After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

Xiao Mingyue and Shen Yan's wedding became the most talked-about anecdote in the capital.

The storyteller stood on the stage, spitting as he spoke.

"The prince consort, riding a white horse and dressed in red, was the most handsome man in the capital. He was so elegant and charming that all the girls in the city threw handkerchiefs and fruit at him. The flower petals were so numerous that they covered half of Zhuque Street."

The crowd erupted in cheers, and some people slammed their fists on the table and shouted.

"Tell me about the eldest princess! I've heard her phoenix coronet and wedding gown are incredibly magnificent, and the armored soldiers escorting her are truly awe-inspiring!"

The opera troupe at the corner of the long street rehearsed a new play, "The Story of the Prince Consort," overnight, and tickets were in high demand.

The women buying vegetables by the roadside huddled together, whispering amongst themselves with a hint of schadenfreude.

"Back then, when Madam Du divorced Lord Shen, she left so decisively that she trampled Lord Shen into the mud."

"Now you're dumbfounded, aren't you? Lord Shen has become the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant; she'll probably slap herself twice in her sleep every night."

"This is what they call picking up a sesame seed and losing a watermelon, and stepping in dog poop along the way."

Rumors, having grown legs, drifted on the spring breeze into the high walls of the Jingxin Courtyard of the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion.

A sharp crack echoed from inside the room as the teacup shattered on the floor, breaking into several pieces.

The maid shuddered in fright and quickly squatted down to tidy up, while repeatedly urging the maid to stop.

"Madam, please calm down. You are five months pregnant and must not get angry."

Du Yuerong gently touched her swollen belly with one hand, her chest heaving.

"Now the whole capital is gossiping about me behind my back."

"When I entered this manor, I was so glamorous and respectable. Back then, everyone in the manor looked up to me."

"Now, even drinking a sip of tonic requires us to be mindful of the attitudes of the second and third wives."

She went to great lengths to plan her divorce and remarry into the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, taking Tingyun with her.

They thought they could climb the social ladder and enjoy endless wealth and honor from then on.

Who could have predicted that the relationships within the Marquis's household would be so complex?

The second and third wives were originally fighting fiercely for control of the household, but after she arrived, they united against her and began to ostracize her.

The old lady used the excuse that she was giving birth at an advanced age to keep her confined to this courtyard to recuperate, and she was not allowed to have any real power in the mansion.

If it weren't for the fact that Lord Zhao Heng treated her well, her daily food rations would probably be rationed.

All she can do now is to protect this pregnancy and try to have a boy.

Then, by virtue of her son's status, she secured her position in the household.

At that moment, the sound of light footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

Shen Tingyun bowed his head as he stepped over the threshold.

"Daughter greets her mother."

Du Yuerong raised her eyelids and looked her daughter up and down.

Shen Tingyun was dressed in a light green dress, with only a plain silver hairpin in her hair. She looked drab and listless, without any energy or spirit.

"What are you busy with all day? Have you ever gone to visit Miss Zhao?"

Shen Tingyun lowered her eyelashes.

"Zhao Yuwan looks down on her daughter; she'll only be a nuisance if she goes there."

Du Yuerong slapped the small table.

"You have to go, even if you're annoying. We're just like duckweed in the Marquis's mansion now. If you don't go and curry favor with her, do you expect me to serve her while I'm heavily pregnant?"

Shen Tingyun also lost her temper, her eyes reddening as she spoke.

"Why should I go out of my way to be tormented by Zhao Yuwan? Is my daughter destined to have a lowly life?"

Du Yuerong was furious when she heard her talk back.

"Now that we are mother and daughter, Zhao Yuwan is just a teenage girl. Isn't she easier to deal with than the old lady and the other two wives?"

She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, and her words became reckless.

"If I had known you were this useless, I should have brought Que'er with me. That brat is full of bad ideas and is definitely smarter than you."

Shen Tingyun finally raised her head.

She stared at Du Yuerong's face, distorted with anger, and felt nothing but absurdity.

"Since Mother married into the Marquis's household, has she shown any concern for her daughter's situation?"

