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Cold Palace
墨書 Inktalez
"Miss, are you ready?"
"Yes. Yun Ying, is my father attending as well?"
"The master always attends the family banquet."
Heavens! I couldn't help but roll my eyes inwardly. It was bad enough to find myself in this strange place, but now I was "fortunate" enough to be in a noble family that held an annual family banquet where all the relatives gathered to evaluate the performance of the young ladies and gentlemen over the past year. If anyone performed poorly, they would receive a beating and be confined for a month, unable to leave the house. That was something I could not tolerate! Moreover, according to Yun Ying, the girl whose body I had taken over was the one who suffered such punishments every year. No one had ever bothered to hire a tutor for her. In this vast mansion, the rarely seen Feudal Patriarch wouldn't care about a daughter who had lost her mother and was unloved, so all the blame fell on this uneducated girl. To this day, he remained oblivious to his daughter's mistreatment and bullying, even to the point of her demise.
Alright, alright, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Let's assess the situation first.
I had clearly come to investigate a lost martial art at a mysterious temple in Jiangnan with a martial arts association, but somehow I ended up here after wandering into a secluded meditation room. The most terrifying part was waking up to find that my face and body were not my own; I had taken over the body of a twelve-year-old girl. Upon awakening, I felt excruciating pain all over my body. The only maid I saw upon waking told me that this little girl had drowned after being pushed into a pond by her half-brother. So that poor girl was already dead. But why was I here?
Thinking about my flourishing career in modern times and my growing reputation in the design world made me feel heartbroken. After calming down for several hours, I called for the maid named Xiao Hong to inquire about this place's situation. Knowing both my enemy and myself would lead to victory in every battle.
Of course, first things first: I changed this maid's name—who was said to have grown up alongside me—to something more bearable: Yun Ying. I emphasized several times that if anyone asked about her name's origin, she should respond gracefully that it came from "The clouds break and the moon rises, casting shadows on flowers." At least that would honor her master.
According to her, I should currently be in the Jin Dynasty. It seemed to be during some chaotic period of the Wei-Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties. Forgive me for being historically challenged; I know about prosperous eras like the Tang and Ming Dynasties, but this Jin Dynasty was completely unfamiliar to me. Oh heavens, why am I so unfortunate?
Currently, I was in the capital city of Jiankang within one of the four prominent families: the Xie Family, alongside the Wang Family, Huan Family, and Yue Family. In this household, I was recognized as the illegitimate Fourth Young Lady, cast aside in an overlooked corner courtyard where I was nearly forgotten. The only companion of my age was a maid; that's why no one had visited me since waking up except for Yun Ying. If I hadn't taken over this body, she would have likely been buried without ceremony upon her death. Now I understood: this was an unloved young lady—a fact acknowledged throughout the household. Those servants who acted based on appearances no longer feared this nominal Fourth Young Lady and often bullied her; unfortunately, she had a timid personality and avoided conflict.
In this family, my father Xie Yushi had one legitimate wife and five concubines. Madam Zhao Yazhi had one son and one daughter: her eldest son Xie Yi and her second daughter Xie Nuanwei. The Second Madam had one son named Brother Three—Xie An—who was said to be the only person in this household who treated me well. The Third Madam had no children; she preferred vegetarianism and meditation and ignored worldly matters. For some reason, my father respected her greatly and never interfered with her life. My mother—the Fourth Miss—Soo Ranran died during childbirth with Xie Weiying—myself—after suffering complications. It was said that she was very favored during her lifetime; my father once claimed he would not take another concubine for her sake. It was also due to her death that the Fifth Lady could enter the household. The Fifth Lady had one son named Xie Wan who was only eight years old; it's hard to imagine such a young child could cause harm—it must be related to poor upbringing.
However, I soon discovered something strange: although Xie Weiying was not favored, there were many gold and silver treasures in this modest courtyard residence. As a designer, I knew these items were quite valuable and rare treasures indeed. Could there be some unspeakable secret hidden here?
Thinking back, I realized that perhaps it was because I had read too many mystery novels that my reactions became instinctive. I decided not to delve deeper into it.
At first, I held some hope, thinking that maybe one day I would return to my original world. However, after a while, I completely gave up. I figured it was better to accept my fate and live in the present. Since I had come to this conclusion, I felt a sudden sense of relief.
From now on, though, I needed to be aware of my current situation. I had to remember that my name was not An Jin, but Xie Weiying.
In this modern world, although I was a designer, due to family ties (my family runs a martial arts school with a history of several hundred years), I began learning martial arts at a young age. I had essentially mastered all traditional styles. Therefore, after graduating from university, it was only natural for me to join the most famous martial arts association in the city. Although this body was incredibly weak, I still didn’t want to give up. I wasn’t in a hurry; based on my physical condition and the martial arts foundation in my memory, I started practicing the basics again. I only hoped that one day in the future, I could regain at least half of my former skills so that I could protect myself in this unfamiliar place.
