"Thank you, Father."

Wei Liuying raised her head and turned around. For a moment, she could see that Concubine Xie was looking at her with malice within her eyes. It seemed that she finally saw Wei Hong Zheng as a threat to her son, Wei Yijun.

The residence might be chaotic in the future.

However, Wei Liuying didn't have the time to care for all of that because she had to hurry back to her residence. She bypassed her brother's residence and looked at Huo. "You'll be the one telling him everything. I need to return back."

"I understand, Third Miss."

"Good."

Huo watched as Wei Liuying disappeared through the sibling's secret door in their residence while he returned back to Wei Hong Zheng's room. By this time, Wei Hong Zheng was sitting in his room, reading a book that contained the lesson he needed to memorize.

He lifted his head when he heard Huo coming. "How is it in the hunt?"

"Third Young Miss managed to hunt a deer. However, there's a problem with the rest of the journey because there's an incident."

With that, Huo began to tell everything that occurred with Wei Hong Zheng listening in. Hearing what Wei Liuying did, his eyebrows scrunched even deeper. He had thought that his sister was very capable, but this was the first time he realized that she was even more terrifying.

Knowledge, martial arts, archery, and horse riding.

If Wei Liuying was a man, she would have been a great scholar or even a commander in the military in just a few more years. Even now, her knowledge and capabilities were already far than what most men her age have. But unfortunately, she's a girl and this knowledge were useless for her in normal times.

At the same time, she was lacking in her own study such as music and embroidery because she spent a long time to study things that were supposed to be men's.

'I'm glad she's not a man.'

If Wei Liuying was a man and not a girl, Wei Hong Zheng knew that all of her mother's affection and attention would be given to Wei Liuying. The only field he was better than Wei Liuying would be the fact that he's a man and the fact that one's gender couldn't be changed.

Since women had low position in this world, naturally Feng Chun would never favor Wei Liuying over Wei Hong Zheng.

But should Wei Liuying be a man, Wei Hong Zheng would have fallen out of favor from a long time ago. He was terribly lacking compared to his sister in almost every field existed in this world. At first, he thought it was because his sister was one year older than him, but it turned out that she was indeed much smarter than people her age.

How vexing.

"Why is she not coming here?" Wei Hong Zheng asked.

"I suppose Master will call her soon after he had washed up."

"Why is that?"

Huo looked at Wei Hong Zheng and sighed. "There has been a talk during the hunt about Third Miss's marriage. Master wants to pair her with Official Mu or some of his old friends."

"Old Mu?" Wei Hong Zheng recalled that Wei Hong's friends named Old Mu already have a wife and several concubines. It seemed that he wanted to expand more. After all, higher ranked officials can have more concubines compared to lower ranked officials.

Some officials used this privilege they have to expand more connections. They all wanted to be able to grow stronger by having a bit of connection here and there. Only a few of them only have few concubines or even none at all.

Official Mu was obviously the first one. He was the type who liked to have as many concubines as possible. It was only through His Majesty's permission that he was able to expand his harem greatly so far.

"Yes."

"I see. It's already the time, huh?"

Huo was silent for a moment. Looking at the smile filled with amusement on his young master's face, he felt his heart tightened a bit. "Young Master, don't you plan to help her out?"

"Help her?" Wei Hong Zheng laughed coldly. "Since she had successfully build the connection for me to become a commander, her task is done. In two years, I'll be enlisted to be a soldier, so I don't need her anymore. Old Mu is known to be taking good care of his women. I wouldn't need to do anything to dispose her this way."

Huo could feel chills running down on his spine. He understood that Wei Liuying was only kept alive because she was useful for Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng. If not for that, they would have already disposed her a long time ago because just seeing her would make them feel pain. Inside their heart, they would always compare Wei Liuying and Wei Hong Zheng.

There were only two more years, but even without that, Wei Hong Zheng thought that it was already enough.

Even though there was no one telling him, Huo had the feeling that Feng Chun would also say the same thing. Recently, Feng Chun had been on Wei Hong's good side and with her son being so splendid, she would be doted more in the residence.

With that backer, who would dare to slight her?

No one would dare. Wei Liuying's role as the schemer on the back would slowly disappear along with time.

At this time, Huo could hear some voice from the other residence.

"Oh, hear that? It means her fate is already sealed. Besides, whoever she will marry doesn't concern me in the slightest bit," Wei Hong Zheng said with a snort. She was nothing more than a concubine daughter whose purpose to live was only to serve him and his mother.

He never cared for her.

Huo was silent as he silently watched everything unfolded. He knew, this would be the start of Wei Liuying's lone battle.

When Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng had already finished using her, they would simply discard her like a useless chess piece that had served its purpose. Whether the chess piece survive, dying, or abandoned, it would be no longer be their care. They would not even want to turn their head to look at this used up chess piece.

…

Wei Liuying returned back to her residence after returning back. She didn't spare time to dilly dallying as she hurriedly rushed to the bathroom and scrubbed herself clean. She poured more oil to make sure that the smell of blood was washed away. After all, it would be weird for a sick noble lady to be filled with the smell of blood.

Aroma of flowers immediately filled the room.

"Miss, are you alright?" Xiao Qing asked when she realized that Wei Liuying took more time.

"I'm fine. Bring my clothes in."

"Yes."

It took Wei Liuying some time to change back to her usual clothes. Afterwards, she asked Xiao Yu to do her hair while Xiao Qing helped to apply some makeup to her face. She needed to make her countenance looked whiter and paler to make people think that she was truly sick. Even if the truth she was not, she knew that it would be better for her to keep up an appearance.

Xiao Yu looked from behind with a complicated expression. "Miss, is it really necessary to pretend to be sick?"

"I haven't appeared for weeks. This is the best reason that I can give," Wei Liuying replied softly. She was trying to adjust back her state of mind. Living as a boy made it a bit hard for her to return back immediately to her usual attitude.

"This servant understands, Miss."

At this time, a servant came and Xiao Yu quickly received her. They exchanged some words before Xiao Yu returned. "Miss, Master wants to see you."

"I know."

Wei Liuying had been thinking about when her father would call her. It should be either today or tomorrow depending on her father's mood. Besides, he would be busy soon because of the bandits' matter, so he wouldn't be able to remember the thing about marriage if someone didn't remind him.

Someone…

The only person who could possibly do that would be her first sister.

Slowly, Wei Liuying stood up and walked out while holding Xiao Qing��s hand. Xiao Yu didn't follow and stayed behind in the courtyard with her head lowered. There was an old servant waiting for them outside.

"Please follow me."

"Wei Liuying understands."

As they walked, Wei Liuying was still thinking hard about what she was supposed to do. She was sleep deprived and spent a long time in the carriage to think for everything that she should say when her father mentioned the matter of her marriage.

But every scene that she could think only lead her to her doom.

Her father wouldn't want to listen.