Chapter 66

Chapter 66

[The Male Chauvinist’s Victory – 7]

Ever since the Southern and Northern Dynasties began confronting one another across the Huai River, the south had nearly always been beaten senseless. Every year, it struggled between passive defense and involuntary tribute. Southern rulers had never dared dream of fighting onto Northern territory and tearing a chunk from Northern Wei’s leg!

Yet a young general on his first campaigns had accomplished something so impossibly difficult!

One day, the emperor was holding a court audience when a commotion suddenly erupted outside the hall. The Censors frowned. Before they could rebuke anyone, an attendant’s jubilant report rang from far beyond the doors.

“Great victory at the Huai River! Our dynasty has crushed Northern Wei’s invading army and driven it back into the Wei heartland! The Mobile Strike General led thirty thousand troops in pursuit, took sixty thousand enemy heads, captured seventy-six thousand Wei horses, and seized countless spoils at the border!”

The messenger continued calling out as he approached. “Your Majesty, this is an unprecedented victory!”

A minister in the front row trembled so violently that his court tablet slipped from his hand and struck the floor. He was far from the only one.

Ordinarily, the Censors would already have stepped out to condemn such impropriety. At this moment, however, these men who prided themselves on decorum and served as examples to all officials said nothing. Every mouth hung open in shock, while wild delight danced in their eyes.

The emperor cared nothing for formalities either. He shot to his feet on the throne and gazed out expectantly. The moment the messenger arrived, he demanded, “That great victory you just reported…”

Beaming, the messenger knelt and kowtowed. “By Your Majesty’s divine wisdom, we have won a great victory at the Huai River!”

He repeated his report. “Our dynasty has crushed Northern Wei’s invading army and driven it back into the Wei heartland! The Mobile Strike General led thirty thousand troops in pursuit, took sixty thousand enemy heads, captured seventy-six thousand Wei horses, and seized countless spoils at the border!”

The civil and military officials, whose minds had frozen upon hearing “great victory,” finally recovered. They knelt as one and cried in congratulation, “Your Majesty is wise! The gods have protected us!”

The emperor dropped back onto his throne. His expression remained rigid for several moments before he recovered and laughed aloud. “Rise, my ministers!”

The Southern and Northern Dynasties had fought for years, but the south had never won such a victory. The emperor had long worried that his state might be destroyed one day. His ministers could always change masters and preserve their wealth, but he would be ruined. Now he heard that his forces had inflicted such a loss upon the longtime northern hegemon. How could he not be delighted?

Yan Hongguang was absent, so the emperor directed all his paternal affection toward Li Dongshan. “Minister Li has taught him well.”

Persuaded by Madam Yu, Li Dongshan had decided to marry his daughter to Yan Hongguang precisely to ally himself at court with a newly risen military noble. How could he not rejoice now that his future son-in-law had earned such immense merit?

At the emperor’s praise, Li Dongshan immediately bowed. “It is owed entirely to Your Majesty’s wisdom and the ancestors’ protection!”

The emperor laughed, ordered him to rise, and said happily, “Minister Yan has rendered such great service that he must be rewarded. Promote him two ranks to the lower-fourth-rank post of General Who Spreads Martial Might. Grant him the fourth-rank noble title of County Count, one thousand gold pieces, and ten hu of southern pearls.”

Before the new year, Yan Hongguang had possessed neither office nor noble title. In less than a year, he had traded his fowling piece for a cannon and soared through the clouds. The force of his rise left everyone stunned.

Yet no one could fairly envy him. Both rounds of promotions and rewards had been earned through undeniable military achievement. Jealous?

Then go win a battle yourself!

Li Dongshan already regarded his son-in-law as half a member of the Li Family and shared in the glory. Though the emperor had only just told him to rise, he knelt again to express gratitude on Yan Hongguang’s behalf.

The emperor paused, then remembered. “We recall that Minister Yan has an engagement to Minister Li’s daughter and will soon marry?”

