Volume One, Chapter Two: In the Wake of Loss

On the first page, new joy was exchanged for new mourning, white paper draped over red silk.

Xiao Yuanyi changed into plain white garments and went to the main hall.

Lou Yan was a hero of Southern Xiao; setting aside her role as his daughter-in-law, she should have gone to pay her respects.

The servants of the Lou household did not know her. When they saw a beautiful young woman approaching with measured grace, even their weeping faltered for a moment.

"I am the sixth daughter of the Southern Peace Prince’s residence, Xiao Yuanyi. I have come to pay respects to General Lou."

When the steward heard this, his expression changed dramatically. He was about to call for someone to send her back, but it was already too late.

A woman, her eyes red with fury, rushed out from inside and, without a word, struck Xiao Yuanyi across the face.

The force of the blow sent her crashing to the ground. The rough floor scraped open her palm, and her cheek burned with pain.

Her mouth fell slightly open as she stared in disbelief at what was happening.

She was the legitimate daughter of the Southern Peace Prince’s residence, married here by imperial decree. How dared they treat her like this?

The Second Madam, her eyes nearly splitting with rage, thought even that was not enough. She lunged at Xiao Yuanyi and seized her collar tightly.

"It is all because of you... If your elder brother had not sent the wrong message, how could my son have died? He was only twenty! He left no heir, and not even his body was intact!"

Xiao Yuanyi widened her eyes. All the fury in her chest was swallowed by shame, and her face flushed red.

"How could this be..."

Her elder brother was a civil official. How could he possibly have gotten involved in the fighting at the frontier?

Besides, the one handling the frontier affairs had always been the Sixth Prince. Their family had never fraternized with the princes.

"I want you to pay with your life for my son!"

The Second Madam tightened her hands around Xiao Yuanyi’s throat. She had already been weakened by the sedative and had not fully recovered. The shadow of death gradually closed over her, yet she could only weakly pry at the Second Madam’s fingers.

Long Jade could not pull her free and cried out for someone to help.

But everyone around them watched coldly. Even if they were to help, they would only help the Second Madam.

Xiao Yuanyi’s face turned purple, her consciousness fading. The Second Madam’s twisted features no longer filled her vision; in their place appeared the scenes from the Southern Peace Prince’s residence: her loving parents, her brothers, and Xie Jingyi.

She had almost married him.

At last, someone stepped forward and dragged the Second Madam away.

"What is the meaning of this!"

It was Xiao Yuanyi’s second brother, Xiao Mingkang. After pulling the Second Madam off, he hurriedly wiped the sweat from his face. Seeing Xiao Yuanyi in such a wretched state, a flicker of distress crossed his eyes.

Air rushed into Xiao Yuanyi’s throat, but it felt as though blades came with it, tearing her insides to shreds. She coughed violently, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

On the second page, "Miss! Are you all right!"

Long Jade tried to help her up, but Xiao Yuanyi had no strength left. Master and maid sat on the ground, as if all the malice in the world had gathered against them.

Xiao Mingkang let out a heavy sigh. After such a thing had happened, he truly had no face to meet the Lou family. He could only wrong Xiao Yuanyi for the moment.

But his silence only deepened the tension.

No one knew from where the Second Madam had drawn a sword. The cold, sharp tip pointed straight at Xiao Yuanyi’s heart.

"Die!"

"Stop!"

Xiao Mingkang was stunned. He moved to intervene, then seemed to remember something and abruptly restrained his hand.

At that moment, someone emerged from the mourning hall. With a single command, the Lou family hurried forward and held the Second Madam back, preventing blood from being spilled on the spot.

The Second Madam sat on the ground, weeping like a child.

"Sister-in-law! She was the reason my brother and Ziqi died! Let her die! Didn’t she demand an explanation from us for the Emperor and the Southern Peace Prince’s residence? Then I want to see what explanation they can give us!"

Qin Zhiyin sent someone to take the Second Madam away. It was her first time losing a child, and she understood her pain.

But this marriage had been requested by the seventh son himself, and the Emperor had personally decreed it. The Southern Peace Prince’s residence was imperial kin. Even if her own elder brother had caused the deaths of her husband and nephew, she still could not refuse to acknowledge this daughter-in-law.

Wrapped in plain hemp, with swollen red eyes, she looked every bit the grieving matriarch, yet her bearing remained formidable.

