He Fangting had never imagined such a thing would happen to her. Her heart was ice‑cold, filled with fury, yet years of strict upbringing allowed her to keep her composure. Lifting her phoenix‑shaped eyes, she gently stroked the jade ring on her thumb and said coolly, “Husband, have you truly decided?”
Jiang Zhixiu replied in a low voice, “I have decided.”
Her tone sharpened: “I do not agree!”
Jiang Zhixiu, her husband, served as the Deputy Minister of Revenue. Three months earlier, he had been sent to provide disaster relief, and only yesterday returned home to his family’s eager anticipation.
She had missed him during his absence and happily brought their children to greet him. But instead of embracing his family, he helped a woman down from the carriage—Xie Meiying, a famed physician from Huainan. She had braved hardship to heal the afflicted, earning imperial praise and reward for her compassion and skill.
Female physicians were rare, and one who had moved the emperor himself rarer still. He Fangting admired her greatly and intended to treat her with respect.
Yet Jiang Zhixiu declared that he admired Xie Meiying’s virtue and talent, and wished to marry her as the legitimate wife—under the pretext of continuing the line of his elder brother who had died in childhood.
So, to make Xie Meiying the principal wife, he had devised this elaborate excuse, feigning deep affection.
The boy who once blushed at the sight of her had, in the end, fallen for another. After reporting to the palace, he rushed home only to persuade her to accept.
Jiang Zhixiu frowned slightly. “I know this is hard for you. But Meiying has suffered much…”
He Fangting cut him off: “Did Miss Xie’s suffering come at my hands?”
He faltered. “No.”
She pressed again: “If not, why must I bear the consequences?”
His gaze held disappointment. “How is this a consequence? It is clearly a blessing for all! Fangting, you are a daughter‑in‑law of the Jiang family. You should think of the Jiang family.”
He Fangting almost laughed in anger. “Do I not think of the Jiang family? Bearing children, raising them, managing the household, entertaining guests, smoothing affairs in court, caring for the clan—have I failed in any duty?”
She had married into the Jiang family at sixteen, and eighteen years had passed. In all that time, she had honored her in‑laws, cherished her siblings‑in‑law, and cared for the clan. Under her management, the Jiang family’s ancestral estate had prospered: lands purchased for ancestral rites, schools established for the clan. In time, they might even become a powerful lineage.
Jiang Zhixiu, busy with official duties, rarely involved himself. All of this had been her work.
To accomplish anything required money. Jiang Zhixiu had come from poverty, climbing step by step from the Hanlin Academy. His salary barely supported the household, and they had to live frugally. It was always her dowry that filled the gaps. And now—he dared to imply she had wronged the Jiang family.
There was nothing more laughable under heaven.
Jiang Zhixiu grew impatient, his voice turning cold: “What household mistress doesn’t do the same? Are these trifling chores worth mentioning? You refuse only because you fear Meiying will enter the house and seize your authority. Rest assured, she is not like you. Her eyes have never been fixed on the narrow confines of the inner court. She has her own ambitions and will not compete with you.”
Through knowing Xie Meiying, he had realized such extraordinary women existed—compassionate, independent, seemingly delicate yet unyielding, steadfast.
The Huainan flood was caused by corrupt officials cutting corners on the dam, leading to its collapse and devastation across several counties. By chance, Xia Meiying obtained letters proving collusion among those officials. Despite threats and bribes, she never surrendered them; instead, she cleverly maneuvered until she placed the evidence directly in his hands as imperial envoy. Those letters became the key to convicting the corrupt. Later, though ill, she continued treating the victims. Her frail figure seemed to shine, radiant and unforgettable. The moment she fainted in his arms, he knew he could never live without her.
He Fangting, raised amid silks and finery, knew nothing of hardship. She had beauty but no depth. Compared to Xie Meiying, she seemed pale and empty.
He was not without feeling—after all, He Fangting had served the Jiang family for over a decade. He would never discard her.
But how could he relegate the noble, proud Xie Meiying to concubinage? Thus, he devised the scheme of marrying her in his brother’s stead.
Xie Meiying herself said she did not wish to be confined to the inner chambers. Even after marriage, she wanted to continue practicing medicine. He admired that greatly. Such vision, beyond ordinary women—He Fangting would never understand. Nor did she need to.
He Fangting drew a deep breath, trying to endure. But some things could not be endured. She seized the teacup from the table and hurled it at Jiang Zhixiu’s feet. “Get out!”
All her years of toil—dismissed as trivial chores? And before her face, he lavished praise on another woman. Did he think her heart was made of stone, immune to hurt?
Jiang Zhixiu’s anger flared. He ground his teeth: “He Fangting, I have already been more than generous to you. Do not be ungrateful! Taking two wives for lineage is a major matter for the Jiang family. It is not for you to refuse!”
He Fangting’s brows arched in fury, ready to retort—when her old nurse, Nanny Kong, burst into tears: “Master, the Princess’s bones are scarcely cold, and you would bully our Lady? The Princess is watching from heaven!”