Himmlischer König

Kapitel 56

"The Great General?"

"I want you to be the Grand General of the prosperous dynasty, so that I can be a glorious general's wife. Under heaven, no one will look down on me anymore, and no one will dare to bully me."

That year, she was fifteen and he was twelve.

As soft willow catkins fluttered by the pond where the chill had melted, he and she made a promise to each other in a few words: he would become a great general of a prosperous dynasty, and she would become a glorious general's wife.

In this lifetime, I will never be looked down upon again.

When her eldest cousin, Murong Jin, turned seventeen, she secretly hid behind a screen and watched her cousin, who was all smiles and wearing a brightly colored dress. Everyone in the manor gave her gifts, and even Old Madam Murong sent her an exquisite box. Inside the brocade box, a pair of pink palace-style silk flowers attracted everyone's attention.

That was the first time Murong Ci had ever seen something so beautiful.

The palace-made silk flowers were tied into the shape of butterflies, with incredibly vibrant colors. Colorful tassels cascaded down from the silk flowers, and the pair of silk butterflies were so lifelike that they seemed ready to take flight.

Amidst the envious gazes of her sisters, eldest cousin Murong Jin proudly accepted the brocade box containing silk flowers, placed it on the table, and then led her sisters to kowtow and express their gratitude to the old lady.

After everyone had left, she quietly walked toward the brocade box that was placed on the table.

Because the silk flowers were so beautiful, she really wanted to see them and touch them, because she also had long, thick, black hair, but had never owned even the most ordinary silk flower.

She never imagined that simply touching that silk flower would bring her such humiliation and sorrow!

She still picked up the pair of silk flowers.

"How did you get here?!"

When a cold, provocative voice rang out from behind her, she turned around in alarm and saw her eldest cousin, Murong Jin, leading her sisters, standing condescendingly in front of her, their faces full of disdain.

She stood there helplessly, holding the silk flowers in her hand, feeling a sudden jolt, her mind going completely blank!

"Who let you in here? This isn't a place for a lowly wretch like you! Don't you dare dirty my room!" My older cousin frowned defiantly, and after seeing the silk flowers in her hand, she shouted even more angrily, "Who told you to touch my silk flowers? You're trying to steal my things!!"

Murong Ci stood there speechless, watching her eldest cousin Murong Jin, who had labeled her a thief in just a few words, and then watched as her cousin turned away angrily, directing the maids behind her.

"Go tell my mother right now that this lowly scoundrel from Murong Manor stole my things. Oh, and tell my uncle, the manor lord, and my grandmother too—"

In the blink of an eye, the eldest cousin had spread the news throughout the entire Murong Manor.

It seems everyone knows that Murong Ci stole her silk flowers, and this way everyone will also know that the silk flowers owned by Murong Jin of Murong Manor are the most beautiful, made in the palace, and coveted by everyone.

She can use this method to show off fiercely!

As for Murong Ci's utter loss of face, whether she lives or dies, what does it matter to her! The child born to that lowly woman has no dignity whatsoever.

Murong Ci stood there holding the pair of silk flowers, watching the growing crowd outside the door.

She stared blankly as a multitude of sounds surged into her ears, shattering her blank consciousness into pieces!

—Like begets like, and the children of a lowly woman are destined to be thieves.

—Liu Susu only schemed against the manor lord and entered the Murong family because she was pregnant. Otherwise, how could the Murong family, which has been nobles for generations, allow such an unclean woman to enter the family!

—The mother and daughter are destined to be looked down upon by the people of Murong Manor!

All around him were the cacophony of laughter and curses; before his eyes were countless disdainful faces, their sneer deeply imprinted in Murong Ci's mind.

She just stood there straight, her stubborn eyes still devoid of a single tear.

Suddenly, a woman staggered into the crowd outside the door. She saw her daughter standing by the table, holding a beautiful silk flower, and burst into tears.

"Xiao Ci—"

She watched as her mother rushed over, hugged her, and tried to snatch the silk flower from her hand. "Xiao Ci, give this back to the person and come back with your mother."

She remained silent, refusing to loosen her grip on the silk flower no matter how much her mother pleaded.

“Xiao Ci, put this silk flower down… okay…” Her mother hugged her, tears streaming down her face, and coaxed her, “Mommy will make you even prettier ones when we get back, okay? Mommy can make silk flowers too, just like the ones sold outside. Mommy will make you lots and lots of beautiful silk flowers…”

But she has always been a disobedient child.

She stood in the hall like a wooden statue, ignoring her mother who was holding her and crying, and ignoring her mother who was begging those people to let her daughter go.

She's going to stand there!

That day, Master Murong ordered everyone to ignore this stubborn girl. She could stand there for as long as she wanted. He ordered his servants to close the hall doors, and even her mother was driven out of the hall.

She stood alone in the hall all night.

Many years later, the people of Murong Manor may still remember that scene.

The fifteen-year-old girl, Murong Ci, stood stubbornly and pathetically in the hall, looking at the mocking faces of the people outside the door, her hands tightly clutching the pair of broken silk flowers, refusing to let go no matter what!

She bit her lip, remaining silent, yet two clear tears streamed silently down her bright eyes, down her aggrieved face…

The next night.

When she dragged her swollen legs and staggered back to that secluded little courtyard, she saw her mother, whose eyes were swollen from crying, holding a red lantern and quietly waiting at the courtyard gate.

That small ray of light illuminated her mother's gentle yet sorrowful face.

She stood there, coldly uttering a single sentence: "Why do you have to be a prostitute?!"

The red lantern slipped from her mother's hands.

The lantern fell to the ground, and flames quickly ignited, soon reducing the small lantern to ashes. That tiny patch of warm light was swallowed by darkness.

Ignoring her mother's sudden deathly pale face, she screamed uncontrollably, "It's all your fault! You're the one who dragged me down! If it weren't for you, they wouldn't look down on me. I'm just a prostitute's child! Why are you a prostitute?!"