Chapter 6 — Catching Them Red-Handed on My Wedding Day

Before the words had even faded, he delivered a ruthless kick to the shoulder of Zhu Dieyin. The impact sent her sprawling across the ground, her shoulder colliding with the cold blue stone flags with a dull, sickening thud. She collapsed flat against the earth, a thin trail of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. Desperately, she struggled to push herself back up, but two towering matrons pinned her firmly in place, rendering her completely immobile.

No... it was not me...

Her voice finally shattered into a pathetic, broken wheeze. My elder sister grasped my hand tightly, turning to face the assembly of distinguished guests gathered within the courtyard.

All of you present today have witnessed this with your own eyes. Zhu Dieyin, hiding behind the noble title of a mentor's wife, has stooped to malicious schemes. She fabricated vile rumors to destroy the reputation of my younger sister, and even dared to poison the calming draught intended for me, attempting to murder the rightful heir of the Heir's Estate. Such a heartless demon deserves a thousand deaths!

She tightened her grip on my fingers slightly, as though transferring a wellspring of inner strength directly into my veins.

I beg all of you to bear witness today. I, Shen Chenyu, in my capacity as the Heir's Consort, solemnly swear this oath before heaven and earth. If any person ever dares to splash even a single drop of filthy water upon my sister again, they shall forever be considered the mortal enemy of the Heir's Estate.

Lu Mo stepped forward, coming to a halt shoulder to shoulder with me. His broad shoulders brushed lightly against mine, and the clean, refreshing scent of pine wood drifted subtly from his garments.

The Marquis's Estate and the Heir's Estate have always shared a single breath and a common destiny.

His voice was calm and measured, yet it carried an absolute weight that brooked no argument.

Regarding today's vile transgression, the Marquis's Estate will join hands with the Heir's Estate to memorialize the imperial court, and we shall pursue this investigation to the bitter end.

Zhu Dieyin lay prostrate on the cold stone, her complexion ashen and lifeless. Her head bowed lower and lower with every passing second.

Lanyan! Have mercy on me! Your mentor's wife was wrong, I truly know the error of my ways! Spare me, please, just let me go this once!

Her forehead slammed repeatedly against the flagstones, producing a rapid series of hollow, rapping echoes as tears and mucus smeared uncontrollably across her bruised face.

I kowtow to you! For the sake of your late master, for the sake of our shared village, spare my life!

I gazed down at her in absolute silence. In our past life, she had reveled in the luxuries of the Marquis's Estate for a full decade, living as a pampered noble lady with the finest food and clothing imaginable. Her own daughter had ascended to the position of Heir's Consort in the grand estate. The two of them had each cradled a plump, rosy baby boy, radiating boundless glory and splendor. And yet, I had been left clutching my dead sister's wooden spirit tablet, freezing to death as a rigid corpse amidst the biting sleet of a December blizzard. At that time, had she ever spared a single thought for mercy toward me?

My sister refused to spare her even a glance. She turned gracefully back toward her husband, looping her arm through his sleeve with an air of absolute tranquility.

Jingchen, the hour grows late. Let us return to the estate. The dust has finally settled regarding my sister's affairs, and I can finally set my mind at rest.

Gu Jingchen nodded, casting one final, freezing glare at the woman groveling on the ground before issuing a command to the guards flanking them.

Guards, drag her away to the dungeons of the Heir's Estate. Jointly draft a memorial with the Marquis's Estate addressed to the Ministry of Punishments, and ensure this case is thoroughly investigated.

Four burly guards stepped forward instantly, hoisting Zhu Dieyin’s limp, boneless form off the ground. As they dragged her past me, she suddenly jerked her head around, fixing me with a pair of bloodshot, tear-stained eyes. All malice and venom had vanished from her gaze, replaced entirely by a vast, desolate expanse of gray emptiness. The massive boulder that had weighed crushingly upon my chest throughout ten long years of my past life finally shattered into dust at this very moment.

The judicial proceedings concerning Zhu Dieyin were not delayed long by the Ministry of Punishments. Attempting to murder the unborn heir of the Heir's Estate was a capital offense of the highest order, and conspiring to ruin another's chastity while framing a noblewoman conferred crime upon crime. With multiple heavy charges stacked against her, she was formally sentenced to exile three thousand li away, banned forever from setting foot in the capital. On the day the verdict was pronounced, she neither wept nor cursed, remaining merely in a daze as she knelt upon the courtroom floor like a clay idol stripped of its soul.

By the arrival of December, my sister safely delivered a healthy baby boy. I traveled to the Heir's Estate to visit her. Reclining against soft silk pillows with a radiant, blooming complexion, she cradled a tiny infant wrapped snugly in swaddling clothes against her chest. The little fellow possessed a wrinkled, delicate face and tiny fists clenched tightly as he drifted into a peaceful slumber. Each breath of warm air exhaled into the chilly winter room blossomed into a faint cloud of white mist.

My sister raised her head to look at me. The fierce sharpness that had once defined her brows had entirely transformed into a soft, glowing warmth. She patted the edge of the plush mattress, motioning for me to sit beside her, before gently transferring the infant into my arms.

Come, let your aunt hold you for a little while.

I carefully supported the impossibly fragile, feather-light body, not even daring to draw a full breath. The tiny creature shifted restlessly against my chest, suddenly fluttering open a pair of obsidian, grape-like eyes to gaze blankly at me before letting out a microscopic yawn.

Hot tears cascaded instantly down my cheeks. In my past life, I had clutched my dead sister's spirit tablet, freezing into a rigid corpse in the bitter snow. In this life, I held her living, breathing child within a fragrant, sun-warmed chamber, feeling the very marrow of my bones glow with life.

My sister reached out to wipe the tears from my face, offering no empty words of comfort, but merely patting the back of my hand with infinite tenderness.

By March, as spring finally brushed the earth with green, the muddy dirt roads of Jinxi Village were finally paved over with smooth, elegant blue stone pathways. On the day the construction was completed, I made a journey back to my hometown. The village elder led the young and old of the entire community to wait for me at the village entrance. His wooden cane struck the brand-new flagstones, producing crisp, resonant echoes that rang clearly through the spring air.