Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Reborn Through Nirvana “So painful… Why does it hurt so much…” On the agarwood bed, a delicate woman moaned, her brows tightly furrowed. Anyone who saw such an exquisitely beautiful face being tormented by pain would feel pity for her. Lingxue and Lingzhu had just pushed open the door with the medicinal herbs when they saw Ling Jiayue curled up on the bed, murmuring incoherently. “Miss! Miss, you’re awake!” Lingxue dashed to the bedside, dropped the herbs, and clasped Ling Jiayue’s cold hands. Tears filled her eyes as she rubbed them repeatedly, trying to restore the circulation. “Lingzhu, hurry and inform Master and Madam First Wife. Tell them Miss is awake!” Lingzhu acknowledged her and immediately set down the herbs. Unable to hide her joy, she hurried out at a run. After the physician had finished fussing over her, Ling Jiayue finally regained consciousness. By then, night had begun to fall—it was already evening. She gazed at the unfamiliar, lavish boudoir before her, as well as the unfamiliar maid and beautiful woman beside her. “Where is this?” Madam Liu’s eyes brimmed with tears as she embraced Ling Jiayue. “My poor child! You’ve finally managed to survive!” Ling Jiayue stared blankly, allowing the woman to hold her. She clearly remembered jumping from the city wall. The agony of striking the ground was still fresh in her memory. So how had she… “A mirror! I want a mirror!” Ling Jiayue suddenly became frantic. She pushed away the beautiful woman and tried to get out of bed, but her body was so weak and powerless that she fell to the floor. “Yue’er! What’s happened to you?” Madam Liu hurriedly helped her up, her beautiful eyes flashing with anger. “Why haven’t you brought Miss a mirror yet?” Lingxue and Lingzhu helped Ling Jiayue up, while a little maid grabbed the large bronze mirror from the dressing table and hurried over. Once Ling Jiayue was seated upright, she carefully examined the woman reflected in the bronze mirror. The woman’s brows were dark as ink, and her phoenix eyes naturally held a seductive charm. Her slightly curled lashes were distinct, her nose delicate, and her lips soft and pink. Her flawless skin and glossy black hair, which fell over both shoulders, made her a beauty in every sense of the word, despite the faint, unhealthy pallor of her cheeks. Ling Jiayue could not help drawing in a deep breath. The woman in the bronze mirror was no more than sixteen years old, yet her features looked remarkably similar to her own! Seeing her looking as though her soul had left her body, Madam Liu grew anxious. She reached out to caress her daughter’s cheek and said in distress, “Yue’er, focus on recovering. Mother will protect you properly from now on. I won’t let anyone bully you again!” Ling Jiayue already understood. She had… been reborn! “Mother, your daughter is fine. I’m just a little tired and would like to rest.” Madam Liu had not yet noticed anything strange about her. She wiped away her tears, gave Lingxue and the others a few instructions, and then left. “Miss, you haven’t eaten anything for three days. I made you some snow fungus porridge,” Lingzhu said softly as she brought over a bowl. Lingxue took it from her and picked up a spoon, intending to feed Ling Jiayue. Ling Jiayue waved her off. “Where is this? And who are you?” Lingzhu could not help feeling confused. “Miss, this is the Ling family residence!” Ling Jiayue frowned and pretended to have a headache. “But I can’t remember many things…” Lingxue let out a long sigh and began recounting everything to her in detail. As it turned out, the place where Ling Jiayue now lived was the Ye Kingdom, which bordered Dayi, the Sheyu Kingdom, and the Budao Kingdom. This residence was the Prime Minister’s residence of Ye Kingdom. Her father was the current Prime Minister, Ling Taian, and her mother was Madam First Wife of the Ling Residence, Madam Liu. She had truly been born into a wealthy and powerful family. However, Ling Jiayue had been frail since childhood, and none of the physicians she had seen had been able to cure her. When she was five, Abbot Huiguang of Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple came to Ye Kingdom to preach the Buddhist scriptures. He sensed that he shared a karmic affinity with Ling Jiayue and took her away with him. She remained there until she turned sixteen, when the Ling family brought her back. Who could have expected that, while passing through Savage Sand Mountain on her way back to the capital, Ling Jiayue would be targeted by a band of bandits? If the Seventh Prince had