REM • CH002

# Chapter 2

“Madam looks truly beautiful in this color!” Chunliu couldn’t help but exclaim, seeing how much younger her mistress appeared all at once.

The Young Madam usually preferred wearing darker shades like indigo or ink-green, which added a settled, dignified air befitting a noblewoman. But it also made her look several years older. Wasn’t this present appearance far more flattering?

The Duke Ying household had risen to prominence through military prowess. Every Duke in succession had been a celebrated general of formidable renown. The current Duke Ying’s wife was the Great Princess, the current emperor’s own paternal aunt. She had borne two sons and one daughter.

The eldest daughter was married to the eldest son of the Duke of Wei. The eldest son, Wei Junting, was accomplished in both civil and martial arts, a promising youth who began accompanying his father on military campaigns at fourteen. He had married the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Pingliang, Fang Shi. Yet heaven envies talent, and Wei Junting fell ill and died several years ago. The title of heir thus passed to the second son, Wei Junhang.

Though Wei Junhang shared the same mother as Wei Junting, he was far inferior to his accomplished elder brother and possessed no exceptional qualities. By nature he loved leisure, and his usual companions were idle sons from various noble houses. Over time, he earned the reputation of a dissolute heir, infuriating the old Duke who wished he could beat this wayward son who brought shame to the family name.

As Wei Junhang’s wife, Shen Xinyan had risen in status to become the Young Madam. Yet she was not the woman the Great Princess had chosen to be the future matriarch of the Duke Ying household.

The requirements for a first wife and a second wife were naturally different. When the Great Princess had selected wives for her sons, she had taken this fully into account. Thus she had betrothed to the eldest son a capable woman: the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Pingliang, Fang Shi. And to the second son, she betrothed the girl he favored: Shen Xinyan of the Duke of Jing’an.

But fate is cruel. In the blink of an eye, the capable elder daughter-in-law became a widow.

Though Shen Xinyan had been the Young Madam in her previous life, Fang Shi had overshadowed her in every way. The only thing that allowed her to hold her head high before Fang Shi was that her son was far superior to Fang Shi’s son.

At least, the Duke had chosen to raise her son at his side, not Fang Shi’s son.

Her mindset had been strange indeed. She resented the Duke for taking her son against her wishes, yet she took pride that it was her son he valued.

Shen Xinyan fell into a daze, the soft color making her feel as if she were seeing herself again as she had been, unmarried and dwelling in her father’s house.

But gradually, the reflection in the copper mirror was replaced by a strikingly beautiful face.

She pressed her lips together without speaking, then removed the snow-blue gown and changed into a brand-new silver-red jacket. With light makeup applied, she looked even more radiant and striking, drawing continuous praise from Chunliu.

“Madam’s eye for beauty is excellent! This is even lovelier than the previous one. If you walked outside with the Fourth Miss, people might even mistake you two for sisters!”

Shen Xinyan’s expression froze at the mention of “Fourth Miss.” A sharp, piercing pain suddenly seized her.

“Yingzhi. My Ying’er…” Her lips trembled, her throat felt blocked, and she struggled to speak her daughter’s name.

Wei Yingzhi, her only daughter. The grief and despair of a white-haired parent sending a black-haired child to death still haunted her vividly. Her daughter’s death was the most direct reason for her hatred of Zhou Guanning, for her hatred of the Zhou family, even though Zhou Guanning had been carrying her grandchild at the time.

Yet what pushed her hatred to its peak was her son’s protection of the murderer, Zhou Guanning’s second brother.

By that point in her previous life, she had gone completely mad. She refused to listen to any explanations. All she knew was that her daughter was dead, while the murderer had merely been exiled to the frontier, and in three to five years could atone for his crime through merit and continue his glorious life.

Why?! Why?! Why could that Zhou surname trample on others’ blood and tears to achieve glory and happiness! Why could the Zhou family’s daughter live on obliviously happy while her own daughter lay dead!

Her daughter had been so young. She hadn’t even had time to arrange a betrothal for her yet.

“Did Madam miss the Fourth Miss? Granny Sun sent word earlier that the Fourth Miss will return by the hour of Chen.” Chunliu, thinking she missed her daughter who was at the Duke of Jing’an’s residence, reported with a smile.

『TL Note ♡︎』The “hour of Chen” (辰时) refers to 7 AM to 9 AM in the traditional Chinese twelve-hour system.

Yes, yes. Her Ying’er was alive and well. She would be home soon.

She took several deep breaths. Her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves as she forcibly suppressed her trembling body and slowly settled onto the daybed.

She closed her eyes and sifted through her memories belonging to this lifetime. This year, her Ying’er was only six years old. Yesterday she had taken her daughter back to the Duke of Jing’an’s residence, and her mother, reluctant to part with her granddaughter, had kept her there.

As she quietly sorted through her memories of this lifetime, a sense of relief crept into her heart.

It was all in the past now. Everything from the previous life was over. Her daughter’s tragedy had not yet occurred. There was still time to change things. This lifetime, she would stop fighting. Whether it was Zhou Guanning or Li Guanning or Chen Guanning or Sun Guanning, if her son wanted to marry any of them, so be it.

Her rapidly beating heart gradually calmed. She let out a long breath, and in that moment saw her maidservant Xiahe enter with an expression of displeasure.

“Sister, what troubles you? Surely those kitchen servants haven’t dared to give you grief?” Chunliu, who had been putting away the folded clothes, turned and asked casually.

Xiahe barely suppressed her irritation, curtsied to Shen Xinyan, and said resentfully: “Madam eats bird’s nest congee every morning. It’s long been the custom. This morning, when I saw the breakfast delivered without the bird’s nest congee, I went to ask why. That wretched Granny Cui said our courtyard’s monthly allowance has already been exceeded. The bird’s nest at every shop in the city has risen in price, so she fears it cannot be supplied until next month.”

