Ding’an Year Eighteen, Second Month. Past midnight. The storm raged through the darkness.
A letter lay unfolded before Xie Yao.
Outside, rain poured in torrents. The dim yellow candlelight flickered in the wind, casting shifting shadows across her beautiful, composed face. A faintly pale smile tugged at her lips as she tightened her grip on the thin sheet of paper once more.
The bold, flowing brushstrokes danced across the page. Though it contained only a few short lines, the letter had been delivered to Prince Xie’s Manor at dusk, and by now the news had spread throughout the capital.
It was a letter of broken engagement from the Chancellor Xiao’s Residence.
“Yao’er, you’ve read it four times already. Since it was the Xiao family who proved faithless first, why trouble yourself over it?”
Her aunt, Madam Cao, dressed in fine silks and brocades, reached out as she spoke, intending to take the letter from her hand.
Xie Yao and Xiao Min had known each other since childhood. They had grown up together and been betrothed from a young age. Their families were equally matched in status, and the two were well suited in temperament. Everyone in the capital praised their union as a perfect match. The plan had been for Xiao Min to formally propose once Xie Yao turned sixteen this year, joining the Xiao and Xie families in marriage.
But disaster struck three months earlier. Prince Xie, renowned for his military achievements, and his heir had both fallen on the battlefield. Devastated by grief, Princess Consort Xie hanged herself to follow her husband in death. Overnight, the vast Prince Xie Manor became little more than an empty shell, leaving only the orphaned Xie Yao behind.
The glory of former days vanished. The Xie household was no longer Great Sheng’s foremost noble family. After the funeral, the manor gates stood deserted. No one came seeking favor anymore, and even many of the servants quietly fled.
Yet less than a hundred days had passed, and now Chancellor Xiao’s household, family friends for more than a decade, had also sent a document severing the engagement. At least they had taken care to preserve appearances.
The letter’s wording was courteous and restrained. Chancellor Xiao wrote with apparent sincerity, acknowledging that although Xie Yao was the descendant of loyal martyrs, she was now entirely alone. Without the support of a powerful family behind her, she would be unable to assist Xiao Min in the future or help pave the road to his political advancement.
Rather than wait until after marriage and eventually cast her aside, he suggested ending the engagement now. He wanted her to admit, of her own accord, that she was no longer worthy of his son, Xiao Min, sparing both sides future humiliation.
The latter half of the letter carried a subtle threat beneath its polite tone. Having spent years navigating officialdom, Chancellor Xiao knew well how to combine kindness with pressure to control others.
Yet ever since receiving the letter, Xie Yao had sat silently without saying a word. As evening approached, she ordered her servants to gather the jade token and the betrothal documents exchanged at the time of the engagement, and deliver them to the Xiao residence.
The messenger reached the gate but refused to enter. In full view of the gatekeepers and passing pedestrians, he tossed the bundle into a steward’s arms. He shouted: “If the Xiao family looks down on the Xie household’s standing, then our young lady has no use for them either!”
Within less than two hours, the matter had become the talk of the entire capital.
“Yao’er, tell me, why did you have to make such a spectacle of it?” Madam Cao lamented. “Now everyone outside is talking about it. Your reputation has already been dragged into the discussion. Whatever are we to do?”
When Xie Yao failed to respond, Madam Cao sighed and asked again. Only then did Xie Yao seem to come back to herself. Holding the letter, she moved it toward the candle flame and watched as it slowly burned to ashes.
At last, she curled her lips into a faint smile. “The Xiao family wants me to be the one to break off the engagement. They want me to admit that I’m unworthy of Xiao Min. Since this matter cannot be hidden forever, I would face criticism no matter what. Rather than wait for the Xiao family to spread the story that I willingly gave up my place and let others mock me, I’d rather let everyone know openly and honestly that the Xiao family acted callously and sought to end the engagement first. This affair was never my fault.”