Li Dongshan smiled. “That is correct.”

“On such a joyful occasion, We shall add still more happiness!”

In excellent spirits, the emperor ordered attendants to record a decree. He personally bestowed marriage upon Yan Hongguang and Li Dongshan’s daughter. He also sent word into the inner palace, asking the Empress to prepare gifts for Young Lady Li’s bridal trousseau and add further splendor to the bride.

This was Yan Hongguang’s honor and the Li Family’s honor. Li Dongshan was beside himself with delight and hurriedly gave thanks. Colleagues around him offered congratulations, some sincere and others false.

“Lord Li is truly fortunate. A son-in-law is half a son. The Yan Family now has only the General Who Spreads Martial Might, and he grew up in the Li household. It would not be wrong to call him a member of the Li Family.”

“Indeed. The marriage joins two surnames and brings kin even closer!”

“When the wedding comes, we must all claim a cup of celebratory wine!”

Li Dongshan accepted every envious compliment with a smile that remained on his face even after court ended and he returned to his office.

Since the emperor intended to bestow the marriage, he naturally had to determine which Li daughter Yan Hongguang would marry. After learning Li Jiangyue’s name and birth order, he had them recorded in the imperial decree.

…

News that the General Who Spreads Martial Might had crushed Northern Wei and taken vast spoils had barely spread through court before reaching the masters of every great household. Amid their envy and admiration, they ordered generous gifts prepared and delivered to the general’s residence in congratulations.

Madam Wei and Madam Yu naturally learned the news as well.

Although it was her daughter who loved Yan Hongguang, at this moment Madam Wei could understand at least some of Li Jiangxue’s feelings.
The first man Li Jiangxue had loved in more than a decade of life had slipped from her grasp through a twist of fate, while the half sister she had always hated became his betrothed. Her own future remained unsettled, yet she had to watch her beloved’s fame rise and her half sister’s status climb with his…

How could she not be furious?!

Even Madam Wei, who believed her daughter still had many young men from Jiankang’s great clans to choose from, could not help feeling regret.

No matter how graceful and distinguished a domesticated dove might be, it could never compare with an eagle battling through the vast sky.

Yan Hongguang had been campaigning for less than a year, yet his achievements already crushed Jiankang’s celebrated young talents until they could not raise their heads. Given more time, how far might he rise?

If Madam Wei had not overthought matters and had settled the marriage directly, he would have been her son-in-law. This man plainly destined for greatness would have belonged to Jiangxue!

But there were no second chances.

Madam Wei was filled with melancholy and regret.

While she bitterly rued her earlier choice, Madam Yu felt extraordinarily fortunate that her eyes and hands had been quick.

The wedding robes had been completed. She and several maids helped her daughter try them on, her joy impossible to conceal. “Opportunities vanish in an instant. Thank goodness we seized this one, or we would have choked to death on regret!”

“Mother.” Li Jiangyue laughed. “Don’t say unlucky things when we’re preparing for a happy event.”

“Oh, look at me. Joy has muddled my head!”

Madam Yu finished dressing her daughter, arranged her hair, and inserted the hairpins and dangling ornaments required for the wedding day. She stepped back and saw a young woman with snowy skin, a flowerlike face, and a graceful figure. Perhaps set off by the wedding robe’s color, Li Jiangyue looked as lush and brilliant as a peony in full bloom, her beauty almost overwhelming.

“Truly beautiful.”

Madam Yu’s eyes grew damp. She stroked the wedding robe with unconcealed envy. Its red was pure and dazzling-the color only a principal wife could wear.

Though related to the Li Family’s old madam through her clan, the kinship was distant, and Madam Yu’s own family had long since declined. Otherwise, she would never have married Li Dongshan as a secondary wife.

She had not been without alternatives. Given the Yu Family’s status, she could have become the principal wife of a minor official or married an impoverished scholar of some reputation. But she had not wanted that.

