Throughout the dynasties, imperial consort selections had, at worst, led to struggles within the palace. But Emperor Yongzhao’s selections were far more terrifying than any natural disaster or ferocious beast.
Back then, the late emperor had led his cavalry to break through the capital of the Kingdom of Yan. In recognition of his illustrious military achievements, he was appointed Crown Prince.
However, the Kingdom of Yan had always been renowned for its witchcraft and curses. Rumor had it that, as their kingdom fell and their royal family faced destruction, the Yan royals had used their own blood to cast a deadly curse upon the late emperor—
Any descendants who inherited his bloodline would be condemned to an eternal hell, suffering boundless torment day and night.
As fate would have it, the late emperor had very few children. His only offspring was the reigning Emperor Yongzhao.
The mere mention of such a curse was enough to strike fear into people’s hearts.
In a remote place like Liaozhou, the rumors had been embellished even further, becoming increasingly outlandish.
Some claimed that the curse of Yan had already taken effect, and that the current emperor was a bloodthirsty demon who had crawled out of hell to claim lives. He delighted in killing and particularly enjoyed devouring young women.
Others insisted that the selected maidens were not eaten at all, but offered as sacrifices to an evil spirit. Only by presenting twelve living sacrifices every year could the curse afflicting him be appeased, granting him a brief respite from his suffering and allowing him to cling to life.
Otherwise, how could anyone explain why he had held an imperial consort selection every single year since ascending the throne, yet none of the selected women had ever been granted the rank of consort or concubine? Not even a scrap of news about them had emerged.
Song Ying remembered Emperor Yongzhao quite well.
He was the main villain throughout the original novel, though he had relatively few appearances. Essentially, he was nothing more than a plot device used to advance the romance between the male and female leads.
The original novel had described him in only a handful of words—
Temperamental, cruel, and addicted to killing.
Looking at it now, those descriptions seemed to align perfectly with the rumors circulating among the common people.
At the thought, Song Ying felt an icy chill shoot straight to the back of her head. Cold sweat immediately broke out across her back.
A gentle breeze swept past, making her shudder violently. Even her teeth were trembling.
Suppressing the fear in her heart, she tentatively asked, “…Could it be that some important officials from the capital have come to select maidens for His Majesty?”
That single question frightened her sister-in-law so badly that her face turned deathly pale. Her lips trembled, but she could not utter a single word for a long while.
In the end, she merely turned her face away in panic.
Her sister-in-law had always been easy to read. From her reaction alone, Song Ying had already figured out most of the truth.
Just then, the carriage came to a sudden, violent stop, throwing both women forward.
Her sister-in-law cried out as she nearly toppled over. Quick as a flash, Song Ying caught hold of her, using the movement to steady herself as well.
Before either of them could settle back into their seats, the sound of an argument broke out outside the carriage.
It sounded as though the coachman was arguing with the guards at the city gate.
Song Ying frowned slightly and was just about to lift the curtain to see what was happening when her sister-in-law suddenly seized her wrist.
She turned in surprise, only to find that her sister-in-law’s earlier panic had vanished. Her gaze was calm, carrying a hint of sternness that Song Ying had never seen before.
“Since you’ve already guessed what’s happening, why bother showing yourself outside and inviting unnecessary trouble?”
Her sister-in-law spoke in an extremely low voice, the words falling softly beside Song Ying’s ear.
Song Ying’s heart tightened, and her pupils contracted sharply.
…Her sister-in-law actually knew about it, too?
So her guess had been right.
Her parents hadn’t rescued Li Jingrong out of kindness. They had done it so she could take Song Ying’s place in the imperial consort selection?
Then what on earth had Song Ying done?!
Not only had she taken that dangerous burden right back into her own arms, but she had also interfered with an important turning point in the original novel’s plot!
No! Wait!
Song Ying forced herself to calm down.
In the original novel, Li Jingrong’s true purpose in entering the imperial palace had been to assassinate Emperor Yongzhao!
Although the book had never revealed the Song family’s ultimate fate, given Emperor Yongzhao’s temperament, once the assassination attempt came to light, how could the Song family, whose names were officially recorded, possibly escape punishment?
At that thought, Song Ying took a deep breath.
She hadn’t done anything wrong. Stopping Li Jingrong from entering the palace in her place had been the right decision!
While her thoughts were still in turmoil, the argument outside the carriage had already subsided.
She had no idea when or how her sister-in-law had managed to communicate with the people outside, but the carriage turned around on the spot and began heading back the way they had come.
Inside the carriage, one woman was overwhelmed by turbulent emotions, while the other kept her thoughts carefully concealed.
Neither spoke.
After an unknown amount of time, it was finally her sister-in-law who broke the silence.
“The imperial decree ordering you to enter the palace was secretly delivered to our residence a month ago.”
