Chapter 1: Selling One's Wife for Glory

"My Lord, everything is prepared. We can send the Madam into the palace in two days."

The sky was just beginning to pale when the steward’s voice drifted over. In the dim room, the woman on the couch suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with terror.

Looking at the mandarin duck and hundred-blessings bed curtains that came into view, Xie Jiu was momentarily stunned.

She... wasn't she dead?

"The Madam has a fiery temperament and surely won't cooperate willingly. We must ensure she doesn't act out of turn and ruin the Emperor's mood."

The voice reached her ears again; it was her husband, the Marquis of Weiyuan, Wu Que.

Hatred surged from the depths of her heart, sweeping through her limbs and bones, making Xie Jiu tremble uncontrollably.

In this moment, Xie Jiu finally realized that she had come back to life, waking up before Wu Que could force her into the palace.

The conversation outside the door did not cease, and the steward’s voice sounded once more.

"Rest assured, My Lord. This servant has already prepared the Hehuan powder. If she takes it before entering the palace, with the Madam’s beauty that outshines the capital, combined with the effects of the powder, she will surely satisfy the Emperor."

His tone was extremely considerate, truly the image of a loyal servant fully dedicated to relieving Wu Que’s worries.

"Jiu'er is my original wife. How could I bear to send her to another man's bed? But if I do not do this, how can I win the Emperor's favor and preserve the last remaining title of the Marquis of Weiyuan’s estate, along with the lives of everyone within it?"

Wu Que’s voice returned, seemingly laden with deep guilt and reluctance.

"My father died in battle, and the new Emperor has ascended the throne. Although I bowed and surrendered to gain a moment of peace, I fear it is hard to dispel the disgust in his heart. I hear he favors beauties; I only hope Jiu'er can truly catch his eye. It would make my painful sacrifice worthwhile, but in the end, I have truly failed her!"

"My Lord, do not blame yourself too much. You are doing this for the future of the Marquis's estate," Chen Shun comforted him in a low voice.

Wu Que sighed. "Enough. No matter how reluctant I am, I must consider the bigger picture. Make the arrangements; we shall send her into the palace on the Qiqiao Festival, five days from now."

Inside the room, after hearing all of this, Xie Jiu’s eyes were as cold as frost.

In her previous life, at this very time, Wu Que had acted out of character, insisting on sending her to a villa in the suburbs to escape the summer heat, while secretly conspiring with the steward to send her into the palace to serve the new Emperor.

After she caught them, Wu Que stopped pretending and immediately tried to force her back to the capital.

She struggled to escape, was driven to the edge of a cliff on the mountaintop, and fell to her death.

The excruciating pain of shattered bones, the terror of losing her blood, the despair of being unable to call for help—even now, having been reborn, Xie Jiu remembered it all with chilling clarity.

It was pitiful that she had died so miserably and resentfully, never imagining that all of this had been planned by Wu Que long ago!

Now, hearing his hypocritical words feigning guilt and deep affection, Xie Jiu felt so nauseated she wanted to vomit, the hatred churning in her chest growing even more intense.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Xie Jiu’s heart tightened. Not daring to move, she suppressed her emotions and immediately closed her eyes.

Then, she heard the man’s deliberately light footsteps slowly approaching the bed.

Wu Que glanced at the couch, and seeing that Xie Jiu was still asleep, he left with peace of mind.

Little did he know that beneath the silk quilt, the woman’s hands were clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Once she confirmed that Wu Que had walked away, Xie Jiu immediately sat up and swung her legs off the bed.

Suddenly, there was a sound at the door. Xie Jiu gasped in shock, but when she turned, she saw it was her personal maid, Chunrong.

"Madam, you’re up. The Marquis has already risen and just left for the morning court," Chunrong said.

Seeing it was someone she trusted, Xie Jiu let out a breath of relief. She hurried forward, pulled Chunrong inside, and shut the door.

"Quick, call Qingfang! We are returning to the Xie family immediately!"

In her previous life, the events had unfolded too suddenly, leaving her nowhere to run. Now that she was reborn and knew of the danger in advance, she could not sit still and wait for death; she had to leave this Marquis's estate at once.

Seeing her as panicked as a frightened bird, Chunrong didn't dare ask questions and nodded hurriedly.

They called for the other maid, Qingfang, and the three of them rushed out of the estate.

At this moment, Wu Que had no suspicions about her, which allowed the three of them to leave the Marquis's estate with ease.

By the time they reached the gates of the Xie residence, before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Xie Jiu practically jumped out. She lifted her skirts and ran, stepping through the gates of the Xie family home.

On the way, Xie Jiu had already told the two maids what she had 'accidentally overheard,' so Chunrong and Qingfang were also tense and filled with indignation.

The mistress and her maids fled as if their lives depended on it, not stopping for a moment until they burst into the courtyard of Xie Jiu’s mother, Madam Yang.

"Mother!"

Before she had even entered the room, Xie Jiu called out urgently.

Inside, Madam Yang was having breakfast with Xie Jiu’s father, Xie Mingshen.

Hearing her daughter’s voice, she was immediately surprised.

"Jiu'er? Why are you back at this hour?" Madam Yang immediately set down her chopsticks and rose to go outside.

As soon as she stepped out, she was met with her daughter throwing herself into her arms.

"Mother!" Xie Jiu had never longed for her mother’s presence as she did now. The grievances of her past life and the lingering fear of the danger she had just escaped converged into tears that fell in torrents. "Mother!"

Having returned from the dead, a thousand words were stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken. She could only repeat that most cherished title, filled with sorrow.

"Oh, Mother is here. What is wrong, Jiu'er? Why are you so aggrieved early in the morning? Did your husband bully you? Let Mother take a good look!" Seeing her daughter in such a state, Madam Yang was truly heartbroken.

She hurriedly patted her daughter’s back, comforting her in a soft voice.

Just then, her father Xie Mingshen’s voice came from the side.

"Why have you returned?"

Xie Jiu looked up and saw her father stepping out of the room. He was staring at her with a deep frown, as if he were looking at someone who shouldn't be there, with not a hint of concern on his face.

The father who had doted on her in the past was now acting with uncharacteristic coldness, leaving Xie Jiu stunned and speechless.

"Father, I..."

"Look at how flustered you are. What does this look like? You have no decorum of a Marquis's wife," Xie Mingshen scolded in a low voice. "Go wash your face and compose yourself before you come back to speak."

Seeing her father acting so strangely, Xie Jiu felt a vague sense that something was wrong.

Madam Yang, seeing her husband’s harsh tone, wanted to smooth things over, but a single glance from Xie Mingshen made her shut her mouth in embarrassment.

Seeing this, Xie Jiu’s suspicions grew even stronger. The plea for help on her lips was swallowed back, and she dared not act rashly.

The three of them left the main hall and followed a maid from Madam Yang’s courtyard to a side room to tidy up.

As they left, Xie Jiu caught a glimpse of her father beckoning the steward to his side. He whispered something, and the steward then hurried out of the courtyard.

Judging by his hurried expression, it seemed as if he were going to deliver a message to someone.

Thinking of this, Xie Jiu’s feet faltered, and a thought suddenly crossed her mind that made her blood run cold.

She turned and called over a maid from her mother’s courtyard.

"Has my husband been to the estate recently?"

"He has, twice," the maid replied. "But when he came, he only sat in the study with the Master and then left. He never came to pay his respects to the Madam. The Madam was unhappy about it—does the Young Miss not know?"

Hearing this, Xie Jiu’s hand, clutching her handkerchief, tightened involuntarily.

I hope, I truly hope, it is not what I think it is.