Gu-suk, Wishing You Ten Thousand Blessings Chapter 1 (1/23)

Broken Engagement

It was the twenty-second year of Emperor Jianwu’s reign; the new year had come.

But the weather remained so bitterly cold it made one’s heart shrink. Even as this long, gloomy winter entered February, there was no sign of it growing mild.

Snow had fallen again at dawn the day before, and from early this morning the entire capital was dyed white. Even the palace with its red walls and blue tiles was blanketed in a thick layer of snow.

In the Yichun Marquis Estate, east of the city, an old servant woman in a grayish-brown padded coat rushed with heavy steps toward Jinning Courtyard. After crossing the threshold, she grabbed a veranda pillar to catch her breath for a moment, then shouted in a panic:

“Eldest Young Lady, something terrible has happened!”

A maidservant with her hair carefully twisted up on both sides lifted the door curtain and stepped out. She was perhaps fifteen or sixteen, a girl in the prime of youth, yet when she glared with her eyebrows raised, her spirit yielded not in the slightest.

“Why are you shouting at dawn? Do you not know the Young Lady is inside?”

“Oh, Miss Yeongyo. This humble one has come with words to deliver to the Young Lady.”

Old Maid Jeong fussed anxiously and tried to rush inside.

“Young Lady, something terrible has happened, terrible!”

The Eldest Young Lady’s residence was particularly strict in its rules. Female servants who did menial chores and old maids only moved about in the outer courtyard. Only second-rank maidservants could enter the inner rooms, and only first-rank personal maids who attended from close quarters were permitted into the inner chamber where the Eldest Young Lady resided. Though it was but a small single-courtyard compound, the rules were severe. When Old Maid Jeong tried to barge in without hesitation, Yeongyo stamped her foot in anger and blocked the door with all her might.

“What impudence! What do you think you are doing! The discipline here has completely collapsed! How dare you try to enter the Young Lady’s residence so recklessly!”

Yeongyo was the person the Young Lady relied upon most and usually wielded extraordinary authority in the courtyard. Old Maid Jeong could not afford to offend this difficult girl carelessly. But for some reason today, she even dared to push Yeongyo aside with her forearm.

“Oh, Miss Yeongyo. I truly have urgent business—”

“Yeongyo.”

At the sound of the voice, Yeongyo immediately reined in her imposing manner, and Old Maid Jeong, who had been making a racket, also shut her mouth and obediently knelt before the door.

“Eldest Young Lady, this humble one has urgent news.”

The lavishly decorated room was as warm as spring and filled with an atmosphere of wealth and nobility. From behind a decorative partition deeper inside the room, a maidservant wearing a lotus-colored skirt soon emerged and spoke in a gentle voice.

“The Young Lady bids you enter.”

“Oh, yes!”

Old Maid Jeong hurriedly passed the partition and entered behind the ornate curtains. It was her first time stepping into the inner chamber where the Eldest Young Lady resided, and her eyes dazzled at the splendid silks before her. When she faintly made out an upright and graceful side profile, she quickly knelt.

“Eldest Young Lady.”

“Speak.”

The Young Lady was so beautiful that one could lose their mind merely looking at her side profile, and her voice was as pleasant as jade beads rolling.

“What is the matter?”

Old Maid Jeong suddenly felt a strange sensation. Earlier, upon hearing the news, she had been so shocked her eyes nearly popped out, and she had stumbled here despite the slippery snow. The rumor had not yet spread; the Eldest Young Lady was neither clairvoyant nor possessed of miraculous means, and she had not even left her courtyard today. There was absolutely no way she could know what had happened in the front courtyard.

And yet, the Eldest Young Lady’s tone was somehow…

Old Maid Jeong could not shake the absurd thought.

Why did it feel as though the Eldest Young Lady already knew?

“Young Lady, the Jingyong Marquis Estate has come to break off the marriage!”

Cheng Yujin did not so much as flinch. Looking at her own exquisitely painted, beautiful eyes reflected in the mirror, she slowly smiled.

As expected. In the end, they had come to annul the marriage.

