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The heavy night had enveloped everything, oppressive and seemingly ready to crush down at any moment, suffocating.
Xiangning was dressed in a bright red wedding gown, her hair arranged in a Flying Immortal Bun, looking dazzlingly beautiful.
She stood at the entrance of the Gu Residence's main room, terrified, watching Gu Zhiqing approach her step by step.
To her, the accomplished Gu Zhiqing was nothing short of a demon!
The fall of the Zuo Family began with the death of her elder brother and Uncle Jiang in The Borderlands.
The Gu Family had been a key supporter in her brother-in-law's successful bid for legitimacy.
To secure her sister's position in the palace, she had married the Second Young Master Gu.
Who would have thought the Gu Family had someone else impersonate the Second Young Master in a marriage deception!
On her wedding night, when she saw the foolish and real Second Young Master Gu, she was utterly devastated.
What she had never expected was Gu Zhiqing's sudden appearance, driving the fool away, and then forcefully taking her himself.
He even shamelessly said he wanted her to bear his child as the Second Young Madam Gu, since after all, the child would be of the Gu lineage...
How could he utter such a preposterous, filthy act?!
She had yearned for death, but he tied her hands and feet, imprisoned her, cursed her, beat her, humiliated her...
For three months, Xiangning could neither live nor die as she wished.
She finally saw a chance to jump from the rooftop, she didn't die from the fall, but she lost the two-month-old child in her womb.
Gu Zhiqing, acting like a madman, had her main maid Pan Cui beaten to death before her very eyes and allowed another maid, Pan Xia, to be raped.
No matter how much she pleaded, he would not stop, cruelly twisting her face forcing her to watch from beginning to end.
Even today, two years later, the mere memory of those days sends shivers down her spine.
Now, her father had been stripped of his office and imprisoned, her legitimate mother lay comatose, and the whereabouts of her third brother were unknown. The one hundred and two individuals from the Zuo Residence were all locked up.
For the sake of the Zuo Family, she had no choice but to return to Gu Zhiqing's side.
"Xiangning, long time no see, do you still remember me?"
Gu Zhiqing looked at the face that haunted him, forcibly pulling her in front of him, grinding his teeth: "You know what I'm capable of, and yet you dared to escape? Didn't your dear third brother always help you escape? I broke his legs first!"
"I'll make him suffer ten times, a hundred times more than anyone else! Let's see if he still has the guts to help you!"
"By the way, you might not know yet. Your Empress Sister and the little imperial grandson, aged three, died violently in the palace five days ago, yet His Majesty the Emperor still keeps their deaths a secret..."
Xiangning's head exploded with a "buzz."
Her eldest sister was her and the Zuo Family's last hope.
"You... You are lying! That's impossible!"
Her eyes reddened as she shook her head, yet seven parts of her heart believed it to be true.
Otherwise, how could Gu Zhiqing dare to imprison everyone in the Zuo Family?
"You know I never babble nonsense to you," he said.
Gu Zhiqing's fingers lightly traced the woman's creamy cheek, pinching it slightly, then, as the red mark appeared, he couldn't help but rub it, his heart aching.
"All of this is because of you! If you had just stayed obediently by my side, would the Zuo Family have faced such catastrophe?"
Xiangning wished she could tear the man before her apart, yet she put on a weak, faint smile: "I promise you, from now on, I'll stay obediently by your side and won't run away anymore!"
"You're not trying to trick me again, are you?" Gu Zhiqing lifted her delicate chin, gazing intently into her eyes.
"Not at all!" Xiangning looked at him pitifully: "I'm tired, I don't want to hide and seek anymore!"
"I've told you before, you can't escape!" Gu Zhiqing said arrogantly with a laugh: "You and I are destined to be at odds until death!"
"I want you to release all the people of the Zuo Family," Xiangning said softly. "And also return everything that was taken from the Zuo Residence. Can you do that?"
"I'll have someone take care of it tomorrow!" Gu Zhiqing was pleased with her attitude, hugging her waist tightly.
"No, I need you to do it now!" Xiangning placed her hands on his chest, her cute insistence resolute.