She looked at Xiao Yuanyi for a long while, in her gaze mingling hatred with something else. After swallowing the lump in her throat, she said, "Seventh daughter-in-law, Su Yun was overly agitated. She did not truly mean to take your life. It was only a misunderstanding."

Could one word of misunderstanding erase the fact that she had nearly lost her life?

But from Xiao Congwen’s attitude, it was clear that her elder brother had indeed owed the Lou family two lives. How could she ever stand upright in the Lou household again?

Yet the one who had caused those deaths was not her. Just as at that banquet, she had not framed Xiao Baopan, but no one believed her. Once again, she had fallen into the abyss.

Xiao Yuanyi silently swallowed her grievance and nodded slowly.

The wounds on her face and neck were swollen and purple, like a delicate flower battered by storm and weather, now broken and ruined.

Qin Zhiyin glanced at her again. "The seventh son has taken troops out. There must not be no filial son or grandson before the spirit. You will take his place."

Long Jade burned with anger. They had nearly killed her lady, and they still had the face to make her keep vigil.

She was just about to help Xiao Yuanyi back to apply medicine, but Xiao Yuanyi held her hand and walked forward step by step.

"Miss!"

Xiao Yuanyi passed the hostile gazes fixed upon her and knelt straight down on the woven mat.

Even after enduring such humiliation, she still felt as though breathing had become impossible and there was nowhere to hide. But she knew she could not run. This was what her family owed the Lou family.

On the third page, the hatred in Qin Zhiyin’s eyes faded somewhat. If Xiao Yuanyi had stormed off in anger, word would only spread that she had first shown disrespect to the dead, and no one would blame the Second Madam for what she had done.

Yet she was actually willing to remain.

So be it. At least she herself was unharmed, while the Lou family had paid with two lives. The Emperor could hardly use this as a pretext to make trouble.

More and more people came to pay their respects. The cries shook heaven and earth. Paper money turned to black smoke, stinging the eyes and making heads spin.

Many noticed Xiao Yuanyi in the corner and were instantly furious, wanting to rush over, but they were held back and could only glare at her with hatred.

Xiao Yuanyi’s eyes were red as she numbly repeated the motion of burning paper money.

She had never imagined her wedding would turn out like this. What she had imagined was Xie Jingyi lifting her veil, and from then on they would share a lifetime of affection and trust.

They had grown up together, matched in family and status, the perfect pair in the capital.

But all of it had changed. The one now remaining in the Southern Peace Prince’s residence was Xiao Baopan, and perhaps the one who would marry him in the future would be her as well.

To defy heaven and alter fate—was the fate being changed hers and Xiao Baopan’s?

Xiao Mingkang leaned close to Xiao Yuanyi and said in a low voice, "Little Six, you saw it too. The Lou family already hates you. If you stay here, you’ll only suffer. This marriage was personally bestowed by the Emperor; it absolutely cannot be altered. Since things have already come to this, why not, for the sake of the Xiao and Lou families..."

Xiao Yuanyi turned the half of her face that was swollen beyond recognition toward him in disbelief. Her voice trembled.

"You want me to kill myself?"

His silence said everything.

Tears Xiao Yuanyi had held back for so long slowly slipped down her cheeks, stinging the wounds with pain.

Her elder brother was older by some years. Though he loved her too, he was not as close to her as her second brother, who was near her in age and had grown up with her.

He had once fought for her, and when he tried to protect her after she fell from a horse, he nearly fractured his sternum, yet he still laughed and said that protecting his little sister was his duty.

But he had also bound her into the bridal carriage without mercy, fed her sedative all the way here, and now he wanted her to die.

She closed her eyes, the pain in her heart numb with suffering. "You are also a member of the Xiao family. You can atone for your brother’s sins in his place."

"What nonsense are you saying? I am your own brother!" Xiao Mingkang’s expression changed sharply. He looked at her and gave a vicious snort.

"Good thing it wasn’t Bao Pan who married in, or with her kind and gentle nature, she would already have thrown herself onto the Second Madam’s sword to make amends for our elder brother. You truly are unworthy of being our sister! You enjoyed the family’s blessings for so many years for nothing!"

Several people had already heard the commotion and were turning to look. Xiao Yuanyi remained indifferent, continuing to burn the paper money.

Sensing those naked, hostile gazes, Xiao Mingkang no longer wanted to remain here a moment longer.

"Take care of yourself. I won’t be concerned with you anymore."

With a sweep of his sleeve, he turned and left.