What Kind of Taste Was This?

The Feng Dynasty Kingdom was a flourishing dynasty where women were exalted and men were subservient. Women were naturally stronger than men and lived fifteen to twenty years longer. Gradually, women came to make the decisions, while men humbled themselves and deferred to them.

Men here could bear children, though the babies were delivered by cutting open their bellies. It was most peculiar. This question was throwing a dance party in a blind spot in Bai Mo's knowledge. She simply couldn't make sense of it, so she decided not to dig any deeper.

Men these days were expected to be virtuous and capable, treating their wives as their heaven. The ideal man observed the three obediences and four virtues, managed the household, assisted his wife, raised his daughters, and was gentle, kind, and virtuous.

Women, on the other hand, held power, fought across the nine provinces, and had three husbands, four attendants, and countless beautiful men.

This is great!!!

The original owner was named Bai Mo. She was seventeen and the legitimate eldest daughter of the Earl Who Protects the State. Her father had died when she was young. Later, her mother married Madam Chen, a man from a modest family, as her second husband. Bai Mo was then raised under Madam Chen's care, and her character had been deliberately warped since childhood. She was a famously good-for-nothing beauty in the Capital.

She was even more beautiful than a man, with willow-leaf brows, hibiscus-smooth skin, an upturned nose, vermilion lips, and a slender, crescent-moon waist. It was no exaggeration to say her beauty could topple kingdoms and cities. Yet she was arrogant and domineering, outrageously unruly, and spent her days walking birds, teasing dogs, and dallying with flowers and grass. She was utterly notorious.

The ancestors of the Earl Who Protects the State had also been renowned figures. They had accompanied the late emperor in conquering the realm, earning their laurels in the saddle. Unfortunately, as the title passed down through the generations, it had dwindled to an earldom. There was nothing to be done; no extraordinary talent had emerged from the Bai family since...

The reigning empress, mindful that the Bai descendants came from loyal ministers, turned a blind eye and arranged for Bai Peilan, the Earl Who Protects the State, to serve as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

The two young ladies were what the Residence of the Earl Who Protects the State was best known for in the Capital. The eldest daughter was notorious far and wide, while the second daughter, Bai Yuanshuang, enjoyed something of a good reputation.

Some young men in the Capital admired the earl's second daughter. Unfortunately, the earl's family was not of especially high standing, and the second daughter was not even the heir to the title, which deterred many refined young men from prominent families.

Bai Yuanshuang was born to her stepfather, Madam Chen, and was a little over a year younger than the original owner. She had the sort of looks the young men of the Feng Dynasty Kingdom favored: tall and sturdy, with heroic features. She was skilled in literary pursuits and even more so in martial arts. She often attended flower gatherings and poetry gatherings at various households and had cultivated quite a good reputation in the Capital.

As for what had happened today...

In the original owner's memories, she had lost her senses after being drugged and shared a bout of clouds and rain with Shen Qing. Afterward, they were caught in bed, bringing utter disgrace upon the Residence of the Earl Who Protects the State. She had laid hands on the most outstanding young man of the Shen family, and before long, she had died a miserable death outside the city, her corpse left exposed in the wilderness...

After her death, Bai Mo had nowhere to go, like a lonely ghost, and had remained wandering around her family. Her memories after that consisted only of scattered fragments, but it was not hard to tell who had harmed her.

After sorting through the memories, Bai Mo found it all incredible. Bai Yuanshuang was one hell of a talent. Had she gotten her hands on a heroine's script?

From framing the original owner to heading for the military camp and eventually inheriting the title, she had even become the grand marshal of the armed forces, a Principal Second Rank official. She had truly plotted every step! She had also schemed to marry Shen Qing. Her only regret was probably that, on their wedding day, Shen Qing had hanged himself in the bridal sedan before he could enter her home...

The original owner, by contrast, seemed to be cannon fodder among cannon fodder. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of her life was sleeping with Shen Qing?

An hour later, the maid Lixia's voice sounded at the door. "Xiaohan, has the eldest young lady woken up? The sobering soup is being kept warm. When she gets up, have her drink some before she rests again."

"Sister Lixia, there hasn't been a sound from the eldest young lady's room. Let's not disturb her yet. I'll bring the sobering soup in when she gets up."