However, just as I was beginning to enjoy the life I had planned for myself, I received the dreadful news from Yun Ying that there would be a family banquet.
I had Yun Ying style my hair into a simple girl’s bun and apply light makeup. At that moment, I realized that this body was indeed beautiful—a pair of large, sparkling eyes full of life and clarity, long black hair that flowed smoothly, and fair, smooth skin. Dressed in a white floral long dress that touched the ground, I looked like a fairy who had never encountered the mundane world. Even I couldn’t help but be captivated by my own reflection. One word: beautiful. However, beauty could become a source of trouble in this family. So, thinking it over, I picked up an eyebrow pencil and made my eyebrows slightly thicker and darker. This altered the balance of my face and made me look somewhat vulgar. Achieving the intended effect made me feel a bit smug as I lightly chuckled. Ignoring Yun Ying's astonished gaze, I playfully tapped her forehead and took her hand as we gracefully walked out to attend the dreaded family banquet.
Oh dear, my backside—I certainly didn’t want it to bloom.
When Yun Ying and I arrived at the main hall, everyone from each branch of the family had already gathered. With my head down and looking timid, I slipped into a shadowy corner and sat down. To my surprise, just as we arrived, a handsome young man spotted me and came over to greet me. Looking at this strikingly good-looking boy, I mourned for a few moments why someone so handsome didn’t exist in modern times.
“Firefly, I heard you were sick recently; are you feeling better now?” Seeing me stare at him blankly, he looked puzzled while Yun Ying behind me desperately gestured for me to respond. It finally dawned on me that he was the only one in this family who treated me kindly—Brother Three, Xie An. Immediately putting on what I thought was a sweet smile, I softly replied, “Brother Three. I'm much better now; you don’t need to worry.”
“Oh, then I'm relieved.” As he noticed me staring at him continuously, his face turned slightly red—oh my goodness! Where did this pure and beautiful young man come from? However, his gaze towards me felt somewhat strange; I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was odd about it.
When a tall and serious middle-aged man entered the room, the previously noisy hall fell silent instantly. It turned out to be Head of the Family Xie Yushi arriving. Xie An also smiled at me before returning to his seat beside San Niang. As he sat down, he couldn’t resist making a playful face at me despite his cheeks still being slightly flushed—how amusing! This was the first time since coming to this world that I felt warmth; involuntarily, I smiled back at him.
Sitting in the corner quietly observing those around me based on Yun Ying's introductions: sitting next to Xie Yushi was his dignified wife Zhao Yazhi—truly exuding grace befitting her status. Beside her were my eldest brother and sister. My eldest brother wore a solemn expression with cold eyes tightly pursed; he clearly disdained such tedious gatherings. My eldest sister sat there demurely with a gentle smile on her face; however, what intrigued me was that she was another ancient beauty entirely different from Xie Weiying’s beauty. Her beauty was truly earthly—a classic beauty dressed magnificently with exquisite makeup radiating elegance. The moment she appeared, several young nobles present couldn’t help but steal glances at her.
I forgot to mention that, in order to ensure fairness in the competition and to showcase the talents and abilities of the Xie Family to outsiders, they occasionally invite some reputable guests. To put it plainly, the older ones serve as judges while the younger ones engage in a bizarre matchmaking process. Just look at Second Sister's shy demeanor; it truly makes men drool.
Following them are Second Madam and Brother Three. Third Madam never participates in such gatherings, and it seems that Xie Yushi has tacitly accepted this.
If I could, I would rather not attend such events at all. They are not enjoyable in the slightest. Notably, sitting slightly lower on Xie Yushi's left is Fifth Lady. The way she beams with pride suggests she is flaunting the affection she receives. It's no wonder; women in ancient times had to rely on men's protection to survive.
However, I once overheard Yun Ying mention that Fifth Lady resembles my deceased mother, Soo Ranran. Could she merely be a dull substitute? If that's the case, I wonder what there is to boast about—shouldn't she feel sorrow instead?
Next to her sits the infamous eight-year-old Xie Wan. I pay special attention to him because this reckless boy was responsible for the death of this body’s original owner. Now that he has taken refuge here, he must repay the debt for the lost soul. But there's no rush; targeting a child would be beneath me. I'll let him grow a little more and face the consequences himself.
I am almost forgotten in the corner. Those who seek amusement only vaguely remember a girl who once entertained them; after laughing, they naturally forget her. Xie Weiying's existence is merely a simple source of entertainment. No one shows her sympathy, nor does anyone treat the child of an unloved concubine kindly.
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