Reborn: Revenge of the Concubine's Daughter

The dark green glazed tiles were covered by the hoarfrost produced by north wind that blew overnight, looking very beautiful. Based on the outside appearance, the Mansion was a northern building, but the pavilions, platforms, and chambers inside were built in the southern style.

"Huo Xiang, has Concubine He got up?" A well-dressed woman asked the maid standing in front of the corridor.

"She has got up for a while. But she hasn't dressed up yet. Does Sister Xu have some pressing business?"

Xu Siniang paused for a moment and smiled, "Nothing. I just come by to say hello to her."

Xu Siniang was a maid who accompanied Consort Zhou (Zhou Jinglan) to marry into the Lord Ning's family. She also had been in bed with Lord Ning (Zhu Quan) for several times. Therefore, she was also regarded as a mistress. Moreover, Zhou Jinglan was in charge of the household affairs now, so Xu Siniang helped her to manage at least a half of the household affairs. Life was full of ups and downs. In the past, Zhou Jinglan had suffered a lot in Lord Ning's Mansion.

At that time, Zhou Jinglan was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis. What was worse, her natal family happened to suffer a bout of misfortune in imperial court. Even Zhu Quan was unable to help her. Zhou Jinglan tried to commit suicide by jumping into a well on several occasions, but Concubine He saved her.

Concubine He's name was He Danggui. She was born into a family that specialized in traditional Chinese medicine, so she knew about medical knowledge. She said that Zhou Jinglan just had a common laryngeal disease and could recuperate as long as she was taken good care of. Some maids were afraid to be infected and unwilling to give the herbal medicine for Zhou Jinglan. It was He Danggui who decocted the herbal medicine for her in person. However, Princess Xie (Xie Qiaofeng) confined Zhou Jinglan and He Danggui into the Jiyuan Yard for a few months, with the excuses that it was unlucky and the disease would affect Zhu Quan.

Xie Qiaofeng had always been unpopular in the Mansion. One day, a person who disliked her informed Madam Nanny of this matter. Madam Nanny was the wet nurse of Zhu Quan and she was powerful in Lord Ning's Mansion. Since she had a kind heart, she would like to release Zhou Jinglan and He Danggui. But Xie Qiaofeng stopped her and wanted to set fire to the Jiyuan Yard on the pretext of sickness. When Zhu Quan knew the quarrel, he immediately ordered to release them because he had always been respectful to Madam Nanny.

Just after a while, Zhou Jinglan and He Danggui were led to the main hall. However, everyone was taken aback since Zhou Jinglan was radiant with health. She didn't look sick. Incredibly, they didn't look emaciated, wearing clean clothes and delicate make-up, although they were put under house arrest in a desert yard where clothes and food were not enough.

After asking a few questions, Madam Nanny learned from Zhou Jinglan that it was He Danggui who took good care of her. Zhou Jinglan said tearfully that He Danggui not only left all her food brought by the maids for her every day, but also painstakingly planted herbs in the yard to cure her. Xie Qiaofeng was embarrassed at once, and then she rebuked those maids for depriving their mistresses of food and daily necessities.

Madam Nanny praised He Danggui and asked her whether it was a hard work to plant herbs in person. He Danggui replied, "In fact, Consort Zhou recuperated so quickly just because Princess Xie let us live in a quiet place. What's more, the maids served us well. So, I have time to plant some herbs."

Her words not only saved Xie Qiaofeng's face, but also left a deep impression on Zhu Quan. Among the showy concubines in the Mansion, He Danggui looked like a lotus in the river, who was beautiful and silent, with a faint fragrance of herbs. Since then, He Danggui had been not only appreciated by Madam Nanny, but also deeply favored by Zhu Quan. At that time, the imperial court had clarified that the natal family of Zhou Jinglan had nothing to do with the rebellion, and the members of Zhou's family had restored to their original positions.

Half a year ago, a maid committed suicide since Xie Qiaofeng took actions against her. Later, someone found that the maid had been pregnant with Zhu Quan's child. Zhu Quan raged at the news and ordered Xie Qiaofeng to introspect. Naturally, the household keys were transferred to Zhou Jinglan. Zhou Jinglan was grateful to He Danggui's help. When she mentioned what happened in the past, she would still cry and thank He Danggui for what she did for her. Since she managed the household affairs, she had usually ordered Xu Siniang to send greetings and necessaries to He Danggui.

"Is Sister Xu outside? My lady asked Sister Xu to come in." A maid in the room said loudly. Xu Siniang opened the door and saw a person sitting in front of the argyle mirror under the window. She only saw a sylphlike silhouette because of the backlight. Then she bent her knees to bless and smiled, "My lady, are you feeling better today?"

The woman in front of the bronze mirror smiled, "Thanks Sister Zhou for her concern. I'm feeling better now. Sit down please, Siniang." The woman was He Danggui, the most favored concubine of Zhu Quan.

Xu Siniang sat down and noticed that Dong Cao was combing hair for He Danggui. After wearing the hair in a Fanwuan haircut, Dong Cao smiled and asked, "My lady, which hair clasp do you like to wear today?" He Danggui shook her head, "It's too heavy. Since I don't go out today, it's no need to wear it." Xu Siniang laughed and suggested, "When I passed the East Garden, I found that the begonia flowers were in blossom. Why not call someone to pick a few flowers and wear them?" He Danggui smiled, "Dong Cao, pick some flowers quickly." Dong Cao followed her words and left.

He Danggui glanced at Xu Siniang, "Does Sister Zhou want to tell me something?"

Xu Siniang nodded and replied, "Yeah. A few days ago, Consort Zhou found a mistake when she checked the accounts. Madam Nanny had appropriated a sum of money for Mu Yuan Tang (a charity organization) when she was alive."

He Danggui frowned and asked, "How much?"

Xu Siniang looked around and spoke in a low voice, "2,000 liang (a unit of money in ancient China)."

