Chapter 2

Yaoyao initially thought she had misheard.

In recent years, because Xie Shu had been engaged to the Li family, she had occasionally heard the Li family name—yet she never imagined that her name would end up alongside Li Shan’s.

Madam Lu continued, “The Master said: the marriage alliance between the Xie and Li families must not be voided. Since Shu’er has already married, you’re the only one left to wed a son of the Li family.”

Yaoyao’s eyes widened, her expression dazed—it was as if the fist from her nightmare had finally landed.

Madam Lu herself struggled to accept it.

Back when Xie Shu was promised to the Li family, Madam Lu had also worried—but those worries were different from the ones she had now for Yaoyao.

The Xie family had two daughters, both precious, yet utterly unlike each other. If Xie Shu burned bright like the midday sun, Yaoyao was more like the mellow, flowing water of autumn.

Xie Shu was strong-willed and competitive. If she had entered the Li household, she wouldn’t have allowed herself to suffer. In fact, Madam Lu’s greater fear was that she might quarrel with Li Shan to the point of divorce, straining all affections.

Yaoyao was different. She was gentle and yielding, never fought for anything, and gave off the air of someone who would rather let things be.

If she married into a household of kindness and propriety, she and her husband could surely live harmoniously, like a pair of immortals in love.

But the Li family was no such household. For Yaoyao, marrying into the Li family was like a lamb entering a wolf’s den. With her temperament, wouldn’t she be bullied to death?

And yet, no matter how unwilling Madam Lu was, she couldn’t defy Xie Zhao. She made up her mind and said, “Yaoyao, pretend to be ill—hide away for a year. Even a tiger won’t eat its own cub. I don’t believe the Master would truly force you to marry him.”

Yaoyao gradually came back to herself, but shook her head. “That won’t work.”

Madam Lu: “Why not?”

The room quieted, with only the hiss of burning charcoal and the wind and snow wailing outside the window. After a moment, Yaoyao bit her lip and softly said, “You can avoid it for a time, but not for a lifetime.”

Madam Lu didn’t understand. “As long as it’s not the Li family’s son, everything else can be arranged.”

She had even begun to think that if nothing else worked, she could have her daughter marry back into the Lu family. She hadn’t been too keen on that idea before, but compared to Li Shan, everyone else was a catch.

Besides, her nephew happened to be deeply devoted.

But Yaoyao said, “The Li family is no different from the other noble households. In a family like ours… I have no choice.”

Madam Lu was jolted. She had always thought of her youngest daughter as tender and innocent, and forgot that Yaoyao, though quiet as clear ice, was never naïve.

The Xie family rose to prominence in Chen Prefecture. Yaoyao’s grandfather once held the prestigious posts of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Grand Tutor, enjoying the rank of the Three Excellencies. But the light extinguishes with the man: after his passing, few among the Xie descendants stood out. Only Xie Zhaozhi was barely passable in the eyes of others.

Xie Zhaozhi had once held the position of a seventh-rank Palace Attendant, a trusted aide to the Emperor, drafting edicts and earning imperial favor. But five years ago, when nomadic forces from the north invaded, Fifth Master Xie, Xie Fei, led the troops but suffered defeat after defeat. That same war elevated the obscure Li family to prominence, while it brought disgrace upon the Xie name.

Tainted by Xie Fei’s failure, Xie Zhaozhi resigned from his post. More than two years have passed since. Though his resignation earned praise from both the court and the commoners, lost power is seldom easily reclaimed.

Now, the Xie family still has some foundation to maintain appearances, but in a few more years, how could they compare with powerholders like the Wang or Cui families? They’re bound to fall to the bottom ranks.

To keep their family roots thriving, the Xies need marriage alliances as bridges. Xie Shu’s marriage to the Xue family was one such example. And it’s not just the Xie family—marriages among the noble houses are all about benefits. Now that the Li family has become a rising star, if the Xies don’t forge ties with them, some other clan surely will.

In truth, Yaoyao had always known this.

Madam Lu finally realized, and murmured in disbelief, “You don’t want to marry into a noble house…”

Yaoyao lowered her head and smiled faintly. A touch of confusion passed across her serene face. “When I visited my sister today, there were so many rules. I couldn’t help but wonder—will I have to live like that too?”

