Xia Lu was freezing. While her young mistress was draped in a thick, fox-fur trimmed cloak, she wore only the standard Ao [袄: A padded winter jacket] of a common maid and could no longer endure the numbing chill.
Driven by a mix of cold and resentment, she began to goad Wen Yuwei.
“Miss, the Feng family is surely doing this on purpose! It has been nearly two Shichen [时辰: A two-hour period], shouldn’t this servant go outside and check the status of Miss Feng’s arrival?”
“Fine. Go quickly and return at once. If we can discover the whereabouts of Feng Guniang[ Literal : Miss Feng i.e Feng Jinyao], we shall go to her directly.”
“Yes!” Xia Lu fled toward the courtyard gates after reciveing the order.
She had not traveled far when two stout Pozi [婆子: Old women servants often used for heavy labor] appeared. Their faces were weathered and fierce, their broad frames blocking the path like stone pillars.
Xia Lu’s heart hammered against her ribs, but she puffed out her chest to maintain the dignity of the Wen household. “Who… who are you? What is the meaning of this?”
“Are you the maidservants accompanying Wen Xiaojie?” the elder of the two rasped.
“I am!”
“Our Madam’s condition has taken a turn for the worse, and the Eldest lady cannot leave her side. The senior maids are all occupied in the inner chambers. Thus, the Eldest lady specifically instructed us two old biddies to escort Wen Xiaojie out of the manor. The carriage is waiting at the side gate for your arrival. Miss, it is time to depart!”
Xia Lu bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. To wait so long for nothing! They hadn’t even seen a personal maid of the Feng family, only these two Zayi [杂役: Low-ranking servants for odd jobs]. Did the Fengs truly think the Wen family was so easily slighted?
Before she could bark a retort, the two women brushed past her, heading straight for the Ta Yue Pavilion [Tower of the Treading Moon].
Inside the pavilion, Wen Yuwei’s complexion turned sallow upon hearing the decree. As a woman who prized her reputation for Xiao [孝: Filial piety] above all else, she could not openly rage; if the Matriarch was ill, any guest who forced an audience would be branded heartless. Yet, the jade pendant—the very reason for her visit—remained tucked in her sleeve.
Softening her features into a mask of concern, she addressed the fierce Pozi. “Since my Aunt is so unwell, it is only natural that I, as her niece, should wish to pay my respects. Would you two ladies be so kind as to lead the way?”
She cast a sharp look at Xia Lu. Reluctantly, the maid stepped forward, pulling several pieces of loose silver from her Xiangbao [香囊: A scented sachet used to carry small items]. She pressed the coins into the old women’s hands, her voice forced and sweet. “I hope you two will do us this small favor.”
Alas, these two were “Iron Stones” of the Feng manor—stubborn and unyielding. Such a paltry sum was nowhere near enough to buy their loyalty.
Without a word of thanks, they simply stepped aside and gestured toward the door. “Please,” they said, their tone making it clear that “Please” was a command, not a choice.
Wen Yuwei, accustomed to the pampered life of a Dajia Guixiu [大家闺秀: A refined lady of a great house] in the Eastern Capital, was pushed to her limit. “Is this how the Feng household treats its honored guests?”
The Pozi did not waste there breath. In a shocking display of strength, each grabbed one of Wen Yuwei’s arms, hoisting her up like a startled chick, and began striding toward the gate.
“What are you doing? Let me down! I am the Di Daughter [嫡女: The legitimate daughter of the first wife] of the Wen family!”
“Hmph,” the elder woman grunted, her pace never faltering. “This old servant has lived in this capital for most of her life and has never heard of Lord Wen having a daughter of such standing. Miss, do not claim titles that do not belong to you. If the true nobles hear of this, the suffering won’t just be yours.”
“You! You dogs who rely on your master’s shadow! I shall tell my Uncle, and he will teach you the meaning of pain!”
“Haha! It seems Wen Xiaojie has forgotten her etiquette. Our Master has said nothing, so who are you to come here pointing fingers? You think you can see whoever you wish and punish whoever you please?”
The woman emphasized the word “Wen ” in her her name with a heavy, mocking weight. Wen Yuwei’s bravado vanished instantly.
She knew her Uncle’s affection for her was a thin veneer; as she was a chess piece to be traded for political alliances. If she caused a scandal that threatened his standing, he would discard her without a second thought.
“Put me down,” she hissed, her pride shattered. “I can walk.”
“Oh? Miss, do not try to trick us. If you have other intentions, this old servant will not be polite again.”
