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In the twenty-second year of Emperor Jianwu's reign, New Year had passed, but it was still bitterly cold outside. 。This winter has been long and heavy, it's already February and the weather shows no sign of warming up. 。Last night, it snowed again. 。This morning, the entire capital city was covered in a blanket of white. The red walls and green tiles, the jade palaces and crystal towers, were all breathtakingly beautiful. 。In the eastern part of the city, at the residence of Lord Yichun, a woman in a gray-brown padded jacket hurried towards Jining Courtyard. 。Entering the doorway with a heavy stride, she leaned against the railing for breath and cried out in panic: "Miss! Something terrible has happened!"A maid with double buns on her head lifted the curtain. She looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old, at the prime of her youth. But when she narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow, her demeanor was not one to be trifled with. "What's all this shouting about so early? Don't you see the young lady is still inside?""Aiyo, Sister Lian Qiao! This old servant just has something important to tell the young lady!" Zheng Po cried out loudly, eager to rush into the room. "Miss! Something terrible has happened!"The rules in the big miss's quarters were particularly strict. Maids and nannies usually only worked in the courtyard; only maids of the second rank could enter the house, and only first-rank maids could enter the young lady's bedroom where she slept. 。As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, Lian Qiao noticed Zheng Pozi swaggering towards her house and immediately became furious. She quickly blocked the door with all her might: "Behave yourself! Is this your place to enter?! This is my mistress's house!" Lian Qiao was the top maid by the young lady's side and usually ruled the courtyard with an iron fist, even Zheng Pozi wouldn't dare to offend this little firecracker. 。But today, for some reason, Zheng Pozi dared to confront Lian Qiao. She pushed Lian Qiao's arm while saying, "Oh, Miss Lian Qiao, this old servant truly has something important..." "Lian Qiao," 。When Lian Qiao heard the sound, she immediately subdued her arrogance. Even Zheng Pozi, who had been noisy and clamorous, fell silent and knelt down at the door: "Miss, this old servant truly has important matters to report." 。The house was filled with flowers and brocade, warm like spring, exuding an air of wealth and prosperity. 。A multi-treasure pavilion separated the outside view. After a while, a maid in a pale pink blouse came out and said: "Miss, please come in." 。"Oh, yes!" Zheng Po hurriedly passed through the multi-treasure pavilion and through the brightly lit curtains 。This is the first time entering a young lady's boudoir, Zheng Po was dazzled by the brocade on the walls, and caught a glimpse of a graceful figure. Zheng Po didn't dare to look further, she quickly knelt down: "Miss..." 。Go ahead and say it. 。"The other person was so strikingly beautiful even as just a silhouette. Now, their voice sounded like jade beads colliding, it was heavenly to listen to. “What’s the matter?” Suddenly, Zheng Pozi felt a strange premonition. She had heard this news and her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She couldn't care less about the snow and ran back all the way to tell the eldest daughter." 。The wind hadn't even had time to carry the news, let alone the eldest daughter having eyes that could see for miles and ears that could hear from afar. Today, the eldest daughter hadn't left home yet; logically speaking, she wouldn't know about anything happening in the front yard. 。However, listening to the tone of her aunt... Zheng Pozi always had a ridiculous feeling, how did she feel that the young lady seemed to know already?"Miss, Marquis Jingyong's Mansion, came to break off the engagement!" Cheng Yuqin didn't look at the mirror, where her beautiful features, perfect as meticulous ink painting eyebrows and eyes, slowly smiled. 。As expected, he still came to break off the engagement. 。This news came as a bolt from the blue. The eldest daughter had just gotten engaged to the Marquis of Jingyong last December, and now, after only a year, she's suddenly calling it off? Not to mention how outrageous it is for the Marquis of Jingyong's family to do this, but simply the fact that they are breaking off the engagement is shocking enough. 。For a woman, even if the divorce is initiated by the man, the consequences can be devastating. 。