The seventeenth year of Jianing, the winter solstice.
White mourning banners had hung at the Marquis of Zhenbei's residence for three days, and snow had piled up outside its gates for just as long.
Shen Lingyi knelt before the memorial, her fingertips blue with cold, yet her back remained straight. Mourners came in waves. Their sobs flowed from the front hall to the rear courtyard like a damp, chilly fog, pressing down until it was hard to breathe.
Only she knew that the people in this residence who truly deserved to grieve had already lost the ability to cry the night before.
The report that her father had died in battle was false.
The confession accusing her elder brother of treason was false.
Even the imperial edict of betrothal sent from the palace today was no blessing. It was a death warrant.
“Miss, the Old Madam would like you to come over.”
Qingzhi, her maid, knelt outside the curtain, her voice low. “Someone from the Duke of Qin's residence is here.”
Shen Lingyi slowly raised her eyes.
The Duke of Qin's residence.
In her previous life, on this very day, the Duchess of Qin had arrived with a written notice of broken engagement. She declared that Shen Lingyi was no longer fit to be the heir's wife, since her father and brother were criminals and her reputation was tainted.
She had just lost her father and brother. Her mother was ill, her grandmother pressured her to endure it, her aunt urged her to withdraw, and her half-sister wept that the whole family could not be dragged down because of her.
So she knelt in the hall and accepted the notice.
She thought that if she endured this for a while, she could protect her mother and preserve the marquis's household.
But what happened next?
The Duke of Qin's family swallowed the dowry her mother had prepared for her, took ten thousand shi of military grain left behind by the Shen family army, then turned around and married her half-sister, Shen Ruotang.
Her mother died one rainy night, beyond the help of any medicine.
The Shen family's charge of treason was made to stick.
She was sent into the palace as a pawn, and in the end died after drinking a cup of poison, lying on a broken mat in the cold palace.
When she opened her eyes again, she had returned to this very day.
So pretty! It's been a long time since I've seen such a well-connected book! Highly recommended for sisters who love to watch Machiavellian plots!! I was a little put off by the title of the book, it has nothing to do with the previous romance novels that were cloaked in Machiavellian veneer! Woohoo, it seems like it was 2 years ago when I last read such a gripping strategy book. I loved it so much that I almost cried. I am a person who likes to guess the villain. So far in this book, I have guessed that neither of the two people are the big bosses behind the scenes. The problem is that it is already very similar to the ending of other similar books, but it only moves the case forward a little🤏. I read all the updates in one afternoon. I really want to know the follow-up. Most of the content is written in less than 100 chapters. It can be said to be short and concise. Please write it quickly!
This book slowly turns from the entrance of the house fight of "breaking off an engagement to collect debts" to an old court case that spanned ten years. The grain seizure case in the northern border during the seven years of Jianing, the unjust case of Prince Jing, and the disappearance of Shen's father and brother are the true roots of the book. The heroine fights back all the way, and behind every fight there are old accounts, evidence, and the voices of dead people. Dowry albums, incense recipes, old seals, residual paintings, military newspapers, copper folders, each seemingly scattered thing, finally drags the suppressed truth back to the light... Who is the person behind which?!
It's so good-looking, so good-looking👍It doesn't procrastinate and doesn't stay up all night. The rhythm, method, and IQ are really so good! The author, please promise me to write more. Looking forward to getting more and more exciting in the future hahaha😆
This is my first time listening to Gong Du. This book is a good read. It doesn't burn my brain and whet my appetite. The more I read, the more I can't stop reading.
A typical cool novel, with a tight opening conflict and a slap-in-the-face plot that is enjoyable to watch. Although the plot weakens the realistic logic for the sake of excitement, the independent and sober character of the heroine is very lovable, and it is perfect for reading and relaxing during leisure time.
It's so beautiful, the author is awesome
It feels great, but I always feel like I'm a bit too hard.
The plot is gripping and the writing is contagious. When I watched it, I was really nervous as the plot progressed.
It looks good, I hope it looks better.
Looking at the writing that makes me feel happy