Chapter 1 Abandoned Women

In the third year of Tianqi, after two years of war, the long-awaited peace finally arrived. With the exchange of official seals and the signing of the peace treaty, the Great Zhou and the Great Jin agreed to divide the land along the Huai River, treating each other as brothers without distinction of lord and vassal.

The news of the peace treaty was met with jubilation from the people of both countries. Only those who had experienced the ravages of war truly understood the preciousness of peace.

In the capital of the Great Zhou, the residence of the Duke of Fuyuan, located on Yongning Street in the city of Su'an, was adorned with colorful flags and fluttering ribbons, and the sound of drums and gongs filled the air.

Duke Fuyuan, Shen Puwen, was a legend in the Great Zhou.

Born into a noble family, he did not rely on his background for success. Instead, he entered the court as a top scholar and became a senior statesman in three dynasties. When the Great Jin invaded the south and the Emperor Longqing personally led the expedition, Duke Fuyuan saved the emperor from an ambush, taking four arrows to protect him. After the passing of Emperor Longqing, amidst the chaos of the imperial succession, it was Duke Fuyuan who supported the sixth prince, Zhe, to ascend the throne, thus establishing the current Emperor Zhe.

This year, Emperor Zhe was most pleased with two things. Firstly, the peace treaty with the Great Jin was finally achieved without the need for submission. Secondly, Duke Fuyuan had finally chosen a successor to inherit his title.

However, life does not always go as planned, and this was also true for the esteemed Duke Fuyuan.

Despite his virtuous wife's efforts to find him a suitable heir, Duke Fuyuan remained childless. After years of searching, on his seventieth birthday, he finally selected a young man from his clan to be his adopted son.

Emperor Zhe was also pleased with the chosen heir, who had achieved great feats in the recent conflict with the Great Jin. This outstanding young man, who had been lowly regarded within the Shen family and had suffered from a disability, surprised everyone when he stood by Duke Fuyuan's side.

Undoubtedly, the experiences of this young man would also become a legend in the Great Zhou.

On the eighteenth day of the seventh month, it was an auspicious day for marriage.

Outside Duke Fuyuan's residence, the celebratory ushers, dressed in splendid brocade robes, announced the arrival of numerous gift boxes, calling out the names of the officials in attendance. The atmosphere reached its climax when the emperor's gift was presented.

"This is... truly a great blessing from the heavens..." The attendants outside the gate straightened their backs, unable to hide their flushed faces.

The streets were heavily guarded by the city garrison, but this did not deter the curious onlookers. Firecrackers exploded, and the sound of drums and gongs filled the air as the wedding procession returned.

"Look... that's the young master of the Shen family..."

As the legendary figure appeared, the bustling crowd almost overwhelmed the guards.

The young master, dressed in red, exuded a dazzling aura under the sunlight, making it difficult for people to look directly at him. Behind him, a sedan chair was carried by four men, adorned with a red canopy embroidered with the character "Xi" in gold thread, and peach-colored silk balls hung from the corners, shimmering and captivating the eyes of the young women and brides in the street.

"If only I could ride in such a sedan chair, it would be worth dying for..." a woman exclaimed loudly, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

Amidst the laughter, a voice sneered with a hint of desolation, creating a discordant note in the festive atmosphere.

"...When the new couple laughs, the old one weeps..." It was an elderly man, shaking his head with a sigh.

Those who knew the situation wore a tinge of sorrow on their faces, while the curious ones inquired about the matter.

"Does this mean that the young master of the Shen family was previously married?"

Before they could finish their conversation, a commotion ahead drew their attention, and the crowd immediately surged forward.

In front of Duke Fuyuan's residence, all eyes were fixed on a particular spot, filled with shock. Even the procession of the new couple, who had already entered the gate, came to a halt.

A woman in a plain dress stood directly in front of the gate, her back facing the crowd. The onlookers could not see her face, only her delicate figure swaying as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

The rugged face of the groom, who had experienced the battlefield, became even more stern. His thick eyebrows furrowed, and his thin lips pressed into a line as he gazed at the woman, slowly raising his chin.

"Gu, how do you intend to behave?" The groom's voice was resolute, as if swords were clashing on the battlefield, cold and devoid of emotion.

The trembling woman seemed to be intimidated by the groom's demeanor, and suddenly, she looked up and burst into laughter.

Her voice was like the screech of an owl, overpowering the deafening sound of drums and gongs, causing the nearby crowd to cover their ears.

"How do I intend to behave? How do I intend to behave?" The woman spoke sharply, pointing at the new couple in front of her, her hand trembling. "Shen Anlin... I, Gu Shiba, have been married to you for seven years... taking care of your parents... managing the household... for seven years... seven years... Shen Anlin... Shen Anlin... What have I done wrong?"

