Chapter 001 The Eldest Miss’s Premonition Dream

Chapter 001 The Eldest Miss's Premonition Dream

"Second Miss, you should copy the Buddhist scriptures here." The maid, dressed in a peach-colored robe with a light blue headband, spoke politely to Lin Yingxue.

"The Eldest Miss said that she has been having nightmares lately. After the last trip up the mountain to pray, she was greatly frightened and needs the Diamond Sutra to calm her spirit. Your handwriting is excellent, so please take the trouble to copy the sutra here."

"When you finish copying it, let me know. After the Eldest Miss reviews it, we will burn it before the Buddha, which might help ward off those evil spirits. Second Miss, please be meticulous and sincere in your copying."

Under Lin Yingxue's eyes were faint dark circles. In fact, it was she who had truly been frightened during the last trip up the mountain to pray.

Eldest Miss Lin Baozhen had taken her to pray, but they encountered bandits. Because she looked better than the Eldest Miss, one of the bandits had grabbed her waist. If not for being rescued in time, she would have been humiliated.

Lin Yingxue looked at the chief maid beside the Eldest Miss and said, "Sister Feiyuan, I haven't rested well these past few days. If I get tired, can I take a nap on the small bed?"

Lin Yingxue had been dreaming about the encounter with the bandits every night, falling into endless nightmares. She had been sleeping during the day, and this was the time when she usually slept, leading to her current request.

Lin Yingxue's voice was soft and sweet, reminiscent of fragrant lotus seed cakes.

Her appearance also inherited the exquisite beauty of Concubine Wen.

Her eyebrows were like willow leaves, her almond-shaped eyes held a hint of lips, and her lips were rosy and delicate. Most striking were her eyes, which resembled the misty lakeside of southern Jiangnan, evoking a desire to protect her.

Feiyuan thought that such an exquisite Lin Yingxue had captivated a certain young master, ruining the Eldest Miss's marriage prospects. This led the Eldest Miss to find ways to torment her, even forcing her to go pray on the mountain when she was feeling unwell, resulting in the bandit incident.

Feiyuan nodded without showing any emotion and then dropped another bombshell: "The Eldest Miss instructed that the Second Miss should stay here to copy the scriptures these days. All meals will be delivered to you, and you can rest here as well."

Lin Yingxue immediately became anxious.

Wasn't this effectively putting her under house arrest by the Eldest Miss?

"Sister Feiyuan, I didn't bring anything with me, nor did I tell Concubine Wen..."

Feiyuan replied matter-of-factly, "I will inform Concubine Wen later. Clean clothes will be brought to you shortly. There are plenty of maids in the Eldest Miss's courtyard. If you need anything, just let them know, and they can find me."

With that said, Lin Yingxue could only nod, knowing that it was useless to further inconvenience Feiyuan.

"Thank you, Sister Feiyuan."

After Feiyuan left, a second-class maid entered. "Second Miss, Sister Feiyuan just instructed me to serve you. Do you want to change and take a nap?"

Without proper sleep, she wouldn't have the energy to copy the scriptures.

Lin Yingxue sighed and gathered her strength. "Bring me some water to wash up."

"Yes."

Under the maid's service, Lin Yingxue quickly washed up and changed, lying down on the fragrant, sun-warmed bedding.

In the Eldest Miss's courtyard, Lin Yingxue thought she wouldn't be able to sleep, but the scent here seemed to have a soothing effect, and she slept soundly.

When Lin Yingxue opened her eyes, the room was bathed in golden light from the outside, streaming through the windows. For a moment, she forgot where she was.

She changed into the clothes she wore in the afternoon, washed her face with cool water, and casually opened the window.

The branches in the small garden rustled in the wind, creating a natural sound that made the courtyard seem quiet and empty.

Lin Yingxue paused.

Hesitating for a moment, she closed the window and opened the door of the side room.

The corridor was empty, and so was the small garden.

This strange situation quickened Lin Yingxue's heartbeat, and she moved quietly, closing the door and walking along the corridor.

As she approached the Eldest Miss's room, Lin Yingxue finally heard voices.

Her racing heart calmed slightly.

At least it wasn't something supernatural.

"Baozhen, now that everyone else has left, can you tell Mother what happened?" It was the voice of Lady Wang, the Eldest Miss's mother.

