Chapter 1 Fang Fei
In May, just after late spring, the weather became hot impatiently.

The sun was shining hotly on the land of Yanjing. Street vendors all hid under the shade of trees. In such hot weather, even the young masters and young ladies of wealthy families were too impatient to go out in the sun. Only the poor laborers, carrying cold rice wine soaked in well water, traveled tirelessly between major gambling houses and teahouses, hoping that if someone who was thirsty and tired spent five copper coins to buy a bowl of rice, they could buy an extra bag of rice, cook two more pots of porridge, and work for three more days.

At the corner of the east city, there is a brand new house with a plaque hanging very high. In the middle, the four characters "Zhuangyuan Jidi" are inscribed in golden color. This is the residence and plaque bestowed by Emperor Hong Xiao to the newly crowned champion, representing the highest honor. If a scholar gets such a plaque, the whole family should weep and comfort their ancestors.

The new house, the imperial plaque, the servants rushing around in the courtyard, but it was chilly inside the house despite the hot summer outside. Perhaps it was because they had brought ice cubes to cool off, but the closer you walked to the wall in the yard, the colder you felt.

There were three people sitting outside the door of the last room against the wall. Two young maids in pink thin dresses and a plump middle-aged woman. On the stool in front of them were a pile of red-skinned melon seeds and a pot of sour plum soup. They were eating and chatting, and they were more relaxed than their master.

The leftmost maid looked back at the window and said, "It's hot, and the smell of medicine in this room can't get out. It's so uncomfortable. I don't know when it will end."

"Little hoof, gossip about the master behind his back," the older woman warned, "be careful or the master will peel off your skin."

The pink-dressed maid disagreed, "How could that be? The master hasn't come to the mistress's courtyard for three months." Then she lowered her voice, "The incident was so serious, our master is considered to be loyal and righteous. If it were someone else..." She pouted again, "If it were you, I would just end it yourself, at least your reputation would be intact. If you keep living like this, you would only be dragging others down."

The old woman wanted to speak, but another maid said, "The lady is actually quite pitiful. She was so beautiful, so talented, and so kind. Who would have thought that she would encounter something like this..."

Although the three of them lowered their voices, the summer afternoon was too quiet. Since they were not far away, every word they spoke could be heard clearly by the people in the house.

Xue Fangfei lay on her back on the bed, tears half dried in the corners of her eyes. Her face had lost weight recently, but it was not haggard or pale. Instead, it looked more delicate and beautiful, with a kind of breathtaking beauty.

Her face has always been beautiful, otherwise she would not be worthy of the title of the most beautiful woman in Yanjing. On her wedding day, a bored young man in Yanjing asked a beggar to crash into the bridal sedan, and her veil fell off, revealing her beautiful face, which made people on both sides of the street stare at her. At that time, her father, Xue Huaiyuan, the county magistrate of Tongxiang, Xiangyang, was worried before she married in the capital: "Ali is too beautiful, Shen Yurong may not be able to protect you."

Shen Yurong is her husband.

Before Shen Yurong won the title of the first place in the imperial examination, she was just a poor scholar. Shen Yurong's family lived in Yanjing, and her grandmother, Old Lady Cao, lived in Xiangyang. Four years ago, Old Lady Cao passed away, and Shen Yurong and her mother returned to Xiangyang to attend the funeral, where she met Xue Fangfei.

Tongxiang was just a small county in Xiangyang City, Xue Huaiyuan was a minor official, and Xue Fangfei's mother died of complications during childbirth when she gave birth to Xue Fangfei's younger brother Xue Zhao. After Xue's mother died, Xue Huaiyuan did not remarry, and the family was simple, with only Xue Fangfei's siblings and father depending on each other.

Xue Fangfei was also getting married. She was so beautiful that many young men and wealthy families from far and near came to propose marriage. Even Xue Huaiyuan's boss wanted to take Xue Fangfei as his concubine. Xue Huaiyuan naturally refused. He lost his mother when he was young, which made him love his daughter especially. In addition, Xue Fangfei was well-behaved and smart. Xue Huaiyuan never lacked food and drink for Xue Fangfei since she was a child. He wanted Xue Fangfei to use the best things within his ability. Therefore, although the Xue family was only a small official's family, Xue Fangfei was more precious than a lady from a rich family.

Xue Huaiyuan was worried about the marriage of his daughter who was raised like a treasure in his palm. Although the rich and powerful families had fine clothes and delicious food, they had no choice but to fall in love with Shen Yurong.

Although Shen Yurong was a commoner, she was talented and good-looking, and it was only a matter of time before she became successful. However, in this case, Xue Fangfei had to follow Shen Yurong and marry her in Yanjing. Another point was that Xue Fangfei was too beautiful. Xue Huaiyuan was protecting her in Tongxiang, and there were countless princes and nobles in Yanjing. If they had bad intentions, Shen Yurong might not be able to protect her.

But in the end Xue Fangfei still married Shen Yurong because she liked her.

After marrying Shen Yurong and coming to Yanjing, although her mother-in-law was harsh and she suffered many grievances, Shen Yurong was very considerate to her, so those dissatisfactions disappeared.