What use was reputation? It could neither feed nor clothe her. Better to enter a great household as a secondary wife.

There was nothing wrong with wanting a comfortable life or refusing hardship. Even today, Madam Yu did not regret her decision. She merely felt some disappointment that she had entered as an honored concubine and had been unable to wear true red.

But it was only disappointment.

In nearly twenty years with the Li Family, she had enjoyed luxuries beyond ordinary people’s reach and suffered little hardship. In the end, she had placed her daughter upon an even smoother road. Madam Yu was content.

Li Dongshan had not yet returned. As Madam Wei and Madam Yu harbored their separate thoughts, the imperial decree arrived at the Li residence.

The Li Family was a great Jiankang clan and had received decrees before. Madam Wei did not panic. She ordered an incense table and all else necessary prepared. After changing clothes in haste, she led the children out to receive the decree. Madam Yu happened to emerge with her own children. Their eyes met; Madam Yu bowed respectfully and naturally stood behind her.

Madam Wei’s chest tightened. When her gaze shifted to Li Jiangyue, her displeasure deepened.

If even she felt this way, Li Jiangxue’s reaction required no explanation. After shutting herself inside for months, her cheeks had grown gaunt, dark shadows showed beneath her eyes, and her cold gaze resembled a vengeful ghost’s as it swept sharply over Madam Yu and her daughter.

Madam Yu seemed not to notice. Li Jiangyue remained silent with lowered eyes beside her mother, serene and elegant as an orchid in an empty valley.

Li Jiangxue’s gaze moved downward and suddenly froze.

Li Jiangyue wore a pair of true-red embroidered shoes decorated with pearls at the toes. Every stitch displayed exquisite care, making them delicate and beautiful. But their color was too brilliant. Half hidden beneath her skirt, they clashed with her apricot-colored clothes.

Cold pierced Li Jiangxue’s heart. She suddenly realized what mother and daughter had been doing in their courtyard before coming out. Looking again at Li Jiangyue’s face, she saw that her makeup was heavier than usual and her hair arranged differently from her ordinary style at home.

A dark cloud abruptly covered her heart. She seized her mother’s arm, terrified and helpless. “Mother, has Li Jiangyue already started trying on wedding clothes? Has her marriage to Cousin been settled?!”

It had done far more than that. Five of the Six Rites were complete. Only the final step-the groom’s procession to receive the bride-remained before they were married.

Madam Wei had concealed everything because she feared hurting her daughter and did not want her clinging to an impossible love. Now, hearing her daughter’s voice tremble, her heart ached. After a pause, she forced herself to say, “When the decree has been proclaimed, Mother will explain everything slowly.”

Li Jiangxue heard the words, but they did not enter her mind. She stood in a daze beside her mother. When the proclaimers arrived, she knelt like a wandering soul. Only after vaguely hearing two names did she look up in shock.

After a long, elaborate passage of praise came the imperial bestowal of marriage. The groom was Yan Hongguang, General Who Spreads Martial Might and fourth-rank County Count. The bride was Li Jiangyue, third daughter of the patriarch of the Li clan of Lingnan. Blessings followed for this match made in Heaven. Then female palace officials presented the bridal jewelry bestowed by the Empress.

Though Madam Yu was Li Jiangyue’s birth mother, Madam Wei had to perform the formal courtesies. Forcing a smile, she drew Li Jiangyue from Madam Yu’s side. Together with the household’s women, she bowed and thanked the Empress for her generous gifts.
In addition to the jewelry, the Empress bestowed a jade bracelet. A female palace official opened a sandalwood box and presented it to Li Jiangyue with both hands.

“Her Highness the Empress said she wore this bracelet while pregnant with the Crown Prince, so it bears special meaning. Today she bestows it upon Young Lady Li, wishing that after marriage you bear a noble son and soon continue the General Who Spreads Martial Might’s line.”

Li Jiangyue blushed and accepted the bracelet with utmost respect. She bowed toward the distant palace and thanked the Empress for her grace.

