Chapter 1

The spring rain in March is slightly cool, and the crystal clear raindrops roll down the eaves, and the sound of the raindrops reaches into the house.

Jiu Yingying lay on the embroidered bed with her eyes closed, her slender eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her long eyelashes trembled uneasily in her sleep.

Outside the house, there were dark clouds and the sky was gloomy. A bolt of lightning struck across the sky, accompanied by roaring thunder and the sound of rain suddenly became heavier. Jiu Yingying suddenly opened her eyes, her beautiful eyes were filled with tears and her pupils were trembling.

She stared at the layers of scarlet curtains on the top of the bed, her expression dazed, as if she was still immersed in a nightmare and had not yet awakened.

When she regained consciousness, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes. Her black and white eyeballs moved slightly and she turned to look at the furnishings in the room.

There were lightning and thunder outside, making the room dim and bright. After she glanced around the room, her eyes widened in surprise, and gradually revealed an expression of disbelief.

She closed her eyes in disbelief. After a moment, she opened them again and saw the same scene.

The scarlet bedspreads on the bed were spread out in layers, with cherry-red tassel sachets hanging on the four corners. A gold-thread screen was placed in the outer hall, a hollow-edged bronze mirror was placed on the cabinet, and a gorgeous vase next to it contained a number of delicate flowers with water droplets on them.

Everything was just as she saw when she opened her eyes just now, without a single mistake. Even the pair of eight-treasure glazed lotus flowers on the table remained there motionless.

Jiu Yingying looked at the twin lotuses with a frown. If she remembered correctly, this pair of twin lotuses was a birthday gift from the Second Prince He Huaijin to her. There was only one of them in the world. Later, her cousin Jiu Hongdou 'accidentally' smashed them to pieces and they no longer existed.

She was deeply impressed by this incident, and because she cherished the lotus pair very much, she could not help but lose her temper at that time. After He Huaijin learned the news, he hurried to persuade her, coaxed her with gentle words for a long time, and finally promised her that he would send her a better one in the future. Only then did she finally calm down.

When she thought of He Huaijin and Jiu Hongdou, her eyes suddenly turned cold and a sarcastic arc appeared at the corners of her lips.

At that time, she thought that He Huaijin was worried that she would get angry and hurt her health, so he rushed over to persuade her despite his busy official duties. Later, she realized that He Huaijin was not worried about her, but was worried that her anger would affect Jiu Hongdou.

He Huaijin's persuasion was fake, but his defense of Jiu Hongdou was real. The two of them performed a drama of deep affection right under her nose, but unfortunately she didn't see through it and was completely unaware of it.

She sat up from the bed, her eyes paused slightly on the lotus, and she couldn't help feeling puzzled.

Logically, this pair of lotus flowers should have been broken into pieces long ago and thrown into some corner. How come they appeared in her room intact now?

The most important thing is, isn't she dead?

She still remembered that before her death, Jiu Hongdou secretly sent people to poison her for several days, and finally He Huaijin personally gave her a cup of poisoned wine, ending her life.

She still remembers the burning pain in her abdomen before her death, as if her body was on fire, and her heart was broken. She wished she could drag He Huaijin and Jiu Hongdou into the abyss of hell together.

Her father was the famous general Jiu Yixing, who had made great military achievements. As the eldest daughter of the general's wife, she had been spoiled since childhood and had never suffered such suffocating pain.

At this moment, the burning pain in her body disappeared out of thin air. She got out of bed and tried to walk two steps. She was as light as a swallow and there was no pain at all. Could there be some magic medicine that could cure the poison of the wine?

She suppressed her doubts and looked up at the room in front of her. She walked slowly around the room, her fingers lightly running across the table.

Everything here was very familiar, but this was not the house with carved railings and jade bricks where she lived before her death, but the boudoir she lived in at Jiujia before she got married.

The boudoir was cozy, elegant and quiet, which was the style she liked before she got married. After she married the Crown Prince He Huailing, in order to make the Eastern Palace a mess, she deliberately asked the steward to decorate the room with gold and jade. In the Eastern Palace, only luxurious and valuable items could be brought into her room.

He was notorious for his extravagance.

She looked at the furnishings in the room thoughtfully with a look of joy. She was used to living in that golden room during her lifetime, and now that she had returned to her own boudoir, she actually found it pleasing to the eye and loved it very much.

She turned around in the room, and something on her fair neck swayed gently with her movements. She looked down and saw that there was a yellow oriole jade pendant hanging around her neck.

Her movements suddenly stopped, her pupils trembled, and her face suddenly darkened.

She lowered her eyes and looked for a while, then raised her hand, stretched out her fingers and touched the jade pendant with trembling hands.

This yellow oriole jade pendant is finely carved, the jade is transparent, and the yellow oriole looks lifelike. It was carved by her grandmother herself when she was born and has been worn around her neck since she was a child.

She always treasured the jade pendant until she got married. Then, because she was angry with her grandmother, she did not take the jade pendant with her and left it in the brocade box in her boudoir.

If she hadn't done this, her younger brother wouldn't have been harmed. Every time she thought of this, she felt extremely regretful and remorseful.

When she saw the jade pendant, she suddenly remembered that the room she was in now had been burned down by Jiu Hongdou a year ago and no longer existed.

Along with the fire, her younger brother Jiuyu also disappeared.

Her father, brother, grandmother... and herself were all killed one after another by He Huaijin and Jiu Hongdou. She was the last one and experienced the pain of losing her loved ones before her death.

She recalled the past, her heart was in turmoil. She closed her eyes gently, and it took her a long time to calm down.

She couldn't help wondering, how could everything that should have ceased to exist become intact? How could she, who should have been dead, still be so alive and kicking?

She walked step by step to the bronze mirror, feeling inexplicably nervous. She took a deep breath unconsciously, then slowly raised her head and looked at herself in the mirror.

The girl in the mirror had picturesque eyebrows, skin as white as snow, a pair of clear and bright almond-shaped eyes, and every frown and smile was radiant. When she smiled, she was like the bright moon in the sky, so beautiful that it could not be described in words. When she didn't smile, she was like a peony in the snow, delicate and beautiful, just like she looked before she was poisoned.

