Chapter 4: Indigo must be sacrificed

Kneeling in front of Xia Yu's memorial tablet, Duan Ge Xi's heart was filled with mixed emotions. Xia Yu was originally married to Duan Hu, such a virtuous woman.

At that time, she was switched by Lu Yue Shu. Even though she crawled out of Xia Yu's belly, she became Lu Yue Shu's daughter, while the real daughter, Duan You Xi, became Xia Yu's daughter. Duan Ge Xi became a concubine for sixteen years, while Duan You Xi became the legitimate daughter for over a decade.

Even so, Xia Yu never mistreated her. She cared for her in every way, almost the same as she did for her elder sister, Duan You Xi.

However, every time Xia Yu treated her well, Lu Yue Shu would say that Xia Yu had ulterior motives and wasn't genuinely kind to her.

In contrast, because Lu Yue Shu was her "birth mother," she naturally obeyed Lu Yue Shu's words.

Lu Yue Shu always indulged her, saying that one should be upright, regardless of being a woman or a man, and should have self-respect. She emphasized that as a concubine, she should listen to the legitimate daughter, Duan You Xi.

Therefore, Duan Ge Xi's temperament has always been upright and somewhat masculine, a "tomboy" type of woman, which is not as likable as a truly gentle and graceful woman.

Duan You Xi was well-educated by Xia Yu in various arts and was lively, clever, and very generous.

Duan Ge Xi held a few sticks of sandalwood, with wisps of smoke rising, concealing the complex emotions in her eyes.

Kneeling deeply, she expressed her respect, but her heart was filled with tears and blood, saying, "I never expected to find out that you were my birth mother before I died in my previous life. I'm sorry. I, Duan Ge Xi, lived a miserable life. I only found out the truth at the age of twenty-six in my previous life. Mother, if you have a spirit in heaven, you must know that you were deceived to death. I swear to the heavens that in this life, I will make those who harmed us, mother and daughter, pay with their lives."

Beside her, Dian Lan, she dared not show any obvious emotional flaws, lest Dian Lan tell Lu Yue Shu when they returned home, which would be unnecessary trouble.

So Duan Ge Xi only kowtowed three times and let Dian Lan help her up.

As Dian Lan helped Duan Ge Xi up, she glanced at Xia Yu's dusty memorial tablet and asked, "Why did Miss suddenly kowtow and offer incense to the former lady?"

This was something that would never have happened before. The previous Duan Ge Xi was very disrespectful to Xia Yu, but now it was truly unimaginable.

Duan Ge Xi's expression changed, her eyes shining like stars and moon, and she said, "I had a long dream during my illness."

Dian Lan asked suspiciously, "What kind of dream did Miss have?"

Miss was ill, even on the verge of death. Sometimes she wanted to abandon Duan Ge Xi or even harm her, but Lu Yue Shu said that leaving Duan Ge Xi alive was the path for Duan You Xi to rise to a higher position.

Duan Ge Xi looked at Dian Lan's face and said seriously, "The former lady said she couldn't rest in peace. She was heartbroken that she was killed by her elder sister, and she hoped I would cherish sisterly love."

Duan Ge Xi's words were profound.

Bringing up a person who had been dead for three years in the ears of an enemy naturally evoked fear of vengeful spirits.

Dian Lan's face turned pale, and she hurriedly said, "Miss, please don't say that. I'm scared."

Duan Ge Xi withdrew her seriousness and patted Dian Lan's shoulder with a smile, saying, "It's just a dream after all."

Watching the sunlight filtering through the trees, a beam of light shone on Xia Yu's tablet, revealing dancing dust particles.

Duan Ge Xi's gaze was distant, and she sighed, "Dian Lan, do you think this place is good?"

Dian Lan immediately showed a hint of disdain and said, "This remote place in the mountains is inconvenient to go out. What's good about it? I think it's better to go home. Every day, the abbess makes me sweep the courtyard outside. I can't bear it."

Duan Ge Xi calmly said, "I think so too."

Dian Lan was stunned, then opened her mouth, and finally, in frustration, she turned and walked away.

Watching Dian Lan's back, Ye Qing Qing slowly curved her lips. If it were the previous Dian Lan, Duan Ge Xi would definitely try to please her in every possible way.

She had a strong sense of self-esteem and didn't like to see people around her suffer. So she always comforted Dian Lan, tried to please her, and gave her various jewelry. Her jewelry box was almost empty now.

Now, Duan Ge Xi suddenly changed her focus, and Dian Lan's life must be sacrificed if she wanted to return home.

There were several nuns in the White Egret Nunnery.

The head nun was Jing Xian, who had a good appearance and graceful demeanor.

Although she wore the attire of a nun, she walked gracefully and naturally.

Moreover, Duan Ge Xi often smelled a faint fragrance from Jing Xian. The nun had a neat and tidy appearance, and sometimes Duan Ge Xi could even smell a pleasant scent of osmanthus hair oil from her.

This was the result of Duan Ge Xi's recent observations. Jing Xian was Lu Yue Shu's person, so naturally she didn't like her. But she always maintained a good appearance. After all, Lu Yue Shu was now the wife of the prime minister, and Duan Ge Xi was naturally the legitimate daughter.

For example, at this moment, when the dining hall opened, all the dishes were vegetarian, and there was no oil in the small plate of vegetables. A bowl of plain porridge was placed in front of Duan Ge Xi.

Reverend Jingxian looked at Duange Xi with a kind expression and said, "Lately, it has been raining and the road is slippery, so I haven't been able to go up the mountain to pick wild vegetables. Please make do with what we have, Miss Duan. Your health is important, especially since you are still recovering from a serious illness. It's crucial to take care of yourself and avoid any relapse."

Duange Xi glanced at the food in front of her and lowered her head slightly. Reverend Jingxian mentioned the importance of not relapsing after recovering from a serious illness.

However, the food and porridge carried a strong sour smell. As expected, it was something that Reverend Jingxian couldn't eat.

On the other hand, Reverend Jingxian, with her graceful appearance and bright eyes, must have her own small kitchen.

However, Duange Xi didn't mind. She raised her head and looked at Reverend Jingxian gratefully, saying confidently, "That's very kind of you. Thank you for your concern, Reverend Jingxian."

She then slowly sipped the porridge.

Reverend Jingxian was slightly surprised. Duange Xi's dignified nature was genuine, but before she fell ill, she used to eat with no regard for grace or elegance.

Now, she ate with the grace and elegance of a refined lady, as if savoring some rare delicacy, with every movement precise and flawless.

Duange Xi noticed Reverend Jingxian's surprise but continued to adhere to her habit of not speaking while eating or sleeping.

In her previous life, after being conferred the title of concubine, her dignified and somewhat masculine nature had caused her to lose her gentle side. This was not the worst part. During the first banquet in the harem, while other concubines and noble ladies were poised and elegant in their dining, she ate heartily and made dreadful chewing sounds. At that time, Duoyu, who was by her side, had tried to defend her, saying that his second sister had always been open-minded.

Duange Xi had been particularly grateful for Duoyu's explanation at the time, but now she realized that he had only confirmed her existing reputation as a "tomboy."