Seeing her daughter receive such honor, Madam Yu’s comfort and joy were beyond words. Tears escaped her eyes, and she hurriedly turned aside to wipe them away.

Madam Wei’s face had stiffened from smiling. Yet this was boundless imperial grace. As Li Jiangyue’s legal mother, how could she respond with bitterness?

She ordered a generous amount of silver prepared for the visitors, inwardly praying that they would hurry away. But before the decree’s proclaimers and the Empress’s palace officials could turn to leave, a small cry sounded behind them. Unable to endure the contrast and the blow, Li Jiangxue was overwhelmed by rage and fainted.

Madam Wei was terrified but reacted swiftly. She apologized, explaining that her daughter was ill. Fearing disrespect to the Imperial House, Li Jiangxue had forced herself to attend the decree’s proclamation despite her condition. Unfortunately, her body was too weak, and she had now collapsed.

Seeing Li Jiangxue’s gaunt cheeks, bloodless face, dark circles, and unmistakably sickly appearance, the visitors suspected nothing. They offered Madam Wei a few words of comfort and took their leave.

Madam Wei hurriedly sent for a physician and helped her daughter back to her room with the maids amid great confusion.

Madam Yu returned to her own quarters with her daughter. She carefully opened the sandalwood box, admired its contents, then gently closed it. “This honor was personally bestowed by the Empress. You must treasure it.”

Li Jiangyue nodded with a smile. “Your daughter understands.”

“Such a good child.” Madam Yu was filled with joy. “Just wait. Your greatest blessings still lie ahead!”

Before the physician reached the Li residence, Li Jiangxue woke. She stared blankly at the bed curtains for a long while, then suddenly began to weep.

Madam Wei had watched beside her without once looking away. Seeing this, her heart nearly broke, and she cried too. “Jiangxue, are you all right? Where do you feel unwell? Don’t frighten Mother!”

“Mother, Mother!” Li Jiangxue sniffled, unable to restrain her misery. Remembering the rewards and honor her half sister had just received brought piercing pain and jealous hatred. “Your daughter’s heart is suffering!”

She struggled upright and pointed bitterly toward Madam Yu’s courtyard. “I was the one who loved Cousin, and Mother was the one who secured his first position. Why did that mother and daughter harvest the fruit in the end? I refuse to accept it. I refuse!”

She wailed uncontrollably until she began dry-heaving, as though she would vomit up her heart and liver.

Madam Wei was a mother. Seeing her daughter in such agony, she suffered almost as intensely. She gathered Li Jiangxue into a loving embrace and soothed her.

“It doesn’t matter, Jiangxue. Mother will choose another excellent man for you. The world holds so many men. Can Yan Hongguang truly be the only outstanding one? I refuse to believe no one is better!”

She would have been wiser not to say it. The instant she finished, Li Jiangxue exploded.

“Cousin is the best! No one beneath Heaven can compare with him!”

The mere thought that her cousin would ascend the throne while Li Jiangyue became his Empress and mother of the realm made Li Jiangxue’s heart feel scorched by flames. She could scarcely breathe. After weeping hysterically for a long while, she seemed to reach a decision.

“Mother!” she said through clenched teeth. “I refuse to accept this! I truly cannot! I want to marry Cousin. Please help me, Mother!”

Madam Wei was both furious and heartbroken. “Jiangxue, have you lost your senses? Yan Hongguang’s marriage to Jiangyue is settled, and the imperial decree has been issued. How could you still marry him? You cannot get past your father, much less the Reigning Emperor!”

“I don’t care! I will marry Cousin!”

Li Jiangxue’s eyes were bloodshot, almost insane. “Mother, I cannot watch Li Jiangyue step over me and marry Cousin. I can’t. I’ll die! She’s only a lowly concubine’s daughter. What right does she have to climb above me?!”

“Jiangxue, listen to Mother!”

