It was the third year of Yuanping.
The wind was biting cold, and fluttering snowflakes filled the sky.
Clouds of smoke billowed across a small courtyard located in the northwest corner of the Chengguo Residence.
Luo Qingzhou was squatting by the brazier at the door in thin clothes. One of his hands was holding onto a
Luo Qingzhou had picked up the firewood from outside. The ground outside was covered with wet snow.
After the flames dried the wood, the dried wood rapidly caught fire.
Luo Qingzhou coughed several times from the smoke. He waved the fan in an attempt to fan the smoke away from him and then sat down by the brazier. He dried the bodice by fanning it over the fire while he stared blankly into the flames.
Three days earlier.
When he woke up, he realized that he had transmigrated to this place.
He was at Mo City in the Great Yan Empire.
He was the third son in the Chengguo Residence, but he was an illegitimate son.
Luo Qingzhou was a gentle and frail-looking scholar.
In ancient times, the status of a concubine's son and a legitimate son were worlds apart.
If he was the son of a woman without status, his status would be even lower.
From the memories of the original host, Luo Qingzhou realized that his status was even beneath that of an illegitimate son.
Three years ago.
His mother brought him to the Chengguo Residence and they stayed there.
The head of the Chengguo Residence, Luo Yannian, gave him the status of an illegitimate son. However, Luo Yannian did not give his mother status.
Even until last year, when his mother suddenly passed away, she was not even given the status of a concubine.
In private, the servants in the residence were all discussing his background.
"His mother is a woman from the countryside. Who knows whether he's really Old Master's son? He does not bear the slightest resemblance in appearance to Old Master at all."
"Old Master is indeed kind. In my opinion, the mother and son are liars and should be chased out of the residence."
All of the original host's memories were bad.
Luo Qingzhou sighed and flipped over the bodice.
What kind of young master was he? In the entire Chengguo Residence, no one treated him as one.
Even the maidservants and servants were dressed better than him. Even in winter, they could burn coal to keep themselves warm.
As for him...
It was winter, but he was dressed in a thin coarse robe. He sat in the tiny, dilapidated courtyard by himself. No one cared about him.
How pitiful!
Although he had transmigrated, his body and memories had fused together. Hence, Luo Qingzhou felt as if all these had happened to him.
He felt a plethora of emotions. He felt repressed, bitter, aggrieved, and hateful.
Indeed, he also felt hatred.
His mother was only in her thirties. She was originally very healthy, but last year, she died unexpectedly from a severe illness.
She died only two days after contracting the illness.
Clearly, there was something amiss.
The original host's soul had mysteriously wandered away from his body, which was why he could take over his body.
There was definitely something strange about it.
Luo Qingzhou knew that members of large families schemed against each other and were even willing to kill to obtain benefits.
However, he did not expect to encounter something like this as soon as he transmigrated.
It was impossible that he could be a rich young master who abandoned himself to a life of pleasure and peacefully accept whatever came his way.
However, he was alone. He had no backer nor power. How could he get himself out of his plight?
"Young Master, Young Master! I have good news for you!" A crisp and melodious voice rang out.
Following that, a frail-looking maidservant dressed in emerald green clothes ran into the small courtyard, carrying cold air behind her as she entered. She had a delicate face with childish features. At that moment, her face was filled with excitement.
Xiao Die was his only maidservant.
Back then, because Xiao Die had done something wrong, she was almost thrown into the well by the First Madam. However, Luo Qingzhou's mother saved her.
From then on, she became the mother-son duo's maidservant and was very loyal to them.
However, because of that, Xiao Die was often bullied by the other maidservants and servants in the residence. She often had bruises on her body.
"What good news?"
Luo Qingzhou asked as he observed the frail-looking girl.
To him, what good news could there be in the residence?
It would be the new year soon, so Luo Qingzhou guessed that the butler would either allocate a few more silver ingots to him or make a new set of clothes for him.
After all, they would have to pay a New Year's visit to relatives together. Wearing tattered clothes would not only embarrass the Chengguo Residence but also First Madam.
As the mistress of the Chengguo Residence, the First Madam—Madam Wang—detested it when others discussed about her morals behind her back.
However, this was not what Xiao Die wanted to say.
Xiao Die said excitedly, "I overheard Old Master talking to a guest outside the living room earlier. First Madam was also there, and she mentioned you. It seems to be about your marriage, Young Master. You're already an adult this year, so you can tie the knot!"
