Chapter 1: My Younger Sister Wants to Marry a Lame Refugee

“Mother, hurry and find a doctor to save Brother Xuan.”

As Xu Chunhua spoke, she carefully used a handkerchief to wipe the mud from the man’s face.

The man’s features were as handsome as if carved by a knife. Even in his unconscious state, one could faintly sense an aura of kingly majesty radiating from him that could shake the world.

Xu Chunhua couldn't help but be mesmerized.

Such a handsome man—in her past life, she had also thought him incomparably handsome, but it was a pity that he had been a penniless refugee back then, and she had ultimately chosen to marry Lu Yuan, the son of the county magistrate.

Now that she thought about it carefully, how could Lu Yuan compare to Xuan Jiuling!

In her previous life, she had married Lu Yuan and remained a virgin until the day she died. That dog of a man frequented brothels, and as for her, his legal wife, he seemed exhausted just looking at her, let alone deigning to touch her.

Comparing them carefully, Lu Yuan didn't look half as handsome as Xuan Jiuling. Furthermore, Xuan Jiuling was the high and mighty Ninth Prince; his status was such that in her past life, he had even brought her entire family to live in the capital.

“Chunhua! How could you bring a grown man into our house? We are already arranging a marriage for you with the son of our Taohua County magistrate. Such a family is one we couldn't hope to climb into even in eight lifetimes.”

Mother Xu had always favored her younger daughter.

Naturally, she wanted her younger daughter to marry into such a good family.

“Mother, I don’t want to leave home. If that magistrate’s son were truly a good match, the many wealthy merchants’ daughters in Taohua County would have married him long ago. Why would he marry a farm girl?”

Xu Chunhua acted spoiled.

“Chunhua, if you marry into the magistrate’s family, you’ll have maids to serve you. You won’t have to work for the rest of your life, and you won’t have to toil in the countryside forever.”

“Mother, our family has no sons, so we can only take in a son-in-law to live with us. You should let Sister marry Lu Yuan, the magistrate’s son. I want to marry Brother Xuan and stay at home forever to take care of Father and Mother.”

“Chunhua, that young Master Lu is also dashing and talented. When I went to the town market, I saw him. There isn't a man within a hundred miles who looks better than him. You wouldn't be losing out by marrying him.

I’ve already inquired about him for you. He is capable and loves business; half the shops in Taohua County are his. I heard he even has shops in Yancheng!

He’s capable and wealthy; being a bit of a playboy doesn't matter. Which man isn't a playboy? Your father has no money, but if he did, he would surely have concubines too. If you marry him, you are the legal wife, and those concubines would have to serve you every day.

If it weren't for the fact that your grandfather once saved his father’s life and the two families set up a marriage contract back then, how could such a good match ever fall to you?”

Mother Xu still didn't want Xu Chunhua to marry a poor beggar. Now that the man’s face was clean, he was still good-looking, but seeing him on the verge of death, she didn't know if he had some illness. He might be a sickly weakling who couldn't work and would only cost money to support.

Xu Chunhua scoffed at her mother. In her past life, it was because she listened to her mother’s sweet talk that she married Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan was indeed rich and had many shops, but he was a stingy miser who wouldn't part with a single cent.

He was even more cruel; if things didn't go his way, he would lock her up to copy Buddhist scriptures. If she refused to copy them, he wouldn't give her food, and if she didn't copy them well, he wouldn't give her food either.

It wasn't as if she hadn't cried to her parents-in-law, but they couldn't do anything about their son either.

“Mother, didn't Lu Yuan offer several thousand taels for the dowry? Since his family is so rich and Sister is so capable, can’t we just not provide a dowry?

If we keep that money, we can build a big mansion. Isn't that better than going to the Lu family?

Besides, Brother Xuan is also a man of ability. He is overflowing with talent and will surely pass the imperial examinations in the future.”

Xu Chunhua pleaded bitterly with her mother.

Seeing Xu Chunhua like this, Mother Xu eventually agreed to her request.

When the Lu family came to call, Mother and Father Xu submitted Xu Qiuyue’s marriage papers.

The Xu family had actually been a prominent clan in their ancestry, but unfortunately, each generation was worse than the last, and they eventually became farmers in Xu Village.

Father Xu’s greatest obsession was wanting a son.

