Chapter 1: Confrontation Between Sisters After the Broken Engagement

Jiang Shiyuan stared in a slight daze at the triangular zongzi that had just been brought to the table.

Because of her delicate health, she generally avoided glutinous rice. Having finally managed to venture out today, she found the sunlight too fierce to endure and therefore took refuge in this private room overlooking the river, which effectively filtered out much of the lively bustle outside.

"I am sorry to have troubled you to accompany me, sister-in-law. Such a fine opportunity, and you ought to have gone out to see the sights."

When she spoke, her voice was clear and melodious.

In her hand, she held an ivory-ribbed, ice-silk round fan, waving it idly. Dressed in a soft, mist-gauze gown the color of flowing water sleeves, she exuded an air of detached coolness. The garment revealed a small portion of her wrist, upon which she wore a jade bracelet of exceptional clarity and luster, plump and smooth, blending profound depth with gentle charm.

Her whole posture was as lazy and relaxed as a cat.

At absolute leisure.

"His Majesty's immense grace specifically permitted the families of all officials to gather at Quyang Pond to watch this year's dragon boat race. The idea was to liven things up and bring good fortune. But look at you—even when you go out, you refuse to mingle in the crowds. The rumors outside saying you are too mortified by the annulment of your engagement to face people almost seem true now."

The one replying was a dignified woman sitting beside Jiang Shiyuan.

Her hair was coiled meticulously, adorned only with a few understated pearl and jade hairpin accessories. Her slender back was held perfectly straight, instantly revealing the exceptional upbringing of a noble household.

She was none other than Jiang Shiyuan’s eldest sister-in-law, Madam Xiang, the lawful wife of the eldest young master of the Marquis of Wenyuan’s estate. The two of them had been bosom friends since their maiden years, and now that they had become family, they naturally shared an even greater closeness than others!

Holding a sweet lychee sent via an eight-hundred-li urgent courier from Lingnan, Madam Xiang carefully peeled away the outer shell to reveal the slippery, tender, and translucent flesh within, then handed it directly to Jiang Shiyuan. Her doting fondness was evident in every gesture. Jiang Shiyuan took the lychee and tasted it slowly; it was tender as melted fat yet retained its juice, sweet and moist—just right for this time of year.

"Let outsiders talk as they please; I couldn't care less. Shutting the doors to live one's own life—who is as carefree as I am? Don't you agree, sister-in-law?"

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed with two rosy patches brought on by the lingering warmth, blooming as brilliantly as sunset clouds. Her shifting glances were full of spirit, extraordinarily charming.

Madam Xiang chuckled, gazing into the bustling activity within Quyang Pond, and steered the conversation elsewhere.

"Your second aunt thought she was so clever to snatch the marriage alliance with the Prince of Chun’s estate. Yet Jiang's second young daughter has not even been married there for a full month, and I hear the Princess of Chun has already begun selecting a secondary consort for the Heir Apparent. To have to deal with such matters right after a newlywed marriage—who knows if she'll live to regret it!"

Regret? I'm afraid not necessarily.

The Jiang family's second young daughter, whom sister-in-law Madam Xiang had mentioned, was none other than Jiang Shijun.

She was the daughter of Jiang Shiyuan's second uncle. Because her second uncle had passed away early, leaving behind a household of widows and orphans, and her second aunt had only her, Jiang Shiyuan's father had pitied them for having no support and had thus taken care of them to the best of his ability for all these years.

Providing money when needed, and effort when required.

Yet he never expected that this would only bloat the appetites of the mother and daughter, ultimately leading to the incident during the Shangyuan Lantern Festival where Jiang Shijun usurped her identity and became passionately entangled with the Heir Apparent of Prince Chun.

When the matter came to light, her second aunt and grandmother had actually come begging at her doorstep. No matter how they phrased it, the underlying demand was simply for her second younger sister, Jiang Shijun, to take her place in the marriage.

In truth, Jiang Shiyuan had never wanted this marriage from the very beginning.

The grievances she had suffered after marrying into that household in her past life were still vivid in her mind. She had already been planning to find an opportunity to call off the engagement, never anticipating that her grandmother and second aunt would set their sights on the Heir Apparent of Prince Chun instead.