Madam Lu felt this deeply. The Xie family’s rules were hardly lenient—they were exhausting. But because she cherished her daughter and Xie Shu adored Yaoyao’s free-spirited nature, Madam Lu had never forced her to conform or restrain herself. She hadn’t expected that this would be the lesson Yaoyao took to heart.

Madam Lu began, “But the Li family…”

Yaoyao quietly replied, “Mother, the Li family might not truly be worse than any other noble house.”

So young, and yet she saw everything so clearly. Madam Lu covered her face and wept.

Yaoyao gently wiped away her mother’s tears and said, “It’s not such a big deal.”

Though she understood it all, she was still afraid. Her fingers, pressed against Madam Lu’s tear-streaked cheek, were icy cold.

Madam Lu pulled her hand into her arms to warm it, unable to say another word.

On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Luoyang basked in clear sunshine. The Da Qi army, banners fluttering, triumphantly returned to the capital. At the front rode several fast horses, lifting pale robes in their wake. The soldiers were sharp-featured and tightly ordered; their unified steps kicked up a trail of dust. Everywhere they passed, commoners lined the streets in welcome.

On the twenty-first, the Li father and son entered the imperial city of Luoyang. With them was a captive prince of the nomadic tribes. They went before the Emperor to discuss the matter of surrender.

That same day, Madam Lu and Yaoyao boarded an ox cart. Outside the curtain, a few children rode bamboo horses and played with slingshots, chanting loudly:

“With sword like a meteor and snow-white cloak,

At the gates, he faced the Hu tribes, and they surrendered!

They surrendered! They surrendered!

A thousand troops proclaim our nation’s glory!”

Yaoyao listened for a moment, then lowered the curtain.

The Li family’s soldiers, always clad in pale robes, had long earned a fearsome reputation. Their prowess in battle was now widely known, especially after the Hu tribes surrendered.

…

The Li residence.

As soon as news arrived that the Li family’s army had crushed the Hu tribes, everyone in the manor was elated, sweeping away months of anxiety over Li Shan’s disappearance. The mood was livelier than even the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Madam Qian, the matriarch of the Li family, was especially jubilant. She directed the maids, “Boil more hot water. Once Master and Lilang return from the palace, they’ll need it!”

Another maid called out from under the eaves, “Madam, someone’s at the door. It’s…”

Madam Qian frowned. “Didn’t Master say we’re not to receive anyone today?”

Nowadays, people vying for favor with the Li household were in no short supply.

The maid clarified, “It’s Madam Lu from the Xie family…”

The Xie family? Madam Qian immediately had the maid brought in. In her hand was a gilded visiting card, which she presented. Madam Qian’s emotions were tangled. Someone of her “status” now receiving a visit from a noble matron—it was almost surreal.

Over twenty years ago, the Li family struggled to put food on the table. Madam Qian had been the daughter of their neighbor. When Li Wang (then still known by his original name, Li Wang) proposed, all he could offer was two taels of meat and a strip of red cloth.

Back then, the Da Qi dynasty was in turmoil, riddled with infighting and regime changes. Policies shifted overnight, and taxes were steep, so much so that even marriage became a burden.

Ordinary folk often had only one wife in a lifetime. Unlike the aristocracy, they didn’t make such clear distinctions between wives and concubines or inheritance rights. As a result, Li Wang and Madam Qian never formally registered their marriage with the authorities and simply lived together.

It wasn’t until she gave birth to Li Shan and the family rose through military merit that they realized how rigidly high society enforced lineage distinctions.

While Li Wang and Li Shan were off leading troops, imperial law required official wives to remain in Luoyang. Concubines, however, were allowed to accompany their men to frontier regions like Bingzhou.

Since Madam Qian was the only woman in the Li household, and the court did not want the Li father and son beyond their reach, the Ministry of Personnel gave a tacit signal: Li Wang “amended” the paperwork, formally making Madam Qian his wife and leaving her in Luoyang. But to outsiders, this was no different from elevating a concubine to official wife.

Madam Qian despised the aristocrats of Luoyang for their snobbery and for how they clung to her humble origins. And yet, deep down, she yearned for recognition. Unfortunately, not a single noble family had ever shown her true respect.