Her eyes, dark and bright like dazzling black gemstones, captivated the man, who couldn't look away.
Gu Zhiqing gave her a profound look, released his hand, and walked to the door. He called out to the outside, "Someone come! Send the people of the Zuo Family back to the Zuo Residence immediately, and return all their belongings exactly as they were!"
"Also, bring the best doctor in the capital to the Zuo Residence to provide thorough medical treatment for everyone from the Zuo Family!"
Xiangning secretly opened the hidden clasp on her bracelet and lightly tapped it twice against her wine cup.
Outside, someone answered, "Yes."
Gu Zhiqing added, "Move quickly, hurry and do as I've ordered!"
After people had run out of the courtyard, Gu Zhiqing finally turned around, closed the room's door, and looking at the woman standing before him as delicate as a porcelain doll, his voice softened, "I will definitely fulfill the promise I made to you, what about you?"
"I will never go back on my word either," Xiangning said with a beaming smile as she picked up the wine cup from the table. "I toast you, my lord, to thank you for sparing the Zuo Family."
Seeing her so docile, the man laughed and wrapped his hand around the woman's slender waist.
"Had you been this cooperative earlier, why would we have wasted so much time?"
"I, too, regret my past actions," Xiangning shyly wrapped her arm around his, and brought the wine cup to his lips.
"Don't worry, I assure you that in the Gu Residence you will be the most respected woman."
Gu Zhiqing, with a grin, drank the wine down in one go, using her hand, then snatched the cup from her hand and tossed it aside. He leaned in intending to kiss the woman's luscious lips.
But suddenly, darkness flashed before his eyes, and his body slumped weakly onto the table.
"You...!" He looked at the woman in front of him with horror, mouth agape, trying to say something, but no sound came out.
"Didn't you want to be at loggerheads with me until the very end?"
Xiangning watched as blood slowly seeped from the corners of the man's mouth, and with a cold laugh, she poured lamp oil and wine onto flammable materials.
Then, she took a candlestick from nearby and, under the man's gaze—filled with horror and despair—she threw it onto the bed curtains.
"Then I shall grant your wish!" Her voice, hollow and resentful, lingered for a long time.
A massive fire consumed everything...
-
Xiangning felt as if she had fallen into a furnace, her entire body painfully hot.
She wondered if her third brother's leg was really broken and whether it could still be healed?
If her legitimate mother knew that her most prideful eldest daughter and the little imperial grandson had perished, how heartbroken would she be?
The more she thought, the less reconciled she felt, and tears began streaming down her face uncontrollably.
As the tears rushed out like a fountain, they surrounded her. Her ears, nose, and mouth began to fill with water.
Just as she seemed about to drown, she suddenly opened her eyes, instinctively kicked hard, and surfaced from the water.
She looked around blankly and it took her a long time to recognize that this... this was the backyard of Prince Qi's Residence?
Hadn't she died together with Gu Zhiqing? How did she end up here?
Suddenly, from not far away, the sound of voices reached her, and she instinctively ducked behind a rock near the lake.
"You hurry up and tell my second sister that Xiangning has been in the water for quite some time now. Why hasn't anyone come? Don't let her actually drown!"
Xiangning furrowed her brow—it was the voice of her third sister, Xiangyu.
"This servant will go right now!"
Was that... Yu Tao? But hadn't she been beaten to death by Xiangyu long ago?
The footsteps had scarcely left when they hurried back, the voice urgent, "He's here! Second Young Master Gu has arrived!"
"Let's go, let's call everyone over!" Xiangyu said excitedly.
Prince Qi's Residence, falling into the water, Second Young Master Gu... the memories flooded her mind like a landslide.
This... could it be the scene from three years ago during the flower-viewing banquet at Prince Qi's Residence?
Xiangning's eyes sparkled; she could hardly believe that she had actually returned to three years ago!
All her misfortunes had started with that drowning incident during the flower-viewing banquet.
Since heaven had given her another opportunity, she would not let history repeat itself!
