Chapter 1: Pierced by Ten Thousand Arrows!

Great Yong Dynasty, outskirts of the capital.

The Marchioness of Dingyuan, Mu Xinnuan, was looking at the handsome man opposite her with a face full of grief and indignation! This man was none other than her husband, with whom she had spent five years, and at this moment, he was holding in his arms the younger sister she had once thought was the best: Mu Xinyao!

The two of them were watching as Mu Xinyao stood there, surrounded by men holding bows and arrows, ring after ring, encircling her completely!

"Why? A-Hui, I gave you my whole heart. Why would you treat me like this?" Mu Xinnuan’s voice was already trembling slightly.

"Why? Mu Xinnuan, let me tell you the truth! I have never loved you! Who do you think you are? If it weren't for the influence of your maternal grandfather's family, why would I have married a dull, wooden block like you!"

Jin Hui glanced at her with disdain. The disgust in his eyes was as if he would vomit if he had to look at her for even a second longer! Gone was the tenderness and intimacy of the past.

"No! You said you loved me. I helped you defeat your elder brother and ascend to the position of Marquis of Dingyuan. What else are you dissatisfied with? Why? Why would you do this to me?"

"Why? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too stupid! You have a maternal grandfather who is the General Protecting the State—who else can you blame? Hmph! Your grandfather and uncles were too foolish to support Prince Ming. Now that their heads have fallen, they brought it upon themselves!"

"What did you say?" Mu Xinnuan’s eyes widened, looking at Jin Hui in disbelief. "You... you killed my grandfather?"

Jin Hui, unwilling to say more to her, turned his head to look tenderly at Mu Xinyao in his arms. "Yaoyao, you see? Once she is dead, you will be my official wife, the Marchioness of Dingyuan. From now on, no one will ever bully you again."

"Thank you, A-Hui. You are so good to me." Mu Xinyao’s charming, delicate voice filled Jin Hui with joy!

"It’s you! Mu Xinyao, what did I ever do to wrong you? Why would you help him harm me like this? We are sisters by blood!" Mu Xinnuan could not understand. Although Mu Xinyao was not her sister by the same mother, she had always treated her well. She had even stood up to her grandmother for her sake. But why? Why would she help Jin Hui harm her? And even harm her maternal family?

Mu Xinyao glanced at her, appearing somewhat reluctant. "A-Hui, let me go up and say a few words to my sister. She is my sister after all. Even if she treated me poorly in the past, I cannot completely disregard our sisterly bond."

Mu Xinnuan’s expression changed instantly upon hearing this! What did this mean? Looking again at the tenderness and deep affection Jin Hui showed her, something suddenly exploded in her mind!

So that was it?

She had always thought herself clever and talented, especially in political matters where she had helped Jin Hui a great deal, but she never expected that she would lose to this battle of the inner chambers?

Thinking back, this younger sister had always acted so obedient and fragile in front of her. Even when Jin Hui had drunkenly forced himself upon her, she had only wiped her tears in secret. Now it seemed clear that all of this had been calculated!

Mu Xinnuan actually laughed out loud, and the tears in her eyes surged out along with it!

How stupid! She had actually been deceived by this "lovely" younger sister for so many years! Thinking back to shortly after she was married, how coincidentally she had been forced by Jin Hui! And Jin Hui’s explanation was that he was drunk and had mistaken her for her! How laughable that she had actually believed it!

Mu Xinnuan’s laughter grew more intense, and the tears on her face flowed even more! At this moment, Mu Xinyao, accompanied by two guards, arrived in front of her.

"Sister, don't blame me for being heartless. Who told you to be the legitimate daughter while I am only a concubine's daughter? Even though my mother later became the legal wife, by then, I had already become the Marquis's concubine. If you don't die, I will always be a concubine, and my son will always be illegitimate. How can you expect me to be at peace?"

"So all of this was calculated long ago? You just wanted the position of the legal wife—you could have just taken it! Why did you have to implicate my maternal family?"

"Hmph! Mu Xinnuan, get this straight: that is your maternal family, not mine. My mother’s surname is Song, not Li!"

Mu Xinnuan’s heart froze to the point of ice!

Yes, her mother’s surname was Li, but Mu Xinyao’s biological mother’s surname was Song! How could she have been so muddled! She had actually believed they were the closest sisters in the world! It turned out that all of this was nothing more than a trap! A trap to take her life, seize her property, and harm her kin!

"Don't worry, all the property under your name has already been transferred to my husband's name! With this wealth, don't you think my husband's future career will go even more smoothly?"

Mu Xinyao was smiling, and the triumph and arrogance in her eyes were now fully exposed without any restraint!

Looking at Mu Xinyao before her, Mu Xinnuan finally understood that she had never truly known this sister at all!

"Mu Xinnuan, seeing that you are about to die, I'll tell you one more secret!"

Mu Xinyao’s voice lowered a fraction. "Do you know how your mother died? My mother fed her a slow-acting poison that made her weaker and weaker. Oh, and your dear little brother—do you know how he slipped into the lotus pond?"

"You!" Mu Xinnuan’s eyes bulged, wishing she could swallow Mu Xinyao whole!

"You're insane! He was your brother too!"

Mu Xinyao curled her lips in disdain. "Mu Xinnuan, you really are stupid! If your brother didn't die, how could my brother inherit our father's estate? If your mother didn't die, how could my mother become the legal wife? So, they were the ones who stood in our way first; don't blame us! Since you are so deeply attached to them, go down and join them!"

Seeming to remember something else, Mu Xinyao smiled sweetly. "By the way, do you think the three of us could have succeeded without Grandmother's blessing?"

After Mu Xinyao finished speaking, she didn't look at her again, returning directly to Jin Hui's side and leaning obediently against his chest with a radiant smile.

Her previous words had successfully left Mu Xinnuan stunned in place!

Until the arrows pierced her chest, she seemed unable to feel the pain! As the rain of arrows descended, Mu Xinnuan’s eyes remained fixed on Mu Xinyao!

Pierced by a thousand arrows!

Mu Xinnuan’s body swayed, and finally, she fell to the ground, unwilling to accept her fate, her beautiful eyes wide open as she stared at the gloomy sky above!