Chapter 1: Su Qingwan

It was a bright and beautiful day in the third lunar month.

The residence of Lu, the Junior Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and guests arrived in droves. Today was the wedding day of Lu Feng, the eldest son of the Junior Minister, and Li Xueying, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Anping Earl’s mansion.

Su Qingwan stood before the Lu residence in a white dress. She looked up at the towering, solemn mansion, a flash of hatred crossing her eyes. Her twin sister, Xie Zhaolan, had been Lu Feng’s first wife. They had been married for three years and were known as an enviable, loving couple. A year ago, she was murdered; the Lu family had hastily buried her and announced to the world that their eldest daughter-in-law had passed away.

Lu Feng had waited exactly one year of mourning before taking Li Xueying, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Anping Earl’s mansion, as his second wife. Though she was a second wife, the ceremony was grand and spectacular.

She and her sister had been separated for twelve years. When they finally reunited, she saw her sister fall off a cliff, her life hanging by a thread. They had only a brief moment together before being separated by death. Su Qingwan swore to avenge her sister.

Over the past year, Su Qingwan had been investigating the truth behind her sister’s murder. The woman in red she had seen under the cliff that day was none other than Li Xueying. It had been a chance encounter; Li Xueying had fallen in love with Lu Feng at first sight. Upon learning that he already had a wife, she relied on her noble birth to kill the sister and steal the husband.

Lu Feng... he was heartless and ungrateful, turning a blind eye to it all simply because he wanted to climb the social ladder by latching onto the Anping Earl’s mansion.

Su Qingwan was filled with extreme hatred. "My sister is nothing but bones in the underworld, yet you are here celebrating your wedding night. How can there be such justice in this world? A life for a life—I will make you all pay the price!"

In the wedding hall, the Junior Minister and his wife waited with beaming smiles for the couple to perform the rites.

"First bow to heaven and earth."

"Second bow to the high hall."

"Husband and wife bow to each other."

Amidst the master of ceremonies' loud calls, Lu Feng and Li Xueying were about to bow to each other.

"Wait!" Su Qingwan’s voice cut abruptly through the ceremonial music, followed by screams and the chaotic sound of cups and plates crashing outside the hall.

"Ahhh, a ghost! A ghost..."

Su Qingwan pushed through the panicked crowd and stepped into the hall. The Junior Minister and his wife stood up abruptly, their faces changing drastically. Lu Feng was even more terrified and stunned, blurting out, "Zhaolan?"

One of the younger members of the Lu family shouted "Sister-in-law," but was quickly silenced. Everyone looked at her with fear and panic, as if they had truly seen a ghost.

"Husband, it is I, Zhaolan!" Su Qingwan’s eyes reddened, her body trembling as if she were about to faint. She rushed over to embrace Lu Feng, who was dressed in his wedding finery, and burst into tears. "I have finally found you."

Su Qingwan wanted revenge, but she lacked evidence. Now, she had no choice but to take a dangerous gamble and use herself as bait. How could she catch the tiger cub without entering the tiger's den? She was determined to reclaim the identity of Xie Zhaolan, return to the Lu family, and make them pay with their lives for killing her sister.

Lu Feng hastily pushed Su Qingwan away. "You are not Zhaolan. Who exactly are you? Why are you impersonating her?"

"Husband, you are newly wed, do you no longer wish to acknowledge Zhaolan?" Su Qingwan put on a heartbroken expression. She was exceptionally beautiful, and her tear-streaked face was enough to stir pity in anyone.

The return of a first wife on her husband’s wedding day caused a massive uproar. The guests who had come for the banquet gathered outside the hall, whispering amongst themselves.

Madam Lin, the eldest wife of the Lu family, scolded, "Nonsense! Everyone knows my eldest daughter-in-law passed away a year ago. Who are you to dare impersonate Zhaolan? Someone, what are you standing there for? Throw her out!"

The steward realized what was happening and signaled for two burly men to come over and drag Su Qingwan away.

Su Qingwan had long known that the Lu family would deny her identity and might even try to silence her permanently. That was why she had chosen to return during the wedding—to catch them off guard.

