, her graceful figure resembling that of a celestial being.
Such a person shouldn't be on the same path as her.
But she didn't realize that she had inevitably fallen into a carefully planned scheme, which ultimately led to her becoming like this.
The venom corrodes the organs, causing severe throbbing pain.
Wen Shu shrank back, trying to curl herself up to resist the overwhelming pain.
"Mother...it hurts so much..."
"...pain..."
Cold sweat poured out layer by layer. Wen Shu thought that if people really had an afterlife, she never wanted to meet Pei Lingjun again.
Something fell out from her wide sleeves, rolled to the edge of the couch, and landed on the floor with a crisp sound.
The exquisite concentric pendant was broken into several pieces.
The person on the bed had their eyes closed, and the pain that had been etched on their brow suddenly eased as they breathed their last.
——
Anyang City.
The sky, which had been bright and sunny, suddenly became overcast, thunder roared, and raindrops, like beads from a broken string, pelted down.
The maid in the courtyard exclaimed "Oh dear!" and, looking at the yard full of dried medicinal herbs, shouted, "Quickly! Quickly, collect the herbs!"
Several people, their faces covered, rushed over in a hurry.
The courtyard suddenly became chaotic. Hanxiang came over from the veranda carrying a bowl of medicine and said, "Be quiet, the young lady is still asleep."
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