It was news like a bolt from the blue. The Eldest Young Lady had just become betrothed to the Jingyong Marquis last December. And now, at the start of the new year, a broken engagement? The Jingyong Marquis Estate’s actions were absurd enough, but a broken engagement was truly an affair shocking enough to make one’s eyes pop.

An annulled marriage was inevitably fatal to a woman, even if it was the man’s side at fault. A woman who experienced such a thing would suffer tremendous damage to her reputation and be unable to find a good match in the future.

Old Maid Jeong had heard this news in the early morning winds and had been so flustered she did not know what to do. She had thought the Eldest Young Lady would be greatly surprised when told. Yet after waiting for some time, the scene she witnessed was none other than the Eldest Young Lady looking into the mirror with a faint smile.

Yeongyo and Duyak froze on the spot at this unimaginable sight; after slightly coming to their senses, they cried out anxiously.

“Young Lady, th-this is…”

Yeongyo quickly fired a string of questions at Old Maid Jeong.

“You must have heard wrong? How dare you speak such words before the Young Lady—have you lost your mind?”

Old Maid Jeong was so aggrieved she felt she might go mad. But before she could say anything, someone rescued her from the crisis.

“There is no mistake.”

“Young Lady?”

Cheng Yujin set down her mirror with a sharp sound. When she was not smiling, her picturesque eyes shone with an even more soul-stealing brightness. Gazing at the snow falling outside the window, her eyes were utterly serene, yet one could sense an indescribable trace of mockery.

“They really came.”

Cheng Yujin was the Eldest Young Lady of the Yichun Marquis Estate. Her legal mother was Commandery Princess Qingfu, daughter of Prince Ning; her father was the heir of the Yichun Marquis. As the eldest legitimate daughter of the main branch of the Yichun Marquis Estate, saying she was born with a golden spoon in her mouth would hardly be an exaggeration.

Just as her name meant “beautiful jade,” Cheng Yujin had grown up as a daughter of privilege. She began her studies at the age of seven and became proficient in the four arts—zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and accomplished in needlework. Moreover, she possessed deep filial piety and a gentle disposition; she was the very model of a noblewoman. The young ladies of other estates heard her name so often from their mothers that they developed a physiological aversion to the mere sound of “Cheng Yujin.”

Her life, which had been nothing but smooth sailing, seemed like a lie to people. Everyone watched from behind, waiting to see whom Cheng Yujin would marry and whether she could continue to hold her head high.

But who would have thought it would truly turn out like this?

Last December, Cheng Yujin had stayed briefly at a hot spring villa with her mother. Prince Ning’s fief was in Jiangnan, and even after years of marriage and moving to the capital, Commandery Princess Qingfu had never grown accustomed to the winter weather there. The imperial family’s relatives were all wealthy beyond measure, and Commandery Princess Qingfu possessed a manor with a private hot spring. When the Princess traveled, her sisters-in-law could not follow, but the young ladies of the family often benefited by accompanying her.

As the Princess’s eldest legitimate daughter, Cheng Yujin naturally accompanied her first. However, upon arriving at the mountain villa, the capital region experienced heavy snow for three days in early March, blocking the mountain paths and trapping them on the mountain.

Commandery Princess Qingfu sent servants down the mountain to inform the Yichun Marquis Estate and waited for them to clear the roads and come fetch them. While the Princess leisurely enjoyed the hot spring as always, Cheng Yujin realized that the second daughter had disappeared.

The second daughter, Cheng Yumo, was the only daughter of the second branch, a treasure cherished dearly by the master of the second branch and Lady Ruan. Her disappearance from the main branch’s manor was no ordinary matter. Since a woman’s reputation was at stake, Cheng Yujin did not spread word of it. She quietly sent an old maid to guard the gate and dispatched Yeongyo to find out where Cheng Yumo had gone that evening.

However, when Cheng Yumo did not return even after a night had passed, Cheng Yujin finally realized the matter had become serious. Unwilling to make a great fuss, she went to Commandery Princess Qingfu early the next morning to report. The Princess was also startled. Though she was not on good terms with the second branch, if the second branch’s legitimate daughter vanished without a trace from her own manor, even she would have no excuse. When Cheng Yujin said she had searched the manor thoroughly the day before, the Princess sent people to comb the mountain.

