Chapter 002: She Would Exhaust Every Effort to Please Him
“What apology are you making? Lift your head!”
Just as Liu Yandai, Zhou Yuanting, and Bai Yuning were locked in a tense three-way standoff, a voice gritted with fury drifted from afar. Wrapped in the misty moisture of the rain, it abruptly inserted itself between the three of them, sending a chill down their spines and tightening the skin on their backs.
Upon clearly hearing Qin Chanyue’s voice, the first thought that flashed through each of their minds, without exception, was: Oh no.
It was widely known that Qin Chanyue was blessed with good fortune, but that statement was always followed by another: it’s just that her temper is too fiery, poor Zhongyi Marquis really suffers.
Born into a military family, Qin Chanyue developed the quintessential temperament of a warrior: irritable, impulsive, fiercely protective of her own, unreasonable, and often lacking in sense. In her youth, she had even learned a few moves of the Qin Family Grappling Technique. Although she later grew lazy and gradually neglected her practice, her temper remained undiminished. Relying on her noble birth and striking beauty, she acted with utter arrogance. Before marriage, the entire Qin Mansion doted on her; after marriage, her husband indulged her. Pampered all her life, even after her son had taken a wife, she still hadn’t learned the art of subtlety or compromise. Within her own domain, no one dared to overshadow her, and she would curse anyone she disliked without hesitation.
Thus, those of lower status than her all avoided her, especially the younger generation.
Liu Yandai feared her Pomu’s anger, Zhou Yuanting dreaded his mother’s reprimand, and only Bai Yuning was afraid that Qin Chanyue would drive her out.
She could not be driven out.
Her parents were still struggling in the Liufang lands; she absolutely had to remain within the Zhongyi Hou Mansion, using every means possible.
That slender, tall girl, ethereal as the moon amidst clouds, trembled inwardly. As her eyes caught a glimpse of that figure adorned in golden silk and emerald brocade striding swiftly along the distant corridor, she turned and revealed a face full of sorrow. To everyone’s surprise, she faced Qin Chanyue and knelt with a heavy “thud”!
Qin Chanyue paused mid-step, hearing the kneeling Miss Bai say: “Bai Yuning pays her respects to Madam Qin—Please, Hou Furen, do not blame the Shizi Furen. All fault lies with Bai Yuning. Bai Yuning will leave now.”
Rain was still falling in Chang’an at that time.
The maid behind Qin Chanyue held high a silk umbrella woven with golden threads. The fine rain pattered lightly against the canopy, but there was no umbrella for Bai Yuning kneeling before her.
As the delicate girl knelt on the ground, the hem of her skirt grew damp from the puddles on the bluestone slabs. Her jet-black hair swayed gently in the breeze, like the shadow of a trembling flower. Her frail silhouette seemed to overlap with that from her previous life, abruptly reminding Qin Chanyue of events from her past existence.
In that previous life, at this very moment, she hadn’t come over at all, having only heard a few recounted words.
Back then, Liu Yandai had already offered her apology. She had been ordered by Zhou Yuanting to be confined under house arrest, after which Zhou Yuanting brought Bai Yuning to Qin Chanyue’s Shangyue Garden to seek forgiveness from his mother.
Zhou Yuanting dared to speak of “divorcing Liu Yandai” to others, but he wouldn’t dare say such a thing to Qin Chanyue. He knew she would never permit him to abandon his wife. So, upon seeing Qin Chanyue, he changed his tune.
That day, the handsome and upright eldest son of the Zhou family stood before the hall and said to his mother: “Your son knows he is already married. Henceforth, I will regard Bai Yuning only as a younger sister. I beg Mother, considering the past friendship between our two families, to take Bai Yuning in. In the future, we can simply find her a good family to marry into.”
At that time, Zhou Yuanting had planned to bring the girl in, keep her, and make further arrangements later, so his words were all meant to deceive his mother.
But Qin Chanyue truly believed him.
This was her own son, her flesh and blood—how could she not believe him?
Moreover, Qin Chanyue and the mistress of Bai Mansion had been close friends in their youth; otherwise, the marriage arrangement would never have been made. However, later on, Bai Mansion committed a grave mistake, and Zhongyi Hou Mansion truly dared not get involved, forced to sever ties.
When they broke off the engagement back then, Qin Chanyue knew she had wronged the Bai family. After the annulment, she secretly helped ease the Bai family’s punishment as a form of apology. Little did she expect that one day she would see Bai Yuning again.
