Wear it quickly, it's better to live a miserable life than to die

There were faint voices coming from outside the door.

A timid female voice asked, "Will the Third Miss agree?"

Another female voice said arrogantly, "It doesn't matter if she agrees or not. The Shi family will marry a daughter to the Gu Marquis's mansion. It doesn't matter if she agrees or not."

"Miss San is so pitiful."

"Hmph! Put away your ruthless compassion. She is a young lady, a master. Who are you? A lowly servant, a lowly person who can be beaten and scolded at will. How can you have pity on the third young lady of the master's family?"

When Ding Yi opened her eyes, she heard the discussion outside the door and was shocked. She didn't expect that an ordinary little maid could realize the truth of life so early. It was really gratifying.

With some training, he will surely become a great man in the future.

Soon, Ding Yi was too happy to express himself.

There was nothing else to it. Her body was covered with whip marks and there was no medicine applied. And underneath her was moldy straw.

Ding Yi initially thought that she was just an innocent little maid who was implicated, but unexpectedly, she was the Third Miss they were talking about.

The unlucky Third Miss is indeed worthy of pity.

Her original identity was Shi Zhijiao, the concubine's daughter of Shi Yuan, the Minister of War of the Daqing Dynasty, and a thorn in the eye of the First Lady.

Yuan Shizhijiao's mother was Shiyuan's original wife. When Shiyuan passed the imperial examination and became the second-best candidate, he married Fang, a noble lady from a wealthy family. His original wife Yingniang had to become a concubine.

Yingniang's parents have passed away, and her non-blood-related adopted brother Li Xiong is in charge of the family. Shi Yuan gave her some benefits, and Li Xiong happily sold out Fang and left her to suffer.

Yingniang originally had a son who grew up healthy and well until he was six years old. After Fang came, she said that the concubine had no right to raise the child and took the child away. In less than two months, the child became sickly.

Fang acted like a good legal mother and raised the child with all kinds of precious medicinal herbs, but the child still died of illness two years later, and Yingniang didn't even get to see him for the last time.

Over the past twenty years, Shi Yuan has been promoted step by step and has now become a third-rank official, serving as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

With a successful career, harmonious relationship with his wife and concubines, and filial children, Shi Yuan became a winner in life.

Gu Hou is a general with a large army, 30 years old, his first wife died young, leaving behind a pair of children, an 11-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son. When Gu Hou saw Shi Zhijiao's elder sister Shi Baimeng, his old heart beat violently, and he would not marry anyone but her.

Shi Baimeng was unwilling. Although Marquis Gu was in a high position and had good looks, he was old. He stayed in the barracks all day, and was covered in sweat. He might even smell like an old man.

She was still a stepmother after she got married.

She is only 28 years old, a young and beautiful girl, how can she be ruined by an old man?

Fang loved her daughter, so naturally she didn't want to do that.

One day, Marquis Gu came into the mansion and had a long talk with Shi Yuan. After Marquis Gu left, Shi Yuan decided to form an alliance with Marquis Gu's mansion, and the candidate was changed from the legitimate daughter Shi Baimeng to the concubine's daughter Shi Zhijiao.

Shi Zhijiao already has someone she loves and they are already discussing marriage. As long as Shi Baimeng's marriage is settled, she will follow immediately.

The son who died innocently many years ago is the eternal pain in Yingniang's heart. Now, she protects Shizhijiao like her own eyeball, fearing that she will be broken at any time.

Because she was a daughter, Fang had no intention of taking action against Yingniang, and she even laughed at Yingniang's childishness behind her back.

But this time, since it concerns the Shi family's grand plan and the happiness of her daughter Shi Baimeng, Fang will not allow anyone to destroy it.

Shi Zhijiao refused to get married, so Shi Yuan took her to the study in the outer courtyard and whipped her personally, accusing her of disobedience and unfilial piety. His face was ferocious while he was whipping her, as if he was not beating his own daughter.

In the backyard, Fang stopped Yingniang and beat her until she was almost dead, accusing her of disrespecting her mistress.

