"I can't go on living like this…"
The woman's sharp cries seemed to stretch into a long line, pricking Qin Yuan's brow, making her open her eyes in displeasure.
Just as she was about to lose her temper, she was startled by the half-old fine rain blue gauze canopy on the canopy bed that entered her view.
She had merely dozed off on the agarwood couch in the Prime Minister's Mansion study, and upon waking, she found herself on this simple bed.
"Miss is awake?"
Upon hearing the voice, Qin Yuan turned her head and saw a Hong Ye, ten years younger, standing before her with a worried look on her face.
This was truly strange.
Before she could speak, with a creak, Cui Ming, who had long been dead, ran in with a mournful face and choked as she faced her, "Our Miss really has a bitter fate, a perfectly good marriage is going to be gone. Madam said she wants Mr. Lin to marry the Second Miss."
Hong Ye's face fell suddenly: "The Second Miss fell into the water at a flower admiring banquet, and none of the maids there saved her, only Mr. Lin did. I truly don't know what to say. What is our Eldest Miss supposed to do? There were only two months left until the wedding."
Qin Yuan was dazed for a while before she realized that she had been reincarnated, and her legitimate sister had been reincarnated too, even earlier than her.
In her past life, she feigned illness and stayed home to embroider her wedding dress, while her legitimate sister Qin Wan attended the flower admiring banquet. When her sister returned, she was overjoyed and came to her room, bragging about her future brother-in-law, Marquis Gu, who was not only a gifted military strategist but also extraordinarily handsome and deeply trusted by the Emperor. The wealth and prosperity of the Marquis Mansion were as booming as a blazing fire cooking oil.
But her own husband, Lin Ziqi, came from a poor family with only a widowed mother, and during his studies, he often came to the Qin Family to cadge. As it is said, once married, a woman must follow her husband's lead, and after marriage, the status of the two sisters was as different as heaven and earth.
These words were remembered by Hong Ye for a lifetime and were often brought up, all because the two sisters truly ended up like heaven and earth.
However, she was the sky above, and Qin Wan was the earth below.
In her past life, after she married Lin Ziqi, he passed the second-class seventh rank in the imperial examination, became an Imperial Scholar, later joined Hanlin and became a Hanlin Imperial Tutor, gained recognition before the Holy Emperor, got transferred to places like Jiangxi, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, starting as a County Magistrate, and within less than ten years became a senior official abroad, accomplishing several great deeds greatly cherishing the Emperor's heart. He was directly appointed by the Saint's vermilion brush into the cabinet and became Prime Minister, and she followed as wife honored by her husband's success.
Everyone respectfully addressed her as Madam Lin Xiang, making her extremely noble.
Whereas after Qin Wan's grand wedding, she and Marquis Gu became estranged due to a beloved concubine, the couple turned from love to hate. Marquis Gu locked the door with the concubine to live a loving life, while Qin Wan wept in the main courtyard every day, unable to bear children, chanting and offering incense daily, almost driven to madness.
The stepmother even visited to beg her to use her status as Madam Lin Xiang to support Qin Wan at the Marquis Mansion, to thoroughly suppress that arrogant concubine.
At that time, it was a festive season, she was busy managing the Prime Minister's Mansion and couldn't find time. A few days later, Qin Wan succumbed to a cold and died suddenly. Even after her death, Marquis Gu didn't shed a tear, and the funeral was handled extremely carelessly.
Qin Yuan snorted lightly.
In this life, Qin Wan was still as clueless, even trying to seize her marriage.
Qin Wan was the legitimate daughter, only what Qin Wan didn't want would fall to her, she must plan early.
"Help me up."
Hong Ye, with red eyes, came to help her off the bed. Qin Yuan, accustomed to the Prime Minister's Mansion's luxury, felt uneasy looking at the bare, snow cave-like boudoir.
Indeed, it's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality.
But she looked at her soft, white, tender fingers, and her heart was filled with joy, for this was truly her best years.
Qin Yuan said faintly, "Bring the mirror."
Cui Ming quickly brought over the mirror.
The reflection showed a face tender enough to squeeze out water, bright and charming. She didn't have time to look closely, hurriedly applied a layer of white powder on her face, changed into an old outfit, and instantly looked much more haggard.
After a while, Mrs. Cui sent someone to call her to the front hall.
The nanny who relayed the message looked at her with pity, and said, "Madam has something to discuss with the Eldest Miss."
Hong Ye stuffed a small pocket into the nanny's hands, and the nanny added, "Master is there too."
Qin Yuan thanked her and went to the front hall, with the support of two maids, and her steps were unsteady.
In the hall, her father and stepmother sat at the head, with brother Qin Heng and Qin Wan sitting on the sides.
As soon as Qin Wan saw her enter, her face turned pale, and with red eyes, she rushed forward, crying hoarsely, "Sister, I'm sorry, you can kill me."
"What is wrong with you, sister?" Qin Yuan, not yet having greeted her parents, asked softly, trembling with colorless lips, "What exactly have you done to make me want to kill you?"
Qin Wan continued covering her face and weeping, sobbing to the point where she couldn't speak several times.
The stepmother's gaze was unfriendly, clearly angered that her daughter's words had caused embarrassment.