Luo Qingzhou was stunned. "My marriage?"
In this era, everyone got married early.
Moreover, once he got married, he would be able to get his own properties. In fact, he would be able to move out and live by himself. That would give him a lot more freedom.
However, he knew that First Madam would not be so kind as to allow him to get married and get the Luo family's assets.
He was the son of a concubine and could not inherit many assets. Moreover, he could not inherit Luo Yannian's noble title. Despite that, he was still a son of the Luo Family. The Chengguo Residence was a large household and owned many businesses. Giving him a house and some properties was nothing to them.
However, based on his memories relating to the past three years, Luo Qingzhou knew that there had to be something more to this.
Even if First Madam was generous to those maidservants and servants, she would definitely not be generous to him.
Xiao Die said, "After you get married, we'll move out! I can do the work of three people. I promise to take good care of you and your wife."
"I wonder which woman you'll marry, Young Master. With your status, she must be the daughter of an affluent family. I'm sure she'll be a stunner!"
Xiao Die was already fantasizing about her future life.
At this moment, Butler Wang's voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Is the Third Young Master here? Old Master and Madam want to see him."
Luo Qingzhou suddenly had a bad feeling.
However, he did not dare to hesitate. He stood up, handed the bodice over to Xiao Die, and walked out of the courtyard.
Xiao Die's eyes widened as she stared at the bodice in her hand. She was stunned for a moment before her face flushed crimson.
How could Young Master steal her undergarment? This was a woman's undergarment. She had washed it and left it in the room earlier...
Luo Qingzhou walked out of the small courtyard.
A slightly plump middle-aged man stood outside the door. He was dressed in a gray brocade robe.
He was the Second Butler of the Chengguo Residence, Wang Cheng.
He was said to be a relative of First Madam.
Butler Wang was different from the others. No matter who he was speaking to, he was very polite. He was even polite to Luo Qingzhou, the illegitimate son who everyone disregarded.
"Third Young Master, you should have a change of clothes. You still have to meet important guests later."
Butler Wang smiled and bowed slightly. He was very polite and respectful to Luo Qingzhou. No fault could be found with him.
"Butler Wang, which guest do I have to see?"
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and followed behind. He deliberately pretended to behave humbly and cowardly, and he spoke in a cautious tone.
That was how the previous host behaved.
Butler Wang smiled and said, "You'll know when you go, Third Young Master."
Luo Qingzhou's eyes flickered, but he did not ask further.
Matrilocal Son-In-Law
They exited through the archway.
After passing through the long winding corridor and a few garden courtyards, they arrived at the pavilion that was used for receiving guests.
There were already maidservants waiting outside.
When they saw them, those maidservants immediately came over and said anxiously, "Hurry up and get changed. Old Master and Madam are already waiting for you."
Luo Qingzhou followed behind two maidservants and entered a room in the side courtyard.
A maidservant had already prepared a new set of clothes for him.
The clothes were soft and smooth. It had a soft luster and was very comfortable to touch. Clearly, it was made from expensive fabric.
"These are Second Young Master's clothes. You can wear them, but don't dirty them. After that, you have to return them," a maidservant said.
This maidservant was called Mei Hua. As she assisted Luo Qingzhou in changing his clothes, she gave him a stern reminder. She did not treat him as a young master, nor did she care about his feelings.

Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and did not speak.
After changing his clothes, Mei Hua helped to tidy up his hair.
After that, she brought over a basin of water for him to wash his face.
Following that, she led Luo Qingzhou out of the courtyard and into the living room.
The atmosphere in the living room seemed a little off.
A man was sitting in the main seat. He was the head of the Chengguo Residence and Luo Qingzhou's father, Luo Yannian.
First Madam was sitting beside him.
Around them were Luo Yannian's two brothers and the other elders of the Luo family.
Standing behind them were the younger members of the Luo family.
A few middle-aged men were sitting on the guest seats on the left. All of them had an extraordinary bearing.
However, at this moment, the middle-aged men all had resentful expressions.
When Luo Qingzhou entered the living room, everyone turned to look at him.
The Second Madam—Madam Yang—walked out from behind First Madam and said with a smile, "Second Master Qin, this is Qingzhou. He is a handsome man and a man of talent. Moreover, he's a scholar."
