Chapter 1: I Will Divorce Her and Marry You

Dachen, Yongchang Year 37, Winter.

A thin snow in the twelfth lunar month, a broken hut with a straw mat.

A fierce wind violently flung open the old door, sweeping in a chill that made Qin Chanyue, lying prone on the thin bedboard, shiver before she jolted awake from a high fever and unconsciousness, bending over in a fit of violent coughing.

Her mind was still foggy, her throat burning with pain. Before she could fully regain her senses, she heard the sound of weeping.

“Pomu, Pomu—” The voice choked with sobs, grating on her nerves.

What’s all the crying for! I’m not dead yet!

Driven by this irritation, Qin Chanyue abruptly opened her eyes. As she did, she saw her useless, good-for-nothing daughter-in-law holding a bowl of medicine with red, sore-covered hands, trembling as she brought it to her lips, saying, “Pomu, please take your medicine.”

The broken hut was bitterly cold, with only a dilapidated wooden bed—which she occupied—leaving her daughter-in-law to kneel on the ground, gazing at her with pitiful sorrow.

Seeing that pitiful little face, the anger in Qin Chanyue’s chest subsided once more, replaced instead by a surge of guilt.

She had always treated this daughter-in-law the worst, yet after her own downfall, only this daughter-in-law had come to care for her.

But—where did this medicine come from?

She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was too hoarse to utter a word. Instead, her daughter-in-law, understanding what she wanted to ask, grew even more timid, lowering her head and replying, “Your daughter-in-law is useless. Today, I went to the Houfu to beg for medicine. My husband refused to see me, Xiaoshu also refused to see me, and Gongdie—Gongdie no longer acknowledges me. Concubine Fang threw me some silver and drove me away, so I used it to buy medicine.”

The anger Qin Chanyue had just suppressed flared up again.

“You!” Qin Chanyue trembled with rage. “I told you not to go to them! I’d rather die—”

Before she could finish her outburst, her daughter-in-law began crying again, sobbing, “Pomu must not die! When Shufu sent me to serve Pomu, he said if Pomu died, I would have no face to see Shufu again!”

Her Shufu was Qin Chanyue’s adoptive elder brother.

Qin Chanyue’s mind buzzed, filled with thoughts of her adoptive brother, her son, her husband—

Old memories surged to the surface, bringing with them endless hatred as scenes from the past replayed in her mind.

Her name was Qin Chanyue, born into a military family of loyal martyrs. During a great war with a neighboring country, her entire family perished in battle, leaving only an adoptive elder brother. In his grief, the Emperor bestowed great honors, personally conferring upon her the title of Junzhu and placing her under the care of the Empress Dowager.

Later, Zhou Ziheng, the second legitimate son of the Zhou family, repeatedly expressed his admiration for her.

Zhou Ziheng was a close friend of her adoptive brother and, like him, belonged to the Crown Prince’s faction. They shared political views and were allies, making him a suitable match. Moreover, he indulged Qin Chanyue in every way, tolerating even her most difficult temper. Such an elegant and refined gentleman—who wouldn’t love him?

Qin Chanyue gradually fell in love with him.

Later, after pledging to be each other’s one and only for life, she married Zhou Ziheng.

Because she was highly regarded by the Emperor, Zhou Ziheng also gained imperial favor. Despite being the second son, he surpassed the legitimate eldest son and was enfeoffed as Zhongyi Marquis.

Blessed with imperial favor, a powerful adoptive brother, a harmonious household, and a respectful, loving husband who never took a concubine, they had been married for decades and had two sons. Their marital life was smooth, and countless people in Dachen envied her.

If there was one source of displeasure, it was solely her eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Yandai, whom she disliked.

Liu Yandai’s father had an old connection with the Qin family years ago, and they had arranged a marriage alliance. However, Liu Yandai was born in the borderlands and was raised by her foster brother until adulthood, when she was sent to Chang’an to marry.

Liu Yandai came from a lowly background—a mere rustic—and her temperament was exceedingly timid. Whenever she was taken out, she would be bullied by others. Not only was she no match for others in scheming, but her temper was also soft to the point of being trampled on by anyone. Watching this, Qin Chanyue grew anxious. She exerted great effort to discipline Liu Yandai, but Liu Yandai was like mud that could not be shaped—utterly hopeless! Furious, Qin Chanyue handed her over to several matrons for refinement and etiquette training.

