Volume 1, Chapter 1: The Rebirth of Wen Yunmu

Wen Yunmu was dead.

On that night filled with earth-shattering battle cries, clad in a tattered, revealing gauze robe with an iron chain bound around her neck, she had been dragged half-dead up the East Gate tower. There, before the eyes of tens of thousands, and right in front of her father, Wen Changqing, the Marquis of Pingjing, she was subjected to utter humiliation between the battlements. Then, her husband, Lu Jia'an, raised his foot and kicked her off the city wall.

Her final sight was of her father, coughing up blood as he collapsed from his horse.

Yet now, she was alive. She lay in her maiden bedchamber, clutching a soft satin quilt. The morning sun dazzled her eyes, bringing forth a rush of tears that washed over her face.

Was this a second life? Could it be a dream?

Panicked, Wen Yunmu reached up to touch her hair. Sure enough, a small hairpin remained exactly where it had always been. She pressed the sharp point of the pin into her palm. It bled, and she felt the sharp sting of pain.

Had she truly been reborn? Would the meticulous plans she had spun during those dark, endless nights finally have a chance to become reality?

For countless nights, as she felt the cold stone bricks of her prison, she had retraced the steps of her tragic life over and over again, silently praying that if Heaven ever granted her another chance, she would not waste her life so foolishly. She would slay her enemies with her own hands and protect her family.

Looking at her bleeding palm, Wen Yunmu clenched her fist tightly and wiped away her tears.

At this very moment, she had truly returned!

"My lady is awake!" A rosy, plump face appeared at the door. It was her personal maid, Dongmei, who cried out in sheer delight, "Quick, call the physician to examine her again!"

"No need." Wen Yunmu got out of bed. She rinsed her hands in the basin Dongmei held, washed her face, and asked calmly, "What is happening in the manor today? Who has arrived?"

Dongmei thought for a moment. "Nothing out of the ordinary, though we do have a guest. Today is Scholar Han's first day teaching at the family academy. You were supposed to attend, my lady, but since you've been ill these past few days, the Madame sent word saying you didn't have to go."

"I see. Help me dress."

Scholar Han's arrival. That meant there were still two years before the death of her older brother, Wen Xuqing, and five years before the defeat of Prince Tang.

"Xiawei," Wen Yunmu called out softly.

Xiawei, who was dusting clothes in the corner, quickly came over and asked, "What is it, my lady?"

"My head aches. You style my hair. Dongmei, go and prepare some pastries. Pack the plum cakes in a separate tray so we can bring them to the academy for Master Han to try."

"Why must we prepare these, my lady? The Madame should have already arranged the tea and refreshments," Dongmei asked carelessly, putting down the comb.

"Just do as you are told." Wen Yunmu cast a cold glance at Dongmei through the mirror. Dongmei suddenly felt a prickle of fear. Her young mistress was usually incredibly gentle and had never spoken to her harshly. Why did she seem to have a temper today?

Once Dongmei had gone, Wen Yunmu instructed Xiawei, "Go find the Fifth Young Lady. Tell her I will be waiting for her in the academy gardens. Master Han will only stay for a year; such an opportunity is rare, so I will take her along to listen."

Xiawei froze. *What?* Setting aside this shocking command, her mistress had always been a quiet girl of few words. The few sentences she had spoken since waking up were more than she usually said in an entire day.

Wen Yunmu gave her a gentle push. "Go quickly."

Only then did Xiawei snap out of it. She was naturally tight-lipped and obedient. Since her mistress had given the order, she lost no time in heading off to find the Fifth Young Lady.

After taking a couple of steps, she paused. "But my lady's hair..."

"I will style it myself." Having endured three years of torment in the Lu household, what was there that she could not do? Thinking back on those years, her life had been worse than that of the lowest servant in the Lu manor. The maids she had brought with her as part of her dowry had all been sold off, save for Dongmei, who had eagerly climbed into Lu Jia'an's bed. Xiawei's fate had been the most tragic; she had been beaten to death by Lu Jia'an's own hands over a mere cloak.

Having lived a full lifetime, she had finally seen through many people.

Wen Yunmu walked slowly through the garden with her attendants. The family academy was located in Lingfeng Pavilion, which was quite a distance from the ladies' chambers. Calculating that Wen Yunwan had likely already arrived, she walked over to the moon gate to intercept Wen Yunxiu. Sure enough, before half a cup of tea's time had passed, Wen Yunxiu appeared, walking in a slight hurry, her pearl hairpins swaying and glinting in the light.

