Volume 1, Chapter 9: Oh Sister, What a Tragic Death You Met!

"Oh, my dear Fourth Miss, that Prince Ji is nothing but a hollow shell. They say he’s impotent; he’s had three wives already, and they’ve all ended up either dead or crippled, without bearing a single heir. To spend one's life with a man who can’t perform in bed? Even if you offered me the position of Empress, I wouldn’t take it. Besides, a mere slip of a girl like her—once Prince Ji gets bored, do you think he’ll still want her? You know how these things between men and women go! Never mind, you’re still young; your auntie will teach you all about it in time."

She giggled as she spoke, Concubine Meng firmly believing she was "more sophisticated" than the average woman.

Old Nanny Zhang, who was keeping watch, couldn't bear to listen any longer and whispered a reminder: "Concubine, please, mind your tongue."

Concubine Meng was actually quite lenient with her servants and never mistreated them, knowing their lives were hard enough. Over time, Nanny Wang, who served her, often offered advice, which she usually took to heart.

"I know, Nanny, but there’s no one else here, is there? The Master won’t be coming tonight anyway."

Upon hearing her aunt's words, Leng Yuejiao felt a sudden surge of superiority. Why envy someone who was nothing but damaged goods? Time to sleep!

In the dead of night, Leng Yueheng sensed someone entering her room and snapped awake. Keeping her composure, she opened her eyes slightly and, through the gauze curtains, recognized Nanny Zhuang. She continued to feign sleep, knowing Nanny Zhuang was trustworthy.

Nanny Zhuang tiptoed to the bedside, lifted the bed curtains, and peered closely at Leng Yueheng, even reaching out to pinch her cheek.

*Oh! So she’s here to inspect the goods.* Leng Yueheng understood the gesture; her performance today had been truly unexpected, and Nanny Zhuang had lived with the original owner day and night.

She pretended to mumble and shifted her posture to make it easier for Nanny Zhuang to observe her. After a long while, the nanny withdrew.

With this commotion, Leng Yueheng couldn't fall back asleep. She began to review the day's events, knowing the crisis was far from over. There were several mysteries she had to unravel.

First: Madam Jiang and Leng Yuemei had clearly been manipulated and framed. They were not the masterminds behind the poisoning. The true culprit must hold great power; otherwise, how would they dare to poison that "dog of a Prince"? Perhaps the Prince himself was the true target, and dealing with the Leng household was merely a secondary strike—hitting two birds with one stone. She needed the Prince to investigate this; her own status was too low, and she lacked the manpower.

Second: According to the original owner's memories, she and her mother, Madam Tian, had never offended Madam Jiang. Why was there such a desperate need to kill her, even at the cost of the old matriarch's life?

Third: What should she do about her marriage to Xiao Jingyun?

The original owner had only met Xiao Jingyun once at the age of five; there was no emotional foundation. After today's events, while she couldn't be legally convicted, the sheer number of officials and their families present meant that gossip was inevitable. After all, women in this society had no careers, and these ladies and misses spent their days idling away, doing nothing but gossiping about each other's business. Entertainment and scandal were the common pastimes of the day, and Leng Yueheng understood that.

The Xiao family would likely call off the engagement.

Leng Yueheng felt a throbbing headache. She had experienced social death on her very first day of transmigration. In a society where a woman’s reputation was everything, how was she supposed to survive? In her previous life, she had married her first love right out of college, jumping into the role of a housewife without ever properly enjoying the romance. While she wasn't a "love-struck fool," not liking durian and never having tasted it were two different things. In this life, even if she couldn't wrap men around her finger, she at least wanted to experience the thrill of being pursued!

Thus, Leng Yueheng set her life goals:
First: Survival! To live a full life and not be played to death.
Second: Wealth! No matter the era, money is indispensable.
Third: Power! Without power, she couldn't protect her life, let alone her money.
Fourth: Men! In this damn patriarchal society, she wouldn't play the saint. While she wasn't love-struck, men were tools to be used—otherwise, her internal balance would suffer! Besides, "the desire for food and sex is human nature."

The next day, at the Leng residence.

Early in the morning, white silk mourning banners were hung throughout the house. The maids were already dressed in hempen mourning clothes with white cloth tied around their waists. The ladies and misses wore mourning attire according to their closeness to the deceased matriarch.

Looking out, it was a stark contrast to the lively birthday banquet of the day before.

Leng Xuanru, sporting heavy dark circles under his eyes, instructed the steward to send out the death notices early. He hired musicians and led the second young master, Leng Yuanchen, through the rituals of encoffining and funeral arrangements.

The mourning hall was set up in the front courtyard.

After lunch, they had to receive those coming to offer their condolences. During the wake, the head of the household and his wife were required to lead the young masters and misses in keeping vigil by the spirit tablet to show their grief.

All afternoon, a steady stream of visitors came to the Leng estate.

Leng Yueheng watched the sun set, seeing the mourners preparing to leave, and sighed with relief that this miserable day was finally over. Just then, three people rushed in through the gates, dressed in full mourning attire with white headbands. They pushed through the crowd, threw themselves before the spirit tablet, and kowtowed.

The leader, a middle-aged man of about forty, wailed in despair.

"Sister! You died such a miserable death!"

Two young men in their twenties followed closely behind, wiping away tears with their sleeves as they knelt.

"Aunt, you died such a miserable death!"