They simply believed her sickly constitution might not hold out, which was why they were so eager to push Jiang Shiyuan aside and put Jiang Shijun forward.

As for the marriage itself, Jiang Shiyuan had never taken it to heart. Her only aversion was toward their utter disregard for the future of the men in their own family, constantly scheming solely to climb high society.

However, several months had already passed since the incident, and now the two families had "happily" forged the union, so she couldn't be bothered to gossip about it any further.

"Blessing or curse, since she has married over there, she must bear whatever comes, good or bad. I refuse to waste my energy on her. With this much time to spare, I'd rather join my aunt in urging you, sister-in-law—when will you let me hold a little nephew?"

Madam Xiang was so teased that she blushed with shyness, momentarily speechless. Her face radiated a rosy glow, possessing a matronly fullness that made her look even more flourishing than Jiang Shiyuan.

Hearing the drums and gongs shouting noisily from outside once more, Jiang Shiyuan, who had previously preferred to lounge lazily on her rocking chair, suddenly felt a spark of curiosity. She rose and walked over to the window, using her round fan to shield herself from the blazing sun as she looked out at the bustling scene on Quyang Pond. The corners of Jiang Shiyuan's lips involuntarily curved upward as well.

"Sister-in-law, come quickly and look! Both second cousin and third cousin are on the same team. By the look of it, they are going to win the championship today!"

Madam Xiang got up and hurried over to join her. When her eyes locked onto the scores of people crouching with fierce determination on the red-and-black painted dragon boat adorned with gold leaf, all staring fixedly at the finish line, a playful expression crossed her face.

"Cousin Pei is down there too. A-Nian, why don't I see him?"

"Cousin Pei? He has come as well?"

Madam Xiang pointed with her finger toward the distance, and Jiang Shiyuan followed the direction of her gaze. Sure enough, she spotted him.

Among the thirty-six elite officials, he was by far the most high-spirited.

An eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth, he was currently standing at the very bow of the dragon boat, beating the drum and clashing the gong. Dressed in fresh garments with a broad physique, tall and sturdy, he radiated brilliant vitality under the sun. Tied to the drumsticks in his hands was a strip of red brocade that fluttered in the wind alongside the streaming banners.

"He arrived in Xijing three days ago and is currently staying at our manor. Grandmother said we should host a family banquet in the next few days to welcome him, and by then you and your father should come over to join the lively festivities."

Before the words had faded, and even before Jiang Shiyuan could respond, her thoughts were interrupted by a voice from behind. When the two of them turned around to see who had arrived, Madam Xiang's face instantly clouded with displeasure.

The newcomer was dressed in a moon-white long gown embroidered with begonia flower patterns. The stamens were outlined with golden-yellow thread, studded with tiny pearls that were flawlessly round and lustrous, gleaming with a soft sheen. Her hair was combed with utmost neatness and secured with a white jade begonia hairpin.

Her waist was slender and flexible, her features pure and exquisite.

She was none other than the one who had stolen Jiang Shiyuan's marriage—Jiang Shijun, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family's second branch, and now the Consort of the Heir Apparent of Prince Chun.

"How coincidental things are in this world, that I should run into my eldest sister and my cousin-in-law from the Wang family right here. With such a lively scene outside, why aren't you two out watching? Standing way up here, I'm afraid you can't see very clearly—or could it be that my eldest sister's illness has relapsed, making her unable to bear the sun?"

Since her marriage, Jiang Shijun had not yet crossed paths with her eldest sister, Jiang Shiyuan. Having finally seized this opportunity, she naturally intended to step forward and show off a little. Madam Xiang had detested her for months, and upon hearing these acid remarks, she immediately snapped back.

"We stand high, so naturally we see farther. But why has the Consort of the Heir Apparent come uninvited?"

The triumphant gleam in Jiang Shijun's eyes had yet to fade when Madam Xiang's sharp retort hit her squarely, causing a flash of astonishment to cross her face before boiling over into suppressed fury.

She was now the dignified Consort of the Heir Apparent, no longer the obscure second daughter of the Jiang household from days past. Hearing Madam Xiang address her in such a manner naturally filled her with resentment. Putting on airs, she let out a cold laugh and began...