4.
Shu Yan caused a scene in the ancestral hall for several days. When she finally realized we were truly determined to punish her, she flew into a rage and screamed and wailed.
Half a month later, she was released on the very day we entered Yun Dao’s name in the family register and held a banquet for our guests.
His Majesty praised my father lavishly for taking in the daughter of a fallen soldier. At the victory banquet, Father’s soldiers pooled their money to give him a gift.
A group of old soldiers who never shed a tear even when they bled in battle now spoke to my father with red-rimmed eyes, saying they had followed a fine commander and were willing to go through fire and water for him.
It was all because Father treated the children of soldiers whose station was like their own as if they were his own.
Father felt deeply fortunate that he had decided to punish Shu Yan and confine her to the ancestral hall that day. Even my elder sister had a suitable match come asking for her hand, and Mother was so happy she wept.
So when Shu Yan came out and saw that we wanted to enter Yun Dao’s name in the family register, she caused a scene. For the first time, Father and Mother took our side and reprimanded her.
She broke down and said, “I’m your daughter! I’m your younger sister! She’s nothing but a slut—what gives her the right to steal your affection from me!”
I watched it all coldly. This was only the beginning. I wanted Yun Dao to become the Shu family’s Fourth Young Lady, openly and honorably. I wanted her to enjoy all the love and affection in the world from then on.
5.
Just as in my previous life, the first thing Xue Lin did after returning from the border was visit my home and discuss marriage with my parents.
He was the prince least favored by His Majesty, and he needed a marriage alliance with the general’s residence more than anyone else.
In my previous life, the general’s residence had helped him rise to power, but he repaid us by killing the very people who had helped him. The first thing he did after ascending the throne was destroy the general’s household.
He had Shu Yan testify against Father, accusing him of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. He manipulated Shu Yan, telling her that the child in her womb was her only true family, and that the general’s residence would become the greatest threat to her son once he ascended the throne.
The general’s residence was her maternal family. A woman belonged to her husband’s family after marriage; she was no longer part of the Shu family.
The imperial family was her family now. After she died, she would be buried in the imperial mausoleum, not in the Shu family cemetery.
Such utter nonsense—and Shu Yan had taken it as gospel and obeyed him. Just as in my previous life, the moment Shu Yan first saw Xue Lin, she fell for him. She cried and made a scene, insisting she wanted to marry him.
Once Xue Lin learned that Shu Yan liked him, he neither accepted nor rejected her. He even went out of his way to act flirtatious whenever they were together.
After all, rumors that the general’s residence doted on its youngest daughter had circulated throughout the capital for more than a decade. Compared with me, the Second Young Lady, whom they treated with cool indifference, marrying Shu Yan would naturally give him more leverage over Father.
To marry Xue Lin, Shu Yan even resorted to faking suicide. One moment she jumped into a lake, the next she tried to hang herself, and then she hurled herself against a wall.
In the end, my parents still cared about her and reluctantly came to me. But this time, Yun Dao, my elder sister, and my older brother all stood on my side.
My elder sister had always been gentle, and for years Mother had taught her to set an example as the eldest daughter. But this time, she made an exception and asked our parents, “Father, Mother, you’ve always made us give in to Shu Yan. Do we deserve to be treated this way?”
“We’ve given up our food and clothes for her, and now even Second Sister’s marriage has to be sacrificed. Mother, what did Second Sister do wrong?”
“Is it because she’s sensible? Or because we’re sensible too? Does that mean we deserve to suffer these losses?”
My older brother also said gravely, “Father, Mother, treating us this way will only break our hearts and make us lose hope in this family.”
Just as our parents began to waver, a maid came running in, stumbling and crawling, her voice trembling as she leaned close to my ear and whispered, “This is bad, this is bad!”
I suppressed my delight. The fish had taken the bait; now I could slowly reel in the net. Everyone’s eyes turned to me, and Mother asked what had happened.
My face went white. I swayed as if I were about to collapse, covered my face, and sobbed feebly, “Shu Yan—she, she dared to do something indecent with Xue Lin! And in our own home!”
