I Marry a Wife for my Big Brother, Starting Out With Exile - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Exiled Right After Crossing Over!

“On such a joyous day, what a sin!”

“Who’s to say otherwise? This eldest miss of the Jiang family has such a bitter life.”

“Tsk, it’s more like she has a hard-luck fate. The moment she stepped through the doors, she cursed someone to death.”

“Hush, don’t talk about it anymore. The bailiffs are already at the mouth of the alley…”

The voices drifted further away, yet did not vanish completely; they simply shifted from loud shouting to whispering.

Li Chenghuan woke up in a dizzy haze, opening her eyes to find a classical beauty.

The beauty wore a bright red bridal gown, her brows and eyes cold and stern, her lips pressed tightly together, her face seemingly covered with a layer of frost.

Such a cold beauty… Before Li Chenghuan could figure out what was going on, she felt a splitting headache as unfamiliar memories continuously flooded in, stimulating her so intensely that she passed out once again.

When she opened her eyes again, Li Chenghuan stared at the pitch-black night sky, unable to recover her senses for a long time.

She had time-traveled!

She had actually time-traveled!

Li Chenghuan rubbed her head in disbelief. Hiss, it hurts so much. Feeling the sticky sensation on her hand, she knew it was her own blood.

Who would understand? She had simply been taking a nap during lunch break at work, and when she woke up, she had traveled back to ancient times—and right into a catastrophic starting scenario.

The original body also shared the name Li Chenghuan, five years younger than her modern self, just eighteen this year, with an older brother above her and a younger sister below.

Her older brother, Li Chengsi, possessed great talent in studying. He was this year’s newly minted juren (provincial graduate), and through a stroke of luck, he won the appreciation of the Crown Prince, becoming an aide in the Eastern Palace.

Because of this reason, Li Chengsi could occasionally attend banquets hosted by high-ranking officials and nobles. The Li family gradually transformed from a humble household into a prominent one. Being someone skilled at networking, Li Chengsi leveraged the Crown Prince’s power to secure a marriage match for himself, clinging to the legitimate daughter of Jiang, the Minister of Revenue: Jiang Jinyue, a famous cold beauty of the capital.

Today was the very day Li Chengsi and Jiang Jinyue were to perform their wedding ceremony. Just as the bride was about to enter the doors, Li Chengsi was hurriedly summoned away to the Eastern Palace, leaving behind this mess of a situation.

Grandma Li, the matriarch, did not want the marriage to change, so she negotiated with the Jiang family, having the original body—who looked very much like Li Chengsi—perform the wedding ceremony with Jiang Jinyue first to temporarily conceal it from outsiders.

Up to this point, things had gone smoothly, and they were simply waiting for Li Chengsi to return and resume his role as the groom.

Who would have thought that halfway through the wedding banquet, officials who had come to offer congratulations would continuously receive messages from their households? Upon receiving the letters, every single official’s expression changed drastically. Leaving behind not even a word, they hastily departed the banquet with their families.

The original body did not know what had happened and was still muttering inwardly, wondering if outsiders had found out about her impersonating her older brother for the wedding. But this situation didn’t add up either. Right at this juncture, a guard from the Jiang family also arrived with a message.

Upon hearing the guard’s words, the Minister of Revenue and his wife rushed into the room, grabbed Jiang Jinyue, and wanted to leave, even claiming that the Li family had obtained the marriage through fraud and that the match was null and void.

The original body panicked. Her impersonation of her older brother had been known and agreed upon by the Minister and his wife; how could the Jiang family renege at this critical moment?

Overcome with panic, upon hearing Grandma Li shout, “Chenghuan, don’t let your sister-in-law leave,” the original body hugged Jiang Jinyue and held on for dear life without letting go.

Seeing this, the Minister of Revenue grabbed a jar of wine from the table and smashed it over the head of the original body. The original body had her head bashed open, hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness, yet still refused to let go.

It was also at this moment, after ordinary guests who had heard the news later began to clamorously argue, that the Li family finally learned what had happened.