He Danggui paused and sighed, "I can probably guess the reason why she did this, but Madam Nanny is so silly. Although the old accounts of 2,000 liang could be straightened out, if Lord Ning knows about it, how embarrassing it will be?"

Xu Siniang quickly comforted her, "Don't worry. Fortunately, Consort Zhou found it early. So, we have straightened out the accounts and don't afraid of being checked."

He Danggui nodded, "That's great."

Xu Siniang said in a very low voice, "But Consort Zhou heard that Princess Xie had also noticed this complicated case. We're afraid that she would tell Lord Ning. Thus, we request you to assume the responsibility and leave Madam Nanny a good reputation." Being afraid that He Danggui would not agree, Xu Siniang added, "Now the accounts have been straightened out and no one would find it out. We speak with one voice that you have appropriated 300 liang for helping the disaster victims."

He Danggui raised her hand to touch the cool jade hilt on the argyle mirror and said sadly, "I know that Madam Nanny reaped good karma as she was kind all her life. This matter was the only one she did for her own sake. I didn't understand her before and dissuaded her several times. But since I become a mother, I have known a mother's feelings towards her child..." When she talked about this, her voice became choking. Then she stood up and smiled at Xu Siniang, "It's time to breastfeed Tian. Let's go to see her." Hearing her words, Xu Siniang felt relieved since she knew He Danggui accepted the request.

Tian was a premature. She was unable to open her eyes until she was two months old. Being weary usually, she seldom cried. Despite the postpartum weakness, He Danggui breastfed her daughter in person and didn't employee the wet nurses. Also, she would take all the herbal medicine that the doctor prescribed for Tian before she fed her.

"She's really an apple of your eye." Xu Siniang sighed, "It's rare to see a madam breastfeeding her child in person even in the normal rich family, let alone for our Mansion. All of them would ask many wet nurses to serve the child. When I was young, I heard that breast milk was the essence of our blood and vitality, which shouldn't be lost. You don't seem to care about this."

Looking at her daughter who fell asleep, He Danggui smiled, "When I was young, I also heard that a bite of breast milk from the mother will make the baby smarter. So..." Speaking of this, she dropped her eyes, looking lonely.

Xu Siniang laughed and answered, "That's why you are so intelligent."

As they chatted with each other, there was a sudden noise outside. He Danggui put her daughter into the cradle and looked out of the room with a frown on her face. Xu Siniang was also very angry and shouted, "Who is so unruly? How dare you make noise in front of the room of Concubine He?"

Then a man came from a distance. Xu Siniang was so scared that her face turned pale and she knelt down immediately, "Lord Ning, please forgive me for saying those rampant words."

Zhu Quan wore a crown with gold hairpin and a long clear blue gown. He walked very fast towards the main hall, passing Xu Siniang who knelt on the ground in only a few steps. Xu Siniang didn't dare to stand up and looked at He Danggui for help. He Danggui smiled and said to rescue Xu Siniang, "Pour a cup of tea for Lord Ning!" Then Xu Siniang answered quickly.

He Danggui also walked into the main hall. Zhu Quan was staring at her with a sullen face and tawny eyes which looked unfathomable. He Danggui was shocked at his gaze. She forced a smile and asked, "What's wrong? Who dares to make you furious?"

Zhu Quan clenched his fists and gazed at her silently. At this time, in addition to Xie Qiaofeng, Zhou Jinglan, Senior Concubine Wan and Concubine Gu, some administrators, maids and several men in rough linen came in together.

He Danggui looked at the crowd and then at Zhu Quan wonderingly, "Who can tell me what happened?"

Wearing a skirt embroidered with a picture of hundreds of birds worshipping the phoenix, Xie Qiaofeng sat next to Zhu Quan complacently, "He Danggui, now that the witnesses and material evidence are present, plead guilty right now!"

He Danggui saluted Xie Qiaofeng and answered, "How could I confess what I've never done before?"

Xie Qiaofeng opened her almond eyes wide, "I wonder how stubborn you would be! How dare you refuse to plead guilty! Administrator Zhou, show the accounts to Lord Ning." Immediately, a man presented the accounts with a blue cover. However, Zhu Quan threw it at the table. Xie Qiaofeng didn't care about whether Zhu Quan looked at the accounts or not. She just continued, "He Danggui, Madam Nanny liked you most when she was alive, so you founded the Mu Yuan Tang in the name of associating Madam Nanny to help the disaster victims, didn't you?"

He Danggui frowned, "I did participate in the source of goods and accounts of Mu Yuan Tang. It had donated herbal medicines and saved countless people. What's wrong?"

"Of course, there is nothing wrong with saving people." Zhou Jinglan interrupted suddenly and surprisingly, "But having an affair is a felony."

He Danggui was frightened. She glared at Zhou Jinglan and asked, "What did you say, Sister Zhou?"

Zhou Jinglan suddenly burst into tears. Senior Concubine Wan and Concubine Gu handed handkerchiefs to her and comforted, "Don't be sad. She is unworthy of your tears." "That's right. She failed to live up to your expectation since she was born into an inferior family." "You'll know what kind of person she is if you know her mother. Well, I'm wrong. Her mother didn't bring up her. I heard that this bitch was raised on a farm in the countryside. She must have seen so many dirty things, so she did those dirty things naturally."

Hearing this, He Danggui who was kneeling on the ground stood up, walked towards Concubine Gu and slapped her face hard.

Being stunned, Concubine Gu covered her face and cried, "Princess Xie, she dared to slap me in front of Lord Ning and you. What else did she dare not do furtively?"

Xie Qiaofeng was furious and yelled, "You bitch! You had an affair with a man and gave the money of our Mansion to the adulterer. How dare you hit others in public?"

He Danggui stood in the middle of the crowd and said coldly, "I have never betrayed Lord Ning and appropriated any silver. I slapped Concubine Gu for Lord Ning to teach her. As a concubine, what she said was a disgrace to Lord Ning."