Hearing this voice, Lin Yingxue moved closer. Since Lady Wang was here, she needed to greet her.

Moreover, Lin Yingxue had a thought: if the Eldest Miss kept her here, Lady Wang might not agree. Perhaps she could plead with Lady Wang to return to her own courtyard to copy the scriptures.

Thinking this, Lin Yingxue quickened her pace.

However, Lin Yingxue's steps were no match for Lin Baozhen's words.

"Mother, I agreed to marry Fu Jiaze before, but now I won't do it."

Hearing this, Lin Yingxue froze. From Lin Baozhen's firm tone, it seemed the marriage was indeed going to change.

But Lin Baozhen's marriage had already caused many disturbances. Would Lady Wang really allow her daughter to act so recklessly?

/

Speaking of Lin Baozhen's marriage, it had been full of twists and turns.

Lin Baozhen was originally engaged, but during a flower banquet, she fell in love at first sight with the elegant and talented Xie Jingzhi and began chasing after him.

Initially, some people in the capital saw the Eldest Miss as a joke, but then her fiancé broke his neck and died.

Lin Baozhen's father, Lin Yi, was a Third Rank Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and her mother, Lady Wang, was the eldest daughter of the Changqing Marquisate. In the Lin household, Lin Baozhen was a pampered princess, and the same was true in the Changqing Marquisate.

For Lady Wang's daughter, the old Marquis and Marquise believed she was blessed by nature and doted on her deeply.

Lin Baozhen's family background was slightly better than Xie Jingzhi's. With her fiancé's death, her marriage to the Xie family became possible.

If Lin Baozhen truly married Xie Jingzhi, Lin Yingxue would silently say "Amitabha," but unfortunately, Xie Jingzhi fell for Lin Yingxue during the engagement discussions, refusing to look away. As a result, the engagement talks broke down.

Thus, Lin Baozhen became the laughingstock of the capital city.

Lin Yingxue was also implicated in this unwarranted disaster and was tormented by Lin Baozhen, causing her to lose a significant amount of weight and become extremely weak. It was during one of these trips up the mountain to pray that bandits appeared. Lin Yingxue nearly suffered humiliation, but fortunately, Fu Jiaze shot the bandit leader dead with his longbow, saving both of them.

Fu Jiaze was an ordinary citizen, an orphan without parents, adopted by a merchant woman.

Logically, such a person would not be a suitable match for Miss Lin. However, his strengths were his excellent scholarship and handsome appearance. Lin Yi had personally tested him and marveled at Fu Jiaze's potential as a top scholar.

Previously, the incident involving Lin Baozhen and Xie Jingzhi had already made them the laughingstock of the capital city. How could high-ranking families look favorably upon Lin Baozhen? A marriage to someone of lower status might allow the Lin family to still provide some support.

Because Fu Jiaze was handsome and his archery skills were impressive, Lin Baozhen, who had always been fond of handsome men, finally agreed to the marriage after repeated persuasion from the Lin family and Chang Qing Houfu.

After Lin Baozhen gave her consent, everyone began to praise the couple as a perfect match.

Lin Yingxue prayed in her heart that Lin Baozhen and Fu Jiaze’s marriage would be finalized soon so she could escape her suffering. And now...

Lin Yingxue couldn't help but glance at the window, clenching her handkerchief tightly, her gaze filled with worry. Would Madam allow her elder sister to continue her mischief?

"Nonsense!"

/

Madam Wang's eyes held thinly veiled anger as she scolded her daughter, "If you hadn't agreed, it would have been fine. But now, the entire Lin family and Chang Qing Houfu are spreading the word that you two are a perfect match. Why are you causing trouble again?"

Lin Baozhen had anticipated her mother's anger but had had a dream about what would happen after marriage. She could not marry Fu Jiaze under any circumstances.

"Mother, don't worry," Lin Baozhen reached out to comfort her mother.

Madam Wang, known for her impatience, slapped her daughter's hand away and pointed at her nose, saying:

"Baozhen, I can tolerate your mischief in other matters, but your marriage is serious business. If this fails again, it won't just be a laughingstock in the capital city; we won't know how to handle your marriage!"

