Chapter 6

Shen Yuanbi let out a startled cry, but a flash of schadenfreude flickered in the depths of her eyes.

Shen Yuanyu sneered inwardly. After a year of separation, Shen Yuanzhen's temper had grown even more volatile, maintaining that same reckless and headstrong nature.

She and Shen Yuanzhen were rivals, and had been since childhood. They shared the same birthday—born in the same year, month, and day—and she was only one hour older than Shen Yuanzhen. Thus, Shen Yuanzhen had to pay her respects and call her "Elder Sister." Because their birthdays were identical, they had been constantly compared by their family members since they were young. Shen Yuanzhen was proud and competitive, which led to many arguments between them.

Shen Yuanyu was much the same; she found Shen Yuanzhen detestable. Once, during a fight, Shen Yuanyu had nearly slashed Shen Yuanzhen's face with a piece of broken porcelain. They were irreconcilable enemies!

As they grew older, her Second Uncle and her father began competing for the position of Clan Heir. Whoever became the heir would become the next head of the Lanling Shen Clan. To Lady Huyang and Shen Yuanzhen, her entire family was a thorn in their side.

The rift between the two grew even wider.

Shen Yuanyu grabbed her arm firmly. "We haven't seen each other for over a year, and the moment we meet, you want to slap your sister! Shen Yuanzhen, have you thrown all your etiquette and rules into a dog's belly?"

"You added castor beans to Grandmother's food and nearly killed her! You are so unfilial, a disgrace to your very existence! When I rushed to your room back then, you had already been sent away by Eldest Uncle. Otherwise, I would have slapped you to death myself! Today, I will deliver a few slaps on Grandmother's behalf to teach you what filial piety truly means!" Shen Yuanzhen said venomously, struggling against her grip as she spoke.

Shen Yuanyu fell silent for a moment. It was because of this incident a year ago that she had been banished to the manor. Back then, she had overheard a conversation between several maidservants and learned that Grandmother's favorite treat was pea cakes. In an attempt to curry favor with Grandmother and compete with Shen Yuanzhen, she had specially made them by hand to present to her. Little did she know that after Grandmother ate them, she suffered uncontrollable diarrhea and nearly lost her life. Upon investigation, it was discovered that castor beans had been mixed into the pea cakes she made!

In the three months since she had transmigrated, this incident had replayed in Shen Yuanyu's mind countless times. The original owner had no intention of poisoning Grandmother; she had been framed, which was why she had ended up in this predicament. This point was beyond doubt.

Shen Yuanyu said coldly, "Even if I have a thousand faults, there are elders in this family to discipline and punish me. What right do you have to lay hands on me? Don't forget, I am your elder sister!"

"Sister?" Shen Yuanzhen flared up at the word. "What right do you have to be my sister? Look at what kind of family your maternal side is! Your mother comes from the Boling Zhou clan, which is merely a 'Grade C' family. What right does she have to marry into our Lanling Shen clan!"

In this era, lineage and origin were of utmost importance, and the scholar-official class did not intermarry with the commoners. Even among high-ranking families, there were four distinct grades: Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, and Grade D. A Grade C family could only be considered a mid-to-low tier aristocratic house; the gap between them and the Shen, Wang, Xie, or Huan clans was as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

Shen Yuanyu's maternal family, the Boling Zhou clan, was also a prestigious clan of multi-generational scholars. Their ancestors had once held the position of Grand Marshal, one of the Three Ducal Ministers. Her maternal grandfather, Zhou Rong, was a contemporary great scholar whose fame shook the world, and her uncles were all renowned masters of metaphysics, possessing both literary and martial talents. By all accounts, they should have been classified as a Grade A clan, yet the imperial court had only designated them as Grade C.

While it seemed irrational, there was a reason behind it. The founding emperor of the Great Jin, Emperor Wu, had accepted the abdication of the previous emperor, replacing the Cao Wei dynasty to become emperor. Zhou Rong's great-grandfather, Zhou Xiang, had been the strategist and intellectual backbone of the Cao Wei faction, helping them resist both Cao Wei and Emperor Wu for decades.