Concubine Gu cried and tried to slap He Danggui. However, Zhou Jinglan stopped her and begged, "Calm down. We're all sisters. Sister Gu, don't be angry with her for my sake."

Seeing the chaos, Zhu Quan couldn't help shouting, "Shut up!" Suddenly, people who was crying, screaming and whispering quieted down and looked at Zhu Quan. Xie Qiaofeng said, "For my lord's sake, I hoped she could plead guilty. But she was too stubborn to admit what she did! Lord Ning, with so many people present, how to deal with the matter?"

Zhu Quan said angrily, "Do what you should do."

The answer was exactly what Xie Qiaofeng expected. Then she ordered, "Bring Xu Siniang in." Someone immediately ushered Xu Siniang in. Xu Siniang knelt on the ground and cried, "Lord Ning, forgive me please. Concubine He threatened me with cutting out my tongue and throwing me into the Water Dungeon if I dare to divulge her secret. But I dare not keep the secret, so I told Consort Zhou that Tian was not your daughter!"

Xie Qiaofeng sneered, "Even if you don't tell me, I would have guessed it. He Danggui's words that she wanted to breastfeed Tian in person because she was a premature is just an excuse! Tian was a bastard!"

Concubine Gu looked away disgustedly, "Bah! Like mother, like daughter."

He Danggui cursed hoarsely with a pale face, "Don't talk nonsense! Tian and I are innocent. There is something above you. Are you not afraid of being struck by the lightning?"

Being furious, Xie Qiaofeng pointed at the servants out of the hall and shouted, "Are you all dead? Come on! Slap this bitch's face hard!" Immediately, some biddies came to hold He Danggui down. Biddy Wang of sturdy build slapped her in succession. After a while, He Danggui's fine cheeks were swollen and blood blew from her mouth and nose. Squinting at Zhu Quan who sat there quietly and indifferently, Xie Qiaofeng showed a triumphant smile.

He Danggui's eyes were full of tears. She looked at her husband, the handsome man, and asked, "Zhu Quan, even you don't believe me? Do you think I'm that kind of woman?"

Zhu Quan dropped his eyes, looked at his jade ring, and replied slowly, "I didn't believe that you could do such things before, but now I have to believe it."

Zhou Jinglan stepped forward to kneel in front of He Danggui, stopped the bleeding for her with damask sleeves, and cried loudly, "Sister He, since you know the results today, why did you do those things? Looking at your appearance now, I'm distressed. Why are you so silly?"

He Danggui stared at Zhou Jinglan as if she knew her at the first time. Zhou Jinglan avoided her eyes and turned to cry to Zhu Quan, "My lord, please don't kill her. I'd like to relieve her guilt by giving up the household keys, being a vegetarian and copying the scriptures every day. I'm grateful to her for helping me before and we have a deep relationship. So, I don't believe the matter until Administrator Zhou brought those guys here." She pointed at those men outside the hall and continued, "Hearing what they said, I have to believe this. Rong Si, tell Lord Ning what you told me before."

Rong Si knelt outside and said, "We are porters and live outside the north city. We make a living by carrying goods. About a year ago, a maid called Lv Ping contacted us to carry the sedan chair for her. She paid us lots of money and let us wait her at Qipi Alley every night. Every now and then, Lv Ping would bring a woman who wore a cloak and a hood to cover her face to our sedan chair. If no one comes until one o'clock in the morning, we can leave."

The hall was crowded with people, but it was terribly quiet. Suddenly, Biddy Lv came in and whispered something in Zhou Jinglan's ear. Then Zhou Jinglan frowned and said to Zhu Quan, "My lord, in the morning, I asked Biddy Lv to control Lv Ping. But out of my expectation, Lv Ping tried to avoid the confrontation with us, so she hit the wall with her head and died."

Zhu Quan kept silent, and Xie Qiaofeng sneered, "Even she died, we still can question other maids! Bring those maids who served the bitch!" At this point, Huo Xiang and Dong Cao were brought to the hall. Xie Qiaofeng asked, "Tell me! What do you know about He Danggui's scandal? Be honest!"

Huo Xiang and Dong Cao knelt on the ground and cried, "Concubine He did go out at night, but we didn't know why she went out. My lady, please be merciful to us! Please don't kill us!"

Zhou Jinglan winked at Rong Si. Then Rong Si said immediately, "Last month, I carried the sedan chair into an inn. Because I drunk too much alcohol before, I lost my way when finding the toilet. On my way, I heard a woman's moan from a room. Being curious, I saw a man and a woman having sex on the flower-stand next to the window. Being so close to them, I not only saw the woman's face, but also three small red moles on her chest and a flower decoration on her navel..."

"Stop!" Zhu Quan was furious suddenly. He grabbed the tea cup, threw it on the ground violently and roared, "Go! Get out of here!"

Seeing the situation, all servants left. Later, Zhou Jinglan, Consort Wan and others also left. Then only Zhu Quan, He Danggui, Xie Qiaofeng and her two trusted biddies remained in the hall. Staring at He Danggui who looked haggard, Zhu Quan queried seriously, "He Danggui, do you plead guilty?"

He Danggui was despairing and laughed helplessly, "What a wicked trick it is! Very good! How interesting it is! Zhu Quan, if you are afraid that I would spill the beans, give me a long silk. I would like to commit suicide for my daughter. But how could you damage your own daughter? You should humiliate us! Do you have any conscience?"

Hearing what He Danggui said, Xie Qiaofeng looked puzzled. However, Zhu Quan's heart suddenly sank. He went forward to kick He Danggui's chest hard.

He Danggui was kicked far away and spat blood out. She managed to get up from the ground, staring at Zhu Quan resentfully, "I don't hate Zhou Jinglan, Xu Siniang, and Xie Qiaofeng. I know why they frame me. Zhu Quan, do you know? What I hate most are men who hit women! The man I hate most is you! I hate and I regret. I have sacrificed more than ten years for you and lost a son and a daughter. In the end, you kicked me ruthlessly."