Madam Wei gripped her shoulders hard. “Yan Hongguang’s marriage to Jiangyue is fixed and absolutely cannot change. Why must you drive yourself into a dead end? Jiankang has many sons of great families. Mother will choose one better than Yan Hongguang, a man whose future will far surpass his. You are the Li Family’s legitimate eldest daughter and the Wei Family’s granddaughter. If your husband surpasses Yan Hongguang several times over, how could Jiangyue, a mere concubine’s daughter, stand above you?”

“No!” Li Jiangxue screamed in despair. “It isn’t the same! None of them can compare with Cousin!”

“Cousin, Cousin, Cousin! Is there room for no one else in your heart?!”

Madam Wei was exasperated by her failure to improve. “Yan Hongguang’s marriage to Jiangyue is settled and reinforced by His Majesty’s decree. It can never be changed. As a legitimate daughter of the Li Family, do you mean to become Yan Hongguang’s concubine?!”

She spoke only in anger, but Li Jiangxue took the suggestion seriously. Her expression shifted. After hesitating, she murmured, “Mother…”

Madam Wei stared in disbelief as rage surged. She raised her hand and slapped her daughter hard across the face.

“Have you gone mad?! You would abandon every shred of dignity and propriety for a man?! You are a legitimate daughter of the Li Family. How could you become Yan Hongguang’s concubine? Not only you-even Jiangyue could never do such a thing! I cannot bear that disgrace, your father cannot bear it, and the Li Family cannot bear it!”
Li Jiangxue lowered her head and covered her face, injured tears pattering down. “I am the Li Family’s legitimate daughter and the Wei Family’s granddaughter. How could I become Cousin’s concubine?”

Madam Wei remained angry and suspicious. “Then what exactly do you want?”

Li Jiangxue looked timidly at her mother and ventured, “In the days of the Zhou Son of Heaven, weren’t there accompanying brides? I am the legitimate eldest daughter, nobly born, so naturally I should be Cousin’s principal wife. As for Li Jiangyue, that concubine’s daughter can simply become an accompanying concubine…”

Madam Wei nearly died of fury. She leaped up and paced several times, beating her breast. “I have always considered myself no fool. How did I give birth to a daughter as stupid as a pig?! Yan Hongguang’s marriage to Jiangyue is fixed. Their birth charts have been exchanged, and His Majesty’s marriage decree states Jiangyue’s name plainly. How could the Li Family suddenly declare that you will marry him as wife while Jiangyue becomes a concubine? We would be defying His Majesty and become the laughingstock of Jiankang. Even your precious cousin would never agree!”

Li Jiangxue shed two more tears, lowered her head, and said stubbornly, “I will marry Cousin. No matter what, I will marry him!”

Madam Wei heard the implication. “Even if you must be a concubine?”

Li Jiangxue bit her lip until it bled. Only then did she give an almost imperceptible nod. “Even as a concubine, I will marry him!”

“Abandon that hope!” Madam Wei said coldly. “I would rather send you to a convent than let you become anyone’s concubine-much less a concubine to your half sister’s husband!”

She flung her sleeve and left.

The senior maid beside her urged, “Madam, please calm your anger…”

“How can I possibly calm down?”

The maid smiled bitterly. “You spoke in anger.”

Then she consoled her, “One can hardly blame Young Lady for being unable to accept the turn. She and General Yan loved each other. A misunderstanding and cruel twist of fate separated them, allowing Madam Yu’s side to pick up the opportunity. How could Young Lady reconcile herself to it?”

Hearing this, Madam Wei regretted even more that she had not spoken directly to her husband that day. Matters had now spiraled beyond control. Her anger faded, leaving only remorse.

…

Li Jiangxue sat alone on her bed, her expression obsessive and dark.

What was wrong with being a concubine?

An imperial concubine was far nobler than an ordinary titled lady!

As for distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate, wife and concubine-would they not ultimately depend upon a single word from Cousin?