As she spoke, she took a step closer, looking up at the groom with tears in her eyes, unable to contain her emotions.

Clutching the arm of the blushing bride, she seemed somewhat uneasy, drawing closer to the groom.

As she looked at the couple standing side by side, the woman seemed unable to bear the situation any longer, and her body swayed.

"When I married you... you were not at home..." She gazed at the groom with a dazed expression. "Shen, you look so handsome in your wedding attire..."

The groom's furrowed brows relaxed slightly, as if recalling the past, and his voice softened.

"Gu, please don't cause a scene..." he said slowly, waving his hand.

The attendants who had been waiting immediately rushed forward.

"Who dares to come over!" The woman suddenly pulled out a knife from her sleeve and waved it around wildly, while looking at the groom, "...Your mother-in-law's body is not even cold, and you are already remarrying. Don't forget the oath your mother-in-law made you swear!"

"Gu Shi!" The mention of the mother-in-law caused the groom's face to turn iron-gray in an instant. The hint of tenderness that had just appeared vanished, and he shouted sharply.

"Gu Shi... Gu Shi..." The woman repeated sorrowfully, "Shen Lang... for so many years, you have never called me 'Eighteen Sister'... today... just call me once..."

"What audacity!" The groom angrily shouted, shaking his sleeves, "Take her away!"

The servants, all tall and strong, reached out to snatch the knife from the woman's hand.

"Shen Anlin!" The woman shouted again, raising her head and looking directly at the groom, "I, Gu Eighteen, swear to the death that I will not let you off!"

With these words, the crowd erupted into gasps.

The bride, who was standing close to the groom, also sensed that something was wrong. Ignoring the etiquette, she reached up and pulled off her veil, revealing a glaring red sight.

"Ah!" She couldn't help but exclaim, covering her mouth and trembling all over.

"Gu Shi!" The groom took a step forward, but then stopped, his face turning purple with rage, his hands clenched tightly, as he watched the woman fall to the ground with the knife plunged into her chest, slowly turning his gaze away.

"Shen Anlin..." The woman still had a trace of consciousness. Her gaze swept over the newlyweds, finally landing on the bride's face, as beautiful as a water lily. "Yuan Sufang..."

The surrounding noise gradually disappeared from her ears, and the face of the new bride in front of her gradually blurred.

"...I, Gu Eighteen, have been making wedding clothes for others for seven years..." she murmured, but no one heard her words anymore. "It's okay, it's okay... I, Gu Eighteen, have been meek and submissive all my life, and finally, I can have some peace..."

In fact, she knew that this satisfying stab would only cost her life and bring her no gain. Shen Anlin had already paved the way to divorce his wife, and her death would not tarnish his reputation, but rather add a highlight to his legendary life.

But she didn't want to live anymore. When she saw the divorce letter, the lonely and helpless woman was cut off from her last thread of hope. She cried, she begged, she knelt down, but in the end, it was all in vain. She didn't even get a reason. The man she regarded as the center of her world left her with only a cold and resolute back.

What had Gu Eighteen done wrong? Seven years ago, they begged her to marry into the family, and seven years later, they drove her out. If she had known, why did she agree in the first place?

She was an orphan, with no parents to protect her, no siblings to help her, and no children to care for...

She had nothing left, naked and unburdened in this world... no vitality... no purpose...

"...Quick, press the acupoint..."

Anxious voices surrounded her, followed by a sharp pain. When the knife pierced her heart, she didn't feel as much pain as she thought...

"...She's still breathing... press..."

"Eighteen... Eighteen..."

The faint and distant voices gradually gathered her consciousness.

"...Doctor is here... Mother... I've found the doctor..."

This voice became more familiar, so familiar that it made her tears uncontrollably flow.

"Mother... Brother... my sister is crying... my sister is still alive..."

"Doctor... Doctor... please save my daughter..."

Mother... Brother... the longing she thought she had forgotten all rushed out at this moment. Could she see them again? Could she see her most precious family again...

A bright light flashed, and she opened her eyes.

A woman's face, full of anxiety and sorrow, appeared before her. The woman was about thirty years old, her eyes blurred with tears as she looked at her.

"Mother..." Her tears surged, and she cried out in her heart, but her voice was as feeble as a mosquito.

The woman's eyes were already blurred by tears and she didn't see her open her eyes.

"Mother! Sister is awake!" A boy's voice suddenly rang out, and at the same time, the face of a green and inexperienced young man appeared before her, tears still streaming down his face.

"Brother..." she murmured.

Afraid to speak loudly, for fear of waking from this beautiful dream, she just gazed foolishly at the two faces before her...

It had been ten years... she had lost them for ten years...

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A new book is opening, welcome to visit.

Ah, the recent trend is rebirth, so let's join in the trend.