Thinking Back to Those Days

Aside from his wife and children, Zhao Yuankun was not close to anyone else in the Earl of Huanping's Residence.

He nodded to Zhao Ruyu, gave a faint "hmm," and then said to Zhao Yuanliang, "Second Brother, I'll head back now."

Zhao Yuanliang took the plate from Zhao Ruyu's hand and said casually, "Ruyu, please see this off to your third uncle for me."

"No need," Zhao Yuankun said, leading his servant quickly down the steps and soon leaving the courtyard, showing no intention of waiting for Zhao Ruyu.

Zhao Ruyu could only walk a few steps before she couldn't keep up. She simply stopped and watched him leave.

She turned around, helped Zhao Yuanliang inside, and casually inquired, "Father, what brings Third Uncle here?"

Zhao Yuanliang is a man with little sense of responsibility. If Lady Wei loves his son and daughter equally, he won't care about them. Since someone else will take care of them, he only needs to make sure he's well-fed and watered. Occasionally, he'll run into them and play with them like he's teasing a puppy or kitten, but he doesn't worry about anything else.

Zhao Jing'an and Zhao Ruyu grew up together. Lady Wei doted on her son, but treated her daughter with kindness in public while neglecting her and even speaking ill of her in private. Zhao Yuanliang saw this and told Lady Wei to change several times, but she did not. So he had no choice but to pay more attention to his daughter.

Zhao Ruyu was sweet-looking and, due to her mother's neglect since childhood, was very obedient and sensible. As Zhao Yuanliang spent more time with her, he began to genuinely love her.

Although it was later determined that the babies had been switched at birth, Zhao Yuanliang was somewhat dissatisfied with Zhao Ruyu's actions. However, since the old lady wanted to keep Zhao Ruyu for a marriage alliance, Zhao Yuanliang did not have the idea of sending Zhao Ruyu back to the Xu Family. Later, when Zhao Ruyu was admitted to the Capital Women's Academy, Zhao Yuanliang felt a bit of fatherly pride and gave her a pair of paperweights as encouragement.

The house was in chaos, with the two concubines fighting tooth and nail for control of the household. But this daughter still cared about him, which made Zhao Yuanliang very Gao Xing.

He couldn't help but boast to Zhao Ruyu, "Haha, your third uncle said there's an official position he wants me to take on."

"Official position?" Zhao Ruyu was taken aback. "What official position?"

"Deputy Capital Guard Command," Zhao Yuanliang said.

Zhao Ruyu had been the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan for several years in her previous life, so she knew that this official position was a low-ranking one. But that didn't stop her from widening her eyes in admiration. "Wow, that sounds amazing! Father, does that mean you've become an official? And it's even more prestigious than Uncle's previous position?"

"That's right. The Capital Guard Commanding Officers' Office is much more powerful than the Five Cities Military Command. The Five Cities Military Command deals with hooligans and thugs all day, catching petty thieves." Zhao Yuanliang said smugly.

Zhao Ruyu handed Zhao Yuanliang a pastry, looking puzzled, and said, "Uncle, you got such an opportunity, why didn't you go yourself, but instead gave it to Father?"

Fearing Zhao Yuanliang might misunderstand, she quickly added, "I didn't mean Father shouldn't be an official, but Third Uncle doesn't seem to have such good intentions."

"Ah, you're right. He got me this official position because he had a better one: Right Spring Directorate of the Office of the Grand Steward."

Zhao Ruyu's heart skipped a beat.

In his previous life, Zhao Yuankun got in touch with the Crown Prince through an advisor to the Crown Prince, and that was his first official position. Later, the Crown Prince appreciated his talent and gave him important responsibilities, and he rose quickly in his position in the Office of the Grand Steward. In the end, he participated in a rebellion.

She was restless and didn't want to deal with Zhao Yuanliang anymore, so she asked first, "When do you plan to go on your mission?"

