The present time was the thirty-first year of Emperor Yongming’s reign, the twelfth day of the second month—which meant she had returned to twenty-three years ago. This year, she was thirteen years old.

The entire night, Li Weiyang was tormented by memories of her “previous life,” wanting nothing more than to cry aloud, yet because the room was too cramped, any sound she made would be heard by others, so she couldn’t cry. She feared that with one blink of her eyes she would again become that abandoned wretch in the Cold Palace, cast aside by the world. She feared hearing the name of the Li residence, but thinking of those two people she loathed now living in brocade and jade, feasting lavishly in the capital, she wished she could immediately rush over with a knife and cut them into a thousand pieces… After crying freely for a while, her vented emotions slowly calmed. Li Weiyang raised her head to look at the pitch-black window outside, her gaze becoming dark and inscrutable. In her previous life, she believed that as long as she fulfilled her duties and did her utmost to do everything to perfection, bitter times would end and sweet ones would come, like withered trees encountering spring. But who could have imagined that everything was merely flowers in a mirror, moon in water—her kindness and devotion had earned nothing but terrible betrayal. By her heartless father, by her cold-blooded husband, and by that person she had wholeheartedly regarded as a good elder sister… Though she couldn’t compare to Li Changle’s beauty, toward Tuoba Zhen she had been wholehearted, willing to die for him. If not for her, Tuoba Zhen would have died several times over—how could he have ascended to the imperial throne? Yet she was discarded like garbage into the Cold Palace.

Since Heaven had given her a chance at rebirth, Li Weiyang took a deep breath, her gaze resolute—why should she spare them? One day, this debt—she would collect it from these people, one by one by one by one, in full!

The curtain of night lifted. One day passed, and a new day was suddenly before her eyes.

Ma Shi felt somewhat hesitant, unsure whether she should go wake Li Weiyang. The rooster would crow soon, and if Weiyang continued lying there like this, she would surely be scolded by Liu Shi.

After thinking, she walked hesitantly into the room, only to discover it was completely empty. She immediately jumped in fright.

Where was Weiyang? Looking at the clean and tidy room, she was quite surprised.

In the kitchen, Li Weiyang had hurriedly gone to cook soybean milk and poured hot rice porridge into everyone’s bowls, prepared black pickled vegetables, carefully arranged them in small dishes, then brought the porridge to the table. Seeing Ma Shi walk in with a shocked expression, she smiled: “Sister Lianzi, I’ve already prepared the meal.”

Ma Shi’s given name was Lianzi, but Weiyang had never called her so intimately before—in the past she had always been timid, as if ready to burst into tears at any moment.

How could Li Weiyang not know what the other was thinking? In her previous life, until age seven she had still lived being cared for by others. Suddenly being thrown to a farming household to fend for herself, naturally she couldn’t bear it—especially this past half year when Liu Shi, not receiving money, had become increasingly harsh and vicious. Her former self had been terrified every day, practically like a frightened bird. But now—having experienced Tuoba Zhen’s heartlessness and callousness, having endured losing her son, having her legs severed, and twelve years of Cold Palace refinement—Liu Shi? She was merely a small obstacle. No, not even an obstacle—just a small pebble on the road. What was there to fear? Thinking this, Li Weiyang smiled: “Zhou Shen and the others are about to wake. Sister Lianzi, prepare quickly.”

This household had five people total. The family head Zhou Qing was originally a steward of the outer courtyard of Li Dejia’s household, who had taken her in. He was usually not at home. His wife was Liu Shi, then there was the eldest son Zhou Jiang and daughter-in-law Ma Shi, and finally a younger daughter Zhou Lanxiu.

Ma Shi looked at her with increasing confusion, but Weiyang merely smiled faintly and turned to go out.

In the broken courtyard of the Zhou family, the main gate slowly opened. A girl of about twelve or thirteen years old carried a wooden basin out at a leisurely pace. The basin was filled to the brim with clothes. The girl wore a blue-green skirt that had become somewhat blackened from being dirtied and washed, washed and dirtied again, with patches at the waist. Her hair was only loosely bound in two small buns tied with hemp rope. Though she was dressed so poorly, she was quite delicate-looking—a refined melon-seed face, skin especially fair, a pair of slender moth-like eyebrows paired with her distinct black-and-white, bright and lively phoenix eyes, plus a dainty nose and small mouth. Her black hair was glossy enough to reflect one’s image, making even those ragged clothes seem charming. Compared to most village girls, this little girl was undoubtedly far too beautiful. So as she walked along, she drew countless gazes.

Li Weiyang wore coarse cloth garments, dressed shabbily, yet maintained a calm expression throughout, as if feeling none of this. She carried the wooden basin in her hands, walking step by step toward the riverside.

What did beauty amount to anyway? In the past she too had felt her looks were outstanding, but later arriving in the capital and seeing Li Changle, she learned what true celestial beauty meant. Compared to her, her own appearance was already quite ordinary.

Li Weiyang walked to the riverside, crouched down, and vigorously beat the clothes with a washing paddle. The paddle struck the clothes making “thump thump” sounds. Dirty water continuously splashed onto her clothes and face, yet she remained very earnest in doing this task, without the slightest disgust.

Several girls washing clothes noticed her. They nudged each other with their elbows, then glanced at her from the corners of their eyes, beginning to discuss with sneering laughter, chattering away like a flock of sparrows.

“Look, look! That noble young lady is washing clothes again.”

“How pitiful. Look at what she’s wearing—it’s not even as good as ours.”

“Is she really a Prime Minister’s daughter? How come we never see any high officials coming to see her?”

“Oh my, don’t you know? She was born in the second month. Fortune-tellers say she brings misfortune to her father! People were eager to send her away because they don’t want to see her!”

“Oh dear… Being such a young lady is worse than being village girls like us. If it were me, I’d be furious to death!”

“Exactly! This kind of young lady—even if someone gave me the position, I wouldn’t take it!”

These words reached her ears sentence by sentence. Li Weiyang couldn’t help recalling that when she was very young, she too had fantasized about what life would be like if she could one day return to the capital. But each fantasy only made her more deeply experience her own misery, adding much sorrow… Li Weiyang’s lips curved in a faint smile. In her previous life, she had shed many tears in secret over these people’s gossip. But now—she stood up and carried the clothes upstream.

These were Liu Shi’s smelly and long foot-binding cloths. Li Weiyang held the long cloth strips and beat them vigorously, letting the dirty water splash into those girls’ basins. Those people were still chattering away, completely unaware.

Having finished washing the clothes, Li Weiyang stood up carrying the full basin.

Everyone looked at her strangely, always feeling she was different from before. No matter what they said or laughed about, she maintained that indifferent expression—like, like an adult watching uncomprehending children making a fuss…

When she returned to the Zhou family home, it was still early. Liu Shi had just finished breakfast and sat under the corridor picking her teeth. Seeing her, she frowned and was about to say something, but for some reason held back, lifted her behind, and walked into the room.

Ma Shi walked over and secretly slipped Weiyang a flatbread, saying in a low voice: “Grandfather-in-law has returned.”

Zhou Qing? Li Weiyang raised her eyebrows, looking at Ma Shi.

Ma Shi was startled. This child Weiyang clearly wasn’t that old yet—how could her gaze… seem to have gained a different kind of presence, maturity and severity.

No wonder Liu Shi hadn’t loudly scolded today… In the blink of an eye, Li Weiyang’s face already bore a smile brilliant as spring blossoms. She thanked Ma Shi and lowered her head to eat the coarse flatbread. Swallowing the chewed bread, her throat burned painfully, yet she ate with great relish, great relish indeed.

Because dealing with Liu Shi—right now presented an excellent opportunity.