Thick snow fell silently like white velvet, the gloom having persisted for over two months without a single clear day. In the distance, winter sunlight filtered through clouds veiled by misty gauze, as the western wind finally ceased its intensifying momentum.
Early spring had arrived. Servants at Xie Residence were sweeping away the spring snow, their brooms shooing chattering sparrows pecking at the ground and sending up shimmering silver snowdust. Deep within the austere and tranquil Xie Estate, a bright and immaculate chamber glowed with warm charcoal fire, its windows opened to the lightly falling snow, releasing faint traces of inner chamber fragrance.
Behind the green damask curtains, Tian Qin slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision blurred before gradually focusing into clarity, her senses slowly reconnecting as she returned from some chaotic state back to the mortal realm. So warm—almost too hot. In over three years of entering the household as a concubine, she had never experienced such warmth.
She attempted to rise, but her body felt drained of strength, leaving her lying helplessly on the soft couch gathering her spirits. She had died—died on a snowy day—yet now she saw sunlight again. Could it be… rebirth?
Her vacant eyes scanned the surroundings: Xie Residence’s living quarters, standing screen painted with lacquered landscape—that screen looked terrifyingly familiar. Once during a banquet, he had casually kicked open this room and pressed her against that very screen demanding kisses.
The nightmare tore through her mind, and she groaned in pain, trying to expel the unbearable memory. In early spring of Yuanshi’s second year, when she and her sisters first came to Xie Manor for visiting relatives, she drank a cup of wine and was sent to her brother-in-law’s bed that very night—a memory she could never forget across two lifetimes.
A soft creak sounded as the door opened, followed by a maid’s light footsteps. “Has the young lady rested well? The Madam is urging you to come out.” The maid retrieved the dried garments from beside the stove, dusting them off with practiced motions—it was Tian Qin’s lotus root pink outer garment.
Tian Qin stared blankly, taking a deep breath as if her soul had departed, tears tracing their original path down her temples. “Zhao… Lu…”
A faint smile graced Zhao Lu’s lips. “Yes, your servant is here.” She draped the lotus root pink outer garment over Tian Qin—warmed through with a sun-dried scent. “The clothes are dry. The feast hasn’t ended yet, young lady should dress warmly against the spring chill.”
Tian Qin silently stared at the nearly imperceptible wine stain on the garment, her mouth feeling hollow, chills running down her spine. This year’s spring banquet had been hosted by her First Wife’s Older Sister—fortunate to marry into the Xie Family but childless for years—with Great Madam He Shi bringing her and Ku Ju, two illegitimate daughters, to the feast to select one as concubine.
The drugged wine cup had been personally offered with smiling grace by her First Wife’s Older Sister—whoever between Ku Ju or her drank it would embark on the point of no return. Earlier, she had accidentally spilled wine at the banquet and came here to change clothes, only to awaken with memories of her past life.
Seeing Tian Qin remain silent and dazed as if dreaming, Zhao Lu asked concernedly, “Young lady, what’s wrong?”
Tian Qin glanced at Zhao Lu. “A bit dizzy.”
Zhao Lu mentioned the sobering fruits on the table. “The young lady has low alcohol tolerance. Have some to recover. Wan Cui and Chen Momo brought them earlier—we mustn’t breach etiquette at Xie Jia.”
“Where are they?”
“Waiting outside, afraid to disturb your rest.”
Tian Qin hummed deeply, her beautiful bright eyes veiled. Her people were all here—good.
Just then, Xie Residence’s steward Li Fu arrived.
Bowing respectfully outside the door, he inquired: “Third Young Lady, the Madam noticed your prolonged absence after changing clothes and wonders if anything has happened.”
Zhao Lu and Tian Qin exchanged a glance, both disliking this servant of the Xie Residence. Tian Qin in particular vividly remembered the despicable face of this steward from her past life—how he had embezzled her life-saving money, leading to her severe illness and miserable death.
Tian Qin gave a meaningful look. Zhao Lu called out, “The young lady is drunk and has a headache. She’s sobering up now.”
