Eighteen eighteen

Page 1/3
Inside the Marquis’s inner courtyard, the servants had been dismissed.
In the empty courtyard, Shen Xian knelt on the sunlit ground. The early spring’s chilly breeze blew over her, soon penetrating her thin clothes, chilling her to the bone.
She bore a ruler on her head, holding the family precepts high in her hands. From initial stubborn resistance, she gradually lost her spirit, finally crying and begging for mercy.
“Father, your daughter knows her mistake. Please spare me.”
The Marquis of Jing’an and his wife sat beneath the corridor.
Madam Marquis watched her daughter being punished with tears of heartache, several times wanting to plead on her behalf, but a glare from the Marquis silenced her.
“Do you know that the Emperor’s headaches have worsened recently, making him increasingly irritable? Everyone in court fears one wrong move might bring disaster upon their families.”
“A few days ago, the Emperor ordered me to the capital to report, plainly intending to strip me of my military power. I racked my brain to find a way to save our family, yet you have offended the noble protector of our household.”
“Today, you must kneel until she remembers this lesson. If you continue to pity and spoil her, you’ll kneel alongside her. If I don’t harden my heart, this vast Jing’an Marquis residence will be ruined by her sooner or later.”
Madam Marquis was scolded into silence, quietly sobbing with her daughter.

In another part of the Marquis’s estate, a different scene unfolded.
Xiu Yu had her blouse stripped off, her back bare, kneeling on the ground as the main wife, Lady Liu, and several concubines observed.
Nearing seventy, Qi Miao held a whip, his face fierce, mercilessly striking Xiu Yu’s back.
“You’ve been with me all these years, sharp-tongued and unforgiving, causing endless trouble at home. Now that I’ve been dismissed from office, I thought you’d behaved for a couple of days, but you went to the Marquis’s banquet to stir trouble. If I don’t punish you, have you forgotten your place?”
Xiu Yu’s back was beaten raw, blood staining the whip and splattering the ground, her lips paling from the pain.
“The Marquis of Jing’an was furious about this. I fear beating you to death wouldn’t calm the matter. Stay here kneeling until you realize your mistake and beg for forgiveness. Otherwise, kneel to death.”
Qi Miao ruled the household with an iron fist, often inflicting pain on his wives and concubines, and now wielded the whip with even greater force. None dared to intervene.

The affairs of the Marquis’s estate were unknown to Yue Zhi.
The next morning, she received three handwritten letters and an apology gift from the Marquis’s household, finally realizing that what Pei Heng said on the street was more than empty comfort.
The three letters were from the Marquis of Jing’an, Shen Xian, and Xiu Yu respectively.
The Marquis bitterly reproached himself for failing to manage the household, leading to such a disaster. The other two letters were tearful apologies, full of regret and pleas for forgiveness, written so heavily with blood and tears that the words were barely legible.
The apology gift was a set of pure gold head ornaments, a pair of amethyst jade bracelets, and a string of jade beads, each of considerable value.

A few days later, Madam Marquis personally brought Shen Xian to offer a formal apology.
Having knelt for several days under the family law, Shen Xian had completely lost her temper; her swollen, reddened eyes could not be concealed by makeup, and she stood with bowed head before Yue Zhi.
“That day, I was rude. I should not have looked down on you or sent people to stir trouble and shame you. All of it was my fault. Father has already punished me. If you are still angry, I am willing to do anything to ask for your forgiveness.”
Her tone sounded much more sincere. Yue Zhi, not wishing to become entangled deeply with the Marquis’s household, accepted the apology gift and only requested she donate one hundred taels of silver to the city’s orphanage before granting forgiveness.
A maid helped Shen Xian, whose legs were swollen from kneeling, to leave. Madam Marquis remained, wearing a kindly face, and stayed to discuss matters with Yue Zhi.
“Since you no longer bear a grudge over that day, the matter of the marriage between your Little General Pei and my daughter…”
Upon hearing this, Yue Zhi’s heart trembled, an inexplicable unease rising within her.
“Madam, although I am the eldest daughter at home, I am not as learned or understanding as Ah Heng. Once he has decided on something, not even I can persuade him to change it.”