Later, after Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he exterminated three generations of Zhou Xiang's clan. A few survivors of the Zhou family fled to the Jiangnan region, and after several generations of development, they had partially restored some of their ancestral glory. However, because of this historical grudge with the imperial family, the Zhou family could never step into the ranks of the first-tier great clans.

"Your mother is merely a fallen member of a Grade C clan, while my mother carries the noble blood of the imperial family. How can you possibly compare yourself to me!" Shen Yuanyu knew that Shen Yuanzhen had always believed her own lineage was more noble and used it as an excuse every single time. If it were before, Shen Yuanyu would certainly have been angered by this, but now, with a different soul inhabiting her body, she no longer cared.

She calmly shook off Shen Yuanzhen's hand and said, word by word, "My background is indeed inferior to yours! From now on, do not use this reason to make noise in my ears again!"

If her background was inferior to Shen Yuanzhen's, she would simply admit it openly; there was no need for self-pity. Moreover, having lived two lifetimes, she had seen and experienced far more; she truly had no desire to bicker with such a willful young girl.

As soon as these words left her mouth, both Shen Yuanzhen and Shen Yuanbi were stunned. Especially Shen Yuanzhen—she had fought with Shen Yuanyu for over a decade, and when had Shen Yuanyu ever yielded even a fraction?

It was simply too unsettling!

Shen Yuanyu continued, "My background may not be as noble as yours, but a single stroke cannot write two 'Shen' characters. There is an order to seniority; an elder sister is, after all, an elder sister! As long as I am your sister, you must respect and love me! No matter how noble your bloodline is, laying hands on your elder cousin is an act of familial disrespect and a failure of virtue!"

"You... you..." Because Shen Yuanyu wasn't playing by the usual rules, all the sarcastic insults Shen Yuanzhen had prepared were useless. She was both anxious and furious, unable to think of a rebuttal for a moment.

At this time, Shen Yuanbi, who had been watching the spectacle from the sidelines, finally spoke up: "Third Sister, Fourth Sister, please stop fighting!" Her voice was soft and weak, her posture extremely humble.

She first addressed Shen Yuanyu: "Third Sister, the reason Fourth Sister is losing her temper with you is because she is worried about Grandmother's health. Please do not blame her." Then she turned to Shen Yuanzhen: "Fourth Sister, Third Sister was indeed in the wrong back then, but she has already been punished by Grandmother and Father. Having stayed at the manor for a year, she must have learned her lesson. It has been so long; please stop holding a grudge against her!"

She offered a word of support to both sides, being tactful and offending no one. What a perfect "little white flower"—truly a fine daughter raised by Concubine Bai.

Shen Yuanzhen gave her a cold look and said unceremoniously, "The matters between me and Shen Yuanyu have no need for your interference!" No matter what, Shen Yuanyu was a legitimate daughter. Even if her mother was fallen, she was of scholar-official descent. But Shen Yuanbi? She was merely born of a concubine, and her parents were nothing more than commoners. If Shen Yuanzhen looked down on Shen Yuanyu, her attitude toward Shen Yuanbi was one of complete disregard.

Hearing this, Shen Yuanbi's face flushed and paled repeatedly. However, the Fourth Miss was the most favored by the Old Lady and had the support of Lady Huyang; she could not afford to offend her and could only swallow her anger.

It was as if Shen Yuanyu had only just noticed Shen Yuanbi. She gave a cool greeting: "Seventh Sister, long time no see! You are still as 'considerate and sensible' as ever!"

Shen Yuanbi curtsied to her. "Third Sister is well!"

Shen Yuanyu smiled with effortless grace. "To think you would care enough about me, your elder sister, to personally come to the inner gate to receive me. After a year apart, Seventh Sister remains unchanged. It seems Concubine Bai has not taught you in vain!"

Shen Yuanbi's heart skipped a beat—how could she sense the disparagement in those words? When had the usually straightforward Third Miss learned to speak with such hidden meanings?

"Third Sister overpraises me!" Shen Yuanbi's smile was somewhat forced.

