Chapter 1 The woman under the brocade quilt looked as if she were dead, her voice sharp...
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Since ancient times, the area under the emperor's feet has always been the most prosperous place in the country.
Donglin City was the power center of the Great Ye Dynasty. The city was centered around the Changming Palace, and more than a hundred alleys crisscrossed in all directions, including the Elephant and Horse Markets.
Horse Market was a distribution center for goods from all over the country outside the capital. It was lined with all kinds of shops, selling everything from cloth and tea to local specialties and imported goods. The surrounding area was mostly inhabited by wealthy merchants. Elephant Market was full of restaurants, singing houses, bookstores and teahouses, and the surrounding area was dotted with the residences of high-ranking officials and nobles.
The Yu family's residence is located in Chongde Lane on the outskirts of Xiang City.
As the Awakening of Insects arrives, the yang energy rises.
In this weather of fluctuating temperatures, it is fitting to drink wine made from millet and red dates, and to eat pears stored before the New Year. Pears are a rare treat at this time of year, but the Yu family has prepared plenty, so even the lowest-ranking servant can enjoy the sweet and delicious taste of pears on this day.
The reason is simple: Yu Liuzhu, the only legitimate daughter of Yu Zhiheng, the head of the Yu family, was born on the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects) sixteen years ago.
Today, Yu Liuzhu is hosting a banquet at her Liufang Pavilion, inviting only the ladies of prominent families who are her close friends. The pavilion is draped with gauze curtains, the wine is served in a gentle breeze, and the elegant ladies are in their prime. Among the sea of pink, green, and yellow, a splash of red stands out most strikingly.
The girl was dressed in red with black hair, her hair adorned with shimmering gold and jade. She had a beautiful face with a begonia flower ornament on her forehead. Her delicate features and elegant demeanor were captivating. She was surrounded by a crowd and was chatting with someone from time to time.
"These pears are sweeter than last year's. I heard they are from new trees that Madam transplanted to the estate a few years ago. Madam and Master really dote on their eldest daughter. If I could be reborn into such a family in my next life, all the suffering I have in this life would be worth it."
"You're talking nonsense! You can't say things like that. If Madam hears you, you'll get a beating. How could we possibly be worthy of the eldest daughter's destiny? Even those born on the same day in the same household as her are worlds apart. Look at the cousin."
"Who says otherwise? I don't know what fate has befallen my cousin. She's been missing a soul since she was little, and she's always dull and lifeless. Her eyes are like two big holes, and they're so dark they're frightening. It's only thanks to my great-aunt's close supervision that nothing bad has happened to her all these years."
"It's no use keeping a close watch on her, you don't know that, do you? I heard that Miss Cousin somehow ended up here today and even fell into the water."
The two maids who were speaking were standing opposite the waterside pavilion. Judging from their attire, they were probably second-class maids in the manor. The cousin they were referring to was the daughter of Yu Qingxue, Yu Zhiheng's younger sister.
Eighteen years ago, Yu Qingxue married Su Qihe, the son of Imperial Censor Su, and only a year later, the Su family was embroiled in the struggle for the throne, siding with the then Second Prince. After the Second Prince's rebellion failed, he committed suicide, and all his followers were punished.
The Su family was sentenced to have their property confiscated and be exiled. The Yu family made every effort to secure a successful divorce for Yu Qingxue and Su Qihe.
Not long after Yu Qingxue returned home, she discovered she was pregnant. Her mother, Madam Xie, tried to persuade her not to keep the child, fearing it would cause trouble. She argued that only by aborting the fetus could she let go of the past and start anew. But she refused and insisted on giving birth to the child, which happened to be on the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects) sixteen years ago.
Over the years, the mother and daughter have lived a secluded life, residing in the most remote and tranquil courtyard in the entire mansion. The bamboo forest stretches out like a green sea, and the pines and cypresses intertwine like green umbrellas. This corner of the land is far from the hustle and bustle, seemingly nestled in the mountains and forests, perfectly embodying the words "tranquility" inscribed on the plaque.
A maidservant knelt in the courtyard, soaking wet and shivering, looking utterly pitiful. Two old women stood outside the door; the older one frowned, looking at the maidservant with pity. The younger one, with her hair neatly combed into a bun, drooped her eyes, lost in thought.
Apart from the sandalwood incense, the room was filled with the scent of medicine. The simple furniture and lack of ornate decorations gave the room an inexplicable sense of gloom, with only a few pears in the fruit bowl on the table adding a touch of freshness.
Two people stood by the bed: one was Xie Shi, and the other was Yu Qingxue.
Born into a scholarly family, Xie lost her husband at a young age and raised her two children alone. Fortunately, her son, Yu Zhiheng, was a bright student who passed the imperial examinations and became a scholar. He is now an official in the Jixian Hall.
Although she came from a humble background, her bone structure and facial features were outstanding, and she possessed a strong sense of integrity. Even in her later years, she remained as dignified as ever. Her dark brown embroidered brocade dress made her look very proper and dignified.
"Didn't the doctor say he was out of danger? Why hasn't he woken up yet?"
The person beneath the brocade quilt appeared as if dead, with thick bangs covering almost half of her eyebrows, a small face the size of a palm, a pointed chin, and a deathly pale complexion. Even with her eyes closed and seemingly lifeless, her exquisite features still shone with undeniable beauty.
"Mother, Ali will be alright. If anything happens to her, how can I survive?" Yu Qingxue cried out in grief, her body swaying as she gently touched the girl's face with trembling hands. "Ali, wake up, please, wake up quickly."
