Chapter 1

On the day I married into the duke's household, his heir's childhood sweetheart tampered with the brazier used to welcome the bride.

The moment I stepped across it, my skirts burst into flames.

Chaos erupted. By the time the fire was put out, there was not an inch of unburned skin left on my body.

After examining me, the imperial physician shook his head helplessly.

“We can save your wife's life, my lord, but I fear her face and skin will never recover.”

His childhood sweetheart immediately began to weep, putting on a show of remorse.

“It's all my fault. If only I'd reacted a little faster, this would never have happened to you.”

The duke's heir sighed and comforted her gently.

“She was simply unlucky. What has it got to do with you?”

Then he turned a cold gaze on me.

“The future mistress of the duke's household must attend banquets and maintain relations with other families. In your present condition, I'm afraid you can hardly appear in public.”

“I shall take Yao'er as an honored concubine. She will manage the household in your place and attend to its affairs, both within these walls and beyond them.”

From that day on, I was his wife in name only.

Years later, his childhood sweetheart bore him his eldest son.

He set a cup of poisoned wine in front of me.

“Yao'er has given me my eldest son. I cannot let the boy spend his entire life as a concubine's child.”

“But His Majesty himself decreed our marriage. Divorcing you might incur his wrath.”

“Drink this. Consider it the last shred of dignity I can leave you.”

I lingered in agony for three days and nights before the poison finally killed me.

It was during those days, listening to the idle chatter of the maids outside my door, that I learned the truth.

I had never been unlucky. Someone had tampered with the brazier.

When I opened my eyes again, it was my wedding day.

…

“Come down from the bridal sedan. Let me help you inside.”

Su Qingyao's cloying voice reached my ears.

I clenched my hands at the familiar scene before me.

When I still did not move, a wounded look flickered in her eyes.

“Do you look down on my low birth too? Is that why you won't let me help you?”

Under the customs of the Sheng dynasty, a bride entering her husband's home had to be led by a woman of unblemished virtue whose own family life was happy and complete.

It was a blessing: may the bride's married life be as fortunate as her guide's.

But Su Qingyao's father had been convicted of a crime when she was a child, leaving her the daughter of a disgraced official.

The duke's household had taken her in only because her mother had been the duchess's close friend before their marriages.

In my previous life, the Xiao family had chosen just such a woman to lead me through their gates.

I had been unhappy about it, but pity for her circumstances had softened my heart, and I had agreed.

One act of kindness had bought me a lifetime of misery.

I drew a deep breath and demanded sharply, “If the duke's household has no wish to marry into my family, say so. Why humiliate me like this?”

Everyone present froze.

Xiao Jingxing frowned, his impatience plain.

“Jiang Mingzhu, what do you mean?”

I gave a cold smile.

“Why ask when you know perfectly well?”

“Miss Su lost both her parents as a child, and her father was a disgraced official. Of all the people you could choose to lead me into your home, you picked someone burdened with such ill fortune. What is that if not a deliberate insult?”

The wedding guests exchanged glances and began to murmur.

“Who would want a woman with such bad luck leading the way? What are the Xiaos thinking? They're asking for trouble.”

“Exactly! There are plenty of ladies here with happy, prosperous families. Why insist on her?”

Su Qingyao's eyes immediately reddened.

Biting her lip, she looked at Xiao Jingxing and choked out, “Jingxing, I'm sorry. It's all my fault.”

“I only wanted to grow closer to her. I never imagined she disliked me so much.”

“I'll leave at once. I won't let my bad luck spoil your wedding.”

She covered her face and started to run away.

Distress crossed Xiao Jingxing's face. He caught her hand.

“Who says you bring bad luck? To me, you're the most blessed woman of all.”

Then he turned on me, his voice icy.

“It's only a ceremony. Why make such a fuss over the rules?”

“If you don't want to marry me, go home! This household cannot afford to cater to someone as high and mighty as you!”

The duke hurried over just in time to hear him and slapped him across the face.

“You unfilial wretch! What nonsense are you spouting?”

“His Majesty decreed this marriage. Do you want to bring punishment down on the entire family?”

The duchess stared in anguish at the mark on her son's face.

“My lord, surely we can talk this through. Why hit him?”

Then her eyes settled on me, full of disgust.

“Lady Jiang, you haven't even crossed our threshold, and already you're making trouble for your husband's family. Is this what General Dingbei's household taught you?”

My gaze turned colder.

In my previous life, after the fire had disfigured me, Su Qingyao had taken charge of the household and tormented me at every opportunity, openly and in secret.

She had dared to do so only because the duchess, Lady Wang, indulged her.

I suppressed my hatred and assumed a gentle, yielding expression.

“Your Grace, that was never my intention.”