To Qin Chanyue, even if this young lady from the Bai family was not her eldest daughter-in-law, she was still the child of an old friend. She reasoned that the severing of ties back then was an unforeseen accident, and she pitied Bai Yuning. Since the girl had come, she would keep her and treat her well, as a way to honor her old friend.
Thus, she naively kept Bai Yuning and even prepared a dowry, intending to marry her off to a good family.
But from the moment Bai Yuning stayed, things spiraled out of control.
Not long after Bai Yuning stayed as the “child of an old friend,” Zhou Yuanting gradually rekindled his old feelings for her. Liu Yandai, being timid and foolish, could only watch helplessly, too afraid to retaliate. Qin Chanyue remained in the dark, completely unaware.
Even more infuriatingly, Bai Yuning was not content with seducing just the eldest son of Houfu. During her stay, she also entangled the second son of Houfu.
By the time Qin Chanyue realized what was happening, her two sons had already reached the point of tearing each other apart and fighting to the death over Bai Yuning!
She was utterly enraged.
How could the daughter of her close friend stoop to such despicable acts? How could her eldest son betray his wife, break his vows, and be so fickle? How could her second son fall for such a dubious woman and turn against his own elder brother? Each of these things was unbearable to her.
As a mother, she immediately made a decision—to drive Bai Yuning away.
But she never expected her two sons to be so madly in love with Bai Yuning. On the day Bai Yuning left in tears, her sons began to resent her, refusing even to pay their respects. Instead, they sneaked out daily to secretly meet with Bai Yuning.
In their eyes, it was Qin Chanyue who had torn them apart. Their twisted, ugly, and illicit love weighed heavier than the debt of life and upbringing they owed their mother.
Yet, Qin Chanyue still could not bring herself to abandon them.
They were her children. Even when she was furious enough to stomp her feet, she clung to a sliver of hope—perhaps… tomorrow they would come to their senses?
The word “mother” was like poisoned sugar—sweet to the taste but toxic once dissolved. Hearing it too often could make one foolish, so Qin Chanyue never truly hated them. She only hoped that one day they would turn back from their misguided path. But before she could see that day come, an even greater disaster struck.
Her foster brother was accused of treason and died on the frontier.
After her foster brother died, she used up nearly all her connections and dowry to clear his name. Everyone avoided her, her husband immediately cut ties, brought back another woman and child, her sons chose to call a concubine “mother,” and happily called an illegitimate child their brother. Then, she died on a winter day.
Those painful memories surged into Qin Chanyue’s mind once more, making her clench her teeth.
Her gaze swept coldly over Bai Yuning kneeling on the ground, ignored the trembling Liu Yandai beside her, and turned to fixate on her eldest son.
Zhou Yuanting.
Zhou Yuanting clearly hadn’t expected his mother to come. He hesitated and panicked for a moment but quickly composed himself, lifting a face as cold as frost and bamboo, respectfully calling out, “Mother.”
Zhou Yuanting was handsome, with features strikingly similar to his father’s. His phoenix eyes were as cold as frost and bamboo. As the legitimate eldest son of a noble family, he was born wrapped in gold and jade, surrounded by silk, every strand of his hair steeped in moonlight—the very image of a noble young master. At this moment, as Qin Chanyue’s gaze fell upon him, Zhou Yuanting pressed his thin lips together and stiffened his spine.
His posture was like a crane among mountain clouds, elegant and transcendent.
He had originally planned to deal with Liu Yandai first, then take Bai Yuning to see his mother. He never expected his mother to come here.
This was a bit troublesome.
Because his mother would not agree to him divorcing Liu Yandai.
His mother’s surname was Qin, and she took pride in the Qin family. Although the elders of Qin Mansion had all passed away, although only a foster brother without blood ties upheld the family’s honor, although they all bore the surname Zhou like their father, his mother still insisted they follow the Qin family rules.
The Qin family forbade men from taking concubines, forbade women from sharing a husband, and would never allow anyone to become a concubine. His mother arrogantly believed that being a concubine or entangled with a married man was a disgraceful act. She also despised men who took multiple wives and concubines, abandoning their spouses and children. Therefore, he could not bring up divorcing Liu Yandai, nor could he mention his affection for Bai Yuning or his desire to keep her.
