In the 20th year of Jianxing, after the 15th, the New Year atmosphere faded, and every household put away their thoughts and began to prepare for the new year. Those who worked for the rich families also had to pack up and return to their masters' homes.

In the Changxing Marquis's mansion, a maid wearing a pink ruyi pattern jacket, an indigo pleated skirt, and two buns on her head lifted the curtain. She was playing with someone just now, and she was still smiling. When she saw the visitor, her smile froze.

However, Qiuye was a person who had played in the backyard, so she quickly concealed her true reaction and welcomed the visitor in with diligence and kindness.

"Fifth Miss, you come so early today. It's cold outside, please come in!"

Chu Jinyao did not go in directly. She imitated what she had secretly seen and bowed to Qiuye before she stood up and said, "Hello, Sister Qiuye. Is mother in there?"

Chu Jinyao was a young lady after all. Even if Qiuye was the head maidservant of Changxing Marquis' wife Zhao, there was really no need to be so polite. Nodding and saying hello would actually be enough.

But Chu Jinyao didn't know. Even if she knew, she didn't know how to nod or how to say hello. These things that were as natural as breathing and drinking water for the young ladies in the harem were too difficult for Chu Jinyao.

In fact, Chu Jinyao should be the fourth young lady, the second legitimate daughter of Madam Zhao, the principal wife of Changxing Marquis. But her fate was really a bit bumpy. When she was just born, the Tatars invaded the border. Zhao gave birth to a daughter outside, but she took the wrong daughter home and took another girl home, named Chu Jinmiao. Chu Jinyao was just found a few days ago, and Chu Jinmiao had stayed in the mansion for thirteen years. She had a deep relationship with her mother and maids. Her grandmother, Mrs. Chu, was reluctant to let her granddaughter, whom she had loved for thirteen years, go back. She simply decided to let both girls stay. Chu Jinmiao continued to be the fourth girl, and Chu Jinyao followed Chu Jinmiao in order and became the fifth girl.

Chu Jinyao grew up in a peasant family and knew nothing about the etiquette of the noble families. She was afraid of being laughed at by others, so she secretly observed how others performed greetings and talked, and then tried to learn by herself. In this way, she made many mistakes without knowing it, just like today's greetings.

Qiu Ye accepted Chu Jinyao's gift, returned the gift, and hurriedly welcomed Chu Jinyao in. The heavy sable curtain was put down to block the whistling cold wind, and the temperature in the main hall was better, and the cold air was no longer flowing in. Qiu Ye sighed and said, "It's really windy today. If the curtains are opened for too long, it won't be a big deal for us, but it will be bad if the madam is frozen."

Chu Jinyao was caught off guard and said quickly, "I didn't mean to do that. I didn't expect..."

"Fifth Miss, there's no need to say that. You are the master. Even if the mistake is huge, it's the fault of the servants." As he spoke, Qiu Ye frowned and stared at the people behind Chu Jinyao with wide eyes, "You two little rascals, the Fifth Miss just came back, did you just come back too? If you are so careless again, I'll make you pay!"

Dingxiang and Shancha behind Chu Jinyao hurriedly admitted their mistakes. Qiuye scolded her a few more times before her expression softened. She said, "That's enough. It's good that you can correct your mistakes. You should be careful next time you are on

duty!" This time, even Chu Jinyao could hear that her behavior was inappropriate. Qiuye couldn't say anything to her, so she scolded the maid who came with her to pay her respects.

Chu Jinyao felt bad and had implicated others for no reason. If she had done better, why would she let others take the blame for her?

In fact, Chu Jinyao was still confined by her original family when she thought like this. In the rich and powerful families, the young ladies who have not yet left the palace are all golden branches and jade leaves. If they make mistakes, being confined to their homes and copying the female ring is a severe punishment. The physical pains such as being beaten with a stick are all suffered by the subordinates. When someone makes the master think wrongly, why don't you, as a servant, remind him? Moreover, Dingxiang and Shancha were not wronged in the scolding. Chu Jinyao had just been found, and she did not know how to perform etiquette and greet. Didn’t Dingxiang and other servants know either? If they had given them a few reminders before leaving, things would not have turned out like this. However, Dingxiang was a taciturn person who could not utter a single word, and Shancha’s eyes were rolling around, and it was obvious that she was nervous, and she would not think about these things for her master.

Qiuye sighed in her heart, but this was all she could do. She was scolding them a few times, but she felt sorry for Chu Jinyao, who also grew up in a peasant family, because she was also sold to the marquis’ mansion from a peasant family. Qiuye would not do more.

This was the reality and cruelty in the wealthy families.

