Chapter 1, Rebirth.

Mu Qingxi braved the cold light in Feng Liu's eyes, as if it were as difficult as rowing upstream, step by step moving closer to Feng Liu. From behind, she took out the ring she had brought and presented it before Feng Liu, saying, "I know I was wrong, Brother Tingzhi"

Mu Qingxi let out a low sigh, wondering if she had truly reached the brink of death, as she unexpectedly recalled the long-buried past

Feng Liu threw aside the ruler that Mu Qingxi had handed over, asking, "Who taught you that a single strike with a ruler can take a life?"

Although Duke Feng Liu of Qi was born with striking beauty and was well-known for his good looks in the capital, he rarely smiled throughout the years. The people in his household held a mix of respect and fear towards him, and Mu Qingxi was no exception. However, in her previous life, she had used her arrogance and capriciousness to mask her fear. In this life, she found that Feng Liu's temperament was actually quite favorable; as long as one understood his nature, he was indeed a person who would protect those close to him.

Upon hearing the words "Cien Temple," Mu Qingxi's hand trembled, causing the historical book to fall to the ground. Although the temple is named "Cien," it has no connection whatsoever to the meanings of "compassion" and "grace." Mu Qingxi only remembers the coldness and darkness of that place. The temple serves as a refuge for the discarded wives of noble families, where debauchery and chaos reign in secret. The abbess, Master Huizhen, is particularly fond of "polishing mirrors." How could Mu Qingxi endure such a filthy place? After much effort, she found an opportunity to send Jianjia to seek help from her father and brothers, but thereafter, Jianjia's whereabouts became unknown.

I have already arranged for someone to go to Ci'en Temple, where you can go to calm your mind and nurture your character

Jianjia was even more astonished as she looked at the wound on Mu Qingxi's forehead, thinking that perhaps she had injured her head. She became increasingly anxious and said, "Bailu, quickly go and summon Doctor Wang, just tell him that the lady has awakened, but her head still hurts a bit." Jianjia naturally did not dare to say that Mu Qingxi had damaged her brain.

Thinking of this, Mu Qingxi quickly shook her head. Regardless of whether the beautiful scenery before her was a dream or reality, she was enamored with it and did not wish to recall the many unpleasant memories.

The doorkeeper looked apologetically at Mu Qingxi and simply stated that the Duke had instructed that no one was to be seen. Mu Qingxi touched the area on her head wrapped in white cloth, recalling the origin of her injury. It was when Feng Liu confronted her directly, questioning whether she had interfered during Shang Ruowen's labor. She had vehemently denied it and even lashed out at Feng Liu, accusing him of coveting his sister-in-law. In his anger, he pushed her away, causing her to collide with the door frame and sustain her injury

Mu Qingxi lifted a corner of the quilt, greedily inhaling the long-lost and familiar scent of roses. It had been many years since she had encountered such a rich and fresh rose fragrance. She still remembered that only the rose balls from "Yongxiangzhai" in the capital could produce such a delightful aroma, and at its peak, it was difficult to obtain even one.

Later, Qingxi's family saw that the Duke's residence was indifferent and unresponsive, so they came to take Qingxi back home. However, it was not because they wished to rekindle familial ties, but rather because her stepmother had secretly accepted money and arranged for her to be betrothed to someone else.

That person indulged in all manner of vices, and when there was no money, would beat her mercilessly, causing her to lose two viable male fetuses. It was then that Mu Qingxi truly understood the profound sorrow of being unable to live or die. Who could have anticipated that a noble lady from a prestigious family could fall so low

The familiar yet strange voice in her ears surprised Mu Qingxi. What kind of "madam" could this be? Mu Qingxi suddenly opened her eyes, "Jianjia?!"

"Brother Tingzhi." Mu Qingxi scolded herself for speaking first in front of Feng Liu, standing timidly by the door with red-rimmed eyes.

Mu Qingxi's tears could not help but fall onto the almanac. This year, she is still Mu Qingxi, the noble and distinguished Lady of the Duke of Qi at the age of fifteen, rather than a woman who has suffered humiliation after her stepmother remarried and moved to another land.

Madam, you should quickly go and plead with the Duke, for I can see that he is truly angry this time

"Are you Jianjia?" Mu Qingxi looked at Jianjia in disbelief

Mu Qingxi widened her eyes, trembling as she looked at Feng Liu, while her heart was speculating whether Feng Liu truly knew about the coldness of Cien Temple

"For such a reason, you could bring yourself to harm an innocent life. If help had not arrived in time, the fourth brother's wife would have followed suit," Feng Liu scolded angrily

Mu Qingxi staggered backward, only to realize that she had still been naive. That life was in her own hands; could it be that coming back once more was merely to relive such a tragic aftermath?