Last night, several imperial princes jointly exposed Crown Prince Wang Yue as a female disguised as a male. After verifying her true identity, the Emperor flew into a rage and directly sentenced the Crown Prince to exile on the border—no, sentenced the newly minted Grand Princess to the crime of exile.

As for the aides of the Eastern Palace, it was said that every single one of them was sentenced to decapitation, and her older brother was naturally among them.

Following that, the original body was pushed away by Jiang Jinyue. With a close and open of her eyes, souls were swapped, and she became the modern Li Chenghuan.

Thinking up to this point, Li Chenghuan’s scalp went completely numb; she had never witnessed such a melodramatic plot.

“Second sister? Grandmother, second sister is awake!” The one speaking was Li Chenglale, the original body’s third younger sister.

Under the night sky, Grandma Li tremblingly grasped her granddaughter’s hand, weeping as she said, “Chenghuan, does your head still hurt? It’s good that you’re awake, it’s good that you’re awake.”

Li Chenghuan blinked, maintaining her composure as she asked, “Grandmother, where are we?” What had happened after she fainted?

Grandma Li wept bitterly and was unable to speak while holding her granddaughter’s hand. It was only when the third sister, Li Chenglale, spoke that Li Chenghuan learned the subsequent events.

After she fainted, the Minister of Revenue and his wife shouted loudly that the Li family had committed fraud in the marriage, wanting to play dumb to ruin the match and sever ties with the Li family. Unfortunately, before they could even step out the door, they were blocked in the courtyard by bailiffs.

No matter what, the traditional three letters and six etiquettes could not be faked. Since Jiang Jinyue had already been welcomed into the Li family’s doors, she was a member of the Li family, and it was useless for the Jiang family to refuse to acknowledge it.

The Li family was likewise sentenced to exile and ordered to depart the capital immediately. Li Chenghuan, who had passed out, was carried onto the road on her younger sister’s back.

By this time, they were already thirty li outside the capital. Because they failed to reach the next town in time, they had to camp out in the wilderness.

“This jinx, it’s all her fault.” Grandma Li cried for a while, wiping her tears as she said with deep resentment.

Her most promising eldest grandson was gone just like that. Jiang Jinyue was simply a jinx, cursing her darling grandson to death the moment she entered the doors.

The mere thought that Li Chengsi had died in the Eastern Palace without even someone to collect his corpse caused Grandma Li’s grief to well up, and her tears, which had just stopped, flowed continuously once more.

Li Chenghuan remained silent. She didn’t know if others deserved it, but she only knew that she herself was extremely wronged. Who did she offend? Taking a lunch break led to transmigrating into such a catastrophic, earth-shattering starting hand.

“Everyone up, move out quickly.” While the sky was still dark, the bailiffs escorting the prisoners began to urge them on.

Li Chenghuan was helped up by her younger sister, walking unsteadily with uneven steps. She was so hungry, and also so thirsty. The place on her head where she had been smashed was still throbbing with pain. This situation was simply something else, making her feel as though she could drop dead at any moment.

As the sky grew slightly bright, the procession stopped outside a town, giving everyone a chance to rest briefly.

“One steamed corn bun per person, take turns drinking the water, no causing trouble.” The lead bailiff tossed out a bundle of corn buns and a large waterskin, leaving a single bailiff to guard the prisoners while he led the rest into the town.

Grandma Li rushed forward first, picked up four corn buns, cautiously glanced at the bailiff, and boldly picked up the waterskin. Seeing that the bailiff did not stop her, she hurried back quickly.

Compared to Grandma Li’s fierce drive, the other prisoners didn’t even move, as if half their feet had already stepped into the grave and they had lost the will to survive.

“Eat quickly, we must live well, don’t pay attention to that jinx.” Grandma Li handed a corn bun each to her two granddaughters, took one for herself to gnaw on, and stuffed the extra one into her bosom.

Li Chenghuan instinctively turned her head to look at Jiang Jinyue, who was standing just a few paces away.