Nanny Zhang came out of the west room, very unhappy: "Who opened the curtain just now? Madam just got up and is still sweating. If Madam catches a cold, who will be responsible?"

Qiuye immediately bowed her head and apologized. Chu Jinyao was frightened and quickly said: "It has nothing to do with Qiuye. I opened it when I came in."

Nanny Zhang has never seen a rich lady rushing to admit her mistakes. Usually, any young lady would either ask the people around her to confess their crimes, or she would not admit it herself if she did something wrong. A sidelong glance would make the servants come forward to take the blame, not to mention that the fault was not Chu Jinyao's. After Chu Jinyao said this, Nanny Zhang really couldn't lose her temper. Even if she was Madam's maidservant, she was still a slave. How could she say anything wrong about her master?

Nanny Zhang had to change her expression immediately, and forced a smile and said, "It turns out that it is the Fifth Miss. The Fifth Miss came to pay her respects so early. Madam is dressing inside, please come in quickly."

Chu Jinyao thanked Nanny Zhang, and then tiptoed to the west room.

Nanny Zhang stepped aside to let Chu Jinyao go first, and then she followed. She looked at Chu Jinyao's back, and her movements were deliberately light, with complicated feelings in her heart.

Chu Jinyao is a legitimate girl, a proud girl who crawled out of Madam Zhao's belly, why should she be so polite and cautious? If it was the fourth young lady who grew up in front of the Madam, she would definitely start talking and laughing loudly as soon as she entered the door, and then she would run into the side room with a chuckle and fall into the Madam's arms, regardless of whether the Madam was combing her makeup or tying her hair. But when it came to Chu Jinyao, the Madam's real legitimate daughter, she was so cautious.

Aunt Zhang sighed. Who could have thought that such a thing that even operas dared not write about would actually happen in the first-class aristocratic family in Taiyuan Prefecture - the Changxing Marquis Mansion.

In the late autumn of the 19th year of Jianxing, that is, around October last year, the maid in the courtyard of Changxing Marquis's wife Zhao got drunk and started to brag to the maids in the other courtyard. She boasted that she was old and knew a lot about the Madam, even that the fourth young lady was not the Madam's biological child.

As soon as the maids heard this, they knew that the old woman was bragging. Who is the fourth girl? She is the second daughter of the mistress, the youngest child. She is the most precious child in her hand. How could she not be her biological daughter? If it was a normal day, the old woman would just brag and others would just listen to it for fun, and the matter would be over. However, it happened that the long-servant of the marquis passed by and heard this.

The long-servant went back and immediately reported it to the Marquis of Changxing. The Marquis of Changxing was annoyed when he heard it. It was a serious crime to make up stories about the master at will. What are these old women making up? The Marquis of Changxing immediately asked people to bring the maids in the backyard to him, and he personally questioned them. The old woman was frightened all of a sudden, and immediately knelt on the ground and told the Marquis of Changxing everything she knew. The

Marquis of Changxing did not believe it at first, but seeing that the old woman's words were so convincing, he also became suspicious. Finally, in order to prevent future troubles, he sent his own people to investigate the matter and clear his daughter's name. However, the investigation revealed that the fourth daughter, the most favored legitimate daughter in the Marquis's mansion, might not really be his daughter.

When the Marquis' wife, Zhao, was pregnant, the Tatars invaded the border and marched south, heading straight for the capital. Northern Zhili was in danger, and Shanxi was even more devastated. The Tatars killed and burned many places and looted everything, including Taiyuan Prefecture. The Marquis of Changxing was a well-known wealthy family in Taiyuan Prefecture, and was naturally the target of these barbarians. At that time, the Marquis of Changxing was leading his troops outside and could not take care of his family for a while, so the ladies and young ladies of the Marquis' mansion had to flee south in panic. Fortunately, the Marquis of Changxing soon led his troops to recapture Taiyuan, and the scattered family members were brought back one after another. The Marquis' wife, Zhao, was pregnant and frightened, and gave birth on the way to the south.

Everything was kept simple on the way to escape. They could not even save their lives, let alone the tools for giving birth. Zhao could only take

people to stay at the villagers' homes and gave birth to the child with great difficulty by using a few gold jewelry as a reward. At that time, the farmer had just given birth to a child, so they had to stay at home and did not flee south with the villagers. After Zhao gave birth safely, she asked a farmer's wife to feed her for several days before she left with her dowry. A few days later, the soldiers who came to take Zhao back to the mansion arrived.

After Zhao escaped from death and returned to the marquis's mansion, she doted on this daughter who had lived and died with her even more, even more than the eldest daughter. Zhao had a son and two daughters, who were ranked in age as the eldest daughter, the second young master, and the fourth daughter. During the escape, the eldest daughter was taken away by the old lady. After Zhao was separated from the others, she was left with only her wet nurse Zhang and the youngest daughter, the fourth daughter. After returning home, the fourth daughter was named Miao. She was the daughter of the Jin family and was doted on.