However, later on, she no longer had the mind to manage Liu Yandai.

Because her foster brother encountered trouble. The strategic map in his possession was lost, leaking terrain secrets. Subsequently, the Southern Barbarians advanced step by step using the map, leading to a major defeat at the border. The Second Prince used this to frame her foster brother for treason and collusion with the enemy. In the end, her foster brother died mysteriously on the battlefield.

Their Qin Mansion had been part of the Crown Prince’s faction since her father’s generation, locked in constant political strife with the Second Prince, but this time it was exceptionally fierce.

At that time, she repeatedly asked her husband for help, but he feared implicating himself and refused to intervene. Qin Chanyue could only grit her teeth and take matters into her own hands, spending lavishly and exhausting her connections. To retrieve her foster brother’s body, she scattered wealth everywhere, depleting most of her dowry.

Such actions naturally could not be hidden from others. The Emperor, out of respect for her father’s achievements, did not punish her for overstepping as a woman. But! What she never expected was that her husband believed she was bringing disaster upon herself. Before her foster brother’s case was even concluded, he severed ties with her.

Even more, her husband produced the family register, claiming that since their marriage had never been recorded in it, they were not truly husband and wife. Then, he drove her out of the Houfu.

How laughable! To cut ties with her, he was willing to discard all dignity, even striking his own face! If he would not acknowledge his own wife, what was real anymore? Did he not fear becoming a laughingstock among the entire court?

What she found even more ironic was that on the very day she was expelled from the Houfu, her husband immediately brought back a woman. That woman’s surname was Fang, and she even brought along a sixteen-year-old son.

This outside son was actually the same age as her own son!

The woman told Qin Chanyue that she was Zhou Ziheng’s Xinshang Ren, and that Zhou Ziheng had only married Qin Chanyue out of political necessity.

It was then that Qin Chanyue realized her husband had never loved her. When she still had her foster brother’s support, her husband was willing to put on an act, but now that her foster brother was dead, he no longer wanted to pretend.

But it didn’t matter—she still had her sons!

However, she never expected that her two sons would also refuse to acknowledge her.

These two ungrateful wretches, just like their father, believed she had incurred the Emperor’s displeasure and was tainted by a grave crime, so they wanted to cut ties with her.

“She is not our mother—she is the sister of a criminal official!”

“We do not acknowledge her!”

After abandoning Qin Chanyue, the whole group continued to live intimately with their father. To please their powerful father, they even began addressing that concubine as “Mother”!

What a pack of opportunistic, faithless creatures!

Qin Chanyue was furious, refusing to bow to this family even in death. However, once Concubine Fang gained power, seemingly to vent her own grievances, she continuously used her influence to oppress Qin Chanyue.

Qin Chanyue had long fallen into destitution, utterly powerless to fight back. She was driven to illness, her entire fortune exhausted, ending up in the pitiful state of hiding away in a thatched hut.

She thought she was going to die, but who could have expected that, at her most miserable moment, the daughter-in-law she had never liked would emerge from the Houfu to care for her day after day.

Only on her deathbed did she realize that the daughter-in-law she had always looked down upon, along with her stern, ever-stern foster brother who always lectured her with a cold face, were her true pillars of support.

Old memories swirled in her mind, leaving behind nothing but boundless hatred.

The thought that her daughter-in-law had gone back to beg those people made Qin Chanyue’s heart burn with anger. She wanted to scold Liu Yandai, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she raised her hand and forcefully knocked over the medicine bowl.

She would rather die than drink another sip of that medicine.

Liu Yandai wept even harder, trying to say something between sobs, but then she saw her stubborn, fierce Pomu take out a final gold hairpin from her collar and hand it to her, murmuring, “Leave Chang’an,” before slowly closing her eyes.

She thought, Liu Yandai’s medicine was too bitter, the winter of the thirty-seventh year of Dachen was too cold. None of this was good, and she wanted none of it.