Su Qingwan knelt down in a panic, her face covered in tears. "Mother, it really is Zhaolan. In the eleventh year of Jinghe, you personally brought my husband to the Xie family to propose. With the three letters and six etiquettes, you welcomed me into your home with an eight-bearer sedan chair. Six days after our wedding, you fell gravely ill. It was Zhaolan who served you without sleep or rest, seeking doctors for you and spending a fortune to find a miracle healer to cure your chronic illness. You even held my hands and praised me for being filial and obedient, saying you would treat me like your own daughter in the future. Have you forgotten all of this?"

"This is known to the whole household, but how does that prove you are Zhaolan? My eldest daughter-in-law is dead, and her identity was verified long ago. What is your motive for coming here to cause trouble on my son’s wedding day?" Madam Lin’s expression was stern as she signaled the steward again.

The steward and his men stepped forward to seize her. Su Qingwan struggled to break free and stood up. "Husband, we were married for three years, loving and trusting. When you studied by the window, who was it that brewed tea and soup for you every night? You said the shoes and socks I made were warm, so I spent three years stitching them for you, needle by needle. A year ago, when you were worried about your exams and fell ill, I went up the mountain to pray for your health. Have you forgotten all of this? Now, do you refuse to acknowledge your wife of humble beginnings?"

When Xie Zhaolan had fallen off the cliff, her personal maid, Qiuxiang, had fallen with her and was rescued by Su Qingwan.

After deciding to take on Xie Zhaolan’s identity, she had mimicked her sister’s speech and mannerisms, and with Qiuxiang’s help, she had learned everything about Xie Zhaolan’s life in detail.

Lu Feng steadied himself. "I was married to Zhaolan for several years. She died tragically while praying for me, and I was devastated. I personally collected her remains. My wife Zhaolan is dead. Who sent you to impersonate her and ruin the reputation of the Lu family?"

"That’s right, that’s right! You are not our sister-in-law. Sister-in-law is long dead."

"You dare to come here and impersonate her just because you look like the Xie woman? Aren't you afraid of losing your head?"

"Zhaolan was in the Lu family for three years; everyone knows her. You are definitely not Zhaolan."

The Lu family members shouted loudly, denying her identity.

The onlookers whispered among themselves.

"This person must have the guts of a bear; she dares to impersonate the late wife of Minister Lu on his wedding day."

"How hateful, turning a perfectly good wedding banquet into a farce."

Su Qingwan watched as the Lu family desperately tried to distance themselves from her and sneered inwardly. Her sister had married into the Lu family, managed the household, served her in-laws, remained faithful to her husband, and used her own dowry to support the Lu family for years without complaint. Yet, to curry favor with the Anping Earl’s mansion, these people had driven her to her death.

*The hearts of old friends change so easily, and they say the hearts of old friends are fickle.*

What a nest of vipers and ungrateful wolves.

"I don't know where this madwoman came from, coming here to cause trouble on my son’s big day. Someone, throw her out! Don't let her spout nonsense and disturb our honored guests." The Junior Minister’s face was dark as he gave the steward a look. The steward had served him for many years and understood his meaning.

He wanted Xie Zhaolan dead!

A single label of "madwoman" was enough to silence everyone.

The steward and the servants guarding the sides came over to drag Su Qingwan away. Su Qingwan bit the steward’s wrist hard. The steward, in pain, slapped her across the face. "You madwoman, coming here to make a scene and disrupt the young master’s wedding, and you dare to bite people? See how I teach you a lesson."

The steward slapped her several times, her face swelling up red. She fell to the side, looking disheveled and pathetic. Several young women in fine clothes looked indignant and wanted to speak up for her, but were held back by their elders.

Su Qingwan sneered, a fierce glint in her eyes. Since she dared to enter the tiger’s den, she had to force the Lu family to acknowledge her. The more miserable she looked and the more ruthlessly the Lu family treated her, the more pity the others would feel for her.

The Lu family was a family of scholars and valued their reputation above all else. She didn't believe that the Junior Minister would be willing to sacrifice his reputation and his career just to get rid of her.

(End of chapter)