Page 2/3
That day in the courtyard, Pei Heng had already refused the marriage proposal in front of both families. Her words completely severed the possibility of alliance between the two households.
Madam Marquis gave an awkward smile and did not press further, instead suggesting, “If the young lady would be so kind, I shall host a banquet at my home in a few days and invite you to share some heartfelt conversations among the women of the inner quarters. Would that be agreeable?”
The lady of the Marquis’s household and the young lady herself had come personally to apologize and offered a way to smooth relations. Yue Zhi had no choice but to accept, preserving the dignity of both families.

*

Recently, Pei Heng had become increasingly busy, rarely returning home. Sometimes he would come back late at night to sleep for only a few hours before leaving again before dawn.
Yue Zhi barely saw him, only knowing he had returned by the sudden appearance of gold and silver property deeds on her bedside.
“Sister, Brother Wang says he wants to marry me. Once the betrothal gifts are ready, he’ll come to formally propose…” Hua Qing, full of thoughts of Wang Qiu Shi, had completely forgotten the grievances she endured in the Marquis’s household and paid no attention to Pei Heng’s early departures and late returns.
She smiled coquettishly, “A fool like him is hard to find in the world. I don’t mind his foolishness, but if I marry, what will you do, sister?”
Then she frowned, shaking her head, “I won’t marry, I’d rather stay with you forever.”
Yue Zhi laughed heartily. “I don’t have Brother Wang’s patience to pamper you all your life. You’d better marry early, so you don’t keep pestering me about him until my ears grow calluses.”
Hua Qing blushed, coquettishly leaning against her side.
“Sister, how can there be someone as good as you in this world? Always thinking of others, never thinking for yourself.”
“You and Pei Heng treat me well. Calling me sister makes you my family. Naturally, I think of you both. But should I really ask you to look after me forever, sacrificing your prime years?”

Warm spring sunlight poured down from above. The two sat side by side in the courtyard—one threading a needle, the other embroidering flowers.
Hua Qing exhaled deeply. “Sister, cousin is the luckiest man in the world to have you by his side.”
Yue Zhi smiled silently, setting aside her needlework to gently stroke her head.

On the day of the Marquis’s banquet, Wang Qiu Shi happened to come to the city to purchase betrothal gifts and specially came to fetch Hua Qing. The two went together to view houses available for rent in the city.
Yue Zhi happily saw them off, tidied herself simply, and in the afternoon took the Marquis’s carriage that had come to pick her up.
Upon reentering the Marquis’s household, the same steward greeted her at the main gate and informed her that the Qi family had moved out of the side estate. The Marquis of Jing’an had reprimanded Qi Miao over the previous incident, forbidding his concubines from entering the Marquis’s residence again.
The Marquis’s household showed sincere goodwill, and Yue Zhi gradually let go of her resentment, joining the feast and speaking with Madam Marquis.

As the banquet progressed, Madam Marquis gradually opened up.
“Your Little General is a capable man. The Marquis intends to promote him for greater responsibilities. The only concern is your household. You have no servants; I fear intruders might break in. After much thought, it’s better that you move into the Marquis’s residence, so your Little General need not worry about your safety.”
“I am but a commoner; how could I impose on the Marquis’s household?”
“Then choose a larger residence. Didn’t the Marquis grant several houses to the Little General? Pick one to live in, and I will help you acquire servants to attend to you.”
“...” Yue Zhi finally understood the origin of the property deeds placed by her bedside.
“I am but a humble embroiderer. I do not need such a large house, nor many servants. You are busy with state affairs; please do not trouble yourself on my account.”
Madam Marquis shook her head, speaking earnestly, “Now you are no longer just an embroiderer, but the Little General Pei’s family. With his rising rank, he will attract attention. Only with peace in the inner quarters can he serve on the front lines without worries.”
Hearing this, Yue Zhi seemed to have an idea.