Perhaps before death, one always sees the things they hold dear. This time, as Qin Chanyue closed her eyes, she heard the neighing of horses before she died. When she opened them, she faintly saw a tall figure standing before her, frowning, looking at her with a stern expression, scolding her for her foolishness.

Only her eldest brother could be so detestable, even in dreams.

Eldest brother, eldest brother… if only eldest brother were still here.

Seeing her Pomu fall silent, Liu Yandai stood dumbfounded, clutching the gold hairpin, and burst into loud sobs.

Shufu was dead, Pomu was dead—where could she go now?

Liu Yandai’s cries were so loud, but this time, Qin Chanyue didn’t find them noisy.

She closed her eyes and quietly fell asleep on the night of the thirty-seventh year of Yongchang.

When Liu Yandai had cried her fill, she used the last gold hairpin to hire someone to bury Qin Chanyue’s body in the same grave as Shufu. Finally, she sought refuge in a temple, lighting lamps for her Pomu and Shufu for the rest of her life.

Shufu had said that his only wish in life was for Pomu to live well. Raised by Shufu, she should heed his words. She had married into the Houfu to be filial to Pomu, but she was incompetent and couldn’t care for Pomu properly. All she could do was pray to the gods and buddhas.

If the gods and buddhas were merciful, may her Pomu live a better life in the next life.

The frail young woman knelt in the temple, day after day, her black hair gradually turning white, her back slowly growing hunched. The temple’s oil lamps were refilled and burned, burned and refilled, always flickering with a faint light, illuminating the devout believer and the compassionate faces of the gods and buddhas.

If there were a next life—

——

Dachen, Yongchang, thirty-seventh year.

July, the lingering end of summer, heavy rain swept through Chang’an.

Silver threads of rain hung like curtains beneath the eaves, and a wind laden with misty moisture rushed into the chamber. The downpour roared, isolating heaven and earth, with only the silk tassels of the bed curtains swaying gently.

On the quiet, low couch by the window reclined a plump beauty with enchanting features.

Her beauty was like polished jade, her bones full and flesh soft. Her face was as delicate as a crescent moon, with fox-like eyes that curved upward at the corners, bright and captivating. Dark hair adorned with gold pins, lips moist and red, she wore a round-collared robe of gold silk and emerald satin. From afar, one could see her jade-like, voluptuous figure, exuding an irresistible allure in her languid repose.

Her beauty was too intense, almost sharp, making it strikingly dazzling. From afar, everything in heaven and earth seemed to serve as her backdrop, so noble it was beyond words.

This was none other than the principal wife of the Zhongyi Marquis, Lady Qin.

Lady Qin hailed from a military family. At just thirty-two years of age, she was in the prime of her life, radiant and full of grace. It was widely known that Qin Chanyue had been born under a lucky star—born into a high-ranking military family, she had gained fame throughout Chang’an for her beauty by the age of sixteen. Her foster brother was a hundred-victory general, her husband was a marquis who adored her deeply, and he had never taken a concubine. Her two sons were obedient and sensible. Such a person, even in her dreams, should only have sweet ones.

Yet, the beautiful woman on the bed seemed trapped in a nightmare, struggling repeatedly in her sleep until she suddenly jolted awake, as if stepping into an abyss.

The fury and despair from before her death still enveloped her. Her body felt numb and shivered as if from the winter’s cold wind—the hard wooden boards, the wailing northern gale, her weeping daughter-in-law, the medicine she had knocked over, her husband who had long betrayed her, her ungrateful son who had abandoned her, and her foster brother, her foster brother—

At the thought of her foster brother, all her resentment and rage seemed magnified countless times, overwhelming her remaining reason. She sat up abruptly from the bed, wanting to scream curses from her throat. Even if she descended to the underworld, she would lodge a complaint with her deceased father! But as she opened her eyes and saw her surroundings, the words on her lips caught in her throat.

Everything came to an abrupt halt. Her striking, fierce fox-like eyes widened in disbelief as she stiffly turned her neck to look around.

This was a room adorned with gold and jade. The floor was made of precious agarwood, covered with an expensive golden-threaded carpet. Opposite, behind the window, stood a lavender jade screen. In the corner, an ice-filled vat provided coolness. Through the wide-open wooden window, the faint sound of jade wind chimes clinking under the eaves could be heard.