“What kind of reasoning is this? The Duke Ying household is vast enough, yet the Young Madam cannot even have a bowl of bird’s nest congee?” Chunliu became instantly agitated.

“Exactly what I said!” Xiahe’s expression was most displeased.

This was clearly bullying the Young Madam for her good nature. If it were the Great Princess, or even the First Madam who wanted to eat, would that Granny Cui dare refuse?

Shen Xinyan’s expression remained calm, but she let out a soft, cold laugh inwardly.

After a moment, she glanced at her maidservants who were defending her, then said flatly: “What is a bowl of bird’s nest congee? There’s no harm in going without for a few days. You two are people at my side. To resent me over such a trifle would only invite ridicule!”

In her previous life, it had been the same. Though anger festered in her heart at the time, she had ultimately endured it. Thinking back, she had always given way to Fang Shi, yielding again and again. Even when her heart burned with resentment and anger, she had swallowed it alone.

Only because she knew Fang Shi was the daughter-in-law most favored by the Great Princess, the future Duke Ying matriarch of whom she most approved. Had Fang Shi not been so unfortunate as to lose her husband early, how would the title of Young Madam have fallen to her?

But must she yield again in this lifetime?

She let out another cold laugh.

No. Never again.

In her previous life, her repeated concessions had resulted in Fang Shi usurping the nest, completely seizing the power and position of Duke Ying matriarch that should have been hers. Moreover, Fang Shi had repeatedly driven wedges between her and her son.

This rebirth was unexpected fortune anyway, not something she desired. Since that was so, why should she not live more freely?

She walked slowly to the dining table and sat down. She looked at the breakfast already laid out: several small pots of congee and several delicate side dishes. Though not what she normally ate, they did not appear insufficient. At least they showed that despite Fang Shi’s current authority, anyone with sense would not openly mistreat the Young Madam.

The Great Princess rose early each morning to chant sutras in her small Buddhist hall. After finishing her recitations, she would take a simple, light breakfast. She preferred quiet and had no patience for instructing her daughters-in-law in propriety, so they would come to her chambers to pay respects after she had finished eating.

Besides the two sons and one daughter borne by the Great Princess, the Duke Ying had another son by a concubine, the current Third Master, Wei Junxian.

Wei Junxian’s mother had died early, and he was raised in the Great Princess’s household from childhood. Before marriage, he had taken Yang Shi, daughter of the Minister of Rites, as his wife. He now had two sons and one daughter with Yang Shi. This Yang Shi was a woman of considerable tact, and though she was the wife of a secondary son, she was skilled at ingratiating herself and currying favor. She possessed some standing before the Great Princess.

The maidservants had just finished clearing the table when Fang Shi, Shen Xinyan, and Yang Shi entered in procession with light steps.

The Great Princess suddenly felt her eyes brighten. Her gaze fell unconsciously on the silver-red figure behind Fang Shi. When she recognized this woman as her second daughter-in-law, Shen Xinyan, her face showed clear surprise.

In all these years, this was the first time she had seen this second daughter-in-law dressed so strikingly. Wearing a silver-red silk jacket with crossed collar, her hair simply styled in a bun with butterfly-shaped gold hairpins, pearls and jade in her ear pendants, red and gold were colors easily prone to vulgarity, yet they seemed to make her all the more radiant and brilliant. It was a far cry from her usual appearance.

Seeing her like this today, the Great Princess finally understood why her second son had at a glance chosen her from among so many noble daughters.

“You look quite lovely dressed this way today. This is how you ought to be. Why dress so dull and lifeless at your age?”

Shen Xinyan was taken aback. She had never expected the Great Princess to say such a thing to her. But she quickly recovered and replied with a smile, “Mother is right. I was foolish before.”

She had long known that the Great Princess had already chosen her preferred candidate for a second daughter-in-law. It was her husband Wei Junhang who had insisted on marrying her. After entering the household, fearing others would think her beauty had seduced Wei Junhang into marriage, and worried the elders might misunderstand her as frivolous in manner, she had deliberately dressed herself soberly and with restraint. Over time, it had become habit.

Yet she had never realized all of this was merely her own false assumption.

She twisted her lips in a bitter smile.

In her previous life, she had cared far too much about others’ eyes, constantly restraining herself, living so exhaustingly.

Yang Shi’s eyes rolled as she stepped forward with warmth, linking her arm through Shen Xinyan’s and saying affectionately, “Quite right. When I first saw Second Sister-in-law just now, I thought I’d glimpsed a heavenly immortal! I felt the entire room was illuminated by Second Sister-in-law’s radiance.”

“Third Sister-in-law’s tongue is still as charming as ever!” Fang Shi’s gaze swept between Shen Xinyan and Yang Shi, then she replied in a thin, measured tone.

Shen Xinyan’s lips curled in a smile as she glanced at Fang Shi, watching as she turned away and began chatting casually with the Great Princess.

Yang Shi had been about to say more, but seeing this, she could only pout.

As for a charming tongue, if this First Madam claimed second place in the household, who would dare claim first? After all, she had the Great Princess beaming with delight! She spoke of serene detachment and purity, yet if she were truly so detached, she wouldn’t cling so stubbornly to control of the household’s affairs!

Yet Yang Shi knew her place well enough. Though her heart was displeased, she dared not speak further. Never mind what the Great Princess said about treating them all equally; if anything truly happened, her favor would go to her legitimate daughters-in-law, especially to her most favored eldest daughter-in-law, Fang Shi.

She cast another imperceptible glance at Shen Xinyan, who sat on the other side. She thought to herself: This one is foolish too. Already the Young Madam, with the most legitimate claim, yet she allows herself to be overshadowed by a woman widowed from her husband.