Zhu Quan gnashed his teeth, with his eyes red, "Burn her throat with hot charcoal and then throw her into the Water Dungeon!"

Xie Qiaofeng asked, "What about the bastard she gave birth to?"

"Throw her into the Water Dungeon too!" Zhu Quan turned away indifferently.

Xie Qiaofeng immediately winked at the biddies behind her. Then the biddies pulled He Danggui out of the hall.

However, Zhu Quan looked indifferent. He whispered, "Forget completely what you heard just now and don't remember it until you die."

Xie Qiaofeng bowed her head in fear, "I'll keep your words in mind."

Two months later, Xianyue Towel of the Mansion was on fire. Xie Qiaofeng and a couple of maidservants died in the fire before they could escape. Later, Zhou Jinglan began to manage the household affairs again.

"My Lady, My Lady, something terrible happened!" Being panic, Xu Siniang closed the door and said, "I went to the Water Dungeon yesterday and found that woman was still alive!"

Zhou Jinglan opened her eyes wide, looking confused, "That's impossible! She should have starved to death. Did anyone else bring her food?"

Xu Siniang shook her head, "It's said that she was good at swimming. She floated in the water for a few days, holding her daughter's swaddling clothes all the time. There was a baby's crying at first. But the crying died down later... The watchman found that the swaddling clothes was gone. Only He Danggui floated in the water as she was eating raw fish and shrimps..."

"Eat raw fish and shrimps?" Zhou Jinglan couldn't help exclaiming and asked irritably, "What should I do? I cannot eat or sleep well as long as she's still alive! She would definitely revenge herself on me!"

Xu Siniang suggested, "We have Hedinghong Poison and gelsemium elegan. Tonight, we can use them to..."

"Absolutely not!" Zhou Jinglan stood up angrily, "If people find that she was poisoned, I would be the prime suspect!"

Xu Siniang bowed her head and kept silent. Also, Zhou Jinglan leaned on the couch with her eyes closed, playing a pair of stones decorated with dove blood. After a while, she sat up suddenly and said, "Go and dig out the jar under the osmanthus tree. Tonight, I'll meet her in person!"

There was a deep well in the backyard of the Mansion, and the well water was sweet. It was said that the well water led directly to the moat. In the early years, a girl committed suicide in the well. Since then, the well was closed and only used to detain the wrongdoers occasionally. People in the Mansion called it "Water Dungeon". At this moment, a thin woman with long hair leaned against the wall of the dungeon, making people shivered in the howling night wind.

"Sister, I haven't seen you for a long time. How have you been?" Wearing a red cloak, Zhou Jinglan suddenly appeared above the Water Dungeon. She smiled and waved to the figure below.

The white figure was motionless. She looked more like a ghost than a living thing. Zhou Jinglan squatted down and continued to say, "Oh, I forgot that you cannot speak anymore. Alas! What a pity! Are your ears still working? At least you can listen. A few days ago, there was a letter from Luo's Mansion in Yangzhou City. The letter said that your mother became increasingly ill when she learnt your misfortune and died later..."

The figure in the Water Dungeon shook slightly. Zhou Jinglan smiled complacently, "I'm supposed to keep it from you. But on second thoughts, given the mother-daughter relationship, I think you should mourn your mother's death."

The figure continued to tremble. Consort Zhou wiped the corners of her eyes with a silk handkerchief and sighed, "Sister, don't blame me for being cruel. As a woman, you should understand what a husband's love means to a woman. I've married Lord Ning for twenty years. But I've never seen him take more interest in a woman than he does in you. The more he likes you, the more I fear..."

"My Lady, here you are." Xu Siniang handed a porcelain jar to Zhou Jinglan.

After taking the jar, Zhou Jinglan opened it with her nails and continued to say, "So, I planned the trick painstakingly to remove both you and your daughter. Actually, I was too careless last time. There were still many loopholes in the plan, and Lord Ning was such a smart person. I thought it would take me much more time and energy to succeed. But, unexpectedly, Lord Ning didn't investigate it deeply and just punished you directly. Obviously, Lord Ning didn't want to see you alive anymore, and I just fulfilled his wishes."

After opening the jar, Zhou Jinglan wiped her hands with a silk handkerchief, and lowered her voice, "The person on the throne have changed twice. However, Lord Ning is still on his position steadily. I know it was you who helped him silently. But as a woman, you're so clever that he felt uneasy. He was afraid that one day you'll spill the beans. Although he really likes you, don't forget, he's the First Founder's son. You haven't forgotten what the First Founder did after he ascended the throng, have you?"

The figure at the bottom of the well trembled and caused ripples. Zhou Jinglan smiled as she poured the stuff from the jar into the well. Suddenly, He Danggui started struggling violently and she was thrashing around in the water.

"This kind of Xiaoyao Poison will make you ache for an hour at first, and it will make you ache again an hour later. By analogy, the pain would last longer and longer. By the third day, you'll die of pain. It is said that the person who died in this way cannot reincarnated." Zhou Jinglan turned around and waved her handkerchief to say goodbye, "Sister, enjoy it."

※※※

The wind blew the trees and the lamp shadow shook. It was going to rain.

"Zhen Ming, I'm afraid it's going to rain hard. Call a few people to close the gate of the temple hurriedly." A Taoist nun walked into the backyard of the hall.

Zhen Ming was a 15-year-old little Taoist nun. She pouted and pulled the other two little Taoist nuns to close the gate. The gate was made of ebony, pig iron, and tree lacquer, weighing more than 100 pounds. So, closing the gate was a kind of drudgery in the Taoist nuns' minds. Zhen Ming was annoyed, "It's late autumn now. Why is it raining hard? What a nuisance! Why doesn't she call me when something good happened?"

