The merchant's rebirth led to the complete downfall of the Marquis's mansion.

Qin Yao spent ten years.

The once dilapidated Marquis's mansion continued to shine thanks to the dowry she brought.

Originally unambitious, Prince Jiang Su achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination seven years ago under her supervision. He was entrusted with important responsibilities by the emperor. She devised strategies and provided financial support behind the scenes, enabling him to rise higher and higher until he was second only to the emperor.

For ten years, she was dutiful to her mother-in-law, raised her two children, and took care of Jiang Su's concubines and their illegitimate children.

Her virtuous reputation is widespread, and everyone who mentions her praises her.

Today is the day Jiang Su was appointed Grand Secretary.

Qin Yao led a group of people and waited outside the mansion gate early in the morning.

Jiang Su returned triumphantly, and firecrackers crackled in front of the Marquis's mansion. Qin Yao gave the servants in the mansion a reward before leading her two children back to her own courtyard.

Jiang Su had three concubines, the most favored of whom was an actress named Liu Yue. The reason was that Liu Yue most resembled his deceased lover, Xia Qiutang.

From the moment Liu Yue entered the manor, Jiang Su spent most of his time with her.

Today, this auspicious day, is no exception.

Qin Yao didn't care about these things; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to the trouble of bringing them back for him.

She never had her sights set on this. Now she has a son and a daughter, and the Jiang family is at its zenith. Her children will inherit this glory in the future, and she is very satisfied.

So where Jiang Su goes, what does she care?

After comforting her child and handling some other matters, Qin Yao finally had some time for herself.

The lights were bright in the distance, and you could hear laughter and cheerful voices coming from next door.

In the past two years, Jiang Su has become increasingly unfriendly to her. The maids and nannies around Qin Yao have all had complaints about the Marquis, but Qin Yao has suppressed them all.

It doesn't matter, as long as she holds the power in the household, power is much more reliable than a man.

As night fell, Qin Yao turned off the lights in her courtyard early. She thought it was just another ordinary night, and she even fell asleep quickly, faster than usual.

When she woke up again, the brocade she had carefully chosen was no longer beneath her, but straw.

And his hands were still bound with rope.

Kidnapping? The thought flashed through Qin Yao's mind.

Before Qin Yao could even call for help, lights came on in the darkness.

"You're awake?!" came a voice filled with suppressed excitement.

Qin Yao recognized him by the light; it was her husband, Jiang Su!

"What are you doing?" Qin Yao asked calmly.

"Haha..." Jiang Su laughed wildly, then continued, "Qin Yao, do you know how long I've been waiting for this day?"

"Ten years! A full ten years! Do you know how disgusting it was every time I got close to you? Thankfully, it's all going to end!"

Jiang Su's face was contorted, and his tone was filled with undisguised joy.

After hearing what he said, Qin Yao finally understood how much he loathed her.

Qin Yao knew that he didn't like her; he had even resisted when they got engaged.

Although they were never in love, they were childhood sweethearts, and she really didn't understand why he hated her so much.

"Why?" Qin Yao finally asked.

"I believe that since marrying you, I have fulfilled my duties as a wife, supporting you wholeheartedly, and never hiding anything from you, whether it's connections or money..."

"Pah!" Jiang Su spat at Qin Yao, his face showing an unprecedentedly sinister expression.

"You're just a merchant, marrying me is a huge honor for you, how dare you even mention it!"

"If you hadn't taken advantage of my kindness, why would I, the heir of a noble family, have married a lowly merchant's daughter like you!"

Lowly? This was the first time Qin Yao had discovered the ugliness of her husband. Although her Qin family were merchants, they had donated all the wealth accumulated over generations to the royal family and received royal rewards in return.

Her grandfather's generation were imperial merchants, but an accident killed her brother and father, leaving her as an orphan, which led to the family's decline.

Unexpectedly, in Jiang Su's eyes, she was so despicable.

Moreover, the marriage was arranged by the old Marquis of the Jiang family and her father when they were still alive, and Jiang Su personally came to propose marriage. She had no intention of marrying above her station.

"Jiang Su! Don't forget, it was your family that proposed the marriage, not my Qin family that wanted to climb the social ladder!"

The Marquis's family sounds prestigious, a high-ranking and wealthy family. Although the two families had a childhood bond, it didn't warrant a marriage alliance. Qin Yao had made sure she knew this beforehand.

At that time, the Jiang family was already at its last gasp, merely an empty shell.

Lord Jiang did not enter officialdom and lived off the title earned by his ancestors. He was not particularly prominent in the capital, which was full of imperial relatives.

Later, Lord Jiang became a minor official and wanted to make a name for himself, but then natural disasters and man-made calamities struck. To avoid being judged by the emperor, he gave away all his wealth to save the day.

However, this made the already impoverished Marquis's mansion even more precarious.

Lord Jiang thought of the Qin family... and that's how the marriage arrangement came about.

Qin Yao understood that although Jiang Su was not very clever, he roughly knew that marriage would be beneficial to him, which was why he personally came to propose marriage.

