“Fifth Sister, what do you mean by that!”
It seemed her thoughts had been seen through. Zhou Zhi could not help but flush with shame and annoyance, and after a long moment she lowered her eyes. Her usually proud features were unusually subdued as she said, “Fifth Sister, we are not like Eldest Sister. We have no powerful maternal relatives behind us, and the household is in this state now. Who knows what our future holds.”
“Moreover, if Father can treat Eldest Sister today, it’s possible he’ll judge us by the pound tomorrow. Rather than, rather than…”
Madness flickered across Zhou Zhi’s eyes.
Rather than endure that, she’d rather enter the palace and gamble everything. Even if she couldn’t become Empress Dowager, if she could give birth to a prince, she might still win wealth and honor later. That’s better than being married off to some decadent playboy with no prospects for life.
An Ning quietly shattered her sister’s fantasy: “Third Sister, the reigning emperor is almost forty this year. He has countless beauties in his harem, yet so far he has only two sons and one daughter.”
“Also, once someone goes in, they may never see their family again for their whole life.”
At those words, Zhou Zhi shivered.
“Fifth Sister, you mean…?”
If it was the former, a newcomer with no family backing couldn’t possibly compete against the high-ranking consorts. If it was the latter, the older he got, the slimmer the hope became.
A consort without a womb, unless some special circumstance appeared, faced a nearly inevitable and bleak fate.
She didn’t need to say it aloud. Years of bickering had built an unspoken understanding between the sisters, and Zhou Zhi quickly grasped the implication.
The last sliver of hope in her heart vanished, and in an instant it turned to worry: “What about Eldest Sister…”
An Ning shook her head slightly: “For now, we can only hope for an accident.”
If there’s no accident, then an accident must be manufactured.
Zhou Zhi couldn’t hear the subtext of her younger sister’s remark and continued to frown tightly.
At the same time, meeting their mother Lady Jiang’s bitter, guilty expression, Eldest Young Lady Zhou likewise lost any remaining hope. She forced herself back to her room, then in the next moment collapsed onto the bed.
Spring Rain, who stood nearby, worriedly leaned in since no one else was present and quietly said, “Miss, since the day hasn’t come yet, if you really don’t want it, you could fall sick for a day or two before then, maybe—”
Her words had barely left her mouth when she received a stern look from her mistress: “Spring Rain, don’t ever say that again.”
“Don’t you understand? Father will not let this go easily. If I give in as the eldest, do you expect Third Sister—at best—or even Fifth Sister to take the fall?”
Eldest Young Lady Zhou knew her father well enough to believe he would do whatever it took for the Count’s household’s prospects.
Staring blankly at the crabapple blossoms drifting in the wind outside the window, the night passed. The next morning when she left the house, Eldest Young Lady Zhou’s face showed no sign of wavering; she still wore that gentle, graceful demeanor.
She didn’t complain even at the strictest rules.
Watching Eldest Sister repeatedly practice bowing and kneeling to the nobles, forcing her expression to show humility, and then, whenever a noble grew angry, immediately dropping to her knees to self-reflect, even enduring hardships to train her patience… Seeing all that, Zhou Zhi, sneaking by the window, could no longer hold herself together.
“What kind of old ghostly nonsense is this!”
In a short while, all her fantasies about palace glory were utterly shattered. At that moment, Third Young Lady Zhou could only sigh: “If only something unexpected would happen!”
The muttering Third Young Lady did not notice that An Ning’s expression shifted in a nearly imperceptible, strange way for a second.
But there was no time to think further. Almost as soon as Third Young Lady’s words fell, a little maid came running over in a panic: “No—no good news, Master suddenly fainted in the study!”
Third Young Lady: “…”
Before she could react with proper concern, remembering what she’d just said, Zhou Zhi froze: “!!!”
Instinctively grabbing her younger sister’s hand tightly, Third Young Lady felt as if she’d fallen into a deep pit: “F—Fifth Sister, you didn’t hear anything just now, did you!”
Superstition really isn’t a good habit, Sister. Also…
I didn’t expect you to be , Third Sister.
Feeling her grip tighten even more, An Ning’s mouth twitched: “Don’t worry. I didn’t hear anything at all.”
Only then did Zhou Zhi let out a fierce sigh of relief. In the next second she hurriedly fixed her clothes, her eyes instantly filling with worry and helplessness, though she still clutched An Ning’s hand: “Come on, Fifth Sister, let’s go see Father!”
When the three sisters arrived, the Count’s household had already called more than one doctor, but none of them looked optimistic.
“Count, his pulse condition is truly strange. It seems like wind-cold and yet… ah!” The chief physician shook his head hard.
As everyone fretted, an even stranger change occurred. Over the following days, Father’s waking time slowly lengthened. But another change manifested as well: his once slightly plump figure, even his looks…
Seeing the slender figure before them—an unexpectedly refined and delicate-looking young man—the shock was so great that Third Young Lady Zhou was the first to drop her teacup.