Chapter 1: Roses
Li Fengge and Wang Zhi Ruo had been married for four years. They hadn't even reached their adult ages before being joined together. One would think that in these four years they would have cultivated strong bonds, unfortunately, that was not the case.
On their wedding night, Fengge slighted Zhi Ruo and made her the laughing stock of the whole Capital. Nonetheless, she forgave him after all that was the man she had been in love with since she was small. They were able to cultivate a decent friendship in the first year of their marriage but Fengge rarely bestowed any favour onto her so she didn't get pregnant.
In the second year, he welcomed a concubine, in the third he welcomed a second and third. How could Zhi Ruo bare this? To be honest Zhi Ruo was not a dumb girl in that era men could have several wives and concubines, it wouldn't be strange if Fengge did too. She could except this, but what she couldn't except is being bullied by even his bed servants. She started to act recklessly and the good feelings Fengge had for her started to lessen and lessen. In the fourth year, Zhi Ruo made a big mistake and was decreased to a concubine of the lowest rank and Fengge welcomed a new main wife into his home. This was how Zhi Ruo was eventually pushed to her death.
It was indeed a tragedy. Wang Wan Wan a distant descendant of the Wang family also thought so too. The Duke of Xiang was honestly too cold!... But Wan Wan didn't understand why 'Wang Zhi Ruo' was haunting her. Was she the one who pushed her to her death? No!
"Your great aunt is not asking for revenge, is not asking for you to spill any blood. I am asking for happiness, I am asking to protect the Wang family, that is al... and if you can make that Fengge fall for me. You can even return if you want to!" Contrary to how the Wang clan ended in the Song dynasty in the 21st century, the Wang family was very prosperous so Wan Wan didn't bother to work and just slept, ate and watched dramas all day, her father and brothers made money so why would she work? It was a very carefree life.
"Look, this drama has already reached its climax if I leave won't the excitement die down? You have already passed and the Wang family is doing very well now. Let the dead rest and the living live. Great aunt, I suggest you should just go to rest, there's no point crying over spilt milk." Wang Zhi Ruo was angry, this grand-niece of hers was too impertinent.
Suddenly, Wang Wan Wan sight went black. "Be good and do as you are asked!" The sound of her aunt was the last thing she heard.
"Those servants are too impertinent! Master had treated them well in the past now look at how they have slighted master! Master! Master! Wake up, master! If master doesn't wake up master is forcing this servant to slam her head into a pillar!" That Great Aunt of hers was too good! Sending her here to die! Not allowing her to finish her drama. Oh well, she shall just treat it like she's the main character of a period drama.
"Slam your head then." A spell of dizziness hit her as she suddenly sat up. What was this feeling? It felt like something was gnawing at her stomach! W-was this hunger? This was when Wan Wan really understood that her aunt had really suffered.
A small middle-aged woman with a stern face barged in. "Go and greet the madame." Although Zhi Ruo had fallen to such a low level she was still superior to this mama. Look how she spoke to her. In all of Wan Wans life, no one had spoken to her in such a rude way.
"Even if this mistress has fallen to such a degree... this mistress does not remember being so low that even you... a mama could talk to this mistress in such an impertinent manner. Very good, I will not speak another word but I hope you don't regret it in the future." One should know that Wan Wan had the most brutal temper and held onto even the smallest grievance.
The mama sneered at her. Does she still think that she is the madam of the household? She had better learn her place but she didn't say a word nonetheless.
"Xiaomei, help me into my clothes." Even though she was now a concubine she was still the di daughter if the Wang family. She had countless amounts of precious jewellery and high-quality fabrics.
"Xiaomei when we get back I want you to start selling off my jewellery. No less than ten taels per piece." Each piece was worth countless amounts of taels. Since she knew her next few months in the manor were not going to be easy it would be best if she can create her own source of income.
"Ma-"
"Xiaomei I know you're not a dumb girl. Do you think the rest of the days in the manor are going to be easy? Be smart, if you cannot think that deeply into things like this I don't need you by my side." Xiaomei thought that her master had suddenly become very strange, but was she said was true. Things were different now, they had to be smarter.