Unfortunately, Mother Xu had given birth to two children, both daughters.

That was why the Xu family had considered taking in a son-in-law.

When Xu Qiuyue saw the marriage papers in the matchmaker’s hands, she knew that Xu Chunhua must have been reborn as well.

Otherwise, given Xu Chunhua’s personality, she would never have taken a fancy to a penniless, sick, and lame Xuan Jiuling.

Xu Chunhua stayed in the room, wholeheartedly taking care of Xuan Jiuling, and did not come out to greet the guests.

In this life, Xu Qiuyue did not save Xuan Jiuling. On the contrary, she specifically avoided that road, all to ensure she wouldn't encounter him.

Life in Xu Village was actually not easy. Father Xu was a man of foolish filial piety, and since he had no son, he was unwilling to split the family assets, always wanting to use what they had to subsidize his nephews.

That was why, in her past life, she had proposed taking in a son-in-law, telling Father Xu not to worry about having no one to bury him.

Only then did she find Xuan Jiuling on the side of the road, use the spiritual spring water from her space to save him with all her might, and marry him.

Only then was the family finally split, and life became a little easier.

Unfortunately, because of this, Father Xu harbored hatred toward her in his heart.

Later, when Xuan Jiuling was brought back to the capital, Father Xu couldn't wait to force Xu Qiuyue to become a concubine in the Prince’s mansion, thinking that even being a concubine was climbing high. He considered everything for Xuan Jiuling’s sake, and whenever she had any unhappiness with him, he would say she was too strong and didn't know how to please a man.

In the end, through her own fierce struggle, she became the Princess Consort, while the daughter of the Prime Minister became a secondary consort.

Fearing that Xuan Jiuling would be displeased, Father Xu secretly poisoned Xu Qiuyue, causing her not only to lose her martial arts but also to be unable to bear children for the rest of her life.

This act also earned a minor official position for the Xu family’s nephews.

In the end, Father Xu even spoke earnestly to Xu Qiuyue, saying that all of this was for her own good.

A girl like her knowing martial arts was too aggressive and unlikable to men. As for being unable to bear children, she was already the Princess Consort, so it didn't matter. They could just bring a niece from the Xu family to be a concubine, and the children she bore would still be of the Xu family.

Mother Xu’s heart was filled only with her younger daughter, Xu Chunhua. She had always wanted Xu Qiuyue to arrange an official position for Lu Yuan and have him transferred back to the capital.

But Lu Yuan only loved business. After Xu Qiuyue asked for his thoughts, she stopped forcing the issue.

She only asked him to take good care of Xu Chunhua.

But because of this, Mother Xu was displeased. When the poisoning happened, Mother Xu knew about it but deliberately didn't tell Xu Qiuyue.

Mother Xu had even hoped that after Xu Qiuyue became infertile, she could make Xu Chunhua and Lu Yuan divorce so that she could marry Xuan Jiuling and bear children in Xu Qiuyue’s place.

But after Xu Chunhua learned that Xu Qiuyue had become the Princess Consort, she felt she had made it big and could finally deal with Lu Yuan’s mistresses.

However, unexpectedly, Lu Yuan only gave Xuan Jiuling a large sum of money.

Xu Chunhua was then locked up by Lu Yuan once again.

When Xu Qiuyue learned of this, she had a huge argument with Xuan Jiuling.

In the end, Xu Qiuyue still couldn't do anything to Xuan Jiuling.

Instead, Xuan Jiuling discovered that under the nourishment of the spiritual spring water, her crippled meridians and dantian showed signs of recovery.

Xuan Jiuling kept it to himself, only continuing to let Father and Mother Xu poison Xu Qiuyue.

At that time, Xu Qiuyue wanted a divorce; even a letter of separation would have sufficed, but Xuan Jiuling was never willing. Xu Qiuyue guessed that Xuan Jiuling might not have known where the spiritual spring water came from, but no matter how he tried to pry, even when Xu Qiuyue loved him most, she never revealed a single word.

In the end, he just assumed Xu Qiuyue had a special constitution that couldn't be killed by any poison.

After many years as husband and wife, they finally grew suspicious of each other, turned into enemies, and had no affection left at all.

Thinking back on it now, Xu Qiuyue still felt a faint ache in her heart.