No wonder there hadn’t been so much as a shadow of a matchmaker around during that time.
Her sister-in-law continued, “At first, Mother and Father were completely at a loss. They considered spending some silver to settle the matter, but the Prefect flatly refused. He said this was an extremely serious affair. If anyone discovered even the slightest irregularity, the entire family could have their property confiscated and their whole clan exterminated!”
“Later… later, they began considering finding another young woman to enter the palace in your place…”
“But the imperial consort selection has extremely strict requirements,” Song Ying interrupted, her voice somewhat strained. “Any maiden chosen must have at least a basic education and be able to read and write. How many daughters from ordinary families can manage that? If an illiterate girl pretended to be well-read, the slightest mistake would expose her identity and bring about her death.”
In this era, people believed that a woman’s lack of talent was a virtue.
Any girl who truly knew how to read and write was treasured by her family. Who would willingly send such a precious daughter into that man-eating imperial palace?
Li Jingrong’s true identity was a princess of the Kingdom of Yan.
Even though she had fallen from her former position, her education and bearing were far beyond those of an ordinary woman.
She was practically the perfect candidate delivered straight to their doorstep.
Her sister-in-law shifted closer and placed her fingertips over the back of Song Ying’s hand, enclosing it gently within her own.
“Yin Yin,” she called, using Song Ying’s childhood nickname, “in peaceful times, an imperial consort selection would be a golden opportunity for powerful officials and noble families. They would do anything to secure a place, hoping to climb straight to the top…”
“But now that such an opportunity has fallen upon an ordinary family like ours, think carefully. Could it possibly be a good thing?”
Song Ying wanted to say something more, but a single look from her sister-in-law stopped her in her tracks.
She didn’t understand, but she could only allow her sister-in-law to hold her hand and lead her down from the carriage.
What greeted her was a shabby street lined with narrow, run-down alleys.
“Sister-in-law, this… what is this?”
“At the city gate just now, the guards were conducting extremely strict inspections. They said the authorities were searching for a wanted criminal and had already ordered the entire city sealed off,” her sister-in-law explained hurriedly. “I’m afraid… we won’t be able to leave the city today.”
As she spoke, she pulled a small brocade pouch from her sleeve and stuffed it into Song Ying’s arms without giving her a chance to refuse.
Song Ying squeezed the pouch. It seemed to contain several pieces of silver.
“Take it! Find somewhere secluded and hide for now. You must find an opportunity to sneak out of the city!”
Her sister-in-law’s voice suddenly rose, almost becoming a low roar.
“What are you still standing there for? Go!”
Her sister-in-law was… telling her to escape?!
“Then… then what about Father and Mother?!”
She hadn’t even told her sister-in-law that she had let Li Jingrong go!
“Your brother and I will take responsibility for everything! All you need to do is leave. Go as far away as you can, and never come back!”
Before she had even finished speaking, her sister-in-law gave her a hard shove from behind.
By the time Song Ying regained her balance and turned around, her sister-in-law had already climbed back into the carriage.
“Home!”
Her name was Xie Huaniang.
She was originally the daughter of a traveling merchant, so going out in public and dealing with people had always been part of her everyday life.
Yet her father, while relying on his daughter’s cleverness to navigate the marketplace, also clung to outdated and rigid beliefs, scolding her day after day.
Those days had been so bleak that she could see no end to them.
Until she met Song Jintong.
They had fallen for each other at first sight, and their feelings were mutual.
To her, their marriage negotiations had felt less like arranging a wedding and more like Song Jintong buying back her freedom.
The Song family was different.
Song Jintong came from a merchant family with upright values.
Her father-in-law had never taken a concubine in his entire life. He and her mother-in-law shared a deeply loving marriage, and throughout their decades together, they had only two children: their son Jintong and their daughter Yin Yin.
There were no children from any other union.
After their marriage, her husband treated her with the same wholehearted devotion that his father showed his mother.
She watched the entire Song family living together in harmony.
She watched her young sister-in-law, who had already reached the age of her hairpin ceremony yet was still doted on by the entire family like a child.
How she envied her.
Ever since she was little, her father had repeatedly warned her that a woman needed to learn to manage household affairs early, learn to read people’s expressions, and learn to endure and compromise.
Only then could she establish herself in her husband’s household and earn the favor of his family.
But when she actually married into the Song family, she finally understood something—
It turned out that she didn’t need to make any special effort at all.
Simply being “Song Jintong’s wife” was enough for everyone in the Song family to treat her kindly.
And that was nothing compared to how deeply shaken she had been when she accidentally overheard her father-in-law declare that he would support Yin Yin for the rest of her life.
At that moment, she had stood outside the door, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.
She wanted so badly, so very badly, to have a daughter of her own one day.