She had been outstanding in appearance and beautiful since childhood. When she was twelve years old, she danced before the emperor on the emperor's birthday. Since then, she has become famous in the capital and her beauty is unparalleled.

From then on, people who proposed marriage to her almost came to her nine houses. If her grandfather had not passed away suddenly and she had not observed the three years of mourning as per the custom, she would probably have been married at a very young age.

Unfortunately, being too much attention is not a good thing. On the day she came of age, her mourning period had just ended and her family had not had the chance to help her choose a husband, but the emperor personally issued an edict to grant her a marriage, which determined her future life and her destiny began to change from that time on.

She looked at herself in the mirror and slightly widened her eyes. She was eighteen years old when she died and should have been blooming like a flower, but she was severely poisoned and her face was pale and bloodless. There was only dejection and weakness on her face, and she looked weak and haggard.

But she looked younger in the mirror than she was then, with tender cheeks, rosy lips, and a pair of bright eyes. Although she was not wearing any makeup, her face had a healthy glow and she looked like she was in her teens. She had black hair combed into a bun.

To her surprise, she was not yet of age.

She stared at herself in the mirror for a while, then hastily rolled up her sleeves.

There was a light scar on her arm. On the day her father's coffin was sent back to Beijing, she stumbled and fell to the ground holding her father's helmet. Her arm was scratched by the sharp stones on the ground. She bled a lot at that time and left a scar. But now her arm is white and smooth, without any flaws. The light scar disappeared out of thin air, as if it had never existed.

She looked at everything in front of her in disbelief, unable to tell for a moment whether the past few years were a dream or everything now was a dream.

She felt like she was in a dream. Only the excruciating pain before death and the hatred that burned her heart like a raging fire reminded her that everything in the past was not a dream but something that really happened.

She died, but she lived again.

She had a bold guess in her mind, but she had no way of being sure because it was too incredible.

"Miss, I will bring you tea."

Her personal maid Chun Xing knocked on the door, her voice sounding a little childish.

Jiu Yingying's expression was slightly moved. She suppressed her emotions and pretended to be calm while sitting in front of the bronze mirror. She picked up the comb and combed her messy hair. She said in a calm voice, "Come in."

As soon as she opened her mouth, she found that her voice was sweet and tender, with the tenderness of a young girl. Because of her illness, it sounded low and soft, inexplicably endearing.

Chun Xing pushed open the door and walked in holding a teacup. She walked with her eyebrows lowered, her hair was combed into a bun, her cheeks were round, and her figure was slightly plump.

She saw Jiu Yingying sitting in front of the dressing table, smiled and said, "Miss, you caught a cold from the wind. Now you have slept for a while. Are you feeling better?"

Jiu Yingying secretly looked at Chun Xing's face through the mirror. She found that compared with before her death, Chun Xing was indeed younger and looked more lively.

She was wearing the same light green cotton skirt as the Nine Palaces, not the green brocade skirt worn by the palace maids of the East Palace. It seemed that they were indeed in the Nine Palaces.

Chun Xing is loyal and has always stayed by her side over the past few years. She is someone she can trust.

Jiu Yingying felt a little relieved when she saw the familiar person. She nodded gently, put down the comb, walked to the table, and took the teacup handed to her by Chun Xing.

The rain outside the window was a little lighter, the thunder had stopped, and the drizzle falling on the eaves sounded pleasant to the ears.

She took a sip of tea and asked casually, "Chun Xing, what year and month is it now?"

Chun Xing tilted her head and looked at her in confusion, then answered as a matter of course: "Miss, are you confused after sleeping? It is now the first day of May in the twenty-first year of Jingyuan, and tomorrow is your birthday."

Jiu Yingying was mentally prepared, so she was not too surprised. She lowered her head calmly, hiding the surging emotions in her eyes.

Just as she thought, she was really reborn.

chapter 2

She was reborn three years ago. This year, she is fifteen years old, not yet of marriageable age, and has not been poisoned. She is still healthy and not notorious. She is still a noble lady in the boudoir.

Her eyelashes trembled with excitement, and she tried hard to suppress the bitterness in her heart.

She came back. At this time, her grandmother, father, and younger brother were still alive. Her body had not yet been corroded by the poison. She returned to the time when everything just began.

Chun Xing saw that she looked dazed and thought she was just confused in sleep. She went inside to find a cloak and put it on her. She said with concern, "Miss, you haven't fully recovered yet. Put on more clothes and don't catch a cold again."

"Yeah." Jiu Yingying came back to her senses, patted Chun Xing's hand gently and smiled.

The moment she closed her eyes before she died, she thought she would never see Chun Xing again, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and when she opened her eyes again, she saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Chun Xing blinked in surprise. She didn't know why, but she felt that her young lady was a little different today. She didn't know if it was because of her illness, but her expression was compassionate and gentle, especially when she smiled, her lips seemed to be able to create ripples like autumn water.

She looked at the smile on Jiu Yingying's lips, which looked like a mixture of sadness and joy. She couldn't help but ask, "Miss, are you in a good mood?"

Jiu Yingying smiled, lowered her eyes to look at the floating tea leaves, tears misting her eyes, and said slowly, "Good...very good."

She thought she had reached the end of her rope and could only die in defeat, watching the ruthless couple living happily together. She didn't expect that God would give her another chance and let her go back to the time when nothing had happened.

She slowly smiled. Since she was alive, they shouldn't have an easy time.

"Miss, the old lady is here to see you."

Chunfang came jumping in. Jiu Yingying had two first-class maids personally serving her, one was Chunxing and the other was Chunfang.

Chunfang stood at the door while talking, patting the rain off her body. The water drops fell onto the ground, turning the clean ground turbid.

Jiu Yingying raised her eyes and looked at Chunfang with a serious gaze. Chunfang usually looked lively, cute and innocent, as if she had no scheming at all.

Jiu Yingying knew very well that the poison she was infected with in her previous life was put little by little by Chunfang in the tea she drank every day. Chunfang was bribed by Jiu Hongdou and sold her out without hesitation for money and future.