Shen Yuanyu couldn't be bothered with her. Both Shen Yuanzhen and Shen Yuanbi were ill-intentioned, but by comparison, she detested Shen Yuanbi more. While Shen Yuanzhen was unpleasant, her malice was out in the open, unlike Shen Yuanbi, who hid a knife behind her smile.

Shen Yuanzhen was still there, refusing to let the matter go.

Shen Yuanyu said impatiently, "Fourth Sister, if you keep making this scene endlessly, what exactly do you want? If the elders find out, I won't be the only one losing face. If the people from the West Wing find out, it will be the people from the East Wing who lose face!"

The Great Old Lady of the East Wing, Lady Gu, and the Second Old Lady of the West Wing, Lady Xie, had never been on harmonious terms. The Great Old Lady was a second wife, hailing from the Wu clan, one of the four great clans of Wu Commandery, while the Second Old Lady came from the Xie clan of Chen Commandery, a first-tier great clan. The Xie clan were "immigrant" nobility, and such clans always looked down upon the native Wu clans of Jiangnan. Furthermore, the Great Old Lady was quite sharp and biting in her dealings, making Lady Xie dislike her even more. While the two sisters-in-law maintained a semblance of harmony on the surface, they were constantly engaged in subtle power struggles behind the scenes.

As they spoke, they saw the maidservants from the various branches peeking around in the distance to investigate. As expected, Shen Yuanzhen began to hesitate.

Shen Yuanyu's behavior today was clearly one of yielding, but for some reason, this kind of yielding—as if an adult were refusing to stoop to a child's level—made Shen Yuanzhen even angrier. It felt as if she had swung a powerful punch only to hit a mass of cotton; it left her with nowhere to direct her strength, making her feel incredibly frustrated.

There was no longer any point in arguing with Shen Yuanyu.

"Shen Yuanyu, I'll let you off this time! We shall see! Let's go!" Calling for her maids and nannies, Shen Yuanzhen returned to the Second Branch in a grand procession.

Shen Yuanyu merely smiled slightly, not taking Shen Yuanzhen's words to heart. She turned her gaze toward her concubine sister, Shen Yuanbi, her eyes as clear and calm as water. "Fourth Sister has already returned to her room. I plan to go pay my respects to Grandmother; do you wish to come with me?"

Unable to withstand her gaze, Shen Yuanbi involuntarily lowered her head slightly and said in a soft voice, "I have already paid my respects to Grandmother today, so I will not accompany Sister. Once Sister has settled in, I will come to see you!" Shen Yuanyu had been sent to the manor specifically because of the poisoning incident; if she went to pay respects now, Grandmother would certainly not give her a kind face. If she followed along, wouldn't she just be subjected to Grandmother's disdain as well?

Shen Yuanbi was no fool, so she declined without hesitation.

"That is fine then." Shen Yuanyu truly couldn't be bothered with her. She left a few rough-working maids and nannies to move her belongings from the countryside to Changle Hall, and then directly took Nanny Zhang and Luan'niang to Grandmother's Shaohe Courtyard.

At some point, snowflakes began to drift from the sky again. Luan'niang was Shen Yuanyu's personal maid; she did exactly as Shen Yuanyu commanded, without question or hesitation. Meanwhile, Nanny Zhang walked with a lingering gait, thinking of Concubine Bai's instructions, and spoke hesitantly, "Third Miss, it is already so late and it has started snowing. The Old Lady usually sleeps early; she has likely already retired. Perhaps... perhaps we should wait until tomorrow to pay our respects to her?"

It was only the beginning of the Hour of the Rooster! It was true that the Old Lady slept early, but no matter how early, there was no reason to retire at this hour. Moreover, every day after dinner, she would consult the managing mistress regarding the affairs of the manor; although she had handed over the management authority to the Second Madam, the Old Lady had no intention of relinquishing full control.

Shen Yuanyu mocked her inwardly. She paused her steps and turned to look at Nanny Zhang, her eyes seemingly laced with ice. "If you find it too cold and want to be lazy, you may go back on your own. I have Luan'niang to accompany me, which is enough!" Her position in the manor was already precarious; if she failed to pay respects to Grandmother on her first day back, she would undoubtedly be branded as unfilial, making it even harder for her to establish a foothold in the Shen family!