At the gates of the capital
Lang Xingyue brought a group of maids and servants with her and waited from dawn until dusk, all to welcome her “husband,” who had been away for more than three months.
People streamed in and out of the city gate, all envying the affection between the Fourth Prince and his consort. They said the Fourth Prince’s Consort[1]The formally recognized wife of an imperial prince. In traditional Chinese imperial households, a prince’s principal consort held an established position within the family hierarchy. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); loved her husband deeply and had personally cared for him throughout the two years his legs were crippled. Now that His Highness had recovered, he would surely treat her even better than before.
Even Qingzhu, her senior maid standing beside her, wore a bright expression as she said, “Mistress, His Highness has been away on an imperial assignment for so long. You must be the person he’s missed most.”
Lang Xingyue sneered inwardly. Yes, he’d missed her so much he’d ended up in another woman’s bed. But she had no intention of saying more. The fact that she had been reborn[2]In Chinese rebirth novels, a character typically returns to an earlier point in their own life while retaining memories of their previous lifetime, allowing them to make different choices. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); three months ago was so outlandish that no one would believe her if she told them.
In her previous life, she had waited for Wei Jingchi to return at the gates of the Fourth Prince’s residence. That was why she hadn’t learned until later that he had returned from the border that day with Su Wanqing, who was already three months pregnant.
At first, he had secretly settled her in a separate residence. Only when her pregnancy was further along did he bring her to the prince’s residence. Unable to accept it, Lang Xingyue had made a scene with him. In return, he had forcibly installed Su Wanqing in the main courtyard[3]In traditional Chinese elite residences, the main courtyard was generally a prestigious residential area associated with the household’s principal occupants. Assigning someone this space could … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); and driven Lang Xingyue out to a house beyond the prince’s residence.
Today, Lang Xingyue would not make a scene. She would welcome Su Wanqing into the residence herself. After being hurt again and again, her heart had gone cold—dead cold. Whoever wanted that scumbag could have him.
But in the Great Zhou Dynasty[4]The dynasty in which the novel is set. The passage does not establish whether this Great Zhou corresponds to a historical Chinese dynasty or is a fictional dynasty inspired by imperial China. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, there was no precedent for a royal daughter-in-law to obtain a divorce by mutual agreement[5]Known as heli (和离), this was a form of marital dissolution in traditional Chinese society based on agreement between husband and wife, rather than unilateral repudiation. The novel establishes … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. As the Fourth Prince’s Consort, whose name was entered in the imperial clan register[6]An official genealogical record documenting members of the ruling imperial family and their recognized family relationships. Being entered into such a register signified formal recognition within the … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, she would have to find a way.
Getting Wei Jingchi to propose the divorce himself was undoubtedly best. But if that didn’t work, she would have to find a way through the Emperor…
Amid the onlookers’ stares and chatter, the carriage passed through the city gate. The curtain was lifted, and a slender, handsome man stepped down.
Lang Xingyue did not greet him with a smile as she had in the past. She simply stood where she was and called out, her expression cool, “Your Highness.”
The moment Wei Jingchi saw Lang Xingyue, he paused almost imperceptibly. His eyes flicked involuntarily toward the carriage, then he reproached her, “Why didn’t you wait at the residence? Showing yourself in public[7]The original Chinese expression invokes traditional expectations that women of respectable or high-ranking households should avoid unnecessary public exposure. Here, the prince uses those … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); at the city gate like this—what sort of behavior is that?”
Lang Xingyue’s heart was icy, but her face remained calm. If she hadn’t come to meet him at the gate today, would he have pulled the same trick again and then used the emperor’s eldest grandson to force her into submission?
Lang Xingyue pretended not to notice anything strange in his manner and made as if to climb into the carriage. But as soon as she moved, Wei Jingchi stopped her.
His gaze shifted uneasily. “Xing’er[8]The suffix -er (儿) is commonly added to Chinese given names to create an affectionate or familiar form of address. Here, Xing’er is a personal nickname derived from Xingyue. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, I came across Young General Zhao’s widow[9]“Young General” is a respectful form of address for a younger military commander, but it does not establish a specific military rank without further context. A widow’s connection to a … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3740716_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3740716_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); while carrying out my assignment. I brought her back to the capital along the way.”
