I married into Prince Jing’s household to bring good fortune to the heir, who was on the brink of death, in exchange for a dose of purple ginseng to keep my mother alive. Xiao Zhi survived. The purple ginseng he had promised me as a reward was casually snapped into pieces and fed to a cat by his pampered cousin. “Cousin says my kitty is frail, so I’m giving it a little treat to build it up.” My mother never got the ginseng. She died. All I did was set up a modest mourning hall for her in a secluded corner of the estate and burn a few offerings. Then his cousin came storming in with her people, tore down the funeral banners, and kicked over the brazier. “She was only a lowly concubine. Even dead, she wants to dirty the prince’s estate? Drag her out and dump her in a mass grave!” I fought desperately to protect my mother’s coffin, but the servants pinned me down. Then his cousin whimpered, “Brother Zhi, the Taoist priest said her mother was the evil spirit that’s been making you sick all along!” Xiao Zhi ordered them to drag my mother’s body away and burn it. I looked at his cold profile and smiled. Xiao Zhi, did you really think the good-luck marriage was just superstition? You’ll soon learn who can truly take your life.