In the early spring of last year, Shen Yurong won the first place in the imperial examination and rode a horse through the streets. The emperor personally bestowed a plaque on her residence and soon after, she was appointed as a secretary of the Central Secretariat. In September, Xue Fangfei also became pregnant. It was Shen's mother's birthday, and the Shen family held a banquet for guests and invited the nobles of Yanjing.

That day was Xue Fangfei's nightmare.

In fact, she didn't know what was going on. She just drank some plum wine at the banquet and felt sleepy. She was helped back to her room by the maid in a daze to rest... When she was awakened by the screams, she saw a strange man in the room, and she herself was in disarray. Her mother-in-law and a group of female relatives were standing at the door, looking at her with sarcasm, disgust or gloating.

She should have been ashamed, and she did so. But no matter how she explained, the news that the wife of the newly crowned top scholar had cheated on her in front of a room full of guests still spread.

She should be divorced and driven out of the house, but Shen Yurong didn't. She had a miscarriage due to excessive worry, and while lying in bed, she heard that Xue Zhao rushed to Yanjing because of this matter, but before he arrived at the Shen Mansion, he encountered robbers at night and was killed and his body was thrown into the river.

When she heard the sad news, she didn't dare to report it back to Tongxiang. She forced herself to see Xue Zhao for the last time and took care of his funeral. Then she fell ill. For the next three months, a full three months, Shen Yurong did not come to see her.

She was lying on the sickbed, thinking wildly, was Shen Yurong estranged from him, refusing to see him, or was she deliberately snubbing her to vent her anger? But the longer she lay there, and the more she heard the servants' fragmentary words, the more she figured out some things, and the truth was always more unbearable to look at.

Xue Fangfei tried to sit up from the bed. The bowl of medicine beside the bed had gone cold and only emitted a bitter aroma. She leaned over half of her body and poured the medicine in the bowl into a pot of crabapples on the table. The crabapples had withered, leaving only lonely branches.

The door was pushed open with a creaky sound.

Xue Fangfei raised her head, and what caught her eye was the edge of a gold-woven dress.

The young woman was dressed elegantly, with her eyebrows slightly raised, showing a bit of pride. Her eyes fell on the medicine bowl in Xue Fangfei's hand, and a look of realization appeared on her face. She smiled and said, "So that's it."

Xue Fangfei calmly put down the bowl and watched the visitor enter the house. Two sturdy maids closed the door. The maids and servants who were chatting outside had disappeared at some point. Only the sound of cicadas could be heard in the silent air, as if something was about to happen.

Xue Fangfei said: "Princess Yongning."

Princess Yongning smiled. When she smiled, a thumb-sized South China Sea pearl on her hairpin began to sway, and its bright luster almost dazzled people's eyes.

A pearl in the South China Sea is worth ten thousand acres of fertile land. The royal family always uses the best things. They live in luxury, never suffer from worldly sufferings, and have everything that others dare not imagine in their entire lives. Yet they still covet other people's things, and even steal and rob. "You don't seem surprised at all." Princess Yongning asked curiously, "Could it be that Shen Lang has already told you?"

Shen Lang, she called him so intimately that Xue Fangfei felt a sweetness in her throat and almost couldn't hold it back. After a moment, she said calmly, "I'm waiting for him to tell me in person."

Xue Fangfei was not stupid at all, Xue Huaiyuan had taught her to be very smart. Ever since she fell ill, ever since she found out that she was under house arrest and her every move was monitored, she connected the whole story, including the cause of Xue Zhao's death, and realized that something was wrong.

She finally found out after getting information from the maid.

Shen Yurong was the top scorer in the imperial examination, and she was successful at a young age, but her status was not as good as before. Although Xue Fangfei was both talented and beautiful, she was only the daughter of a county magistrate. Shen Yurong had won the favor of Princess Yongning, and perhaps they had already secretly made plans. In short, Xue Fangfei became a stumbling block, and she had to make room for this royal princess.

Xue Fangfei recalled the day when the accident happened, the day when Shen's mother entertained the guests, and Princess Yongning was also among the crowd. When she recalled it, she could even remember a smug smile on the corner of Princess Yongning's lips.

The truth is revealed.

"Mr. Shen is soft-hearted," Princess Yongning sat down on the chair indifferently and looked at her, "I am not a cruel person. Originally, I wanted to help you, but who knew you would not relent," she glanced at the medicine bowl on the table and sighed, "Why are you doing this?"

Xue Fangfei couldn't help but sneer.

She had a bowl of medicine every day, and she had long noticed something was wrong, so she poured all the medicine into the flowerpot. They wanted her to "die of illness" and let Princess Yongning marry in, but she refused. Xue Huaiyuan told her since she was a child that she should not kill herself until the last moment. Besides, why? Why did this adulterous couple frame her and want her to die on her own initiative? She would never!
Xue Fangfei's voice was filled with countless sarcasms. She said, "You have taken away someone's marriage, killed their original spouse, and murdered their wife and heir. I understand the princess's 'good intentions'."

