Volume One, Chapter 13: Xiao Rongli: You Are Not My Sister!

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Xiao Jinghai’s face was dark and sullen, his nostrils flaring as cold breath escaped—clearly furious.
“Marquis, what has happened? Who dares to displease you?” Madam Fang asked indignantly.
“Hmph, who else but that rebellious daughter and that wicked brat?”
As the Marquis of Wu’an finished speaking, Steward Lin standing nearby continued,
“Madam, you may not know, but early this morning when the servants went out to buy supplies, the vendors united in throwing rotten vegetable leaves at them. Some even declared that no matter what, they wouldn’t sell their vegetables to the Wu’an Marquis’s household—even if it was to feed pigs or dogs.”
“What?” Madam Fang’s eyes widened with anger. “Those lowly people dare to speak so arrogantly? What are they trying to do?”
“Steward Lin, immediately investigate what happened. How could those people dare treat the Marquis’s household so?”
“Madam, as soon as this happened, I ordered inquiries. It turns out the rumor circulating outside claims that our household is maintaining appearances using the dowry of the eldest miss’s birth mother, yet she is mistreated!”
“They say you consider the eldest miss unlucky, forcing her to eat and sleep in the stables... They also say you see her as a thorn in your side, so much so that you hired someone to set fire to the stables at night, hoping to burn her alive. Unfortunately, the fire spread too fiercely, leading to the death of innocent servants. After the eldest miss narrowly escaped, fearing the plot would be exposed, you conspired with the Marquis to imprison her in the ancestral hall, ignoring her illness and intending to let her die slowly.”
At Steward Lin’s words, Madam Fang’s fury nearly caused her hair to stand on end.
“Preposterous! This is utter nonsense. Saying I mistreat her and want to burn her alive? Such a despicable claim—surely no one would believe it!”
Steward Lin lowered his head and replied, “Madam, everyone believes it. Not only that, but they believe it without doubt.”
Madam Fang choked, staggering slightly. She trembled with rage. “Fools, a bunch of fools!”
To believe such absurdities was utterly foolish.
Yet Madam Fang forgot that since ancient times, people’s fascination with gossip only grows when the story’s logic is flawed—such inconsistencies spark curiosity.
“Enough!” Xiao Jinghai waved his hand, stopping Madam Fang and Steward Lin.
He said, “The servants just reported that the rebellious daughter has fainted in the ancestral hall. I came to ask you to take good care of her.”

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Madam Fang understood well—this was a command to use the guise of caring for Mu Wanwan to dispel the rumors while strictly watching over that shameless girl.
“Rest assured, Marquis. I will handle this matter well.”
“Hm.” The Marquis of Wu’an nodded. “I trust your capability. I still have official duties to attend to, so I leave everything in the household to you.”
After seeing the Marquis off, Madam Fang’s eyes, once dreamy, hardened with ruthless resolve.
“Send someone to summon the imperial physician to diagnose the eldest miss’s condition. Make sure it’s done with great fanfare—let the entire capital know!”
“Also, bring my visiting cards and invite Lady Ji from Minister Zhang’s family, Lady Mo from Minister Li’s family, and Lady Gong from Lord Yu’s household. Ask these three to visit our residence.”
These three are notorious gossips among the noblewomen of the capital. Once invited, they never fail to attend and always spread every piece of news far and wide.
Now that the rumors have brought shame upon the Marquis’s household, if not dealt with swiftly to restore its reputation, it might affect future marriages of the household’s children and the family’s prospects.
The rise and fall of a clan depends not only on the efforts of its members but also on external support, and marriage alliances are the best means to secure that.
Noble families care deeply about the reputation of potential marriage partners; thus, no matter how fierce disputes may be within the household, they carefully guard their public image.
After all, everyone knows that within the same family, all are bound together—one prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer.
Soon, news spread throughout the streets and alleys that the Wu’an Marquis’s household had summoned the imperial physician to treat Mu Wanwan, and some even praised Madam Fang for showing the qualities of a virtuous mother.
“Oh, they say stepmothers are hard to be, and it’s true. Look, before everyone said the Marquis’s wife abused the legitimate eldest daughter left by the previous wife. If she really abused her, why would she invite the imperial physician for treatment?”
“Exactly. The imperial physician isn’t someone you can just call on a whim. This shows Madam Fang values the eldest miss greatly. Those earlier rumors must have been deliberate slanders against her.”
“Ugh, I don’t know who could be so vicious, daring to defame a mother like that. They deserve to be punished!”
“...”
When the rumors reached the Wu’an Marquis’s household, Madam Fang’s face was triumphant.
“Yan’er, do you see? Mother just needs to use a few tricks, have someone mingle in the crowd to spread some good words, and everything changes.
Tomorrow, when those three ladies arrive, you must behave well and leave a good impression. Then your name will surely become renowned throughout the noblewomen’s circles of the capital.
You must seize this opportunity to surpass that shameless girl and make everyone know that you are the most distinguished legitimate daughter of the Wu’an Marquis’s household!”

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“Yes, Mother. Yan’er will work twice as hard and never disappoint you!” Xiao Ruyan smiled proudly.
Just thinking about surpassing Mu Wanwan and claiming the position of Princess Consort Regent filled her with boundless excitement.
At this moment, in Listening to the Wind Garden,
Mu Wanwan was administering acupuncture to Xiao Rongli.
Rows of silver needles of varying lengths and thicknesses lay arranged; with each needle Mu Wanwan inserted, her hatred grew deeper.
Those damned people had poisoned A’li with the Coldest Poison, intent on leaving him no chance of survival.
Had she not discovered it in time, the poison would have taken deep root, and even if Hua Tuo were alive today, he wouldn’t be able to save him.
“Big sister, A’li doesn’t hurt. Don’t cry!” Xiao Rongli saw a tear fall on his arm and weakly smiled at her.
He wanted to raise his arm to wipe away her tears, but he had no strength. Not only that, but his whole body was chilled, as if wrapped in ice—signs of the Cold Poison’s first onset.
“A’li, be good. I’m not crying; it’s just sand in my eyes.” Mu Wanwan forced back her tears and smiled at Xiao Rongli. —
“If you’re tired, rest. With big sister here, you’ll be fine!”
“Hm, I trust big sister the most!” Xiao Rongli weakly tugged at the corners of his mouth, his gaze fixed on Mu Wanwan as if seeing through her to someone else.
“Big sister, big sister, you wouldn’t abandon me, right?” Xiao Rongli looked at Mu Wanwan steadily, his tone filled with pleading.
Mu Wanwan didn’t hesitate and gently nodded, “You are my brother, the only family I have in this world. I love you and will protect you—I would never abandon you!”
“Sorry, big sister. I was wrong.” Xiao Rongli’s face was full of guilt.
He paused, then mustered courage to continue, “I shouldn’t have doubted you’re my big sister!”