Whenever Wei Jingchi needed something from Lang Xingyue, he called her Xing’er. He used to say that everyone else called her Yue’er, and he didn’t want to be like everyone else—he wanted to be her one and only. What had once felt sweet now only made her sick.
As soon as Wei Jingchi finished speaking, someone lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a woman with a pointed chin and alluring eyes. She was none other than Su Wanqing, who had once been betrothed to the Fourth Prince.
Lang Xingyue gazed calmly at the woman before her, forcing herself to maintain a dignified, graceful expression. No one noticed that inside her sleeve, her clenched fists were tight enough for her nails to dig deep into her palms. She didn’t even seem to feel it.
This woman had been the beginning of her nightmare in her previous life. This time, Lang Xingyue would become the beginning of Su Wanqing’s nightmare instead.
As soon as Su Wanqing appeared, she made as if to climb down from the carriage. Her voice sounded a little urgent. “Fourth Prince’s Consort, please don’t misunderstand. My carriage broke down on the way, so I had to ride back to the capital in the Fourth Prince’s carriage. I’ll get down at once. I won’t delay you and His Highness from returning to the residence.”
Uncharacteristically tense, Wei Jingchi hurried to the carriage and caught her in his arms. Without setting her on the ground, he turned and lifted her back into the carriage.
Then he turned around, his face full of anger, and frowned at Lang Xingyue. “Wanqing is frail. It’s only a carriage. Can’t you make way for her?”
Lang Xingyue stared at Wei Jingchi without expression. Make way? Of course she could. This time, she would let Su Wanqing have him too. Those two shameless adulterers could die together.
In this life, though, Lang Xingyue would withdraw all the help she had given him. She wanted to see whether Wei Jingchi could still ascend the throne without her wholehearted support—and whether Su Wanqing would stay with him when he had nothing.
Their exchange drew more onlookers, and murmurs gradually rose through the crowd.
“Who’s that woman? Why does the Fourth Prince seem more concerned about her than about the Fourth Prince’s Consort?”
“Exactly. I heard the Fourth Prince’s Consort has been waiting here since dawn. She hasn’t even had a drop of water all day. Why hasn’t the Fourth Prince shown her any concern?”
“I didn’t see him show any concern. The only two things I heard him say after he appeared were both criticisms of the Fourth Prince’s Consort.”
“If someone waited for me like that, I wouldn’t have a word of reproach for her. I’d be too busy cherishing her. Tsk, tsk…”
Their unfinished remarks drew a chorus of clicks of the tongue and contemptuous looks. Wei Jingchi had always cared about his reputation. He suppressed his displeasure, immediately put on a concerned expression, and softened his voice. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d been waiting all day?”
He made as if to reach for Lang Xingyue, but she stepped back and avoided him. Wei Jingchi’s hand was left hanging awkwardly in midair, and he stared at her in a daze.
This was the first time Lang Xingyue had treated him coldly. Before, all he had to do was show her a little affection, and she would be delighted, as if she had been given some precious treasure.
Lang Xingyue would never let his filthy hands touch her again. Her voice carried a hint of chill. “Has Your Highness so much as asked after me since we met?”
Wei Jingchi was at a loss for words. He silently lowered his hand and studied Lang Xingyue’s face. Only then did he realize that she hadn’t smiled at him once today—not from beginning to end. Nor had she sweetly called him “husband.”
A vague unease crept into his heart. Could she have found out something? Wei Jingchi met Lang Xingyue’s eyes again. Apart from her cool expression, he saw nothing amiss.
He had been imagining things after all. Perhaps she was simply tired from waiting all day, or perhaps his words just now had displeased her.
At the thought, he let out an almost imperceptible breath of relief and spoke gently again. “If you’re tired, don’t stand here any longer. I’ll have a servant take you back to the residence first.”
“And what about Your Highness?” Lang Xingyue’s expression was composed and proper. She fixed her dark eyes on Wei Jingchi without blinking, as if she could see straight into his heart.
Wei Jingchi guiltily looked away. “Wanqing fell ill on the way, and she can’t be left alone right now. I’ll take her back first, then return to the residence at once.”
At that, Lang Xingyue pretended to grow anxious and raised her voice. “Young General Zhao died in battle for our country. Now his widow is ill. As members of the imperial clan, we ought to care for her. Why don’t we bring her to our residence to recuperate?”
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