Chapter 1: Swapping the Bride—A Concubine’s Daughter Takes Her Place (1)

Spring had just given way to summer. The air was warm and pleasant. People on the streets shed their heavy winter cloaks, enjoying the sunshine in light, comfortable clothing. On both sides of the road, beggars huddled together, sighing over their fates—clothes ragged, eyes hollow, and spirits broken.

It was the tenth year of Tianyuan. A terrible drought had struck Hezhou County. With no food or water, people fled in droves, hoping to find refuge in neighboring towns. Anping County, wealthy and flourishing, became a prime destination.

Back at the county magistrate’s residence, the air in the inner courtyard was icy cold.

Madam Zhao sat tall and composed in the main seat. Her voice was calm as she asked, “Which one of you is willing?”

The simple question made the girl standing in front of her flinch ever so slightly. Chi Qian kept her head down, her lashes casting shadows over her eyes, hiding her true thoughts.

No one answered.

The silence in the room dragged on, heavy and uncomfortable. Whether they were too afraid or simply unwilling, no one spoke.

Madam Zhao gently set down the jade teacup in her hand. Her calm expression didn’t waver—she had clearly expected this.

“If someone agrees to marry into the Song family, I’ll prepare a dowry of one thousand taels,” she said slowly, casting out the bait. Her fingers, adorned in red lacquer, lightly tapped the armrest—graceful and dignified, yet firm.

This was the authority of the lady of the house.

According to the rules, concubine-born daughters were usually given a dowry of about a hundred taels. If their mothers were favored, maybe five hundred at most. But a thousand? That was nearly unheard of—generous, almost to the point of suspicion.

Chi Qian felt a flicker of temptation—not because she was greedy, but because she understood how rare such an opportunity was.

In this world, if you weren’t born lucky, you had to marry well.

And a thousand taels… That was enough to live comfortably for a lifetime.

Yes, she had transmigrated. Half a month ago, Chi Qian had woken up in this unfamiliar world, in a body that shared her name—the third daughter of the Chi family.

Her mother had died when she was just six, leaving behind only her and her loyal maid, Pearl, to navigate life in this household.

Fortunately, Madam Zhao was upright and principled. She came from a family of scholars and had always been fair. She didn’t treat the concubine’s daughters harshly, nor did she play favorites. Under her strict but fair rule, the original Chi Qian had lived a relatively peaceful life.

But that peace had been shattered not long ago.

Chi Yuran, Madam Zhao’s legitimate daughter, had been out when she encountered a group of beggars. In the chaos, a man had stepped in to help her. In modern terms, it was a simple act of kindness from a passerby. But in this time period, it had turned into a full-blown scandal. To protect her daughter’s reputation, Madam Zhao had no choice—Chi Yuran had to marry the man.

The man, however, was no catch. A widower. No status. Dirt poor. And to top it off, he had an eight-year-old son.

This wasn’t a marriage—it was charity.

Even commoners would think twice before marrying into such a situation, let alone the dignified first daughter of the Chi family. Madam Zhao couldn’t bear to hand over her precious daughter to such a fate.

So instead, she turned her eyes toward the concubine-born daughters in the rear courtyard.

After all, to the outside world, they were all just “daughters of the Chi family.” No one would ever know which daughter had really been involved. Madam Zhao had already arranged for everyone in the residence to keep quiet.

And so, today’s scene was unfolding.

In her past life, Chi Qian had grown up in poverty—an isolated rural village, barely scraping by. When she was sick, she toughed it out. When she was hungry, she farmed. When she wanted to study, she picked up trash to pay her school fees. Her childhood had been filled with hardship and mockery.

She had no intention of reliving that kind of life again.

Right now, the only two potential candidates to replace Chi Yuran were Chi Meng—the second daughter—and herself. The two of them were only a month apart in age.

Chi Meng was beautiful and had a talented younger brother who was well liked by their tutors. Even their father, Lord Chi, had praised him multiple times. Thanks to this, Chi Meng enjoyed more favor than most of the other concubine-born daughters.

With that kind of support, it was unlikely she’d be pushed into this kind of marriage.

Just then, a servant rushed in, leaned in, and whispered something into Madam Zhao’s ear. Whatever it was, it was urgent—her usually composed face tightened with concern. She quickly dismissed the servant and left the room.

Chi Qian quietly observed. If I’m right, she thought, they’ll finalize this bride swap within the next couple of days.

As soon as Madam Zhao was gone, Chi Meng relaxed and gave Chi Qian a pitying glance.

“Xian’er, a thousand taels… That’s a huge sum. Most people couldn’t save that much even in a lifetime.”

When Chi Qian didn’t respond, Chi Meng let out a cold laugh. “You get what I’m saying, don’t you?”

Her tone dripped with disdain, and Chi Qian could clearly see the smugness in her eyes.

She stayed quiet, though inwardly, she sighed. This is what it’s like to be born lucky.

As for her, well… her fate had never been that kind.

Still, she wasn’t one to sit around and mope. She kept her face blank and replied, “The Song family? A poor bumpkin clan. Even with a thousand taels, it won’t last forever. Not worth it.”

“But my mother’s side of the family is different. They’re one of the richest merchants in town. Their new wife is a kind and respectable woman. If I marry into that family, I’ll live just as well as I do here—maybe even better.”

Chi Meng’s expression froze. She hesitated, genuinely considering those words.

“…”

Honestly, it did make sense.

A moment later, Chi Meng turned back toward her mother and said, “Mother, Chi Qian’s right. A scholar finally came out of our county, and he ended up going to my older sister. What if I end up like Auntie?”