My father sprang to his feet. “Wasn’t he in the front courtyard admiring the lotus flowers?”
All the maids and servants in the inner courtyard had been sent to the front courtyard. The general’s entire inner residence was deserted, like a dead house.
My parents seemed to age many years in an instant. They stood outside the door, afraid to go in, their eyes pleading helplessly with me.
I took my elder sister’s hand and said, “Father, Mother, neither my sister nor I is married yet. We shouldn’t be the ones handling something like this, but family scandals mustn’t get out. We’ll have to do it ourselves today.”
My elder sister and I pushed the door open. A maid was standing guard outside. The moment she saw us, she panicked and was about to shout an alarm, but I clamped a hand over her mouth and shoved her toward the matron behind me. “Take her away and beat her to death.”
For years, Shu Yan had been spoiled rotten in the general’s residence. The whole family gave in to her, which only made her more arrogant.
Even the maids at her side were overbearing and had no respect for rank. Now that I was back, of course I wouldn’t pass up such a perfect chance to make an example of one and frighten the rest.
The maid’s death would teach the unruly servants who fawned on Shu Yan in the general’s residence to behave themselves and do their jobs properly from then on.
When Shu Yan saw my elder sister and me, she wasn’t the least bit flustered. Instead, she snuggled closer and nestled into Xue Lin’s sleeping arms. “Second Sister, he’s mine.”
She was showing that hateful side of herself again. I splashed water on Xue Lin, and he jolted awake, clutching at his clothes in alarm. “Second Young Lady, I, I…”
What a clumsy performance. This was, after all, a family matter of the general’s household, so Xue Lin was asked to leave.
I said to Shu Yan, “Father and Mother are outside.”
She wasn’t afraid at all. “What’s done is done. Father and Mother won’t blame me. Second Sister, I know you hate me, and I hate you too. From now on, Xue Lang is going to be my husband. If you dare harbor any designs on him, I’ll kill you!”
Elder Sister was trembling with anger. She had always been gentle, and this was the first time she’d ever flown into such a rage. She dragged Shu Yan off the bed and slapped her twice without the slightest mercy. “Someone! Someone! Lock her in the woodshed! Wait until late tonight, then take her to the country estate!”
Shu Yan covered her face in shock. She couldn’t believe that Elder Sister, who had always doted on and indulged her, would lay a hand on her.
She viciously flung Elder Sister’s hand away and attacked her. “You wretch! How dare you hit me? I’m the future princess consort. Who are you? You’re so old you can’t even find a husband, so you can only sit at home and live off your parents. Who do you think would ever want you?”
“Everyone in the capital knows what a laughingstock you are. You deserve not to have a single marriage proposal!”
Elder Sister’s eyes immediately reddened. I held Shu Yan back; she was still afraid I might strike her. For the past few years, I’d followed Father on campaigns far from home and rarely returned. Even when I did, I spent my time drilling with weapons.
Shu Yan knew how skilled I was. If I laid a hand on her, she might not be able to get out of bed for a month—and she was still waiting to see Xue Lin.
I picked up the clothes from the floor and tossed them at her face. “What are you standing around for? Hurry and take Third Young Lady to change.”
Once everyone had left the room, Elder Sister sank into an embroidery chair and silently wept. Every word Shu Yan had spoken was like a thorn driven into the most tender place in her heart.
Elder Sister and the young lord of the Chu family had been childhood sweethearts, betrothed since they were young. Because of Shu Yan, the Chu family’s head had come to despise our daughter and made the young lord break off the engagement.
The young lord of the Chu family hadn’t wanted to, but he couldn’t defy his parents and had been forced to remain in the army camp all this time, refusing to return.
I helped Elder Sister to her feet. “Sister, as long as Shu Yan hasn’t been struck from the Shu family register, the Shu family won’t know a day’s peace. It’s not just you at stake, but our parents’ and older brother’s careers, and the lives of our whole family. If we don’t root out this cancer, the wound will never heal.”
The gentleness in Elder Sister’s eyes gave way to hatred. “Then we’ll make her disappear.”