Changxing Hou was also very fond of this daughter who was born outside and suffered from displacement. However, now all kinds of signs tell him that Chu Jinmiao may not be his daughter. His real daughter was secretly replaced by that farmer's family during the war!

When Changxing Hou found out about this, he was furious and couldn't think about it for years. In a rage, Changxing Hou sent people to interrogate the old woman who let the secret slip that day. Later, the old woman confessed that she heard it from Zhang's dowry nanny when she was drinking with his wife in her early years. Nanny Zhang also had her suspicions at the time, but it was hard to talk about such things, so she kept it deep in her heart. Later, when she was drunk, she revealed it to the old woman. Many years later, it was heard by Marquis Changxing by accident.

Marquis Changxing thought about it for several days without saying a word. He did not alarm Mrs. Zhao or his mother, Old Madam Chu, but secretly asked someone to find the midwife. After the midwife left, Marquis Changxing sat in the room for a long time, and finally made up his mind to find his own flesh and blood.

His bloodline cannot be messed up, even if it is just a daughter.

Marquis Changxing made up an excuse and left the house just after the New Year. At that time, Mrs. Zhao was still complaining about him, why did he go out in the first month of the year? Marquis Changxing ignored her and went south, and found Chu Jinyao in a small village in the south of Shanxi.

At that time, Chu Jinyao was still called Su Yao.

Su Yao got up early that day and went out to collect firewood for the family as usual. When she came back with the firewood basket on her back, she looked back as if she had sensed something, and saw a man standing not far away, with a dignified aura and noble air, staring at her silently.

"Uncle, who are you looking for?"

Marquis Changxing said nothing, and he stared at her for a long time, then sighed to the sky.

The little girl in front of him was about thirteen years old. Because she had been doing farm work for many years, she was taller than the girls in the Marquis Changxing's mansion, but she was very thin, and her skin was slightly darkened by the sun. Her face was thin and pointed, and she looked unhealthy, but her eyes were surprisingly beautiful, so beautiful that one would think that she should not appear in such a village, but should be on a beautiful lady, raised in the palace, loved by thousands, and served by hundreds of people.

There was no mistake, the eyes and nose of this girl were almost exactly the same as his sister Chu Zhu. On the contrary, the fourth girl Chu Jinmiao had become more and more dull over the years, and she looked nothing like him.

Changxing Hou approached slowly and asked, "What's your name?"

Su Yao felt very strange, but still smiled sweetly and replied, "My name is Su Yao. You are not from here, are you lost?"

Changxing Hou did not answer Su Yao's question, but asked, "Yao? This doesn't seem like a name that a villager can come up with."

"Because my mother said that when I was born, a Taoist priest gave me a piece of jade, and he named me Yao, so our family called me that."

Changxing Hou looked at Su Yao's jade, which was a piece of clean and transparent jade with red flocs inside. It looked very valuable, and the red flocs inside were also very delicate, just like the moment when blood dripped into clear water and was imprisoned by white jade. Changxing Hou suddenly thought of the legend of blood dripping to identify relatives.

The year when Su Yao, or Chu Jinyao, was born, a wandering Taoist priest came to Taiyuan Prefecture. It was said that he was full of treasures and had a priceless jade that could bring the dead back to life. He came to the human world to find a master. The Marquis of Changxing didn't believe this rumor, but he thought that his child was about to be born. Regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl, a legitimate bloodline was always rare, so he wanted to find a good jade for the child so that he could make a life-saving jade lock for the child. He personally went to the Taoist priest, who took a look and said, "The jade is destined for your daughter, but I can't give it to you."

After hearing this, the Marquis of Changxing sneered and left. He was a marquis, and it was already a great honor for him to condescend to find a Taoist priest, but this Taoist priest didn't know how to behave and was full of nonsense. What does it mean that the jade is destined for the daughter, but cannot be given to the father? Let's not talk about whether Zhao is pregnant with a daughter or not. If the Taoist priest doesn't give it to him, how can it get into the hands of his daughter? Isn't it just to take the opportunity to raise the price.

Later, the Tatars invaded the border, and Changxing Hou led the troops to fight against the enemy, and soon forgot about this matter completely.

It was not until thirteen years later that Changxing Hou stood in front of Chu Jinyao and remembered this past.

"Uncle, it's time to come back to your senses!" Chu Jinyao smiled and said, "You can go out of the village by following this road to the north. I have to go back to chop firewood and boil water. I can't see you out. Otherwise, when my mother gets up, she will scold me again."