Having remained silent for so long, her voice was hoarse when she spoke. She clutched a string of prayer beads in her hand. As the wind swept through the room, it illuminated her somewhat pale face.
“But society judges women far more harshly than men,” Madam Cao replied. “Even if people know you are not at fault, the Xiao family is at the height of its power. Who would dare say anything against them? And now that your reputation has been affected, how will you… ever…” She trailed off.
After all, what did most women seek in life if not a good marriage? The matter had already become such an ugly spectacle. Who would dare marry Xie Yao in the future?
Yet Xie Yao merely shook her head, utterly unconcerned. “Is my reputation more important than my father and mother?”
The letter from the Xiao residence had demanded that she admit she was poorly educated, ignorant of proper etiquette, and unworthy of her position. Every line had sought to demean her to the very core.
But Xie Yao saw the truth clearly. The letter was not only belittling her. It was also insulting her parents, who had passed away only a few months ago.
Her manners, learning, and literary accomplishments had all been personally taught by Princess Consort Xie. She might not have been the finest young lady in the capital, but she was certainly far from crude or uncultured. What angered her most was not that the Xiao family looked down on her, but that they looked down on her upbringing and family. She would never admit to such utterly groundless accusations.
Her words were sharp and impassioned. Seeing the displeasure in her tone, Madam Cao awkwardly abandoned any further attempt to persuade her. “Have you truly thought it through, Yao’er? Once the engagement with the Xiao family is broken off, finding another husband later will not be easy.”
Madam Cao’s tone carried a trace of regret.
Yao’er had always been gentle and soft-tempered, yet after losing her parents she had somehow developed a stubborn streak. In Madam Cao’s opinion, why insist on preserving her pride and seizing the initiative to break off the engagement first? Surely some affection still remained between the two families. If they had spoken things through amicably, she might still have been able to enter the Xiao household as a favored concubine.
After all, given her current circumstances, it would be difficult for her to secure a better match.
“And another thing. Though the engagement has been dissolved and this summer’s marriage is no longer happening, the Prince’s Manor still stands. Your parents left you some money and possessions, and your two cousins have been quite busy lately. If there’s no particular reason, you needn’t visit our Ming household too often from now on.”
After offering a few words of comfort, Madam Cao finally got to the true purpose of her visit and gave the warning with feigned concern. She had heard that her younger sister and brother-in-law had spent years campaigning on distant battlefields, and that little wealth remained in the Prince’s Manor. Now they were dead, the Xiao family had canceled the engagement, and Xie Yao was only a lone orphan. How long could she possibly support herself?
The Ming family certainly didn’t lack food for a niece. But now that the broken engagement had become the talk of the city, and with Madam Cao’s two daughters still unmarried, she naturally did not want their reputations tarnished by being too closely associated with Xie Yao. That, more than anything else, was why she had come.
Xie Yao immediately understood. The hand hidden within her sleeve clenched tightly. Her clear eyes met Madam Cao’s panicked, guilty gaze. She looked at her for a long moment before finally forcing a smile. “Rest assured, Aunt.”
In the three months since her parents’ deaths, not a single member of the Ming family had visited the Prince’s Manor apart from the day of the burial. Yet the moment news of the broken engagement spread, Madam Cao rushed over without delay.
No wonder. A trace of mockery surfaced in Xie Yao’s heart.
Unable to overcome her embarrassment, Madam Cao looked away and hurriedly changed the subject. “But you and Xiao Min did grow up together. Is it really over just like that? I heard he didn’t want to break off the engagement. His father had him beaten with thirty strokes of the board, and now he’s unconscious with a burning fever…”
Crash!
Before she could finish speaking, the string of beads Xie Yao had been gripping for so long suddenly snapped. Jade beads scattered across the floor with a clattering ripple of sound.
Startled, Madam Cao turned to look at her. A shadow lingered in those beautiful eyes, dark and impenetrable.