Li Jiangyue was cunning and skilled at exploiting loopholes, but there was one thing in which she could never compare: Cousin would never love her as he loved Li Jiangxue!

Her parents, however, would never agree to such an absurd proposal.

She needed a way to force them to yield.

…

That evening, Li Dongshan returned from his office and ordered a family banquet. All the Li children attended in the front hall except Li Jiangxue, who was absent because of her health.

Li Dongshan’s face shone with smug delight. “Did you receive His Majesty’s marriage decree?” he asked Madam Yu.

Dimples appeared in Madam Yu’s cheeks. “More than that. Her Highness the Empress specially bestowed a jade bracelet she wore while pregnant with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Li Dongshan laughed heartily. “Hongguang earned this honor for Jiangyue. When you see him in a few days, you must thank him!”

Li Jiangyue shyly answered, “Yes.”

Li Dongshan began discussing the wedding with his wife and concubine. “Hongguang has just returned from a great victory and won His Majesty’s favor. The wedding must be grand. We will invite many guests and make it a splendid celebration. As for the dowry…”

He looked solemnly at his wife. “You know the Yan Family’s circumstances. Hongguang likely cannot provide much in betrothal gifts. Yet the honor he has given Jiangyue is itself the finest gift. We must not be stingy with her dowry. Give her the same allotment Jiangxue will receive. If it is insufficient, draw from the common accounts and add generously. A young woman’s dowry belongs to her. If she takes more with her, she can speak with greater confidence.”

Madam Yu hurriedly pulled her daughter forward to thank Madam Wei. Madam Wei’s expression was rigid and her smile forced.

Li Dongshan noticed his wife’s displeasure and frowned. His gaze moved to the empty seat where his eldest daughter usually sat. Remembering that this fine marriage should originally have been hers, he felt somewhat guilty. After dinner, he went to his wife’s courtyard.

“How is Jiangxue? Is she still unwell? Why not have someone take her out to relax and enjoy herself?”

Filled with vexation, Madam Wei could only shake her head. “Jiangxue’s heart is fixed upon Hongguang, but through a cruel misunderstanding, her beloved became her sister’s. How could she accept it? She has taken medicine for months without improving. She remains listless, as if all her vitality has scattered…”

Remembering their quarrel that day, her eyes reddened. She turned aside to wipe away tears.

Madam Wei had always been strong and seldom revealed weakness. Seeing it now aroused Li Dongshan’s pity. “It was my negligence. When I discussed the matter with Hongguang, I never mentioned a name…”

Then he could not help complaining, “And you-why did you conceal it so thoroughly without saying a single word?”

Tears streamed down Madam Wei’s face. “What use is any of that now?”

Li Jiangxue was Li Dongshan’s first daughter and the legitimate child of his principal wife, so he had always favored her. Hearing of her recent misery made him genuinely sad.

He rose and headed toward her courtyard. “I will go see Jiangxue.”
Madam Wei wanted him to witness their daughter’s condition personally and stop thinking that only Madam Yu and her daughter deserved pity. She did not stop him, merely following behind.

“My lord, don’t alert anyone. Just look through the curtain. The child is suffering terribly and weeps every day. Seeing each other will only make you both sadder.”

Li Dongshan’s heart sank. When they reached Li Jiangxue’s courtyard, everything was silent.

A servant reported quietly, “Young Lady cried for half the day and grew tired. She dismissed us and said she wished to sleep.”

Li Dongshan nodded and lightened his steps as he entered. Lifting the inner curtain, he found the room dim and the bed curtains lowered, obscuring his view.

It was late, and his daughter had already gone to bed. Unwilling to disturb her, he began to turn away. Then he noticed something wrong. Something had flowed down the bed curtain and discolored the phoenix-headed slippers on the footstool.

Li Dongshan turned pale. He flung aside the curtain and rushed inside. His daughter lay alone on the bed, fully dressed. The flesh of her wrist gaped open, blood soaking half the quilt before dripping steadily onto the footstool.