Cheng Yujin questioned Cheng Yumo’s maid and learned that the previous night, Cheng Yumo had gone out to appreciate the snow after being inspired by the snowy scenery, but somehow her whereabouts had become unknown. Enraged to the tips of her hair, Cheng Yujin immediately took an old maid and set out personally along the path the maid had described to search for Cheng Yumo.

The rear mountain was quite large, and with the snowfall, it was difficult to distinguish directions. It was impossible to search the entire mountain at such a slow pace when even walking was arduous. They had no choice but to split up. Cheng Yujin took Duyak, and after walking only a short distance, she keenly spotted a cave.

There was a cave, and seeing that its entrance had been covered with something, it was clear someone had been there. Cheng Yujin quickly rushed over, but instead of Cheng Yumo, she found an unconscious man.

Cheng Yujin was not the type to spare a glance at a man of unknown origins. What did it matter to her if a stranger lived or died? But with her keen eyes, she discovered the man’s private seal.

Northwest Military Command. Huo Changyuan.

Huo Changyuan? The decorated general renowned in court, the youngest marquis in Great Qi—the Jingyong Marquis, Huo Changyuan?

Good. I must save him.

Cheng Yujin ordered Duyak to lay Huo Changyuan down properly. The man was heavy, and struggling to move him alone, Duyak needed help. Cheng Yujin also crouched down to assist. As she grasped his arm, Huo Changyuan faintly awoke. Sensing someone beside him, he strained to open his eyes narrowly. In his half-conscious state, he felt that an extremely beautiful woman was beside him. She was dazzlingly beautiful beyond words.

“Was it you?”

Cheng Yujin could not understand why the man asked such a thing when she was the only one before his eyes. What else would she be, a ghost?

Of course, Cheng Yujin—the model of a capital noblewoman—would never say such a thing. She nodded lightly and gave Huo Changyuan a bright smile.

“Marquis, do not be afraid. I am the eldest granddaughter of the Yichun Marquis Estate. My mother’s manor is right nearby. Please wait a moment. I shall call for someone to escort you at once.”

Huo Changyuan seemed to heave a great sigh of relief. He stared at her one last time before closing his eyes and losing consciousness again.

Finally, a servant appeared, and a steward carrying a litter spoke:

“We have found her, Eldest Young Lady. The Second Young Lady has been found. The Princess requests your swift return.”

They found Cheng Yumo? How fortunate.

Shivering in the cold weather, Cheng Yujin did not have even a speck of desire to play the part of a good older sister.

Huo Changyuan spent three full days in a coma at Commandery Princess Qingfu’s manor. Though he occasionally woke in between, he was essentially conscious for very little time. An unmarried noblewoman could not be in the same room as an unrelated man, and fortunately the mountain road was cleared quickly. People from the Jingyong Marquis Estate came to take Huo Changyuan away.

It was because the Jingyong Marquis Estate was there that the snowy road could be cleared so quickly. As expected, a family of military merit that steadily accumulated achievements and raised its name was different from the Cheng family, which was little more than an empty husk. If they had waited for the Yichun Marquis Estate to come, well, they would have had to wait quite a while.

Having gone out and saved someone, Cheng Yujin returned to the estate and received a round of praise from Old Madam Cheng. Old Madam Cheng, Commandery Princess Qingfu, and Cheng Yujin understood one another’s thoughts without needing to speak. Having bestowed such a great favor, surely the Jingyong Marquis Estate would show some measure of gratitude?

Sure enough, not long after, the old lady of the Jingyong Marquis Estate—Huo Changyuan’s mother, Lady Huo Xue—came personally to thank Cheng Yujin for her grace. The Huo family brought a far more generous reward than Cheng Yujin had imagined, but of course, what satisfied her most was the marriage contract that Lady Huo Xue brought with her.

Out of gratitude for Cheng Yujin saving his life, Huo Changyuan had proposed to her with the full status of principal wife.

Old Madam Cheng was so overjoyed she could not close her mouth. Though Commandery Princess Qingfu and Cheng Yujin maintained only a mother-daughter relationship in name, the Princess was also greatly pleased that the child she had raised for several years as her daughter had met such a good match.