Jiu Yingying looked at Chunfang and narrowed her eyes slightly. Chunfang was also one of the culprits who killed her.

Chunfang felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by Jiu Yingying and was stunned for a moment. She had never seen Jiu Yingying's gaze so cold. Did Jiu Yingying blame her for dirtying the ground?

She looked down at the water stains on the ground and frowned slightly. Jiu Yingying had never blamed her for such trivial matters before.

She was puzzled, looked up at Jiu Yingying, and asked cautiously: "Miss, what's wrong?"

"It's okay." Jiu Yingying glanced at Chunfang. Without taking any time to pay attention to Chunfang, she stood up and walked towards the door.

Because her grandmother had already lifted the bead curtain and walked in.

The Ninth Old Lady had kind eyes, ruddy face and white hair. She was wearing a black and red brocade with brown velvet on her collar. She looked elegant and luxurious. The two maids on her left and right lowered their heads slightly and supported her on either side.

Jiu Yingying paused and stared at her grandmother intently. Her eyes suddenly became moist. She blinked slowly, tears filling her eyes. She walked towards her with weak steps, her voice choked with sobs, "Grandma..."

She threw herself into her grandmother's arms and smelled the familiar sandalwood scent on her grandmother's body. Only then did she feel that she was truly reborn.

Madam Jiu worships Buddha all year round. Because she stays in the Buddhist temple for a long time, her body is always stained with sandalwood. Jiu Yingying has smelled it for a long time and is very familiar with this fragrance. When she smells it at this moment, her nose can't help but feel sore.

Fortunately, her grandmother is still alive and well, and she is still the little girl who can act as spoiled as she wants in her grandmother's arms.

The Ninth Old Lady was stunned when she saw her granddaughter suddenly jump into her arms excitedly.

She looked down at the top of her granddaughter's head, reached out her hand and touched it lovingly, and asked in a gentle voice: "Yingying, what's wrong? Is someone bullying you? Tell grandma and I will take care of it for you."

When Jiu Yingying heard her grandmother's words, tears couldn't help but roll down her eyes. Feelings of grievance surged from the bottom of her heart. Someone had indeed bullied her, but she couldn't say a word.

Her mother, Wang, died of complications during childbirth when she gave birth to Jiuyu. Her father, Jiuyixing, was a general who was stationed at the border all year round and seldom returned home, so she grew up in the care of her grandmother.

Her grandmother was the person closest to her, and she had a deep relationship with her grandmother. However, after His Majesty issued an edict to grant the marriage, she cried and made a fuss, and almost hanged herself, because she did not want to marry the "useless" prince.

She begged and hoped that her grandmother would go to His Majesty to cancel the marriage, but her grandmother did not agree to her request. At that time, His Majesty had already issued an edict that if the nine families refused the marriage, it might be used as an excuse by people with ulterior motives, which would surely anger the emperor and bring disaster to the nine families.

There was no way my grandmother would risk the lives of her entire family. Besides, his Majesty's words were final, and once the decree had been issued, it could not be changed. If this matter became a big deal, who knows what would happen to Jiu Yingying after she married into the royal family. Even if my grandmother was considering Jiu Yingying's future, she could only thank him profusely and pretend to be grateful for his grace.

Jiu Yingying was so anxious and confused at the time. Jiu Hongdou and He Huaijin kept instigating her. She didn't think about it at all. She just felt that her grandmother didn't care about her life or death for the sake of the Jiu family, so she became suspicious of her grandmother. On the day of her wedding, she angrily took off the Huangying jade pendant and refused to wear it again. She left it in the brocade box in the room.

Later, she caused chaos in the Prince's Mansion and brought disgrace to the Nine Family. Her grandmother tried to persuade her many times, but she still did not repent. Her grandmother became disheartened and decided to meditate on Buddha and never wanted to see her again.

It was not until her grandmother passed away that Jiu Yingying finally saw her grandmother. Before her grandmother closed her eyes, she was still trying to persuade her to live a good life with the prince and stay away from He Huaijin. She still remembers her grandmother's worried look at that time.

It turned out that although her grandmother was angry with her, she never abandoned her for a moment. Unfortunately, it was too late for her to regret.

Jiu Yingying wiped away her tears secretly. In her last life, her grandmother had always been worried about her. In this life, she could not let her grandmother worry about her anymore no matter what.

She raised her head and smiled at her grandmother, hugged her grandmother's arm, and said affectionately, "Grandma, with you here, no one dares to bully Yingying. Yingying just had a nightmare. In the dream, you, father, and Ayu were all gone, so Yingying was a little scared and thought you didn't want Yingying anymore."

Seeing her innocent look, her grandmother couldn't help but smile. Like when she was a child, she gently coaxed her, "It's just a nightmare. It will be over when you wake up. Grandmother will never abandon Yingying. Don't be afraid, Yingying."

"Well, it's all over. Yingying is not afraid anymore." Jiu Yingying said slowly.

Since God has given her another chance to live, she should cherish the opportunity. After all, she has died before, so there is nothing to be afraid of anymore.

She personally helped her grandmother sit down on the warm kang, found a thin blanket to put on her grandmother's legs, and placed a soft cushion behind her to make her sit more comfortably.

My grandmother's legs were damaged by the cold when she was young, and she was left with a disease. On rainy days like today, her legs are the most sore, and she usually stays in bed to rest. If she hadn't been sick, she wouldn't have come here in person.

When she thought of this, she couldn't help but feel sad. She lowered her head, poured a cup of hot tea for her grandmother and placed it in her grandmother's hand.

Seeing her granddaughter busying around and being so attentive, the Ninth Old Lady felt very pleased. She drank a sip of hot tea and felt much warmer.

She put down the teacup, waved to her granddaughter, and said with a smile: "Yingying, stop busying yourself, come and talk to grandma."

"Okay." Jiu Yingying responded and sat on the embroidered cushion next to her grandmother's legs. She sat next to her grandmother affectionately and lowered her head to massage her grandmother's legs.

Madam Jiu touched Jiu Yingying's hair and said with a smile, "Grandma came to visit you, why are you so busy instead?"

