The entire room reeked of medicine, almost causing one to retch, yet all the doors and windows were tightly sealed.
The person amid layers of curtains furrowed their brows tightly, looking as if they had been dragged out of water, and abruptly sat up from their bedding.
Pale as paper, their face was covered in cold sweat.
Yan Wanqing gasped for air, her mind buzzing with noise.
Haunted by nightmares, she saw herself covered in wounds, driven to a cliff, while the man she wholeheartedly supported gloated and spoke.
He spoke about how he, a Prince who was once not favored, used her, the foolish eldest daughter of the Yan Family, to rise step by step and eventually succeeded in deposing the senior to establish the junior by seizing the Emperor's favor.
He talked about how those years saw the Yan Family, of over a hundred people, being torn apart and led down a path of destruction.
He mentioned how the people of the Yan Family, fearless of death, had knelt, begging him desperately to spare her life…
"The prominent Yan Family for centuries, reduced to mere bones. Yan Wanqing, all this is the best gift you gave me."
Out of fuel and light, Yan Wanqing finally met her end pierced by an arrow, falling off the cliff, her body not found intact.
Recalling past life's numerous events, wrapped by the weakness of typhoid, Wanqing actually coughed out fresh blood forcibly.
Looking at the smear of bright red in the palm of her hand, she was filled with endless regret.
Intelligent in her lifetime, yet she misjudged people, entrusted her family, thinking she could protect the lineage, yet ended up in such a predicament!
Had it not been for her support, Xiao Hongshen, born from a Palace Maid, wouldn't have possibly ascended to the position of Crown Prince no matter his scheming!
Yes, Xiao Hongshen was right, she had handed him the world.
But if she could secure the world for him, she could also secure it for others!
Yan Wanqing's clear eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, encased in hatred and rage.
Since she had come back to life.
This life! Xiao Hongshen, it's a fight to the death!
As coughing sounds resounded outside, someone pushed the door and entered, Wanqing quickly composed herself.
"Miss, you're awake?" The curtains were drawn aside, and the personal maid Cong Ge walked in.
When Yan Wanqing saw Cong Ge, her heart ached even more.
In her previous life, this maid and her fifth sister had both died under the swords of the Imperial Court.
As soon as Cong Ge saw the blood on Yan Wanqing's palm, her face paled in shock, "Miss, you're coughing up blood?"
She drew back the curtains and shouted outside, "Cong Huan, hurry to the elder lady's place and summon the doctor!"
Yet Yan Wanqing held her hand, "There's no need."
Cong Ge hesitated, "But Miss, you're coughing up blood…"
Yan Wanqing firmly shook her head.
This was a sickness of the heart, beyond any doctor's healing.
Her hatred, her resentment could only be cured with Xiao Hongshen's heart's blood!
"What day is it today?" she took the handkerchief from Cong Ge and wiped her palm clean of the fresh blood.
"The third day of the twelfth lunar month," Cong Ge worriedly looked at Yan Wanqing, "It's the day the Wang Family proposed marriage to the fifth sister."
This statement, like a hammer, abruptly awakened the benumbed Yan Wanqing.
So she had been reborn on this day.
She paused for a moment, a tear involuntarily falling from the corner of her eye.
With the memories of her past life, she knew the man her fifth sister was to marry was named Wang Shujian, a jerk who rose in rank by slandering the Yan Family as traitors colluding with enemies!
The men of the Yan Family had all followed their father, the Duke of the Nation, to guard Governor's Office Pass, already for over half a year.
But Yan Wanqing knew deep in her heart that in just six months, they would receive news of defeat, followed immediately by the fall of Governor's Office Pass, with no male from the Yan Family left alive!
The Emperor, having lost the Governor's Office Pass, turned a blind eye to the death of fourteen members of the Yan Family in battle, yet he placed considerable trust in the baseless accusations fabricated by Wang Shujian of the Yan Family colluding with external foes. Within just a day, an Imperial Edict for the execution of the entire family arrived at the doorstep of the Yan Family.
