The night was dark yet the daybreak appeared with fresh rays of light.
After the initial shock settled, Jiang Miao ordered her maidservants to bring her a mirror at once. Sensing the severity in the tone of their usually meek, timid Young Lady, they didn't dare think anything else and started looking for one.
The amenities Jiang Miao had were lacking. Her maidservants looked hard and for a long time, but only managed to retrieve a broken mirror. By then Jiang Miao had calmed down a bit.
She put the mirror before her and under the brightening of a sudden flash of lightning, she saw the visage before her.
It was hard to believe. The broken mirror reflected a face, a much younger face of a beautiful maiden who had yet to fully mature and become a woman. It was exactly her when she was just sixteen years old.
It was before she had to suffer at the hands of those who betrayed her.
It was before she foolishly decided to devote her life to a man who didn't deserve her sincere intentions.
It was before her maiden family was still alive and she had entered the oppressive harem of the Crown Prince.
She could still overturn the events and make up for the regrets of the past life.
Suddenly, Jiang Miao could not restrain herself and she laughed. She laughed while tears ran down her cheeks. She could not stop the grief of an entire lifetime that coursed through her.
She didn't cry in her last life, not even once. Even when she suffered the brutal treatment in the prison, she stubbornly refused to cry, holding onto the faint hope that she would not be abandoned. That the Eighth Prince would find it in his heart, if not affection then a little bit of pity and gratitude for all her sacrifices. Yet reality proved to be a hard slap that woke her up from that irrational dream.
And this time, she let herself cry as much as her heart wished. For this was going to be the last time she cried. After this, the ones who cried won't be her but her enemies.
Xiang Qiao and Zu Yu looked at their Young Lady, terrified. What had happened to their Lady? She had never worn such an expression
As the pair of maids were at their wit's end, luckily, their lady calmed down on her own. After taking the medicine, she fell into a peaceful sleep.
In the morning, even her fever had subsided completely.
When Xiang Qiao returned after arranging for the coal and checking why the kitchen had still not sent the breakfast, she found Jiang Miao sitting before the window while fiddling with a broken piece of jade. "Young Lady, why are you up so early? Please lie down, the fever might have subsided but what if your illness returns?" Xiang Qiao worriedly advised.
"It won't." Jiang Miao replied, putting back the piece of jade inside a wooden box.
"How can Young Lady be so sure?"
Jiang Miao turned her head and smiled at Xiang Qiao.
For a moment Xiang Qiao was dazzled. She was aware that under the camouflage of this dereliction, her Young Lady possessed an extreme beauty. Just like a bud in spring waiting to sprout and bloom into a beautiful flower of magnificent colors.
But the lack of personality and insufficiency of proper nurturing had brought her charm down a notch. On top of that, with her having recurrent illness ever since she arrived in the countryside, her inner glitter seemed to have lost its shine. The weariness seemed to have put a layer of blurry mist over her natural glamour.
Yet at this time, there seemed to be something in her Young Lady that stood out, proudly and stubbornly, refusing to submit. Perhaps it was the slight tilt of her tender lips, perhaps it was the manner of her sitting, with her back straight and her hands folded before, or perhaps it was this strange newfound glow in her eyes.
"Xiang Qiao, you have always been wise." Jiang Miao suddenly said, snapping Xiang Qiao out of her thoughts, "Don't tell me you haven't had some guesses on why I keep getting sick?"
Xiang Qiao's movements paused for a second before she quickly closed the doors checked the windows and after making sure that no one was listening, she walked closer to Jiang Miao. "Actually I want to tell Young Lady something." Xiang Qiao chewed her lower lip.
Xiang Qiao was afraid to say but after last night, when her lady dwindled at the doors of the death, Xiang Qiao had already decided this matter could not be held any longer.
"This servant had suspicions but I had no proof. Therefore I didn't inform the Young Lady. It has already been six months since we came here, I believe there is something wrong with Young Lady's meals."
After saying her part, Xiang Qiao stood still with her eyes down.
"So," Jiang Miao even voice flowed to her, "You believe someone is tampering with my food, wishing to harm me?"
"That... I... I didn't mean to..."
"It so happen, I also think so."
Xiang Qiao was speechless. Looking up she found neither disbelief nor panic in Jiang Miao's eyes, rather a small smile.
"Does Young Lady really believe me?"
However, just at this moment, there was an interruption. A loud bang shattered the peace of the serene morning and a rough woman walked in carrying a tray of food.
"This servant is here to serve Young Lady breakfast under Madam Zhang instructions." The servant's name was Tian Yuan, and she was a worker in the kitchen.
When Jiang Miao first came into its countryside house, her grandmother, afraid that the countryside dishes might not meet her taste, asked Li Furen to send a servant from the kitchen staff from the capital. Tian Luan was selected by the Furen.
She was the cook Jiang Miao's stepmother 'specially' sent to cater to her tastes. Yet, surprisingly, forget about eating dishes that were to one's tastes, even Jiang Miao's rations dwindled slowly till she barely had enough to fill her stomach.
Zu Yu could not take it lying down and they went to confront the kitchen staff multiple times yet they were in the end just servants. A random excuse was thrown that there was not enough ration in the countryside and all of it had been used. Though they could fight with words until their mouth ran dry, Jiang Miao's maidservants were in the end just servants. So they often came back disappointed.
They urged Jiang Miao to speak but Jiang Miao, a young sheltered Lady who had been pampered and never been slighted, had never raised her voice at someone. How could she have the heart to confront those rough-looking, clever-mouthed servants?
Now recalling everything, Jiang Miao's smile returned. Sitting in the same position, she looked at Tian Yuan.
Some people needed preparation to deal with. But people like this, just a mere servant, won't take much from Jiang Miao to take care of.