In her past life, she had very little interaction with her fifth sister, Wen Yunxiu.

Wen Yunxiu was born of Concubine Zhao, who had originally been her mother's personal physician-maid. Yet shortly after her mother's death, Concubine Zhao had been elevated to a concubine by Marquis Wen on a rainy night.

Wen Yunmu had naturally harbored resentment. Thus, when Wen Yunxiu was set up and killed by Wen Yunwan and her mother, she had chosen to stand by and watch.

But in this life, Wen Yunmu had finally learned the truth: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

"Second Sister," Wen Yunxiu greeted her with a bow, looking at Wen Yunmu in confusion. "Mother said that Scholar Han's lectures were only for Second Sister and Third Sister. What is Second Sister doing here...?"

"Do you want to go?" Wen Yunmu asked.

"Of course I do."

"Since you want to go, just follow me. Even if Father and Mother ask, I will be the one to answer."

"Yes."

Ever since she woke up, Wen Yunmu had not felt like talking much. She had always been a quiet person. In her previous life, with her mother dying early, her father marrying a new wife, and her brother passing away, she had felt that the Marquis's manor was no longer her home. She had done everything to keep her head down and survive, only wanting to endure until she married and had a home of her own where she could make her own decisions. Little did she know that her new home would turn out to be an abyss.

During her three years in the Lu household, she had barely had any opportunity to speak other than crying out in pain and begging for mercy. Over time, she had even grown too weary to open her mouth.

The sheer death wish that radiated from her, inside and out, had once destroyed her. Even though she had been reborn and no longer wished for death, Wen Yunmu still felt a sense of cold exhaustion. Having lived through a whole lifetime, everything was now within her grasp. There was no need to voice the myriad emotions she felt; she only had to see how she would turn the tide.

It was already late when they arrived at the academy. Wen Yunmu glanced across the pond and saw that the people gathered there were the same as in her past life: Wei Yan, the third young master of the Duke of Wei's estate; her half-sister, Wen Yunwan; her fourth brother, Wen Xuming; and her elder brother, Wen Xuqing, who had once drawn his last breath in her arms.

Yet in those intervening years, there had been life, death, slaughter, and betrayal. Right now, there was only harmony and warmth.

It truly felt like a lifetime ago!

As they entered the academy hall, Marquis Wen and his wife were waiting for Scholar Han in the front parlor. Seeing her enter with Wen Yunxiu, both of them were startled.

"Mu'er, are you feeling better? Why did you come out?" Marquis Wen was a military man. He had a broad face and a wide mouth, with a fierce and imposing appearance. He spoke with great vigor, but his temperament was actually very gentle, and he always deliberately lowered his voice whenever he spoke to his children.

Seeing her father so suddenly, a tempest surged in Wen Yunmu's heart, and she could barely control her emotions. The image was still seared into her eyes: when she was kicked off the city wall, she had fallen so fast, fast enough only to catch one last glimpse of her father. His stalwart frame had swayed on his horse as he cried out her name, "Mu'er!" before spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Her father had fallen to the ground with her. It had hurt so much—every bone in her body was broken, piercing through her flesh. She could not remember who had carried her away. In any case, before she could even reach her father's side, darkness had consumed her vision.

If only her life had ended in the Lu household. Why had she been too cowardly to commit suicide, ultimately bringing ruin to her own father? She regretted it so deeply!

Wen Yunmu swallowed her tears, though a faint, almost imperceptible tremor remained in her voice. She looked steadily at her father and replied with a smile, "Greetings, Father, Mother. Your daughter has been unfilial. It was merely a minor illness, yet it caused Father to worry. I am fully recovered now. Hearing that Master Han was arriving today, I brought Fifth Sister along."

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing gaze fell upon Wen Yunmu's face.

It was her stepmother, the birth mother of Wen Yunwan and Wen Xuming, and the woman who had single-handedly orchestrated the beginning of her tragic life: Qin Weishu, the second daughter of the former Prime Minister.

"You silly child, coming out just as you've recovered. Scholar Han isn't going anywhere; he will be retained here for a year anyway, so there is no need to rush. Besides, what is this about Yunxiu?" Qin Weishu sized up Wen Yunxiu, who was standing further back. "Just a few days ago, Concubine Zhao said Yunxiu didn't want to come. Why the sudden change of heart today?"