"Grandma, Yingying is well now, it's okay for her to be busy."

As she spoke, she stood up and turned around on the spot, a smile on her lips and her pleated skirt like scattered petals.

After she woke up, her body felt fine except for being a little weak. Compared with the time when she was poisoned in her previous life, she could be considered strong and healthy.

When the Ninth Old Lady saw that her face was rosy, she knew that her health had indeed recovered, and she couldn't help but feel relieved.

The Ninth Old Lady took her hand and sat down. Her eyes fell on her smooth hair and she smiled and said, "Yingying, you will soon be a marriageable girl."

"Yes." Jiu Yingying continued to massage her grandmother's legs, her hands moving non-stop. She looked up and said, "Grandma, on the day Yingying comes of age, can you tie Yingying's hair with your own hands?"

The Ninth Old Lady did not hesitate at all and said with a kind smile, "Of course, Yingying has black hair, I believe it will look good with a hairpin."

She looked at Jiu Yingying's stunning appearance, and the smile on her face gradually deepened. Jiu Yingying was her granddaughter who was raised by her. Now that she saw Jiu Yingying grow into a graceful young lady, she felt relieved and proud.

Jiu Yingying lay on the lap of the Ninth Old Lady and smiled. In her previous life, when she reached the age of 15, her grandmother should have helped her tie her hair, but that day, an imperial decree from His Majesty disrupted everything.

She almost had a breakdown because of the arranged marriage. Crown Prince He Huai Ling suffered from a leg disease and could only travel in a wheelchair. It was rumored that after his leg injury, he often became moody and irritable. His position as crown prince was already in jeopardy. She had admired He Huai Jin for a long time and naturally did not want to marry such a man.

Everyone knew that He Huailing's position as crown prince would be lost sooner or later, and they were worried that they would be implicated at that time. After the whole family found out about the arranged marriage, they all fell into sorrow, so the matter of her coming of age and marriage was forgotten.

In this life, she wanted to make up for all the regrets of her previous life.

Chapter 3

Jiu Yingying chatted with her grandmother for a while when there was a knock on the door.

Chun Xing walked over and opened the door. Jiu Hongdou lifted the bead curtain and walked in.

After she entered the room, she looked up and smiled at Jiu Yingying, and said softly, "Sister, I heard that you caught a cold, so I came to visit you. Is it convenient for you to come in?"

This was the first time Jiu Yingying saw her after her rebirth. The hands hidden in her sleeves trembled uncontrollably. She could not hide the anger in her heart. The burning pain before her death seemed to surge up again and almost drowned her.

She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and kept reminding herself in her heart that she could not turn against him yet, otherwise it would definitely arouse suspicion from others. She could not fall out with him now no matter what.

She took two deep breaths and nodded to Jiu Hongdou reluctantly, but her voice was stuck in her throat and she couldn't make a single sound.

Jiu Hongdou didn't notice anything wrong with her and thought she looked unhappy because she was sick.

Jiu Hongdou smiled indifferently and walked in.

She is the same age as Jiu Yingying, only half a month older than Jiu Yingying, but her face is more mature than Jiu Yingying. She is thin and slender, speaks softly, and always looks frail.

After Jiu Hongdou entered the house, she saw the Ninth Old Lady sitting on the warm kang. She showed a surprised expression, smiled happily, then bowed politely, stretched out her hand to smooth her hair that was wet by the rain, and coughed lightly with her head tilted to the side.

She was originally weak and looked frail, and now after being caught in the rain, her face was slightly pale, making her look even more fragile than Jiu Yingying, who was sick.

Sure enough, when the grandmother saw Jiu Hongdou's look, she immediately became nervous and said quickly, "Hongdou, come here quickly. Qiuhua, bring another embroidered cushion for Hongdou to sit on."

Jiu Hongdou is the second daughter of Jiu Yingying's uncle Jiu Mingxing. Jiu Yingying's grandfather is a marquis, her grandmother is her grandfather's second wife, and Jiu Mingxing is her grandfather's first wife's son.

When my grandmother got married, Jiu Mingxing was already ten years old. He had an extremely stubborn temper and refused to change despite repeated teachings. My grandfather wanted to kick him out of the house several times and completely cancel his qualification to inherit the title. He wanted to let Jiu Yingying's father Jiu Yixing inherit the title instead. However, my grandmother couldn't bear it and persuaded my grandfather again and again before he did not do so.

Jiu Mingxing has been a good-for-nothing since he was young and has no special abilities. Although he inherited the title, it is just a title without real power.

Jiu Yingying's father Jiu Yixing joined the army at a young age. Without relying on his family's power, he made a name for himself in the barracks. Now he holds military power and has become a general who protects the country.

Although Jiu Hongdou is not the grandmother's biological granddaughter, the grandmother loves Jiu Hongdou just as much as her own granddaughter.

Nanny Qiuhua is an old lady who has been serving my grandmother for many years. Although she is old now, her hands and feet are still nimble, and she quickly moved the embroidery cushion over.

Jiu Hongdou responded with a faint smile, and walked obediently to sit next to her grandmother. Seeing that she looked a little pale, her grandmother covered her legs with the blanket on her legs.

Jiu Yingying looked at Jiu Hongdou silently. She always felt that Jiu Hongdou was too weak. She was obviously the younger sister, but she always protected Jiu Hongdou in front of outsiders.

She always protected Jiu Hongdou behind her, and stood in front of her to shield her from the wind and rain. In the end, she got a reputation for being arrogant and domineering, while Jiu Hongdou became a well-behaved girl praised by everyone.

Jiu Yingying had never thought about what expression Jiu Hongdou would have when he hid behind her, nor had she ever thought about whether Jiu Hongdou would have a knife in his hand and suddenly stab her in the back.

Jiu Hongdou raised her eyes, looked at Jiu Yingying, and said softly, "Sister, are you feeling better?"

Jiu Yingying curled her lips coldly. In her previous life, Jiu Hongdou was the same. She deliberately acted out a deep sisterly love in front of her grandmother and cared about her. Unfortunately, she never thought about it in her previous life, why Jiu Hongdou always came to care about her "coincidentally" when her grandmother came over.