A long “Oh” came from outside the room, followed by lingering footsteps that gradually faded away.
A moment later, the First Wife’s Older Sister came in person.
Today’s feast was important, with both Ku Ju and Tian Qin playing key roles. Neither could be absent.
“Tian’er, are you drunk?”
Xianqiu, esteemed as the matriarch of the Xie Family, was eternally noble and elegant, dignified and virtuous. Her warm, sun-like disposition naturally carried an affinity, devoid of the stern admonishments of the senior madam. If one let their guard down, the gloomy, damp inner world of an illegitimate daughter like Tian Qin—fragile as spring snow—could easily melt under her influence.
“Let your sister see what’s wrong.”
Tian Qin sat on the couch, reluctant to face her. “Second Sister, I’m fine now.”
Xianqiu said gently, “I noticed you weren’t eating at the banquet earlier, you accidentally spilled the wine I gave you, and you seemed restrained. Don’t worry, you and Ku Ju are both sisters of the Yu family. There’s no need to mind others’ opinions.”
Tian Qin frowned delicately. “It’s my misfortune to be unable to enjoy fine wine and delicacies.”
Her head still throbbed with a dizzying ache, and she swayed unsteadily as she stood, implying she couldn’t attend.
Xianqiu’s regret was palpable. “Your brother-in-law brought many fresh treats from his fief—plum blossom fragrant cakes, five-spice pastries, emerald thread cold noodles, crab roe pastries… all sorts of delicious and fun things. We never saw such delights back in Dingtao. Ku Ju loves them. You must try them; it’d be a shame to miss out.”
The person the First Wife’s Older Sister described was her brother-in-law, the head of the Xie Family and the foremost powerful official at court.
As the maternal family of the Taihuang Taihou, the Xie Family was at the peak of its power. The Xie descendants competed in extravagance, indulging in wine and pleasure, with magnificent mansions and ever-changing landscapes—their residences even surpassing imperial standards.
As the head of the Xie Clan, he held the title of Xindu Marquis and bore the honorary title of Grand Commandant, ostensibly assisting in governance but effectively ruling.
While other Xie descendants were arrogant, wasteful, and indulgent, he remained gentle and composed, strict in self-cultivation, embodying the idealized Confucian personality that shone brilliantly.
Both court and public praised him as a pure-hearted, diligent, and unassuming official—in other words, he was the moral exemplar for scholars nationwide, a deservedly “good man.”
In her past life, he always dressed in long sleeves and broad sashes, wearing the Moral Code Crown and Ethics Robe, attired as a Confucian scholar, embodying the essence of a sage.
Tian Qin shook her head; the lingering warmth of the Shaoxing Nu’er Hong she had drunk still burned in her throat. “Second Sister, please enjoy yourself. Don’t mind me. I’ll rest alone for a while.”
Familiarity breeds comfort.
Xianqiu, sharp and perceptive, vaguely sensed something. On Tian Qin’s delicate, jade-like wrist still rested a vividly colored Xiaxuzhuo, its pure white jade setting off her slender joints like congealed cream.
“Very well, I won’t force you. I’ll save the delicacies for you. Rest well for now.”
Xianqiu gently lifted her wrist, examining it closely. “See how much your brother-in-law dotes on you? This Xiaxuzhuo is a tribute item, top quality. You’re the only one who has it—neither I nor Ku Ju received one.”
Tian Qin’s right eyelid twitched uncontrollably. Yes, this was the only gift he had ever given her. She had worn it even while serving him naked in bed and had once treasured it deeply.
Until, in her final moments, blood splattered across its delicate jade patterns, and she heard the First Wife’s Older Sister confess that he had never cared for her at all—this precious Xiaxuzhuo was merely a random trinket from the elder sister’s storeroom.
Her wrist throbbed with unbearable pain from the restraint, but she couldn’t find the intricate mechanism to release it amidst her frantic search.
