Chapter 2 — A Wrongful Match in Crimson

Every single day, my younger sister wore a radiant smile as she busily stitched her bridal trousseau. Whenever Gu Xiu Yuan came to our estate, she would deliberately pull him away to avoid crossing paths with me. Hearing that the Shen family and the Gu family had successfully finalized their marriage arrangements, the Grand Princess dispatched a messenger bearing an official invitation. As expected, it was addressed solely to me. My sister stared at the invitation, her eyes flickering with unabashed envy.

It turns out that elder sister is always the favored one; even after relinquishing the engagement with the Gu family, you still manage to secure a far better path.

In her eyes, I had always been the most dazzling presence. Yet she knew nothing of the immense toll it took, the countless sacrifices required to maintain that facade. When my parents first arrived in the capital, we were complete strangers without a single connection to our name. Mother lacked the finesse for sophisticated social circles, and Father stumbled repeatedly in the treacherous waters of the imperial bureaucracy. It was I who stepped forward at grand banquets, smoothing over awkward moments on Mother’s behalf. Cultivating relationships with the noble matrons and young ladies of the capital required far more than a few pleasantries or the exchange of embroidered handkerchiefs. The sheer mental exhaustion and strategizing involved were beyond description. Only after I gradually established an esteemed reputation in the capital did Father’s official career finally begin to flourish smoothly. My growing renown prompted outsiders to lavish praise on the Shen family for raising such exemplary daughters. For my younger sister, these achievements yielded only benefits and never a single drawback. How deeply our parents cherished her was precisely how much I loved her as well; she was my own flesh and blood, the sister who had grown up right by my side. Yet it was this very sister who, on the momentous day of my wedding, chose to hang herself, casting a dark, inescapable shadow over the rest of my life. This time around, I refused to cater to her whims or offer gentle consolations. I merely responded with a cold, indifferent murmur. Her eyes reddened instantly as she demanded to know if I was angry with her.

Elder sister has always spoiled me so, never once treating me with such chilling aloofness. Could this possibly be because of the marriage with elder brother Xiu Yuan?

Having arrived late, she had missed the moment I formally broke off the engagement, assuming instead that during their private negotiations, the two families had simply chosen her instead. My sister reached out to tug at my sleeve, pleading for forgiveness.

Elder sister, it is entirely my fault for stealing your marriage away from you. But you already possess so much in this life, whereas I have only elder brother Xiu Yuan. Can you please find it in your heart to forgive me?

I thought to myself that I could not. It was not on account of Gu Xiu Yuan, but rather because of her horrifying, violent death in our past life. Within the confines of her mind, perhaps there existed only a singular obsession: marrying Gu Xiu Yuan. Success meant life, and failure meant death. I turned sharply on my heel to leave, only to cross paths with Gu Xiu Yuan at that exact moment. The last time I had seen him was when Madam Gu came to formally propose. He gazed at me as though he had a thousand things left unsaid, while I remained completely devoid of anything to say to him. Catching sight of him, my sister behaved as though she had finally seized a drowning man's straw of hope.

Elder brother Xiu Yuan, please help me persuade elder sister; I truly did not mean to fight with her over you.

Her voice trembled with sobs.

Please tell elder sister not to be angry with me anymore.

A look of mild astonishment crossed Gu Xiu Yuan's features.

Has your elder sister truly grown angry?

My footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second, yet I did not stop walking. In this lifetime, at the very least, they had both finally gotten what they desired.

Before setting off to attend the Grand Princess's banquet, Mother led my younger sister directly into my courtyard.

Your sister is going to be married off before long, and she will inevitably have to navigate high-society circles in the future. Why not take her along today so she can broaden her horizons and see the world?

Parents who truly love their children always plan extensively for their future. Mother understood precisely what kind of daughter-in-law Madam Gu desired. Having previously been too soft-hearted to let my sister endure any hardship, she now realized the absolute necessity of rigorous instruction. A glimmer of eager anticipation shone in my sister's eyes. I offered no refusal and simply agreed.

Inside the carriage, my sister repeatedly swore that she harbored no intentions of competing with me.

It is simply that... whatever elder sister is capable of achieving, I can accomplish as well.

Perhaps she genuinely believed that my hard-earned reputation had come effortlessly, for in her presence, I had never once complained of the hardships I endured. She asked with cautious hesitation:

Elder sister, what manner of things does Her Highness the Grand Princess hold an affection for?

The Grand Princess's preferences were remarkably few, for she cared deeply only for musical arts. My sister's eyes lit up instantly.

I excel at playing the zither above all else, and today I shall perform a special melody for the Princess.