"Your Master has always biased Zhen Jing. Everyone knows she is delightful and eager-beaver." The Taoist nun beside her continued to say, "I heard that in the mourning hall, there was a table full of fruits and sweets. Melons and mangoes are so big!" She gesticulated as she said.

Another girl said enviously, "How lavish the wealthy family is! A dead person who had been thrown out by her family could have so many good stuffs, but none of us alive could eat a bite."

Zhen Ming rolled her eyes and said, "Well, why not help in keeping vigil beside the coffin tonight? If Master and Uncle Master ask us, we can tell them that Zhen Jing is too timid, so we go there to accompany her!" Hearing her thought, the other two girls clapped their hands in agreement.

Soon, the sky was overcast with clouds and the wind was howling. A flash of deafening lightning was followed by downpour. The Side Palace of the Taoist Temple was arranged as a mourning hall, and those biddies who were sent by the wealthy family had already left out of laziness. Only an 11-year-old little Taoist nun, Zhen Jing, kept vigil beside the coffin there. According to the Master's command, every time the joss stick was burned out, she would recite the Rebirth Scriptures once and then burn a bunch of joss papers.

It was said that the person lying inside the coffin suffered a lot when she was alive. As a lady, she lived like a maidservant. She didn't live in the wealthy house until she was 10. But she was not blessed and died within half a year. Looking at the coffin, Zhen Jing burnt joss papers blankly. She felt sorry for the girl who was one year younger than herself. From then on, the beautiful girl could only be buried by the loess. What a pity!

Outside the mourning hall, the chill wind blew. The rain was falling thickly like thousands of strings, making a hurried sound.

"Crack." A harsh voice suddenly sounded. Zhen Jing was frightened, "Who...Who is there? Come out!"

"Ha-ha!" Laughter and whisper came from the door, "She's a coward! I wonder why your Master choose her to keep vigil beside the coffin." "Come on, you're no better than her." "But this place... is really horrified."

Hearing those familiar voices, Zhen Jing was relieved. She complained, "Zhen Ming, Zhen Shu, and Zhen Gong, don't scare me in this place. It's not appropriate to play here. You might as well leave quickly."

Three people walked out of the door. Apparently, they didn't take Zhen Jing's words seriously.

Zhen Ming glanced at Zhen Jing, "Who are you? You're not qualified to teach me what to do!" Zhen Shu went straight to the joss stick table, picked up a lotus cake to eat and laughed, "Thanks to Zhen Ming's good idea, otherwise, we won't enjoy the delicious cake like Zhen Jing."

Seeing this scene, Zhen Jing was very worried. She stopped them, "Sisters, please behave yourselves. Our Master was just worried something like this would happen, so she asked me to keep vigil beside the coffin alone. After the 21th day of the Lady's death, all of you can enjoy the lavish food!"

Sitting at the joss stick table, Zhen Ming, Zhen Shu and Zhen Gong took their favorite sweets and put them into their pockets as they ate. Zhen Gong threatened Zhen Jing sternly as she put honeydew melons into her pouch worn at the girdle, "If you dare to say this out, I won't let you stay here happily!"

Zhen Jing bit her lips and begged with a crying voice, "Put them down! Put them down quickly! How can you take food from the mourning hall? The wealthy family trusts Shui Shang Temple, so they entrust us with the funeral arrangement. They not only provided ten fruits and ten dishes as offerings, but also donated a large amount of money to the temple. Don't you humiliate our elder Master if you eat those offerings?"

Zhen Ming sneered, "Oh! You're talkative! I don't believe you haven't eaten a bite. You must have fed yourself full in here since I didn't see you at suppertime."

"You've wronged me! Aunt Liu gave me two steamed buns at dinner, and I ate them here." Zhen Jing cried with tears full of her eyes. She continued to shout, "I might as well let others come to see what you did here! Miss He will be epiphanic and she'll punish you for disturbing her soul!"

Just then, a flash of lightning split the sky in half, and there was a rumble of thunder.

"Shut up! You're talking nonsense!" Zhen Gong threw the food of her pouch and shoved Zhen Jing hard, "How dare you call someone in? Believe it or not, I'll punish you now!" Zhen Jing was pushed to the ground. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide as if she had seen something frightening, and her whole body froze.

Zhen Gong cursed, "How dare you put on an act?" Zhen Ming and Zhen Shu looked in the direction of Zhen Jing's gaze, then both of them sat on the ground in terror suddenly. Being anxious, Zhen Gong asked, "What happened to you two?" But neither of them moved, as if someone had bewitched them. So, Zhen Gong also turned around to see what happened.

"Ah!-Ahh!!-Ahhh!!!" A sad and miserable cry echoed throughout every corner of Shui Shang Temple.

The biddies who went to sleep earlier were immediately awakened. They ran to the mourning hall but drew back at the sight of Miss He. After a while, Master Tai Xi, Master Tai Shan and Master Tai Chen were drawn to see the situation.

Master Tai Shan frowned and approached the mourning hall. From a distance, the lights and candles in the room all went out. The bowls on the joss stick table were messy and the fruits were scattered all over the ground. However, Seeing Zhen Ming trembling and sitting on the ground, Master Tai Shan thought the little Taoist nuns were caught because of stealing offerings. So, she cursed angrily, "Poor thing! What did you steal this time?" Then, she was stunned immediately when she glanced inadvertently above the nuns.

Among the plain white silk brocade, the person in the coffin who was supposed to lie...was sitting up now. A gust of wind blew the silk, making the person in the coffin sneeze. Then everyone drew back in fear.

When Zhen Ming came here to steal desserts, He Danggui had already opened her eyes. She heard the quarrel among Zhen Jing and other nuns clearly, and she also heard Zhen Jing said something about Miss He. She looked around subconsciously and found herself...in somewhere like a mourning hall? What happened? Wasn't she supposed to die in the Water Dungeon?

Feeling weak, He Danggui sat up with difficulty, trying to see what happened here. After a gust of wind, she shivered and sneezed.

