Sunlight bathed the moss clinging to the edges of the polished blue bricks. The air was fresh and sweet, spring mountains stretched lush and green, swallows swooped in arcs overhead, and the lingering snow melted away as the weather visibly warmed.
Xianqiu, the Second Miss of the Yu family who had married into the Marquis Manor, returned to her natal home in grand style. The occasion was lavish, with golden sunlight gleaming brilliantly upon the phoenix hairpin nestled in her hair, accentuating her dignified elegance and innate noble bearing.
The Yu residence bustled with excitement. Tian Qin and Ku Ju, the two illegitimate daughters, stood properly in place while Zhumu He Shi came out early to welcome them.
As soon as Xianqiu stepped down from the carriage, she embraced them. “Mother! Tian’er, Ku’er, I’ve missed you all so much these past few days.”
Tian Qin and Ku Ju responded with appropriate smiles. He Shi gently smoothed her daughter’s wind-tousled hair, her eyes filled with affection. “The wind is strong, let’s go inside to talk.”
With the Second Miss’s return, the manor hosted a banquet, presenting many rare delicacies that illegitimate daughters like Tian Qin seldom had the chance to see.
Xianqiu had married into a higher status, and her return carriage was packed to the brim with treasures—pearls, jade, fine silks, exotic delicacies, and delicacies from land and sea, everything one could imagine.
After the meal, the family sat together harmoniously. He Shi asked, “Why have you returned so hastily instead of properly attending to your husband at Xie Manor?”
Xianqiu replied, “I missed Father, Mother, and my sisters and brothers, so I requested permission from my husband to visit.”
Servants Lu Xu and others unloaded the pearls, jade, and treasures from the carriage one by one. The gifts were a dazzling array, with every sibling in the Yu family receiving their share.
Xie Manor was vast and prosperous, generously providing an abundance of fine goods that left onlookers marveling at the immense wealth of the Xie family.
Tian Qin’s mind was wholly occupied with Yan Ge’s studies, intending to merely greet everyone before returning to her room. Yet, she was firmly called over and presented with gifts far exceeding those of her other siblings in both quantity and value.
Xianqiu smiled warmly, trying priceless jewelry on Tian Qin one by one, exclaiming how each piece suited her perfectly.
The cold tassels brushed against Tian Qin’s cheek, sending a shiver down her spine.
He Shi laughed, “Since you dote on your sweet sister so much, why not give them all to her, including that diancui fengchai in your hair?”
Upon hearing this, Xianqiu reached up to remove the hairpin, gesturing to place it in Tian Qin’s hair, praising her youthful beauty akin to spring peaches.
Tian Qin was startled and repeatedly declined, knowing full well that the nine-tailed phoenix design was meant to be worn only by married women with their hair styled up.
“Tian’er is unworthy of this, Second Sister, please take it back quickly.”
“It’s just for trying on. If it looks good, keep it; if not, no matter. What does it matter?”
Xianqiu’s gentle smile overpowered Tian Qin’s resistance as she fastened the hairpin in place, sighing in admiration, “It truly suits you, even more than it does me.”
Ku Ju stood by with a darkened expression, pursing her lips and crumpling her skirt in her grip, her jealousy barely concealed.
Tian Qin frowned, glancing at her radiant reflection in the bronze mirror. Amid the surrounding soft laughter and chatter, a sense of foreboding welled up within her.
This scene had not occurred in her previous life—that spring night, she had gone to Xie Manor, drank wine, and ended up on her brother-in-law’s bed.
He Shi displayed rare kindness toward Tian Qin, remarking, “Look at your Second Sister, she treasures you like her own eyes.”
Xianqiu continued to try other floral hair ornaments on Tian Qin, her voice tinged with faint sorrow. “I am frail and often ill, and my husband is busy with court affairs, unable to care for me. Whenever I lie bedridden, my thoughts turn to dear sisters like Tian’er and Ku’er.”
She clutched her chest, resembling a sorrowfully beautiful withered flower, as delicate and ill as the legendary beauty Xishi. Ku Ju hastily handed her a handkerchief, while He Shi went over to embrace and comfort her, saying, “Your mother just said it casually, why are you suddenly so upset? If you truly miss your younger siblings, you can have them come stay for a couple of days.”
Xianqiu turned her sorrow into joy: “Tian Qin has a sweet appearance and an equally sweet little mouth, most capable of unraveling my worries when I’m troubled. If Tian Qin could stay by my side forever, it would be hard for my illness not to improve.”
He Shi sighed with helpless affection: “Fine, it’s all fine.”
Inside, Tian Qin felt as if being sliced by a thousand knives. She considered herself skilled at acting, yet found herself unable to interject amidst their back-and-forth conversation. How could going to Xie Manor be acceptable? She feared that once she went, she might never return.