Jiu Yingying lamented her own stupidity in her previous life, but she didn't show it on her face. She took another blanket and covered her grandmother's legs. Then she sat down on the embroidered cushion opposite Jiu Hongdou and continued to massage her grandmother's legs.

She lowered her eyes, cleared her throat, and replied softly, "It's much better now."

Jiu Hongdou reached out and held her hand, touching it up and down twice, and said with concern: "Sister, your hand is still a little cold when I touch it, you should put on more clothes."

When Jiu Yingying was touched by her, it was like a cold snake crawling on her hand, and she immediately pulled her hand back.

Jiu Hongdou was stunned and looked at her in surprise.

Jiu Yingying said calmly without even raising her head: "Sister, Yingying's body has not fully recovered yet, please don't pass the illness on to me."

Jiu Hongdou nodded slightly and sighed softly: "Sister, don't blame me for scolding you. Even if you care about your cousin, you can't ignore your own health. If I had known that you would get sick, I wouldn't have told you about your cousin's transfer."

The cousin she was referring to was He Huaijin. Her mother Qin was Shufei's sister, and He Huaijin was Shufei's son, which meant he was Jiu Hongdou's cousin.

The reason why Jiu Yingying can call He Huaijin cousin is because of Jiu Hongdou.

If Jiu Hongdou hadn't mentioned this matter, Jiu Yingying would have forgotten that the reason she caught a cold this time was because of He Huaijin.

Since the crown prince's leg injury, He Huaijin has gradually been valued by Emperor Jing. Recently, he was transferred to the Ministry of Revenue by Emperor Jing. Today is his first day in office. Jiu Yingying was worried that he would be busy at noon and had no hot meal, so she secretly brought food to visit him. On the way back, she encountered a violent storm and caught a cold.

Her grandmother had always been against her relationship with He Huaijin. Jiu Hongdou said this, seemingly out of concern for her, but in fact she was deliberately complaining to her grandmother.

When Old Lady Jiu heard Jiu Hongdou's words, she frowned.

She had a gentle temperament and had always not wanted her granddaughter to get involved in the royal struggles. She felt that her granddaughter should marry into an ordinary wealthy family, find a husband with a kind and gentle personality, and live a stable life. Therefore, she never supported Jiu Yingying's relationship with He Huaijin. However, Jiu Yingying had wanted to marry He Huaijin since she was a child. No matter how she persuaded her, Jiu Yingying would not listen and even contradicted her several times for He Huaijin.

When she thought of this, she couldn't help but feel a headache. She asked in a deep voice, "Yingying, what's going on?"

Jiu Hongdou pretended to have said something wrong, quickly covered her lips, and blinked her innocent eyes at Jiu Yingying.

Jiu Yingying ignored her, looked at her grandmother, and replied softly: "Grandma, Yingying knows she was wrong, and she won't do it again next time."

When Jiu Yingying said these words, the ending of her voice trembled slightly, she did not lie, nor did she do it perfunctorily. In her previous life, she had learned enough lessons, and in this life, she really would not be so foolish as to want to marry He Huaijin again.

Chapter 4

He Huaijin looks gentle and elegant on the surface, but he is actually cold and heartless. All he cares about is power. When it comes to interests, he can abandon everyone without hesitation, including Jiu Yingying from his previous life.

Madam Jiu didn't expect Jiu Yingying to admit her mistake so readily this time. She couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Even Jiu Hongdou looked at Jiu Yingying in surprise.

Jiu Yingying pretended not to know their reactions and lowered her head to continue massaging her grandmother's legs.

The Ninth Old Lady smiled with relief and said, "Yingying has grown up."

Jiu Hongdou's eyes turned unwillingly. Jiu Yingying was about to reach the age of 15, and she and He Huaijin would have more and more opportunities to come into contact. She was anxious but had no way to stop it, so she could only complain to Madam Jiu and ask her to stop them from meeting.

Seeing Jiu Yingying admit her mistake so quickly today, she thought that Jiu Yingying had learned to lie. She didn't believe that Jiu Yingying really knew she was wrong. She felt that Jiu Yingying was just deceiving the Ninth Old Madam.

She certainly didn't want to see Old Madam Jiu being fooled so easily by Jiu Yingying.

She smiled and said softly, "Yingying, it's great that you can think it through. Grandmother is doing this for your own good. After all, it would not sound good if the news of you two, a single man and a single woman, meeting in private got out. If someone saw it, your reputation would be ruined."

Jiu Yingying's thick and long eyelashes drooped, casting a faint shadow on her eyelids. She said indifferently, "Don't worry, sister. Yingying won't be so tactless. When she went to the Ministry of Revenue today, Yingying only asked the guards to deliver the food box, and did not meet the Second Prince in person."

Jiu Hongdou curled her lips slightly. Jiu Yingying has really become smart. She usually calls him "cousin" affectionately, but now in front of her grandmother, she pretends to be pretentious and calls him "Second Prince".

She was not discouraged and continued, "Yingying, what food did you bring for your cousin today?"

"I don't know what the cook made."

In everyone's eyes, only a few hours had passed since she delivered food to He Huaijin, but to her, it was just a trivial matter from her previous life, so how could she remember it so clearly?

"Yingying, you have never touched water since you were a child and you don't know how to cook. Otherwise, you would definitely cook for your cousin yourself, right?"

Jiu Yingying raised her head and looked at her calmly, "Sister, if Yingying cooks, she will definitely cook for grandma first. The Second Prince and I have no relationship at all. How can a girl like me cook for him with my own hands? Sister, what you said is damaging my reputation. Please be careful with your words."

Jiu Hongdou frowned. Jiu Yingying rarely contradicted her. She felt a little uncomfortable for a moment and smiled awkwardly before saying, "It was my sister who made a mistake."

Jiu Yingying would never let her bully her as easily as in her previous life, and she retorted, "Sister, my aunt spoiled me and kept me away from the kitchen, but she was quite strict with you. You are proficient in needlework, painting, poetry, calligraphy, and music, and even your cooking skills are amazing."

