Aligned Reverence

Reborn moments before her death, Su Jinyuan finds herself clinging to a broken tree on a cliff edge, hunted by mountain bandits after a failed elopement. In her previous life, she had been deceived by Lu Zhuo, abandoned her arranged marriage to Xiao Yunxi of the prestigious Xiao family, and ultimately met a brutal end when the Xiao household was executed for treason. Now, she is rescued by Xie Yunyan, a young man raised by the Xiao family who would later become the sole survivor responsible for their bloody revenge. Su Jinyuan clarifies that she was tricked by her aunt, Madam Yu, who stole her younger brother’s keepsake to lure her away from her wedding. Xie Yunyan, though initially cold and mocking, recognizes the truth and agrees to escort her back to the capital, warning her that the Xiao family is not to be trifled with.

During their journey, Xie Yunyan is ambushed by garrison soldiers led by Luo Yu, who claim General Xiao colluded with enemies and order the arrest of all male Xiao family members. Su Jinyuan realizes that resistance would seal the family’s fate and force Xie Yunyan to surrender to protect the women left in the capital. Before leaving, Xie Yunyan gives Su Jinyuan a letter from Xiao Yunxi, who had anticipated tragedy and offered to dissolve their engagement if she truly loved another. Moved by his kindness and Xie Yunyan’s sacrifice, Su Jinyuan decides to return to the capital to save the Xiao family rather than flee. She confronts her uncle and aunt, threatening to expose their crimes unless they give her fifty thousand taels of silver inherited from her parents. She uses the money to buy medicines and poisons, preparing for the dangers ahead.

Upon arriving at the Xiao residence, Su Jinyuan finds the household in disarray. The men are dead or imprisoned, and the women face humiliation from relatives seeking to seize assets. When Eldest Madam Xiao faints from grief, Su Jinyuan saves her life with emergency medicine purchased earlier. She then witnesses the Qi family attempting to remove Qi Lanzhi, the widow of the Second Young Master, from the estate. While two other widows, Huo Rou and Wei Wanyun, pledge to stay with the Xiao family until death, Qi Lanzhi refuses to accept her fate and attempts suicide to escape. Old Madam Xiao, displaying fierce dignity, grants Qi Lanzhi a divorce letter and expels her, refusing to let the family’s honor be dragged through the mud by cowards. Su Jinyuan stands by the matriarch, vowing to protect the remaining women of the Xiao household and clear their name, determined to alter the tragic fate that befell them in her past life.