Xianqiu’s mellow voice lingered in her ears, “You young sisters grew up in the Dingtao ancestral home and haven’t spent much time in the capital, so it’s natural you’re unfamiliar with your Brother-in-law. Now that our Yu family has moved to the capital, more visits will ease that. Don’t be shy, hmm?”
The repeated mention of “Brother-in-law” struck Tian Qin’s ears with suggestive undertones.
The head of the Xie Clan wasn’t as virtuous as the world portrayed; at the very least, when she desperately sought Zishenzhi in her final days, he showed no trace of humanity.
Wife above concubine—that was his bottom line and principle. He rigidly adhered to the cold Confucian doctrines, willing to sacrifice everything for rigid rules.
All that remained in her memory was fear: the force of his grip on her waist in her past life, the chilling touch of his fingertips like blades grazing her skin, her sobs often drowned in the dark, gentle violence of his lethal rhythm.
Tian Qin lay weakly on the couch, allowing Xianqiu to place a warm towel on her forehead.
Xianqiu sighed and left temporarily, closing the door behind her.
Zhao Lu hurriedly shut the window letting in the snowflakes, while Wan Cui and Chen Momo also entered to attend to her.
Buried deep under the covers, Tian Qin kept her eyes open, neither intoxicated nor sleepy.
…
The moon was faint, the sun had set.
As night fell, the biting cold intensified in the air, pines and cypresses swayed gently in the frosty hue, yet the Xie Residence’s banquet hall remained brightly lit.
The banquet table was arrayed with cups, plates, and a dazzling spread of delicacies.
The Zhujun had finished his meal and departed, followed shortly by the Fourth Miss Ku Ju’s farewell, leaving only the Zhumu Yu Xianqiu and He Shi.
He Shi was the matriarch of the Yu family, Yu Xianqiu’s birth mother.
The bright moon hung in the sky, the lanterns glowed drowsily, and stars twinkled brilliantly.
Xianqiu, in low spirits, had drunk a bit too much. As she poured her third cup, He Shi tapped her hand sternly, “Three is the limit. As the principal wife of the clan, any more and you’ll be drunk.”
Xianqiu faintly pursed her lips, halted her action, and adopted a gentle demeanor: “Did Mother enjoy the meal tonight? Which dish did you like? I’ll have the chef prepare it for you at home.”
He Shi’s expression was stern: “Whether I enjoyed it or not isn’t important. What matters is whether your husband enjoyed it, and whether your two younger sisters enjoyed it.”
Xianqiu’s face was respectfully humble, but gazing at the empty seat beside her, she felt a pang of melancholy.
“Hubby enjoyed it very much, and the two younger sisters… also enjoyed it. Ku Ju ate quite a lot, and Tian Qin got dizzy from the wine.”
He Shi asked, “Mother asks you, what was the purpose of tonight?”
Xianqiu’s smile faltered, and she didn’t respond.
He Shi sighed, “You invited two younger sisters, but only one attended, and it’s right here in your Xie Residence’s domain. Where is your authority as the elder sister?”
Both Tian Qin and Ku Ju were brought by He Shi—illegitimate daughters of the family, both obedient and gentle, with no one to rely on. Ku Ju’s Yiniang came from an ordinary merchant family, while Tian Qin’s Yiniang was that reviled courtesan singer from the brothels, who had died early.
“In terms of background, Ku’er is better.”
“But in looks, Tian’er is superior.”
After all, Tian Qin resembled her biological Yiniang—sweet-faced as her name suggested, with a supple waist, a natural seductress meant to serve men.
If taking a concubine, it depends on whether one values virtue or beauty.
Xianqiu stared at the pale green veins in the potted plant by the table, lost in thought, her shy, watery eyes seemingly avoiding something. After a long pause, she said, “Mother, Hubby has no intention of taking a concubine. He didn’t even glance at the two younger sisters earlier. Perhaps we should just drop it.”
What woman in this world who truly loves her husband would willingly let him take another into his embrace and share his bed with someone else?
Her husband is the most extraordinary, celestial being in all the world.
“Moreover, I have a vague feeling that Tian’er is unwilling.”