Xie Yao herself seemed surprised by the force she had used. She stared blankly for a moment before coming back to her senses. Pressing her lips tightly together, she lowered her gaze. After a long silence, she said, “Like these beads, once they’ve broken apart…”
She looked at the scattered jade strewn across the floor. “…do you really think they can ever be strung together again?”
Madam Cao opened her mouth, but no words came out.
The two women sat in silence for a long while. At last, as midnight approached, Madam Cao rose to take her leave. “By the way, your cousin bumped into the corner of a table a few days ago and ended up with quite a nasty wound on her arm. Young ladies do hate being left with scars. I heard His Majesty bestowed some excellent medicine upon the Prince’s Manor before the New Year. No one’s likely to need it now, so perhaps your aunt could take some back…”
Leading her to the door, Xie Yao heard Madam Cao say with an ingratiating smile as she warmly clasped her hand. “Qingyu, fetch it.”
“And there was also that Ferghana horse His Majesty awarded your brother during the Thousand Autumn Festival last year. Your cousin is terribly fond of horses. Is it still at the manor? Why not send it to the Ming residence as well, so he can have a chance to ride it?”
Madam Cao spoke with growing enthusiasm.
Behind Xie Yao, the maid Qingyu secretly shot her a glare. Xie Yao, however, merely waved a hand indifferently. At once, a servant was sent to lead the horse out.
Once upon a time, Xie Yao had been the lofty young lady of the Prince’s Manor, and Madam Cao had practically bent over backward to flatter her. Now she was nothing more than an orphan. Madam Cao spoke with far more confidence than before, and seeing Xie Yao agree to every request, she grew even bolder.
“And your mother brought dozens of land deeds with her as part of her dowry. You can’t possibly have any use for so many on your own…”
“Aunt.” Xie Yao interrupted her.
The rain had gradually eased. A trace of chill lay beneath her gentle voice. She still smiled, yet under that gaze, Madam Cao fell silent.
“The weather is cold, and the roads are wet.” Xie Yao’s smile deepened slightly. “If I were you, I’d stop talking and head home as soon as possible.”
The moment she finished speaking, she ignored the alternating shades of red and white on Madam Cao’s face, turned around, and shut the door with a sharp bang.
“You were far too polite to her, Miss.”
At last, with the door closed, the noise was gone. Seeing the exhaustion and pallor on Xie Yao’s face, Qingyu could not help feeling distressed.
The Prince’s Manor was no longer what it had once been. Since the deaths of the Prince and Princess Consort, every matter, large and small, had fallen upon her young mistress’s shoulders alone. Grief-stricken and worn out as she already was, not one member of the Ming family had come to help. Yet now, in their haste to distance themselves, they had suddenly shown up at the manor, only to leave with so many valuable possessions besides.
“She came all this way through the rain,” Xie Yao said quietly. “Whether out of courtesy or obligation, I should thank her. Let the medicine serve as my thanks for today’s visit.”
“But what about the horse? That was the Heir’s horse. How could you give that away too?”
“And she asked for it.” Xie Yao smiled faintly. “It’s only a worldly possession. There’s no reason not to give it to her. Besides, that horse is a first-rate spirited steed. If she has the nerve to ask for it on Cousin’s behalf, then Cousin had better have the skill to ride it.”
Under the lingering drizzle, Xie Yao walked forward at an unhurried pace, a slight smile curving her lips.
“If he can handle it, all the better. The horse will have found a worthy master. But if he can’t…” Her smile deepened. “Then should he break a leg after being thrown and end up bedridden, he won’t be able to come looking for me, will he?”
Qingyu instantly stopped fuming and burst into laughter. “Miss is truly thoughtful. You’ve considered everything.” But as she smiled, the broken engagement came to mind, and her expression fell again.
“Do you think Young Master Xiao really changed his heart? Or was it only Chancellor Xiao’s decision? I don’t believe Young Master Xiao could be so heartless toward you. Miss, perhaps we should send him a letter and ask him ourselves.”