She slowly sank to the bottom and swam upstream against the current.
She remembered that the upper stream led to a little gate that entered the inner residence; if she could find someone to help her change into dry clothes or to inform her eldest sister, she would be able to escape this disaster.
With great caution, she swam out about thirty to forty meters, found an unoccupied place to come ashore, slipped into a nearby artificial hill, and located a concealed corner to hide in, all ears for any disturbances outside.
Suddenly, she heard soft footsteps approaching; she pressed herself tightly against the rock, daring not to move again.
"I'll go see what happened ahead; you can cross over later," a deep male voice said.
Madame Jiang was startled, that familiar voice—could it be the Second Prince, King of Chu?
She tiptoed, holding onto the rock and peeking out, saw that no one was around, and hastily called out in a low voice, "Brother-in-law? Brother-in-law?"
"Who?"
Before Madame Jiang could get a clear look outside, a tall figure clad in black appeared before her like lightning, trapping her tightly in the narrow corner.
Madame Jiang crossed her arms over her chest and, raising her bright almond-shaped eyes, addressed the completely unfamiliar man before her authoritatively, "I need to see the King of Chu!"
"How long have you been here?" The man's eyes shone coldly as he pressed her, "What have you heard?"
"I... I just got here," Madame Jiang, guessing that the stern man before her must have some secret association with the King of Chu based on the Second Prince's known contacts with many court ministers, put on a pleading face and said pitifully, "Please, could you discreetly find a maid to inform the Princess Consort of Chu that Fourth Miss of the Zuo Family fell into the water by accident and is waiting for her here?"
It was common knowledge that the Princess Consort of Chu was the Second Lady of the Zuo Family.
The man surveyed the young lady who, despite her exquisite attire, was soaked through and then turned away, calling out "Changfeng."
Madame Jiang craned her neck but couldn't hear clearly what he was saying on the other side of the artificial hill; after a moment, the man returned to face her.
Madame Jiang quickly retreated back into the corner.
Noticing the woman trembling with cold, the man took off the black brocade cloak he was wearing and handed it to her.
Madame Jiang, shaking from the chill, did not hesitate to take the cloak and wrapped it around herself.
She neatly tucked her stray hair behind her ears with her hands and then bowed gracefully to the man, "Thank you, sir, for saving my life."
The man, watching the delicate beauty of the young woman before him unfold like a lily from the water, left without a word and headed outside the artificial hill.
Madame Jiang let out a sigh of relief and leaned weakly against the artificial hill, still not entirely sure what had just happened.
"Young Master, what are you doing standing here?"
Suddenly, a mild and cultured voice sounded from outside; Madame Jiang's legs went weak, and she almost fell.
Gu Zhiqing? It was Gu Zhiqing!
She clutched the artificial hill beside her with her fingertips, listening intently to the commotion outside.
"Official Gu," the man in black responded indifferently.
Gu Zhiqing looked around and, seeing that the Second Prince was not in sight, inquired tentatively, "Are you here alone, Young Master?"
The man in black clearly disliked Gu Zhiqing's prying and his voice grew colder, "Shouldn't Official Gu be at the Lake Center Pavilion?"
"There are too many people there, too noisy," said Gu Zhiqing, standing next to the man in black and gazing at the garden full of lush, multicolored flowers across the water, striking up a conversation, "The roses of Prince Qi's Residence truly live up to their reputation."
The man in black originally had no intention of engaging with Gu Zhiqing but, thinking of the woman hiding behind the artificial hill, pretended to be curious and looked towards the Lake Center Pavilion, "What happened over there? Why is it so noisy?"
"Indeed? What happened?" Gu Zhiqing knew very well but stayed put to avoid suspicion. However, seeing several people jump into the water one after another, a bit of concern rose in his heart—his second brother couldn't have drowned, could he?
As the Princess Consort of Chu hurried from the woods on the left, the man in black turned to Gu Zhiqing and said, "Let's go over there and see."
"Alright," Gu Zhiqing, sensing that something was amiss with the voices ahead and fearing a situation that couldn't be easily resolved, quickened his pace and took the lead.
