The night the twins were born, thunder rumbled across the skies above the capital of Jinzhou.
Rain poured endlessly, and lightning flashed outside the windows of the Wen residence, illuminating the carved pillars and jade ornaments before darkness swallowed everything once more.
Inside the birthing chamber, screams echoed through the room.
Lady Zhao Meilin gripped the bed sheets as another wave of pain tore through her body.
“Push, Madam!” the midwife urged.
“You must push!”
Sweat soaked Meilin’s forehead as servants hurried around the room, carrying hot water and clean cloths.
Outside the chamber, Wen Guozhen stood at the door, anxiety etched across his face as he listened to his wife’s cries.
Known throughout the empire as a calm and calculating man, the Minister of Revenue’s usual composure was overshadowed by worry, as his wife had been in labor for nearly the entire day.
A servant hurried over and bowed.
“Master, please do not worry. Madam and the child will be safe.”
Guozhen nodded but remained silent.
Another scream echoed from inside the chamber, and then suddenly… a baby’s cry.
It was sharp, strong, and full of life.
A wave of relief washed through Guozhen, and the door to the chamber opened, and a servant emerged with tears of joy in her eyes.
“Congratulations, Master! A daughter has been born!” she announced.
Before he could speak, a second cry rang out from inside the chamber, causing everyone to freeze.
Moments later, another cry followed.
Another servant emerged, her face pale.
“Master…” Her voice trembled.
“It’s another daughter,” she whispered, and silence descended upon the room.
The rain outside seemed louder as Guozhen stared at her, not quite believing what he was hearing.
“Twins?”
“Yes, Master,” the servant replied, lowering her eyes.
Guozhen pushed past her and walked into the birthing chamber, greeted by the scents of herbs and blood.
Meilin lay exhausted against the pillow, beside her resting two newborn girls wrapped in identical blankets.
The midwife carefully lifted one child and walked over to Guozhen.
“The elder twin, Master,” she said as she handed him the child.
Guozhen reached out to hold his daughter, his gaze fixating on the other bundle by Meilin.
Both infants slept peacefully, their tiny fingers curling around the fabric of the blanket.
They were equally beautiful, healthy, and identical.
Guozhen stared at his daughters, his blood, and pride filled his chest.
The chamber doors opened again, and an elderly servant hurried inside.
“Master,” he bowed.
Guozhen frowned.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The astrologer has arrived,” the elderly servant announced softly, and the room fell silent.
The arrival of the astrologer in the middle of the night was highly unusual.
A feeling of dread settled over Guozhen as he sighed.
“Let him enter.”
Moments later, an elderly man wearing dark blue robes stepped into the room.
His expression was calm until he looked over at the twins, and his demeanor changed.
The color drained from his features, and his eyes widened in fear, causing the atmosphere in the room to grow tense.
“What is it?” Guozhen asked after several minutes of silence, but the astrologer remained quiet.
Zhao Meilin slowly sat upright.
“Master Liang?” she whispered, her heart pounding.
Master Liang looked between the two infants, again and again, as though he could not believe what he was seeing.
Finally, he spoke.
“The stars…” he started, and the room waited in anticipation.
“The stars have spoken.”
Guozhen’s stomach tightened.
“What do they say?”
Master Liang swallowed hard.
“Right before the storm, before the start of labor, the stars have shifted.” He closed his eyes.
“The elder twin carries the fate of prosperity.”
A collective sigh of relief spread through the room as the astrologer continued.
“Where she walks, the Wen Residence will flourish.”
Zhao Meilin stared down at her eldest daughter and smiled proudly; her daughter was blessed by the heavens.
Master Liang glanced over at the second twin, and his expression changed.
An uneasy silence followed.
Thunder shattered the stillness, and Master Liang turned to Guozhen.
“The younger twin…” his voice faltered.
“The younger twin will become the source of the Wen residence’s ruin.”
The words struck like lightning.
Nobody breathed, and nobody moved as rain hammered against the window.
Zhao Meilin stared at him, her face pale and shaken.
“What… what did you say?”
Master Liang lowered his gaze and pointed shakily at the younger twin.
“The younger child carries the star of calamity.” He took a deep breath and declared, “The elder twin will elevate the Wen Residence to heights beyond recognition.” He paused, “The younger twin will eventually bring about the downfall of the Wen residence.”
The newborn twins slept peacefully, unaware that their futures had just been decided.
Zhao Meilin stared at the younger twin as she yawned and stretched her tiny arms.
All Meilin could hear were the astrologer’s ominous words: calamity, downfall.
Fear began to take root in her heart as Guozhen stood motionless, his mind racing as he processed his reputation, his position, the future of the Wen residence, and everything he had spent a decade building—all now threatened by a newborn child who hadn’t even opened her eyes yet.
Thunder roared outside as the storm continued to rage.
Meanwhile, something more dangerous was taking root inside the room: fear.
And when fear is mixed with ambition, it often becomes cruelty.
Guozhen stared at the younger twin, his expression turning cold.
“We cannot risk the Wen residence,” he announced softly, causing everyone to freeze.
The servants exchanged terrified glances.
Zhao Meilin’s eyes widened.
“She’s our daughter,” she said, her voice soft and uncertain.
“She’s also a threat.” The response came too quickly, too easily, as though Guozhen had already made his decision.
They both turned to look at the younger twin and regarded her not as a child but as a threat.
“Officially,” Guozhen began softly, “the Wen residence will only have one daughter.” He continued, and everyone stared at him in wide-eyed shock, “The younger one will remain hidden, never to be shown to the world. No one beyond the walls of the Wen residence will know of her existence.” His words echoed through the room like thunder.
Zhao Meilin closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the decision had already been made.
Meanwhile, beyond the storm-filled sky, heaven watched in silence as the destinies of the two sisters diverged forever.
One daughter would be loved, while the other would be forgotten.
Beneath the peach blossom grove in the nearby mountains, one day, her story will unfold, as fate quietly awaits the child that the world intended to erase.