This incident has severely damaged her reputation. It is likely that she will find it difficult to marry well in the future. 。 Zheng Pozi was so frightened by the message that morning, her heart pounded in her chest. After speaking out, she thought the eldest daughter would be shocked, but after waiting for a long time, she only saw the eldest daughter smiling gently and slowly at the mirror. 。Lian Qiao, Du Ru and others did not expect this to be the case. The two of them were stunned on the spot. When they recovered, they hurriedly shouted: "Miss! This, this..." Lian Qiao quickly, chimed in and asked Zheng Pozi: "Did you hear wrong? To deliver such words in front of the young lady, I think you don't want to live!" Zheng Pozi could be said to have a lot of grievances that she didn't say. However, before she could say anything, another person stepped in to smooth things over: "There won't be any mistake" 。"Girl?" Cheng Yuqin snapped down the mirror, her brows and eyes like exquisitely painted landscapes. When she wasn't smiling, she was even more stunningly beautiful, captivating the heart. 。Cheng Yu-jin looked out the window at the snow, her eyes were calm but seemed to hold an unfathomable mockery: "He really came" 。Cheng Yuqin is the eldest lady of Yichun Houfu, her stepmother is the Qinfu County Princess of Ning Wang, and her father is the son of Yichun Hou. 。Being the eldest daughter of the main branch of Hou Mansion, it's not an exaggeration to say she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. 。Just like her name suggests, Cheng Yuqin grew up as everyone else's ideal daughter. At the age of seven, she began her education, becoming proficient in chess, qin (a traditional Chinese instrument), calligraphy, painting, needlework, and even red ink. She was filial, obedient, and simply a model young woman. 。The daughters of other families were constantly being nagged by their mothers, and whenever they heard the name Cheng Yujing, they would have a physical reaction. 。Too much smooth sailing will make people think you're fake. 。Behind the scenes, there are people waiting, waiting to see who Cheng Yujin will settle down with, and if she can keep showing off like this. 。Well, I never thought so. 。Last December, Cheng Yujin accompanied her mother to a hot spring resort for a short stay. 。<<>>。The royal family was generous, and Princess Qinfu herself owned a manor with a dedicated hot spring. 。Qìngfú County Princess went out, her sisters-in-law didn't want to follow, but the young girls were able to follow and get close to her. 。Cheng Yujin being the eldest legitimate daughter of Qìngfú County Princess, naturally would be the lead attendee. 。To my surprise, after moving to Xishan, the Jingji area experienced three consecutive days of heavy March snowfall. The mountain roads were blocked, and the dependents couldn't go down the mountain for a while. 。The Princess of Qingfu had long sent a servant down the mountain to send a message, just waiting in the manor for the Yichun Marquis's residence to clear the way and come pick them up. 。Princess Qingfu was still leisurely enjoying the hot springs, but Cheng Yujing discovered that her second sister had disappeared. 。The second sister, Cheng Yu Mo, was the only child of the second house. She was treated like a jewel by both her grandparents and mother, so getting lost on the property of the first house would be a very serious matter. 。As it was a matter of great importance, Cheng Yuqin dared not make a fuss. She sent a midwife to guard the crossroads and instructed Lian Qiao to find out where Cheng Yumok had gone in the evening. 。To her surprise, Cheng Yu Mo hadn't returned even after a whole night. Cheng Yu Jin now realized the situation was serious. 。I didn't dare to overstep, so I went to report this matter to Princess Qinfu early the next morning. 。Princess Qingfu was also startled. She had no connection to the Second House at all, but since the Second House's legitimate daughter had gone missing on her own territory, Qingfu ultimately couldn't replace... 。Cheng Yu-jin had already checked the grounds yesterday, so Princess Qinfu could only dispatch someone to search the mountains. 。Chenyujin asked Chunyumo's maidservant and found out that the young mistress saw Xueshixing get angry in the evening, so she went out to admire the snow and somehow got lost. 。Cheng Yujin heard the anger in his voice, and immediately took her wet nurse with her. Following the path described by the maid, she went to find Cheng Yumeng herself. 。