Chapter 1

“… Is this really the capital of god?”

“Yes, this is the capital of god!”

The coachman, tucking away his pipe, looked up in awe, gazing at the towering city walls that seemed to pierce the clouds.

Although he wasn’t originally from the capital of god, he had been driving his carriage back and forth between the north and south for many years, so he considered himself somewhat of a local. Therefore, when he spoke of the city to the young lady in the carriage who had just traveled north for the first time, there was an undeniable pride in his tone.

“The official documents only refer to this as the capital of god, but since our dynasty has moved its capital of god three times, with Zhongdu and Xidu also claiming to be capital of gods, how can they emphasize the imperial city’s prestige?”

“I don’t know when it started, but the term ‘divine capital of god’ has been around for a while. Eventually, it became a commonly accepted term.”

Qiao Ling gazed at the nearly sky-high city walls in amazement. “So tall!”

Upon closer inspection, she exclaimed, “The watchtowers on either side of the city gate are even taller than the walls!”

The coachman laughed heartily. “And this is just from afar! Wait until we get closer; you might be even more surprised!”

As the carriage moved slowly forward, the crowds on the road grew denser until it was nearly impassable.

The coachman frowned. “You might have to wait a bit, miss. At this rate, it’ll take a while to get through.”

Qiao Ling, holding a patterned cloth bundle, asked curiously, “Does it often get congested here?”

The coachman’s expression brightened. “It’s the capital of god! People come from all over to see it, and merchants must come here too. If any noble is out today, it’ll be even worse! It’s common to be stuck for half an hour or more. I wonder what’s happening today…”

The carriage barely moved, eventually coming to a near standstill.

Curiosity piqued, the coachman reassured her to wait and not worry. He quickly jumped down from the carriage and took a small path off the main road to check what was happening ahead.

After about a quarter of an hour, he returned, drenched in sweat, looking astonished. “Miss, you’ll never guess what excitement is happening today!”

Bored Qiao Ling’s eyes lit up. “Oh?!”

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the coachman’s expression turned a bit strange. “One of the most beautiful women in the capital of god is being sold today!”

Qiao Ling was puzzled. “How can you say ‘one of the most beautiful’?”

“Actually, that’s not incorrect.”

The coachman, momentarily diverting the topic, shared with a hint of superiority, as if telling country bumpkin gossip, “The capital of god is full of talented men and beautiful women, but only two are universally recognized as the most beautiful. One is the daughter of Duke Xing, Miss Zuo, and the other is the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, Miss Zhang. The one being sold today is the latter.”

He sighed, “After today, I doubt anyone will argue about who is the capital of god’s top beauty anymore. How could a lady from a noble duke’s household compare to the daughter of a disgraced official?”

Qiao Ling seemed to grasp the situation but was still confused. “But it sounds like the Duke’s family and the Minister’s family are quite different. How did these two end up both being called the most beautiful?”

The coachman hesitated.

He didn’t actually know the reason but felt a bit embarrassed to be stumped by this countryman.

After fumbling for a while, he finally said uncertainly, “I think it’s said that Miss Zhang is not only beautiful but also a talented scholar, well-versed in literature. You should know that the capital of god always values educated people!”

He smoothly changed the topic to other gossip he was familiar with. “Do you know Lu Xing, also known as Lu Mengqing, the talented man from the Three Capital of gods? Before he even became an official, the Emperor invited him to a banquet! I heard when he went to the West Capital of god, the crowd at the city gate nearly blocked it!”

As Qiao Ling listened, she found the coachman’s tales about the capital of god fascinating. Yet, she returned to the topic at hand. “So, that Miss Zhang is being taken outside the city to be sold? I suppose something happened to the Zhang family?”

The coachman replied succinctly, “The Zhang family is in trouble; they’re finished!”

Qiao Ling furrowed her brows, deep in thought. “She’s so beautiful and talented…”

Her tone held a hint of sympathy for her plight. “There must be many people wanting to buy her—so many that they’ve blocked the road to the city.”

“You’ve guessed wrong there!”

The coachman, somewhat sighing, revealed the truth he had gathered: “There are indeed many people here, but most are just curious to see this Miss Zhang and have no intention of buying her.”

“Although it’s true that since the sage’s time, there isn’t much difference between a lady socializing and a young man in public, that’s only among officials and noble families. Common folk and regular merchants can hardly see someone so renowned!”

He continued, “Most people heard about this and are curious to see what the so-called number one beauty in the capital looks like. Some even traveled hundreds of miles just to catch a glimpse of her!”

Qiao Ling focused on his first statement and asked in surprise, “So none of the visitors are actually looking to buy Miss Zhang? Could it be that old friends or relatives from the Zhang family are trying to rescue her?”

“Oh, where are you thinking?”

The coachman said, “The Zhang family is finished! If those old friends had the means, wouldn’t they care for Miss Zhang’s father as well?”

The surrounding crowd was noisy and bustling, but he still glanced around and lowered his voice. “After all, she is the number one beauty in the capital. The Zhang family used to be influential, and Miss Zhang was quite famous in her own right. Now that they’ve fallen from grace, there are many interested in her…”

Qiao Ling understood and lowered her voice, too. “Since many people are interested in Miss Zhang, yet most only want to see the beauty who eclipses all others, it must mean that an important person is trying to buy her, which is why others are hesitant and just want to take a look at the number one beauty in the capital?”