If he wanted to keep Bai Yuning, he would have to find another way to say it.
At that time, Zhou Yuanting did not know that the mother standing before him was no longer the biased and easily deceived woman she once was. Just as in his previous life, he lied to Qin Chanyue: “Mother—today’s matter is a misunderstanding. I saw Miss Bai in distress today and merely wanted to help as a friend by bringing her back to care for her. Liu Yandai misunderstood and spoke rudely, so I reprimanded her and ordered her to apologize to Bai Yuning.”
As he spoke, Zhou Yuanting glanced at Liu Yandai, who was shrinking her neck. In a place Qin Chanyue couldn’t see, Zhou Yuanting’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flickering within them. He said, “Isn’t that right, Liu Yandai?”
Zhou Yuanting was certain that Liu Yandai would not expose him in front of his mother.
Because Liu Yandai coveted their family’s wealth and status. He was the eldest son of the Houfu, destined to inherit the title, while Liu Yandai was merely a country bumpkin. She could never marry anyone better than him in this lifetime, so she would cling to him desperately, doing everything to please him. She wouldn’t dare contradict him.
Just as Zhou Yuanting expected, Liu Yandai’s face had already turned pale with fear.
She feared being divorced. Her uncle had sent her here, and if she were sent back, he would be disappointed. She was afraid of displeasing her mother-in-law and dreaded conflict. She was like a timid rabbit, scurrying into its burrow at the slightest rustle, leaving half its bottom awkwardly stuck outside, struggling to kick its way in.
She tried her best to survive, yet still lived in a pitiful, cowardly manner. Fortunately, she had no grand ambitions, only hoping that after others kicked her a few times, they would grow bored and leave.
If weakness could bring peace, she was willing to endure it.
A flicker of hesitation appeared on Liu Yandai’s fair, delicate face before she stammered out her words.
“Yes, it was me,” she said. “I spoke out of turn. I should apologize to Miss Bai.”
Upon hearing this, a trace of hidden satisfaction flashed in Zhou Yuanting’s eyes. He reached out to help Bai Yuning, who was kneeling beside him, to her feet, saying as he did so, “Mother, today was all a misunderstanding. I have no improper feelings for Miss Bai. Please allow her to stay in the Houfu.”
The scene at that moment was almost picture-perfect.
The wronged wife graciously forgave everything, the husband presented himself as fair and upright, and the delicate young lady was gently helped to her feet. Everything seemed so harmonious.
Only Qin Chanyue, standing opposite them, felt her blood boil with fury.
In two lifetimes, she had never seen anyone as spineless as Liu Yandai. She pitied her misfortune and raged at her lack of backbone, so angry she wanted to slap her twice, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
In her previous life, she had grown tired of Liu Yandai and simply sent her away to avoid seeing her. But this life was different. Based solely on Liu Yandai’s loyal service in her past life, she could not let her suffer such humiliation.
So even if Liu Yandai admitted fault, Qin Chanyue would not!
In this life, she absolutely would not allow Bai Yuning to stay. She would nip this root of trouble in the bud.
“Stay?” Qin Chanyue’s gaze turned coldly toward Bai Yuning. Without mentioning any past connections, she replied, “You were once engaged to my son. Allowing you to stay here without a clear status would damage your reputation. I know you are currently in a difficult situation, and I am not entirely disregarding our past ties. Therefore, I will give you a sum of money. Leave Chang’an, and I will ensure your safety and peace in the future.”
As Qin Chanyue finished speaking, both Zhou Yuanting and Bai Yuning’s expressions changed.
Bai Yuning, upon seeing Liu Yandai bow her head in defeat, had thought she could stay in the Houfu. So when Zhou Yuanting helped her up, she rose willingly. But upon hearing these words, her legs weakened, and she nearly knelt again. Before she could, however, Qin Chanyue added, “If Miss Bai refuses the money and insists on staying in the Houfu—could it be that you still harbor feelings for my son?”
Bai Yuning’s knees froze mid-motion.
Qin Chanyue had blocked all her paths! If she admitted it, she would be acknowledging an improper relationship with a married man. If she denied it, she would have to leave the Houfu.
How could she possibly admit such a thing in front of everyone?
Beside her, Zhou Yuanting hurriedly interjected, “Mother—how can you say that? Have you forgotten the friendship between Madam Bai and you? She is still on the Liufang journey. Will you abandon her only daughter?”