The Yichun Marquis Estate was ecstatic but had to preserve the dignity of the marquis house. The elders waved their hands in protest, saying they must ask the child’s intentions with thinly veiled pretense, as though covering one’s body with a single leaf.

Ask Cheng Yujin? Cheng Yujin naturally wished it. In truth, that had been the true purpose of saving Huo Changyuan.

At the end of the twenty-first year of Jianwu, the Yichun Marquis Estate was swept up in immense joy. The hollow shell of a marquis estate had hooked the most promising and youngest rising noble marquis in the court. It was truly an event that sent the entire household bubbling with delight. Old Madam Cheng repeatedly extolled the reward of having raised Cheng Yujin all this time.

Cheng Yujin had completed the most important investment of her life. Barring unexpected events, prosperity and glory for the rest of her days were guaranteed. Extremely satisfied, she thereafter confined herself indoors and quietly prepared her dowry.

At that time, Cheng Yujin was unaware that Cheng Yumo had grown depressed and bedridden for a long time after returning from the mountain. Nor did she realize that the Huo family was rushing the marriage. After all, marriage was not the only way to repay a life-saving grace.

Sadly, Cheng Yujin had not realized.

With everything decided, after entering February, Cheng Yujin felt an inexplicable anxiety in her chest and slept restlessly. Last night, she had a long, long dream.

Cheng Yujin suddenly opened her eyes wide during the fifth watch. Her entire body was drenched in cold sweat, and she could not fall back asleep, lying in bed the whole time. It was just a dream. It was far too absurd to take the dream as reality. Yet Cheng Yujin strangely felt that this was no joke. It was real.

She had seen herself in the dream. Yet it was not entirely her. She had lived through “Cheng Yujin’s” life like a scarecrow tied to strings.

In the dream, just as she was now, she had been born to the wealthy Yichun Marquis Estate. The second lady of the Yichun Marquis Estate, Lady Won, had given birth to twin sisters. At that time, the principal lady, Commandery Princess Qingfu, had been married for nearly five years without children, and the newly arrived daughter-in-law, Lady Won, had given birth to twins within a year. Though both were daughters, they were the first grandchildren of the Cheng family, and twins were an auspicious sign. Hoping to bring the fortune of children to the main branch, Old Madam Cheng stepped in and made the elder twin the daughter of her daughter-in-law, Commandery Princess Qingfu.

Later, the two children were named Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yumo.

From a young age, Cheng Yujin knew that her cousin from the second branch was her blood sister. However, she regarded Lady Won as her second aunt and Commandery Princess Qingfu as her mother.

Commandery Princess Qingfu was her one and only mother.

Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yumo had looked exactly alike as children, but as time passed and they gradually grew older, they became noticeably different. The robust Cheng Yujin had prettier features and a more proper personality. Twins were already weaker than ordinary children, and Cheng Yumo, born later, had an even more frail and slender constitution. Her eyes were also narrower and longer.

Everyone in the clan—Old Madam Cheng, Commandery Princess Qingfu, and even longtime servants—could distinguish between the Eldest Young Lady and the Second Young Lady at a glance. But outsiders would not carefully examine facial features. Sisters of the same clan naturally resembled each other, they were the same age, and young ladies dressed similarly, so people often mistook one for the other.

In the years spent explaining “I am the Eldest Young Lady, Yujin,” Cheng Yujin turned fourteen.

One winter, she saved a man in heavy snow, and the following year, she married that man. The man’s name was Huo Changyuan.

On the day of the grand wedding, Cheng Yujin married Huo Changyuan in grand style with a dowry procession stretching ten li. The young ladies of her clan envied her for marrying such a good husband. Huo Changyuan had already become a marquis at a young age, and Cheng Yujin became a lady of the marquis estate the moment she crossed the threshold. It was a fate that would spare her twenty years of suffering compared to other women. Moreover, Huo Changyuan had just earned military merit in the northwest and was at the height of his vigor with boundless prospects. He himself was brave, handsome, strong, and imposing. That Cheng Yujin had snatched up such a fine husband left everyone else green with envy, fit to die.

At that time, Cheng Yujin had no idea that she had become a villain in someone else’s story without her knowledge.

