chapter 4

That day, Shen Yanchu left the He residence in a daze.

He did not return.

My elder sister, however, came to see me.

“Third Sister, I have never regarded you as a pawn. I thought you loved Shen Yanchu, and that being with him would make you happy.”

“As for his feelings for me, he never told me about them, and I have no affection for him.”

For once, my forceful, decisive sister softened her expression and explained herself in a gentle voice.

I remained silent for a long time.

Only when her face dimmed and she withdrew her hand did I slowly reply, “No matter what happens, I will not marry Shen Yanchu.”

So there was no need to persuade me.

At my answer, her fingertips trembled. Then she laughed softly. “That’s all right. Your happiness is what matters.”

“Shen Yanchu could never be more important than you.”

Was that true?

In my previous life, I had learned by accident that even my first encounter with Shen Yanchu had been arranged by my sister.

She had wanted me to fall in love with him.

Once I married into the Shen family, our bond by marriage would allow her to command Shen Yanchu without reservation.

Would she truly relinquish such a capable man so easily in this life?

As I looked at her smile, unease stirred in my heart for reasons I could not explain.

A few days later, Mother planned to offer incense at Qixia Temple and stay there for three days. I had always accompanied her in the past, and this time was no exception.

She also brought my concubine-born younger sister, who would pray for her own mother, Third Concubine, during her illness.

When I climbed into the carriage, however, I found my elder sister already inside. I could not hide my surprise.

“You’re coming too?”

As far as I could remember, my sister had never believed in ghosts or gods, much less prayed to them.

She smiled and nodded. Mother sighed as she explained, “The Guanyin statue there is said to be especially effective at granting sons. Your sister will make an offering as well and pray for an imperial grandson soon.”

At those words, the brilliance in my sister’s beautiful face dimmed.

She had been married to the Crown Prince for two years. After giving birth to a princess, she had not conceived again. Though the Crown Prince never blamed her, the Empress had grown displeased. The year before last, she had even installed her own niece in the Crown Prince’s residence as a secondary consort.

Many people in the capital whispered that my sister had difficulty bearing children.

Her failure to produce a son had become a wound in her heart.

So there was nothing strange about her joining us.

When we arrived at Qixia Temple, the abbot told us that there were not enough rooms. My sister and Mother could each have a room, while Fourth Sister and I would share one.

That night, I sat on the bed and let down my hair. Moonlight poured like water through the window and fell over the dark strands, making them gleam like the finest silk.

I sensed someone staring from behind me. When I turned, I found He Xia watching me.

“Fourth Sister, is something wrong?”

He Xia flinched, looking flustered. “N-no. I just suddenly thought you were even prettier than Eldest Sister.”

I smiled and lay down on the bed.

He Xia glanced at me, walked over to the table, and drew a deep breath. With one fingernail, she gently prodded the candlewick.

A faint, nearly imperceptible fragrance began to spread through the room.

The next instant, I caught her wrist.

He Xia jumped and nearly screamed, but I covered her mouth.

With a sigh, I asked, “Fourth Sister, what did Eldest Sister promise you in exchange for helping her?”

I let her go.

He Xia stumbled back two steps and fell to the floor.

“Eldest Sister gave you this incense, didn’t she? It puts people into a deep sleep. Is Shen Yanchu waiting nearby so that the two of us can be found together and forced to marry?”

He Xia’s face was bloodless as she shook her head frantically.

I advanced on her and pressed a blade to the pale, delicate skin of her neck. My face was frosted with cold.

“Fourth Sister, sisterly affection will not earn you mercy from me.”

At the sight of the gleaming blade, terror emptied all color from her face. She begged for her life at once.

“Third Sister, please don’t kill me! I’ll tell you everything.”

It turned out my sister was not quite as despicable as I had imagined.

But she came close.

Her plan was to set the residence ablaze. When my life was in danger, Shen Yanchu would rescue me. With everyone watching as our bodies touched, I would have no choice but to marry him or lose my reputation forever.

My sister had never abandoned her scheme after all.

To achieve her goal, she would stop at nothing. Selfish and grasping, she saw me as nothing but a pawn.

In the end, the affection between sisters could not outweigh supreme power.

“Eldest Sister promised that if I succeeded, she would marry me to the Sixth Prince as a secondary consort.”

A concubine-born daughter would become an imperial prince’s consort, and all He Xia had to do was render me unconscious.

It was indeed a profitable bargain.

“Third Sister, do you want to drag me before Father and Mother so I can expose Eldest Sister? I’ll do it—”

“You misunderstand me.”

The corner of my mouth curved upward, but my gaze remained icy. “Since Eldest Sister went to such trouble to plot against me, it is only right that I return the favor.”

He Xia had been sobbing on the floor. At my words, her head snapped up, shock written across her face.