She paused, then continued with a hint of meaning, "I remember one time Yingying went to visit her in her courtyard, and happened to see my aunt inviting the Second Prince to celebrate his birthday. At that time, my sister personally prepared a table of dishes for the Second Prince. The dishes were delicious and appetizing. Yingying couldn't help but drool just by smelling them."

Jiu Yingying looked at her and changed the subject: "Yingying knows that she cannot compare with the Second Prince. In these years, she has never eaten the food cooked by her sister. However, if Yingying remembers correctly, it seems that even grandma has never eaten it?"

The Ninth Old Lady smiled and tried to smooth things over, "Hongdou is very clever and skillful. Grandmother believes that the food you cook will be good."

Jiu Hongdou smiled awkwardly and nodded hesitantly.

Jiu Yingying smiled and said, "Sister, you should learn some cooking skills. After all, the Second Prince is used to eating food made by the imperial chef in the palace, so his taste must be very picky. If the food you cook is better than that of the imperial chef, maybe the Second Prince will come to see you more often."

Jiu Hongdou felt that Jiu Yingying seemed to have something else in her words, as if she knew her feelings for He Huaijin. She raised her head and looked over inquiringly, but saw that Jiu Yingying's expression was normal, as if she was just chatting about family matters.

Jiu Hongdou frowned slightly, feeling something was indescribably strange, but Jiu Yingying seemed to be as normal as ever, so she could only tell herself not to make a fuss.

She collected her thoughts and said softly, "My cousin is getting increasingly busy with his official duties. I don't think he has much time to come to the mansion for dinner."

As she spoke, her tone unconsciously sounded a little proud. Emperor Jing trusted He Huaijin more and more, and she believed that the position of crown prince would belong to He Huaijin sooner or later.

Jiu Yingying curled the corner of her mouth without commenting. She knew what Jiu Hongdou was expecting, but it might not be what she wanted.

Only because the crown prince was deposed did He Huaijin have the opportunity to ascend to the throne of crown prince. What if the crown prince was not deposed?

Jiu Hongdou bit her lip unwillingly when she saw Jiu Yingying so easily brush aside the fact that she went to deliver food to He Huaijin.

Her eyes fell on the eight-treasure glazed twin lotus on the table. It was a birthday gift from He Huaijin to Jiu Yingying. It was very valuable and a rare treasure.

Although she knew clearly that He Huaijin was just using Jiu Yingying and wanted to obtain the army in Jiu Yixing's hands through Jiu Yingying, she still couldn't help but feel jealous.

This eight-treasure glazed twin lotus is extremely precious. She loved it very much when she first saw it in He Huaijin's collection.

She didn't have the courage to ask He Huaijin for it at that time. She thought that after she married He Huaijin, the lotus would naturally be hers. However, she didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, He Huaijin gave it to Jiu Yingying as a birthday gift.

Her eyes darkened, the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt. Jealousy welled up in her heart. She gritted her teeth, stood up unwillingly, walked over, picked up the lotus and took a look at it.

She pretended to look at it carefully, and smiled and praised, "Sister, your cousin is really good to you. The lotus he gave you is really exquisite and luxurious. You can tell at a glance that it cost a lot of money."

When the Ninth Old Lady heard her words, the smile on her face faded.

What does the lotus represent? It represents the love between husband and wife. He Huaijin gave Jiu Yingying this gift, which was beyond the limit. However, He Huaijin gave it to Jiu Yingying openly at her birthday party that day. He gave it openly and said it only meant the deep love between brothers and sisters. Facing such an open reason, the old lady Jiu could not say anything, let alone let Jiu Yingying refuse to accept it.

Although He Huaijin and Jiu Yingying are related and have the name of siblings, everyone in the capital knows that they are very far apart.

After he gave the twin lotus flowers as gifts, most of the noble families in the capital city tacitly accepted that this was his token of love, and thought that he had not formally proposed marriage only because Jiuyingying had not yet passed the mourning period.

From then on, no one wanted to marry Jiu Yingying. After all, no one dared to compete with the favored Second Prince for her. Everyone knew that although the current Crown Prince had not been deposed, he had long lost hope of ascending the throne and was a truly "useless" Crown Prince. As for what the Second Prince would become in the future, no one knew.

Chapter 5

The Ninth Old Lady couldn't help but feel angry when she thought of this matter, and she also found the pair of lotus flowers very annoying.

But Jiu Yingying loved this pair of lotus very much and always placed it in the most conspicuous place in the house with great care.

Jiu Yingying couldn't help but smile when she saw Jiu Hongdou holding the lotus in his hand. It seemed that Jiu Hongdou was planning to use the same trick again.

In the previous life, Jiu Hongdou held the lotus like this, and then "accidentally" dropped it to the ground.

When she saw the broken glass shards all over the floor, her heart almost broke. That was her most beloved object, and she would hold it in her hand and touch it almost every night before going to bed.

At that time, her heart felt like it was bleeding and she was filled with anger.

However, although she was furious, she only lost her temper and smashed a few cups. It was a loud noise, but she didn't touch Jiu Hongdou, the culprit, at all. But later, Jiu Hongdou acted out a big drama by herself.

When Jiu Yingying thought of this, her clear eyes couldn't help but darken.

When she lost her temper, Jiu Hongdou sent someone to inform He Huaijin. He Huaijin happened to be talking in the main room. After learning that she had lost her temper, he immediately rushed over to persuade her.

When Jiu Yingying saw He Huaijin, she coaxed him with soft words and soon calmed down. She ordered people to clean up the glass debris on the ground and the matter was over. But at this moment, Jiu Hongdou suddenly rushed up, grabbed her arm and pretended to stop her.

Jiu Hongdou was extremely strong and her arm was hurt by his grip. Her skin was delicate and her wrist turned red instantly. She didn't think much about it at the time and reached out to shake Jiu Hongdou off.

Unexpectedly, Jiu Hongdou was waiting for her to use force. After she shook her hands, Jiu Hongdou fell down and fell on the broken pieces of colored glass. Blood immediately flowed all over the floor.

