Chapter 8 — Sacrificed by the Heir: Reborn as Yue Zhaoyue to Avenge Sixteen Years of Injustice

Xie Linchu suddenly grabbed my wrist, his fingers digging into my skin with unexpected force.

"Shen Zhaoyue, I never truly realized before..." he hissed, his eyes cold. "I never imagined you could be so utterly indifferent to the greater good."

Pain surged through my arm, causing me to wince, yet I refused to pull away. "In the past, the Heir apparent only had eyes for my elder sister. It is only natural that I remained invisible to you."

He tightened his grip further, his knuckles whitening. "Must you always speak such heart-piercing words?"

I met his gaze steadily. "The truth is often jarring to the ear."

As Zi Su was being dragged toward the gate by the guards, a sharp, elderly voice echoed through the courtyard, cutting through the tension. "By order of the Eldest Princess, no one is to remove Zi Su from the Shen residence."

The old matron stepped into view, flanked by the attendants of the Eldest Princess. She held up a bronze token, her voice low yet carrying an authority that paralyzed everyone in the ancestral hall.

"Her Highness further commands," the matron continued, her gaze sweeping across the room, "that since the Second Miss of the Shen house is a guest invited by Her Highness herself, anyone who dares to touch those in her service is, in effect, slapping the face of the Eldest Princess."

Xie Linchu’s grip loosened. My father’s expression shifted instantly, flickering with fear and disbelief. Even the sobbing of Shen Yuntang ceased abruptly. I withdrew my arm, glancing at the angry red welts beginning to bloom against my skin. The matron approached me, her demeanor softening.

"Second Miss," she said, "Her Highness requested I ask you one thing: Do you trust the house of the Eldest Princess?"

I answered without hesitation, "I do."

The matron nodded in approval. "Then regarding Zi Su, I shall keep watch over her personally. Anyone who attempts to silence her permanently shall find themselves in the dungeons of the Princely Mansion, where we have many ways to make them speak."

Shen Yuntang clung to our mother, her fingernails digging deep into the fabric of her mother’s sleeves. Xie Linchu looked at the matron, his voice tight. "Matron, what exactly is my mother implying?"

The matron did not even look at him. "Heir apparent, Her Highness has a message for you as well: If you cannot investigate the truth properly, then cease your meddling. If you cannot ensure justice, then at the very least, do not hinder those who can."

For the first time, a flicker of genuine turmoil appeared on Xie Linchu’s face. I helped Qinghan stand and began to walk past him. As I moved toward the exit, he called out, "Shen Zhaoyue!"

I stopped, turning slightly. He stared at me, his eyes dark with warning. "If you walk out of this ancestral hall today, do not expect to regret it later."

I looked back at him over my shoulder. "Rest assured, Heir apparent. The thing I regret most in this life has already come to pass long ago."

That night, Zi Su was locked in the storage shed, guarded by two of the Eldest Princess’s matrons. No one in the Shen household dared to come near. Qinghan lay face-down on her bed, her back crisscrossed with bruises. Even through the sharp, stabbing pain, she could not stop grumbling.

"That Heir apparent is truly a heartless creature. If the eldest daughter sheds a single tear, he would burn the world to console her. Yet when you are framed and suffering, he only complains that you are making a scene."

I applied ointment to her wounds, my touch light. "If it hurts so much, save your breath."

Qinghan bit into her pillow. "If I don't speak, I’ll burst with anger! And the master and mistress? How can they be so cruel? You are their flesh and blood as well!"

When the salve hit a particularly raw patch, she kicked the edge of the bed in agony. I held her steady. "Gently now. Don't break the furniture; we’ll have to pay for it."

Qinghan let out a choked, bitter laugh. "Even now, you are worried about the bed."

I smiled faintly. A soft knock came at the door. One of the matrons stood in the corridor. "Second Miss, Zi Su wishes to see you."

Inside the storage shed, Zi Su was bound to a wooden pillar, her hair disheveled, her earlier arrogance replaced by terror. As soon as she saw me, she began to weep. "Second Miss, I know I was wrong! I should not have tried to frame you."

I sat on a chair placed near the doorway. "Who ordered you to do it?"

Zi Su sobbed and shook her head. "No one. It was just a momentary lapse in judgment, I was possessed by greed."

The matron placed a bundle of bamboo strips on the table with a heavy thud. Zi Su shivered and fell silent. I leaned forward. "Where did the golden hairpin come from?"

"I... I stole it," she stammered.

"And the forbidden incense from the palace?"

Zi Su’s face turned deathly pale. "I... I know nothing of any forbidden incense."

The matron spoke coldly. "If you insist on playing the fool, tomorrow in the Princely dungeons, we have plenty of ways to restore your memory."

Zi Su began to tremble violently. I looked at her with pitying eyes. "Zi Su, Shen Yuntang cannot save you. Today, in the ancestral hall, she did not even dare to utter a single word to take responsibility for you."

Zi Su broke into hysterical sobs. "The eldest daughter would not abandon me!"

I laughed softly. "If she truly wanted to save you, why would Xie Linchu try so hard to take you away?"

Zi Su froze. I continued, "Taking you to the Princely Mansion—was it to protect you, or to silence you forever?"

Zi Su bit her lip, her eyes wide with sudden realization. The wind howled outside, causing the door to creak ominously. I stood up. "Matron, have the authorities summoned tomorrow morning."

Zi Su finally collapsed, her resolve shattering completely. She wailed, "I will tell you everything!"

I stopped. She gasped for air, her voice trembling. "The incense was given to me by the eldest daughter. She said if I helped the Heir and you spend the night together, the Eldest Princess would be unable to stop the marriage. But that night, for some reason, the Heir walked into your courtyard instead. The eldest daughter was furious. She ordered me to bury the incense burner outside your garden and force Xuandao to take the blame."