After marriage, the days spent with Huo Changyuan were just as she had predicted. Only her mother-in-law was rather fussy, her husband had a tendency to push everything onto her without lifting a finger, and the Huo family had many rules.Those few years that seemed so glittering and magnificent to outsiders were indescribably arduous for Cheng Yujin. But it was nothing. Every woman had to go through this tribulation. With no great-grandmother-in-law to serve and with full control of the household, she was already far better off than most women.

In the second year of her marriage, she finally became pregnant. Huo Changyuan had lost his father on the battlefield at the age of seven, and Lady Huo Xue, left alone, had raised him through great hardship over the long years. Having relied solely on each other, Lady Huo Xue’s obsession with her son was extraordinary. Since Cheng Yujin had married into the family, Lady Huo Xue constantly oscillated between coldness and affection toward her, using every means to obstruct the couple’s intimate time.

Cheng Yujin had no choice but to keep her husband at a distance as her mother-in-law wished. But the amusing thing was that while separating the couple, Lady Huo Xue constantly nagged Cheng Yujin to hurry up and bear a grandson. Cheng Yujin had nowhere to pour out her difficult plight. Thus, when she finally became pregnant after two years of marriage, no one knew how overjoyed she was.

She immediately set aside household management and focused on prenatal care with a joyful heart. Weary of the boring inner-chamber life, she called her younger sister from her maiden home.

She had never been close to Huo Changyuan from the start, and now that she was pregnant, she made sure he could not even touch her. During the period when there was no war and Huo Changyuan stayed at the estate, Cheng Yumo visited her every day to keep her company. Cheng Yujin caressed her increasingly swelling belly, thinking that with her child, husband, and younger sister all by her side, these were truly good times and she had nothing more to wish for.

But the maidservants’ expressions grew increasingly strange. Duyak had tried to bring up the matter several times but ultimately said nothing upon seeing Cheng Yujin’s happy face. Yet Cheng Yujin was no fool; sensing something fishy, she pressed the maid for answers. Only then did she learn that while she was drowsy from pregnancy and sleeping often, Huo Changyuan was frequently laughing and chatting affectionately with Cheng Yumo.

Truly struck by a bolt from the blue, Cheng Yujin froze on the spot. It was laughable. To think that she, who called herself a perfect noblewoman without flaw, had committed such a ridiculous mistake.

Cheng Yujin thought this scandal had occurred because she had not had the energy to watch closely and had given Huo Changyuan and Cheng Yumo opportunities to be together. One was her husband, the other her younger sister; Cheng Yujin did not wish to blow up the matter and make both sides uncomfortable.

So when Huo Changyuan went to train at the military camp, she called Cheng Yumo in and spoke circuitously of many things. She believed she had sufficiently considered both parties’ dignity. A sensible noblewoman who valued face should surely understand at this point. However, though Cheng Yumo understood, she felt humiliated by Cheng Yujin and ran away crying.

Cheng Yujin was enraged to the tips of her hair but decided to leave it be. That very day, Cheng Yumo took a carriage and returned home. Even when Lady Huo Xue sent people to ask what had happened, Cheng Yujin merely smiled and glossed it over. She believed that as a wife and elder sister, she had done her duty by preserving the last shred of dignity for Cheng Yumo and Huo Changyuan.

She had hoped Huo Changyuan would return and explain himself. But who would have thought—upon hearing that Cheng Yumo had gone back, Huo Changyuan, returning from the military camp, immediately turned around and went after her. Left alone in her residence, Cheng Yujin stood motionless for a long while amidst the surrounding servants, not knowing what to do.

When Huo Changyuan returned, he coldly called her a “cruel woman.” Cheng Yujin could not understand this until her dying breath. She had disciplined the household for Huo Changyuan and endured a fussy mother-in-law, yet Huo Changyuan was having an illicit affair with her younger sister behind her back. Cruel? What had she done wrong?

In her depression, Cheng Yujin’s fetal energy stirred prematurely, resulting in a premature and difficult labor. After giving birth, Lady Huo Xue only cared for the baby and paid no attention to Cheng Yujin, who was still lying in bed. Having bled severely that day, Cheng Yujin soon drew her last breath.

The Cheng Yujin in the dream had died, and Cheng Yujin had finally escaped that nightmare-like state. However, her soul still could not depart and floated above the Jingyong Marquis Estate, watching how the story unfolded.