The scene was extremely scary at that time. Jiu Yingying was completely frightened and thought that she had really pushed Jiu Hongdou down accidentally. She almost cried out of guilt. He Huaijin was even more furious. He glared at Jiu Yingying, picked up Jiu Hongdou and rushed out.

Afterwards, the whole family felt that Jiu Yingying was being unreasonable. Although Jiu Hongdou dropped the lotus, it was an unintentional mistake. Why did it have to be like this?

Jiu Hongdou took the opportunity to act nice and clever, pretending to be recuperating from an injury, and stayed in bed for a month before getting out of bed.

During that time, everyone in the Jiu family disliked Jiu Yingying. Even He Huaijin was too lazy to pretend in front of Jiu Yingying. He was only worried about Jiu Hongdou's safety. Every time he came to the mansion, he rushed to visit Jiu Hongdou. Even Jiu Yingying herself was full of guilt, and sent all kinds of precious medicinal materials to Jiu Hongdou's house as if they were free.

At that time, she didn't know how treacherous people were. She never thought that her kind and gentle cousin was taking the opportunity to plot against her. She also never thought that her cousin was so cruel that she could throw herself on the broken glass in order to plot against her.

Jiu Hongdou's move was very clever. It was obviously she who broke the lotus, but not only was she not blamed, but she put Jiu Yingying in an unjust position.

Later, somehow this matter got out, and people all over the capital were saying behind Jiu Yingying's back that she was a sinister woman. She almost caused a death for a twin lotus made of eight treasures and glazed glass. She was so arrogant and lawless that she didn't treat her cousin as a human being at all.

Some people also said that the Ninth Old Lady favored her own son's family, so she allowed her granddaughter to bully her other granddaughter from her original wife.

Jiu Yingying didn't want her grandmother to be implicated, and explained to others many times that she didn't mean it, but she was unable to defend herself.

After she calmed down, she couldn't help wondering in her heart, why did Jiu Hongdou fall down when she obviously didn't use that much strength? But no matter what she said, no one was willing to believe the truth of the matter, let alone investigate it. Everyone only believed the results they saw.

After Jiu Hongdou recovered from his injury, in order to continue pretending in front of Jiu Yingying, he cried and explained several times outside.

When everyone saw her like this, they thought that she was bullied at home and was forced by Jiu Yingying to come out and conceal the truth for Jiu Yingying. Everyone felt that Jiu Yingying was vicious and Jiu Hongdou was innocent and miserable.

It was from this time that Jiu Yingying's bad reputation became completely known throughout the capital.

That period of time was like a nightmare to Jiu Yingying. The noble ladies in the capital isolated her. Even no one invited her to the gatherings among the noble ladies. Everyone looked at her with a frown and said bad things about her behind her back. Fortunately, Jiu Yingying was busy with the marriage arrangement at that time and had no time to care about these things.

Jiu Yingying thought of the past and her long eyelashes drooped, making it impossible to see her expression. One could only see that the corners of her mouth were slightly raised. She seemed to be smiling, but the curve was so cold that it was impossible to tell whether she was happy or angry.

Seeing that she didn't respond, Jiu Hongdou called out again, "Sister?"

Jiu Yingying stood up slowly, looked at Jiu Hongdou, and walked over step by step.

Under her intense gaze, Jiu Hongdou took a step back unconsciously, feeling a little uneasy for some reason.

Jiu Yingying walked over expressionlessly, reached out to hold Jiu Hongdou's wrist, and pried her fingers apart little by little.

Jiu Hongdou's eyes moved, and she wanted to take the opportunity to throw the lotus flowers to the ground. Since this pair of lotus flowers were destined not to belong to her, she could not get them, and she could not let Jiu Yingying get them either!

She wanted to secretly let go of her hand, but she didn't expect Jiu Yingying to hold her wrist so tightly that she didn't give her a chance to let go.

Jiu Yingying looked at her deeply, exerted force with her hands, and directly snatched the lotus away.

Jiu Hongdou's face turned pale, and she defended herself, "Yingying, I just want to take a look, why are you so nervous? I know this is a gift from my cousin, so you like it very much, but I am your sister, so is it not okay for me to take a look at it..."

Jiu Yingying didn't listen to what she said, but just lowered her eyes and looked at the lotus in her hand with a gentle gaze.

Her fingers gently slid across the smooth surface of the lotus. She used to play with the lotus in her hands and was very familiar with every line on it.

The twin lotus flowers are lifelike, and the colored glass is glittering in the sun. It looks crystal clear and feels warm and smooth to the touch. It is indeed a priceless treasure.

In this life, she would never let Jiu Hongdou have the chance to smash the lotus to pieces again.

Her fingers slid gently and a leisurely smile bloomed on her lips. In an instant, her eyes suddenly darkened and her fingers suddenly loosened.

boom--

The eight-treasure glazed twin lotuses fell to the ground and shattered into pieces on the smooth ground.

Jiu Hongdou was talking in a rambling voice, but when she saw this scene, her voice suddenly choked and she looked up at Jiu Yingying in disbelief.

Jiu Yingying curled her lips in a cold smile and clapped her hands nonchalantly.

In this life, she wants to fall down and have a good time.

Chapter 6

The Ninth Old Lady also looked at Jiu Yingying in surprise, as unprepared as Jiu Hongdou.

Jiu Yingying sat down at the table, leisurely picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. She looked at the residue on the ground, her eyes calm and without a single ripple.

Although this eight-treasure glazed twin lotus is precious, but when she sees it now, she will think of He Huaijin, and she finds it very annoying. It is better to smash it and out of sight, out of mind.

Jiu Hongdou reacted and couldn't help but exclaimed, "Sister! This eight-treasure glazed twin lotus is worth a fortune, how could you drop it so easily?"

The fragments of colored glass sparkled brightly on the ground, like pure tears, presenting another kind of broken beauty.

Jiu Yingying held the incense sticks in her hand and fiddled with the sandalwood in the incense burner. She looked at the twinkling flames and said softly, "I have many precious things. I don't mind having just one or two."

Jiu Hongdou bit her lip jealously. Jiu Yingying was indeed not short of good things. Every time Jiu Yixing came back victorious from the battlefield, His Majesty would reward him with gold, silver, treasures, land and shops. Unlike Jiu Mingxing, although he had a title, his land and properties were almost squandered by him.