Zhou Yuanting knew that his mother was a person who valued friendship deeply. Though impulsive and thoughtless, she possessed a passionate heart. The old generals under her father’s command hadn’t seen her for over a decade, but if they ever came to her for help, she would never hesitate to assist—let alone Bai Yuning!
Bai Yuning was the biological daughter of her mother’s closest confidante!
Upon hearing Zhou Yuanting’s words, Qin Chanyue felt an increasing tightness in her chest. Her dear son truly knew how to speak. If she hadn’t known the future events, just hearing those words would have compelled her to keep Bai Yuning.
But not anymore.
Qin Chanyue’s delicate brows furrowed, and she was about to order someone to drag Bai Yuning out and discard her. Her adoptive brother wasn’t dead yet, and she was still in charge of this household—Zhou Yuanting had no authority here.
But before she could speak, she saw Bai Yuning suddenly collapse limply onto the bluestone pavement, fainting outright!
Zhou Yuanting had been appealing to Qin Chanyue’s sentiments, but upon seeing Bai Yuning faint on the ground, his handsome face flushed with anxiety. He hurriedly bent down to lift her, even shouting loudly, “Mother! Why are you so cruel to Bai Yuning? How can you face Madam Bai after this? Do you have no conscience?”
When Zhou Yuanting uttered the word “conscience,” Qin Chanyue nearly laughed in anger.
How dare he speak of conscience!
She had raised Zhou Yuanting for over a decade, nurturing him with care, pouring her heart and soul into his upbringing, and even striving to elevate his status. And what had he done? Her dear son had acknowledged an outsider concubine as his mother, watched her suffer without even glancing her way! And now he dared to speak of conscience! A hypocrite with a beautiful appearance but a heart of thorns—utterly two-faced!
“Conscience—why don’t you ask yourself if you have any? For the sake of a woman, you humiliated your own wife! What kind of person are you? Guards!” Qin Chanyue shouted sharply. “Lock the eldest young master in the ancestral hall. Without my order, he is not to be released!”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuanting suddenly realized that his mother’s anger stemmed from the humiliation Liu Yandai had suffered!
His jade-like, golden-featured face flushed crimson, and he momentarily lost his composure, shouting, “Mother, you’re punishing me for the sake of a lowborn peasant!”
A lowborn peasant? Even a lowborn peasant is better than an ungrateful wretch like you! At least Liu Yandai never harmed her in her previous life!
Qin Chanyue abruptly waved her hand, and the private soldiers beside her immediately stepped forward, dragging the struggling Zhou Yuanting away.
As for Bai Yuning—
Qin Chanyue cast a cold glance at Bai Yuning, still unconscious on the bluestone pavement.
Her feelings toward Bai Yuning were complex—part pity, part resentment. Yet, she still cared for her friendship with Madam Bai, so she couldn’t bring herself to order the rough maids to simply toss the unconscious Bai Yuning out. Instead, she frowned and said, “Find a clean guest room and leave her there. Post guards to watch her. When she wakes, give her some silver and send her away.”
After dealing with the messy affairs of these two, Qin Chanyue finally had time to check on Liu Yandai.
Liu Yandai remained as timid and cowardly as ever, hunched over with her shoulders drawn in and her head lowered, as if trying to tuck it into her collar.
She seemed terrified of being struck.
But who here would strike her? Who would even think to harm her! Others hadn’t intended to bully her, but with just a few words, she assumed a look of sheer terror, which was infuriating to behold!
Qin Chanyue swallowed countless curses that had risen to her throat, forcing them back down before gritting her teeth to squeeze out a comforting phrase: “You need not worry about Bai Yuning. I will not allow anyone to take your place.”
Liu Yandai remained dazed, not daring to lift her head, unsure if she had even taken in the words.
Whether she had heard or not, Qin Chanyue had nothing more to say. In this lifetime, uttering a single gentle word was no easy feat for her. Having spoken it, she could muster no further consolation. After tossing out a final “Return to your courtyard early and rest,” she headed back to her own Shangyue Garden.
Standing up for Liu Yandai was important, but there were more pressing matters at hand.
—
The voluptuous and striking lady swept in and out like a gust of wind, the rain of Chang’an serving as her cloak as she passed through Baoping Gate, skirted the wooden lattice corridor eaves, moved past the Yingbi Huadeng, and returned once more to Shangyue Garden.
