01, To the End of Fate (Part One)

Upon hearing this, Chu Lianyi opened her eyes. She knew that An Xiang was trying to cheer her up. Although she was saddened by her mother's early passing, what troubled Chu Lianyi even more were the affairs of the household. She had merely closed her eyes to rest while contemplating some trivial matters at home. Her father needed new clothes, and she also had to arrange for a tutor for Aunt Qiu's son, Fengxin, to begin his education.

Chu Lianyi merely listened, for Anxiang had a habit of elevating all those related to her to great heights. However, in this capital city, where fish and dragons are mixed, there are both imperial princes and talented scholars, and although there may not be many with the distinguished family background and appearance of that particular son-in-law, there are certainly not few. In fact, Chu Lianyi was not very satisfied with this marriage proposal. Although the Chief Minister of the Cabinet held a high position and was close to the emperor, serving the ruler is akin to accompanying a tiger; it does not guarantee stability. Should any incident occur, the entire family could only meet a tragic end. As for that Young Master Yan, being the only legitimate son, the burden of continuing the family line was too heavy. Chu Lianyi felt that with her 'illness,' she might not be able to fulfill this task satisfactorily. In truth, she was not very pleased with this marriage proposal. Although the Chief Minister of the Cabinet held a high position and was close to the emperor, serving the ruler is akin to accompanying a tiger; it does not guarantee stability. Should any incident occur, the entire family could only meet a tragic end. As for that Young Master Yan, being the only legitimate son, the burden of continuing the family line was too heavy. Chu Lianyi felt that with her 'illness,' she might not be able to fulfill this task satisfactorily. However, thinking about these matters was futile, as this marriage was not something she could decide for herself.

An Xiang is also a clever girl, and she immediately understood Shuying's words. She took the conversation forward and said: "I think it is the Third Madam who is jealous that our Madam has arranged a good marriage for the young lady. Our future son-in-law is none other than the only legitimate son of the current Prime Minister, Lord Yan, a first-class noble. It is said that he is excellent in both appearance and character, and at a young age, he has already passed the imperial examination. I have also heard that the future mother-in-law is a kind-hearted person devoted to Buddhism, so the young lady will surely enjoy a blessed life after marrying into that family"

Shu Ying let out a sigh, reflecting on the young lady of her family, who truly is a rare gem among thousands. However, she is a bit too strong-willed, though one cannot entirely blame her. Despite being born into a prestigious family with her father serving as the current Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, it is unfortunate that her mother passed away too early. Losing her mother at the age of seven, her father has been preoccupied with official duties and has had no intention of remarrying. The family was divided early on, leaving them without anyone to take charge.

Apart from her somewhat poor reputation, it is nearly impossible to find anything unfavorable about Chu Lianyi

Chu Lianyi's action of taking off the canary yellow beryl earrings was executed without the slightest hesitation. The attendant Shuying watched the profile of Chu Lianyi, observing her graceful movements that flowed like water, resembling a dynamic landscape painting. She couldn't help but sigh, "I wonder what the Third Madam is thinking. Does the young lady of the Chu family really have to worry about marriage? Whenever there is a banquet or a birthday celebration in the capital, she eagerly takes the Sixth and Ninth Young Ladies along." This remark was actually directed at Chu Lianyi, as Shuying was concerned that she might have some inner turmoil.

If the maidservant does not act a bit fierce, how can she keep those unruly servants in check? Shuying was wiping Chu Lianyi's arm, which was also a necessity. Back when the young lady was nine years old and took charge, how could such a small child manage to control those servants who had become quite cunning? The unruly servants bullied their master, and it was fortunate that the young lady was resolute enough to sell some and even kill others to subdue a group of servants. Naturally, those of us who are maidservants had to support her in this endeavor.

"Miss, why are you also laughing at Shuying with outsiders?" Shuying pretended to be stubborn, wanting to tickle Chulianyi, which made her plead for mercy repeatedly

Miss, you should rest early. I have prepared rose and white atractylodes soup for you today, is that alright?" Shuying combed Chulianyi's hair a thousand times, assisted her in changing clothes, and helped her to the cleansing room

Just last night, I mocked that lady for being anxious to find a son-in-law, so much so that her lips developed blisters from the stress, and by noon the next day, news came like a bolt from the blue

Upon thinking of this, Shuying felt like crying, as the young lady had been tormented to the point of appearing so frail and delicate. The medicinal soups had never ceased, yet the young lady, possessing a strong-willed nature, insisted on excelling in everything, even without her mother. The family sighed whenever they saw her, lamenting that the lady had departed too early.

Aunt San is a competitive person who always seeks someone whose marriage is superior to mine. It seems that Aunt San was born to oppose my mother; from the moment she entered the house, she began to pick on my mother, constantly striving to outdo her. Even until my mother passed away, she would still occasionally stir up trouble for the main family. Any trivial matter that arose in the main family was enough to keep her entertained for half a day.

Shu Ying observed Chu Lianyi with her mouth closed and eyes shut, a faint trace of fatigue visible beneath her eyelids. She lazily propped her hand on the dressing table, pretending to doze off, and sighed softly. Gently, she removed Chu Lianyi's hair ornament and set it aside, letting her long hair down, and began to comb it gently with a brush.

Chu Lianyi smiled at her and said, "Alright, alright, if people outside see you like this, how can they believe that the girl Shuying, known as the Mother Nightshade, is just a little girl who easily gets red-eyed?"