Although Madam Yang was the Second Madam, she was only a concubine, so she did not have a seat.
However, it was awkward for Luo Yannian and First Madam to bring up today's topic, so they told Second Madam to speak instead.
"Qingzhou, come over quickly and let the masters of the Qin family take a look at you."
Madam Yang approached Luo Qingzhou and grabbed his hand warmly. She led him to the guests and beamed at them. "Qingzhou has a good character ever since he was a child. He's very hardworking. While the other kids were playing, he was in his room studying diligently," she praised.
She started babbling in praise.
The middle-aged man on the left sneered and looked at Luo Yannian, who was sitting on the main seat. "Yannian, you're intending to go back on your word?"
Luo Yannian smiled faintly. "Ruohuai, I don't intend to renege on my promise. This was decided by my father, so how would I have the guts to renege on it?"
Another burly middle-aged man sitting on the left suddenly stood up. "So what do you mean by this? Back then, your father and my father agreed that it'd be my older brother's daughter, Jianjia, and your second son, Luo Yu, who would get married. We didn't agree that the groom would be this illegitimate son of yours who appeared out of nowhere."
Luo Yannian frowned but did not answer.
Madam Yang immediately smiled apologetically and said, "Third Master Qin, please calm down. Actually, I've also heard about this matter. I know that this agreement was written down in black and white, and King Jing was a witness. However, what I heard was that you wanted Jianjia to marry Master's son, but you didn't specify which son it was. Old Master's eldest son, Changtian, has gone to the capital while his second son, Yu'er, is currently preparing for an exam. Moreover, we've asked the two of them, but neither of them has any intention of getting married, so..."
"So you guys want to make short shrift of us and shove this man of unknown origin to us? How perfunctory of you!"
Second Master Qin, who was sitting on the main guest seat, had a dark expression.
Fourth Master Qin, who had been silent all this while, suddenly sneered. "But I remember back then, we agreed that Jianjia would be engaged to the Luo family's youngest son. Back then, your youngest son was Luo Yu, and the engagement token had already been exchanged. I didn't receive any news saying that the Luo family has another son. Could it be that you want to break off the engagement because our Qin family is in dire straits now? That's why you randomly found a young lad and want us to make do with him."
Madam Yang was about to argue when Luo Yannian waved his hand dismissively to stop her from speaking. Then, he stood up from his chair and cupped his hands as a show of respect. "Buddies, I will personally go to your residence tomorrow to explain this matter to Wenzheng. I am an upright person and will never shirk my responsibility, let alone break my father's previous promise. I will definitely give Wenzheng a satisfactory explanation."
"Hmph. I'd hope so."
Members of the Qin family did not want to stay any longer. They stood up, cupped their hands, and left with gloomy faces. They did not spare another glance at Luo Qingzhou.
Butler Wang, who was standing outside the door, immediately bowed and followed behind to send the guests off.
"Old Master, the members of the Qin family are delusional! That girl was kidnapped at the age of ten, and she was only found when she was 16. Who knows what she went through outside? Do they really think that we are fools? Yu'er is dignified, talented, and has a bright future ahead of him! At present, he's about to enter the Dragon Academy, so why would he marry a woman who may have already lost her innocence?"
After the Qin family members left, Madam Yang immediately scoffed. She had no qualms about speaking like that in front of Luo Qingzhou, who was still in the living room.
"I see," Luo Qingzhou thought.
At this moment, he seemed to understand something.
They wanted to make use of him to break off the engagement!
The First Madam, who had been silent all this while, also said calmly, "Not only that, but according to the information I found, the eldest daughter of the Qin family is a little strange. There seems to be a problem with her head. She doesn't speak to anyone and doesn't step out of the house. In fact, nobody has even seen her smile before."
Madam Yang said in surprise, "She's a fool?"
Then, she sneered even more. "I see. No wonder the Qin family is suddenly in a hurry to remind us of this marriage. Do they really think we're pushovers?"
Luo Yannian's eyes flickered as he looked at the youth standing at the end of the hall. He said in a deep voice, "Qingzhou, do you know why we asked you to come?"
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head respectfully. "No."
Obviously, he was just a tool to them.
Did they really think that he was a fool?
Second Madam immediately walked up to him with a smile and said, "Qingzhou, I have good news! Good news! Tomorrow, Old Master will go to the Qin family to propose marriage for you. Probably in a few days, you will be able to marry the eldest daughter of the Qin family. The Qin family is the same as our family, and they also have hereditary titles. When you marry into the Qin family, you will become the son-in-law of the Qin family. You can have whatever you want."