After seeing those people's faces clearly, He Danggui stared at them strangely, as if she saw ghosts.

If she remembered correctly, these people in front of her were the nuns who lived in "Shui Shang Temple" during her childhood. How could this happen? Zhou Jinglan had killed her. What she said was still haunting in her ears, "People will die of pain. It is said that the person who died in this way cannot reincarnated." However, if it was a long nightmare, why did she see the people she had known 18 years ago?

Eighteen years ago, He Danggui was 10 years old. She lived in "Shui Shang Temple" for half a year and was subjected to all kinds of bullying. She looked forward to being picked up by her family every day;

When she was 14 years old, she married into Lord Ning's Mansion gloriously because she saved Madam Nanny;

At the age of 16, she was favored by Lord Ning. Then she gave birth to a daughter at the age of 28. But later, her mother, she and her daughter were all framed to death.

Eighteen years had passed. She couldn't believe her eyes to see Zhen Jing, Zhen Ming, Tai Shan, Tai Xi and others again. They all looked the same as she first saw them at 10. How could this happen? If she remembered correctly, Tai Shan should have died 13 years ago!

He Danggui took a subconscious glance at her hands. They were thin and slender, clearly a child's hands! Her eyes dilated out of fear.

Zhen Jing gathered her thoughts firstly. She knelt on the ground, knocked her head and said, "Miss He, we're terribly sorry for disturbing your soul in the mourning hall. Also, we know that you're reluctant to leave the real world at the age of 10. Please show some mercy to forgive all the crimes we have committed. I'll burn joss papers and recite the scriptures every day for you. Hope you'll show mercy to us and go to the place where you belong..." Hearing this, Zhen Ming followed her and knocked her head loudly. Although Zhen Shu and Zhen Gong wanted to do the same to send away the ghost, they could not move.

He Danggui looked at the joss stick table in front of the coffin. The smell of the crunchy sugar, fingered citron, mango and peach made her sober. She finally realized that it was not a dream! It was not a dream! It was definitely not a dream...

She had a strong feeling that she travelled 18-year back to "Shui Shang Temple".

As for herself, she, was still alive!

He Danggui looked around the mourning hall, and finally focused her gaze on an ebony board. It was knocked down by Zhen Ming and her partners.

The words painted with gold lacquer made her feel shocked - "My Lovely Daughter, He Danggui's Memorial Tablet". Beside it was a line of seal cutting words, saying "Founded on September 7th, 27th Year of Hongwu Period in Ming Dynasty." The memorial tablet, the mourning hall, the Taoist temple, and even her body... All of these turned out that she had travelled back to 18 years ago.

She was 10 years old this year.

He Danggui had no time to figure out all of these. All she knew was to survive!

"Zhen Jing, could you please offer me a bowl of water?" As He Danggui spoke, she was shocked for her hoarse voice.

Zhen Jing was kowtowing and reciting scriptures at that time. Hearing someone calling her name all of a sudden, she was terrified, wondering if she was targeted by the ghosts. She poured a bowl of water like a marionette, then came to the coffin and held the water above her head tremblingly. Zhen Ming and another two girls never had seen such a scene before, so they fainted immediately.

He Danggui ignored all of their faces and reactions. She took the bowl and sipped. Right now, the cold water and the china bowl in her eyes were much better than the cubilose and chicken soup or golden cups in her last lifetime.

He Danggui didn't return the bowl to Zhen Jing until she drank out the water. She smiled gently to the latter, but the latter was already stunned. He Danggui knew that her previous action must have frightened others, so she pulled Zhen Jing's hand directly on her chest, saying, "Don't be afraid. Touch me and feel my warmth. I'm not dead. I'm still alive."

Zhen Jing earthed to herself immediately. Her round eyes were full of fear. He Danggui continued to press her hand on her pulse. Staring at the pale but calm face in front of her, Zhen Jing calmed down finally. She took a deep breath and then felt her pulse. Yes, under the warm skin, she could feel He Danggui's powerful heart beating.

Fear was replaced by surprise. Zhen Jing shouted instantly, "She is warm. Miss He isn't dead. Master, come here and have a check. Miss He is still alive! Let's get her a doctor to have a check!"

Master Tai Shan was approaching her fifties. Experienced as she was, she soon accepted the truth that a person died for 2 or 3 days had now come back to life. She thought to herself, "It was said that Miss He was a sickly girl before, now she had put here and suffered two days of cold wind. For a half-dead person like her, there was a big chance that she had got a momentary recovery of consciousness just before death. Once she exhaled her last breath..."

Thinking of this, Tai Shan said, "It's dark and rainy outside. How can we get a doctor here? Besides, Miss He has just regained her consciousness. The only thing matters now is for her to have a quiet rest. Zhen Jing, support her to rest in the East Wing-room. Hurry!" Then she took a glance at Master Tai Xi and said, "Tai Xi, what do you think?" Master Tai Xi didn't refute her. Tai Shan smiled satisfactorily.

Zhen Jing didn't understand. Beside the doctor who lived in the countryside of the hillside, Master Tai Chen also knew something about medical treatment. Now they witnessed a person who just came back to life, but what her Master said just now indicated that she just left Miss He here on her own... Then it occurred to Zhen Jing that the East Wing-room had left unused for a very long time, even the window papers there were not enough to keep the wind and rain out!

He Danggui glanced at Tai Shan without any expression. Then she smiled before she grasped Zhen Jing's hand and got out of the coffin, "Master Zhen Jing, sorry to bother you to take me to rest in the East Wing-room." Zhen Jing hesitated and nodded.

After they left, the biddies sent to carry He Danggui's spirits besieged Tai Shan and asked,

"Master, you were close to her. Do you think she has really come back to life? Do we need to inform Second Mistress Luo about this overnight?" "It's quite horrible. Master, is there any chance that you may perform a religious ritual to drive out the evil spirit?" "I've always suffered intolerance of cold. Am I unable to get close to the cold and gloomy stuffs?" "Could you please gift us pieces of amulet papers to keep away the evil spirits? As you have seen, she must come back to life to revenge. She hates her mother's natal family for treating her bad."

