Chapter 4
Chapter 4
That day, the girl was dragged away and punished with twenty strokes of the heavy board.
Her father was demoted.
Princess Rouyi was placed under house arrest.
The Crown Prince personally escorted me out of the palace.
He walked beside me, silent the entire way.
As we were about to leave the palace grounds, he halted, crouched down, and looked me straight in the eye.
“Shaohua, I am sorry. It is my fault for not teaching Rouyi well. I will see to her education properly from now on.”
His voice was gentle, like a soothing spring breeze.
His gaze was sincere, making one believe he would truly follow through on his word.
I suddenly found myself believing a little of what Xie Changhui had said-that I would fall in love with him.
If I truly lived in the palace…
Rouyi and I would surely be plagued by constant conflict.
The Crown Prince would help me. He might become a beacon in my lonely palace life, a candle bringing light to a cold night.
I would be drawn to him involuntarily, falling for him until I could no longer extricate myself.
But what if, one day, he no longer wished to illuminate or warm me?
What if he chose to light that beacon for someone else instead?
How heartbroken, jealous, and maddened would I become?
That version of myself would be truly terrifying.
I took a step back and said softly:
“Your Highness, when my father was alive, if I fought with my brother over something, my father would tell me to return it to him. He didn’t ask my brother to yield to me just because I was the younger sister.
“Because, in truth, I was the one who had snatched it from my brother.
“The Empress wished to support me as a display of imperial grace, letting me use Rouyi’s palace and take her seat.
“But even if I occupied them, I wouldn’t feel at peace, because those things rightfully belong to her.
“You acknowledge me as a sister out of pity, but Rouyi is your true sister by blood, is she not?
“Everyone wants to be the favored one, the chosen one.
“But things gained through theft or fighting are ultimately meaningless.
“Rouyi wants to be favored without having to fight for it; that is her right.
“Your Highness, you will always be an elder brother to me.
“But my true brother, whether in life or death, will always be the irreplaceable brother in my heart.”
The Crown Prince stood up, gazing at me as if seeing me for the first time.
“Shaohua, I understand. Thank you.”
I gave him a bright smile, performed a formal bow, and took Song Yichen’s small hand to walk out of the palace.
The Imperial Palace was grand.
His Majesty and the Empress were kind.
The Crown Prince was also very good.
But my home was the Duke’s Mansion.
Outside the palace, when Xie Changhui saw my reddened eyes and the scratches on Song Yichen’s little face, his breathing grew heavy with suppressed rage.
[Should I go try to earn a scholarly title? If I had a degree, maybe I could have gone in to help them today.]
[The Four Books and Five Classics are so hard…]
[But I’m a straight-A student! I can conquer them!!!]
My heart felt even warmer, and I couldn’t help but fly into his arms.
“Xie Changhui, guess how impressive I was today.”
“I didn’t let myself get bullied at all.”
Xie Changhui laughed heartily.
“Yes, you are very impressive indeed.”
Song Yichen leaned in, his eyes sparkling.
Xie Changhui patted his head.
“You were very impressive too.”
After returning home, Xie Changhui immediately sent people to find skilled martial arts masters to train Song Yichen.
He himself began studying the Four Books and Five Classics.
After some thought, I decided to practice martial arts with Song Yichen during the day and study military strategy books at night.
Song Yichen hesitated before speaking.
“Sister, I can protect you.”
My heart softened further.
“But I want to bring glory to the Duke’s Mansion. The men of the Song Family must go to the battlefield, and the daughters are no exception. I hope that one day, I too can serve my country.”
In the story, my life was bleak and miserable.
My brief existence revolved entirely around men.
But in Xie Changhui’s inner thoughts, there was a girl named Zhao Qingya. Her family background was poor, her father was dead, and her mother was ill. To afford her studies, she worked constantly. She was determined to study medicine, to solve medical mysteries, to heal the sick, and to bring a sense of integrity to the world. She never gave up on herself.
If I hadn’t encountered such a soul, I might have been like any other woman, revolving around the inner chambers, my husband, and my children.
There is nothing wrong or incorrect about that.
It is the best way to live in these times.
But since I have been fortunate enough to encounter her example, I want to try-to do something that has nothing to do with men, and everything to do with my own ambitions.
Only then can it truly be called changing one’s fate against the heavens.