Tang Li and Yue Lin both looked thoughtful.
In her previous life, she was so flamboyant and proud... yet she died in the cold palace! Her father and brothers were exiled, and she didn't know how they were doing now. Tang Wan felt a pang of sorrow, and her eyes unconsciously reddened.
"Miss, Miss, I know I was wrong!" Tang Li thought Tang Wan was upset about this, and quickly promised, "I will never do it again!"
Tang Wan then realized her lapse in composure, and quickly smiled to indicate that she was alright.
In this life, she will not only live well herself, but also prevent those around her from being hurt again!
Now that she's been given a second chance at life, she's determined to live each day to the fullest! No matter how difficult life may be, no matter if these days will ever be taken back. She's going to live well, better than anyone else!
Tang Wan died in the cold palace thirty-six years ago. From that day forward, she became the seventh daughter of the Marquis's household, born out of wedlock—Ming Wei!
Since Mingwei survived this time, Madam Liu couldn't keep detaining the maids and servants in her courtyard, so she had to release them. It wasn't that Madam Liu had a change of heart and wanted to show her compassion; she was just afraid that the third and fourth branches of the family would laugh at her.
A few days later, Mingwei's health gradually improved, and she really began to do embroidery. Fortunately, embroidery skills were already the original owner of the body's instinct, and she had also carefully practiced needlework in her previous life, so these things were not difficult for her.
Only by constantly keeping herself busy could Mingwei barely stop thinking about the past—but so much had happened in the past thirty-six years.
Consort Xian had finally ascended to the position of Empress, and her son, the First Prince, was named Crown Prince. However, her good fortune was short-lived. The Crown Prince rebelled, enraging the Emperor, who ordered the First Prince's removal from the Crown Prince position and dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion. On the very day her son died while the army quelled the rebellion, Consort Xian ended her own life with a white silk ribbon.
The second crown prince also did not live long, leaving behind only one son, the current eighteen-year-old imperial grandson Rong Zhen. It is rumored that this imperial grandson is not favored by the emperor, and he also has three uncles who hold real power above him.
That's all we could glean from Tang Li and Yue Lin. Both of them were quite young, of low status, and had limited knowledge; they had no way of knowing anything further back in time.
The virtuous concubine she once hated died an ignominious death, rendering those old grudges meaningless. But Rong Duo, the culprit who killed her, was still alive and well, reigning supreme!
Mingwei was unwilling to accept this!
She suppressed all her extreme emotions with reason. She repeatedly told herself that she had to be patient. At this moment, she was just an unfavored concubine's daughter in the Chengping Marquis's mansion. Rong Duo and the imperial palace were both unreachable distances to her.
Only by surviving can anything else be possible! Mingwei clenched her fists and lowered her eyes. She wouldn't attempt a futile struggle, like she had in her past life, overestimating her own abilities. Everything would wait until she had accumulated enough strength—
"Miss, you've been working all day, why don't you take a rest!" Mingwei was still lost in her thoughts when she heard Tangli's voice.
Upon hearing this, Mingwei looked up and saw Tangli holding a small black lacquered tray with beads on it. On the tray, steam rose from an old official kiln teacup, and next to it was a plate of hawthorn cake.
"Put it down." Mingwei nodded and smiled. The two maids were very concerned about her. Even though she was behaving strangely, they only thought it was a lingering effect of her persistent fever. Instead, they worried about whether she had developed a chronic illness.
Tang Li put down the tray as instructed and walked to Ming Wei's side. Seeing the several embroidery pieces on the table, Ming Wei frowned slightly. "Miss—" Tang Li hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
"Just say what you want to say," Mingwei joked casually. "Do you think I'd eat you?"
Tang Li smiled somewhat embarrassedly, then said with concern, "Miss, don't worry about me being nosy. I'm afraid your embroidery won't pass Madam's approval—"
Upon hearing her words, Mingwei's expression turned serious.
The second wife's cruel and abusive treatment of her illegitimate daughters, forcing them to do embroidery, was it so that they wouldn't be looked down upon in their husbands' families after marriage? Mingwei felt a surge of sarcasm. She hadn't been entirely sure about the second wife's motives before, but after Tangli's explanation, she understood perfectly.
Just as Mingwei was about to ask a few more questions, she heard the voice of the little maid Cuizhu coming from afar at the door. "Third Miss, Fourth Miss, Sixth Miss!"
It was the illegitimate daughters of the second branch of the Chengping Marquis's household who had come! Mingwei's heart skipped a beat.
Although Tang Li and Yue Lin had described her sisters to some extent over the past few days, they hadn't met in person yet. She wondered if the sisters would notice anything amiss.
While Mingwei was still lost in thought, the silvery laughter of several young girls grew closer and closer.