It was well-known in Chang’an that Lady Qin loved extravagance and opulence. She disliked bronze chimes, preferring only the sound of jade ones. Jade chimes were delicate—once broken, they were replaced. A jade bell worth a hundred taels was merely for the pleasure of its crisp sound.

Amid the familiar, crisp jingling, Qin Chanyue recognized where she was.

This was the Houfu, once her home, where she had lived for over a decade.

But she had been driven out, on such a cold winter day—

She turned her head and saw the gentle patter of rain outside the eaves, the wind rustling through rose vines, the swaying blossoms seeming to whisper a question from an old acquaintance: Qin Chanyue, aren’t you dead?

Yes, I am dead.

My husband betrayed me, my son abandoned me, my foster brother was framed, my daughter-in-law—

She sat in a daze until, at one point, footsteps echoed outside the room. A maid hurried along the corridor outside, urgently relaying a message to the maid guarding the door. The latter hesitated before knocking on Qin Chanyue’s door.

“Madam, it’s terrible! The eldest young master and the eldest young mistress are quarreling!”

The words “eldest young mistress” and “quarreling” pierced Qin Chanyue’s ears, causing her to tremble. It felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her mind, instantly clearing her thoughts.

She was not foolish. Though her temperament was somewhat domineering, she could understand that she seemed to have died once and come back to life. Though she did not know how she had returned, at this moment, she had more important matters to attend to.

At this thought, scenes from the past flooded her mind one after another. The resplendent lady bit her lower lip, her eyes shooting fierce glints. It was unclear what she had recalled, but she pinched her own thigh flesh with such force.

Today was the end of the seventh month, the second month since Liu Yandai had married into the Houfu.

And today, her daughter-in-law had suffered the greatest of injustices!

“Come in!” Qin Chanyue hurriedly rose from the couch and called out loudly, “Take me there at once!”

In the past, she had disliked Liu Yandai, believing her unworthy of her son, and had caused Liu Yandai much suffering. But having lived a second life, she now knew she had been wrong.

Her two sons and husband combined were not worth half of Liu Yandai! As long as she lived, no one would dare bully Liu Yandai again!

The maid outside the door, startled by the commotion, rushed in and helped Qin Chanyue out.

Qin Chanyue stood up, her tone turning icy as she turned to the maid beside her. “Prepare an umbrella!”

The maid softly acknowledged and fetched an umbrella, following Qin Chanyue as she strode through the winding corridors and past the screen walls, her steps filled with murderous intent as she headed straight for the Eldest Young Master’s Shuhai Courtyard.

—

The Houfu had two young masters. The Eldest Young Master Zhou was proud and scholarly, preparing for the imperial examinations. The Second Young Master Zhou was impulsive and martial, training for the military exams. Outsiders often said the Zhou family’s two sons excelled in both civil and military arts, ensuring a century of prosperity to come.

Everyone said Eldest Young Master Zhou was fortunate, destined for a life without hardship. But recently, Zhou Yuanting had been deeply troubled.

The reason was simple: his love life had suffered a setback, forced by his mother to marry someone he did not love.

Zhou Yuanting had originally been engaged to a woman named Bai Yuning. But misfortune struck when her family was implicated in a crime, resulting in their entire household being sent into Liufang. His engagement was consequently broken off.

He and his fiancée had known each other since childhood and were deeply fond of one another. After her departure, he had been heartbroken. It was then that his maternal uncle, stationed at the distant border, selected a woman to be his principal wife, citing an ancestral agreement. Without even consulting him, his mother forced this woman upon him, saying only, “Your uncle’s choices are always good,” and urging him to treat her well.

But Zhou Yuanting found this woman lacking.

He admired women well-versed in poetry and literature, skilled in playing the qin and painting, gifted in singing and dancing, and breathtakingly beautiful. Yet the wife forced upon him was none of these.

Her name was Liu Yandai, raised in the borderlands, barely literate, with an ordinary face at best merely pleasant. She only knew how to cook porridge and meals, performing tasks befitting servants. She was timid and shrinking, perpetually carrying the lingering smell of cooking oil, which he found repulsive.

