Chapter 1: The Woman Who Blocked the Marriage

  "I refuse!"

  In the great hall of the Shen family mansion, Shen Guiya stamped her foot and pointed at a woman beside her, shouting: "She's just a concubine-born daughter, why did she get married better than my sister Gui Rong? In terms of birth order, I'm the most noble young lady in this manor. Why should such a good marriage with the Minister's Manor be given to her? I won't agree!"

  In the hall sat Mr. and Mrs. Shen, beside them stood several aunts, along with several unmarried sisters, and a young master. The person pointed at by Shen Guiya remained silent, head lowered.

  Today is the day when the Chancellor's mansion comes to ask for a good name, and the one to be welcomed is the third lady of the Shen family, also known as the person pointed out by Shen Guiya, Shen Guiyan.

  Although the Shen family was an official family, Mr. Shen was only a fourth-grade Shilang, and being able to form a marriage alliance with the Prime Minister's family was truly a high match. Therefore, this marriage also made Shen Guiya jealous.

  "What's the use of you?" Old Master Shen scolded, "You're so arrogant and lawless, do you think that anyone can enter the Prime Minister's mansion? Yan'er's engagement is something she got herself, not something someone else fought for her."

  Shen Guiya's expression turned ugly: "If it weren't for Father's bias back then, when visiting the Prime Minister's residence, he only brought Shen Yan along. Could such a good opportunity have fallen to her otherwise? Isn't that something worth fighting for on her behalf?"

  "Preposterous!" Old Master Shen was furious, slapping his hand on the armrest and shouting: "When I'm handling things, do I need you to interfere?"

  Mrs. Shen, who was standing beside her, was startled and hastily said, "Ya'er, don't make a fuss, Guiyan's marriage has been settled for a long time, now it's just following the agreement to pay respects, why are you jumping up?"

  The marriage between Shen Guiyan and Gu Zhaodong, the son of the prime minister, was decided when she was eight years old, and Shen Guiya also knew about it. However, before that, she had never seen Gu Zhaodong! Who would have thought that a few days ago, he turned out to be a handsome man with a captivating appearance? Why should such a good man be given to Shen Guiyan?

  She hated Shen Guiyan the most, born to the same father, but Shen Guiyan was more beautiful than all her sisters. Not only that, she had been exceptionally talented since childhood, reciting the Thousand Character Classic at the age of five, composing music at six, writing poetry during the incense burning time at seven, and was even favored by Grand Councilor Gu at eight and became his future daughter-in-law.

  Such good luck, how can there be a reason for not being annoying?

  "I refuse to obey!" Recalling Gu Zhaodong's grandeur, Shen Guiya's face twisted slightly: "Marrying a lowly-born concubine's son to the Prime Minister's estate, doesn't Father fear offending the Prime Minister?"

  "Slap!" Old Master Shen finally stood up and slapped her in the face.

  Shen Guiya calmed down, looking at the person in front of her with some incredulity: "Dad..."

  "I never thought that I, Shen Shi Qing, would have a clean life, but I ended up teaching you to be such a beast." Old Master Shen was so angry that his body trembled: "Gui Yan is your sister. You often bully her, and as your father, I can turn a blind eye. Now that your sister has finally married into a good family, you still want to come and stop it?"

  Shen Guiya's eyes quickly welled up with tears, covering her face as she said: "I also like the young master of the Gu family, Father! Haven't you and Mother always doted on me? Why can't it be this time? At worst, I'll let her marry him, but I want to follow her and become a concubine..."

  Mrs. Shen's face changed, and she stood up and pulled Shen Guiya to her side: "Are you crazy?"

  The eldest daughter is not as good as a concubine, that's okay. The youngest daughter is willing to be on an equal footing with this concubine? Madame Shen was so angry that she almost died. Unfortunately, Shen Guiya had been spoiled since childhood and would get whatever she wanted, no one could persuade her otherwise.

  The girl standing in the corner finally looked up, with fine eyebrows and apricot-shaped eyes, red lips, a good-looking face, but her voice was cold and clear: "Fifth sister may not know."

  Shen Guiya turned around and glared at her with hatred.

  "The Gu family has strict rules, and only one wife is married at a time. There is no precedent for marrying two wives together." Shen Guiyan said calmly: "If sister really wants to get married, she can wait until I get married in two years, just when sister is of marriageable age, sister can say a few good words to her husband's family and then welcome sister into the mansion again."

  "You!" Shen Guiya's breathing quickened, and the usually tolerant and low-key Shen Guiyan actually dared to mock her. It seemed that now that she was going to marry into the Prime Minister's residence, she had nothing to fear anymore!

