The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

He Zhizhu instantly transformed into a trembling, pitiful little thing, looking utterly helpless, her voice trembling as she said, "I... I still have my parents and brothers to protect me."

Hua Sirong continued whispering, "What if the person who harms you is a member of the royal family?"

"At that time, will your father protect you, or your brother? I'm afraid the entire Muqing Marquis's mansion will suffer because of this. We might not even last three years; we'll all be finished."

"Oh, no, that's not right either. In your world, I'm destined to be a concubine, with a promising future."

He Zhizhu raised her embroidered fist and gave Hua Sirong a light tap. "Cousin, I'm scared, and you're making fun of me."

Hua Sirong raised an eyebrow, "So, are you still going to announce it widely?"

He Zhizhu finally understood her cousin's intentions. "I know, I know, I won't tell anyone, I'll even keep it from my own mother, okay?"

She had actually thought her cousin was truly thinking of her.

Hmph, what a waste of her feelings.

Hua Sirong: "Don't think I'm lying to you. If all else fails, I still have the option of becoming someone's concubine."

But once your secret is exposed, your marriage will no longer be up to you.

The best outcome would be marrying a prince; the more ordinary outcome might be a secret imperial decree summoning her to the palace and bestowing upon her the title of a concubine. It sounds like a life of wealth and honor, but it would mean being trapped in a cage for life, constantly monitored.

He Zhizhu was horrified; the old emperor in the palace was her uncle!

Ugh, that's not the point!

"So what is the worst possible outcome?"

Hua Sirong said meaningfully, "After interrogating you until you're completely torn apart, I'll end you with one stab." She then gestured at her neck.

Oh my god, He Zhizhu was so scared that she threw herself into Hua Sirong's arms.

Hua Sirong hugged her, soothing the frightened woman with her hands, "Don't act too smart before you're absolutely sure. There are some things that we women in the inner quarters shouldn't know, so let's just pretend we don't know."

Be deaf or mute; it might save your life in a critical moment.

Do you remember?

He Zhizhu nodded.

Hua Sirong patted her head. "Good girl! You should know that there is no shortage of curious people in this world. If you make yourself stand out too much, you will become the target of everyone's criticism."

Even if others are unaware of your prophetic dream, they will still want to take you under their wing out of curiosity. Ordinary families are fine, but the real danger lies with the powerful enemies that a noble family cannot afford to offend.

If you marry into one of those families because of this, you'll be trapped in a secluded mansion, completely helpless.

He Zhizhu's forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat. "Cousin, can I not get married?" She suddenly felt that the two-faced scholar in her previous life was actually not so bad.

So what if she keeps a few concubines? Her father and her brothers have had plenty.

"Oh no, oh no!" He Zhizhu clutched her head, screaming inwardly. She was going to kill herself first.

Hua Sirong, unaware of what she was imagining or recalling, continued...

"Don't think too much. Go back and get some rest. Look at your eye bags, they're so thick I can hardly bear to look at them. Remember, you need to be well-rested and have a clear mind to think things through."

Having successfully persuaded the reluctant He Zhizhu to leave, Hua Sirong felt her mind was a complete mess.

Prophet! Two lifetimes!

Although she didn't encounter it, she was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of it.

The secrets of heaven must not be revealed, but no one told her what to do if she were the one whose secrets were exposed.

If she had known this news before going to the capital, she would definitely have stayed in her hometown in Xishan and dealt with her clansmen rather than wading into the mess of the Marquis's mansion in the capital.

Unfortunately, there's no such thing as knowing beforehand.

Seeing that Seventh Sister had been gone for a while and her own daughter hadn't made a sound in the room, Madam Wang couldn't help but push the door open to take a look.

"Girl, girl?"

Hua Sirong opened her eyes and looked at Wang's mother's worried eyes. "Mom, I guess I didn't sleep well last night. I want to lie on the couch for a while longer."

With a look of heartache, Madam Wang hurried over to serve you, saying, "Alright, alright. Miss, just rest. This old servant will watch over you outside."

Hua Sirong's eyes crinkled into crescents, and her gloomy mood improved somewhat.

She closed her eyes and thought about the future, about the other life He Zhizhu had described.

To be a concubine? Or a wife?

Although He Zhizhu will not reveal her secret to her family for the time being, she will definitely tell them after she calms down and thinks it over carefully.

No matter who they are, in the end they will all focus their attention on her, this powerless and dependent cousin.

As for whether the masters of the Marquis's mansion would eliminate the hidden dangers in advance? Hua Sirong never gambles on that possibility.

She believes that more people will see her value through He Zhizhu's dream.

It's not impossible that if you can't have it, you might destroy it.

After all, which family doesn't have a daughter or granddaughter who dreams of entering the palace?

Since you, Hua Sirong, are destined to threaten my child in the future, why not eliminate you before things even begin to develop?

Hua Sirong doesn't gamble on human nature.

She tossed and turned on the couch, unable to sleep.

What can I do? I still want to marry a poor scholar; my mind is unwavering!

In Yimei Garden, Madam Shen learned that her daughter had gone to Qingwu Courtyard, and that the two cousins ​​had been talking in a room for a long time, with faint sounds of crying coming from inside. She was extremely worried.

Madam Shen asked, "Where is Seventh Miss right now?"

Servant: "Reporting to Madam, Seventh Miss has returned to her own courtyard, saying she wants to catch up on her sleep and asked us not to disturb her."

Shen took a step back.

What a little troublemaker! He doesn't even know how to talk to his own mother about his worries.

Thinking about it this way, I realized Hua Sirong's good points again.

Despite being cousins, the Seventh Miss doesn't get close to her half-sisters, but instead befriends her maternal relatives. Isn't that siding with her biological mother?

Thinking that if Hua Sirong could make her happy, it would be of some use. Without realizing it, she reminded Wenqin to pay more attention to Qingwu Courtyard.

Despite not avenging her old grudge against Wenqin, Hua Sirong gained even more favor in front of the eldest and youngest masters.

But considering how messy and chaotic the young lady's life is, the slap she gave Hua Sirong earlier was probably just the beginning.

When the young master gets married, the eldest daughter will have another opportunity to openly return to her parents' home. At that time, the masters of the mansion will be busy with the wedding and will not care if the eldest daughter goes to her cousin's place to cause trouble.

If the eldest daughter truly makes peace, then this maid should also do her part and secretly sow discord.

Thinking this to himself, his mood instantly improved, but he still flattered Hua Sirong, saying, "You're really something, Miss Hua, to have won the favor of our Seventh Miss. You're quite lucky."

When Madam Shen heard that Hua Sirong was labeled as having good fortune, she felt a chill in her heart. Although she was her niece, she was afraid that if her child had too much contact with her, she might be infected with bad luck that would bring misfortune to her relatives.

Although the troubles in the eldest daughter's house were all caused by her own actions, a mother's heart is always worried that the same trouble might happen to her own child.

Ugh, so annoying.

Frustrated, Madam Shen waved Wenqin away, wanting to lie down on the couch for a while.