The Reborn Legitimate Daughter is Frivolous - Chapter 1
Snow filled the sky outside the house. Inside, a woman sat at the edge of the bed, her cheeks thin, her figure frail and lifeless.
The door was pushed open with a heavy sound, and a woman strode in quickly. The golden ornaments on her head jingled loudly with each step. When she saw the woman on the bed, a mocking smile curled on her lips.
“Murong Qing, when you see this palace, you don’t kneel and pay respect? Do you still think you’re the high and mighty queen?”
At her words, a palace maid stepped forward and yanked Murong Qing down. Murong Qing, already weak from torture, had no strength to resist and was dragged to the floor without even a struggle.
She lifted her head with difficulty and smiled faintly. “At least I was. And you—after all, you’re just a concubine.”
Slap!
The woman bent down and struck her hard across the face. Murong Qing fell to the side, yet the smile on her lips only deepened.
“Murong Xue, you can only vent your anger by hitting me. The emperor is dead you’re not even a concubine anymore.”
“Do you think you’ve won?” Murong Xue said sharply. “No, you haven’t! Because I won’t die—but you will!”
At that moment, a palace maid rushed in, dropped to her knees before Murong Xue, and cried out in panic,
“Your Grace! Something’s wrong! The Seventh Prince has raised troops! The Second Prince and Fifth Prince have been killed on the spot, and all the soldiers have surrendered!”
“What!?”
Murong Xue staggered backward and nearly fell, saved only by the maids supporting her. The messenger trembled, too afraid to lift her head—terrified both of the rebellion and of Murong Xue’s usual cruelty.
Murong Qing let out a faint laugh. “Did you think currying favor with the Second Prince would protect you? Heaven had other plans. Your dream has shattered—haha! This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”
After years in the palace, Murong Xue’s true nature had been fully revealed. The “good sister” Murong Qing once trusted turned out to be a vicious wolf. She had tried to live peacefully, without fighting or scheming, but ended up framed and ruined. Only then did she see Murong Xue’s true face—too late.
“You’re proud, aren’t you?” Murong Xue snapped, her voice shrill. “Guards! Beat Murong Qing to death! I want to see if she can still smile!”
The palace maids obeyed immediately. They grabbed thick sticks and began to strike.
Bl00d soon soaked through Murong Qing’s thin clothes. Before long, she was barely breathing.
Seeing her like this, Murong Xue burst into wild laughter, a twisted joy gleaming in her eyes.
The world in front of Murong Qing began to blur. With great effort, she lifted her head and whispered hoarsely,
“Murong Xue… on the Road to the Underworld… by the bridge… I, Murong Qing… will be waiting for you…”
A faint, sorrowful smile appeared on her lips—and then, silence.
General’s Mansion, Qingyuan.
“Miss, you’re awake.”
Murong Qing sat up slowly, staring blankly around.
Wasn’t she beaten to death by Murong Xue? How was she back at the General’s Mansion?
Before she could gather her thoughts, the maid beside her said softly, “Madam has passed away, Miss. You must be strong.”
“Mother?”
She wasn’t hurt, and she was back home. This familiar scene struck her—this was the day her mother, Yun Wan, died. In her previous life, she had fainted from grief after hearing the news.
It was only after Murong Xue’s betrayal that she began to suspect her mother’s death.
“I’m going to see my mother!”
Without thinking, Murong Qing got out of bed, and the maid quickly led the way.
Wan Pavilion.
As soon as Murong Qing entered, she saw Shui Xinting coming toward her. “Miss, why are you here? Are you feeling better?” Shui Xinting’s eyes were full of concern—but it was those very eyes that had deceived her in her past life.
Murong Qing shook off her hand and went straight to the bed. Yun Wan lay there, her eyes closed in eternal rest. Murong Qing’s heart ached.
If she hadn’t been so weak and naive before, how could things have ended like that?
“Elder Sister, Aunt Shui means well. How can you be so rude?”
Murong Xue stepped forward, her tone gentle as ever, but her face full of reproach.
Seeing her again, Murong Qing’s hands clenched tightly under her sleeves, her fingertips turning white. She wanted to tear off that hypocritical mask with her own hands.
Ignoring her, Murong Qing focused only on her mother. She reached out and touched Yun Wan’s cheek—it still held a trace of warmth.
Yun Wan’s health had always been fragile. They said she died of illness, but Murong Qing’s eyes filled with sorrow and guilt.
“Mother…” she whispered softly, taking Yun Wan’s hand and pressing it to her face, feeling the last remnant of warmth.
“Elder Sister, I know you’re sad, but…”
Murong Qing placed her mother’s hand down gently, turned to Murong Xue, and said coldly, “Rude? Shui Xinting is only an aunt of the General’s Mansion. I am the eldest daughter. Who, then, is truly being rude?”
Murong Xue had never seen her like this. Thinking grief had driven her mad, she tried to calm her. “Elder Sister…”
“Murong Xue.” Murong Qing stood tall and said slowly, “You are my younger sister, the second young lady of this mansion, though born of a concubine, you are still a member of the household.”
Her voice was calm, but her words carried an undeniable authority. The poise and presence she exuded were impossible to fake.
Murong Xue bit her lip, jealousy flashing in her eyes despite her fragile demeanor.
Shui Xinting quickly stepped forward and knelt. “I was rude just now. Please, Eldest Miss, don’t blame the Second Miss.”
“Concubine?” Murong Qing sneered. “You can only ever call yourself that. My mother was always gentle and tolerant toward you, but now that she’s gone, what is it you’re really after?”
“The Eldest Miss misunderstands! I—I meant no harm, please believe me!”
Looking down at Shui Xinting kneeling before her, Murong Qing’s lips curved into a cold smile. Turning to her mother’s still form, she whispered in her heart,
Mother, your daughter will never again be at their mercy. Please, rest assured.
Just then, Murong Qing noticed the faint black-purple tint on Yun Wan’s fingertips, something that hadn’t been there before.
Could it be… poison?
She had lived through too much in her past life. She was no longer the ignorant Murong Qing she once was.
Calmly covering her mother’s hands, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.