Chapter 7 — The General's Path

Yet, immediately after that, the Princess’s voice descended like a sudden ray of light breaking through the gloom:

"You are a clever and steady child. Initially, I had considered bringing you into the palace."

I was stunned, lifting my head to meet her gaze.

"Not for the purpose of the imperial consort selection," she clarified with a faint, amused smile, waving a hand dismissively. "I meant for the imperial examinations for female officials. The very first such examination held in our dynasty was designed and regulated by my own hand."

She leaned forward, her expression sharpening with intensity. "If you can place in the top tier, you will be afforded the same status as men. You will be permitted to enter the inner cabinet, serve as a minister, deliberate on affairs of state, and hold the keys to the most guarded secrets of the realm."

The candlelight reflected in her eyes, and as it caught mine, it seemed to ignite a wildfire that swept across the dry plains of my ambition. In my previous life, she had passed away far too soon, and these regulations had withered into obscurity with her. In this lifetime, she remained safe and sound, and the goals that once seemed untouchable and unreachable were suddenly imbued with the glow of possibility. As she spoke, a trace of poignant regret flickered across her eyes.

"Even if you did not say it aloud, I could have guessed that no one has ever truly cherished you." Her gaze softened. "I had intended to keep you by my side for a while longer, but with the chaotic state of the young prince, everything must be set into motion much sooner."

She set aside her smile, fixing her gaze upon me with a look of profound seriousness. "Jade Fragrance, I ask you: are you willing to be my first student?"

The future she painted ignited a burning heat in my chest.

"I am willing," I replied, my voice steady. "I may not be naturally gifted, but I promise you... I am, above all, incredibly hardworking."

The Princess laughed, a light, genuine sound, and reached out to tap my forehead. "Hard work alone is never enough. But that does not matter; you have me. Even if you were nothing more than a stubborn piece of elm wood, I would have the means to carve and polish you into something of worth."

16

The Princess of Southern Defense intentionally obstructed any interference. In the days that followed, I barely caught a glimpse of the Prince. That winter arrived earlier than any I had known before. I secluded myself in the study, surrounded by a desk piled high with essays and scholarly treatises, grinding ink and practicing my calligraphy until my fingers ached. Every few days, the Princess would send over sample essays accompanied by short, guiding notes.

One day, while I was frowning over an essay question regarding the corruption in grain transportation, visitors from the Estate of the Marquis of Inherited Grace arrived. I chose not to evade them this time, instructing the gatekeeper to let them in. Everyone came, save for the girl who had stolen my place. The Marchioness, it seemed, was perpetually prone to tears. The moment she caught sight of me, her eyes reddened. She stammered for a long time before she could force out my name.

"Jade Fragrance..."

From their fragmented and emotional accounts, I learned that after leaving the Princess’s estate that day, they had conducted a thorough investigation into the Marchioness's premature labor years ago. It turned out that a trusted wet nurse had been bribed by the butcher. She had intentionally lured my true brother away, then orchestrated the swap between me and the girl who had taken my life. The truth was now laid bare. There was no need for jade pendants or blood tests; the fact that my face was a mirror image of the Marchioness’s, coupled with the small red mole on my earlobe—noted in the wet nurse's final confession letter—was more than enough proof that I was the true daughter of the Marquis.

Perhaps a ghost of the resentment from my past life lingered, for after a long silence, I asked, "And what of that girl..."

"She drugged the water, and she claimed credit for the kindness that saved my life," I continued coldly. "How have you dealt with this?"

The Marchioness was caught off guard by my bluntness. She paused, stunned, before replying, "She... she has been ordered to transcribe the family rules ten times."

Perhaps the mockery in my eyes was too sharp, for the old Marquis interjected, "The heir no longer requires her presence. She has received the punishment she deserves."

"Transcribing the family rules ten times..." I repeated the words slowly, unable to suppress a dry laugh. "A truly heavy penalty indeed."

My sarcastic tone utterly incensed my brother. Already pained by the girl’s misfortune, he was suffocating with hidden rage toward me. He stepped forward, his voice sharp and jagged. "Is that not enough? Even if you are my blood sister, you have no right to be so vicious! From childhood, she was never scolded by a single member of this family. Because of you, the tears she has held back for fifteen years have all spilled over these past few days."

For a moment, I could not tell if he truly believed what he said, or if he was simply flaunting how pampered her life had been at my expense. Was it truly enough? I realized then that their visit was nothing more than a grotesque farce. It only served to clarify one thing: even now, having seen through her nature, they would continue to shield her unconditionally. It was exactly as it had been in the life before.

17

In my past life, after the incident where she attempted to poison me during my coming-of-age ceremony was exposed, the pressure from the Princess of Southern Defense had forced the Marquis’s estate to publicly acknowledge my true status. I was married to the Prince, who was deeply dissatisfied with the union and treated me with frigid indifference. The girl was sent to a nunnery outside the city to repent, but she lived in my memory as a shadow that never truly faded.