As dusk fell, a modest table of food and wine was set in a side hall of the Marquis’s front courtyard. The Marquis of Jing’an sat at the head. The other guests were prominent families, wealthy merchants, and respected generals from Liangzhou territory.
A maid brought in wine and filled the guests’ cups. After they emptied their glasses, a shadow quietly observing from the roof left satisfied.

Page 3/3
The guards in the courtyard noticed a figure flickering in the dim sky and shouted alertly, “Who’s there?”
The guests in the side hall immediately became cautious and dispersed. The Marquis dismissed the merchants and gentry, signaling his generals to capture the suspicious person in the courtyard.
Yue Zhi was coaxed by Madam Marquis to sip some fruit wine. At first, it tasted sweet and sour with fruity fragrance, gradually revealing a light wine flavor.
It was her first time drinking wine in this life, and she felt warmth in her heart, her head spinning slightly. Even Madam Marquis seemed familiar.
Under the influence of the wine, their conversation grew lively. She was almost ready to agree to move to the new residence and let Madam Marquis help buy servants.
Before she could speak, a maid’s frightened voice came from outside, “Madam, the front courtyard is on fire!”
Madam Marquis’s face changed dramatically. “How did it catch fire? Hurry, get Miss Yue Zhi out of the manor.”
Yue Zhi, dazed and confused, was lifted by two matrons and escorted outside. Passing through the garden, the household servants were drawing water from the lake to fight the fire. The flames in the front courtyard showed no sign of abating, and suddenly the inner courtyard also caught fire.
The entire Marquis’s residence descended into chaos; some rushed forward, others retreated. Yue Zhi’s steps faltered, and a slight shove separated her from the matrons.
She stumbled and fell into an artificial rockery. The wine’s effect made her drowsy; even calls from others went unheard.

How long passed, she did not know. The chaos outside the rockery grew louder. The air was suffused with the heat of the raging fire, making sleep uneasy. Through the haze, she heard the servants’ voices.
“They say an outsider infiltrated the residence to harm the Marquis. When the assassination failed, they set fires everywhere.”
“I just saw a general almost catch a figure dressed in black. Now both have disappeared. Could something have gone wrong?”
“I’ve been worried ever since Lord Qi came to stay here. The high officials from Pingzhou have fled to Liangzhou. The times are turning chaotic.”
Yue Zhi did not catch all their words but sensed from their tone the danger of the current situation. She propped herself up between the crevices of the rockery, half awake and half drunk, and headed toward the side gate of the Marquis’s residence, wanting to go home.
Leaning against the wall as she walked, she encountered several servants busy fighting the fire and salvaging valuables. No one noticed her or stopped to help.
Gradually, she lost her way; the surroundings grew quiet, and she saw no one.

Suddenly, a window in a long corridor opened. Strong arms reached out, lifted her around the waist, and pulled her inside. Dizzy, she fell to the floor.
The air carried a breath not her own, urgent and tense, tinged faintly with the scent of blood.
Yue Zhi’s blurry eyes could not make out the face above her, only knowing her hands were pinned above her head, her mouth firmly covered by a man’s hand, his knee pressing on her legs.
Instinctively sensing danger, she whimpered, begging for mercy, but the man pressed harder, her face turning red from the suffocation.
In the enclosed room, only their heartbeats could be heard.
Suddenly, the man hidden in the darkness sighed restlessly, his entire body collapsing onto her, pressing down until her chest ached.
His hot breath fanned across her neck, the burning heat rising. The familiar scent of soap pods clung to his clothes, drifting to her nose. In a daze, Yue Zhi softly called out,
“Pei Heng?”
The breath nearly touching her neck abruptly ceased.