Meanwhile, Wang Shujian's marriage to the fifth daughter of the Yan Family was nothing more than him capitalizing on his status as Duke to secure a better prospect for himself; otherwise, how could a poor scholar without any background hope for other opportunities in the complex social networks of the Capital City?
After the incident, he ruthlessly severed all ties with the Yan Family, even kicking out his prematurely born sister-in-law and her child!
Poor fifth sister, from the moment she was married, had never seen a good day, suffering from hunger and cold. During her pregnancy, she was tormented and worn thin by her cruel mother-in-law and sisters-in-law; giving birth was a matter near to death. Yet at that time, as news of the Yan family men's defeat had just reached the Capital City, the whole Yan household was already too preoccupied to spare a thought for the life or death of the fifth sister.
Even so, the fifth sister, when the Yan Family was falsely accused of rebellion, dragged her frail body, holding her infant and standing with the servants to block the military troops and died to allow Yan Wanqing to escape!
Poor nephew, not even a month old, died on the streets with the fifth sister...
Tears nearly spilled from Yan Wanqing's eyes as she reflected on these past events.
Standing beside her, Cong Ge was shocked, noticing her mistress had changed a lot after this bout of cold.
She couldn't help but cry out, "Mistress..."
Yan Wanqing immediately dismissed the weakness on her face, "Help me get up and change my clothes."
In this lifetime, she would never allow her fifth sister to marry the despicable Wang Shujian!
After changing clothes, Yan Wanqing had Cong Ge apply a layer of rouge to feign good health.
At that moment, news came from the front courtyard; the Wang Family's people were waiting outside.
In her former life, burdened by illness, she hadn't intervened, allowing the Wang Family to successfully set a marriage with the Duke's residence and within a month, Wang Shujian had used this connection to gain a promotion.
Carefully dressed, Yan Wanqing and Cong Ge finally opened the door, just as a maid in a pink leather jacket rushed towards them, nearly bumping into Yan Wanqing.
Cong Ge caught her, frowning, "Cong Huan, what is with this recklessness?!"
Thinking how she had just called out to Cong Huan with no response, and now she had almost collided with the mistress, her expression grew even darker.
Cong Huan, scolded, felt somewhat indignant.
She pulled a letter from her bosom and, bypassing Cong Ge, handed it to Yan Wanqing.
"Miss, this is a letter from Prince Seven."
Prince Seven was Xiao Hongshen.
Yan Wanqing looked Cong Huan up and down but did not take the letter.
She hadn't expected Cong Huan to start working for Xiao Hongshen so early; her perfumed and made-up appearance as she pulled out the letter clearly showed she was bewitched by him.
No wonder, when the entire Yan Family was massacred in the streets, only Cong Huan managed to survive under Prince Seven's protection.
The filth involved was not hard to imagine.
Cong Huan, a dog of Xiao Hongshen.
Seeing Yan Wanqing's impassive face, Cong Huan grew desperate and pushed the letter forward again, "Miss, this is a letter from Prince Seven, won't you read it?"
"Go away!" Cong Ge pushed Cong Huan aside, "If your brain isn't clear, go soak it in cold water. Our miss is pure and innocent, why should Prince Seven's letter come through you? Are you trying to bring scandal upon her by making it look like a private matter? If the lady hears of this, think carefully about how you'll die!"
Cong Ge's words were logical and convincing, and Yan Wanqing smiled approvingly.
Indeed, even a maid could see this clearly.
Why hadn't she understood in her previous life?
Was she truly blinded by Xiao Hongshen's face?
She mocked herself silently.
But now was not the time to deal with a treacherous servant courting glory from her master; she needed to rush to the front hall to stop the marriage.
So Yan Wanqing didn't stop, but she turned back to glance at Cong Huan with cold eyes.
"Kneel in the courtyard and wait for my return to deal with you."