not arrived in time, she would have long since been taken away to become the bandits’ wife. The Seventh Prince? Ling Jiayue was stunned. “You said Mu Yuheng saved me?” There was no one Ling Jiayue knew better than Mu Yuheng. In her previous life, when Dayi and Ye Kingdom went to war, she had donned armor and gone to battle. At Shigu Pass, she had fought Mu Yuheng for an entire day before finally being captured by him. Yet he had not used her to threaten Dayi. Instead, he had persuaded the emperor of Ye Kingdom to choose a truce. From then on, Dayi and Ye Kingdom lived in peace. She had never understood why Mu Yuheng had made that choice, but it had brought three years of peace and prosperity to both nations, for which she had been deeply grateful. Lingzhu was so frightened that she covered Ling Jiayue’s mouth and scolded her. “Miss, even though you are betrothed to the Third Prince and can be considered the Seventh Prince’s sister-in-law, you still cannot call the Seventh Prince by his name so casually!” “Lingzhu, don’t be rude to Miss.” As she spoke, Lingxue removed Lingzhu’s hand and looked at Ling Jiayue. “Perhaps Miss has spent too long at the ancient temple and isn’t accustomed to life in the capital yet. But don’t worry. The two of us will serve you wholeheartedly and teach you the proper etiquette of a young lady.” A bitter smile touched Ling Jiayue’s lips. In her previous life, before she had married, she had known very little about the etiquette expected of a young lady at the General’s Residence of Dayi. But in order to marry Chu Chaoci, she had laid down her blades and learned the rules expected of a woman, as well as embroidery and other skills. Later, after becoming Empress, she had become even more dignified, virtuous, and magnanimous, repeatedly yielding to the other consorts whom he regarded as gentle and kind. Who could have imagined that all her painstaking efforts would ultimately be repaid with his merciless slaughter of the Shen family and the Liuhuo Army? Heaven had eyes. It had actually allowed her to be reborn and continue living in this world, giving her the chance to fulfill her long-cherished wish. “Has anything happened in Dayi recently?” Lingxue did not know why Ling Jiayue had asked, but she still answered honestly. “I heard that the Empress of Dayi passed away half a month ago. Although it was late autumn, heavy snow filled the sky, and the plum grove she had planted bloomed all at once, as though protecting her soul. The emperor’s most beloved Consort Yu actually cast aside wealth and glory and chose to accompany her in death. Sigh, I never expected that there would be someone in the imperial harem with such deep loyalty and devotion.” Ling Jiayue sneered inwardly and waved her hand. “All right. You two may leave. I want to rest.” “Yes, Miss.” Lingxue and Lingzhu bowed and took their leave with the empty bowl. Ling Jiayue lay on the bed, her fingers twisting the golden-silk quilt as memories of that day returned to her. Her hatred for Chu Chaoci surged like an avalanche. Chu Chaoci, don’t think that just because you allowed Consort Yu to accompany me in death, I will forgive what you did. I said that if I ever had another life, I would claim your life on behalf of the innocent souls who died beneath that city wall—and my innocent child! The next morning, at the Prime Minister’s residence. Lingxue and Lingzhu had just finished dressing Ling Jiayue when Madam Liu entered with her maids, her face full of delight. “Yue’er, did you sleep well last night? This room was carefully arranged for you by your father. Are you satisfied with it? Your father went to court, so it may be some time before he can come see you.” Ling Jiayue looked at the beautiful woman before her and smiled faintly. “Thank you for your concern, Mother. I slept very well, and I like the room very much.” Seeing that her daughter was somewhat distant toward her, Madam Liu could not help feeling sorrowful. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. “Yue’er…” When Ling Jiayue saw that she seemed about to cry, she hurried over to support her and said apologetically, “Mother, I’m merely not accustomed to everything yet. I didn’t mean anything by it.” Lingxue had an idea and stepped forward to report, “Madam, Miss lived at an ancient temple for many years and had little contact with the outside world. In addition, she was frightened by the bandit incident a few days ago, so it’s only natural that her spirits are low.” At the mention of the bandits, Madam Liu finally relaxed. “Yes. Fortunately, you were blessed with great luck and were able to return home safely. From now on, no one will dare bully you again!” After breakfast, Ling Jiayue accompanied Madam Liu to admire the chrysanthemums in the rear garden and learned quite a few things from her. Besides Madam Liu, the Ling Residence had three other madams: Madam Wan, Madam Zhang, and Madam Chen. Madam Liu had given birth to Ling Taian’s legitimate son, Ling Jiaxuan, and legitimate daughter, Ling Jiayue. Second Madam Wan had a son, Ling Pingzhang. Third Madam Zhang had a son and a daughter, Ling Zixue and Ling Ziqi. Fourth Madam Chen had only one daughter, named Ling Yuwan. During the few days Ling Jiayue had been ill, only Madam Chen had come to visit her. The other residences had merely sent servants to deliver some supplements, without showing their faces. “Yue’er, don’t think that just because I’m your father’s first wife and Madam First Wife of this residence, I don’t face tremendous pressure behind the scenes.” Madam Liu spoke softly to Ling Jiayue. “You were only five when you left the residence. If it hadn’t been for your health, your father and I would never have been willing to send you away. Now that you’ve returned, study the etiquette expected of a young lady properly. Once you marry the Third Prince, you mustn’t embarrass your father.” Ling Jiayue’s expression darkened. If she remembered correctly, the Third Prince, Mu Yuyang, had a violent temper. Marrying a man like that would be worse than marrying a black bear. “Mother, who arranged this marriage?” Madam Liu pinched the tip of her nose. “Silly girl, you’re not even shy when discussing your own marriage. This betrothal was personally bestowed by His Majesty. Once the year ends, the Third Prince will come to marry you in the spring. Truly, daughters grow up and belong to another family…” Ling Jiayue became even more flustered. Why was it happening so soon?! “Mother, can this marriage be called off?” She still had to build up her strength, pursue her grand ambitions, and seek revenge against Chu Chaoci. How could she simply marry now? “Hmph. What an uncultured country girl!” A woman’s mocking voice suddenly came from behind them. Ling Jiayue turned around and saw a beautiful woman, younger than Madam Liu, dressed in gold and silver and lavishly adorned. Beside her stood a fifteen-year-old girl in red. Her delicate face was made up to look charming, but her overly arrogant attire and her eyes, which held not the slightest trace of goodwill, ruined the effect. Madam Liu said coldly, “Madam Zhang, you’d better show some respect! Jiayue is the future wife of the Third Prince, with a marriage bestowed by the Emperor. By saying such things, aren’t you bringing shame upon the Prime Minister’s residence and the Third Prince?” Madam Zhang’s face turned livid. With Ling Ziqi beside her, she reluctantly curtsied and bowed. “Please forgive me, Madam First Wife. I was merely being thoughtless. I had no intention of disrespecting Miss Jiayue.” “It’s just that… the eldest young lady spent more than a decade in a remote mountain temple, and then encountered bandits on her way back. Her fate has been so troubled. Who knows whether she has the fortune to enjoy the imperial family’s favor?” Madam Liu glared at her. “That is not something Madam Zhang needs to worry about. You should spend more time making plans for your own daughter.” “Yue’er, today’s chrysanthemums have been tainted by an unclean aura and aren’t blooming well. Hurry and bid farewell to Third Madam and your younger sister Ziqi. We’re going back.” Ling Jiayue obediently replied, “All right, Mother.” She then turned toward Madam Zhang and Ling Ziqi. “Third Madam, Ziqi, farewell.” As she passed Madam Zhang, Ling Jiayue caught a strange fragrance. She assumed it came from Madam Zhang, and before she could think much of it, she had already left with Madam Liu. Watching Madam Liu and her daughter walk away, Ling Ziqi was so furious that she could not help stamping her feet. Tugging on Madam Zhang’s sleeve, she complained through tears, “Mother, didn’t you say that Ling Jiayue had some strange illness and an ugly appearance? How is she still so beautiful? The palace’s chrysanthemum-viewing banquet is in ten days. If the Third Prince sees her, I’ll truly have no chance left!” Madam Zhang’s face was filled with maternal tenderness as she soothed her daughter. “Why are you panicking? When she passed by me just now, I secretly sprinkled Jade Scorpion Powder on her. Within five days, red rashes will gradually appear on her face. Let’s see how she can meet the Third Prince then!” Ling Ziqi was overjoyed. “Mother, you’re truly brilliant!”