In my past life, I was buried alive! Reborn, I'll overturn the capital.

Chapter 3 Return

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the Prime Minister's residence. After getting off the carriage, Jiang Qingyue couldn't help but look back at Qin Xuanyu with a complicated expression.

Their eyes met, and Qin Xuanyu looked up at him, his eyes seemingly covered with a layer of ice.

The shadow of the carriage curtain obscured his expression, making it impossible for Jiang Qingyue to read it.

She wanted to say something, but Qin Xuanyu didn't give her the chance. The curtain fell, severing their connection.

Jiang Qingyue suddenly snapped back to reality, took a deep breath while looking in the direction the carriage had gone.

When she stood at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence again, she felt as if she had been transported to another world.

She was framed, and her parents thought she was the one who caused their precious daughter Jiang Chuchu to fall into the water. They abandoned her, who was still sick, in such a desolate place, calling it "reflection."

Little did he know, Jiang Chuchu had no intention of letting him go.

Seeing the festive decorations and the endless stream of guests bringing gifts, including high-ranking officials from the imperial court, it was clear how much they valued this "fake daughter."

Over the years, Jiang Chuchu had been pampered in the Prime Minister's residence and had never shown her face. This birthday banquet was the Prime Minister's opportunity to introduce his daughter to the official families of the capital.

Jiang Qingyue's fingernails dug into her palm, leaving deep marks.

Memories flooded her mind, allowing Jiang Qingyue to calm down temporarily.

In their previous life, when they were celebrating Jiang Chuchu's birthday, Jiang Qingyue had already been murdered.

She barely escaped with her life and returned home, only to be stopped at the door by the servants who claimed that her ragged clothes meant she was a beggar. Left with no other choice, she had to climb through a dog hole to get in.

Having finally entered the manor, she unexpectedly witnessed a maidservant attending a banquet being frightened by a stray cat, while Jiang Chuchu, standing nearby, accidentally fell into the water. This incident, however, made her a favorite of the maidservant. With the maidservant as her backer, everyone in the capital recognized her as the daughter of the Prime Minister.

After all, everyone in the capital knew that the Prime Minister's wife, who had died young, and the current emperor were close friends.

Because of this identity, Jiang Chuchu was so respected and admired that no one in the capital dared to offend her.

Jiang Qingyue didn't understand the reason at first, but after that banquet, Jiang Chuchu found an excuse to lock her in the woodshed and burned the birthmark on her shoulder with a red-hot iron. Only then did she understand why Jiang Chuchu had taken her place.

It's laughable that she was born without ever seeing her father, before being abandoned by the family. Her so-called father didn't even know that his own daughter had a birthmark on her shoulder.

Even after she learned of Jiang Chuchu's actions, she turned a blind eye and allowed Jiang Chuchu to take her place, feeling at ease letting her enjoy everything that didn't belong to her.

Jiang Qingyue touched the birthmark on her back, her eyes flashing with intense hatred.

This time, Jiang Chuchu, you won't have another chance like this.

This time, Jiang Qingyue didn't force her way in. Instead, she went around to the back of the house and slipped through an inconspicuous little door behind the locust tree.

In her previous life, when she was locked in the woodshed, she accidentally peeked out the window and saw that it was a place where the servants of the mansion would pass by when they went out to buy supplies.

As soon as she entered, Jiang Qingyue could faintly hear the sounds of string and wind instruments and commotion coming from the front yard.

The entire household must be busy preparing for Jiang Chuchu's birthday banquet, so they probably don't have time to care about this young lady who has returned from the countryside.

Jiang Qingyue secretly slipped through the corridor and walked along the corner of the wall to the courtyard where her mother had lived before her death.

As far as she knew, her mother had a difficult childbirth and passed away after giving birth to her. At the time of the delivery, the Prime Minister was nowhere to be found, and only her mother was by her side.

Not only that, but he also remarried less than a year after the death of the original Prime Minister's wife.