“You’re very perceptive, miss! You got it right away!”

The coachman praised her.

Qiao Ling then asked, “Do you know who this important person is?”

“You’ve asked the right person! I actually know!”

The coachman eagerly provided the answer, raising his hand to point to the sky, his face showing a hint of fear. “Only that family would dare to make such a public statement!”

The royal family?

Qiao Ling’s mind stirred as the coachman continued excitedly, “It’s said that this person had previously approached the Zhang family with the intention of marrying Miss Zhang formally, but was ultimately refused. This was quite a shocking event in the capital…”

Qiao Ling regarded the Zhang family with newfound respect. “So they actually declined an opportunity to become royal in-laws, showing they truly care for their daughter!”

“What are you talking about? I said it was a shocking event, didn’t I?”

The coachman waved dismissively. “The Zhang family would have gladly accepted the royal match. In fact, when that person sent word to the Zhang family, they rushed over and even accepted the betrothal gifts, just waiting for the official date to send Miss Zhang over in style!”

Qiao Ling was taken aback. “Ah?”

She was confused. “Then why is it now—”

“Because the Zhang family agreed, but Miss Zhang refused!”

The coachman didn’t keep it a secret. “At first, she politely declined, saying she wasn’t worthy to serve the royal family. After being scolded by the Zhang family, including a visit from a palace official who berated her for being ungrateful, Miss Zhang got angry!”

“She immediately wrote an article praising the sage and the current ruler while pointing out that some royal princes seized farmland and committed heinous acts, and that a very few behaved arrogantly and injured people in the streets…”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Ling felt admiration rising within her. “This Miss Zhang is truly… impressive!”

She quickly asked, “What happened next?”

“What happened next?”

The coachman chuckled briefly. “I haven’t read the article myself, but I’ve heard it mentioned several times over the last couple of months. The article became wildly popular, and the person whose reputation was harmed didn’t let it go easily, insisting on marrying Miss Zhang despite everything. The Zhang family was dead set on this noble match and planned to force Miss Zhang to marry him.”

“What kind of father is that!”

The coachman couldn’t help but lament, “They’re all men; how can they not know what men are thinking? It’s not real affection for Miss Zhang. It’s probably shame turning into anger, planning to marry her first and then slowly wear her down! Even so, the father insisted on forcing his daughter to marry him. How terrible! No wonder he’s in trouble now!”

Qiao Ling agreed. “Who can argue with that!”

She then asked, “So how did this engagement fall apart? Was it too much of a commotion that the royal elders couldn’t ignore it?”

“The sage said, seeking the gods is no match for seeking oneself!”

The coachman’s expression turned slightly serious. “The royal elders didn’t intervene, but Miss Zhang found a way to save herself!”

Qiao Ling leaned in, genuinely interested. “How so?!”

The coachman replied seriously, “She had someone draft a complaint and took her father and brother to court!”

The countryman Qiao Ling was shocked. “Ah?!”

The coachman continued with a serious tone, “According to the sage’s laws, Miss Zhang is of age, and while the family has a say in her marriage, they do not have the final decision. The Zhang family accepted the bride price and decided to marry her off, which is illegal. She requested the capital’s magistrate to publicly adjudicate the case and declare the verbal engagement void!”

The countryman Qiao Ling was astounded. “Ah?!”

The coachman maintained a serious expression. “You should know that the sage left behind many strange laws. While many are not understood, for some reason, the court has never abolished them. Many say the sage is a strange person, but in my view, he’s a unique and wonderful person!”

Qiao Ling’s expression became more serious. 

She nodded firmly, “Yes!” 

The coachman kept his eyes on her, and only after seeing her nod did he relax his brow slightly. “You can probably guess what happened next. Miss Zhang won the lawsuit, but in doing so, she completely severed ties with her father and brother.” 

“Her father was truly ruthless. He immediately revised his will, giving her nothing. He also declared that since she was of age, she could live on her own and ordered her to move out that very day, forbidding her to stay with the Zhang family.” 

Qiao Ling couldn’t help but ask further, “What happened after that?” 

“After that, Miss Zhang moved out of the Zhang household.” 

The coachman continued, “Even if the family estate were divided, how much could she have gotten? Besides, she didn’t care about the money. She made a living by writing poems and essays. When some noblewomen in the capital needed someone to enhance their gatherings, she gladly took the opportunity to earn some money. Though some criticized her, saying that her talent was tainted by vulgarity, at the end of the day, she made a living through honest work. No stealing, no cheating—what’s shameful about that, right?” 

Qiao Ling nodded firmly again, “Yes!” 

The coachman sighed at this point. “But she was unlucky. The Zhang family got into trouble, and she was implicated. Even though she had already severed ties with them, it still affected her…” 

Qiao Ling was still processing the shocking revelations. “In your capital… daughters can take their father and brother to court? And they can actually win?!” 

The coachman’s expression turned serious. “The sages say that everyone has the right to protect themselves with the law!” 

“Besides, what’s wrong with suing her father and brother if they did wrong? Shouldn’t she have taken legal action?” 

After saying this, the coachman gave Qiao Ling a suspicious look, examining her from head to toe. “You’re so young—why are you so old-fashioned?” 

Qiao Ling, feeling a bit overwhelmed like Grandma Qiao stepping into the Grand View Garden, crossed her hands nervously and responded timidly.