“It's only that, as His Grace just said, His Majesty himself bestowed this marriage. If he learned that your household had chosen a disgraced official's daughter to lead me inside, he might be displeased.”

“You and His Grace enjoy a loving marriage, and you have borne him an heir. Surely no woman could be more blessed.”

“Would you be so kind as to lead me in today? I should love to share a little of your good fortune.”

Lady Wang's expression softened.

“Very well. At least you know what is proper.”

Panic swept across Su Qingyao's face.

She wanted to intervene, but Lady Wang had already taken hold of the length of silk in my hand.

Of course I knew what frightened her.

In my previous life, we had entered one after the other. Knowing the brazier had been tampered with, Su Qingyao had deliberately moved out of danger beforehand.

Lady Wang knew nothing. Su Qingyao could no longer be certain whom the flames would catch.

Still, there was a chance—one in two—that she would get rid of me. After a long hesitation, she chose not to give a warning.

Just as I had hoped.

Lady Wang walked toward the gates, lecturing me as she went.

“Being a daughter-in-law of this household is no easy matter. Once you enter, you must honor your parents-in-law, care for your husband, and bear sons to carry on the Xiao family line.”

“Oh, and this wedding has cost us a great deal of silver. I hear your family has prepared a hundred and eight litters of dowry goods. Have them taken straight to the household treasury.”

In my previous life, while I lay recovering from my injuries, the Xiaos had pocketed every part of the dowry my parents had prepared.

Later, I could not even scrape together enough silver for medicine or food.

A chill flickered in my eyes.

“Yes, Mother. I shall leave everything to you.”

I had agreed. Whether she could actually get her hands on it was another matter.

As we neared the brazier, I stopped.

“Mother, who arranged the decorations and furnishings for today's ceremony?”

Lady Wang frowned.

“I did, of course. Is something wrong?”

“No one else helped?”

Xiao Jingxing broke in impatiently.

“Lady Jiang, it's a wedding. Must you ask so many questions?”

“Mother and Yao'er spent a month working on all this. If your dawdling makes us miss the auspicious hour, who will answer for it?”

I turned to him calmly.

“So Miss Su helped with the preparations too?”

A guilty look flickered in Su Qingyao's eyes. She hastily interrupted.

“Mingzhu, it's getting late. Please go inside first. We can discuss everything once we're in.”

Lady Wang tugged irritably at my hand.

“Come along. I have no time to waste on you.”

Hiding the coldness in my eyes, I followed.

One step. Two. Three…

Lady Wang drew closer to the brazier.

The instant she stepped across it, the flames roared up.

I timed it perfectly. Pretending to stumble, I fell clear of the fire.

Lady Wang vanished into a sea of flames, her piercing screams filling the air.

Xiao Jingxing stood stunned for a moment, then came to his senses.

“What are you all standing there for? Put out the fire! Save my mother!”

Chaos erupted.

Servants scrambled to fetch water. The duke and Xiao Jingxing rushed forward to strip off Lady Wang's burning clothes.

But there was something horribly strange about the fire. As soon as they drew close, the flames began to spread to them.

Blisters rose across the backs of their hands, and they recoiled in fright.

By the time someone brought water, Lady Wang had lost consciousness.

Physician after physician came and went. Every one of them shook his head at the sight of her injuries.

Xiao Jingxing slammed his fist onto the table.

“How could a brazier suddenly burn my mother like that?”

The duke was equally furious.

“The silver-thread charcoal used for the wedding was bestowed by His Majesty himself. Supplies from the palace have always been safe. How could this happen?”

“Someone investigate this at once!”

I watched them in silence, a trace of mockery in my eyes.

In my previous life, I had repeatedly demanded an investigation after the fire.

The Xiaos had accused me of making trouble over nothing, insisted it was an accident, and disposed of the brazier.

Now that one of their own had been hurt, they suddenly knew the matter needed investigating.

The steward was about to carry out the order when Su Qingyao hurried forward in alarm.

“Wait! Don't go yet.”

She bit her lip, glanced at me, then abruptly dropped to her knees before the duke.

“Your Grace, I didn't want to cause trouble… But this concerns Her Grace's safety. I can no longer keep silent.”

My heart tightened.

Suppressing my unease, I leaned toward the maid beside me.

“Go back to my father's house. Tell my parents and brother something has happened here. Have them come at once.”

Yinyue nodded and slipped away while no one was looking.

The duke frowned at Su Qingyao.

“If you know something, speak. There's no need to be afraid.”

She put on a troubled expression.

“I… I was walking behind Her Grace and Miss Jiang. I saw Miss Jiang put out her foot and trip her.”

“Her Grace lost her balance. That's how the flames caught her…”