Tai Shan didn't speak until they finished. She smiled, "No need to rush. What if Miss He just got enough energy to live one more day? By then, Madam Luo and the Madams would be happy for nothing. If Madam Luo overtaxed her nerves for this, it would be our fault. We can't do this to the respected guests."

"Right. Madam Luo is in bad health all these years. Second Mistress Luo invited a physiognomist to check out the reason. According to him, the one lived in West Lateral court brought bad fortune to her elders. That's her. See? She has already died indeed. But she came back to life and even drank and spoke normally. That's exactly what the physiognomist described!"

Another woman followed, "We didn't get much from her when she was alive. It was expected that we could earn some from her death. But she hoped the opposite. Now the burial fees won't be handled by us. We even have to pay for the notice. No wonder all the people in the Mansion said she is a loss-leader!"

One of them frowned for what they had complained, "It's quite late. Let's leave it to tomorrow. As for the stuffs in the mourning hall, we can deal with them a few days later."

All of them were giddy for such a drama at midnight. So, they left one after another.

※※※

The East Wing-room was still the same as He Danggui remembered. Zhen Jing selected one from a dozen of rooms and supported her there. Although it was better than the rest of the rooms, it was still cold like an icehouse. Except the plank bed He Danggui lied, there were only a square table and a square stool inside the room.

"Miss He, it's a quiet place for you to have a good rest." Zhen Jing covered He Danggui with a Taoist priest frock, "Wait here. I'll get you some clothes, beddings, stove and hot soup from my Master. Then you won't feel cold." She was about to run out as she finished.

"Wait!" He Danggui said all of a sudden. She remained silent along their way back.

Zhen Jing looked at the weak girl before her and comforted, "Don't be afraid. I'll be back soon."

"Tell me? What year and what day is today? And what is my name?" She asked.

"What?" Zhen Jing was in a daze.

"Hurry, tell me!"

Zhen Jing scratched her cheek slightly and answered, "Year and day... It's September in the 27th Year of Hongwu Period. As for your name, your name is curved in the memorial tablet. But I'm illiterate. I can't recognize any of them..."

He Danggui closed her eyes as she heard this. Right. It was right. She travelled back to 18 years ago. Then she thought of something and found a gold lock from her clothes as she expected. It was a full moon gift made by a craftsman that her mother invited, representing wealth and longevity. She smiled bitterly as she touched the lock. That was the period her mother cared about her the most.

Her parents divorced when she was 2. That year, her father, Commander He, welcomed his concubine living outside as his wife, and specially changed her mother's identity as "Concubine Luo (Divorced)". So, she was then a daughter of a concubine instead of the legitimate daughter. Her mother took her back to her natal family in a rage. In her mother's opinion, Commander He just divorced her for being seduced by the coquette. Once he missed his daughter, he would beg her and take them home.

Therefore, her mother bribed a servant in He's house to get the information of Commander He and his new wife. Out of her mother's expectation, the new wife had already given birth to a son as she was a concubine, and the boy was only one month younger than He Danggui. Madam He and her son, Commander He, paid all their attention to this eldest legitimate son and forgot He Danggui and her mother completely. Her mother smashed all the stuffs within reach into pieces. Since then, her mother never held her in her arms to sing for her.

At the age of 4, her grandmother, Madam Luo, finally made sure that He's Family had given up to take He Danggui back home. So, Madam Luo came to their yard to blame her mother constantly. At that age, He Danggui had already understood "burden", "get rid of" and such words. In fear of being abandoned, He Danggui was seriously ill. Madam Luo took the chance and persuaded her mother to send her to grow up in the countryside. Her mother was only 23 years old, hating her husband for his ruthlessness and was unwilling to live the rest of her life with He Danggui. As a result, He Danggui was sent away.

Three years later, her mother was convinced that remarrying to another man with the same family name as her ex-husband was accepted and her reputation would not be affected. So, she finally married He Fu. Her new husband was three years younger than her and he was a low-life. After two years of pregnancy failure, the doctor said she was unable to deliver a baby again because she had used too much musk in the early years. She didn't remember her daughter until this time. The latter was now 9 years old. She took He Danggui back and demanded her to call He Fu "Father". He Danggui was also required to learn playing Guzheng and dancing to amuse He Fu.

Unfortunately, less than 1 year later, He Fu was hired as Eighth-Grade Guarding Commander of the Capital after bribe. The day he went to Yingtian Prefecture to go to his post, he left the two of them home and only asked several servants to take his luggage. He didn't even say goodbye to them. He's house was her mother's dowry. Now that He Fu had abandoned them, her mother pawned the house and took He Danggui back to her natal family.

Madam Luo passed away 2 years ago. Now Second Mistress Luo was in charge. Her mother was ashamed to stay at home, so she lived in Sanqing Temple most of the time to listen to the scriptures. He Danggui lived in her grandparents' home for half a year gingerly. Then she was lifted to Shui Shang Temple as a dead one in coffin out of no reason. That year, she was 10 years old.

In her past life, she woke up in the coffin the same way she did this time. Her forehead was bruised and her ankle was seriously sprained. She couldn't recall neither what happened nor how she slept in the coffin.

In the last time, He Danggui was asked how she came back to life. She replied that she had a dream. In the dream, three children fought for a jelly bean. As it dropped to the ground, she picked it up and swallowed, then she woke up.

Later, what she said about the dream was delivered to her grandparents' family. They invited someone to interpret the dream. No one knew what the explanation was, but He Danggui was abandoned to Shui Shang Temple ever since. Besides, Tai Shan was rewarded 50 liang to teach her Virtue Ethics for Women and Advice for Women.