Indeed, when has our lady ever missed an opportunity? Which matter has she not sought to accomplish before others? It is a pity that such a good person has departed... The one speaking is Wang, the wet nurse of Chu Lianyi, who is currently sitting on the kang, embroidering a curtain. Every time she mentions Chu Lianyi's mother—her former mistress—she always breaks into tears.

After Lady Chu's departure, the household lacked a mistress, prompting the matriarch to appoint the third wife to assist in management. The main residence was thrown into disarray under her oversight. Had it not been for the nine-year-old girl stepping forward to take charge of the family, one can only imagine what the current state of affairs would be. However, managing a large household is no small feat for a nine-year-old girl. In addition to overseeing the household, she must also master the six arts expected of women, while the other wives eagerly await her failures. With so many demands placed upon her, it is impossible to sustain such a burden.

In fact, it is not that the three of them are biased; rather, among the many young ladies of the Chu family, none can surpass their own daughter in terms of beauty and talent. Therefore, the other wives are envious and often speak ill of the daughter in front of the matriarch. Later, the matriarch even ordered the daughter to rest quietly at home, and as a result, she rarely left the main courtyard and had little interaction with the other branches of the family.

However, since then, the young lady has been left with a notorious reputation for her ruthless and cruel behavior. It is said in private that the courtyard where the servants were beaten to death was completely stained red with blood, and it took three days to clean it up. There are also frequent claims that the courtyard is haunted, which has led to it being locked up and left vacant.

The shadow glanced sideways at the dark fragrance, which playfully stuck out its tongue, aware that it had brought up a sensitive topic, mentioning the family's greatest sorrow

The maid said, "Miss, do not worry about these trivial matters; it is more important to take care of your health. Your appetite has decreased again these past two days; what should we do?" The maid's eyes were red.

How can this be? Next year, the young lady will come of age, and soon after, she will be married. I fear that your mother will not have enough time to finish embroidering your dowry, leading to the embarrassment of the young lady being without her mother. Wang's voice choked with emotion as she mentioned Chu Lianyi's mother

No, Anxiang, you must be joking. Shuying nearly fell to the ground upon hearing the news from Anxiang's mouth

"Who in this capital can compare to our future son-in-law? Just look at his appearance, his talent..." Anxiang exclaimed, her eyes nearly reaching the sky. During the festive seasons, when Young Master Yan San came to the residence to pay his respects, Anxiang had secretly observed him and returned to vividly recount to Chu Lianyi how graceful Young Master Yan was in his demeanor and how elegant his speech was, elevating him to the highest regard. During the festive seasons, when Young Master Yan San came to the residence to pay his respects, Anxiang had secretly observed him and returned to vividly recount to Chu Lianyi how graceful Young Master Yan was in his demeanor and how elegant his speech was, elevating him to the highest regard.

After serving Chu Lianyi to sleep, Wang Mama, Shu Ying, and An Xiang gathered under the lamp to begin their embroidery work. Their mistress excelled in everything, except for the art of embroidery, which she was utterly terrible at. After just a few stitches, they would suffer from headaches, eye strain, and neck pain. Therefore, the items to be prepared for her marriage were all secretly crafted by the three of them. Wet nurse Wang's temperament was similar to that of the late Madam Chu; she was somewhat strong-willed. As her own daughter was getting married, all the embroidered items were made in the household, using luxurious fabrics and a variety of patterns. The threads used were high-quality, finely crafted threads costing five taels of silver per bundle, ensuring that the colors of the dowry would never match those of others.

The faint fragrance reveals a shadow, with a look that seems on the verge of tears. The young lady appears lazy, yet forces a smile and says: "My dear, what kind of son-in-law do you think Madam San wants to find for Miss Liu? It's been several years of selection, and Miss Liu has already reached the age of marriage, yet her engagement is still undecided"

"Mamma, why are you bringing this up again for no reason, making the young lady upset?" Shu Ying said with a hint of displeasure. She was the most capable maid beside Chu Lianyi, which is why she dared to speak to Chu Lianyi's wet nurse in such a manner.

How could I make a joke out of such a matter? What should Sister Shuying do? Should we tell the young lady? But I am afraid that the young lady's health may not be able to withstand it. As Anxiang spoke, she began to cry, unable to hold back her tears.

"It is, it is, it is all my fault." Wang Momo quickly silenced herself, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and continued to focus on her embroidery.

Chu Lianyi noticed that the corners of her eyes were slightly red, so she walked over and gently patted the wet nurse's hand, saying: "Nanny, please stop embroidering, be careful not to strain your eyes."

"Miss, the wife of the Duke of Yongning is celebrating her birthday, and I heard that the Sixth and Ninth Young Ladies have gone again." An Xiang expressed some dissatisfaction as she glanced towards the direction of the third room, secretly complaining about the matriarch's favoritism, thinking that all good things were directed towards the third room. The Sixth and Ninth Young Ladies had extensive social circles among the young ladies in the capital, and their names were well-known, yet her own daughter was confined at home.

It is unfortunate that one may sit at home, yet calamity can still descend from the heavens

Shu Ying sat on the threshold with a pale face, lost in thought, unsure of what to say.

In order to outshine others, it is essential to prepare a substantial and high-quality dowry. The three individuals often stay up late to complete the tasks. Occasionally, when they feel tired, they engage in casual conversation, all praising their own daughter.

"Well, tomorrow the accountant from Shouzhou will come to report the accounts, so you should pay close attention to it." Chu Lianyi was somewhat weak as she was assisted into the bathtub by Shuying and Anxiang