The golden cloud-patterned paper is placed on the second day of September in the almanac, which clearly states "Year of the Metal Ox".

Mu Qingxi chose a simple, thin satin dress, without any makeup, allowing her eyes to remain red. Ignoring the reeds and the white dew, she took only two young maidservants to Feng Liu's "Four Parallel Residences"

With the new emperor's succession, Feng Liu was entrusted with the critical task of safeguarding the Hongyin dynasty. Having been stationed away from home for many years, Qingxi was indulged by Feng Liu's mother, who was also Qingxi's aunt, fostering a spoiled and willful disposition in her. Due to the infrequent gatherings, Feng Liu found it difficult to impose restrictions on her behavior, often turning a blind eye to many matters and busying himself with damage control. This ultimately led to her current unruly nature. In light of such events, both Feng Liu and the Grand Lady felt a sense of guilt.

Jianjia naturally complied upon hearing this, selecting a splendid outfit to assist Mu Qingxi in dressing, but was stopped by her. In this new life, Mu Qingxi could coldly see clearly how naive she had been in the past, how willful and reckless, believing that she should be the cherished one in everyone's heart, not to be defied in the slightest.

"Madam, what has happened?" Jian Jia looked at Mu Qingxi with a face full of astonishment, unable to comprehend why Madam appeared so shocked.

Feng Liu saw Mu Qingxi biting her lip, blood marks appearing, her face pale and on the verge of collapse. A trace of guilt flashed through his heart, feeling that it was his lack of concern for this child that had led to such an outcome

At such a time, she still dressed in splendid attire, attempting to impress the Duke of Qi, not knowing how she had once been so biased in favor of this girl.

Mu Qingxi stumbled to the dressing mirror, where the reflection revealed a delicate and vibrant visage, fresh as the dew on morning peonies, not the haggard and sallow woman who had been brutally beaten by a rough man

"The reeds serve me as I wash and groom myself." Mu Qingxi wiped the tears from her face and said, "I am going to see the Duke."

Mu Qingxi casually opened the small drawer in the middle of the second layer on the left side of the dressing table, where she used to keep the almanacs during her time at the Duke of Qi's residence

It is no wonder that Feng Liu is unwilling to see himself

Feng Liu saw Mu Qingxi in fear, and how could he not feel pity? It was just that he had been a spoiled child, and now having committed such a wrongdoing, if there were no explanations, how would he face the family of the Fourth Brother in the future? "When the Fourth Sister-in-law forgives you, that is when you may return," Feng Liu said coldly

Mu Qingxi's tears hung in her eyes, not yet falling. She sniffed and continued, "I only see you keeping her poems. Mother also likes the vegetarian dumplings she makes. Second sister-in-law and third sister-in-law are all fond of her. You all only like her..." At this point, Mu Qingxi was already choked with sobs.

Feng Liu is twenty-five this year, a full ten years older than Qing Xi. Since her birth, Qing Xi has spent most of her time raised in the Duke's residence, so it can be said that she has almost grown up under his watch. He still remembers that the first person Qing Xi called was neither father nor mother, but her brother. The joy he felt at that moment was perhaps no less than that of being a father.

Fortunately, both young girls were clever and bold. Mu Qingxi instructed them to distract the gatekeeper while she herself boldly entered the residence. The gatekeeper did not dare to stop her, but he never expected that even a dignified Duchess would resort to such unscrupulous tactics

Madam, do not just focus on shedding tears; I have heard that the Duke has already sent someone to the Ci'en Temple. This girl, Jianjia, seems to be even more anxious than Mu Qingxi

Mu Qingxi raised her head and looked around, the smoke and mist adorned with purple hues and golden colors lightly draped over the gauzy canopy, the rose-purple makeup on the satin quilt, the golden translucent carved peony incense ball, the mercury glass dressing mirror from the Dashi Kingdom, the enamel-painted three-tiered pavilions with fire basins, and the golden silk hibiscus cover with plum blossom pink petals falling like a colorful tapestry at the moon gate's floor-length curtain

How heart-wrenching it is; what Mu Qingxi said is indeed true. For her, the person she cares about the most does not favor her, and that is the greatest matter in the world. However, in the eyes of others, it is merely a trivial issue, as small as a needle's eye, and not worth mentioning

Regardless, the three characters "Cien Temple" reminded Mu Qingxi of the current time and why Duke Fengliu of Qi would send her to Cien Temple, thus severing their marital ties.