Shangyue Garden was vast, complete with pavilions, towers, waterside pavilions, and flower gardens. Upon returning to her chambers, Qin Chanyue immediately ordered her maids to bring ink, brush, paper, and inkstone.
In her previous life, she had three regrets: first, being stabbed three times by the father and sons of the Zhou family; second, failing Liu Yandai; and third, her foster brother dying in battle at the frontier, only to be posthumously branded a traitor.
Now that she had Chongsheng, she was determined to resolve these three regrets. The first two were intertwined in her life, like vines entangled with each other, their branches interwoven and their flesh and blood interconnected. To separate them would require patience; haste was futile.
Only the matter concerning her foster brother could not afford the slightest delay.
In her previous life, the plot to frame her foster brother for treason was entirely orchestrated by the Second Prince. The Second Prince had schemed in secret for who knew how long, planting numerous spies around her foster brother—details Qin Chanyue only pieced together bit by bit two or three months after his death, when the truth began to surface. Before his death, these matters had been top-secret, unknown to anyone.
She needed to write a letter to her foster brother, have a trusted confidant deliver it, and ensure it was opened in his presence to relay all these details.
Her foster brother was exceptionally astute; with her warning, he would surely avoid falling victim to the Second Prince’s schemes.
The lady behind the writing desk knew the importance of what she was about to write, so she dismissed her attendants and personally penned the letter.
As her slender fingers carefully spread out the Yunyan Paper and dipped the brush tip into the thick ink, a tall figure abruptly surfaced in Qin Chanyue’s mind—emerging from between the lines of words, separated by countless mountains and rivers, gazing back at her from the distant frontier.
Meeting those calm and solemn eyes, the brush in Qin Chanyue’s fingers paused for a moment, her mind briefly clouded with confusion.
Her foster brother was surnamed Chu, given name Heng. In earlier years, his father and Qin Chanyue’s father had been sworn brothers.
The frontier was plagued by frequent warfare; since ancient times, few who went to battle returned alive. When her foster brother’s father died in war, Qin Chanyue’s father brought the boy back to Qin Mansion to raise him. Later, Qin Chanyue’s father also perished in battle, and her foster brother, under the title of an adopted son, upheld the family’s honor.
Before her marriage, her foster brother had rushed back from a thousand miles away, drank a cup of wine with her, and departed again that very night. To this day, he remained stationed at the frontier.
Outsiders believed the siblings relied on each other and shared a deep bond, but no one knew that Qin Chanyue and her foster brother… had not spoken for a long time.
Before she was married, she was pampered in the mansion all year round. Her foster brother was always in the military, and they only met a handful of times each year. Moreover, her foster brother was as stern as a mountain, strict in governing his troops, harsh on others and himself alike. He disliked Qin Chanyue’s arrogant, domineering, and lazy nature, so whenever he saw her, he would impose more discipline.
At that time, everyone in the mansion spoiled her, except for her foster brother, who alone restrained and disciplined her.
Once, when her father had drunk too much, he jokingly asked if she wanted to marry her foster brother. She immediately refused. She did not like her foster brother’s rigid temperament and preferred gentle scholars.
Her father never brought it up again.
Later, after her father passed away and her foster brother took on the responsibility of upholding the Qin family’s reputation, he still treated Qin Chanyue as before. It seemed he did not know that her father had once considered marrying her to him—Qin Chanyue thought that her foster brother supported her dignity likely out of gratitude, not because he truly cared much for her, a sister with no blood ties.
Qin Chanyue feared him, but her fear was mixed with reverence. In her heart, her adoptive brother was a towering figure. The thought of how he died made her chest feel tight.
She gritted her teeth, rubbed her temples, and then solemnly picked up her brush.
She slowly wrote down the memories she had brought back from her previous life on paper. As for how she discovered them—well, she could just make up an excuse.
It was the summer of the thirty-seventh year of Yongchang. Outside the window, a light drizzle drifted, flower shadows swayed in the wind, and a hazy mist seeped in through the wooden window, enveloping the people of the Zhongyi Hou Mansion.
The tall and striking Madam sat deep in thought, twirling her brush. The timid daughter-in-law returned to her room, restless and uneasy. The eldest young master, confined to the ancestral hall, paced around in anger. Meanwhile, in the guest chamber, the delicate young lady slowly opened her eyes.