"I'll be a matrilocal son-in-law?" Luo Qingzhou thought.
Although Luo Qingzhou was already mentally prepared, he could not help but frown.
It was one thing for him to be made use of by them and have to marry a moron. However, he did not expect that he would even have to become their matrilocal son-in-law.
In this era, marrying into a woman's family was considered a disgrace to any man.
"I knew it! It's impossible for these people to share their properties with me," Luo Qingzhou thought.
By marrying him into the Qin family, they could kill two birds with one stone.
That way, he would not get the family assets, and the Second Young Master—Luo Yu—would not need to adhere to the marriage agreement set by the previous generation.
How brilliant!
Was this method thought of by his hypocritical and cold-blooded father, or was it thought of by the shrewd First Madam who wanted him to vanish from her sight?
Or perhaps...
He looked at Second Madam in front of him. She was a good-looking woman.
At this moment, he suddenly heard the Second Madam say inwardly, "This b*tch is indeed ruthless and despicable. It's no wonder that back then, she and her second son could poison this kid's mother without batting an eyelid. Xiaolou and I have to be more careful in the future... This lad is also quite pitiful. His mother is dead and he was almost killed. Now, he is about to be chased out of the house and forced to marry a moron. His life is over..."
Luo Qingzhou widened his eyes in shock.
He could actually hear what Second Madam was thinking!
The Third Willow Tree
Luo Qingzhou walked out of the living room.
The wind was bone-chilling and the snow was still falling heavily.
Luo Qingzhou pondered over what he had just heard with a heavy heart.
His mother was indeed killed by First Madam. The other murderer was her second son, Luo Yu.
Moreover, they had tried to kill him.
Since he had taken over this body and fused it with the original host's body and memories, naturally, he felt a deep sense of hatred toward them.
However, with his current situation, getting revenge was impossible now.
As for this marriage...
In his previous life, it had been his goal to be idle and be financially supported by a woman.

Moreover, he was unable to reject this arrangement made by the Luo family.
With his current status and strength, he was not even qualified to struggle, let alone resist.
If he dared to talk back, his father might slap him with every ounce of strength he had. If that was the case, he would definitely die.
In this era, disobeying one's elders was a huge offense.
If he disobeyed his father, nobody would say anything even if he got beaten to death.
Escaping was out of the question.
He could attempt that if he had a death wish.
In Mo City, although the Luo Family was not the most influential, they were powerful. Their family was one of the top three in this city.
Besides, he was just a weak scholar. If he fled, where could he go?
Leave the city?
According to his memories, demon beasts were roaming in the Black Forest located outside the city.
Therefore, he had nowhere to go.
At present, there was only one path he could take.
He would give in to the Luo family and obediently marry into the Qin family. After that, he would make other plans.
The sooner he left this place, the sooner he would be out of danger.
If he continued to linger at home, the ruthless First Madam would definitely try to kill him again.
As for what would happen after he married into the Qin family... He could only take it one step at a time.
At the very least, after marrying into the Qin family, no one would try to kill him anymore.
There was a saying, "Where there's life, there's hope."
As long as he was alive, there was hope.
"Young Master, what did Old Master and First Madam talk to you about? Are they going to find a wife for you?"
On the way back, Xiao Die impatiently asked.
Luo Qingzhou glanced at her. Her face was filled with excitement. He could not bear to see her sad, so he nodded and said, "Yes, I'll be taking a wife."
"Wow, that's great! Young Master, which family is she from?"
Xiao Die cheered excitedly.
Luo Qingzhou smiled bitterly and said, "From the Qin family."
He thought, "But she's an idiot. Who knows if she'll drool and have incontinence."
As the two of them spoke, they entered the dilapidated courtyard.
Xiao Die was overjoyed and excited. She went to Luo Qingzhou's side and chattered non-stop, her face full of longing as she described the wonderful life they would have in the future.
Then, she suddenly thought of something and stared at Luo Qingzhou nervously. "Young Master, will you bring me with you when you leave this residence?"
Luo Qingzhou sat in front of the brazier and watched the dancing flames. He nodded and said, "Of course."
He wondered how this girl would feel when she found out that he was leaving the family to become a matrilocal son-in-law and even had to serve their eldest daughter, who was a fool.
