Chapter 21

“Jingai, if you have a toothache, you should look for the doctor. Don’t hold it in.” Xiao Baoxin couldn’t help but persuade her.

She knew that Xiao Jingai’s status in the second branch family was awkward.

She was the eldest daughter of the second branch’s first wife and her mother was Liang Dynasty’s Princess Fuyang. Unfortunately, her mother died after giving birth to her. The first year, she was taken care of by her wet nurse. The second year, her father remarried and she had a stepmother.

Her stepmother was neither a bad person nor was she particularly difficult to deal with. However, her personality was a little cold, and she was indifferent to anyone she interacted with. Xiao Jingai was someone with heavy thoughts since she was young, and she did not like to act coquettishly. Thus, the mother-daughter pair did not have a deep relationship.

No matter what, Xiao Jingai was still a member of the royal family. At the very least, she would be given the title of county head.

However, the reign of the Liang royal family had been built on bloodshed since the founding of the dynasty. The difference was that Emperor Taizu ascended the throne by stepping on the blood of dozens of rulers from small countries, while the next few Emperors ascended the throne by stepping on the blood and flesh of their family members.

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The current emperor’s throne wasn’t inherited. It was purely stolen from his half-brother, the former emperor.

The dethroned emperor… oh, he had also snatched the throne from his father.

After that, he forced his father to his death. He was afraid that his father’s sons would retaliate against him and decided to execute them.

In the end, the current Emperor Yu Heng, with Xiao Yun’s assistance, fought his way to the capital to ascend the throne.

The awkward thing was that although Princess Fuyang wasn’t the biological sister of the dethroned emperor, she was still doted on by the emperor and was very close to him. Thus, after the current emperor ascended the throne, he acted as if there wasn’t such a person and didn’t even give her a title.

Actually, there was nothing wrong with this, since there would be a different group of subordinates under each emperor. But Xiao Jingai was someone who had heavy thoughts, so she always felt a little unfair. She always expressed that in her speech, and Xiao Baoxin could only listen to her and persuade her. But she would still blame herself.

Xiao Jingai was such a difficult child. If she had a headache or fever, she would endure it for a few days. Only when she couldn’t take it anymore would she go to her mother’s yard to get a doctor.

Her personality was just like this.

“I’ll say a few words, but don’t overthink it. Aunt has married into the household for so many years, and you can tell what kind of person she is. She’s not a narrow-minded person. She’s just not good at socializing. She’s simply into painting and calligraphy and doesn’t have many complicated thoughts. You don’t have to be careful about everything, as if you’re afraid of making mistakes. You should just speak your mind and ask for what you want. Look at those concubine sisters of yours, all of them behave quite openly in front of Aunt, and you don’t even see Aunt disliking anyone.”

If it was in the past, Xiao Jingai’s eyes would have turned red and she would have felt betrayed.

But after her rebirth, she was no longer that narrow-minded.

She still remembered that Xiao Baoxin had been forced to bring her into the residence to serve her husband, and from then onwards, the two of them had parted ways. Her stepmother had openly stood on Xiao Baoxin’s side, accusing her of being unfaithful and disregarding human relations. On the other hand, her stepmother formed a close relationship with Xiao Baoxin.

In this life, she would naturally not be like in her previous life, foolishly going against the whole world for a man.

She definitely had to earn her stepmother’s favor. In her previous life, because she did not get along well with her family, she was often mocked and humiliated by others. However, she was not in a hurry.

Now she had more important things to do.

If Xiao Baoxin wasn’t lying, today would be the first day she met Yang Shao.

It was also said to be the day when Yang Shao fell in love with Xiao Baoxin at first sight.

No matter what, she couldn’t let them meet again.

This was the will of God. Otherwise, she would not have been reborn today.

She had woken up early in the morning due to the heat in her head. She did not know if it was a dream or reality, but she did not die in the cold Spring Gazing Palace. In a daze, she returned to the time before everything happened.

In her previous life, she was a complete fool. She would endure it when she was sick, as if she hoped that whoever realized that she was sick would take pity on her and would be able to prove her existence. Her brain was indeed full of shit.

However, it was fortunate that she was so foolish in her previous life. Otherwise, she might not have been able to make use of her sick body to be reborn.

She did not care if it was a real future or if everything was just a dream. Since she had such an opportunity, she would not just watch things happen.

That was why she had to forcibly drag her sick body here and stop this wave of events.

“Sister, are you going out today? Where are you going?”

Xiao Baoxin thought that Xiao Jingai didn’t want to continue the topic about her Aunt, so she didn’t continue to persuade her.

“Do you have something on?” she asked. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have rushed here in such a hurry just to ask this question. Xiao Baoxin automatically blocked Xiao Jingai from seeing Yuan Chen’s poem that she sent over.

She definitely didn’t come here just to annoy her.

Yes!

Xiao Jingai thought for a while. Her head was burning so badly that she couldn’t react.

“I’m thinking of buying some brushes, paper, and ink at the Fubao Pavilion. Sister, if you do not have anything on, shall we go shopping together?” She smiled gently. “It’s been a long time since we went shopping together.”

Xiao Baoxin retorted, “Didn’t we go to the temple outside the city half a month ago to offer incense?”

Xiao Jingai, “…”

To her, this was more than twenty years ago. It would be strange if she remembered everything.

“Half a month is a long time.”

To hide her embarrassment, Xiao Jingai smiled and held Xiao Baoxin’s hand, smiling sweetly at her.

Xiao Baoxin was stunned. It was not because of Xiao Jingai’s rare act of coquettishness, but because she could clearly hear her firm voice in her heart. “Anyway, as long as she and Yang Shao don’t see each other, we can go anywhere.”

It was obvious that the person whom she wanted to prevent from meeting Yang Shao was referring to Xiao Baoxin herself.

But who was Yang Shao?

Why didn’t she let her meet him?

“Sister?” Xiao Jingai’s face stiffened. Why was she looking at her like that?

Xiao Jingai let go of Xiao Baoxin’s arm and touched her face hesitantly. It was indeed hot.

“Is something wrong with me?” she asked, laughing. “Or is my makeup smudged?”

Xiao Baoxin hesitated and refrained from asking further. However, she couldn’t help but remember the name Yang Shao.

She was certain that it wasn’t the name of any noble maidens. Jiankang City wasn’t considered big, but it wasn’t too small either. However, the social circle was only that big. Apart from the noble maidens who had been transferred back to the capital with their father, everyone else would see each other often, so it wasn’t easy for them to not remember each other.

Who was this Yang Shao?

Why didn’t Xiao Jingai not want them to meet?

Humans really should not form any bit of curiosity. It was like a cat scratching her heart.

“…I’ll go wherever you say. I have nothing to do today anyway.”

Xiao Baoxin ordered the servants to prepare the carriage. After a simple check of her makeup, the two of them got on the carriage and slowly went to the Fubao Pavilion beside the Right Imperial Street. On the carriage, Xiao Jingai was unusually quiet. Her head was heavy, and she kept feeling that reality and her dreams were intertwined. Her previous life and this life had messed up her thoughts.

It was obvious that Xiao Baoxin was not planning to go out today. But why did she appear in Changgan in her previous life and fall in love with Yang Shao at first sight?

In order to avoid any unforeseen situation, she dragged her sickly body out of the residence. She was really fighting it out.