chapter 3

After Mother’s funeral was over, Father returned to the Hanlin Academy to resume his post. The same crimson official robe, yet Father always wore it with a grace that far surpassed others.

Whenever Father came home each day, he would carry the scent of the Third Princess’s garments on him.

Half a year later, the Princess’s belly grew large, shocking the entire court. Yet Father remained calm and composed, continuing to teach me to read and write as usual.

When a woman is with child, no matter how loose her clothing, it cannot hide forever. Sooner or later, someone will notice.

If word got out, it would set the whole city abuzz.

Rumors of the Third Princess’s impropriety before marriage spread throughout the palace and beyond, even reaching the Censorate in the form of official memorials.

That night, someone dressed as a palace maid knocked on the doors of the Zhuangyuan Mansion.

In the dead of night, I heard a woman’s sobs: “My reputation is ruined, yet you still refuse to ask the Emperor to marry me. Do you want me to die, Brother Pei?”

“If you get rid of the child, I’ll marry you. You wouldn’t want to wear wedding robes with a swollen belly, would you? There will be other children in the future, but a grand wedding only happens once.”

“I’m scared…”

Father replied, “What are you afraid of? Do you want His Majesty to know it was me? If he finds out, what will happen to my career? Princess, our fates are tied together-if one prospers, so does the other; if one suffers, so does the other. My parents are gone, and whether I hold office or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m doing this for your future.”

“But how can I tell the Emperor…” The Third Princess began to cry. “He’ll kill me…”

Father’s voice was almost bewitching: “Get rid of the child and tell His Majesty that the father is a Servant Boy from your Princess Mansion. If you then say you want to marry me, the Emperor will be angry, but he’ll agree. Not only that, he’ll promote me as compensation. If my rank is higher, won’t you benefit as well?”

Father’s sweet words soothed the Third Princess in just a few sentences.

Abortion harms the body. The next day, the Princess’s Maid came to our door in tears, saying the Princess had bled endlessly after drinking the medicine, begging Father to go see her.

Father sent the Maid away, saying there were too many eyes around.

Five days later, the Emperor summoned Father, forcibly bestowed marriage upon him, and promoted him. Outside, everyone said Father had picked up a ruined shoe.

But I knew that this rumor was spread by Father himself.

During Father and Mother’s wedding, the Third Princess had sent Mother a broken shoe, mocking her for once selling her body, calling her a woman fit for any man, unworthy of being the Top Scholar’s wife.

Now Father was making her taste, bit by bit, the humiliation she had once given Mother.