"All right, then I'll keep an eye on the small kitchen. Call me to have the meal served when the eldest young lady gets up."

Footsteps faded into the distance immediately afterward.

Bai Mo felt her head ache even more. Her mental strength could barely hold up, so she took out a bottle of basic recovery potion and drank it. This body had not undergone the genetic modifications of the apocalypse. It was not only fragile but could even be called a [weak chicken]. She didn't dare touch an intermediate potion and could only nurture it and recover slowly.

Not long after drinking the potion, she sank into a deep sleep.

"Knock, knock, knock. The night is deep and still. Beware of fire and candles."

In the Pure Elegance Courtyard at the Grand Preceptor's Residence.

A man in dark robes sat beneath a wisteria tree, his head slightly lowered and his thin lips pressed tightly together. His incomparably handsome, starry eyes seemed veiled in gray. The ends of his hair had yet to dry, and his whole body gave off a fragile air that warned strangers to stay away.

"Young master, you bathed for so long after returning to the residence today, and you haven't even dried your hair. What if you catch a chill sitting out in the damp night air?

"Let this old servant dry your hair, and then please hurry inside and rest. Otherwise, if the Grand Preceptor asks about it tomorrow, we'll be punished." An old servant laid a cloak over Shen Qing's shoulders, his eyes full of worry.

"Daddy Jiang, I'm fine. It's late. You may all withdraw and rest."

Shen Qing did not turn around. His voice was hoarse and hollow.

"Is something troubling you, young master? Did someone upset you at the Hundred Flowers Banquet at the princess's residence today? If something unpleasant happened, please don't take it to heart. Try to look on the bright side of things, and don't get caught in a dead end." Jiang You crouched down and gently took Shen Qing's hand, the worry on his face deepening.

Shen Qing's heart was weighed down, and he didn't know how to begin. He could only give a wan smile and pat Jiang You's hand before rising and walking into the room.

That lecherous woman had taken his body and ruined his reputation. If he did not avenge this wrong, he was no gentleman. Even if he had to die, he would first tear her into ten thousand pieces.

The next day.

Bai Mo stretched, feeling alive again. A single bottle of potion had worked wonders on this ordinary body. It was no exaggeration to say it had shed its old body and been reborn...

A foul stench reached her, nearly making Bai Mo vomit. She hurriedly called out to the outer room, "Xiaoman, fetch water, quickly! I want a bath."

"Yes, eldest young lady. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Are you still feeling unwell? This servant will have someone prepare hot water right away."

Xiaoman hurriedly pushed the door open and came in.

The moment she entered, her expression changed and she froze. A moment later, her face turned bright red. Pinching her nose, she said, "Miss, what did you do? How did you get so stinky?"

⊙∀⊙

She hurriedly backed out and ran off. "Wait a moment, eldest young lady! This servant will fetch the water."

The corner of Bai Mo's mouth twitched. That damnable original owner, what on earth had she been eating every day to expel so much filth? It really... caught her off guard!!

After changing the water a full five times, she was finally clean. Poor Xiaohan had spent ages scrubbing her back and gotten water all over herself.

As she dried Bai Mo off, Xiaohan's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, eldest young lady, I think you look especially beautiful today?"

Bai Mo chuckled, finding the maid rather endearing. "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Let's get dressed first."

"Eldest young lady, Sister Lixia has already prepared your clothes and jewelry, and the meal has been ready for some time. This servant will go clean up the buckets and then tidy herself up." As she spoke, she turned to clean up, moving with practiced efficiency.

After helping Bai Mo straighten her underclothes, Lixia pointed to two outfits and asked, "Eldest young lady, which one would you like to wear today? You're going to visit Young Master Biluo at the Green Grass Pavilion tonight, aren't you? You should pick your favorite."

Bai Mo had still been delighted, thinking how nice it was in ancient times to have maids dress her and scrub her back. Most importantly, the food was all ready too? And what was the Green Grass Pavilion?

She was still puzzling over the Green Grass Pavilion when she looked up, and instantly her whole mood soured... One outfit was a gaudy peach-pink dress, even more sheer and showy than the clothes worn by brothel women in television dramas...

The other was even more outrageous: a little top embroidered in more than a dozen colors, paired with a long purple skirt slit all the way up to the top of the thigh...

The original owner's taste?? It really was something else!!