They set her down, though their eyes remained fixed on her like hawks. Xia Lu rushed forward to smooth her mistress’s Ruqun [襦裙: A traditional wrap-around skirt and top]. Pale with fury, Wen Yuwei threw one last venomous look at the manor before boarding the carriage.
Once the curtains fell, her rage exploded. She kicked a lacquer box aside, scattering delicate pastries across the floor like debris. “The Feng family are such ungrateful wretches! They will rue the day they treated me thus!”
Her beautiful face was contorted into a mask of malice. Xia Lu fanned the flames. “Indeed! Especially those two hags! Miss, you must ensure they are flogged!”
Wen Yuwei breathed deeply, etching the humiliation into her soul. Feng Jinyao, since you choose to be heartless, do not blame me for being unjust.
Meanwhile, in the Ning’an Courtyard, Feng Jinyao sat in the quiet of the inner chamber. She had summoned Mama Bai, her mother’s most trusted confidante to talk.
With a wave of her hand, she first dismissed her maids, Yunxu and Xiuqiu.
“Mama Bai, I have called you here today not for the sake of the Grandmother’s birthday banquet, but for the matter of Mother’s health.”
“Why does the Young Mistress speak of this so suddenly?”
“I think mother’s illness is peculiar. It has lingered for months without a hint of reprieve. I secretly gathered the Yaoxi [药渣: Medicine dregs] and discovered something grave. Someone is deliberately poisoning Mother, though the shadow behind the curtain remains hidden but i fear it can do worse.”
Mama Bai gasped, her face turning ashen. She had assumed the cold winter had simply been unkind to her mistress’s constitution but truth was far beyond her thought.
“Vile wretches! To think someone slipped through my fingers! I shall go back and deal with those traitors immediately!”
“Wait, Mama. Disposing of a few disloyal maids is easy, but if we startle the snake, we will never find the hand that holds the jar. Therefore…”
“Therefore, the Eldest Miss wishes for me to watch the servants in the Matriarch’s quarters in secret?”
“Yes. A snake that isn’t killed cleanly will only strike again with more venom. Start your investigation with Houpo. She is the one in charge of Mother’s decoctions and the medicien cabinat in the courtyard. Even if she is not the mole, she is guilty of gross negligence.”
“I understand. Rest easy, Eldest Miss. I shall see which little devil is playing these underhanded tricks here!”
After Mama Bai departed, escorted by Xiuqiu, the two stout Pozi from earlier entered to report.
“When Wen Xiaojie departed, her gaze was like a cursed blade. This old servant worries that…” the one with the round, silver face began, her voice trailing off.
“It is no matter. You performed your duties well today. Go to Xiuqiu and receive your reward.”
“Thank you, Eldest Miss! Deepest thanks!”
With silver in their pockets, the women’s worries evaporated. Yet, as they left, Yunxu remained by her mistress’s side, her face a mask of solemn concern.Feng Jinyao glanced at her maid as she saw the firelight from the brazier dancing in her eyes. She knew the turmoil in the girl’s heart. While turning a page of her book, she asked with a deceptive calm:
“Do you feel I was a bit too ruthless today?”
Yunxu bowed her head, her voice hushed. “This servant wouldn’t dare. It is only that… as the old saying goes, ‘It is easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings.’ Wen Biao Xiaojie [Cousin Miss Wen ,here it means that Wen yuwei is the neice of minister Wen and not directly realted to Wen household] enjoys a high reputation in Dongdu City. Why bother to tear off her mask so violently?”
Jinyao remained silent, but the frost in her heart did not thaw.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the tragic, blood-soaked ends of her kin. The hatred in her marrow only grew sharper with time. Repaying evil with kindness? Forgiving one’s enemies? To her, it was all hollow nonsense.
If someone offends me, I shall retaliate in kind—this was the iron law of her Chongsheng [重生: Rebirth]. As some grudges were too deep for words; they could only be settled in blood.
She set her book down and gestured for a cup of hot tea.
“To the world, the Feng family appears glamorous, like the Jingming tea in this celadon cup—revered and sought after. But look closer,” she said, her voice dropping to a low, melodic chill. “The tea leaves endured the searing sun and the drying racks, and now they are being scalded by boiling water just to please another’s palate. If they could speak, would they willingly suffer such trials? The Feng family is like this tea; if we do not prepare our own defenses, we will eventually be consumed by others.”
Yunxu trembled. She had always believed the Feng manor was an unshakeable fortress, never imagining a storm was already gathering at the gates.
“Today, Wen Yuwei came ostensibly to return a jade pendant, but she was truly trying to drag me into a quagmire. That jade is a trifle, but her delivering it personally is a trap. The Wen family has a Di [legitimate] son—her cousin brother. If they later claimed that jade was a Dingqing Xinwu [定情信物: A token of love/engagement] between us, how could I possibly scrub away the stain on my reputation?”