Because of this incident, *** became estranged from the Prime Minister's residence and never had any contact with them again.

If it weren't for her old friend's daughter's birthday, she would never have stepped into the Prime Minister's residence.

*** dislikes crowds; in his past life, he sought a quiet place to hide away.

As soon as Jiang Qingyue stepped into the courtyard, she saw, as expected, the woman sitting alone in the pavilion.

If I'm not mistaken, the incident in my past life where I was startled by a stray cat was also orchestrated by Jiang Chuchu.

Jiang Qingyue looked around and sure enough, she saw a black cat licking its fur.

After fidgeting with her fingers to make sure she was confident, Jiang Qingyue picked up a small pebble and threw it accurately at the grass beside the black cat.

The pebble was less than an inch from the black cat, startling it so much that it yelped and puffed up its fur, then darted off towards the direction of the pebble.

Qin Congyu was still lost in her thoughts when she was startled by the sudden "black coal ball" that came from the distance. She screamed and backed away, but just like in her previous life, she tripped and fell towards the pond. The old woman in the distance couldn't react in time.

Jiang Qingyue, who was already prepared, quickly stepped forward, pulled Qin Congyu back, turned him around, and fell down herself.

With a "plop," a huge splash of water erupted.

Qin Congyu was shocked, "Quickly, save them!"

In an instant, all of Qin Congyu's servants rushed over and quickly scooped Jiang Qingyue out of the water.

Jiang Qingyue, who had been rescued and brought ashore, was so cold that her teeth chattered. She hugged her arms, her thin clothes slightly loose.

Just as Qin Congyu was about to say something, his gaze fell on Jiang Qingyue's slender shoulder.

Just as the personal maid was about to cover Jiang Qingyue with the blanket, Qin Congyu suddenly waved his hand, "Wait!"

Jiang Qingyue, who had fallen to the ground, trembled as she looked up, her pale face meeting Qin Congyu's gaze.

In an instant, Qin Congyu's pupils contracted. Although the girl in front of her had a youthful face, her delicate features were still easily discernible, making her a true beauty. What was even more striking were her eyes, which seemed to remind her of an old friend.

The momentary silence made Jiang Qingyue feel uneasy. The person in front of her had an overwhelming aura, exuding an air of nobility and wealth, just like the person in the carriage not long ago.

Jiang Qingyue gripped her damp sleeves tightly, trying to remain calm.

Qin Congyu slowly bent down and squatted down, her eyes fixed on Jiang Qingyue. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, "Miss, may I take a closer look at the birthmark on your body?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but she didn't show it on her face, only pretending to hesitate.

Assessing the situation, Granny Wang said, "Miss, don't be afraid. My master is the Emperor of the Court and will certainly not harm you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyue was greatly surprised and immediately tried to bow, but was stopped by Granny Wang.

Jiang Qingyue glanced at Qin Congyu again cautiously, then nodded.

Her thin clothes were gently lifted, and Qin Congyu saw that place clearly. Her pupils, which had been shrouded in shock, slowly returned to their senses, and soon her eyes reddened.

She looked up at Jiang Qingyue, who was soaking wet, and carefully wiped the water droplets from her forehead with her fingers.

Yes, that face is none other than young A-Yuan.

"So alike, so very alike! You and your mother looked exactly alike when you were young." Qin Congyu cried tears of joy, looking Jiang Qingyue up and down.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyue feigned surprise, "You know my mother?"

"It's more than just knowing each other, child, I saw you born, even your father—" At this point, a hint of disgust flashed in Qin Congyu's eyes, as if she didn't want to say more, and she changed the subject, "Good child, it's all thanks to you just now!"

It was only then that Qin Congyu noticed Jiang Qingyue's coarse linen clothes, a fabric even the servants in her household wouldn't wear. Not to mention her pale face and thin figure, she looked as if she had been mistreated.

In an instant, Qin Congyu's anger flared up, "Your father treats you badly?"