She was regarded as a guess in the Temple. The meals were simple but adequate. The only thing she had to do every day was to recite the Repentance Classic in public, which was written by Tai Shan and Tai Chen. The general content was that He Danggui was burn ominous. Her birth in the world brought bad fortune to her parents, grandparents, and even her possible cousins that couldn't come to this world. Given her sin, she should recite the classic to beg for the forgiveness of various immortal beings. He Danggui was too young to understand the content, which was written in classic Chinese. She recited it every day as she was asked. And every time she did it, the nuns who could understand the content always covered their mouths and laughed at her.

Two months later, Tai Chen went to He Danggui's grandparents' house personally, expecting to report the results of her teaching so that she could be rewarded. However, she failed to meet Second Mistress Luo. Instead, an administrator's wife gave her 5 strings of 1,000 qian from the corner gate and treated her like a beggar. Since then, He Danggui became the humblest person in Shui Shang Temple. She was distributed the least amount of meals and the most of the work. If Zhen Jing hadn't leave her some leftovers occasionally, she would have lied in the coffin twice.

He Danggui was seriously ill after a cold shower in December. When she finally recovered, she dared not to bathe herself again for the lack of hot water. When the nuns met her, they always ran away with their mouths and noses covered, like they were chased by ghosts. While faced the stink men who were responsible for delivering firewood, they approached near one by one.

In her last lifetime, she lived in that way for half a year. Not until her mother heard enough scriptures in Sanqing Temple and didn't find her at home did she finally pick up from the temple.

The third time she got in her parents' house, she couldn't help complaining all her sufferings to Madam Luo (He Danggui's grandmother's sister) and her mother, but they neither listened to her nor sought justice for her. What's worse, Second Mistress Luo heard about this, so she reduced He Danggui's eating and clothing expenses secretly for revenge.

Living in this home miserably, He Danggui wished the most to get married. She fantasied that one day there would a handsome man who could take her away from here and prevent her from all the sufferings.

At the age of 14, she saved an old lady who got injured by accident. Later, someone came to her home and asked if she was willing to marry Lord Ning as his concubine. She didn't know that she saved Madam Nanny until now.

The news stirred up thousands of waves. He Danggui never felt the house so hilarious even on the festivals. All the madams came to her, wondering if she had anything in need. A number of cousins and nephews surrounded her, expecting that she would assist them in the future. They talked as if they had saved all the words in this life to tell her within one day.

Her mother had lived awkwardly in the past decade. But on that day, her mother went in front of others confidently and glowingly, accepting all their blessings with a smile.

This Madam Luo was He Danggui's grandmother's sister, who married her grandfather as well. She was always taciturn, but she enjoined He Danggui a lot on that day. According to her, He Danggui should always bear her mother in mind before she made any decisions. She was also convinced that she should not hate this family for the history. Besides, a woman should be obedient to her father at home, obey her husband after she got married, and submit her son when her husband died. Therefore, all the sufferings she encountered in her childhood were not because this family being cruel to her, but because she was lack of her father's caring and protection.

Also, holding a string of Buddhistic beads in her hand, Madam Luo guided He Danggui that she should neither keep away from her family for the negligible disputes in the past, nor forget their kindness to her for inappreciable hatred. A blood relationship was connected by flesh even if the bones were broken. No matter how bad her family treated her in the past, the fact that they raised her for the past years was what really mattered. Therefore, she should bear their kindness in heart. Even if she failed to rise up her family when she was honored, she should protect her family from compromising once she was guilty.

Finally, holding the dowry her mother prepared for her painstakingly, He Danggui memorized all their words and got on the red bridal sedan. She thought that was the end of her miserable life and she could rise up ever since. Unfortunately, no one could ever expect that she just came out of the frying pan, but got into the tiger's mouth.

Since she was just a concubine designated by Madam Nanny, after she got off the sedan, there was no ceremony or bridal chamber for her, no need to mention the bridegroom, Lord Ning.

The next day, she came to Princess Xie (Xie Qiaofeng) for kowtowing and serving teas. The latter overturned the teacup "accidentally" and her face scalded for that. Later she met Senior Concubine Zhou (Zhou Jinglan), who gave her a cup of medicine and comforted her that she had suffered this before and things would get better later. He Danggui made her best to repay the medicine and the words she gifted to her, but Zhou Jinglan brought her the fatal blow.

A year after He Danggui came to the mansion, she finally met her husband in a family feast. Zhu Quan, also known as Lord Ning, was a man who combined noble, mysterious, wise and elegant characteristics. His slight smile was enough to attract a girl's soul. Despite the cruelty hidden beside his graceful face, he was exactly the one He Danggui had ever fantasied of her husband. No, he was even better.

Most people in the world only did three things in their whole life: self-deceiving, deceiving others and being deceived. He Danggui spent the first half of her life being deceived, and the second half deceiving herself. She deceived herself with the words Madam Luo said to her before her marriage. She told herself that mercy was the best weapon, and forced herself not to resent the members of her grandparents' family, Princess Xie, the ones who framed her before and the ones who were gonna hurt her.

Heart was the biggest liar. Others could only deceive her for the time being, but heart could blind her for the whole life. In her previous life, she believed that if she tried her best to do everything perfectly, then all her sufferings could turn into happiness in the end. However, life told her a different story. She sacrificed all her love and heart to complete Zhu Quan's ambition, but he betrayed and abandoned her at last. She bore all the harm her rivals in love did to her, but was repaid with endless nightmares.

Destiny played a joke with her, so she lived a ridiculous life in the last lifetime. Now she was finally enlightened that all her life was started with a swindle. Everything she did was just doing others favors.

He Danggui didn't dare to close her eyes. She watched every inch of the wall and ground of the broken room greedily, and smelt the cold wind that caused her cough avariciously. She was afraid that she would still struggle under the Water Dungeon once she closed her eyes...

The whole night, He Danggui was tortured by the memories in her past lifetime. Tears burst out heavily as if tonight she was destined to dry out her tears in this lifetime.