Zhou Yuanting had never liked her. On their wedding day, he had not even touched her, coldly insisting on separate rooms.

He ignored her, but she went to great lengths to please him. Despite her lack of education, she would bring a book every day to converse with him, stumbling over her words. He had no desire to see her.

Thus, he lingered outside, preferring to spend time at the poetry society rather than return home.

And on this very day, he unexpectedly encountered his former fiancée, Bai Yuning, at the poetry society.

It was then he learned that she had been spared by a close family elder and had not followed her parents into Liufang. Instead, she had remained in Chang’an by a stroke of luck.

But Chang’an is vast, and living is not easy. Bai Yuning, forced by circumstances, could only pose as a qin player at the poetry society, playing with her face veiled. Had he not recognized her music, he would never have known she was still in Chang’an.

After their long separation, seeing his beloved in distress, Zhou Yuanting acted on impulse and brought her back to the Houfu.

In the study, they poured out their hearts to each other.

“The one I married now is not the one I love. Give me some time—I will divorce her and marry you.”

His beloved Bai Yuning looked ashamed. “We cannot do this. You are already married. I cannot stoop so low.”

Zhou Yuanting was heartbroken. Holding Bai Yuning’s hand, he declared firmly, “That country bumpkin was just a marriage arranged by my maternal uncle against my will. I have not touched her. My body, my purity—they are all yours.”

A flicker of emotion crossed Bai Yuning’s face. Finally letting down all her defenses, she threw herself into his arms.

Zhou Yuanting’s long-empty heart was at last filled with warmth and love.

But he never expected that on this very day, his clumsy, unrefined wife, Liu Yandai, would come looking for him in his study with some food. Hearing the commotion, this ignorant woman dared to push open the study door, tearing away the last shred of decency and humiliating his beloved Bai Yuning!

——

For Liu Yandai, this day was also one of immense pain.

She knew that no one in the Houfu liked her. She had married into the household through an ancestral marriage alliance, and though she held the title of Shizi Furen, she was never accepted by others.

Her Pomu despised her for her foolishness, her husband found her dull, her Xiaoshu scorned her weakness—everyone disliked her.

But before coming here, she had been taught by her Shufu that she must be a good daughter-in-law in the Houfu. So she patiently tried to please her husband in every way—preparing food, making clothes, even studying to win his favor. All she wanted was to stay in the Houfu.

Yet on this day, when she came to deliver food, she overheard her husband in the study pouring out his heart to another woman, vowing to “divorce her.” In her panic, she accidentally pushed open the door.

As the wooden door swung open, Liu Yandai saw her husband shielding another woman behind him, looking at her with disgust and shouting, “Who allowed you in here? Liu Yandai, have you no education, no sense of propriety? Is this how Zhennan Wang raised you?”

Zhennan Wang—that is, Liu Yandai’s Shufu, Qin Chanyue’s foster brother, General Chu Heng, who was currently stationed far away at the border.

Liu Yandai usually remained silent when mocked or criticized, only lowering her head in helplessness as she was scolded. But when the insult was directed at her Shufu, her eyes reddened. For the first time, she raised her head and stammered in retort, “You—you’re the one with no education! You, you both!”

With little learning to draw upon, she couldn’t muster phrases like “illicit union” or “secret affair.” Instead, she pointed at them and shouted a common vulgarity: “Adulterers! You’re sneaking around!”

Liu Yandai, always timid, was startled by her own outburst. How could she say such things? If her Pomu heard, she would surely be punished!

And Zhou Yuanting, hearing these words, flushed crimson with rage.

“You insolent wretch, how dare you defy your superiors! You’re asking for a beating—” He charged straight toward Liu Yandai, his hand raised high as if to strike her face with full force!

Liu Yandai felt a chill run down her spine. She wanted to flee, but her legs seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move, leaving her to watch helplessly as the hand drew closer and closer.

“No!” Just then, a voice rang out from behind Zhou Yuanting. In the next moment, he saw his Xinshang Ren, Bai Yuning, rush forward and shield Liu Yandai.