chapter 5

chapter 5

I told my parents that I had divorced and was leaving, and asked if they wanted to leave with me.

For a moment they were stunned, then they looked relieved, and a trace of hidden delight appeared on their faces.

“Aqiao, don’t blame your parents. People have to accept their fate. This is your fate.”

“You are still our daughter. Arao will take care of you in the future too.”

“If you are leaving, then go far away. Don’t stay where people can gossip about you.”

I froze.

They thought Zhao Ye had divorced me so that he could marry Arao?

Arao’s face lit up with happiness, her joy impossible to hide.

“Sister, don’t worry. I will support you in the future. It’s just that you can’t appear before His Highness again.”

I almost laughed myself sick.

For a moment, I wanted to slap her hard.

Then I thought better of it and let it go.

She was naive, foolish, and had seen too little of the world.

She thought beauty alone could cross every chasm.

But if beauty were truly invincible, then there would not be so many abandoned concubines in the cold palace. Weren’t they beautiful before they were deposed? Weren’t they likable?

This world does not give everything to the beautiful by right, and it does not take everything away from the ugly by right either.

She would understand one day. I only hoped she would not suffer too badly when she did.

I closed the door quietly, said nothing, and left.

When I reached the gate, the steward was already waiting for me.

Seeing me arrive, he bent forward and offered me a thousand-tael banknote with both hands.

“Miss Li, this is a small token of His Highness’s regard. Please accept it. His Highness said that over the past three years, he thanks you for your company, and he hopes you will live a little better from now on.”

That thousand-tael note seemed to glow.

I only hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it.

I said calmly, “Thank His Highness for the gift.”

The steward froze for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

“Miss, take care on your way.”

I thanked him and stepped lightly across the threshold of the prince’s estate.

We both understood that once that imperial marriage decree no longer bound us, he was a prince and I was a commoner. From then on, if I ever saw him again, I could only kneel and say, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

It would not hurt to get used to that in advance.
chapter 7

I told my parents that I had divorced and would be leaving, and asked whether they would come with me.

My parents were stunned for a moment, then suddenly looked relieved, their faces showing a faint, suppressed delight.

“Aqiao, don’t blame us. People have to accept their fate. This is your fate.”

“You are still our daughter. Arao will take care of you in the future too.”

“If you are going to leave, then leave far away, so people won’t gossip.”

I was stunned.

They thought Zhao Ye had divorced me so he could marry Arao?

Arao’s face was lit with happiness, unable to hide her joy.

“Sister, don’t worry. I will support you in the future. It’s just that you can’t appear before His Highness anymore.”

I laughed in anger.

I suddenly wanted to slap her hard.

After thinking about it, I gave up.

She was naive, foolish, and inexperienced.

She thought beauty alone could cross every chasm.

But if beauty really were invincible, there would not be so many abandoned consorts in the cold palace. Before they were deposed, weren’t they beautiful too? Weren’t they likeable too?

This world does not hand everything to the beautiful, and it does not strip everything from the ugly by right.

She would understand one day. I only hoped she would not suffer too much by then.

I quietly shut the door without saying a word and turned to leave.

When I reached the front gate, the steward was already waiting for me.

Seeing me arrive, he stepped forward and handed me a silver note worth one thousand taels with both hands.

“Miss Li, this is His Highness’s little token of appreciation. Please accept it. His Highness said that over the past three years he thanks you for your company, and he hopes you will live a better life in the future.”

That thousand-tael note seemed to glow.

I only hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking it.

I said calmly, “Thank you for His Highness’s gift.”

The steward froze for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

“Take care, Miss.”

I thanked him and stepped lightly across the threshold of the prince’s residence.

We both understood that once freed from the shackles of that imperial marriage edict, he was a prince and I was a commoner. In the future, if I saw him, I could only kneel and say, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

It was not a bad thing to get used to that in advance.

I bought a courtyard of my own.

And I picked up an ugly cat.