She was, after all, a daughter he genuinely loved. His voice trembled as he shouted, “Quickly! Fetch a physician!”

Seeing her daughter lying senseless on the bed, Madam Wei felt as if a blade pierced her heart. She released an anguished scream and fainted to the floor.

When she woke, her husband was watching beside her. Madam Wei cared for nothing else. She surged upright. “Jiangxue? Where is she? How is she?!”

Little color remained in Li Dongshan’s face either. Holding his wife’s hand, he forced a smile. “Don’t be afraid. The physician says she can be saved.”

Still shaken, he added, “Fortunately, we found her early. The physician said that if we had been any later, she would have died.”

Madam Wei exhaled in relief and fell heavily back onto the bed. Moments later, she rose again. “I need to see her.”

Li Dongshan’s face was somber. “I will go with you.”

Li Jiangxue lay with her eyes closed, not a trace of color in her face. After months of illness, even her cheeks had become hollow.

Li Dongshan had been busy with official duties and rarely saw his eldest daughter lately. At the sight, tears of pain escaped him. Madam Wei also wept as she watched her daughter lie unconscious.

The couple had been married for years but seldom sat together so peacefully. They kept watch beside the bed until midnight. At last, their daughter’s lashes trembled and her eyes slowly opened.

Madam Wei scolded her through tears. “You wretched child! Must you break my heart before you’re satisfied?!”

Li Dongshan choked up too. “Foolish child, what couldn’t we discuss slowly? Why seek death? If we hadn’t saved you in time, you would never have awakened. Do you understand?”

Li Jiangxue stared blankly at them while great tears rolled down. “I want to marry Cousin. I was supposed to marry Cousin… If Mother hadn’t kept delaying and refusing to speak, if Father hadn’t been so muddled and failed to ask clearly, I would already be Cousin’s wife. You ruined my marriage, and now you ask why I tried to die?”

Her words cut Li Dongshan and Madam Wei to the heart.

Li Dongshan had always doted on her, but he remained helpless. “Jiangxue, Father wronged you, but His Majesty has already issued the decree…”

He patiently broke down every difficulty and explained it. Li Jiangxue ignored him, lying silently on the bed.

Madam Wei had declared she would rather send her daughter to a convent than let her become a concubine. But now that Li Jiangxue had discarded even her life for Yan Hongguang, Madam Wei could no longer harden her heart.

Ultimately, none of this would have happened if she had not insisted upon delay. Nor would matters have reached this point if her husband had asked more carefully.

This was the child she had carried for ten months, and the husband her daughter yearned for had been lost through her own parents’ actions. Could Madam Wei truly be so cruel as to watch her die?

Despondent, she sighed and drew her husband aside.

“What else can we do? Let Jiangxue die?”

Only today did Madam Wei discover how useful tears could be. Rather than confront her husband stubbornly, she wept as she persuaded him. “If not for our negligence, how would Jiangxue have come to this? We ruined her marriage. Can we then be cruel enough to drive her to death?”

Li Dongshan pressed a hand to his forehead, his face full of worry.

Beside him, Madam Wei wept soundlessly.

…

“What? Honored Father-in-law wants to give me both daughters?”

Liu Che stared in astonishment. When he recovered, he shook his head repeatedly. “Impossible, impossible! Would that not make me a fickle scoundrel?”

He said solemnly, “If word spreads, people may think I deliberately seduced my younger cousin. The Yan Family has always maintained upright principles, and I consider myself an honorable gentleman. How could I do such a thing? Honored Father-in-law, quickly abandon this outrageous notion!”

Then Liu Che asked with perfect composure, “What? Is something wrong?”

Zhu Yuanzhang clicked his tongue. “Zhi’er, you’re a goat farting like a sheep.”

Ying Zheng asked, “What does that mean?”

Li Shimin burst out laughing. “Lewd and foreign!”