Chapter 1

My name was Cui Yan, the second daughter born to the Duke of Cui’s lawful wife. My elder sister was poised and elegant, my younger siblings lively and clever. I alone was utterly unremarkable, with nothing to distinguish me.

Those were my parents’ exact words.

But I didn’t care about any of that. All I wanted to know was how much dowry they would give me if I agreed to marry the Crown Prince.

However skilled my sister was at hiding her feelings, a hint of relief and a smile slipped onto her face when she heard me.

“Father, Mother, if Yan wants to marry him, let her. His Highness may be gravely ill, but marrying into the imperial family is still a blessing our family has earned. Their Majesties will remember what we’ve done for them.”

Cui Wan truly deserved all the care our family had put into raising her as a proper young noblewoman. Even now, she remembered to lay a trap for me.

As soon as she finished, some of Mother’s hesitation faded. Father had already weighed the advantages against the risks.

I decided to make the first move.

“Father, Mother, Sister, you’ve all looked after me since I was little. I’m not as clever as Sister or as thoughtful as the younger ones. This is the only thing I can do for you.”

That wasn’t actually true. When they died in my previous life, I’d at least helped bury them.

My parents might not like me, but I was still their child, still a daughter of the duke’s lawful wife. If they felt even a little tenderness toward me, I could squeeze every last bit of use out of it.

And so I did. They increased my dowry from eighty-eight loads to a hundred, and gave me the six most profitable shops from those set aside for Cui Wan.

For the next few days, Cui Wan couldn’t so much as look at me without finding fault.

Today, her resentment finally boiled over.

The reason was simple. The Empress had sent people from the Weaving Bureau with my wedding gown, along with a great deal of fine fabric.

Generous soul that I was, I immediately sent for all the young ladies in the household to come and choose some.

That struck my elder sister right where it hurt.

Ever since we were little, she had received first pick of everything good in the household. All her younger siblings had to wait their turn. Now she could only have these things thanks to me, and I’d deliberately had her told last.

I was thinking of her health, really. Keeping all that anger bottled up wasn’t good for her.

She cooperated wonderfully. She even lost her temper in front of the palace matron.

“Cui Yan, what is the meaning of this? Are you deliberately trying to humiliate me? You wait until everyone else has chosen, then pretend to invite me, leaving me nothing but this rubbish? Whoever wants it can have it!”

With that, Cui Wan threw the fabric on the floor.

I glanced at Matron Ji’an’s expression, then back at Cui Wan, who had yet to cool down.

Tsk. Cui Wan really was too inexperienced.

I stepped forward, picked everything up and set it in order, then took her hand. “Sister, it’s my fault. The servants have been run off their feet these past few days, and I haven’t had the energy to supervise them. Please be generous and don’t hold it against them.”

Cui Wan’s rule in life was simple: obey her and prosper; defy her and perish. Seeing me back down did indeed improve her mood. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a look of approval on the matron’s face, and relaxed.

As I smoothed the hair she’d shaken loose, I leaned close to her ear. “Can’t bear even this? Soon you’ll have to address me respectfully as the Crown Princess.”

The next instant, Cui Wan’s palm struck my face.