Princess Yongning was furious for a moment, but she calmed down after a moment, stood up, walked to the table, and picked up the pot of withered crabapples. The pot was only the size of a palm, and the fine white porcelain was engraved with prosperity, exquisite and lovely. Princess Yongning played with the pot and said with a smile: "Do you know how your brother died?"

Xue Fangfei's back stiffened in an instant!

"Your brother is quite a character, but he is young and hot-tempered." Princess Yongning admired her expression, "He was able to find out that something was wrong, and he actually found some evidence. He said he would file a complaint with the emperor, and he almost implicated me." Princess Yongning patted her chest, as if she was a little scared, "He was smart and found Jingzhao Yin overnight, but he didn't know that Jingzhao Yin and I have a good relationship, so he immediately told me about this." Princess Yongning spread her hands and said regretfully, "What a pity, he is so young, and I think he is good at both civil and military affairs. If not, he might have a wife and children. What a pity."

Xue Fangfei almost broke her teeth!
Xue Zhao! Xue Zhao! She had long suspected that there was something fishy about Xue Zhao's death. Xue Zhao had learned martial arts from a martial arts master in Tongxiang. He was smart since he was a child. How could he die in the hands of a robber? But she never expected that the truth would be like this! It seems that her brother wanted to defend her and find out the whole story of Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong. He was so passionate that he thought he had found the official and wanted to sue him. Who knew that the official would protect each other and the enemy was the official!
She said, "Shameless! Shameless!"

Princess Yongning raised her eyebrows and sneered, "So what if you are aloof? You stay here all day and never go out. I'm afraid you don't know about your father. I came here specially to tell you that your father has learned about your ruin of the family and that your brother was killed by robbers. He is so angry that he died!"

Xue Fangfei was stunned and cried out, "Impossible!"

"Impossible?" Princess Yongning said with a smile, "Why don't you go out and ask the maid to see if it's possible!"

Xue Fangfei was in a state of confusion. Xue Huaiyuan was indifferent to fame and fortune, and lived a clean life as the magistrate of Tongxiang County. He was clearly a good man. How could he end up like this, sending off his son before him, and even being angered to death? Xue Fangfei didn't even dare to think about how Xue Huaiyuan felt after learning about this.

This is the case, if you kill people and set fires, you will get a gold belt, but if you repair bridges and roads, there will be no corpses!

Princess Yongning talked for a long time, and seemed impatient. She placed the pot of crabapples on the table and motioned for two maids to come forward.

Xue Fangfei realized something and asked loudly: "What are you going to do?"

Princess Yongning smiled happily and proudly. She said, "You, Xue Fangfei, are of noble character, talented and beautiful. You certainly cannot bear the charge of having an affair with someone. You have been struggling for the past few months. Although Shen Lang treats you as always, you are unwilling to forgive yourself. You hanged yourself when Shen Lang is not at home." That's it. She chuckled and said, "How is it? Does this statement save your face?" She changed her face again and said fiercely, "If it weren't for Shen Lang's reputation, I wouldn't teach you this lesson!"

"How dare you? How dare you!" Xue Fangfei felt a surge of anger in her heart, but before she could move, the two maids moved and subdued her.

"This palace and Mr. Shen are in love, but unfortunately there is you. Of course, this palace cannot tolerate you. If you were the daughter of a rich family, this palace might have to go through more trouble. Unfortunately, your father is just a small county magistrate. There are so many counties in Yanjing, and your Xue family is just a weed. In your next life, remember to think twice before reincarnating and be born into a wealthy family."

Xue Fangfei was suddenly filled with despair, but she refused to give up. She lingered on, grasping at any chance in the hope of turning things around. She did not commit suicide, but she could not defeat the oppression of the powerful, nor could she defeat the hierarchy!

When I raised my eyes, I saw a familiar figure outside the window, and I could vaguely make out it was the person next to me.

A glimmer of hope rose in Xue Fangfei's heart. She shouted, "Shen Yurong! Shen Yurong, you are treating me like this, it is unjust! Shen Yurong!"

The figure outside the window swayed and dodged as if to escape. Princess Yongning scolded, "What are you still standing there for? Do it!"

The maid rushed over and strangled her neck with a piece of snow-white silk. The silk was as smooth as a beautiful woman's skin. It was a tribute sent to the palace by the Zhao family of Songjiang every year. A piece of silk was worth a thousand gold coins. When Xue Fangfei struggled, she thought that even the murder weapon was so precious.

Princess Yongning stood three feet away, watching her struggle like a dying fish with cold eyes, and sneered: "Remember, even if you are extremely beautiful and talented, you are still just the daughter of a minor official. I will crush you to death - it's as easy as crushing an ant!"

The pot of crabapple was knocked over when she struggled, and broke into pieces on the ground. The mud in the pot had a bitter aroma, withered branches fell out, and the colorful paintings were incomplete.

In April, all the flowers have faded.

　Hey everyone, long time no see, your Cha Cha is back!
　　I'm going to reserve a post here first, and will start updating after the Spring Festival. The new post is a story about a cruel little girl and a beautiful devil who abuses scum. If you like it, please collect it first. See you after the Spring Festival!
　　Finally, I wish everyone good luck in the Year of the Rooster!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)