Against the Orchid (Rebirth)

Lu Lanyi, the daughter of a wealthy landowner, married Yang Wenxu, an ambitious but poor scholar, using her substantial dowry to fund his education. Over eight years, she supported him as he rose from a Successful Candidate to a Hanlin Academician. Despite her sacrifices, she remained childless due to health issues, while Yang Wenxu’s concubine, Consort Jiang, bore him three children. As Lanyi’s health declined, she became bedridden and eventually died, only to discover she had become a ghost. For years, she watched from beyond the grave as Yang Wenxu prospered, remarrying into nobility and erasing her memory. Consumed by hatred, she longed for vengeance but found herself reborn on the day before her death.

Upon waking, Lanyi realized she had been given a second chance. She immediately began dismantling the structures that had enabled Yang Wenxu’s rise. When news arrived that her mother-in-law had died, she ensured the information was made public immediately, preventing Yang Wenxu from concealing the death to secure a crucial promotion. This act marked the first crack in his carefully constructed career path. Lanyi also arranged for her private savings to be left to her loyal maid, Cui Cui, ensuring her wealth would not benefit the Yang family after her death.

The family returned to their hometown in Qingzhou for the funeral. During the journey, they encountered Prince Yi, a powerful feudal prince, and his unruly son. This encounter would have normally led to Yang Wenxu being appointed as a tutor to the prince’s son, a position that would have catapulted him to higher office. Lanyi, aware of this future, sought to sever the connection between her husband and the prince’s residence. She faced opposition from her own family, who hoped to leverage Yang Wenxu’s rising status for their own gain, but she remained unmoved by their pleas.

Back in the Yang household, tensions rose between Consort Jiang and Aunt Zhou, a pregnant concubine of Lanyi’s father-in-law. Lanyi observed these conflicts with detachment, understanding the power dynamics better than anyone else. She refused to take on household management duties, citing her poor health, and allowed Aunt Zhou to handle domestic affairs. This decision further isolated her from the family’s internal politics while she focused on her primary goal: preventing Yang Wenxu from gaining the patronage of Prince Yi.

Yang Wenxu, noticing Lanyi’s changed demeanor, attempted to reconnect with her, offering to let her raise one of Consort Jiang’s children. Lanyi coldly refused, signaling a complete shift in their relationship. She no longer sought his approval or validation. As she navigated this new life, Lanyi remained determined to ensure that Yang Wenxu would never achieve the heights of power he had reached in her previous life, even if it meant sacrificing her own well-being in the process.