Lin Baozhen pulled her mother's hand down and said earnestly, "Mother, I know you care about me and fear making a spectacle of yourself. But do you want me to marry a mere county magistrate and then become a widow? Compared to my future misery, being laughed at for a while is nothing."

Hearing her daughter's words, Madam Wang's finely shaped eyebrows furrowed. She looked at her daughter suspiciously and felt her forehead. "You're not feverish. What nonsense are you talking about? Fu Jiaze is highly scholarly; why would he be a county magistrate? And what do you mean by becoming a widow? Shame on you for saying such things."

"Mother, I'm not talking nonsense. I asked everyone to leave, including Chang Yan and Fei Yuan, because what I need to tell you only concerns you. This relates to why I can't marry Fu Jiaze. Please listen to me first."

Madam Wang reluctantly calmed herself, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. "Go on."

"Father said Fu Jiaze is highly scholarly and will definitely pass the autumn examinations this year. He even has the potential to become a top scholar, right?"

Madam Wang nodded. "Although his background is humble, Father personally tested his scholarship, which is impeccable."

"Even if he is talented, what good does it do him? He lacks luck. For years, he either broke his arm before exams or got into scandals, leading to imprisonment. Coming to the capital city was probably to change his fortune, but even here, he remains unlucky. Although he will pass the autumn examinations this year, he won't have a chance to participate in next year's spring examinations."

Madam Wang wanted to speak, but Lin Baozhen shook her head. "Mother, please let me finish."

"He will be assigned to a remote place called Tongwu County, where the people are unruly and the county magistrate changes every year. Ask Father later; there is such a place."

"Because he was assigned there, I refused to go. But since I was already married, I was forced to move to Tongwu County. There, Fu Jiaze and I lived like strangers until he died. Mother, he never touched me until the day I died."

Tears streamed down Lin Baozhen's face as she spoke, her voice trembling. "Therefore, I absolutely cannot marry Fu Jiaze."

Madam Wang stood up, thinking her daughter had lost her mind. She pursed her lips and said, "I'll take you to see a doctor."

"Mother, I'm not mad. I'm not sick," Lin Baozhen said. "Grandmother always believed I was blessed. I think so too. The heavens love me and gave me a prophetic dream. What I told you was a prophetic dream!"

Madam Wang still didn't believe in prophetic dreams.

However, Lin Baozhen's next words swayed her.

Lin Baozhen mentioned that the Princess had sent out invitations for a chrysanthemum viewing party at her residence.

Madam Wang had just received the invitation, and logically, Lin Baozhen shouldn't have known about it.

But prophetic dreams seemed too far-fetched.

Seeing her mother's doubt, Lin Baozhen continued, revealing the true purpose of the flower-viewing banquet. Publicly, the Princess invited young men and women to her residence to view flowers and matchmake, but in reality, she was selecting a prince's consort.

Lin Baozhen, spoiled and uneducated, had always been a mischief-maker and didn't care about being mocked for chasing after Xie Jingzhi. How could she know the true purpose of the banquet?

Considering her daughter's good fortune and current explanation, Madam Wang finally believed her partially.

"Do you have any other evidence?"

Lin Baozhen did. Her dream was vivid and detailed, almost like living through her life.

She then mentioned several major events involving officials' promotions and demotions.

Madam Wang's eyelids twitched. Many of these promotions seemed unreasonable at first but made sense when considering preparations for the new emperor's ascension.

These subtle political relationships were beyond Lin Baozhen's knowledge.

Madam Wang wanted to ask more about these matters, but Lin Baozhen knew little beyond the promotions due to family gifts.

Frustrated, Madam Wang said, "If only you remembered more. Think carefully later; perhaps you'll recall something." Perhaps Chang Qing Houfu and the Lin family could benefit.

Confirming Lin Baozhen's prophetic dreams, Madam Wang returned to the initial question: Who should her daughter marry if not Fu Jiaze? Could it be Xie Jingzhi? According to her daughter, Xie Jingzhi's father became a powerful noble, and Xie Jingzhi was a young top scholar. However, Lin Baozhen coldly said, "Marry Xie Jingzhi? He has a sweetheart! This autumn, he will be inactive, but during the spring parade next year, he will personally adorn his sweetheart with flowers and promise to marry her. Unfortunately, his sweetheart's family is too low-born to be a proper wife."

Madam Wang guessed who her daughter referred to.