Tang Li hurriedly gathered up the embroidered handkerchiefs and purses on the table, and almost stuffed the stack of hawthorn cakes into the cupboard, but Ming Wei was the first to come to her senses and stop her.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Mingwei remained calm. She brushed off the wrinkles on her dress caused by sitting for a long time, stood up gracefully, and quickly went out to greet them.
Mingwei didn't see Tangli's slightly surprised look. The former Mingwei was insecure and timid, never wanting to lose face in front of her sisters. She would never have let the three girls see that plate of rough hawthorn cake. But after her serious illness, something seemed different…
Just past the screen separating the bedroom, several maids dressed in red and green escorted three beautiful young women into the room. The first girl appeared older, her attire dignified and composed, exuding the air of a well-bred young lady. The middle girl was the most beautiful, but her haughty expression made her seem somewhat frivolous. The girls behind her, though not as beautiful as the middle one, were gentle and composed, instantly winning one's favor.
These three were none other than the third daughter, Mingrong; the fourth daughter, Mingfang; and the sixth daughter, Minglian. Although Mingwei had never met the three of them, she could guess their identities from their appearances, and since they were all her sisters, she couldn't possibly call them by the wrong names.
"Third Sister, Fourth Sister, Sixth Sister!" Mingwei stepped forward, curtsied, and greeted the three women with a smile.
The three of them nodded with smiles. Mingrong stepped forward and took Mingwei's hand, saying warmly, "Little sister, you're finally all better! Your fourth and sixth sisters and I have been thinking of you! But Mother said you had a fever, and our arrival would only disturb your peace, so we delayed coming until today." After saying that, she added half-jokingly, "Little sister won't blame us, will she?"
"If that's what you say, Third Sister, then I have nowhere to stand!" Mingwei felt more composed now that she hadn't guessed wrong. She smiled gently and said, "I'm so grateful for the care and concern that Mother and my sisters have shown me!"
Hearing Mingwei's words, Mingrong's smile deepened, while Mingfang's eyes flashed with disdain. Minglian, equally composed, subtly revealed concern in her flickering eyes.
"Seventh Sister, your words have become even sweeter these past few days. With such cleverness, even if you fall seriously ill again, Mother will still dote on you!" Mingfang raised the corners of her lips, but the expression on her beautiful young face was anything but kind; she was clearly there to watch the show.
“Speaking of cleverness, even the third sister, me, and the seventh sister combined can’t match the fourth sister!” Minglian, seeing the slight embarrassment on Mingwei’s face, quickly came to the rescue: “Didn’t Father praise the fourth sister the other day, telling us all to learn from her? Right, third sister?”
Mingrong, with the demeanor of an elder sister, nodded with a smile.
Only then did Mingfang's brow relax a little, revealing a smug look. "It's just that Father is praising me!"
"Sisters, don't just stand there talking, please sit down!" Mingwei hurriedly invited the three of them to sit down, and from an angle where Mingrong and Mingfang couldn't see, she gave Minglian a grateful smile.
Minglian was actually helping her. Mingwei felt a mix of emotions. Was she really just concerned about her half-sister? One wrong step, and the price would be a miserable death! After her previous life, she no longer dared to trust anyone easily.
"I heard that my sister has had a fever for several days?" After the four of them sat down, Mingrong asked carefully, "Even if it was just a cold, it shouldn't have dragged on for so long. What did the doctor say?"
"They only said it was a fever," Mingwei replied cautiously. "The doctor only said that I was weak, which is why I wasn't getting better. After taking medicine for a few days, the fever gradually subsided. I didn't want my mother and sisters to worry."
Mingrong nodded. In her slightly flickering eyes, Mingwei sensed a hint of sadness, a feeling of shared fate, and immediately understood. The news that she was seriously ill and dying had probably already spread among the second wife's concubine's daughters. After all, the four of them lived together in Yuxiang Garden; even a guess would have some basis for it.
As daughters of concubines, the fact that their half-sister was tortured to death by their stepmother was bad news for both of them. Their present was their future. Even though their stepmother, Lady Liu, had no legitimate daughters, their lives were still difficult. To outsiders, they appeared to be young ladies from noble families, living a life of luxury, but only they knew the hardships they endured.
“I heard that my sister’s condition was very serious, and she almost lost her life, didn’t she?” Mingfang’s tone carried an inappropriate hint of regret. She said coolly, “They say that those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune. It’s clear that my sister is a lucky one.”
From the moment she entered, Mingfang didn't say much, but when she did, her words were sharp and cutting. Mingwei, after all, wasn't a teenage girl, and she remained composed, unfazed by Mingfang's provocations. She showed no anger on her face, and smiled, "Thank you for your kind words, Fourth Sister."