Da Jin, Fengqing Year Eight.
In the rear garden of Zhennan General Manor, seven or eight teenage boys were playing boisterously, filling the small garden with their presence.
A young boy in red robes gasped with laughter, waving his hand as he pleaded, “I can’t do this anymore! I’ve been the blind man for a full hour straight. If we keep playing, I’ll be too exhausted to move my legs. I’ll just steal Mu Liu’s bed tonight and stay over.”
Hearing the red-clad boy’s complaint, maids and serving women hurried forward to guide the sweaty young masters to rest in the cool pavilion.
“Take a break first. We’ll mark this round against him and make sure he pays it back later.”
“Can’t let him cheat like last time!”
The red-clad boy paid no mind to his companions’ complaints as he untied the three-finger-wide black blindfold. The contrast between the red robes and black cloth already made his appearance strikingly vivid.
But no one expected the face beneath the blindfold to be even more dramatically handsome. A few strands of black hair disarranged by the blindfold added a poetic charm to his features.
The youth strode to the table, looking up with a bright smile. His thick eyebrows arched sharply toward his temples, and his eyes sparkled with mirth. The whites of his eyes were exceptionally clear, while his pupils shone with a honey-brown hue in the sunlight, radiating intelligence from their depths.
He was undoubtedly an exceptionally handsome youth, though the slight roundness of his cheeks reminded observers he was still more boy than man.
This red-clad youth was none other than He Yunzhao, the legitimate eldest son of Kangshun Marquis.
The group of boys gathered here had just gotten a half-day break from the academy. No one remembered who first suggested gathering for roasted venison, but the pack of growing lads had simply instructed their servants before darting off to the nearest Mu residence for meat.
Mu Liulang’s wet nurse stood nearby, keeping a watchful eye on the boys’ every move. With one careful look, she could tell the center of this young crowd was the He family young master.
Turning to observe her own charge, the wet nurse saw Mu Liulang’s round face leaning against He Yunzhao’s arm – one youth already showing signs of elegant grace, the other still resembling a plump ball.
After satisfying their appetites, the boys began taking their leave. Under Mu Liu’s reluctant gaze, He Yunzhao boarded his family’s carriage.
Once inside the carriage, He Yunzhao relaxed his shoulders with a sigh. It had taken considerable effort to decline Mu Liu’s invitation to stay the night.
Though the two had been close friends since childhood, and staying at each other’s homes was hardly unusual, He Yunzhao never spent nights away from home.
Outsiders assumed this was because Kangshun Marquis had passed away young, leaving the Marquess with only one son. The He family’s sole heir was naturally treasured like the apple of their eye, hence He Yunzhao never stayed elsewhere overnight.
The tall youth stepped through his gates, glancing up at the Kangshun Marquis Manor plaque bestowed by the Emperor. Once again, he silently thanked his parents in this life.
His refusal to stay overnight had nothing to do with his mother’s reluctance, as outsiders speculated, but because “he” was actually “she.”
Thirteen years earlier.
Old Madam He stood in mourning white, shivering as cold sweat beaded on her weather-beaten temples.
The two women who should have been weeping in the funeral hall now faced each other – one standing, one kneeling.
“How dare you!” Old Madam He wept angry tears, her fury directed at this daughter-in-law she had previously held in such high esteem.
How could this wretched creature be so audacious! Her courage was great enough to swallow tigers whole!
The He family’s sole heir after three generations of single-line inheritance, the grandson Old Master He longed to see but never did, the only remaining bloodline of the He family, Old Madam He’s future sole hope! The entire He family’s aspiration!
Old Madam He turned her head to look at the tightly swaddled infant on the bed—this child was actually a girl!
“If our precious one doesn’t disguise as a boy, our He family line will end!”
“Our He family isn’t one that mistreats girls, but such are the times. Without a male heir, the entire family fortune would fall into others’ hands.”
“If the clan comes to impose an adopted son, how could we refuse? In the future, our two daughters would only receive dowries, while generations of He family matriarchs’ bridal assets and decades of accumulation by the old master and our husband would ultimately go to strangers!”
“Not to mention how you and I would suffer humiliation in the future, mother. In worst cases, our very lives might be endangered!”
Though Madam He was usually eloquent, her words now carried panic. Married for eight years, she had never faced such severity from her mother-in-law. Seeing the old lady’s fury truly frightened her, causing all her pent-up thoughts—both speakable and unspeakable—to spill out.
As mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stood in tense opposition, Old Madam He understood from the younger woman’s terrified expression that having her granddaughter pose as a boy wasn’t merely for the He family’s future, but for the survival of all He women.
Just two years prior, a distant relative of Madam He’s maternal Yao family had suffered a horrifying fate.
Madam He’s distant cousin had married into a scholarly family. When the household head died young, leaving only the cousin and four daughters, the clan elders designated a nephew for adoption.
Within half a year, the family residence was sold, and the mother and five daughters were dragged back to the countryside by the adopted nephew under the pretext of his pursuing studies there. Though relatives found it strange, they accepted this explanation and frequently sent letters to the rural address.
Only last year did the truth emerge: the four daughters had been sold off immediately upon reaching the countryside. The youngest died during transport, the eldest was married off to a neighboring town, the third daughter sold as a maid to merchants after resisting fiercely, and the second daughter taken away by human traffickers, her whereabouts still unknown.
As for the cousin? Though not sold due to the nominal mother-son relationship, she was abandoned in a dilapidated temple to barely survive. The entire village consisted of clan relatives—their allegiance between an outsider wife and a nephew they’d watched grow up needed no explanation.
Upon learning of her youngest daughter’s death during trafficking, the cousin went mad and dashed her brains out in that broken temple.