She wanted to love and spoil that daughter just as her parents-in-law loved Yin Yin.
She wanted her daughter to grow up without suffering the hardships she herself had endured.
Without having to constantly watch other people’s expressions.
Without having to spend the best years of her life treading carefully around everyone.
The kindness she showed Yin Yin was the kindness she wished to give her future daughter.
It was also the kindness she wished someone had shown her younger self.
That was why she couldn’t simply stand by and watch Yin Yin walk to her death!
She absolutely couldn’t!
*
The atmosphere in the Song residence’s front hall was tense and oppressive.
Master Song had invited the Sizheng official who had come from the capital under imperial orders to escort the selected maiden to take the seat of honor.
The official held his teacup and took a sip, not even bothering to raise his eyelids.
“Today is already the fifteenth day of the ninth month. The maiden personally selected by imperial decree must depart with this official immediately and return to the capital to fulfill the imperial order. If we miss the auspicious hour… Hmph! That would amount to deceiving and defying the emperor, a capital offense punishable by beheading!”
Before his words had even faded, he slammed the teacup heavily onto the table.
Tea splashed everywhere, startling the servants throughout the hall into utter silence. They barely dared to breathe.
The Sizheng official cast a sidelong glance at Master Song, who stood respectfully below him with his hands lowered, and a mocking smile curled at his lips.
“Every maiden presented by the twelve provinces has been selected through painstaking divination and calculations by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Their selection concerns the fate of the entire nation! Forget making a mistake—even arriving a moment late would be more than a petty merchant household like yours could afford to answer for!”
Master Song hurriedly bowed with clasped hands.
“Please calm your anger, Your Excellency. My wife has personally gone to the rear courtyard to hurry things along. It’s just… it’s just that my daughter has been spoiled by her mother since childhood and can be rather willful and troublesome. As her father, I have failed to discipline her properly. I hope Your Excellency can find it in your heart to be forgiving.”
As he spoke, he discreetly took out a gleaming piece of gold and slipped it into the Sizheng official’s sleeve.
The official maintained his stern, businesslike expression and gave a faint snort.
“Very well. This official shall wait a little longer. However, this tea has grown somewhat cold. It’s not particularly pleasant to drink.”
The implication could not have been more obvious.
Master Song immediately put on an ingratiating smile.
“Yes, yes, of course! This commoner has been terribly negligent! Someone, bring His Excellency a fresh pot of pre-Grain Rain Longjing tea! Brew it using the finest spring water in the residence!”
…
…
In the rear courtyard of the Song residence, outside the woodshed in the northwest corner.
The autumn sunlight slanted across the courtyard, casting scattered, mottled shadows.
Madam Song paced back and forth beneath the moon gate, twisting the handkerchief in her hands so tightly that she was nearly tearing it apart.
“Where is she? How could she suddenly disappear? What are we supposed to do now? What are we going to do?!”
She muttered to herself, tears gathering in her eyes.
Yet she desperately held them back, afraid that once she started crying, she would completely lose what little composure she had left.
Just as she was at her wit’s end, a figure came hurrying toward her.
It was her daughter-in-law, Xie Huaniang.
“Mother!” Xie Huaniang was still struggling to catch her breath. “The authorities have ordered the arrest of a wanted criminal… They’ve already sealed off the entire city! I’m afraid… I’m afraid no one will be able to leave today!”
“The… the city’s been sealed off?”
Madam Song’s vision went black. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground.
At last, her tears burst forth uncontrollably.
“Then what will happen to Yin Yin?!”
Suddenly, a dark figure on the rooftop shifted ever so slightly.
“Mother, don’t panic!” Xie Huaniang helped Madam Song up from the ground. “I’ve already told Yin Yin to hide!”
Her gaze swept over her mother-in-law’s deathly pale face and the empty woodshed.
Xie Huaniang immediately understood the situation.
“Right now, our only option is to gather all the maids in the residence. With enough money offered, someone is bound to be willing to take the risk!”
Madam Song allowed herself to be helped to her feet, but her body was still trembling so badly that she could barely stand.
“But… but what if they see through the deception? The Sizheng official isn’t someone we can easily fool!”
“Mother, we’re out of options! We have to try anything that might work! At the very least, we need to get through this immediate crisis! Let’s first find a maid around Yin Yin’s age who carries herself reasonably well, and see if we can fool the Sizheng official!”
Madam Song couldn’t think of a better solution at that moment, so she nodded repeatedly.
“All right… all right. We can only… we can only do as you say!”
Xie Huaniang said, “There’s no time to lose. Mother, go to the front hall and keep the Sizheng official occupied. I’ll gather the maids!”
The two women immediately split up, hurrying off in different directions.
The dark figure on the rooftop silently blended back into the shadows once more, retreating without making a sound.