The mountains behind us were so vast, and with the snow falling, we couldn't tell which way was which. We walked with great difficulty, and at this pace, it would be impossible to search the whole mountain. 。They could only search separately. Cheng Yujing took Du Ruo for a while, and with her sharp eyes, she discovered a mountain... 。There were mountains, and there was even a shelter. It could be seen that someone must have been here! Cheng Yu Jin hurried over, but she didn't find Cheng Yu Mo, instead she found a man who was unconscious. 。In fact, according to Cheng Yujing's son, he completely didn't want to pay attention to the unknown man. What does it have to do with him? But thanks to Cheng Yujing's sharp eyes, he saw a private seal on the man >>>。Northwest Protectorate Army Huo Changyuan 。 Huo Changyuan? The illustrious and undefeated general known throughout the court, the youngest Marquis of Jingyong, Huo Changyuan of the Great Qi Dynasty?Well, Cheng Yujin decided to save him. 。Cheng Yujin told Du Ruo to help lower Huo Changyuan, the man was too heavy for Du Ruo to handle alone, so Cheng Yujin squatted down and helped. 。Just as she was steadying Huo Changyuan's arm, he woke up groggily. 。 Huo Changyuan felt someone beside him. He strained his eyes open, barely managing to pry them apart in the dim light. He saw a beautiful woman leaning against him, radiant and dazzling, stunningly beautiful. 。"It's you?"Cheng Yujing didn't understand why, with only one person in front of her, she was asked "Is it you?". 。No, it couldn't be a ghost, could it? Of course, Cheng Yujin, as the epitome of a noble lady in the capital, wouldn't say something like that. 。She gave a slight nod and smiled faintly at Huo Changyuan: "My lord, don't be afraid. I am the eldest grandson of Marquis Yi Chun's mansion, and my mother's estate is not far away..." 。Hold on a minute, I'll have someone come and get you. 。He let out a breath as if relieved, took one last long look, and then closed his eyes and passed out. 。Finally, the person who came to answer arrived. The maidservant carried a stretcher and said: "Reporting to the young lady, the second young lady has been found." 。The princess summoned you back. 。"Did Cheng Yu Mo get found? That's the best news! I don't want to go outside in the cold and pretend to be a good older sister at all." 。Huo Changyuan slept for three days on the estate of Princess Qingfu, waking intermittently and rarely fully conscious. 。As an unmarried man, I couldn't go into the men's quarters outside. Fortunately, the mountain road was cleared soon, and Lord Jingyong's people took Huo Changyuan away. 。Thanks to the help of the Marquis Jingyong's Mansion, the mountain road was able to be opened so quickly. 。Of course, a high-ranking official who rose to prominence through military achievements is different from these mere figureheads. If it were the Yichun Hou Mansion, well, they could just sit back and wait with peace of mind. 。Cheng Yujin went out and saved a person, and when she returned home, Old Madam Cheng praised her highly. 。Lady Cheng, Princess Qingfu, and even Cheng Yujin all understood each other perfectly. Such a great favor deserved some kind of response from the Hou Mansion of Jingyong, didn't it? It wasn't long before this happened. Lady Huo Xue, mother of Huo Changyuan and mistress of the Hou Mansion of Jingyong, personally visited to thank Cheng Yujin for her help. 。The gift brought by the Huo family was more generous than what Cheng Yujing had imagined. Of course, the most satisfying thing was that Huo Xueshi also came with a marriage proposal. 。Huo Changyuan felt deeply indebted to Ji Chengyu for saving his life and wanted to propose marriage with the proper rites of a legitimate wife. 。At that moment, Madam Cheng burst into laughter. Princess Qinfu and Cheng Yuqin always valued their reputation, but for a son they had raised for many years to have a good marriage was something to be happy about. Princess Qinfu was also pleased with this... 。The Yichun Hou Mansion was in high spirits, but the family's reputation had to be maintained. The elders pushed forward with feigned humility, claiming they wanted to consult their daughter-in-law's opinion. 。Asked Cheng Yu-jin? Of course, Cheng Yu-jin is happy to do so. 。In fact, this was the true purpose of saving Huo Changyuan. 。At the end of the twenty-first year of Jianwu, Yichun Hou's mansion was immersed in immense joy. An empty marquisate had been graced with the most promising and youngest noble marquis from the imperial court. It was truly a cause for celebration for the entire family. Old Madam Cheng repeatedly muttered that these years had not been spent in vain raising Cheng Yuqin. 