In the end, it was younger brother Qin Heng who spoke forcefully: "Elder sister, second sister was pushed into the pond today, and it was brother-in-law who rescued her. At the time, there were many people watching. Even second brother-in-law saw it."
A few words summed up everything that needed to be said.
Qin Yuan's face was wooden, her eyes blank, as if she had been greatly frightened.
The legitimate mother, Mrs. Cui, furrowed her brows into a scowl and sternly said, "Wan'er was also victimized this way. Now, only by marrying Wan'er to Lin Ziqi can the rumors be quelled. Otherwise, what reputation does the Qin Family's daughter have to speak of?"
Before she finished speaking, Qin Wan fell to her knees with a thud, crying, "Sister, I— I am now in this state, and except for marrying Brother Lin, there's no other way. Please be kind and fulfill our wish."
In her previous life, how arrogant was Qin Wan, never having behaved like a concubine vying for favor. Qin Yuan involuntarily shivered.
She wanted to help Qin Wan up, but Qin Wan remained kneeling, persistently saying, "Sister hasn't forgiven me yet. I caused sister not to be able to marry Brother Lin. Sister can beat or scold me as she wishes. Even if I die kneeling before sister, it doesn't matter."
Younger brother Qin Heng strode forward and pulled Qin Wan up, complaining in a hoarse voice, "You are legitimate, she is a concubine's child. You didn't intentionally harm her, so why kneel and beg her?"
Qin Yuan: "..."
Qin Wan burst into heart-rending sobs.
Father sighed and said, "Yuan'er, the situation is already set. If Wan'er doesn't marry Lin Ziqi, we can only send her to a temple to become a nun."
The legitimate mother, appealing with emotion, said: "You and Wan'er grew up together, can you really bear to see your own sister become a nun and spend her life in front of ancient lamps and Buddhas?"
"Then what should I do?" Qin Yuan cried. "What did I do wrong? My sister, who is waiting for marriage, does not properly prepare her dowry at home but goes to some flower-viewing banquet. She has an accident, and now my marriage is to be rescinded."
Qin Wan cried again, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone to the flower-viewing banquet and fallen into someone else's trap. Don't blame sister."
Qin Heng erupted in anger, "Shouldn't your engagement be called off? Second sister is the legitimate daughter, meant to marry into the Dingbei Marquis Mansion as the Marchioness. She's already feeling miserable enough. You're the eldest sister, why not think about second sister?"
Qin Yuan also cried, "Lin Ziqi rescinding the engagement with me, what reputation do I have left? You also said, I'm just a concubine's child, so how can anyone marry me now…"
Qin Heng interrupted her, saying, "Should the Qin Mansion bear a bad reputation? You are the eldest sister, and you should relieve the worries of your parents."
Qin Wan sobbed on the side, "I— I might as well die."
The legitimate mother embraced Qin Wan in her arms, wiped her tears, and said, "Stop talking nonsense about living or dying." Then she glared at Qin Yuan, saying bitterly, "Being your mother, I will make the decision for you."
This is going to be done forcefully.
Qin Yuan simply cried out to her father, "I might as well die and make way for my sister, then it would all be clean and repay my parents' kindness of raising me."
Having said that, she moved to hit her head against the pillar, but Hong Ye and Cui Ming hurried to stop her, holding her tightly by the waist, and the three of them cried together.
Qin Wan also burst into loud sobs.
"Enough, all of you shut up," father shouted angrily. "What does this look like if seen by outsiders!"
Only the soft sounds of the two girls sobbing quietly remained in the hall.
After a while, father sighed, "Yuan'er, as the Sacrificial Officer of the National Academy, I'm an official of the court. There's no reason to push the eldest daughter to death over the second daughter's marriage. Indeed, this wrongs you… Your birth mother Aunt Chen is a good concubine, and as your father, I shall register you under the name of the official wife. It will be easier to negotiate a marriage in the future."
The legitimate mother's expression changed slightly, and she lowered her eyes to gently caress the Qin Wan in her arms, avoiding the cold stare from father.
Qin Yuan remained silent.
In her past life, she was already the Prime Minister's wife, yet her status as a concubine's daughter was often brought up. But now, due to Qin Wan's ruckus, she had gained such a benefit.
In fact, no longer marrying Lin Ziqi to endure toil and hardships might be for the best.
But now, they needed her help.
She had to see what more they could offer her.
Qin Heng said sarcastically, "Congratulations to elder sister for becoming a legitimate daughter, but I advise you to be content with it."
"You, shut up," father scolded Qin Heng, adding, "Yuan'er, as your father, I will find a good match for you among my students, and add to your dowry."
Qin Yuan reluctantly said, "As an elder sister, I cannot watch my younger sister die. It's just… my marriage shouldn't be hastily decided because of her need to marry…"
"Rest assured, daughter. We will only proceed with your agreement, and will not marry you off carelessly."
Only then did Qin Yuan say softly, "Then thank you, father."
Contented, Qin Wan stopped crying, looking at her with malice in her eyes, saying, "Thank you, sister, for fulfilling our wish. Why doesn't father ask Marquis whether he's willing to exchange the marriage? Outsiders only know the Dingbei Marquis is engaged to our family and don't know which daughter it pertains to."