"It's still early, this matter isn't settled yet. He can only take office after your third uncle has made the necessary arrangements."

Zhao Yuanliang was still worried and instructed her again, "Ruyu, you're a girl who keeps her mouth shut. I'm only telling you this now, so don't spread it around, don't tell anyone. If it gets to your grandmother's ears, and she doesn't want our branch of the family to rise up, she'll definitely ruin my and your third uncle's plans."

He then tempted her further, saying, "Think about it, once your father becomes an official, won't you be a daughter of an official? It will be easier to find a husband for you then, won't it? Once your father makes money, he will prepare a generous dowry for you."

"Father, don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Zhao Ruyu assured him.

She stood up. "Father, it's getting late, and you're still injured. You should rest early."

After leaving Zhao Yuanliang's place, Zhao Ruyu stood at the courtyard gate, gazing at the courtyard illuminated by lanterns, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

According to the timeline of her previous life, she would have come of age next year and married, becoming the second young mistress of the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence. The year after that, the Marquis of Pingnan and his heir, Fu Yunkai, would have died in battle at the border, Fu Yunlang would have become the Marquis of Pingnan.

Because Marquis of Pingnan and Fu Yunkai died on the battlefield, the Second Prince rushed to the frontier but also died in battle. Grand Princess Shangde's husband was dismissed and imprisoned for failing to provide adequate care.

Upon hearing of his brother's death, the Fifth Prince developed a persistent high fever and soon died of the same illness.

The year after that, the Crown Prince argued with the Fourth Prince Fourth Prince accidentally killed him in the process. The Emperor removed him from his position as Crown Prince and imprisoned him.

The Crown Prince somehow escaped from his imprisonment and, in a fit of rage, forced the emperor to abdicate. Amidst the palace chaos, the emperor was assassinated. The Crown Prince, severely wounded by the Palace Guards, was captured by the Third Prince and subsequently committed suicide. The Third Prince then ascended the throne.

Because of Zhao Yuankun's involvement in a treasonous plot, the Marquis of Suiping's Residence was raided, and he was exiled three thousand li away.

This border defeat, and the subsequent rebellion and palace turmoil, involved the Emperor, the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Fifth Prince. The noble families, whose relationships with them were already intricate, could not remain uninvolved.

The Third Prince had already seized military power after the border defeat, and then gained control of the Imperial Guards amidst the palace turmoil. Upon ascending the throne, he immediately purged the powerful noble families, and the entire capital was surrounded by the Imperial Guards. Many wealthy and influential families in the capital have had their property confiscated, been exiled, or demoted...

After the purge, the court was clean and orderly. Those who held real power were the Third Prince's confidants and commoners who had passed the imperial examinations. The few remaining noble families who had survived the purge kept a low profile. Unlike the current emperor, the Third Prince, after ascending the throne, was not bound by the noble families. Instead, he held absolute power and truly became a ruler whose word was law.

During these two major upheavals, she was not implicated by the Marquis of Suiping's Residence because she married early; Fu Yunlang, on the other hand, benefited from the misfortune, as he directly inherited the title after his father and brothers died, and was highly valued after the Third Prince ascended the throne.

Originally, right after she married into the family, the Marquis of Pingnan Heir of the Marquis of Pingnan died on the battlefield, her third uncle was beheaded, and the Marquis of Suiping's Residence was raided and exiled. Her mother-in-law already secretly resented her for bewitching Fu Yunlang Fu Yunlang, making him insist on marrying her. After the marriage, she doted on her and disliked her greatly, so she cursed her as an unlucky person.

However, her maternal grandfather, Wei Qiu, was highly valued by the Third Prince because of his humble origins and abilities, and was promoted directly to the position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. Her mother-in-law was dissatisfied with her but dared not divorce her, and in the end had no choice but to treat her kindly.

She and Fu Yunlang were beneficiaries of two great upheavals in their past lives.