  "Don't be too pleased with yourself! I won't let you have your way!" She sneered, "What's the point of asking for my name, anyway? You're still far from marrying me!"

  "Yah!" Madam Shen glared at Old Master's face and couldn't help but scold.

  Shen Guiya finally shut her mouth with a huff.

  Mr. Shen looked at Shen Guiyan and sighed, "Since you want to ask for a concubine, you can go back and prepare first. Everyone else also go back and rest, if Ya'er dares to make trouble again, lock her in the woodshed to reflect!"

  "Yes." The people around responded and left the hall in an orderly manner.

  The Shen family is indeed large, with Old Master Shen having taken three concubines in addition to his wife. Madame Shen gave birth to two daughters and one son, while Concubine Qin gave birth to Second Young Master Shen Guiwu and Third Miss Shen Guiyan. Then there's Concubine Fang, who gave birth to Fourth Miss Shen Guiyi. As for Concubine Ding, she entered the manor not long ago and has no children yet.

  Shen Guiyan walked at the back, and Qin Niang also slowed down her pace to walk beside her, saying in a low voice: "Third Miss has been wary of Fifth Miss lately, so it's better to keep a distance from her."

  "I know." Shen Guiyan looked at the half-old jacket on Qin Niang's body and sighed slightly.

  Although she had a son and a daughter, Qin Ayi's life was not easy. Originally, Qin Ayi was a maid by the side of Madame Shen, but after getting favored by Old Master Shen, she gave birth to Second Young Master and was promoted to be a concubine. Madame did not like her and often made things difficult for her. Qin Ayi had a soft and timid personality, so she endured silently no matter how she was bullied.

  Shen Guiyan left her mother's side at the age of five and was raised by a wet nurse. When she grew up, she still had to worry about her own mother because Qin Shi was really too good to be bullied.

  Now that she's finally going to marry into the Chancellor's Manor, Shen Guiyan has already thought it through. If life in the manor is really unbearable, she can secretly send her mother away to live elsewhere too. As long as she enters the Chancellor's Manor, she should have the ability to do so.

  As they parted ways at the front path, Shen Guiyan and her maid Bao Shan were about to return to their own courtyard when a shrill cry came from behind: "You stop right there!"

  What's meant to come will come, Shen Guiyan sighed and turned her head to look at Shen Guiya who was following behind her, with the youngest son of the manor, 13-year-old Shen Guiwen, still trailing behind.

  "You let my father hit me, and now you want to go back and rest peacefully?" Shen Guiya sneered, waving her hand, and the servants behind her immediately came forward to hold down both Shen Guiyan and Bao Shan.

  "Miss Wu, what are you doing?" Bao Shan was getting anxious: "Today is no good, Miss, but tomorrow you still have to meet the Gu family!"

  Shen Guiyan has already gotten used to it, from the time she was a child with a sharp tongue, every time she came back, she would be subjected to Shen Guiya's beatings and scoldings. Shen Guiya was spoiled rotten, not learning music, chess, calligraphy or painting, not understanding the Four Books and Five Classics, whatever she wanted, her mother-in-law would give it to her, raising such a domineering temperament.

  Fortunately, she will be married soon and can't bear it for a few more days.

  "Want to see Gu's family?" Shen Guiya sneered: "I'd rather beat her until she can't be seen! At the age of eight, she knew how to seduce men, and this face is getting more and more beautiful."

  While speaking, she leaned in close to Shen Guiyan, nursing her own hand, but Shen Guiya was not prepared to use her hand to hit, instead using a specially made jade slap, about one foot long, grasping it and slapping it against her face.

  That hit was extremely painful, but Shen Guiya still managed to gain experience from it, and learned how to control her strength so that she wouldn't break the jade ruler.

  Shen Guiyan frowned and didn't want to put up with this today, so she struggled a bit.

  "What? Are you scared?" Shen Guiya laughed and said: "Then go tell your father, say you don't want to marry Gu Zhaodong anymore, and let him be mine."

  "Don't." Shen Guiyan closed her eyes and said, "I've already waited for eight years, I don't want to wait anymore."

  If she hadn't thought that one day he would save her from this misery, she wouldn't have been able to bear it any longer.

  "Haha, what a wait of eight years!" Shen Guiya slapped her face: "Shameless cheap goods, how dare you say that. Today I'll smash your face and see what you can use to win Mr. Gu's heart?"

  Excruciating pain shot up from her face, that jade hairpin had struck her temple, and tomorrow it would definitely be bruised. Her face was ruined, and with Najie asking for her name the next day, she feared she'd have to feign illness again and get Qin Niang to help her out.

  Shen Guiya stood very close to her, fanning her face from time to time. For a moment, Shen Guiyan really wanted to kick her in the stomach.