“What is there to ask?” Xie Yao paused for a moment before continuing forward.
In the darkness of night, her plain white dress cast a solitary shadow upon the ground. Her voice was faintly dry as she spoke.
“Qingyu, don’t you understand yet? The Xiao family looks down on the Xie family as it is now. That contempt won’t disappear just because I marry into their household. Xiao Min cannot stand against the entire Xiao family, and I cannot allow them to belittle me.”
Tears immediately welled up in Qingyu’s eyes. “Miss…”
Xie Yao turned around. Her pale hand clasped Qingyu’s, and her gentle eyes were calm and resolute. “The Xie family has only me left. I must live well, no matter what. Only then can I avoid letting down my parents’ hopes for me.”
The first step toward living well was learning to value and respect herself.
The broken engagement between the Xiao and Xie families remained the talk of the capital for three full days.
Although some condemned the Xiao family for their heartlessness and ingratitude, many others could not resist discussing Xie Yao’s misfortune. Only three months had passed since she lost her parents, and now even such a promising marriage alliance had slipped through her fingers.
“Speaking of it, that orphan girl really is pitiful. Her entire family is gone, and now even her childhood sweetheart doesn’t want her anymore.”
“What good was all that glory in the first half of her life? No one will want her for the rest of it.”
“If I were her, I’d cling to the Xiao family no matter what and force them to honor the engagement. But look at her. Not only did she refrain from making a scene at the Xiao residence while public opinion was on her side, she even returned the betrothal gifts first and embarrassed the Xiao family.”
“She’s suffering just to save face. Let’s see who’ll dare marry her from now on.”
The mocking remarks spread from the streets all the way into the imperial palace.
Although Great Sheng had ultimately emerged victorious from its war with a neighboring state, Prince Xie and tens of thousands of soldiers had died on the battlefield. The loss was a heavy blow to the entire court. The Emperor had been consumed by state affairs and military matters, and by the time he heard about the broken engagement, it was already the third day.
That afternoon, an imperial decree arrived at the Xie residence. “Her Majesty the Empress says she has not seen you in quite some time and wishes to invite you to the palace for a visit.”
Xie Yao entered the palace without delay. Fengyi Palace was unusually quiet. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw the Empress seated upon the raised dais.
The Empress was the Emperor’s second wife, only a little over thirty years old. Gentle and warm by nature, she repeatedly waved Xie Yao over before she had even finished paying her respects. “Come sit beside me.”
Xie Yao walked forward and bowed once more.
“How have you been lately?”
“Everything is well. Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern.” Keeping her eyes lowered, Xie Yao answered softly.
The Empress hurried to help her up and looked her over carefully.
Xie Yao’s beauty was considered among the finest in the capital. Her delicate brows framed a graceful face, her skin was fair as jade, and her eyes shone with remarkable clarity. Even dressed in simple mourning white, she could not conceal her breathtaking beauty or the gentle elegance in her bearing.
Having endured one calamity after another, and only recently recovered from illness, Xie Yao’s voice was weak as she spoke. After hearing only a few words, the Empress’s eyes reddened with emotion. Tenderly, she reached out and stroked Xie Yao’s hair.
“I know you’ve been wronged. And I know how much you’ve suffered. Since the Xiao family chose to break off the engagement, it was clearly an ill-fated match. That young master of the Xiao family is not worthy of you. The Emperor and I will naturally stand up for you.”
Xie Yao looked up, puzzled by what she meant.
Things had already deteriorated so badly between her and Chancellor Xiao. Did Their Majesties truly believe there was still room for reconciliation?
Unwilling to waste any more energy entangled with Chancellor Xiao and the Xiao household, Xie Yao carefully considered how best to decline the imperial couple’s kindness. “Your Majesty…”
Before she could finish, the Empress interrupted her with a cheerful smile. “Since you believe Xiao Min isn’t a suitable husband…” She leaned forward slightly. “…then what do you think of my son?”