It wasn’t that they looked down on daughters—but without a man in the household according to social conventions, anyone could bully them. Laws were written by men, clan rules established by men—the bias was self-evident.
As the daughter of a imperial prince and with Madam He’s father being a fourth-rank capital official, they naturally wouldn’t fall to such extremes—their maternal families still had influence.
But one could easily imagine: with the He family’s substantial wealth, there would be no shortage of covetous eyes. After all, treasure tempts hearts!
Madam He still had two other daughters. Without a biological brother for support, who would serve as their maternal family after Madam He’s passing?
Ragged breathing echoed in the room, punctuated by soft sucking sounds—the infant on the bed was chewing on her own foot.
Old Madam He’s eyes flickered with suspicion as she carefully examined her daughter-in-law’s expression before abruptly asking, “Was this your idea or your husband’s?”
Seeing the flash of surprise on her daughter-in-law’s face, a wave of anger rose in her heart—this time not directed at her daughter-in-law, but at her own irresponsible son.
It was clear that the couple had already discussed and agreed upon this!
Old Madam He trembled with rage, wishing she could rush back to the mourning hall, drag her son out of the coffin, and slap him twice. That wretched scoundrel!
Disguising a girl as a boy was no simple matter. If handled poorly, the He family’s reputation would be completely ruined.
Gritting her teeth, the old lady looked at her daughter-in-law and tried to keep her voice low. “Tell me the truth—who else knows about this?”
Madam He lowered her head and whispered, “Only my husband, Granny Qin, and I know. After the baby was born, only Granny Qin and I took care of her. No one else knows.”
Hearing this, Old Madam He finally breathed a sigh of relief. What was done could not be undone; they had no choice but to make the best of a bad situation.
The old lady turned to look once more at her only ‘grandson,’ unconsciously straightening her posture. Her spirits, previously dampened by her son’s death, were now roused by her troublesome son and daughter-in-law.
With a deep sigh, Old Madam He looked into her daughter-in-law’s eyes and said, “You must remember that Zhao Zhao’s path ahead will inevitably be difficult—all because of the choices you, as her mother, have made.”
Finally lowering the hand that had been covering her face, Madam He pressed her lips together tightly, a deep look of guilt spreading across her pale face.
She, as a mother, had been too selfish. She was the one who had chosen this rocky path for Zhao Zhao, who could have otherwise married, borne children, and lived a stable life.
Clad in her wide mourning robes, Madam He walked to the bedside, leaned over, and gently touched her ‘son’s’ cheek with warm fingers, her eyes filled with profound remorse. In a low voice, she murmured, “It’s all my fault, my child.”
Huh? Who are you apologizing to?
Lying on the bed, He Yunzhao chewed on her toes in confusion. Sorry?
If not for her current inability to speak due to her infant body, she would have sincerely asked: You call this “sorry”? Depriving her of the chance to marry, have children, manage household affairs, and serve a husband, while giving her a male identity to inherit the entire family fortune—this is an apology?
Oh heavens! Losing the opportunity to bear and raise children—she was just so heartbroken! So heartbroken she could almost laugh out loud!
“Mother, look—Zhao Zhao is smiling,” Madam He exclaimed in delight as she gently stroked the baby.
Naturally, a baby a few months old wouldn’t have such complex thoughts. The current He Yunzhao was actually He Yun from several centuries in the future.
Her thoughts on crossing over could be summarized in six words: …
Having just joined the workforce two years ago, she was at the prime age for being overworked. Since childhood, He Yun had always been eager to take on leadership roles, even competing for the position of class monitor. She had a strong craving for authority and was full of hope for her future. However, as opportunities for advancement dwindled, she had gradually started slacking off.
Once, while slacking off, she was spotted by a senior leader. Unexpectedly, that very incident led to the leader assigning her a critical new task.
The notice was issued at 3 p.m. on the 9th, requiring submission by 2 p.m. on the 11th. Grumbling, she sent an email demanding that subordinate units submit their reports by 5 p.m. on the 10th. With such a tight deadline, she had no choice but to work overnight at the office. The result: she collapsed and died at 3 a.m.
Upon waking, she found herself transformed into an infant swaddled in blankets. How wonderful! In those time-travel dramas she’d watched, heroines would die saving others from car accidents, but her own transmigration came from overtime-induced sudden death—from “virtue rewarded” to “the redemption of the beast of burden.” Could this be considered keeping up with the times?
After two months of acclimating to the local speech patterns, He Yunzhao—who had assumed she’d be navigating inner household politics—finally understood the shocking truth: she was being raised as a boy!
He Yunzhao swiftly crossed “First-Rank Madam” off her mental script and replaced it with “Powerful Minister.” So she was destined to walk the male protagonist’s path? Excellent!
Blinking her round, bright eyes at her mother, she marveled: What a beautiful mother! And so clever!
Put poetically, “Parents who love their children plan deeply for their future.” Put plainly, when parents handle business properly, their children don’t suffer!
Thanks to Father, thanks to Mother, thanks to Grandmother—thanks to being born with inheritance rights!
Tilting her small head up to see the guilt in her mother’s eyes, He Yunzhao made earnest babbling sounds to comfort her: Don’t feel guilty, Mother.
Madam He gazed at the fair, adorable child and finally curved her lips into a smile, her eyes overflowing with tenderness.
Old Madam He approached to look at her “grandson,” her aged face glowing with renewed purpose at this fresh challenge.
“Zhaozhao is the He family’s young master. For safety’s sake, let us raise him together—mother and daughter-in-law.”
“Thank you, Mother.” Madam He’s voice choked with emotion.