ginally a poor scholar. After passing the imperial examination and becoming a top scholar, he married a concubine's daughter from an influential family and finally settled in Shengjing.Diao Chuzhiyuan...Chapter 1: Death with Grudge, Rebirth Ten Years Ago

In the eleventh year of Yanhe, during the deep winter, heavy snow fell.

The newly-knighted Duke of Loyalty, Zhongyong Hou, hosted a grand banquet, and the entire household celebrated with joy.

Outside the suburbs of Shengjing, in front of a solitary grave, a young man in plain white clothes was being beaten by a group of thugs. The ground was stained red with blood.

Chu Ruolan, who stood aside watching, said coldly, "Chu Xiyu, you actually want to stop the imperial carriage and report to the emperor In your dreams! If I were you, I would have been ashamed to live ten years ago. You are able to survive until now, it's really amazing."

Chu Xi's jade was stained with fresh, vivid blood.

Ignoring the other person's sarcasm, he only took one last look at that lonely tombstone, filled with grief and anger.

Ten years ago, my older brother was wrongfully killed.

Driven by fraternal love, I was unjustly framed and fell from grace as a respected noblewoman to being publicly vilified. Now, I am cast out from my home.

If it weren't for clearing my elder brother's name, if it weren't for taking care of my younger brother, I wouldn't have been alive till now.

He could travel for ten years, sparing no effort, and finally uncovered the truth...

It pales in comparison to the enemy's overwhelming power.

Cases that the yamen normally wouldn't bother with...

I finally got the chance to complain when the emperor went on a tour, but I was betrayed by a maid...

"I spared your life before, only because I didn't want to cause trouble. Now that my father has been bestowed with a title, no one will dare speak ill of me." Chu Ruolan slowly turned around, looking at her with a light smile, "Fifth sister, let me send you on your final journey."

……

In the first year of Yanhe, frost descended.

Shengjing, the small courtyard of the Zhongyong Marquis's residence.

"Miss, it's already dark. Wake up!" A very familiar voice sounded in her ear, "Tomorrow the master will be beheaded. Whether he can be saved depends entirely on you taking a risk."

Chu Xiyu opened her eyes in a daze, but when she saw the person standing beside her, her eyes instantly turned cold.

Spring Peach!

This is the maidservant who grew up with her from childhood.

When she was driven out of the marquis' mansion, this girl remained loyal and steadfast.

Chuxi Yu was extremely fond of her, treating her like a close sister. But until the Hou Mansion's thugs arrived, she didn't realize...

Chun Tao has always been Chu Laotai's eyes and ears.

Even though she had already been driven out of the Hou's mansion, the old matriarch was still not at ease and sent people to keep an eye on them.

How can he look so young

And just now I said... The old master will be beheaded tomorrow

Is my elder brother still alive

Chu Xiyu's eyes widened in disbelief. She looked around, realizing that this was the courtyard of the Hou Mansion from her past, and at this moment...

Ten fingers are green, not because of frequent washing and the resulting calluses. Eyesight is clear, not because of late nights studying and embroidering until they're strained...

Chu Xiyu stumbled and crawled down from the bed, almost tremblingly rushed to the dressing table.

In the mirror, Zi Ming's eyes sparkle and her teeth are bright, radiating vitality. She clearly still looks like a young girl.

This was what I looked like at fourteen years old……

Even though he had already been beaten to death, how could he wake up and find himself back ten years ago Could it be that heaven pitied their family and gave them another chance at life

That's great! My elder brother is still alive. It's not too late!

It's not too late for all this tragedy!

Chu Xi's eyes welled with tears, which fell silently down her cheeks.

His biological father, Chu Zhiyuan, was a general stationed at the northern border. He died for his country at the age of four. The previous emperor posthumously awarded him the title of Loyal and Brave Marquis.

But the biological mother died in childbirth when her younger brother was born.

This left behind three orphaned children. The eldest was Chu Yan, who was only ten years old that year.

According to imperial law, the court will send the families of martyrs back to their homes in Shengjing.

This again brings up Chu Xiyu's grandfather.

The old Master Chu was originally a poor scholar. After passing the imperial examination and becoming a top scholar, he married a concubine's daughter from an influential family and finally settled in Shengjing.

Diao Chuzhiyuan is the eldest son of Chu Laogong, the original wife of Chu's grandfather in the countryside.

Back then, the elderly Lord Chu, in order to secure this prestigious marriage, demoted his wife to a concubine.

The original wife refused and, in order to protect her son's status as the heir, smashed her head against the front of the Chu family ancestral hall.

Because he hadn't committed any of the seven capital crimes, he couldn't be forced to retire from office. Thus, he was buried in the family tomb as his legitimate wife.

Grandmother Chu could only be a concubine.

He treated the son left by his original wife as a thorn in his side.

In that year, Chu Zhiyuan left home and joined the army, traveling far to the northern border.

For decades, he endured wind and rain, battling alone. He got married and had children abroad, never returning home until his death.

These matters were only gradually uncovered after Chu Xiyu was expelled from the Marquis' mansion.

The father thought he would never have anything to do with the Shengjing Chu family again and didn't tell the younger generation about what happened between the elders back then.

When I first arrived at the Chu family, I was only four years old.

The Chu family, in order to save face, had long ago given a statement saying their great-grandmother had passed away from illness.

If I had known this back then, I could have definitely prevented it.

But it was too late.

| |hen she saw the person standing beside her, her eyes instantly turned cold.Spring Peach!This is the maidservant who grew up with her from childhood.When she was driven out of the marquis' mansion, thi...