When Nie Shuang woke up in the evening, she overheard her two tearful maids whispering and crying again. Stretching lazily, she began to contemplate how she would manage her life going forward. 

    If she couldn’t go back to her original time, was she doomed to remain the wife of this General forever…? 

    Just thinking about his cold attitude toward her made Nie Shuang feel that her married life would be bleak. Rather than being trapped in an unwelcoming General’s manor, wouldn’t it be better to seek freedom outside? She had plenty of personal wealth—there was the dowry her father, Nie Ran, had given her, as well as the gifts she had received that morning. With her business skills, Nie Shuang was confident that she wouldn’t suffer any trouble. 

    However, escaping would mean severing ties with both the General’s household and her father’s family. That would complicate things a bit, so she knew she’d need to plan carefully. With that in mind, she called for her maids. 

    “Xiao San, Xiao Tong, what were you two whispering about?”

    The two rushed over when they heard she was awake. 

    “N..Nothing, Miss,”

    Xiao San replied, but her hesitance only made it more obvious that something was being hidden. 

    “What are the people in this manor talking about me again?”

    Xiao Tong frowned, knowing they couldn’t hide the truth. She hesitantly spoke up, 

    “This afternoon, the General sent gifts to the two concubines, and this evening…there will be a welcome banquet for them at Zhang Yi Niang’s Qing Zhu Quarters.” 

    This was a blatant slap in her face, but Nie Shuang didn’t care. As long as their actions didn’t interfere with her own life, she couldn’t be bothered. Seeing no point in dwelling on the news, she instructed Xiao San to bring her the ledger detailing her assets. She needed to know exactly how much money she had and the value of goods in this era so she could start planning her future outside the General’s manor.

    Song Qilin had left Lian Fang Quarters before dawn, carrying the blood-stained cloth from the bridal bed. He placed it in a box and had someone deliver it to Nie Ran. Grinding his teeth in frustration, the young man seethed with anger. Not only had that cunning old man forced him into this marriage, but he had also anticipated that he would try to neglect his unwilling bride. That’s why Nie Ran demanded the proof of consummation—the cloth—as evidence that they had spent the wedding night together. If not for the need to ensure his troops didn’t starve, Song Qilin would have never agreed to this arrangement. 

    It was true that the Yong An Hou[1] Manor had plenty of wealth, but during wartime, food supplies were one of the most critical resources. Nie Ran controlled the local rice trade and had vast reserves of grain. If he didn’t want to sell, no amount of gold or silver could persuade him to part with those stocks.

    Last night, Song Qilin had intended to just get the deed over with. But she was so small, and despite trying to be as restrained as possible, he had still caused her immense pain. He knew she had been crying, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. After taking her, his pride made him want to leave immediately. But for some reason, when he saw her smooth, pale back, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away.

    He would never respect her. Aside from the title of principal wife, she would never have his love. Song Qilin would never let Nie Ran get what he wanted. She was the daughter of that detestable man, born in a lowly family, merely a favorite concubine’s daughter, and not worthy of his attention in the least. This marriage had already become the subject of mockery, and she was a constant reminder of his defeat at the hands of that cunning merchant. He decided he would simply forget about her existence in the household so he wouldn’t have to waste any more of his emotions.

    Song Qilin ordered gifts to be sent to the two concubines and joined them for dinner that evening, curious to see if Nie Shuang could tolerate this. If she showed dissatisfaction, he would gladly divorce her. That way, Nie Ran would realize that all his efforts had been in vain.

    “Eldest Brother,” 

    Song Ren called out to his older brother as he made his way to Qing Zhu Quarters, where Zhang Yi Niang resided. He approached his brother and asked, 

    “Are you really going to Qing Zhu Quarters? I thought the servants were just spreading rumors.”

    Song Qilin frowned. 

    “Why wouldn’t I? Those concubines were brought into the household properly. Why shouldn’t I visit them?” 

    “But sister-in-law just entered the family. Wouldn’t it be better to show her a bit more care?” 

    Song Ren, knowing his sister-in-law’s background and the family’s disapproval of her, couldn’t help but feel sorry for her after seeing her at the tea ceremony that morning. It was clear that neither she nor her servants were welcomed in the household. 

    “You know why I’m doing this. Aren't I taking revenge for Father, Mother, and everyone in this household?” 

    “But now that the marriage is done, and she hasn’t done anything wrong. Eldest Brother, why don’t you…” 

    Song Qilin interrupted his brother. 

    “Are you willing to be a fool and let Nie Ran laugh at you? I’ll teach him the meaning of regret. I heard he treasures this daughter. He sent her here to be humiliated by me. I’ll see if he can retain his sanity when she crawls back to him in disgrace.” 

    With that, he flung his sleeve and walked away, leaving Song Ren shaking his head. It seemed his sister-in-law’s life in the General’s manor would not be easy.

    It was as if they were reflecting their master’s displeasure, the household servants began to follow his lead in tormenting the Young Furen. Though she held the title of principal wife, the household’s authority remained with the Elder Furen. The Elder Furen was old and spent most of her time in seclusion, praying, and took no part in the manor’s affairs. The butler conveniently forgot to assign more servants to Nie Shuang. By custom, a woman of her status should have had no fewer than seven personal maids, not including laborers, but after her first full day in the house, she still had only Xiao San and Xiao Tong. 

    Dinner, while consisting of the standard four dishes and one soup, was noticeably lacking in both quality and quantity. Nie Shuang didn’t mind and finished her meal calmly, then had her two maids help her bathe. 

    “Young Furen, what will we do if the servants in this household continue to mistreat us? Now that you don’t have to pay respects to the Elder Furen, who will you report this to?”

    Xiao San asked, worried.

    “Let’s wait and see. Don’t worry, I won’t let either of you suffer.”

    Nie Shuang’s calm demeanor surprised the two maids. The old Nie Shuang had been soft and gentle, the kind of woman who behaved sweetly behind closed doors. But ever since she had entered the bridal chamber with the General last night, she seemed to have changed. Yet it wasn’t clear exactly how. Today, aside from attending the tea ceremony, she had slept the entire afternoon. When she awoke, she seemed energetic, reviewing her assets and writing things down, as if she were a completely different person.

[1] 侯 (hóu) means nobleman or high official; second of the five orders of ancient Chinese nobility.