Previously despised as an illegitimate daughter, she had suddenly transformed into a phoenix perched on a high branch, and the entire family’s attitude toward her had completely reversed.
She was dressed up like a bright flowering branch—the beloved younger sister cherished in the greenhouse, or perhaps—a concubine waiting to be sold at the right price.
Tian Qin’s alarm bells rang loudly.
In the afternoon, a large group of maids and matrons arrived at Tian Qin’s bedchamber, bustling about to replace old items and renovate the shabby decor, ordering people around with great pomp.
Wan Cui muttered under her breath: “They have ill intentions. Just a few days ago, when the young lady’s porcelain basin was peeling, she asked for a new one but was refused.”
Tian Qin gently squeezed Wan Cui’s hand. A sharp-eared matron overheard and said with a friendly smile, “Does the Third Young Lady need a basin? Quickly bring in the new items—we have plenty of basins.”
The matchmaker came to ask for Tian Qin’s birth date and after careful analysis, declared her auspicious, destined for wealth and prosperity, with a fate to bring good fortune to her husband.
Several matrons smilingly led away Zhao Lu, Wan Cui, Chen Momo, and others, leaving Tian Qin alone in the inner chamber. They drew the curtains, took her measurements for clothing, then removed her undergarments to examine her virginity.
Tian Qin instantly struggled, gritting her teeth in extreme fury, enduring the humiliation until her rosy cheeks were wet with forced tears, while her limbs were firmly pinned down by the matrons.
One matron examined her carefully for a long moment: “Hmm, this young lady appears blessed, easy to conceive and bear children.”
Another matron said in an unctuous tone: “Third Young Lady, don’t mind us. We old servants are merely following the orders of the Zhumu and Madam Xie.”
As soon as she was freed, Tian Qin hurriedly dressed, her eyes faintly flashing with hatred.
She suppressed her rage and wiped her tears.
Zhao Lu and the others pushed past the matrons and burst through the door, shielding the disheveled Tian Qin while loudly scolding them.
The matrons paid no mind; having completed their task, they left with pleasant words, not forgetting to congratulate Tian Qin before departing.
Furious and resentful, Tian Qin’s tear stains were still fresh.
Unwilling to resign herself to fate, she resolutely pulled a gold bar from under her pillow—something she had secretly saved for a long time.
“Go to the Second Young Lady’s courtyard and find Steward Li Fu. Give him the money and ask him to tell the truth of the matter.”
Li Fu was indeed a despicable and shameless scoundrel; in her previous life, he had stolen her life-saving medicine money.
But now, she had no other options.
Everyone around her elder sister kept their lips sealed; aside from Li Fu, it would be difficult to extract even a sliver of truth.
Enduring humiliation to preserve her life—she had reached her limit.
Chen Momo, more composed than the maids Zhao Lu and Wan Cui, understood the gravity of the situation and took the gold bar to go.
After about an hour, she returned, her face deathly pale.
“Young lady, something terrible has happened.”
Only then did Tian Qin learn that her brother-in-law had chosen her as his concubine.
Living confined in the airtight depths of the inner chambers, she had been kept in the dark and sold off once again.
That day in the carriage, all his words had been lies.
All that talk about selecting a husband for her, about keeping secrets—he seemed so easygoing, yet in the blink of an eye, he had designated her as his concubine.
Tian Qin’s clear, bright eyes were bloodshot, her suspended heart utterly dead, her hands and feet icy as if in an ice cellar.
What could she do now? Pleading with Second Sister and Zhumu would be futile, and appearing before Xie Tanwei would only invite humiliation. Isolated and helpless, with every path blocked, it seemed becoming a concubine was her only option.
Ku Ju’s courtyard wasn’t far. Seeing the matron measuring Tian Qin for clothes and bringing gifts, while her own yard remained desolate and bleak, she grew envious and resentful, weeping bitterly.
“What are you flaunting? Your name means ‘sweet,’ mine means ‘bitter’—it’s only right that I lose to you…”
“Sister likes you, Brother-in-law likes you, you ought to be the sweet one, while I, Ku Ju, am just a miserable chrysanthemum.”
Whenever she was upset, Ku Ju would fixate on their names. Among the Yu family’s four daughters—”sour, salty, sweet, bitter”—Ku Ju disliked her own name the most.
Tian Qin was thoroughly annoyed. It wasn’t as if she had chosen her name—where was the sweetness in her life?
Yan Ge’er was nearby. An idea struck her, and she snatched his homework notebook, wrote a few words, and handed it to Xu Junzheng.
For days, she had been secretly communicating with Xu Junzheng through his homework.
