Chapter 4: Instigation

Hong Ling was forcefully dragged out of the bedroom by Lu Ying, feeling deeply upset. She wanted to scold someone, but then realized that she wasn’t in the Lu household and didn’t have Mrs. Xiao Chen to back her up. Her behavior just now wasn’t good, and she feared it might displease Lu Man. She quickly leaned against the door frame, peered inside, and apologized, “Third Young Madam, I was too agitated just now. I was worried about your well-being. You must recover and win the Third Young Master’s affection.”

Lu Man ignored her and closed her eyes.

When she took the medicine, Lu Man endured the unbearable pain in her throat and drank it. After the room returned to calm, she began to process the fragments in her mind once more.

As the fragments flashed by, Lu Man realized that she had already died in her past life, and her soul had traversed to become the ancient Lu Man, retaining her memories. Though not entirely comprehensive, she remembered the vast majority of events.

Tears streamed down Lu Man’s face, for herself and for her mother in her past life. Her mother had been abandoned by her husband in her youth and hadn’t remarried for the sake of her daughter. After studying for over a decade, her daughter finally graduated from medical school and worked in the obstetrics and gynecology department of a small second-tier hospital for seven years. She hadn’t even married before she died.

The poor mother, losing her only daughter, how would she spend the rest of her life…

The distant sound of the night watchman outside the window brought Lu Man back to the present. Now she faced even more challenging circumstances. Marrying into her husband’s family and attempting suicide in the bridal chamber, if she wasn’t disengaged, didn’t “die suddenly”, she would likely face being slowly tortured to death in the inner courtyard. Moreover, she had married into Princess Changting’s residence. How would a prominent family like this deal with her? It would certainly not be peaceful.

At this thought, Lu Man’s heart sank to the bottom, and she felt as if she were dying all over again. However, the instinct for survival is inherent in everyone. After crossing over, how could she bear to die again, even if she knew that she was about to face an endless abyss?

The previous owner of her body was now beyond hope. For the sake of her ambitions, Mrs. Xiao Chen, and the Lu family, had her married into Princess Changting’s residence and attempted suicide, only to cause difficulties for the person who took over her life.

Through these fragments, Lu Man realized that the previous owner of her body was not only foolish but also pitiable. Her maternal grandfather’s offense against the royal family had made her father and uncle’s careers difficult.

Her father, Lu Fangrong, had been a martial arts champion and became a commander at the age of twenty-one. Due to her maternal grandfather’s influence, his promising career had come to a halt, and he had held the same position for over ten years. Half a year after her maternal grandfather’s death, when she was just a year and a half old, he was sent to guard the border in Liaozhou. When he left, Lu Man’s grandmother dismissed her mother for being disrespectful. Six months later, Lu Man’s grandmother insist Lu Fangrong to remarry her cousin, Xiao Chen, from her maternal family.

Her elder uncle, Lu Fangming, had a similar fate, serving as a magistrate of the seventh rank without any promotions.

Lu Fangrong was a martial champion, and Lu Fangming was a literary scholar. As a widowed woman from the countryside, Lu Man’s grandmother had raised these two promising sons, and their upbringing was once a well-known story.

Both sons were thus implicated by Mrs. He’s father. Although Mrs. He was dismissed, it didn’t improve the prospects of the two sons. While Lu Man’s grandmother resented Mrs. He, she also had a strong dislike to Lu Man. Her uncle’s family also didn’t like her, and her stepmother, Mrs. Xiao Chen, became even more insidious.

Lu Fangrong only had a concubine in Liaozhou and had two illegitimate sons there. He would return home only once every few years. Although he treated Lu Man well, she didn’t acknowledge his kindness and felt abandoned by her father.

Lu Man became an orphan, disliked by her own grandmother and uncle, and intentionally neglected by her stepmother, who didn’t teach her about the ways of the world.

Fortunately, Nursemaid Wang was kind to her, teaching her needlework and social graces. Because Lu Fangrong had instructed that Nurse Wang be kept near Lu Man, Mrs. Xiao Chen hated her but didn’t dare to remove her from Lu Man’s side.

When Lu Man was twelve, Nursemaid Wang broke her leg, and Mrs. Xiao Chen used this as an excuse to send her away to the countryside. She then brought Hong Ling to serve Lu Man.

Hong Ling was a year older than Lu Man and very clever, and she managed to make Lu Man happy. Whenever Lu Man was scolded to tears by Lu Yuan or upset by someone else, Hong Ling would say that if a person was strong, they wouldn’t have to endure such treatment. She even taught her how to curse and talk back…

Indeed, when Lu Yuan bullied Lu Man again, she couldn’t bear it and talked back. Lu Yuan dared not scold her again and ran away in tears.

Lu Man tasted the sweetness of standing up for herself. From then on, she began to stand up to Mrs. Xiao Chen and her elders, argue with Lu Yuan, and scare her stepmother and stepsister with her boldness. What Lu Man didn’t know was that within less than a year, her reputation for being unruly and unfilial had spread.

Lu Ying was the same age as Lu Man and had been serving her alongside Nursemaid Wang since she was eight years old. She felt that Hong Ling’s instigation was harmful to Lu Man. However, she knew that Hong Ling had been sent by Mrs. Xiao Chen and didn’t dare to openly oppose her. She quietly advised Lu Man, but Lu Man simply didn’t listen and even thought of Lu Ying as timid and fearful…

Earlier this year, Mrs. Xiao Chen brought her cousin, Chen Fei, from the outskirts of the capital to their home. Hong Ling “inadvertently” arranged for Lu Man to meet Chen Fei a few times and then began acting as a matchmaker. Chen Fei was good-looking and could speak eloquently, and he won Lu Man’s affection.

Having received little love from her family since childhood, Lu Man genuinely fell for this understanding and learned “cousin”. She thought she was lucky to have met a good match and finally found someone who truly cared for her…

So, when Lu Man was forcibly promised to Jiang Zhanwei by her grandmother, she cried and resisted. Lu’s grandmother was furious and spoke to her about the wealth and prosperity of Princess Changting’s residence, convincing her that not only would she live well, but her father might also be transferred back to the capital, her uncle would be promoted, and life for the Lu family would improve…

Lu Man remained unwilling, and in her tearful protest, she inadvertently revealed that she had taken a liking to her cousin, Chen Fei. Furious, Lu’s grandmother slapped Lu Man and scolded, “Shameless girl! That Chen Fei is already betrothed. His new bride will enter the family in September this year. You’re just daydreaming.”

Lu Man refused to believe it and cried out, “That’s impossible! Cousin Fei said he hasn’t betrothed anyone. He even mentioned to his mother that he wants to marry me, and his mother agreed.”

Seeing the displeased expression on her grandmother’s face, Mrs. Xiao Chen quickly denied, “Nonsense! Fei is about to marry a new bride. How could he say such inappropriate things to you? You lack self-respect and want to involve Fei. You’re blatantly lying and trying to bite me.”

Lu Man had enough and revealed that Chen Fei had visited her several times and even disclosed what he had given her. She also presented the letters he had written to her.