Chapter 14 Wolf's Ambition

With no one to disturb her and Madam Xie's meticulous care, Xuexue lay in bed for several days and came to understand many things.

In her past life, her foster mother and birth mother were distant relatives, which was how her foster mother easily found work in the General's Mansion.

Her biological father, Situ Yongjie, was a renowned handsome man in the Capital, admired by countless noble ladies, yet he had eyes for no one but Lady Li, his legal wife. After their marriage, he took her everywhere he went, much to the envy of many noble daughters in the Capital who wished to take Lady Li's place.

Unfortunately, the good times did not last. As a general, Situ Yongjie sometimes had no choice but to obey the Emperor's commands, which included an Imperial Edict ordering him to marry the daughter of Prince Pu, Lady Tang.

Lady Tang was a very calculating woman. Though she appeared gentle and virtuous on the surface, calling Lady Li 'elder sister' fondly, in reality, she was a venomous-hearted person. During Lady Li's pregnancy, she made sure the servants gave Lady Li food that was incompatible, leading to a deteriorating health that nobody in the General's Mansion noticed, attributing it to the strain of pregnancy.

After Xuexue was born, Lady Li's health further declined, and despite many doctors' visits, there was no improvement. At that time, Situ Yongjie happened to be away on official business.

Seeing the opportunity, Lady Tang dropped all pretenses and revealed her ambition unabashedly, "Elder sister, how can I assume the position of the legal wife if you do not die? I don't want my children to be concubine-born sons and daughters, always a step lower than others." After speaking, she left with a triumphant laugh.

With sudden clarity, Lady Li understood everything, but it was too late. As her life neared its end, she entrusted the young Xuexue to Madam Xie who was working in the General's Mansion for fear that Lady Tang would harm her.

Madam Xie, who a month earlier had given birth to a boy who lived only a few days before tragically passing away, was still in the depths of sorrow when she gladly took Xuexue into her care. After Lady Li's death, fearful that Lady Tang would discover she had adopted Xuexue, Madam Xie hastily left for Mo Family Village, treating Xuexue as her own daughter and keeping her birth secret from everyone, even her husband, Mo Xiaoqiang.

These things, Madam Xie was only willing to reveal on her deathbed in Xuexue's previous life. Then, she also produced a jade pendant, saying it was the betrothal gift Situ Yongjie had given to Lady Li and that Xuexue could use it to recognize her father. Indeed, it was that pendant that later helped her return to the General's Mansion.

In her past life, although she knew her biological mother had been killed by Lady Tang, she didn't seek revenge out of family loyalty, and for the sake of Situ Yongjie's love for her mother. Little did she know that while she had no intentions to harm, they harbored murderous plots. In the end, she died a miserable death in their schemes, along with her newborn daughter, Xiuxiu, who was heartlessly burnt to ashes.

And that vile Crown Prince Zhang Ruixuan, how could she have shared her bed with him night after night, not realizing he was so cruel and ruthless, capable of killing his own daughter, worse than a beast.

At this thought, a fierce light flashed in Xuexue's eyes as she whispered through gritted teeth, "Lady Tang, Situtu Qinger, Zhang Ruixuan, all of you wait. This lifetime, not a single one of you will get off easy."