It turned out that the same story, viewed from another angle, was as follows.

After the Cheng Yujin in the dream died, Cheng Yujin watched the complete story again from another angle.

Precisely speaking, it was the story of Cheng Yumo and Huo Changyuan’s encounter.

The naive and innocent Second Young Lady of the Yichun Marquis Estate, doted upon by her parents, had gone to a mountain villa with her elder aunt one winter. One day, heavy snow fell. While taking a walk, she encountered a blizzard so fierce she could not see ahead. When she came to her senses, she was lost.

Then she met a man collapsed at the roadside. When she turned him over, he was an extraordinarily brave and handsome man. The Second Young Lady’s face reddened. Seeing he was injured, she generously moved him to a cave and carefully tended to him through the night.

By night, the storm finally abated, but the feverish man suddenly shivered and muttered that he was cold. The virtuous female protagonist had no choice but to loosen her clothes and press her skin against his icy chest to share warmth.

Finally, dawn broke, and the female protagonist staggered down to the mountain villa to call for help. But when she returned, she found that her twin elder sister had already rescued the injured man and brought him down the mountain.

From then on, the man mistakenly believed that the elder sister was his savior and was deeply grateful. He even proposed to the elder sister of his own accord. While the elder sister and the man proudly prepared their wedding, the pitiful younger sister huddled in bed, coughing.

When Cheng Yujin saw that scene in the dream, she could endure no more and clicked her tongue in disgust.

No wonder Huo Changyuan had said, “Was it you?” when he opened his eyes. No wonder Huo Changyuan had stubbornly insisted on marriage. No wonder Lady Huo Xue had an unpleasant look in her eyes when she proposed the match, despite smiling.

Cheng Yumo and Huo Changyuan had already shared bodily intimacy. For a man and woman to spend a night alone together was already enough to turn the world upside down, but for the woman to loosen her clothes and embrace the man to warm his body…!

Without knowing it, Cheng Yujin had become a vicious elder sister who stole another’s credit, and Cheng Yumo had become a woman who had inexplicably lost her innocence. What must the Huo family have thought of her while preparing the wedding?

No wonder, no wonder. For Lady Huo Xue to dare insult her, who prided herself on being the most excellent daughter-in-law candidate in the entire capital…

From her maiden family’s perspective, Cheng Yujin was an ungrateful daughter who stole her younger sister’s merit. To Huo Changyuan, Cheng Yujin was a vicious woman blinded by wealth and power, spinning lies and deliberately insulting the woman he regarded as his longed-for light. To her mother-in-law, Lady Huo Xue, she was a low wretch who had seduced her son while pretending to be a noble lady, then brazenly spoke with a loud voice. With such a Cheng Yujin dead, it was cause for celebration and relief for everyone.

While helping with prenatal care and keeping Cheng Yujin company, Cheng Yumo could endure her agony no longer and tearfully confessed the truth to her brother-in-law. When Huo Changyuan learned the truth, he was shocked as if struck on the head, his heart aching. Now that Cheng Yujin—the dove who had stolen the magpie’s nest, this cruel woman—was finally dead, Huo Changyuan sought to right all wrongs and sent a marriage proposal to Cheng Yumo.

But this was yet another story of continuous torment. Upon learning of her sister’s death, Cheng Yumo, consumed by guilt, refused to agree to the marriage even if it killed her. She even cut her hair and declared she would become a nun and leave the secular world. Huo Changyuan chased, and Cheng Yumo fled. When Huo Changyuan grew forceful, Cheng Yumo would respond with her heart but refuse through tears.

In the end, seeing her son so obsessed with another woman, Lady Huo Xue’s possessiveness was triggered, and she tried to marry him to a daughter of a distant relative. Just as Huo Changyuan was suffering and about to accept a new woman, Cheng Yumo suddenly had a realization and decided to marry Huo Changyuan in order to care for her elder sister’s son.

Watching up to this point, Cheng Yujin felt so nauseated she thought she would die. What a truly remarkable husband, what a truly remarkable younger sister. Thanks to the two of them, it seemed she would not even find peace in death.