Especially in the last two months, while news of the battlefront remained uncertain, many sought to kick the Li family while they were down. Some servants, fearing implication in case of downfall, even fled in secret, leaving Madam Qian sleepless.

Yet the one family Madam Qian resented most—down to the very marrow of her teeth—was the Xie family. She flung the visiting card aside and spat, “Not long ago, the Xies rushed to marry off their daughter, afraid our family would bring them misfortune. And now that Lilang has won great merit, they come crawling back to mend ties? Truly shameless!”

But recalling her husband Li Wang’s instruction—that while others could be turned away, the Xie family must be received—Madam Qian, no matter how seething, could only endure for now. She adjusted the hair at her temples and told a maid, “Go, invite the Xie family inside.”

Still, she deliberately made them wait—changing into a new set of garments, tidying her coiffure—before finally strolling unhurriedly to the main hall of the Li residence.

The Li residence in Luoyang had been converted from an old official’s home, bought back when the Li family had only just begun to rise. In this city where every inch of land was gold, the house wasn’t large—one could nearly see from one end to the other at a glance. So-called “main hall” was really just a central room: bare aside from a couch and low table, not nearly as tidy or grand as the homes of even minor officials.

No tea was served. Madam Lu sat kneeling patiently until Madam Qian arrived. She rose and greeted, “Madam Qian.”

Madam Qian offered a mock smile. “Well, well—what wind blows Madam Lu here today?”

Madam Lu smiled in return but said nothing.

Madam Qian was about to toss out another barb when her eyes were involuntarily drawn to a young girl standing beside Madam Lu. The girl wore a sky-blue lotus-sleeved robe, draped with a sash of red-gold gauze. Her garments flowed like mist and water; she was as flawless and luminous as a painting come to life.

Madam Qian couldn’t help but glance again. And then once more.

Madam Lu said, “This is my second daughter. Her name is Yaoyao.”

Yaoyao stood and offered a graceful, composed curtsy.

The very same gesture—one Madam Qian had seen countless others perform, yet none had done it with such grace. It was as though the air around this girl shimmered with light, leaving Madam Qian momentarily dazed.

This was Xie Shu’s younger sister, Xie Yaoyao. She had met Xie Shu before—a rare beauty in her own right—but never imagined that Yaoyao’s appearance would surpass even hers.

Snapping back to her senses, Madam Qian remarked, “I’ve long heard of Xie Shu’s renowned talents in Luoyang—how curious I never knew she had a sister.”

Madam Lu smiled and replied, “Our Yaoyao isn’t fond of social gatherings. She rarely appears in crowded settings.”

Xie Shu had always been lively and visible, while Yaoyao shied away from company—hence, when Luoyang spoke of the Xie family, it was always Xie Shu who came to mind.

And Madam Qian understood. Now that Xie Shu was married off, Madam Lu’s reason for bringing Yaoyao was apparent: this was a marriage proposal.

Sure enough, Madam Lu continued, “A few months ago, a fortune-teller observed an ominous celestial sign and said Shu’er’s fate couldn’t withstand it. She had to be wed swiftly to avert calamity.”

“At the time, since the Li family’s young lord was away from the capital, we had no choice but to marry our daughter off elsewhere painfully.”

This was the same excuse the Xie family had once used to dismiss the Li family—both sides were well aware of the truth behind it.

Madam Qian had been simmering in resentment for two months. Hearing this same tale trotted out again made her scoff.

Madam Lu, face tinged with embarrassment, nevertheless recited the words she had prepared: “Marriage should unite two families in goodwill. Though Xie Shu lacked the fortune, our family still has another daughter, Yaoyao, who is willing to renew the alliance.”

That the Xie matron treated her with such humility pleased Madam Qian immensely, though she still bore a grudge. As there was no fault to pick in Madam Lu’s phrasing, she turned her gaze to Xie Yaoyao.

She had never liked Xie Shu—too proud, too difficult to control. But this Yaoyao was nothing like her sister. Head gently bowed, neck pale as snow, kneeling with hands demurely folded in her lap—beautiful and obedient.

A girl like this, Madam Qian thought, would never be able to rein in my son.