As she mentally began composing a musical arrangement, she could not suppress her satisfaction.

You really should have brought me along much sooner than this.

I closed my eyes, refusing to look at her any longer. Upon our arrival at the Princess's estate, the gathering consisted entirely of aristocratic daughters from families of the fourth rank and above. Lady Lin and Lady Xu, both of whom shared a close bond with me, were already present. The two of them greeted me with warm smiles, linking their arms through mine while completely ignoring my sister standing right beside us. It was only after my sister gave a soft, deliberate cough that Lady Lin finally turned to ask:

And who might this young lady be?

I offered a polite smile as I made the formal introduction.

This is my own younger sister, Shu Qiao. Please forgive any awkwardness on her part, as I present her to you all.

The two young women exchanged brief, polite smiles with her and dropped the subject entirely. My sister pressed her lips into a thin line and lowered her head, trailing closely behind me. Once inside the estate, a large circle of noble maidens once again gathered around me. Summoning her courage, my sister piped up with a compliment:

Lady Lin, your gown is truly breathtaking.

Lady Lin was the cherished daughter of the Chancellor, a man of the highest first rank. The underlying implication of such praise was lost on no one. Suddenly, Lady Song burst into a sharp laugh from across the pavilion.

Oh really? Am I to understand that my own attire pales in comparison to hers?

My sister's face drained of color, and she hurriedly bumbled through an additional remark:

This elder sister here looks exceptionally lovely as well.

Gales of laughter erupted from the surrounding crowd, causing my sister's face to flush a deep, mortified crimson as she bit down hard on her lower lip. I stepped forward swiftly to mediate the tension.

My younger sister has been raised strictly within the inner chambers since childhood, and even after arriving in the capital, she has retained the naive innocence she possessed back in Qingzhou. All of you look utterly radiant today, so naturally she could not possibly name everyone deserving of praise.

Only then did the wave of amusement finally subside. The Grand Princess's sedan chair arrived shortly after, and all the guests promptly took their designated seats.

Today's banquet is held specifically to welcome Yan Zhou back home, so there is no need for any of you to stand on ceremony.

The customs of our dynasty were remarkably progressive, allowing men and women to dine together rather than in segregated spaces. Xie Yan Zhou was none other than the Grand Princess's own nephew, having recently distinguished himself by pacifying the rebellious disturbances in the Northwest. In truth, this grand banquet served as an overt vetting process to select a suitable wife for him. Even if a young lady failed to capture his heart, merely catching the eye of the Grand Princess would vastly improve her prospects for a prestigious marriage alliance down the line. Consequently, every single maiden present exerted every ounce of effort to stand out.

I wonder if anyone here would be willing to step forward first and offer a performance to entertain us?

Before anyone else could voice a response, my sister dropped smoothly to her knees right beneath the raised dais.

Your humble servant Shen Shu Qiao possesses a modest proficiency in playing the ancient zither.

An expression of peculiar amusement washed over the faces of the assembled guests. After all, within the Grand Princess's manor, musical performers were hardly in short supply.

My sister's impulsive bid to showcase her talents instantly made her a target of ridicule in the eyes of the onlookers. After all, which of the aristocratic daughters present did not harbor ambitions of claiming the spotlight? The Grand Princess's gaze swept over her, carrying a hint of idle curiosity.

Very well, let us hear you try.

Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, my sister began to play the classic composition "High Mountains and Flowing Water." To be entirely fair, her skill was not subpar. Yet, when compared against the resident musicians of the Princess's estate, she fell short by a vast margin. To imagine that a single zither tune could deeply move the Grand Princess was nothing short of sheer delusion. Barely halfway through the piece, the Grand Princess had already knitted her brows in displeasure.

That will suffice.

The music abruptly ceased. Utterly bewildered by this cold reception, my sister returned to her seat burdened with grievance, turning to whisper a soft "elder sister" in my direction. Yet I remained entirely silent. I freely admit that I had deliberately withheld any warning from her. In my heart, this younger sister of mine had already perished in our previous life. The other noble maidens stepped forward one by one to showcase their talents, each earning gracious words of praise from the Princess. As the banquet drew to a close, the Grand Princess finally recalled my presence.

Shu Ninh, do you have anything you wish to present?

Having refused her last time, it was inevitable that the Princess would feel a touch of displeasure, yet I had always remained one of her deeply favored charges.

Your unworthy subject lacks any special talents, and has merely prepared a hand-copied manuscript of the Lotus Sutra.

A faint, indifferent smile touched the Princess's lips. After all, holy scriptures could be transcribed by anyone, making it hardly an extraordinary feat. I continued calmly: