Her head felt as though it would split apart.

Pain pierced through her heart and marrow.

Yun Chu struggled to lift her eyelids.

A face slowly enlarged before her eyes—it was the eldest son of the Xie family, Xie Shi’an.

Scene after scene from before her painful loss of consciousness replayed in her mind: the Yun family’s confiscation, her grandfather’s suicide by sword, her parents imprisoned in chains, over a hundred members of the Yun household sentenced to beheading…

All of this was bestowed upon them by the very person before her eyes.

Without thinking, she raised her hand and fiercely slapped him across the face.

Caught completely off guard, Xie Shi’an was knocked to the ground.

“Mother?”

His face was filled with disbelief.

Yun Chu was equally stunned.

Only then did she realize that the Xie Shi’an before her eyes had a tender, inexperienced appearance, showing none of the commanding presence and imposing authority of his high position.

How could Xie Shi’an, who should be twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, be so much younger?

She looked at her own hand—skin as white as porcelain, without a trace of burn scars.

An absurd thought surfaced in her mind.

Xie Shi’an stood up from the ground and bowed with cupped hands. “What have I done wrong? Please, Mother, speak plainly.”

Yun Chu’s lips moved. “How old are you this year?”

Xie Shi’an didn’t understand why she was asking this, but still answered properly. “Twelve.”

Yun Chu’s hand clenched tightly.

She was only eight years older than this son, so had she returned to when she was twenty years old?

Her gaze fell on Xie Shi’an’s face. That slap had used almost all her strength, and his face was red and swollen.

Yet it still couldn’t eliminate even one ten-thousandth of the hatred in her heart.

“You’re already twelve years old, and you still don’t know where you went wrong?” She suppressed that overwhelming hatred and spoke slowly. “Go kneel in the ancestral hall and think carefully about exactly what you did wrong!”

Xie Shi’an’s eyes filled with surprise.

He had been raised at his mother’s side for four years, and she had never raised a hand to him—let alone spoken a harsh word.

But today…

He parted his lips to say something, but met Yun Chu’s gaze filled with terrifyingly cold intent.

He lowered his head. “Yes.”

His mother’s command could not be disobeyed.

He turned and walked out.

Yun Chu wearily waved her hand.

The two maids in the room didn’t dare breathe loudly and quietly withdrew with lowered heads.

She sat on the edge of the bed, looking toward the courtyard outside the window. The crabapple flowers by the courtyard wall had been planted in her first year of marriage into the Xie household.

Thinking of her previous life, she was truly pitiful, laughable, and even more tragic.

She was the legitimate eldest daughter of the General’s household, born with a golden spoon in her mouth.

Her grandfather was a great general, her father was also a great general. The Yun family had won the people’s hearts, but fearing their merit would overshadow the master, her marriage was arranged with exceptional care.

Her mother had searched for two years before finally selecting a good match for her—the year’s top scholar, Xie Jingyu.

The Xie family was of humble origins, so she was marrying down. Her family believed this marriage was excellent—it wouldn’t arouse the Emperor’s suspicion, nor would she suffer mistreatment from her in-laws.

After the wedding night, she became pregnant. Every day she fantasized about what the child would look like.

But unexpectedly, eight months into her pregnancy, she took a fall and hemorrhaged severely. The child was born prematurely and died, and the doctor said she would never conceive again.

Being childless was one of the seven grounds for divorcing a wife, yet the Xie family not only didn’t divorce her but took good care of her and gave her the honor due to a proper wife.

Back then, she was deeply grateful to the Xie family.

So when she learned that Xie Jingyu already had children before their wedding, she dared not harbor any resentment.

When Xie Jingyu proposed raising all his illegitimate children under her name, she was grateful to her husband for allowing her to maintain her position in the Xie household.

Thinking of this, a mocking smile appeared on Yun Chu’s face.

She had died at thirty-four years old. The Xie family had numerous descendants, truly flourishing like luxuriant branches and leaves.

She had personally raised and educated all these children. She had labored with heart and strength, devoted herself wholeheartedly, and the scars on her hands were from saving the children… She, a young lady from the General’s household, had learned how to be a virtuous wife, learned to shoulder the responsibilities of a legitimate mother, and given everything she could possibly give, hoping only that the children would grow up safely and bring glory to the family.

Indeed, they had accomplished this.

But after the Xie family became new nobility in the court, they turned their spears toward the Yun family.

The eldest son had plotted the Yun family’s rebellion incident.

The second son had hidden the evidence in the Yun household.

The third son had personally handed the poison to her, his legitimate mother.

The fourth son, fifth son, youngest son… those children had looked on coldly, just watching as she drank the poison.

The poisoned wine entered her stomach, pain piercing to the bone.

She thought she had died.

Yet she had returned to when she was twenty years old, four years after Xie Shi’an had come to her side.

After Xie Shi’an was registered under her name, she had devoted countless efforts to him.

If she hadn’t planned and paved the way, how could Xie Shi’an have achieved what he did later, how would he have had the opportunity to scheme against the Yun family?

In the end, she was the one who had ruined the Yun family.

Yun Chu forced back her tears.

The confiscation of the Yun family was something that happened over ten years later. Since she had been reborn, she absolutely could not let this happen again.

The future Xie Shi’an who would consecutively pass the three highest imperial examinations, enter the cabinet, and wield great power, was now merely a twelve-year-old child.

There was still time for everything.

Yun Chu organized her thoughts and slowly fell asleep.

When she woke again, the orange sunlight of dusk shone from the windowsill into the bedroom, as if in a dream.

“Madam, you’re awake?”

Hearing the sound, the maid lifted the curtain and entered.

“Half an hour ago, Nanny Zhou from the Old Madam’s side came once, asking that you go to Anshou Hall when you wake.”

Yun Chu looked at the two maids who entered.

Of the four personal attendants she had brought from the General’s household as part of her dowry, only Tingfeng and Tingxue had remained by her side all along.

Tingyu, in the year she was pregnant, had become Xie Jingyu’s Concubine Yu.

Later, during the great fire at the Xie household, Tingshuang had died, crushed by a falling beam while trying to save her.

Yun Chu looked toward the mirror. Tingshuang was styling her hair, her face bearing worry as she said, “Madam, the Old Madam is surely looking for you about the eldest young master’s matter. You made the eldest young master kneel in the ancestral hall, but before even a quarter hour had passed, the Old Madam had him stand up. She’s probably going to interrogate you now.”

Yun Chu smiled slightly. “I’m somewhat hungry. Serve the food first.”

In her previous life, because she bore no children and felt guilty, whenever the old madam summoned her, even if she was ill, she would force herself to go.

Reborn now, if she still acted as cautiously and carefully as before, putting the Xie family first in everything, then what was the point of living again?

Tingshuang quickly had someone bring up the food.

Looking at the table full of dishes, Yun Chu’s appetite opened wide.

After eating her fill, she changed her clothes, and only then did she head to Anshou Hall.

In her previous life, the old madam had died peacefully after Xie Shi’an entered the cabinet. Those who came to pay their respects had nearly worn down the threshold—she had been extraordinarily glorious.

But now, Xie Jingyu was merely a fifth-rank minor official, and Xie Shi’an was only twelve years old.

The Xie family was still just an utterly insignificant small clan in the capital.