Chapter 6 — Sacrificed by the Heir: Reborn as Yue Zhaoyue to Avenge Sixteen Years of Injustice

I used my own body to shield Shen Yuntang from the splatters of blood, then lowered my gaze, masking the bitterness within. "In that case, I certainly would not dare to trouble the Heir to the Manor with my grievances."

Xie Lin Zhu burned with indignation. "You..."

The Grand Princess cut him off sharply. "That is enough." She turned her gaze toward me. "Second Miss Shen, I shall provide you with an explanation for this. You should return to your estate first."

I rose and offered a formal bow of departure. As I reached the threshold, Shen Yuntang suddenly lunged forward, gripping my arm with desperate force. "Sister, I know you resent me. But you cannot destroy Brother Lin Zhu’s future simply because you hold a grudge against me."

I pulled my arm away. "The one who planted the aphrodisiac is the one who destroyed him, not I."

Tears streamed down her face in a practiced display of sorrow. "Must you insist on speaking this way?"

I tilted my head, studying her. "Then tell me, elder sister, how would you have me speak? What version of the truth would you find acceptable?"

She choked on her words, unable to formulate a response. Xie Lin Zhu stepped forward and pulled her behind him. "Shen Zhaoyue, do not push your luck."

I nodded slowly. "The Heir need not worry. Compared to the two of you, I am still far from your level of expertise."

As Qing Xing helped me into the carriage, the gatekeeper of the Royal Manor watched me with an expression of disdain, as if I were nothing more than a bothersome stain. No sooner had I settled inside than the curtain was pulled back. A pale, slender hand slipped a small bronze token into my palm—the work of the elderly maidservant who served the Grand Princess most closely. She lowered her voice to a mere whisper. "Second Miss, Her Highness commanded me to pass on a message: the ash in that incense burner contained traces of prohibited palace incense, a substance unavailable to ordinary folk. Once you return to your estate, you must take great care to guard those around you."

Qing Xing’s face turned deathly pale. I clutched the bronze token. "Convey my deepest gratitude to Her Highness."

The maidservant gave me a long, searching look. "There is one more thing I wish to tell you of my own volition. The bracelet worn by Zi Su, who serves the Eldest Miss, was a gift drawn from the Royal Manor’s stores only three days ago."

"Gifted to whom?" I asked.

The woman did not reply; she simply let the curtain fall. The carriage lurched into motion. Qing Xing whispered, her voice trembling, "Mistress, the Eldest Miss did not even visit the Royal Manor three days ago."

I squeezed the bronze token, watching the streets blur past the window. Three days ago, Shen Yuntang had not gone to the manor. But Father had. And after Father returned, he had brought Shen Yuntang a bracelet, claiming he had simply picked it up while passing a silversmith. In my past life, I had never investigated that piece of jewelry. I had been too busy trying to earn everyone’s affection, too busy proving I was not a wicked person, and too busy laboriously picking up the shattered pieces of my reputation. It turned out that from the very beginning, the people determined to nail me to a pillar of shame were not limited to just Shen Yuntang.

As the carriage pulled up before the Shen estate, the head butler stepped forward to meet us. "Second Miss, the Master requests your presence in the ancestral hall."

Qing Xing blocked my path. "My mistress is still unwell."

The butler’s expression did not flicker. "The Master said that even if you have to be carried, you are to be brought to the ancestral hall."

Inside the hall, the clan elders sat in a somber row. Father stood before the ancestral tablets, gripping the family cane. Mother stood nearby, comforting a weeping Shen Yuntang, while Zi Su knelt to the side. As soon as I entered, Shen Yuntang began to sob. "Sister, I have already pleaded with Father not to blame you for framing me at the Royal Manor."

I looked toward Father. "The Grand Princess has yet to reach a conclusion, yet you are already passing judgment?"

Father roared, "Kneel!"

I remained standing. He raised the cane to strike, but Qing Xing threw herself in front of me. The heavy wooden rod slammed into her back with a sickening thud, and she collapsed to the floor instantly. I caught her, then lifted my head to meet Father’s eyes. "Kill her if you wish, but the Grand Princess’s estate will hear of it by tomorrow morning."

Father’s arm froze in mid-air. One of the elders coughed softly. "Shen Zhaoyue, your father acts only to preserve the honor of the Shen family. A woman’s reputation is her most precious asset; by causing such a scene at the Royal Manor, have you no thought for how others view our family?"

I replied, "So, those who harm me do not damage our family honor, but my pursuit of the truth is what constitutes a scandal?"

Another elder scowled. "This child! How dare she defy her elders?"

Shen Yuntang wept as she knelt. "It is all my fault. Sister resents me, and I am willing to bear the blame. Father, please do not strike Qing Xing; she only acted out of desperation to protect her mistress."

The words were full of feigned kindness, yet her gaze flicked toward Zi Su. The maid immediately crawled toward Father’s feet. "Master, I have something I must say."

Father frowned. "Speak."

Zi Su pointed a finger directly at me. "That day, it was the Second Miss who ordered me to bury the incense burner. She said that if we buried it outside the Eldest Miss’s courtyard and brought the Grand Princess to investigate, she could force the Heir to marry her."

Qing Xing, despite her pain, struggled to rise. "You lie!"

Zi Su wiped away tears, her voice steady. "If I have spoken even half a word of falsehood, may the heavens strike me down. The Second Miss even rewarded me with a gold hairpin for my silence."