Chapter 1: Rebirth and Return

At first, proud of my beauty and lured by wealth and status, I abandoned my husband and child to follow that unfaithful man. I thought I had found the perfect haven, that I'd finally become the envied Madam everyone looked up to, savoring the finest delicacies and adorning myself with gold and silver. Little did I know I would be just one of the many women in the Mansion.

That man was a philanderer, having already three wives and four concubines, not to mention a pile of servant girls without official status on the side. Had it not been for my youthful beauty which intrigued him as something new and fresh, I might not even have had the qualifications to become his Concubine.

It was with great difficulty that I eventually became a recognized concubine in the Mansion, thinking I finally had some hope and even ambitiously hoping to one day replace the Mistress by bearing a son to inherit this vast family fortune. But that was nothing but a foolish pipe dream.

Even though Su Wenyue, who grew up in a farmhouse, was clever and somewhat calculating, how could she match those women who were raised in Mansions from a young age? The strict hierarchy of seniority and nobility within the Inner Courtyard was like a towering mountain, insurmountable, firmly pressing down on her. To the Mistress, we concubines were nothing but playthings, to be shaped and molded at her whim. And that man who swore he would always love and dote on her, after he grew tired of her, became colder and colder and even admonished her to keep to her place and never defy the Mistress.

Su Wenyue did regret her actions, but blinded by wealth and luxury, she had no path of return. Through repeated schemes and desperation, she grew and realized her Social Status. Not daring to covet the unobtainable anymore, she settled down.

But affairs in the Mansion's backyard were like a deep pool; calm on the surface yet incessantly whirling below. The heart-wrenching struggles were not something she could stop merely by wishing it. Su Wenyue fully understood this after she was trapped by those women and had a miscarriage.

To survive, Su Wenyue pulled herself together, learning various skills to please a man and using all her wits. She finally regained favor and secured a relatively stable position in the backyard. Little did she expect to end up such a tragic death.

All she wanted was to safely deliver and raise the child in her stomach, to have someone to rely on in this life. But how could that callously maternal Mistress tolerate any threat to her interests, setting such a vicious trap?

With every strike of the plank, waves of intense pain washed over her, and her mind grew increasingly foggy. Su Wenyue knew she had reached the end of her life, leaving this filthy and vile place with the unborn child that was just three months old.

Her heart was not free of hatred: she hated that unfaithful man who brought her into all this, the maternal Mistress with a kind facade but cruel methods, those women who schemed against her. So much hate, yet the one she hated the most was herself—for being blinded by wealth and not wholeheartedly living a simple life with her Husband, how else could she have ended up like this?

Looking back now, what was the use of wealth and honor? Even with just simple meals, one could live comfortably and at ease. Moreover, the husband whom she once looked down upon, the silent and indifferent man who always regarded her coldly, was not an ordinary man. He had astonishing talent and grand ambitions, both literary and martial, which eventually led him to that supreme position second to none.

Su Wenyue's eyes could no longer stay open, darkness clouding her mind repeatedly, until she completely lost consciousness. Just before losing awareness, she seemed to hear the panicked voice of a Servant girl reporting something. It seemed that the man had returned…

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A low, magnetic voice echoed in her ears. Su Wenyue, already in pain and wishing to curse, suddenly felt this voice was very familiar. Wasn't it Han Yu's? After so many years apart, she still recognized it instantly. But how could it be Han Yu's voice? Could it be an illusion because she had thought of Han Yu earlier?

Su Wenyue opened her eyes, looking around in a daze at the familiar scene. The simple Room was cleaned spotlessly, with festive red items placed all around. A large "Happiness" Character was posted on the wall, and a pair of Dragon and Phoenix Candles burned at the head of the bed, occasionally crackling loudly.

Wasn't this the scene of her wedding night when she first married into the Han Family's Wedding Chamber? It all came back to her. Perhaps Su Wenyue hadn't been as indifferent to Han Yu as she thought. She was simply too obsessed with wealth to see anything else, ignoring her true feelings.

What's going on here? How could this be? Could it be that Heaven pitied her and allowed her to return to the time when she first married into the Han Family, giving her another chance at happiness? Su Wenyue thought of something