How tragic.
He suddenly recalled how he had heard Second Madam's inner thoughts. "How did I do it? Why can't I hear anything else after that?" he thought.
Luo Qingzhou carefully recalled the scene earlier.
Xiao Die was still chattering away. "You're so good to me, Young Master. I promise that in the future, I'll take good care of you and your wife. I can do a lot of things! I can do the laundry, fold the blanket, make tea, massage your back and comb your hair."
Her face was full of joy as she looked at him excitedly.
Probably in Xiao Die's opinion, being able to leave this terrifying place was akin to leaving the tiger's den.
Luo Qingzhou held his breath and stared into her eyes. Suddenly, he heard her internal thoughts. "I can even serve Young Master in bed. Tonight, I'll warm Young Master's bed. Should I insist on staying so that I can serve Young Master in bed? Anyway, Madam said before that I'm Young Master's
Xiao Die continued thinking to herself non-stop.
Just as Luo Qingzhou was about to continue listening, a sharp pain shot through his head. It felt like needles stabbing him in the brain. He immediately came to a realization.
Eavesdropping on others' thoughts would consume a lot of his mental energy.
He immediately stopped and moved his gaze away from Xiao Die. Instead, he stared at the falling snow.
Gradually, darkness fell.
There were no oil lamps, candles, or other entertainment, so people in this era usually went to bed early after dinner.
After all, it was warmer under the blanket.
"Young Master, I'll go bring you some food," Xiao Die said.
Luo Qingzhou and Xiao Die ate two meals a day. They got their food from the back kitchen where the servants got their food from.
Luo Qingzhou searched his memories. Not once had he eaten at the same table as his father and First Madam.
Actually, even the Second Madam was not qualified to dine at the same table with them, let alone him.
Xiao Die quickly brought the food over.
Dinner was very simple.
They only had two steamed buns and a plate of pickled vegetables.
However, many commoners were very thankful if they got to eat such steamed buns.
After they had finished their meal, Xiao Die brought back the plates.
Luo Qingzhou did not want to enter the house so early to rest. He left the small courtyard and wandered about in the cold.
The scenery was breathtaking.
He exited through an archway and passed a corridor. Following that, he turned into a garden.
When he left the garden, there was a large open space with a small lake.
The lake was covered in a haze, like a grey shroud. Despite the cold weather, the lake did not freeze. On the contrary, the lake was full of pink lotus flowers blooming.
As soon as Luo Qingzhou approached, he felt a wave of warm air engulf his face, and the fragrance of flowers filled his nostrils.
The water in the lake was actually warm!
At this moment, a person suddenly rushed over from the side. He did not seem to notice Luo Qingzhou's presence. That person had his head lowered and had a nervous look on his face.
Judging from his attire, he should be a servant in the residence.
Luo Qingzhou stared into his eyes and suddenly heard what he was thinking. "The third willow tree, the third willow tree..."
He kept repeating this sentence mentally.
When that servant got close to Luo Qingzhou, he looked up and caught sight of him. That servant was taken aback. He stared at Luo Qingzhou a few times with panic-stricken eyes before hurriedly leaving.
"The third willow tree?" thought Luo Qingzhou.
Luo Qingzhou stared in puzzlement as he watched that servant disappear behind the archway.
Then, he turned his gaze to the lake not too far away.
There was indeed a row of willow trees there.
At this moment.
Night fell, and the light was dim, making it hard to see.
However, under the white snow, he could still see something.
After a brief hesitation, he walked toward that row of willow trees.

He found the third willow tree.
Luo Qingzhou was not in a hurry. After standing by the lake for a while and seeing that no one had entered, he came to the clump of flowering shrubs and crawled in. From there, he carefully studied the third willow tree.
There was nothing unusual on the tree trunk.
He looked at the ground and reached out to pull a clump of withered grass. He easily pulled out the withered grass, along with a lump of soil sticking to it.
Sure enough, there was something buried below!
Luo Qingzhou's heart skipped a beat. He looked up at the arched doorway and thought to himself, "Could it be a human head or a corpse?"
After hesitating for a moment, he mustered his courage and began digging with his hands.
After digging a little bit deeper, a wooden box appeared.
The box was black, and it seemed to glow with a luster in the moonlight. It had a sinister look, looking exactly like a mini coffin.
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