However, for Jiang Su now, this is a disgrace!

"Hmph! If you weren't unwilling to lend a helping hand, would I have married you?"

"If it weren't for you, how could Qiu Tang have died? Qin Yao! You must pay for her life!"

Qin Yao looked at him in disbelief. What did Xia Qiutang's death have to do with her?

Didn't she commit suicide because she couldn't bear her husband's philandering and her mother-in-law's torment?

Qin Yao wanted to question him, but before she could speak, Jiang Su had already summoned servants who restrained her from both sides.

"What are you trying to do!" Qin Yao struggled but couldn't break free, so she could only glare at him hatefully.

"Jiang Liu, bring the things here!"

Qin Yao looked at the person who emerged from the darkness in disbelief once again.

Jiang Liu! It really is him!

“You…” Qin Yao stared at him intently.

Jiang Liu didn't look at her, but respectfully handed the whip to Jiang Su.

She knew that Jiang Su had some people around him; it was safer to have trusted confidants with you when you were out and about.

Qin Yao even personally selected a few people to send over to him.

Jiang Liu was one of them.

Jiang Liu was a beggar boy who was bought from the street by ten-year-old Qin Yao. He used to be called Qin Liu, but later changed his name after following Jiang Su.

Therefore, his betrayal of her was unbelievable to Qin Yao.

Everyone else was bought and given away along the way, but Jiang Liu was brought from her home!

"Qin Yao, look at you, you're such a terrible person! Even the people you brought with you betrayed you! Go! Gag her!"

"Waaah..." Jiang Liu knew martial arts, so he was very fast, and Qin Yao was speechless for the next second.

Before she could react, the whip came down.

Qin Yao was beaten and rolled on the ground. Under Jiang Su's fierce beating, Qin Yao could only let out helpless whimpering cries.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiangsu's crackdown finally stopped when they were exhausted.

At this point, Qin Yao had been beaten so badly that she was curled up on the ground, unable to move.

Everyone had left without her noticing, and Qin Yao huddled in a corner, her wounds still bleeding.

The pain in her body prevented her from thinking.

In the days that followed, no one came to see her; she could only see the light outside when the servants brought her food.

The food was naturally spoiled, but the servants told her that if she didn't eat it, her child would be brought to keep her company.

Qin Yao thus suffered both physical and psychological torment.

Jiang Su would come every few days, and naturally, each time he came, he would inflict new wounds on her old ones.

Then a bucket of salt water was poured on her, making her feel like she was dying.

Relying on the will of her two children, Qin Yao persevered through gritted teeth.

Jiang Su kept his word and vowed to punish her a thousandfold, torturing her in every imaginable way.

The ordeal dragged on for three months. Qin Yao suffered terribly, her body covered in sores. Unable to endure the pain any longer, she finally breathed her last.

In her last moments, Qin Yao was still worried about her child and regretting marrying such a person.

Perhaps due to her overwhelming resentment, she did not leave immediately after her death, but instead lingered in the Marquis's mansion.

She watched as Jiang Su had someone wrap her body in a straw mat and throw it into a mass grave.

She saw her two children, without their mother's protection, reduced to lowly people in the Marquis's mansion who could be bullied by anyone.

Watching Jiang Su elevate Liu Yue to the status of his principal wife, making her two sons and one daughter the legitimate heirs and daughters of the Marquis's mansion.

Looking at his dutiful mother-in-law, he was relieved that she was dead, finally free from this shame.

Her beloved sister-in-law also returned from her husband's home to celebrate the arrival of her new sister-in-law.

While the entire Marquis's mansion was filled with joy, Jiang Su and Jiang Liu were drinking together in the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

Together they mourned the deceased woman, and from their conversation, Qin Yao learned that Jiang Liu also loved Xia Qiutang.

It was only because Xia Qiutang gave him a flatbread when he was a beggar.

Qin Yao, the one who saved him from dire straits, provided him with food and clothing, taught him martial arts, and gave him a future, was hated by him because of Xia Qiutang's death.

Qin Yao was filled with hatred. She hated herself for misjudging people and for being too soft-hearted. If she could do it again, she would make them pay the price.

The Jiang family rose to power because of her, but betrayed her when they achieved success!

Jiang Liu was saved by her, but he helped Jiang Su to put her to death.

How can evildoers go unpunished!

Engulfed by hatred, Qin Yao descended into madness and lost consciousness the next moment.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw a kind and friendly face.

"Yao Yao? What's wrong?"

Qin Yao looked at her, then looked around.

For a moment, I didn't realize that she had become a spirit.

And this woman in front of me, isn't she the old matriarch of the Marquis's mansion, who passed away the year after she married into the family?

"This child must be overjoyed!" The auntie next to her covered her mouth and chuckled.

Qin Yao then noticed the bracelet in the old lady's hand.

She remembered that before her marriage, the old lady had given her the bracelet that symbolized her status as the matriarch of the household.

Has she been reborn before her marriage?