“You!” Chen Xingwei was rendered speechless by Zhao Mingyan’s sharp retort. At that moment, Zhao Mingzhu, nestled in his arms, spoke up.
“Fifth Sister, why make things difficult for Heir Chen? Our Zhao family committed the grave crime of deceiving the emperor and bringing ruin upon our clan. The fault lies with us. The Marquis Xuanping’s household still remembers the bond of our engagement, and Heir Chen himself came to rescue us. Such kindness you refuse to acknowledge, instead pressing him further. Moreover, on the very first day, you betrayed Heir Chen. The shameful things you did—how will the outside world view our Zhao family? How can you face the teachings of our parents and grandfather?”
Zhao Mingzhu spoke with lofty righteousness, neatly placing the blame back on Zhao Mingyan.
Her logic was simple: the Zhao family was guilty, so whatever the Marquis’s household did was a favor. For Chen Xingwei to rescue them was a great kindness. If Zhao Mingyan did not show gratitude, she was no better than an ungrateful wolf.
In her past life, Zhao Mingyan would have remained silent, letting Zhao Mingzhu place the burden upon her. Zhao Mingzhu was the legitimate daughter, the elder sister, the mountain she was expected to bow beneath—whether in the Zhao household or in the Marquis’s.
No matter what Zhao Mingzhu did, if she shifted the blame, Zhao Mingyan was expected to accept it. If she spoke of lofty principles, Zhao Mingyan was expected to agree. There was no reason—only inevitability.
But in this life, Zhao Mingyan refused. She would not indulge her.
“Second Sister, you speak well, always remembering Father and Grandfather’s teachings,” Zhao Mingyan looked at her calmly. “Then surely you also remember how Father and Grandfather constantly spoke of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country?”
“Of course.” Zhao Mingzhu straightened her back proudly. “Father was deceived, blinded for a moment. But our Zhao family remains loyal and patriotic. Even in the Pleasure Bureau, we Zhao women will never resent anyone.”
Though trapped in such a place, she insisted on maintaining the correct stance. If she dared utter a word of rebellion, not even the Marquis himself could protect her.
Moreover, her words were meant to show allegiance to the Marquis’s household. She knew that even if Chen Xingwei rescued her, she could not become his principal wife. Most likely, she would only be a concubine. The Marquis’s household would surely arrange a new bride for Chen Xingwei. Before the bride entered, she needed to secure her footing and win the favor of the old Marchioness.
Making a name for herself in the Pleasure Bureau was the first step. She needed to show virtue, show loyalty—and Zhao Mingyan was the perfect stepping stone.
If Zhao Mingyan had stayed silent, she would have taken the initiative to scold her, expose her faults, and trample her into the mud. But Zhao Mingyan had dared to confront Chen Xingwei, leaving him speechless.
Did she think that having an engagement gave her leverage? Foolish girl! Zhao Mingzhu would step cleanly out of the mire by crushing her.
After all, Zhao Mingyan had already entangled herself with an old man, breaking chastity. That gave Zhao Mingzhu the perfect weapon. Her eyes gleamed with triumph. Against Zhao Mingyan, she held all the cards.
But then Zhao Mingyan spoke. “Then why do you insist on preserving chastity?”
Zhao Mingyan looked at her coolly. “Our Zhao family committed crimes. His Majesty punished the men with exile, and the women were sent to the Pleasure Bureau to atone. You speak of loyalty and patriotism—then why not, like me, serve clients eagerly to redeem our sins? Instead, you starve yourself, resisting to the death, preserving chastity. Isn’t that defying the imperial decree?”
With just one sentence, Zhao Mingyan shattered the hypocrisy and double standards in Zhao Mingzhu’s words.
In an instant, Zhao Mingzhu’s face turned pale. She had just accused Zhao Mingyan of shamelessly serving clients right away, but Zhao Mingyan countered that she was simply following the emperor’s decree to atone for her family’s sins.
By contrast, Zhao Mingzhu, who spoke endlessly of loyalty and patriotism, was starving herself to preserve chastity. Wasn’t that defying the imperial edict?
She had tried to trap Zhao Mingyan, but instead, Zhao Mingyan easily turned the tables, leaving her accused of rebellion.
Zhao Mingzhu panicked. “You—you’re slandering me, that’s not what I meant.”
Seeing her sister’s pale face and sudden fluster, Zhao Mingyan almost laughed.
“Second Sister, why don’t you continue? Just now, you spoke so proudly of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country. Where is your loyalty now?” she pressed.
Cold sweat broke out on Zhao Mingzhu’s forehead. Her eyes darted, and she quickly said, “I was only remembering Grandfather’s teaching—that a woman’s chastity is greater than heaven itself. I didn’t think it through at the time!”
Yes, yes—that was the way to explain it. Her mind worked fast.
But Zhao Mingyan only sneered. She casually pointed to the corpse of their second aunt. “Then Second Sister can follow her example and die for chastity. But you—have you done that?”
At that, Zhao Mingzhu was completely silenced. Her face flushed red, and she looked at Zhao Mingyan with a mix of shame and anger.
Indeed, there was a living example right beside them. If she were truly loyal to the emperor, she should have served clients like Zhao Mingyan. If she were truly following family teachings, she should have killed herself like their second aunt. But she had done neither. Didn’t that prove she was nothing but hypocritical and false?
She had wanted to pin the blame on Zhao Mingyan, to step cleanly over her and leave unscathed. Instead, she had tripped herself up!
Zhao Mingyan looked at Zhao Mingzhu, who had just suffered a humiliating defeat, and shook her head inwardly.
Zhao Mingzhu—this was all the strength she truly had. She could flatter and act, she had schemes and calculations, but her ability to stand firm in the Marquis of Xuanping’s household relied most of all on Chen Xingwei’s favor and on Zhao Mingyan serving as her stepping stone.
Once Zhao Mingyan refused to be trampled, her power and prestige were cut in half.
And Zhao Mingyan understood her too well. If she chose to bite back, all of Zhao Mingzhu’s petty tricks were laid bare before her eyes.
In short, this time, Zhao Mingzhu would not climb upward by stepping on her.
At that moment, a laugh rang out, carrying an unclear undertone.
“Well now! I never realized you had such a sharp tongue, so eloquent and persuasive!” Chen Xingwei’s eyes burned as he looked at Zhao Mingyan. He gazed at her, the corners of his lips slowly curling into a smile.
“I dare not,” Zhao Mingyan replied coolly, recalling how in her past life Chen Xingwei had utterly ignored her. “Heir Chen, my mother was of humble birth, and my family has suffered great disaster. I know I am unworthy of you. It is best we no longer entangle ourselves. From this day forward, you and I will marry separately, and have nothing more to do with each other.”
She turned and walked away, refusing to be entangled with them any longer. Today, that old man would redeem her, and she would begin a new life.
But just as Zhao Mingyan was about to step into her future, her wrist was suddenly seized, and with a powerful tug, she was pulled into an embrace.
“Zhao Mingyan, do you think saying ‘no more ties’ makes it so?”