A dark color flashed in her eyes, and she looked at Jiu Yingying and said softly: "But this pair of lotus flowers is a gift from your cousin, and nothing else can compare to it."

Jiu Yingying looked at the white smoke rising and chuckled, "He gave me too many things, nothing special."

Jiu Yingying put down the incense chopsticks, stretched out her jade-like fingers, pointed at the gold-threaded jade screen in the room, and then pointed at the jasper-green chrysanthemum chess pieces on the chessboard, and said nonchalantly: "That, and that... Oh, and this incense burner too. These things were all given to me by him. He gave me so many, so they are nothing special anymore."

Jiu Yingying's words were half true and half false. He Huaijin had indeed given her a lot of good things over the years, but the only gift that made her confirm He Huaijin's true feelings was the Eight Treasures Glazed Twin Lotus.

She originally thought that He Huaijin was using the Eight Treasures Glazed Twin Lotus to secretly express his love to her, so she regarded the Twin Lotus as a token of their love, and therefore she attached great importance to the Eight Treasures Glazed Twin Lotus.

Although He Huaijin has given many gifts, this lotus with two stems is the most special.

In her previous life, she liked the things given by He Huaijin very much, but now in her opinion, these gifts that were not put into the heart are just tools for He Huaijin to get close to her and are not worth mentioning at all.

When Jiu Hongdou heard Jiu Yingying's words, she clenched the handkerchief in her hand jealously. These were the things she had been longing for, but she didn't expect Jiu Yingying to look down on them so much.

In order to please Jiu Yingying, He Huaijin had given her countless good things over the years, but He Huaijin was quite stingy with her and usually gave her the leftover inferior goods.

He Huaijin seemed to be used to it. He always used the good things to please Jiu Yingying and would only think of giving her the inferior things.

He Huaijin always said that Jiu Yingying was the general's daughter and was used to seeing good things, and if he didn't give her valuable items, he wouldn't be able to attract her attention.

Jiu Hongdou was quite unconvinced. Jiu Yingying was used to good things. Did she, Jiu Hongdou, deserve to be inferior?

Unfortunately, in He Huaijin's eyes, Jiu Yingying was the most precious and rare thing. Whenever he got something good, he would always use it to please Jiu Yingying first.

Jiu Hongdou was unwilling but helpless. She knew that He Huaijin needed a sensible woman. If she acted unreasonably, it would only make He Huaijin feel disgusted with her, so she could not make a fuss or be jealous.

She could only consider the overall situation and help He Huaijin ascend to the throne of crown prince step by step. Only in this way would He Huaijin like her, be grateful and feel guilty towards her, and only then could she enjoy endless wealth and glory.

She is enduring it now so that she can step on Jiu Yingying under her feet with great glory in the future.

Jiu Yingying raised her eyes, looked at Jiu Hongdou's changeable expression, and curled her lips in joy.

She didn't know the relationship between Jiu Hongdou and He Huaijin before, so naturally she didn't know how to deal with Jiu Hongdou. Now she wants to make Jiu Hongdou sad, and she has thousands of ways to do it.

Just like now, when she casually took out the things He Huaijin gave her and fiddled with them for a few times, it was enough to make Jiu Hongdou's heart feel like being pricked by needles.

Since Jiu Hongdou is so great and chooses to be the woman behind He Huaijin, she will let Jiu Hongdou have a good taste of it.

Seeing Jiu Yingying treat the gifts sent by He Huaijin with such disrespect, the Ninth Old Lady couldn't help but feel pleased. She felt that her granddaughter had finally come to her senses and was no longer dreaming of marrying the Second Prince, and she was in a very good mood.

She took off the bracelet she had been wearing all year round and put it on Jiu Yingying's hand. She said in a gentle voice, "Yingying, this is the wedding gift your grandfather gave me when grandma got married. The eight-treasure glazed twin lotus that the second prince gave is indeed precious, but grandma's jade bracelet is not bad either. If the daughter of our Jiu family wants good things, there is no need to ask others for it."

Jiu Yingying looked at the bracelet on her hand and her eyes became hot. When she got married in her previous life, although she was angry with her grandmother, her grandmother still gave her this bracelet as a dowry.

At that time, she didn't know that the bracelet was so precious to her grandmother. She just treated it as an ordinary bracelet. After wearing it a few times, she threw it into the box to collect dust. Now, after hearing her grandmother's words, she understood her grandmother's kindness.

She touched the jade bracelet, nodded treasuringly, and whispered, "Thank you, grandma. Yingying will definitely cherish this bracelet."

The Ninth Old Lady looked at her granddaughter who was so moved that she burst into tears because of a bracelet. She couldn't help but hug her in her arms with amusement, patted her on the back of her head, and said with some guilt: "What a silly girl."

There are three girls in the Jiu family. The eldest girl is Jiu Hongmei, the second girl is Jiu Hongdou. They are both daughters of Jiu Mingxing's wife Qin, and the third girl is Jiu Yingying.

A few years ago, when Jiu Hongmei got married, Qin cried several times in front of the Ninth Old Lady because her dowry was too little.

The Ninth Old Lady was kind-hearted and could not bear to see the eldest wife worrying about the dowry, so she gave most of her own dowry to them. Now there was not much left for her granddaughter Jiu Yingying.

Jiu Yingying smiled coquettishly in her grandmother's arms, stretched out her fair wrist, and looked at the jade bracelet on it with a look of special cherishment.

Jiu Hongdou smiled hypocritically, "Grandma is so nice to Yingying, Hongdou is going to be jealous.

Madam Jiu loved Jiu Yingying in her heart, but she was never partial to anyone in her actions. She was even more cautious towards the family of her son left by her first wife. When she heard what Jiu Hongdou said, she took off the golden hairpin from her hair and handed it to Jiu Hongdou, saying with a smile: "Hongdou, this golden hairpin was bought for me by your second uncle. It is as valuable as this jade bracelet. Grandmother will give it to you now."

Jiu Hongdou hypocritically refused twice, then accepted the hairpin.