The cat had probably lost a fight with another cat somewhere and came limping over to me, meowing pitifully.

When I looked at its face, I could not help laughing.

A bowl-cut face, dark circles under its eyes, and a black smudge on its nose. It was ugly in a very distinctive way.

It really did not know how to grow properly.

I picked it up, checked its injured leg, and softly soothed it. “It’s all right. We can fix it.”

I took it to the clinic.

The doctor there looked rather surprised.

These days, very few people would bring a cat in for treatment. After all, even people could not easily afford to see a doctor.

He looked at me, then at the cat, and for a moment he was serious, then for a moment he looked like laughing.

In the end he simply kept looking at the cat and stopped looking at me.

After the cat’s splint had been set, he frowned slightly and said, “Do you want to have your face looked at too? I know another doctor who is quite good at treating scars on the face.”

I touched my own face and said softly, “All right. Thank you, Doctor.”

I went to the other clinic he recommended and waited in line for treatment. When I came out with the medicine and the sunlight fell over me, my eyes felt a little wet.

Because the doctor had said, “Why didn’t you come earlier? If you had come sooner, it would already have been cured.”

Why hadn’t I come earlier?

When the imperial physician in the palace said my face could not be cured, I had not fully believed him, because the little doctor who usually treated the maids and eunuchs had winked at me.

But I had never been sure. Over and over again, I had asked myself whether the imperial physician had been telling the truth or not.

Later I understood that it did not matter whether it was true or false. For the imperial consort to win, my face had to be ruined.

Later still, I had gone to the laundry bureau. Every day there were endless piles of clothes to wash, and there was nothing much to say between people. Everyone was exhausted, aching all over, and only wanted to finish early and rest.

Then came the day I married the Fifth Prince. By then I understood that this might be the very last use left to me as a chess piece.

And now, at last, I could come see a doctor and get a definite answer.

Somehow, a little joy at the arrival of a future I had thought would never come rose quietly in my heart.

I touched the cat in my arms and smiled. “Let’s go home together.”
chapter 8

I bought a small house.

I also picked up an ugly cat.

The cat had probably lost a fight with another cat and was limping on one leg as it meowed at me.

When I looked at its face, I could not help laughing.

It had a bowl-cut head, dark circles under its eyes, and a black nose. So ugly it was almost novel.

It really did not know how to grow up.

I picked it up, checked its leg, and soothed it gently. “It’s all right. We’ll fix it.”

I carried it to a clinic.

The doctor there was a little surprised.

These days, hardly anyone brought cats in for treatment. After all, even people struggled to afford care.

He looked at me, then at the cat, serious for a moment and then almost smiling.

In the end, he simply kept looking at the cat and stopped looking at me.

After he fixed the splint on the cat’s leg, he frowned and said, “Should you have your own face looked at too? I know a doctor who is quite good at treating scars.”

I touched my face and said softly, “All right. Thank you, Doctor.”

I went to the other clinic he recommended. After waiting in line and getting my medicine, I walked out into the sunlight, and my eyes grew a little wet.

Because the doctor had said, “Why didn’t you come sooner? If you had come earlier, this would have been cured already.”

Why had I not come sooner?

When the imperial physician in the palace said my face could not be cured, I had not fully believed him, because the little doctor who usually treated the maids and eunuchs had winked at me.

But I was not sure, and I had turned the question over countless times in my head: was what the imperial physician said true or false?

Later I understood that whether it was true or false did not matter. For the imperial consort to win, my face had to be ruined.

After that I ended up in the laundry bureau, washing endless piles of clothes. There was nothing to say between people there. Everyone was exhausted, sore all over, and only wanted to finish the work quickly and rest.

Then came my marriage to the Fifth Prince. By then, I had already understood that this was probably the last use left for a discarded chess piece like me.

And now, finally, I was able to come for treatment and receive a definite answer.

Suddenly, I felt a little joy that the future had at last arrived.

I stroked the cat in my arms and smiled. “Come on, let’s go home together.”