Yan Ge’er burst into tears, and Chen Momo hurriedly soothed him.
Once Yan Ge’er had eaten his pastry and stopped crying, Tian Qin placed the notebook back in his book bag, instructing him to ensure Teacher Xu personally graded it.
Zhao Lu and the others understood perfectly: Tian Qin detested the idea of becoming a concubine and was determined to cling to Teacher Xu, hoping to escape the Yu family’s pit of despair.
The next day, after Yan Ge’er returned from school and was playing with Tian Qin, he mentioned that Teacher Xu lacked good ink, his handwriting intermittently faltering.
In truth, it wasn’t just good ink he lacked—good paper, books, brushes, a proper teacher, and broader knowledge were all beyond Xu Junzheng’s reach.
To surpass the wealthy young men and stand out in the Policy Examination, mere earnest enthusiasm born of poverty was far from enough.
Somewhat reassured, Tian Qin instructed Zhao Lu to give Xu Junzheng the Huizhou ink her sister had gifted her.
She was resolved to nurture Xu Junzheng, sparing no expense. She fantasized that he would prove himself, earn an official rank, and one day outshine Xie Tanwei in court.
The matter was urgent and had to be addressed immediately—who knew when she might be forcibly carried off to Xie Manor in a small bridal sedan?
Two days later, Xu Junzheng conveyed another message through Yan Ge’er’s homework notebook: he needed books. Books were precious items, typically found only in the libraries of wealthy families, and the few Xu Junzheng owned were already worn to tatters.
Tian Qin immediately set about finding books, but she seldom read herself and had very few in her room.
The Yu family had only one library, monopolized by her eldest brother Yu Ye, who was also preparing for the Late Spring Strategy Examination.
She had no choice but to charm her half-brother, pretending she wanted to read. With a radiant smile and gentle demeanor, she even parted with some fine items Xianqiu had given her.
Yu Ye grudgingly said, “What do girls need to read for? You can take the idle books over there. The ones on my desk are for the Late Spring Policy Discussion—don’t touch them.”
Tian Qin thought to herself that it was precisely the policy books she wanted—what use were idle books? Putting on a tender, pleading expression, she coaxed, “Eldest Brother, Tian’er just wants to know what the policy discussion will cover. I promise not to damage them—just a quick look, and I’ll return them.”
Yu Ye clutched the books tightly, insisting he needed to review. Tian Qin pleaded relentlessly, wearing her lips sore, until she finally managed to sneak away with two policy books Yu Ye had already memorized inside out.
She instructed Yan Ge’er to give them to Xu Junzheng, encouraging him to study them diligently and strive to win the Policy Examination.
Xu Junzheng was deeply moved when he received them.
Tian Qin pondered again: Yu Ye had been meticulously educated since childhood and had thoroughly memorized all the answers. What could Xu Junzheng possibly use to compete during the policy debate?
Even if Xu Junzheng studied all of Yu Ye’s books, the two would at best end in a stalemate—a mere repetition of conventional responses. How could Xu Junzheng possibly stand out?
She truly understood now the difficulty for those of humble origins to rise above their station.
Perhaps, as Xu Junzheng had said, unless a “renowned teacher” could perform the miracle of turning stone into gold, it would be nearly impossible to break through the fierce competition.
If Xu Junzheng failed to attain an official rank, would she have no choice but to resign herself to being a concubine?
Fanning others, holding washbasins, serving the Zhujun and Zhumu—living a life devoid of sunlight, having her children taken away, watching them not recognize their own mother, and even having to bow to her own offspring? Enduring a humble existence in a cold, starving hovel until death?
The mere thought terrified Tian Qin. Having been reborn once, besides fear, she felt an unyielding resentment growing like wild grass within her.
No. Absolutely not.
The Sage Teacher, whom Xu Junzheng, Yu Ye, and all Confucian scholars across the land admired wholeheartedly, was none other than her Brother-in-law.
If Brother-in-law could guide Xu Junzheng—even if only superficially, even if just one essay—it would be enough to gild Xu Junzheng’s reputation. Why worry about him not standing out like a crane among chickens during the policy debate?
This vague idea formed in Tian Qin’s mind, and she felt it was extremely dangerous. She was truly audacious to even think of using him.
If Xie Tanwei were a fool, it might be manageable—but how could someone who had climbed to such hidden heights, revealing neither mountains nor waters, possibly be foolish?
Her heart heavy with worry, she tossed and turned sleeplessly at night. The gold and silver jewelry sent by Xianqiu shimmered faintly under the moonlight, opulent yet cold, invisibly like a death curse.
To escape the heavy siege of the Yu family—and the siege of Xie Jia—the only lifeline within reach now was Xu Junzheng.