chapter 1
My mother gave birth to three daughters, and every one of us was beautiful.
Father was immensely proud of that fact. Every day at court, amid his colleagues’ praise, he would feign humility and say, “My daughters’ beauty is not one ten-thousandth of my wife’s.”
Then, under a storm of eye rolls, he would leave perfectly satisfied.
When we came of marriageable age, suitors nearly wore our threshold smooth.
No one knew her daughters better than Mother. She summoned all three of us and said to Father, “Ran’er likes refined, handsome scholars. Find someone suitable for her.”
Father pondered a moment. “The Third-Ranked Scholar comes from a good family and has elegant features. He would suit our Ran’er very well.”
Eldest Sister smiled shyly. “I will leave it all to Father and Mother.”
Mother turned to Second Sister. “Jin’er, tell me honestly. Have you given your heart to that young man from the Xiao family?”
Second Sister blushed and nodded.
Understanding finally dawned on Father. “Ah! No wonder Lord Xiao has been speaking up for me at court lately. So that is why. So that is why!”
Mother told him to be quiet, then addressed my two sisters.
“Very well. Now that I have asked you both, I know what to do.”
“If my precious daughters must marry, they will marry fine young men who make them happy.”
“Otherwise, you may as well stay home. Your father and I will support you for the rest of your lives.”
I applauded from the side. “Wonderful! Everything is settled now. We no longer have to worry about Eldest Sister’s or Second Sister’s marriage.”
Mother gave me a reproachful look. “Of all three sisters, you are the most carefree. Never mind. When the time comes, your father can find a sensible, attentive man to marry into our family. You need not leave home at all.”
Grinning, I copied my sisters. “I will leave it all to Father and Mother.”
Marriage was the greatest event in a person’s life. Father and Mother had worried for days, but at last everything was settled.
In celebration, Father invited a chef from the Full Fortune Restaurant to prepare an enormous feast.
Yet only two days later, Father came home from court with a troubled face, sighing again and again.
He and Mother shut themselves in their room to discuss something. We had no idea what.
By nightfall, Second Sister could bear it no longer. She pushed open the door and demanded, “Mother, does Xiao Min refuse to marry me?”
Mother drew her into an embrace. “What nonsense are you imagining? This has nothing to do with Second Young Master Xiao.”
Eldest Sister followed her in. “Father has been sighing since he came home. Has something serious happened?”
Father and Mother had been married for twenty years. They were devoted to one another and had never truly quarreled, but that day they turned their backs and refused even to look at each other.
I grew anxious too. “What on earth happened?”
Mother sighed. “The Emperor has issued an oral decree. One of the Shen family’s three daughters must be chosen to marry General Xie Yuan.”
Both my sisters went pale.
Biting her lip, Eldest Sister murmured, “The Xie family has served the court for generations. Xie Yuan is ruthless and has won countless victories over the past ten years, yet he has never married.”
“His Majesty must want to preserve the Xie bloodline…”
Tears welled in Second Sister’s eyes. “Mother! I do not want to marry him…”
She and Second Young Master Xiao had grown up together and loved each other. Just yesterday, Father had said the Xiao family had invited him over for wine, likely to discuss their betrothal.
No wonder the Emperor’s sudden interference had terrified her.
Eldest Sister lowered her head without a word. She had never liked military men who brandished swords and spears. She said they were coarse, hot-tempered, and smelled of sweat at a glance.
Only a few days ago, our whole family had happily celebrated over wine. Now every face was drawn beneath a cloud of misery.
I rose, thumped my chest, and declared with heroic conviction, “What’s there to worry about?”
“Marrying a general would be glorious, and I might even get to ride a great stallion!”
“If neither of you will marry him, I will!”
The moment the words left my mouth, four pairs of eyes snapped toward me.
Eldest Sister spoke first. “What nonsense are you spouting? You have no idea how frightening Xie Yuan is. He followed his father to war at twelve and has killed more men than anyone can count.”
“If you marry him, that living King of Hell will swallow you whole!”
Second Sister clasped my hand in distress. “Mianmian, you are far too innocent to contend with a man like him. Father and Mother should find you someone whose background and character we know.”
My sisters had doted on me since childhood. Whenever there was something delicious to eat or delightful to play with, they always let me choose first. If I so much as coughed, one rushed to bring me a cloak while the other brewed my medicine.
Whichever of them accepted the Emperor’s marriage decree would suffer.
There was no better choice than me.
For once in my life, I found my courage. Resting a hand on each sister’s shoulder, I said solemnly, “Eldest Sister, you will marry your handsome scholar without worry.”
“Second Sister, wait for Second Brother Xiao to come and claim you.”
“I will marry into the Xie family. No one is talking me out of it today.”
Father and Mother looked at each other, then turned away with reddened eyes.
…
Bold as I had sounded, once night fell and I remembered Eldest Sister calling Xie Yuan a living King of Hell, doubt crept in.
Could the man truly be that terrifying?
I tossed and turned before finally falling asleep.
That night, I dreamed of a nine-foot monster with a green face and fearsome fangs. Wielding an enormous cleaver, it chased after me and howled, “My bride!”
“Do not run!”
“Come back to the underworld with me!”
The nightmares lasted all night.
When I woke the next morning, my heart was pounding. I stared up at the bed curtains and made up my mind.
I needed to see for myself whether Xie Yuan was a man or a monster.