"This servant greets master and madam." After watching several dramas Wan Wan was an expert at etiquette . "This servant asks for forgiveness for my absence yesterday. This servant was unwell and failed to greet the madam." You could hear a pin drop. Who was this person? They would be fools if they believed that it was Wang Zhi Ruo that tyrant. Wan Wan was not dumb after hearing her aunts story she gained some understanding about the Duke's personality, she was also from a big family in the 21st century there was also fighting there and one had to be smart. Zhi Ruo position was already so low there were people waiting to stand on her head she could not afford to be arrogant.
"En. Stand to one side." It was the duke that recovered from the shock first. Who knew what was going on in Zhi Ruo's mind he knew she was up to something.
"Yes." She obediently stood behind the madam.
"You were once the Madam of this manor?" Wan Wan nodded. "Then, I'll have to trouble you to teach me some things in the future." A flash of craftiness sparkled in Gu Jin's eyes. Was Wan Wan a fool? This was basically forcing her to act domineering and arrogant.
"Madam jokes. This servant is merely a concubine how can this servant dare to teach madam anything." Wan Wan couldn't wait to be released it was too tiring to avoid all these hidden attacks. It's only a matter of time till the concubines begin.
Luckily for Wan Wan, Zhi Ruo was in confinement so she didn't get to stay long and had to return to her courtyard. After sitting for thirty minutes doing nothing Wan Wan was ready to tear her hair out. No web novels, no dramas, QQ or Weibo and no Taobao, Wan Wan was ready to die! That Great Aunt of hers was too cruel.
"Xiaomei is there any paper and brush?" Wan Wan was from an influential family even though they allowed her to do nothing but lay around that wasn't the case in the past. She was fluent in the four arts and waa considered a genius in literature. She would use this to her advantage in the future.
"Yes, Master I will go and get it right away." Wan Wan looked around, the walls were grey and were starting to gather mildew, there were holes in the floor no doubt from rats. Although it was spring and the weather was not too bad it felt like she was sitting in a freezer. How cliche, the Duke had thrown her into the worst courtyard.
Wan Wan had gone through a rebellious phase when she was in college, she moved out and got an apartment. Because of this, her father reduced her allowance. She had enough to pay her rent and eat but not enough to hire a maid. For a while, she had to do 'hard labour' like cleaning a bathroom. She made the decision to clean up the courtyard.
When Xiaomei returned she found her madam scrubbing at the walls she shrieked in horror. "Master! Although you have suffered a bit it your precious body shouldn't be forced to do such labour!" She clung to Wan Wans thighs unwilling to let her go.
"Let go! Xiaomei, look at this place. Is this where my precious body should stay? It is too filthy!" Wan Wan was beginning to develop a headache this maidservant of hers was too emotional.
"... This servant will do it." She removed the dried grass from Wan Wan hands and started scrubbing.
"Don't worry about it. Where are the paper and brush?"
"On the dresser master." Wan Wan called her over to grind ink for her. Wan Wan was skilled in calligraphy, she was the disciple of the best in her time frame. Who knew that all those skills her mother forced her to learn would be useful now!
"Roses." Wan Wan titled the page. "My beloved, unfortunately, I have fallen out of your favour. The first year we spent together was the best in my life. Although you have many roses in your grace you will remain the only one in mine. Your concubine will continue to love you from afar..." After she had written this she had Wan Wan mix some scented rouge into melted wax then used it to write the character Zhi. The bright red added to the appeal coupled with the attractive calligraphy.
"Find a trustworthy person and have them drop this in Fifth Uncles booth in The Pagoda Inn anonymously." Wan Wan ordered Xiaomei. Wang Xiaosi was Wang Zhi Ruos youngest uncle he was only twenty-three, all his brothers were very accomplished men in the Capital but he remained leisurely. He owned a few famous established businesses to fund his lifestyle but that was all, he enjoyed good calligraphy and literature... hence why he had no wives or concubines.
Sigh. Wan Wan really envied this uncle of hers. If she let him come across it perhaps he would appreciate her work and make it famous in the Capital. If that were to happen then she would be able to gain a good income from it. The Capital had many rich scholars that would happily spend hundreds of taels on good literature and calligraphy.
Wan Wan continued to write down famous pieces of ballads and sonnets from the modern day. She'd memorised many so in no time she had written over twenty pieces. Maybe in a few months, she would be able to sell them.
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