Chapter 3

The silence lasted barely a moment.

No one took the law seriously.

After all, since Great Qi’s founding, no one had heard of a nobleman losing his head for such a crime.

They thought I was only trying to frighten him.

Grandmother pointed at me. “Your father let you read a few law books, and now you turn them against your own family? Will you beat the grievance drum at the capital prefecture, or plead your case before the Court of Judicial Review?”

“Do you mean to drive Zhili to his death? Your aunt too? And then me?”

He Zhili shouted, “Jiang Yanci, don’t think I haven’t worked you out! You’ve always doted on Fourth Cousin. You’d never expose her to public humiliation. You’re only trying to force me to marry her as my wife!”

“For an ugly freak like her, being my concubine is already more than she deserves! She expects me to bring her home as a bride in a sedan chair carried by eight men? Dream on! Go to the authorities if you dare. I don’t believe you will!”

“Let’s see which of us can go on living afterward—me or Fourth Cousin!”

He was not the only one who thought I was bargaining for the position of principal wife. Aunt and Mother thought so too.

Aunt adopted a humbler tone. “Yanci, you preside over a family household yourself. You must understand the difficulties. Little Four simply isn’t fit for such a role. Besides, my mother-in-law and her mother-in-law are both still living. Zhili’s marriage isn’t mine alone to decide.”

Mother tried to reason with me, worn and weary. “Enough, Yanci. You know what Little Four is like. How could she bear the responsibility of running a household? If she made a fool of herself, both families would lose face. I only want her to live in peace, with food and clothing enough. We mustn’t ask for more.”

I said nothing.

I was waiting.

Absurdly, they took my silence for surrender.

Aunt drew Mother close with unprecedented warmth. “Once Little Four comes of age at fifteen, we’ll choose an auspicious day for the wedding. A grand celebration. No one will be allowed to look down on her…”

Mother began to smile. My sister had been a burden to her from birth. At last she could be handed over.

Aunt had reached the part of her rosy promises where Little Four produced a son when my maid pushed open the door.

“My lady, the complaint is ready.”

Little Four’s name and fingerprint were at the bottom.

Grandmother assumed it was something I had ordered earlier and waved it aside without a thought. “No need for that now. Take it away and burn it.”

My maid did not take orders from her. She placed the complaint in my hands.

“Well written. You’ll be rewarded.” I read every word with care.

Slowly, the others realized something was wrong.

Aunt’s smile faded by degrees. Her lips trembled.

She and Grandmother spoke together. “Jiang Yanci, have you lost your mind?”

I looked down at He Zhili’s bloodless face. “We’ll see which of you finds life impossible first—you or Little Four.”

“You’re mad… Are you mad?” He stared at me as though I were a monster.

I repeated the law, each word distinct. “The rape of a girl of twelve is punishable by immediate beheading.”

At last, He Zhili felt death closing in.

“She… Fourth Cousin seduced me!” He had finally found an excuse and clung to it. “I wandered into Drifting Cloud Courtyard by mistake. I didn’t know where I was. She invited me into her room to rest, then wouldn’t leave me alone!”

“Yes, yes, that must be it.” Grandmother let out a long breath. There was even sorrow in her voice. “Little Four has never been a well-behaved child. At four or five, she had no sense of proper conduct. By six or seven, she had no self-respect. That was why I took her into the prayer hall to bring her up properly. And still, I failed to prevent this…”

Aunt nodded vigorously. “She must have been afraid no one would marry her, so she lured Zhili in to make the deed impossible to undo. Only eleven, and already so vile-minded! Who taught her such things?”

“Lady Qin!” Grandmother’s gaze was a blade. “You are her own mother. You know her character best. Tell us: is she not a shameless, frivolous girl?”