Changxing Hou frowned: "You are a little girl, and you still have to chop firewood and boil water?"

Not to mention the girls in the marquis' mansion, even the maids who serve the girls can't do these rough jobs. His legitimate daughters, the eldest and fourth daughters, had a wet nurse, two first-class maids, and four second-class maids to serve them since they were born. They were also accompanied by many servants sent by their elders. It can be said that they were always surrounded by people. When the fourth daughter Chu Jinmiao was learning needlework, she was pricked by a needle in her finger. Everyone gave her a lot of trouble, applying medicine and calling a doctor. But Chu Jinyao had to get up early in such a cold winter, go on the road to collect firewood, and after returning, she had to chop wood, boil water, and clean the yard. Chu Jinyao was his biological daughter! The Marquis of Changxing knew what kind of life the eldest and fourth daughters led, and that was why he felt very uncomfortable when he heard Chu Jinyao say that. What was even more infuriating was that this farmer deliberately swapped their daughters at birth, allowing their daughter Chu Jinmiao, who was supposed to be a farmer, to enter the Marquis' mansion to enjoy the splendor and wealth, while the real daughter of a marquis family was not only raised in their family without a good environment, but was even ordered around to work by them!

The Marquis of Changxing was furious, and at this time he had already made up his mind to take the little girl back to the mansion, keep her name, and follow the generation of girls in the clan to call her Jinyao. As for the surname Su, leave it to the farmer's own daughter.

Chu Jinyao didn't know what Changxing Hou was thinking at this time. She was still answering Changxing Hou's question seriously: "Yes, my sister is married, and I am the only girl in the family. Naturally, I should do all the housework. Oh, my mother is up, I have to go back..."

"No need to go back." Changxing Hou said, "Your surname is not Su. Come with me."

Chu Jinyao had a vague memory of what happened afterwards. Father Su, who always yelled and scolded at home, huddled aside and dared not speak. Mother Su, who scolded Chu Jinyao when she got angry with Father Su, cried and screamed with a shrill voice. Her younger brother Su Sheng also seemed to have become a quail. After hearing the whole story, her eldest sister Su Hui, who rushed home after hearing the news, suddenly became silent and looked at Chu Jinyao quietly.

Chu Jinyao was afraid of such a look. Later, she was taken away without explanation. She sat in a gorgeous carriage that she had never seen before, and cried and leaned out to see her home. None of her parents, who had lived together for thirteen years, came out to see her off. Only her eldest sister cried and ran all the way, and forced a cloth bag into her through the window of the carriage.

In the cloth bag were two clean cotton skirts, which were rare decent clothes in the family. Chu Jinyao knew that if her sister gave these to her, she would be scolded by Su's father and mother when she returned home. If Su's father got angry, it was possible that he would hit her. And who knows what her sister's husband's family would say.

Chu Jinyao cried so hard that her eyes were red until she got off the car.

The carriage stopped on a flat ground. Chu Jinyao looked up and saw the majestic Changxing Marquis Mansion.

Only then did Zhao know what Changxing Marquis had gone out of the mansion for.

Chu Jinyao stood in front of Zhao with her head down, feeling longing and shy. For a moment, she didn't even know what to do with her hands and feet.

However, her real mother looked her up and down several times, and waved her hand in disdain: "Take her out. She smells so earthy, it's really offensive."

Chu Jinyao was embarrassed immediately. The people in the village didn't have the conditions, and she was in a hurry, so she didn't take a good bath. When Chu Jinyao washed up, changed into clean clothes, and happily went to see her biological mother in the legend, she heard from the partition covered with smoke and gauze: "Madam, you don't seem to like...Miss Yao."

"What kind of lady is she? She just appeared out of nowhere, how can I know who she is? The Marquis is really, he believes everything he hears, and I don't know what cat or dog he picked up. Maybe someone deliberately set up a trap to deceive him."

"Madam..." Aunt Zhang sighed. Aunt Zhang knew more or less what happened in the past. As soon as she saw Chu Jinyao, she felt that this might be it. But as an outsider, she could see things clearly. However, Zhao had truly treated Chu Jinmiao as her daughter for thirteen years. Now, a daughter suddenly appeared. No one could accept it for a while.

"Send her away. I don't want to see her. I won't have a daughter like her. Where's Miao'er? Go and call Miao'er over!"

Chu Jinyao's face was already covered with tears. She bit her lips to prevent herself from making a sound and left quietly.

After returning to the room, Chu Jinyao threw herself on the quilt and cried. The jade pendant that she had worn since childhood fell out, and a strip of the red cotton inside disappeared imperceptibly.