Perhaps because her hatred ran so deep, Wen Yunmu grew incredibly calm instead. She curtsied. "It was I who asked Fifth Sister to come. She was acting foolishly a few days ago, but when she came to visit me during my illness, I lectured her. The saying 'a woman's lack of talent is a virtue' only applies to minor, ordinary families. Our household is of military origin, and people already criticize us for failing to raise our daughters properly. Since we finally have such an opportunity, how could we throw it away? Fifth Sister agreed with my reasoning, so I invited her to come along."

"Failing to raise our daughters properly?" Madame Qin sneered. She was surprised to find that her eldest stepdaughter's words today were laced with hidden thorns. As the second legal wife, she was responsible for the children's upbringing. Saying the daughters were poorly raised was a direct slap to her face!

A cold smile flickered across Madame Qin's face. "Where did you hear such nonsense, my lady? You rarely step out of your quarters; how could such ridiculous gossip reach your ears?"

"Naturally, I heard it from my brother. As for where he heard it, it was nothing more than the gossip of noble young lords. I do not mean to say Mother's discipline is lacking, but rather that scholars and warriors have looked down on each other since ancient times. In the eyes of outsiders, our Marquis's manor won its glory on horseback. In this era of peace, we naturally lack the cultural heritage of scholarly families."

"Utter nonsense!" Marquis Wen slammed his hand down on the armrest. Just as he was about to lose his temper, Wen Yunmu quickly took his arm and said coaxingly, "Father, please do not be angry. People's mouths belong to them; we can control many things, but we cannot stop others from gossiping. If my siblings and I study diligently under Master Han and write beautiful, elegant essays with true character, we will naturally silence those critics!"

"Mu'er is right! As the elder sister, you must lead your sisters to learn well from Scholar Han. Study hard and write some fine essays to make your father proud!"

"Your daughter obeys!" Wen Yunmu held Marquis Wen's arm a little tighter. Her father was still alive at this very moment! This was the best thing that had happened since her rebirth!

Madame Qin raised an eyebrow. Her look of confusion vanished in an instant as she spoke blandly, "Second Young Lady has recovered from her illness, and her complexion seems even better than before. Her personality seems to have changed as well; she is much more lively, so much so that I almost did not recognize her!"

Wen Yunmu stood still, the smile vanishing from her face. She returned to her usual expressionless, wooden demeanor, yet there was an indefinable shift in her presence, as if she had suddenly acquired a sharp edge. She replied with equal calm, "Mother is quite right. This illness kept me asleep for a long time. In my dreams, it felt as though I had lived through an entire lifetime. Having lived twice, it is only natural that my personality has changed somewhat, is it not?"

"I think this illness was a blessing in disguise for our second girl. Not only is she more lively, but she also speaks with such wit. Splendid!" Marquis Wen stood up and ordered, "Bring a desk for the Fifth Young Lady."

"No need, Father. Fifth Sister can share a desk with me today so we do not delay Master Han's lesson!"

"Very well."

Shortly after, Scholar Han arrived carrying his book chest. Marquis Wen and Madame Qin exchanged a few polite words with him before taking their leave one after the other. As she stepped out the door, Madame Qin glanced back. Wen Yunmu was as expressionless as always, and yet... there seemed to be a fleeting glint in her eyes.

Watching Madame Qin's departing figure, Wen Yunmu could not help but sneer. *I have been reborn. Why should I keep my head down anymore? Now, it is time for all of you to pay your debts!*

"Hey, Wen Xuqing, your second sister seems different today, doesn't she?" Wei Yan tapped Wen Xuqing on the back.

At his desk, Wen Xuqing, who shared an identical face with Wen Yunmu, did not even turn around as he replied, "Different how? We still look exactly the same!"

The two siblings of the Wen family were actually a pair of twins, a rare sight in the capital!

At the doorway, Scholar Han's distinguished guest and a frequent visitor to the Wen manor, Prince Tang, Ye Chuiyun, smiled subtly.

"Your Highness," Scholar Han greeted him.

Wen Yunmu looked up at the sound and saw a man walking through the door. He wore a simple, black robe that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His fingers, holding an ebony fan dusted with gold, were long and powerful, yet as pale as paper, with green veins tracing over them like embroidery on fine satin.

He lowered his head, lifted the hem of his robe, and stepped inside. His simply bound hair was exceptionally well-groomed, resembling a bolt of black silk, glossy and dark, with loose strands falling around his temples to partially obscure his face. A moment later, he raised his head. His features were sharply defined, as if carved by a blade, with a straight nose and sharp, sweeping eyebrows that reached his temples. His deep, dark phoenix eyes showed neither joy nor sorrow.

Ye Chuiyun? Why was he at the family academy?

Wen Yunmu was stunned.