1 The day I entered the palace, my dowry—a hundred chests—was displayed at the gates. Strange words flashed before my eyes: [Run! That’s Consort Clara—skinned alive by Emperor Cyrus and fed to his python!] [The emperor hates curvy women! Her parents sent her to die for their adopted daughter!] [Switch places with the adopted girl now!] In my past life, I believed those words and refused to enter the palace. My parents sent their adopted daughter in my place, with my dowry. I married the poor scholar she rejected—his cruel mother, sharp-tongued sister, and five stepchildren broke me. When I fled home, my adopted sister whipped me out: "A wife’s duty is to serve her husband! Running back shames all women!" My parents, who once adored me, coldly sent me back: "You belong to his family now. Live or die there." I starved, froze, and died in my third winter. Only then did I learn the floating words were her trickery. Now, my adopted sister Theodora clutched my sleeve, greed dripping from her eyes. The words swirled madly. I picked up my wedding gown, staring her down: "You want to be Consort?" "You’re not worthy." The imperial sedan, sent to escort me into the palace, waited outside the gate. Theodora, my cousin-sister, stared at the red wedding gown in my hands, her eyes practically overflowing with jealousy and malice. "Cousin Clara, I hear His Majesty has fangs and a green face, and kills people as casually as chopping vegetables. Your figure, naturally plump as it is, which man would ever favor it? How will you possibly fare in the palace?" Ever since the imperial decree naming me Consort Clara arrived, she had been whispering malicious rumors about the Emperor, off and on. I had always thought she was concerned for me, worried about my well-being, and thus sought out information. Only later did I realize she was clearly coveting my dowry and my position as Consort. I slammed my teacup to the ground, the porcelain shattering. "Insolence! Speaking ill of His Majesty, Cousin, do you wish for our entire family to be punished by imperial decree?" Theodora, startled by my sudden severity, shrank back. Countless floating words instantly erupted before my eyes. [Heroine, don't be a fool! Only your cousin tells you the truth!] [Exactly! Only your cousin wants to save you, heroine! Quick, tell her to swap places with you! As long as you don't enter the palace, you'll be saved!] Theodora's tears flowed instantly, just as easily as they had in my past life. "I am merely concerned for you, Cousin, fearing you will not fare well." She cried with such genuine emotion, as if she truly worried for me. If not for the bitter lessons of my past life, I might truly have believed I misunderstood her. I ignored her completely, turning my back and, in front of her, began to put on my wedding gown. "My apologies, Cousin, but with a hundred chests of dowry and the position of Consort, how could I not fare well?" "If I recall correctly, Cousin, you are also marrying today, aren't you? Why haven't you changed into your dress yet?" "Unless… you wish to enter the palace with me? As a concubine?" Seeing the maids and matchmakers all looking at her, Theodora's face turned from green to purple. "Cousin, how could you think such a thing of me?" "If not, then Cousin, please return to your room to get ready. It would be improper to miss the auspicious hour." Theodora froze, stubbornly unwilling to leave. She wouldn't give up today without achieving her goal! I waved my hand, and several maids immediately surrounded her. "Young Miss Theodora, allow us to escort you to get ready." "Young Miss, the groom is waiting impatiently." The floating words suddenly reappeared, overwhelming me! [No way?! Is the heroine actually going to feed the python?! Oh my god, she's actually refusing this perfect chance to swap places!] [Though the scholar is poor, he truly dotes on his wife! The heroine will surely not suffer if she marries him.] [Good advice is wasted on the doomed!] I scoffed. Since this was the perfect husband Theodora herself had chosen, let her experience him firsthand. I put on my phoenix crown, and Mother placed the red veil over my face, escorting me out the door. The wedding sedan swayed, and a wave of overwhelming drowsiness suddenly washed over me. Something was wrong! The floating words appeared again. [Just sleep. Everything will be fine when you wake up.] [Don't struggle! Even a strong man couldn't withstand this knockout drug! You won't be able to stay awake.] Theodora had actually drugged me with a knockout potion! I desperately pinched my palms and thighs, but my vision grew increasingly blurry. In a split second, I pulled out the golden hairpin from my hair and stabbed it hard into my thigh! Blood gushed! The pain instantly cleared my head. Peeking through the sedan curtain, I saw it—this was definitely not the way to the palace! I immediately ordered the sedan bearers to stop. "Stop! I am His Majesty's Consort Clara! Where are you taking me?" A cold scoff came from outside the sedan. "What daydream are you having? This is clearly Scholar Wyatt's sedan for his new bride." Theodora swapped my sedan? But how was that possible? Mother herself had helped me into this sedan. No time to think. I immediately slipped off a golden bangle from my wrist and handed it to the sedan bearers. "Turn around, head for the Imperial Palace. These are all yours." The sedan absolutely could not reach the Wyatt family's home, or everything would be too late. They took the golden bangle, bit it to test its authenticity, exchanged glances, and then pocketed it. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the next second, he spat at me directly. "Old Man Cloud and Old Lady Cloud already told us their daughter had hysterics. Send you to the palace? Dream on." Floating words danced before my eyes. [You'll be at the Wyatt home soon, why are you still resisting? Just be a good wife to Scholar Wyatt.] [Though Scholar Wyatt has five children, all five will become powerful officials in the future, very promising! How can you bear to see them without a mother?] [Accept your fate, accept your fate.] The sedan bearers directly blocked the sedan door. The suffering of my past life flashed before my eyes like a galloping horse. No, I absolutely would not yield. I grabbed the hairpin and stabbed it fiercely into their backs. The sedan bearers screamed and released the sedan poles. I seized the opportunity and bolted out. This place was not far from the capital. If I ran fast enough, perhaps I could still make it. However, the moment I stepped out of the sedan, Scholar Wyatt emerged from nowhere. His teeth yellowed, he grabbed a handful of my hair. "You stinking hag, the Cloud family has already sold you to me. Where do you think you're going?" [Don't let his looks deceive you, he's truly a good man who dotes on his wife.] [Little Sister, you've really hit the jackpot by marrying him.] [Quick, go and perform the marriage rites with him.] I kicked him hard in the stomach. "The one marrying you is Theodora White, not me! You've been tricked! I am Consort Clara, personally bestowed by the Emperor! Can you bear the consequences of offending a Consort?" He cried out in pain from my kick, and slapped me directly across the face. "You stinking woman! I don't care what Consort or not Consort you are! The Cloud family sent you here, so you're my wife now!" "Now hurry up and come home with me for the marriage rites! My clothes are waiting for you to wash!" I was dizzy from his slap, my eyes seeing stars, and I spat out a mouthful of blood. The floating words gloated: [You should have just gone along with the marriage rites, why did you dare to hit your husband? You deserve to be beaten to death, you deserve it.] [Men are heaven, he is your heaven, how can you resist him?] [Once you enter the Wyatt family's door, be a good wife and mother.] The entrance to the Wyatt family home was just ahead. I stopped, giving up the struggle entirely. Scholar Wyatt, noticing my sudden cessation of resistance, paused in surprise. In that very instant, I pulled out the sachet of scented powder from my bosom and flung it into his eyes. "You wretched woman!" Scholar Wyatt cursed angrily, rubbing his eyes. But his eyes were completely coated in powder. He chased for two steps, then stumbled and fell to the ground. I summoned every ounce of strength, running frantically. I finally caught up to Theodora's phoenix sedan just before it entered the palace. I threw myself onto the sedan. "I am the real Clara Frost! I am the Consort appointed by the Emperor! The person inside is an impostor!" "An impostor?" The guards looked at me, uncertain. Young Miss Cloud rarely left the residence; they had never seen me before. I frantically searched my body for a token to prove my identity. My cousin-sister, Theodora, tearfully peeked out from the phoenix sedan. "Cousin, you eat my family's food, live in my family's house. Your usual jealousy is bad enough, but now you even want to snatch my chance at becoming a Consort?" "It's not that I'm unwilling to yield, but Cousin, your figure is so plump. If His Majesty sees you, it might even implicate our entire Cloud family." Passersby gathered, two by two. "Stealing your own cousin's marriage? That's utterly shameless." "With her appearance, she doesn't even look like a noble lady. And she wants to impersonate Young Miss Cloud to marry into the palace and become a concubine? She must have eaten a leopard's heart!" "Precisely! Precisely!" I had run so hard, my wedding gown was torn and stained with blood, my hair a complete mess. Meanwhile, Theodora in the sedan wore a phoenix crown and robes, her clothes spotless. To anyone looking, she would appear to be the true Young Miss Cloud. The floating words reappeared to sow discord. [Don't bother explaining, no one will believe you. If Emperor Cyrus sees you like this, he might even execute your entire clan.] [Your parents were so good to you, do you want to implicate them too?!] [Quick, say you're jealous of your cousin, say it!] I gritted my teeth, gripping the phoenix sedan with all my might. A guard kicked me in the lower back, pointing his saber at me. Just then, I saw my parents rushing over, and a wave of overwhelming joy washed over me. "Father, Mother, Theodora swapped my sedan! Quick, tell them I'm the real Clara Frost!" No one could prove my identity better than my parents. Father rushed over, but before I could speak, he slapped me. "My own daughter, how could I not recognize her? You dare to come here and cause trouble!" "Our Cloud family fed you, clothed you, and yet you still want to steal my daughter's marriage?" "The one in the phoenix sedan is my daughter, Clara Frost! Our Cloud family only recognizes this one daughter!" Mother hid behind Father, wiping away tears. "Theodora, please, stop causing trouble. Your husband's family is waiting for you." "Just go back and be a good wife and mother." It turned out my parents had already sided with Theodora. The surrounding commoners began to spit at me. "How can there be such a shameless person in this world?" "She must have gone mad with hysterics." Outside the crowd, Scholar Wyatt caught up. He grabbed my arm, twisting it, and pulled me up. "Excuse me, everyone, I accidentally let my crazy wife escape." "Now hurry up and come home with me for the marriage rites!" With that, he dragged me by the arm, pulling me out of the crowd. The crowd automatically parted for him. Was I destined to be unable to change my fate, even in this new life? The floating words flashed by rapidly, one by one, filled with mockery. [I told you already, accept your fate, struggling is useless.] [Even your own parents don't recognize you. You'll never be able to turn your life around.] [Being a stepmother to five children, a housemaid for the Wyatt family, that is your final destiny, ha ha ha.] I was powerless to resist, completely trapped by Scholar Wyatt. Tears of helplessness streamed down my face. However, at that moment, a shrill voice suddenly boomed through the air. "Everyone, stop! His Majesty has arrived!" A yellow imperial carriage halted before me. The Emperor, his lips slightly curved, rested his pale, slender hand on the carriage. His dark gold dragon robes billowed in the wind, his knuckles lightly tapping. "How dare you insult My Consort?" Everyone by the roadside knelt in terror.
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