"My mother always says she's doing this for my own good, to give me a bright future. But why is my life even more miserable in this noble household than before?"

"Are neither my sister nor I more than objects for you to use to curry favor with the Zhao family?"

"You can't even protect your own child, don't you feel ashamed?"

Du Yuerong opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

"presumptuous!"

Perhaps because she had been touched on a sore spot, she became enraged and threw the teacup on the table at Shen Tingyun.

"You unfilial daughter, how dare you defy your mother like this!"

The teacup grazed Shen Tingyun's forehead, and the shards of porcelain that splashed up cut the skin on his forehead.

Blood seeped out and fell down Shen Tingyun's cheek, like crimson tears.

Du Yuerong's maid, Qiuling, exclaimed in surprise and stepped forward to help her up.

Shen Tingyun slowly wiped the blood from his forehead.

His eyes were filled with nothing but icy coldness.

"Mother, please don't smash too many teacups."

Her voice was very calm, without any emotion.

"My daughter sees that the Marquis doesn't seem to care much about you. It's uncertain whether you'll have such fine items to use in the future."

After saying that, he stopped looking at her and turned to walk out the door.

The curtain fell, separating the inside from the outside into two distinct worlds.

Du Yuerong slumped into the chair, trembling all over.

When did my daughter, who used to be too afraid to even speak loudly, change?

When did I become so stubborn and unyielding?

In the long corridor outside the courtyard, Shen Tingyun walked faster and faster in the shadows.

She harbored resentment.

Du Yuerong repeatedly made her grovel and fawn over the people in the Marquis's mansion.

But she never imagined that she was only fourteen years old.

Did Shen Jingque suffer such injustice in her previous life?

She didn't know, she just felt like crying.

As a reborn person, she clearly had the ability of foresight and chose a broader path, so why did she have such a difficult time?

In contrast, Shen Jingque, whose wealth and status were stolen from her noble family, is thriving in the Princess's residence.

Now she has to be granted the title of County Princess, and even Zhao Yuwan has to bow to her when she sees her.

When fate plays tricks on people, it really doesn't make any sense.

Once Du Yuerong gives birth, he will truly be nothing more than a burden and a drag on her life.

She had to find a way out for herself.

Thinking this, I had already arrived at the side gate of the Marquis's residence.

A young servant in blue robes had been waiting for a long time at the base of the wall.

Upon seeing Shen Tingyun emerge, he glanced around, took out a letter from his sleeve, and bowed to present it.

"Miss, His Highness instructed me to personally deliver this to you."

Shen Tingyun held the letter, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Upon opening the letter, the handwriting on the paper was neat and elegant, and a bright red personal seal at the end of the signature was particularly striking.

This was a letter of recommendation that would allow her to enter Qishan Academy.

That was the most prestigious academy in the Great Yong Dynasty, where countless scions of noble families would fight tooth and nail to secure a place.

She knew that her family background was humble and she was not worthy of a position by the prince's side.

That's why I asked Xiao Jingchen for such a favor.

As long as one can enter that academy and get to know a few noble ladies or young masters from prominent families, there is a chance of finding a way out of this quagmire.

"Why is Your Highness helping me?"

Her voice was low, "I am just a stepdaughter living under someone else's roof, I don't deserve Your Highness's trouble."

The servant bowed his head and replied respectfully, "How could this servant possibly fathom Your Highness's thoughts?"

Shen Tingyun carefully put the letter into his sleeve, and then took out a few taels of silver and stuffed them into the servant's hand.

"Please thank the Third Prince for me. If you have any requests, Shen Tingyun will do his best."

The servant calmly accepted the silver and then took a half-step closer.

"Speaking of which, His Highness does have a matter he would like to trouble you with, young lady."

Shen Tingyun raised his eyes, waiting for what was to come.

"His Highness said there is someone in Qishan Academy, and he would like to trouble you to keep a close eye on him."

As the sun sank deeper and deeper, it cast shadows on the half of her injured face.

His eyes, like a deep, cold pool, held a playful glint.

"Oh?"

She raised her hand to touch the dried bloodstain on her forehead, and a slow smile curved her lips.

"I wonder who it is that Your Highness is so concerned about."