Lin Baozhen continued, "Do you know who this favored concubine is? It's our own second miss, my half-sister—Lin Yingxue!"

Suddenly, a noise came from outside. Lin Baozhen immediately shouted, "Who's there?"

Madam Wang quickly opened the door, only to see a bird flying away. She reassured her daughter, "You've dismissed everyone else; what are you worried about?"

Lin Baozhen nodded, and they returned inside. Meanwhile, Lin Yingxue quietly climbed down from the flower window after they entered.

She had just seen a stray cat silently approaching a bird, and feeling something was amiss, she quickly hid herself. Fortunately, her small stature and the blind spot here helped her avoid being noticed by her stepmother and stepsister.

Even though they hadn't seen her, Lin Yingxue didn't dare to continue eavesdropping and hurried back to her newly assigned room.

/

Lin Yingxue took off her clothes, pretending to be asleep as she lay on the bed, thinking about the last words she had overheard.

She would rather marry into a family of lower status than become Xie Jingzhi's concubine, no matter how noble the title might sound. She was still just a concubine!

Xie Jingzhi...

Lin Yingxue wished she could devour this person whole. She didn't even know him, so why was he being so persistent?

Not only did Wang believe in Lin Baozhen's prophetic dreams, but Lin Yingxue did too. She knew her own character well; Xie Jingzhi was the man her stepsister admired, and she wanted nothing to do with him. How could she possibly let him adorn her with flowers and carry her into the Xie family as a concubine?

Lin Yingxue cursed Xie Jingzhi in her heart, relieved that the flower-adornment ceremony wouldn't happen until next year. She still had time to make plans for herself, preferably finding someone like Fu Jiaze, who came from a humble background.

Thinking of Fu Jiaze, Lin Yingxue couldn't help but remember his bad luck. Despite his remarkable talent, he faced repeated failures in the imperial examinations, and worst of all, he was destined to die young.

Lin Yingxue still remembered the first time she met Fu Jiaze. She had been held captive by bandits, feeling utterly hopeless, when Fu Jiaze appeared before her, seeming like a divine figure.

At that time, Fu Jiaze wore a scholar's blue robe and arrived in the mountains with the Jinyiwei. The official in his flamboyant fish-scale robe looked full of vigor, but Lin Yingxue found Fu Jiaze more impressive than the military officer.

His long hair was loosely tied with a scholar's cap, and the wind blew it as he stood tall. His eyes slightly squinted, he held a bow in his left hand and an arrow in his right. With a casual draw, he shot straight at the target.

Lin Yingxue's heart raced, fearing the arrow might hit her. She closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she found herself lifted onto a horse by Fu Jiaze's strong arms.

From the horse, she looked back at where she had been held. The bandit who had captured her lay dead, struck through the left chest.

She raised her head and met Fu Jiaze's gaze, but he merely nodded coldly, expressionless.

Lin Yingxue knew she was beautiful, yet Fu Jiaze was the first person she had ever met who seemed indifferent to her appearance.

After placing her safely within the Lin family's group, Fu Jiaze returned to the Jinyiwei, treating her as if she were just a stone instead of a beauty.

Even now, lying in bed, recalling that scene, her heart still raced, imagining the arrow piercing her own chest.

Lin Yingxue thought she would never cross paths with Fu Jiaze again, but then she learned that the Lin family had other ideas, trying to matchmake Lin Baozhen with him.

Subsequently, the Lin family and the Changqing Hou Mansion spread news praising Lin Baozhen and Fu Jiaze as a perfect match, which made Lin Yingxue learn more about Fu Jiaze's excellence. Despite his humble background, his scholarly achievements were unparalleled, and he was only waiting for his name to be inscribed on the golden list.

How could such an outstanding person have such poor luck in the imperial examinations? And ultimately, die young.

Lin Yingxue sighed inwardly, feeling a tightness in her chest at the thought of his early death.

If only she knew the reason behind his early demise.

But even if she knew, what could she do? Her stepsister clearly hated her and would never reveal Fu Jiaze's cause of death. Moreover, it seemed her stepsister had also mentioned her own death, suggesting that even Lin Baozhen might not know the reason.

Wrapped in her thoughts, Lin Yingxue eventually fell asleep.

The incense in the room burned gently, its smoke spiraling upward.