。Cheng Yujing had finished the most important investment of her life. Unsurprisingly, her future wealth and prosperity were guaranteed. 。Cheng Yu-jin was satisfied and stayed home, preparing her dowry in peace. 。At that time, Cheng Yuqin was too caught up in the commotion to notice that Cheng Yumuo had been listless and unwell ever since returning from the mountain estate. He fell ill for a long time. 。Neither did he notice that the Ho family's attitude towards the engagement was too hasty. 。Even if one repays a debt of gratitude, it's not necessarily limited to this kind of action only. 。Unfortunately, it wasn't noticed. 。Logically, everything should have been settled, but since February, Cheng Yujing began to feel inexplicably uneasy, even her sleep was disturbed. 。Last night, I had a long dream. 。Cheng Yujing was woken up suddenly by five more chimes of the sky drum, her whole body drenched in cold sweat. She couldn't fall asleep anymore. 。I lay in bed for a long time, theoretically it was just a dream, but taking the dream seriously is too ridiculous. 。But Cheng Yujin inexplicably felt that this wasn't a joke. 。This is true. 。I saw myself in a dream, but it wasn't quite me. 。Like a puppet, being led by the strings, reliving the life of "Cheng Yu-jin" from beginning to end. 。Just like in the dream, it's still happening at the Yichun Houfu, where Bai Yu is making a horse for Jin. 。The second wife of Yichun Houfu, Mrs. Ruan, gave birth to a pair of twin sisters. At this time, the eldest wife, Princess Qingfu, had entered the house for nearly five years and hadn't given birth yet. On the contrary, the new daughter-in-law, Mrs. Ruan, had already held two babies in just one year. 。Although they were only a pair of girls, being the first children of the Cheng family's younger generation, they brought good fortune. Therefore, Madam Cheng, the eldest matriarch, decided to give the elder twin sister to her eldest daughter-in-law, Princess Qinfu, hoping that the first wife's branch would share in some of the joy. 。Later, the two children were named Cheng Yu Jin and Cheng Yu Mo respectively. 。Cheng Yujing knew from a very young age that she and her second cousin were blood sisters, but she also knew that Ruan Shi, their aunt, was the only mother they had, being the esteemed Princess of Qinfu. 。It must be Princess Qìngfú. 。When Cheng Yu-jin and Cheng Yu-mo were young, they looked alike. As they grew older and blossomed, the difference between the two sisters became more apparent. 。Cherry is prettier, more graceful and calmer. 。On the contrary, Cheng Yu Mo was weaker because twins are inherently weaker than ordinary children. As the younger twin, Cheng Yu Mo was even more delicate and frail, with fine eyebrows and eyes. 。Even among family members, people like Madam Cheng and Princess Qingfu can tell the difference between the eldest daughter and the second aunt. Even a maidservant who has served in the Cheng family for a long time could easily distinguish them. 。But to outsiders, who would carefully look at the details? The two sisters from the same household looked similar to begin with. Plus, they were the same age and dressed similarly, so it was common for them to be confused. 。Cheng Yujin grew to the age of fourteen while explaining in her daily life, "I am Big Miss Yujin." 。This winter, I saved a man in the snow. 。The following year, she married the man. 。This man is Huo Changyuan. 。On her wedding day, Cheng Yujin was adorned in crimson from head to toe and rode out in a grand procession to marry Huo Changyuan. 。All the girlfriends envied her for marrying such a good husband. Huo Changyuan was already a Marquis at a young age, and Cheng Yujin became a Marchioness as soon as she entered the door. She had achieved what other women would only dream of after twenty years. 。Moreover, Huo Changyuan had just made great military achievements in the northwest last year, his reputation was at its peak, and his future was limitless. He was also a brave and handsome man, strong and tall. 。Such a good husband was actually ensnared by Cheng Yujin, it's infuriating! 。At that time, Cheng Yujing didn't know that he was already being portrayed as the villain in someone else's story without his knowledge. 。After marriage, Cheng Yuqin and Huo Changyuan's life went about as expected, except that the mother-in-law was a bit more difficult to deal with, her husband was a bit too hands-off, and the rules of the Huo family were a bit too strict. 。