The man in black watched as Changfeng pointed out the rockery to the Princess Consort of Chu before leisurely following behind Gu Zhiqing.
Behind the rockery, Zuo Xiangning was pale as snow; she had almost rushed out just now!
She wished she could push that demon into the water and drown him right this moment!
But the little reason she had left kept her frozen in place without moving, for she had sparred with him many times and knew she was no match for him.
What's more, heaven had granted her the chance to live again, and she was not willing to waste it lightly!
"Xiangning?" Zuo Xiangrong's anxious voice came from outside the rockery.
"Big sister!" Zuo Xiangning rounded the rockery and saw her elder sister whom she hadn't seen in two years, her eyes instantly filling with tears, "Here I am!"
Zuo Xiangrong, seeing her in such a state, was greatly startled and touched her little face anxiously, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No." Thinking of what Gu Zhiqing previously mentioned about "sudden death," Xiangning felt a pain in her heart as though it was being sliced by a knife.
"Be good, don't cry!" Zuo Xiangrong reached out to untie the long and large black cloak from Xiangning and handed it to Caihong, "Your sister is here, don't be afraid!"
The head maid Caixia hurriedly draped a pink cloak around Zuo Xiangning.
Zuo Xiangrong adjusted the cloak's hood on her and took her hand, saying, "Let's go!"
"Mhm." Xiangning sniffed and followed closely by Zuo Xiangrong's side.
Perhaps due to the commotion at the Lake Center Pavilion, they did not encounter anyone along the way, and they managed to leave the courtyard smoothly and boarded the Chu King's Mansion's carriage.
Zuo Xiangrong told Caixia, "Go tell the King of Chu that I have a headache, and let the Fourth Miss accompany me back to the mansion first."
Caixia responded with an "Understood," hopped off the carriage, and returned to Prince Qi's Residence.
Zuo Xiangrong wrapped her hands around Zuo Xiangning's icy fingers and, once the carriage left the gate of Prince Qi's Residence, she asked with concern, "What exactly happened? Xiangyu said you fell into the water at Lake Center Pavilion by accident. How did you end up at the rockery? Was it Lingxiao who saved you?"
Zuo Xiangning wasn't listening to what Zuo Xiangrong was saying. Her mind was on her third sister Zuo Xiangyu, second sister Zuo Xiangyun, and the Gu Family's impostor Second Young Master Gu Zhicheng and Gu Zhiqing. In the play of her falling into the water, what roles were they all playing?
In her previous life, she had fallen into the lake and was publicly saved by the Second Young Master Gu; her reputation was tarnished, and afterward, nobody wished to come forward with a marriage proposal.
Out of desperation, Madame Jiang tried to probe the Gu Family's intentions, only to find out that the Gu Family had no intentions of making a marriage proposal.
It was not until the following year when the King of Chu ascended to the throne and her legitimate eldest sister Zuo Xiangrong became the empress did the Gu Family finally come forward with a marriage proposal.
Madame Jiang furiously drove the Gu Family's proposers out of the Zuo Residence.
A month later, Zuo Zixi, the Zuo Family's most promising son, died in battle at The Borderlands, and the Zuo Family was as if struck by a huge disaster overnight.
Noble Consort Liu's father was then appointed as the Grand General Who Protects The Country, and her sister Zuo Xiangrong's position in the palace became extremely precarious.
It was during that time in her previous life when Zuo Xiangning married into the Gu Family, hoping that the Gu Family would stand with her sister and the Young Crown Prince as allies, to provide her elder sister and the crown prince with some support in the imperial court.
But who could have imagined that while the empress and the Young Crown Prince still held their positions, Gu Zhiqing would dare to treat her with such outrageous disregard!
Who exactly gave Gu Zhiqing the audacity to be so brazen?
And how did her legitimate eldest sister and the Crown Prince suddenly die so abruptly?
Was it Noble Consort Liu's doing, or was it Gu Zhiqing's?
The incidents of her past life seemed unrelated, but the more Xiangning pondered, the more she felt that something was amiss.