The cold beauty looked even colder, with no expression on her face, yet she didn’t look dead-faced like the others; her gaze was deep and hard to fathom.

Noticing someone staring at her, Jiang Jinyue shifted her gaze and looked over.

Li Chenghuan involuntarily smiled at her. Sigh, this woman is also quite innocent.

Jiang Jinyue seemed stunned for a moment, then cast a cold glance at her before looking away.

Li Chenghuan lowered her head awkwardly, taking a random bite of the corn bun, and almost spat it out. The corn bun was not only dry and hard, but also carried a rancid smell, making it truly difficult to swallow.

Aside from the Li family gnawing on corn buns, the others in the procession remained motionless for a long time, the atmosphere so heavy and oppressive that it felt suffocating.

At that moment, the remaining bailiff frowned and reprimanded, “Eat quickly! This is the only meal for today. If you don’t have the strength to march later and die on the road, I won’t collect your corpses.”

With that, as if impatient, he picked up the bundle containing the corn buns and tossed it into the middle of the procession, where it landed right at the feet of a young girl.

The young girl’s face was pale white, her facial features carrying a hint of heroic spirit. She didn’t react even when the bundle struck her foot, just standing there blankly.

An old man beside her flickered his eyes twice, bent down to pick up the bundle, pulled out a corn bun, and pressed it into the young girl’s hand, speaking in a muffled voice, “Your Highness, eat.”

The old man’s voice was not loud, but since the procession was exceptionally quiet, everyone heard it.

Li Chenghuan understood in her heart: the young girl should be that Crown Prince who had disguised herself as a man, now the criminal Grand Princess: Wang Yue.

Wang Yue’s eyes reddened, filled with grief and sorrow: “Grand Tutor, I’m sorry…”

“Your Highness, eat.” Grand Tutor Yu opened his eyes wide to force back his tears; at this point, blaming anyone was useless.

Wang Yue clenched the corn bun in her hand, tears silently streaming down as her body began to tremble slightly.

Without leaving a trace, Grand Tutor Yu glanced at the bailiff and tightly grasped Wang Yue’s wrist: “Your Highness, you must live.” If she lived, there might still be a turning point.

Li Chenghuan, who had been watching them all along, paused in her gaze and also glanced at that bailiff. This person could not have been unaware of Wang Yue’s identity, yet he happened to toss the bundle right at Wang Yue’s feet—was it intentional or a coincidence?

She leaned more toward the latter. If it was the latter, it meant someone was still operating behind the scenes to help Wang Yue, which meant Wang Yue still had hope of returning to the capital.

Thinking of this, Li Chenghuan reached out toward Grandma Li beside her: “Grandmother, give me the waterskin.”

“The waterskin.” A pleasant voice followed closely behind. It was Jiang Jinyue.

A thought stirred in Li Chenghuan’s heart. She never underestimated anyone, let alone the fact that in the original body’s memories, besides being called a cold beauty, Jiang Jinyue was also renowned throughout the capital as the number one talented woman.

To be called the number one talented woman meant she certainly wasn’t brainless.

The two looked at each other silently, holding probe and contemplation…

“Grandmother, give it to sister-in-law.” Harboring a test in her heart, Li Chenghuan actively yielded.

Jiang Jinyue gazed deeply at Li Chenghuan and uttered three ambiguous words: “It’s all the same.”

But for Grandma Li, it was extremely different.

“Chenghuan, you hold onto it.” She shoved the waterskin into her granddaughter’s hands and glared fiercely at Jiang Jinyue.

Since this jinx had married into the Li family, her rations belonged to the Li family too; she certainly wasn’t going to give it to her.

Li Chenghuan took the waterskin and looked back at Jiang Jinyue, wanting to confirm her guess.

Jiang Jinyue turned her body away expressionlessly without saying anything, though her gaze fell upon Wang Yue.

Li Chenghuan’s eyes brightened, and she walked over in a few steps to hook her arm around Jiang Jinyue’s.