During those years, outsiders saw Cheng Yuqin as blooming with beauty and success, living a life of ease. Only she knew how difficult it was to close the door behind her. 。But that's nothing, everyone has to go through this stage. Not having to wait on someone else and holding the power of a steward is already better than most people. 。In the second year of their marriage, she finally became pregnant. 。When Huo Changyuan was seven years old, his father died in battle, and his mother, Huo Xue Shi, became a widow. 。These years, it has been Huo Xue Shi's hardship to raise Huo Chang Yuan, the two have relied on each other for life. Huo Xue Shi has an extraordinary possessiveness towards her son. 。Since Cheng Yuqin entered the house, Huo Xue shi had always been cold and warm to her, finding ways to separate them as husband and wife. 。Ching Yu-chin had no choice but to follow her mother-in-law's wishes and stop being intimate with her husband. 。Ironically, Huo Xue shi did not allow the couple to be intimate, yet he made Cheng Yu jin give birth to a grandson. 。Cheng Yujin had a lot of grievances, but there was no way to say them. So when that child came the year after their marriage, you can imagine how happy Cheng Yujin was. 。Immediately threw away the power, happily raising a baby. 。Because she was bored at home, she even brought her younger sister over from her parents' house. 。>>。During that time, Huo Changyuan was at home resting from war. Cheng Yumo came every day to chat. Cheng Yuqin, with her increasingly round belly, felt that she had everything she could ever want: her child, husband, and sister by her side. Truly, life was peaceful and fulfilling. There was nothing more she desired. 。However, the maid's face grew increasingly strange. Du Ruo hesitated several times before speaking. Seeing Cheng Yuqin's happy expression, she finally couldn't bear to say anything. 。But Cheng Yuqin wasn't a fool. Sensing something amiss, she questioned the maid carefully and learned that during her sleep-induced pregnancy, Huo Changyuan often chatted and laughed with Cheng Yumeng, behaving intimately towards her. 。Like a bolt from the blue, Cheng Yujin was struck speechless and stood there dumbfounded. 。Mocking oneself, in vain you claim to be a close friend, not even a drop of water..., actually committing such a ridiculous mistake. 。Cheng Yuqin only thought that she was not capable enough and couldn't always watch over them, so she allowed Huo Changyuan and Cheng Yumok to have more opportunities to be together, committing such a disgraceful act. 。As a husband and as a brother, Cheng Yu Mo didn't want to make things awkward for both sides no matter what. 。So while Huo Changyuan was training at the army camp, Cheng Yumuo came in and subtly hinted at many things. 。I think I've saved face for both sides. Any sensible woman would understand after hearing this. 。Unexpectedly, Cheng Yumo understood what was said. He burst into tears and ran away, thinking he had been humiliated by Cheng Yujing. 。Cheng Yujing was angry and didn't bother to 。That day, Cheng Yu Mo drove home. 。Huoxue's emissary came inquiring, but Cheng Yuqin simply smiled cryptically and told Cheng Yumuo and Huo Changyuan to have their final farewell. 。To think that a wife and sister could do so much, it was truly beyond words. I'll wait for Huo Changyuan to come back and give an explanation. 。To his surprise, Huo Changyuan returned from the military camp only to hear that Cheng Yumo had left. He immediately set off in pursuit, leaving Cheng Yuqin alone in the house, facing a room full of servants. For a long time, she didn't know how to react. 。When Huo Changyuan came back, he glared at her with cold eyes and called her a "poisonous woman". 。Cheng Yu Jin died never understanding, why she had to manage the household for Huo Chang Yuan, endure his difficult mother-in-law, while Huo Chang Yuan secretly carried on an affair with his sister. 。Where is the poison? Where is the fault?Cheng Yujing, in her resentment and anguish, gave birth prematurely. The early delivery was complicated by labor difficulties. 。After giving birth, Mrs. Ho was busy looking at her grandson and didn't pay attention to Cheng Yu-jin lying on the delivery bed. 。Cheng Yujing was put to death that day and died soon after. 。 In her dream, she had died. Cheng Yuqin finally broke free from the nightmare-like state. 。But her soul could not. It remained at the Jinyong Hou's Mansion, watching as the story unfolded. 。Originally, from another angle, the story goes like this: 。 |
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