From then on, Shi Zhijiao and Yingniang never saw each other again. If she hadn't received letters from Yingniang confirming that her mother was still alive, Shi Zhijiao would not have been like a puppet, allowing others to manipulate her.

Shi Zhijiao married into the mansion of Marquis Gu, but before she even got married, Marquis Gu received an order to go to war and lead troops to suppress the Shanhuai uprising.

In the last years of the Daqing Dynasty, uprisings broke out in various places, but the capital was still a place of extravagance. The man in the imperial city was obsessed with luxury and indulged himself in his own little piece of land, ignoring external affairs.

When she returned home, her husband was not there. Everyone knew the reason. Shi Zhijiao was still greatly insulted in the Shi family and could only look at her mother Yingniang from afar.

When a military general is away, he needs to leave his relatives in the capital. The old lady is still alive in the Marquis Gu's mansion, as well as Marquis Gu's two sons, three unmarried brothers and sisters, and even more married ones. The whole family has not been divided, and there are constant conflicts every day.

Shi Zhijiao was of low social status, and given Marquis Gu's status, she wouldn't even be able to be the second wife.

Therefore, in the eyes of everyone in Marquis Gu's Mansion, she is a shameless woman who climbed up to Marquis Gu. If her mother is unreliable, everyone in Marquis Gu's Mansion, from the masters of each courtyard to the maids and servants, can step on her.

As soon as Lord Gu left, she was driven to the most remote courtyard, where she was fed with thin porridge every day. As long as she didn't die, she was fine.

The people in Marquis Gu's Mansion particularly like to go to this remote courtyard to seek a sense of existence, especially those who are not doing well, who seem to treat this courtyard as a garbage dumping ground.

Shi Zhijiao had no choice but to listen.

If it weren't for the letter sent from her teacher's home every month, Shi Zhijiao would have been tormented by negative emotions every day and would have almost collapsed.

Two months after getting married, Shi Zhijiao became pregnant and had a miscarriage. This time, even the high-ranking old lady who didn't care about anything sent a nanny to scold Shi Zhijiao. Regardless of her weak body after the miscarriage, she was punished to make her kneel in the Buddhist temple at night and copy Buddhist scriptures.

During the day, they still have to endure the torture of the violent temper of Marquis Gu's Mansion.

Shi Zhijiao just wants to live.

Shi Yuan said in the letter that if she wanted to commit suicide, she should immediately let Ying Niang accompany her.

Shi Zhijiao did not dare to die.

Five years later, Marquis Gu returned with a great victory. Shi Zhijiao looked haggard. She saw Marquis Gu from afar and was indifferent to the beautiful women surrounding him.

Marquis Gu won a great victory, and the palace held a banquet to celebrate his victory.

The Marquis Gu's Mansion seemed to suddenly remember her, the illegitimate wife of the Marquis Gu, and had people send her clothes, jewelry, and rouge and powder for entering the palace.

Shi Zhijiao's body was so thin that her bones were protruding. When she put on that gorgeous dress, she looked like a monkey wearing human clothes.

When Marquis Gu saw her, he turned away with disgust and said, "You have a pointed face and monkey cheeks, you are not worthy of being my wife."

The clothes and jewelry were too heavy, and Shi Zhijiao's frail body staggered as she followed behind Gu Hou.

During the banquet, Shi Zhijiao discovered that people from the Shi family had also come, and Shi Baimeng was still wearing her hair in a unmarried bun.

Shi Zhijiao thought that no one had informed Shi Baimeng about her marriage, but she didn't expect that they really didn't get married.

This was the first time in five years that Shi Zhijiao stepped out of Marquis Gu's Mansion and came into contact with people and things outside. She thought she had finally gained the recognition of Marquis Gu's Mansion and could go and see her mother.

As the wine was flowing, shouts of fighting and killing were heard outside the hall.

The people from Guhou Mansion and Shi's family evacuated their positions in an orderly manner and found shelters. Only Shi Zhijiao sat there in a daze, not knowing what was going on.