She was dressed in plain clothes, her face bare, and her simple hair tied up with only a jade hairpin, yet it could not conceal her natural beauty. Because of years of vegetarianism and Buddhist chanting, she was covered in the scent of sandalwood, and apart from a string of Buddhist beads on her wrist, she wore no other ornaments.
Although she wasn't very old, she had a kind of aged air about her. Even her closest relatives often saw her and felt sorry for her when they thought about it, especially her own mother, Madam Xie.
Seeing her like this, Xie felt as if her heart was being slashed to pieces with a knife, and she was in unbearable pain. She hugged her tightly.
She finally couldn't hold back and cried softly. "Ali has always been different from other children. I've always been afraid something would happen to her, so I've never dared to relax my vigilance for a moment. Who would have thought that if I hadn't kept an eye on her, she would have run to the east courtyard. The east courtyard is lively today; she must have been attracted by the music and ran forward without paying attention, which is why she accidentally fell into the water..."
The girl on the bed remained completely oblivious, showing no reaction whatsoever.
After a while, she wiped away her tears and said, "Mother, Ali is the most sensible and well-behaved. She will definitely miss me. She will wake up."
Thinking of her granddaughter's empty eyes and silent demeanor, Xie felt her heart breaking even more. This child was far from being sensible and well-behaved; she was clearly someone who, as the high monk had said, had lost a part of her soul, and her every word and action was different from ordinary people.
"Qingxue, if something really happens to Ali... we can't keep it from your brother and sister-in-law any longer."
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingxue paused for a moment, then bit her lip and knelt down before Madam Xie.
Madam Xie couldn't bear to see her like this, so she quickly helped her up, feeling extremely distressed.
Tears streaming down her face, her eyes pleading, "Mother, it's all my fault. I didn't take good care of Ali. I deserve to die. All my mistakes are my fault. Tang'er's marriage to the Mu family has already been arranged, and we're just waiting for the formal announcement. If we reveal her true parentage now, will the Mu family still be willing?"
“But Ah Li, this child…” Madam Xie looked at the person on the bed again with a look of pity on her face.
This child looks like Qingxue. When Qingxue was this age, she was in the prime of her youth, as beautiful as a spring pine and as glorious as an autumn chrysanthemum, making countless young men in the capital yearn for her.
Both being eldest daughters of the Yu family, this child...
“Qingxue, you initially said it would only take a few years, until your brother and sister-in-law had taken good care of Tang’er and then you could switch her back. Now, sixteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. If anything happens to Ali, how am I supposed to explain this to your brother and sister-in-law?”
"Ali will definitely be alright, Mother, I beg you. Please, do us a favor and let Tang'er marry into the Marquis's mansion smoothly before we let Ali go back, okay?"
"But what if..."
“Mother, Ali is already like this, it’s hard for her to find a good marriage. You can’t let Tang’er suffer because of her.”
Madam Xie hesitated, looking at the unconscious child on the bed, feeling extremely conflicted.
Yu Qingxue's face was covered in tears, which dripped onto the Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist, making the sight even more heartbreaking. If people who knew her from back then were to see her again, they probably wouldn't recognize her.
Heartbroken and choking back tears, she cried, “Mother, my life is unfortunate, this is how it is for me… I ask for nothing more than that my daughter not be burdened by her parents, and have everything she originally had… free from worries and suffering, and marry a good man and live a smooth life.”
Both daughters were her flesh and blood, and Madam Xie was torn. Thinking of her daughters' troubled marriage prospects, she sighed softly. If she had been more careful in choosing a husband back then, perhaps things wouldn't be like this today.
"Qingxue, it's all my fault."
"Mother, don't say that. This is my fate."
The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried their eyes out.
The room was filled with grief, which weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
After an unknown amount of time, the girl on the bed let out a soft moan, her long, curled eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with confusion, before sitting up straight.
Her eyes seemed fixed on them, meeting Yu Qingxue's gaze.
Yu Qingxue's heart skipped a beat. After regaining her senses, she rushed forward with joy, "Ali, you're awake! You scared your mother to death!"
The girl seemed oblivious to her tears and joy; her dark eyes held no emotion, yet even in this lifeless and dull state, she still possessed extraordinary beauty. Even with her bangs obscuring half her face, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Who are you?"
She was startled, then her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. "Ah Li, what... what's wrong with you?"
Shen Qinglu also wanted to know what was wrong with her.
Like a dream, yet not a dream; absurd and bizarre.
The doors, windows, and furniture she saw were all made of wood, an antique style unfamiliar to her. And the woman in front of her looked somewhat similar to herself, but she didn't inspire any sense of closeness; instead, she exuded an inexplicable eeriness.
This is not a dream!
Because the dead cannot dream.
"who I am?"
Madam Xie sensed something was wrong, and a hint of anticipation flickered in her eyes. "Ali, are you clear-headed now?"
The high monk once said that if the child's soul were to return to its rightful place one day, he would regain his normal mind.
Shen Qinglu's eyes moved slightly as she slowly looked at her. Her previously empty and lifeless pupils suddenly lit up. "Grandmother."
At first, she was stunned, then overjoyed, and burst into tears of happiness. "Ah Li, what did you call me? You recognize me... You're better now, are you alright?"
“I…I am called Ali.”
Shen Qinglu murmured, as if talking to herself.
This is yet another name change.
As she thought this, she slowly lowered her eyelids.
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