Yunxu looked at her mistress with horror. The Wen family’s scheme was so insidious! Yet, her Eldest Miss remained remarkably composed, as if she were discussing the weather.
In that moment, Jinyao possessed a mature, chilling grace that defied her years. Like the mountain wind or the moon in a cloudless sky, she was both ethereal and dangerously elusive for anyone to see.
“Miss…” Yunxu’s voice broke with unshed tears.
Jinyao knew this girl’s heart was too soft; in their past life, that kindness had been her undoing. Even after the Wen family murdered her, Yunxu had tried to find excuses for them.
Jinyao had chosen a path of vengeance, and it would be an arduous one. If those by her side remained timid and soft-hearted, they would only become weights around her neck. This was why she had used the humiliation of Wen Yuwei as a grim lesson. She could not afford the luxury of keeping “kind” people near her. To walk with her, one had to have a heart of stone.
“Yesterday, I had a very long dream,” Jinyao spoke each word slowly, the syllables carving themselves into Yunxu’s mind. “In it, my family was murdered one by one. In the end, I became a pawn and met a gruesome death. I will not experience that pain again. Therefore, anything—or anyone—that threatens the Feng family must be eliminated. Do you understand?”
She leaned forward, her gaze unwavering. “The Feng Jinyao of the past lived in a comfortable nest. The Feng Jinyao of today only wants to protect her family, even if it means ruining her reputation or wading through blood.”
Yunxu felt the weight of that resolve. Her miss was the same person, yet her soul had been forged into something new. She didn’t know if this change was a blessing or a curse, but she knew there was no going back.
After a long silence, Yunxu’s eyes cleared. A sense of tragic resignation settled over her.
“Miss, I was bought into this house at age five. You have never struck me; you taught me to read and write. You are my master, and my benefactor. I swear now: if I ever betray you, may I be struck by lightning and reborn as a beast in my next life!”
The oath was so earnest it echoed in the quiet room.
“Miss, rest assured. From this day forward, Yunxu is no longer the girl she was. If you are to be the guardian of the Feng family, I will stay by your side until death, shielding you from every storm.”
Jinyao smiled, a genuine flicker of relief softening her sharp features. To have such a loyal shadow was the greatest blessing of her new life.
On the Other hand outside the walls of the Eastern Capital, the pink and white stone fortifications rose like giants into the clouds.
The moat, over ten Zhang [丈: A unit of length, approx. 3.3 meters] wide, was lined with willow trees. As the year drew to a close, the trees stood desolate and bare, shivering in the winter wind. Few traveled the official roads, save for a line of modest carriages bearing lanterns marked with the character “Bai” (白).
Inside sat the Bai family, commoner relatives traveling to offer birthday greetings.
As they entered the South Gate, the city guards—usually gruff and demanding—saw their documents and immediately transformed into bowing, scraping sycophants. After receiving a heavy brocade bag of coins, the guard bypassed the inspection entirely, waving them through with a beam of delight.
Madam Bai Shen shi [ here Shen is the maternal surname of madam Bai } sat with a stiff, haughty posture. In her eyes, while she couldn’t compete with the Great Houses of the capital, she was leagues above the commoners on the road. She held her head high to reflect her status as the Matriarch of the Bai Second branch.
Her daughter, Bai Sihan, was consumed by curiosity about the capital. She was about to lift the carriage curtain to peer at the city when the thunder of galloping hooves and boisterous laughter erupted from the opposite road.
“Feng Er [Feng Second Brother], you little brat! You’ve stolen all our prey just because you have a fine steed! You must treat us to a feast at Changchun Restaurant!”
“Su Cheng, if your skills are lacking, go back and practice your archery! Otherwise, you’ll tarnish General Su’s name, and he’ll hang you from the rafters for another whipping!”
“Feng Jinlin! You mouthy brat! Wait until I catch you—I’ll beat you to a pulp!”
“Hahaha! Catch me if you can!”
A group of seven or eight young noblemen, mounted on magnificent steeds, blurred past on the carriage road.
Sihan caught only a glimpse, her eyes following the striking figure in black lead at the front.
“They can ride horses so freely right under the Son of Heaven’s nose?” she asked in awe.
“They use the designated carriage road,” Madam Shen explained with a touch of pride. “Unless the Emperor closes the streets for a procession, the young lords of the capital may ride as they please.”
Sihan nodded, her heart fluttering. She was truly in the Eastern Capital now, a world of power, speed, and dangerous elegance.
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