After that, through sordid and harrowing twists and turns, Huo Changyuan and Cheng Yumo overcame all hardships and finally united as one. And Cheng Yujin was nothing more than the vicious elder sister and former wife in their love story, an obstacle blocking the development of the male and female protagonists’ relationship, a backdrop contrasting with her younger sister’s true kindness and beauty.

Later, her son grew up to be a good-for-nothing wastrel, forming a sharp contrast with the son Cheng Yumo bore. During those years, Huo Changyuan’s power grew daily. Thanks to his accumulated merits, he was employed by the future new emperor, the former Crown Prince, and became a steadfast pillar of the court. At the same time, the heir of the Jingyong Marquis Estate became known as a good-for-nothing, hopeless at both literature and martial arts. In contrast, the second son grew into a filial son who was diligent in his studies and full of ambition.

When Cheng Yujin’s son turned sixteen, Huo Changyuan judged him hopeless, stripped him of his heir’s title, and abandoned him to fend for himself. Later, her son ended his life by falling into a river while drunk one night.

The last trace Cheng Yujin left in this world disappeared just like that.

After her son departed from the world, the visions in the dream shattered, and Cheng Yujin started awake with a gasp. Drenched in cold sweat, she raised her hand and looked at it. It was still the twenty-second year of Jianwu, the fourteenth year since the Crown Prince—frail since childhood—had gone missing.

It was also when she was fourteen years old, just betrothed to Huo Changyuan.

Jeong Yugeun lay there for a long while. By the time the sun began to brighten dimly, she heard the sound of servants moving outside the window.

She thought many thoughts. Part of them were about the dream, and part were about the present.

As the scenes of the dream shattered, she vaguely saw the words “Twin Life Romance: The Mischievous Wife of the Tyrant Marquis — Complete.” She thought for a long time, then scoffed.

Humans are beings who leisurely watch the play without knowing that they themselves are characters within it.

As it turned out, in someone else’s story, she was the hypocritical older sister, the wicked ex-wife.

Gwak Jangyeon and Jeong Yumuk believed she had stolen her younger sister’s merit. However, she had truly believed that she herself had saved Gwak Jangyeon.

When she found Gwak Jangyeon in the cave, there had been no trace of anyone else nearby, and his clothes were perfectly intact. Naturally, she thought she had stumbled upon him unconscious there. She could not have imagined that someone had spent the night with him in intimate embrace shortly before.

She had saved his life, so it was only natural that Gwak Jangyeon repaid that debt by making her his principal wife. She had been confident she could become the perfect wife. While serving her mother-in-law with filial piety, managing the household, assisting her husband, and teaching her children, she had been confident she could transform from the perfect lady of the Marquisate into the perfect wife of the Marquis.

People envied her for having two mothers, having become an adopted daughter from birth. A gentle and attentive birth mother, a noble adoptive mother. Jeong Yugeun was raised under Princess Gyeongbok, and her fate had changed overnight, placing in her hands wealth and fortune so abundant she could never spend or enjoy it all.

However, no matter how much Lady Won ached for her, she loved the daughter she had raised by her side more. Princess Gyeongbok spent money like water, but she did not spend it on Jeong Yugeun. While others saw Jeong Yugeun as splendid and noble, in truth, Jeong Yugeun had nothing.

She had no mother, no father, and no dowry she could prepare for herself.

She was nothing more than a pretty ornament. Marrying Gwak Jangyeon had been the best escape route within her ability. When she had first married, she had truly tried to be a good wife.

Suddenly, she recalled how yesterday Jeong Yumuk had ignored all etiquette and burst into her quarters, staring at her fixedly. She had asked with a flawless smile.

“Second Sister, what is it?”

Jeong Yumuk had asked out of nowhere.

“Elder Sister, does this make you happy?”

What?

At that time, Jeong Yugeun had not understood. What on earth was she talking about?

Jeong Yumuk had left only the words, “What isn’t yours can never be yours in the end,” before running out.

Yesterday, Jeong Yugeun had been too immersed in the joy of her imminent marriage, unaware of the truth, thinking her younger sister was talking nonsense out of the blue, shaking her head and laughing it off. After Jeong Yumuk left, little did she know she would have a nightmare that very night. In the dream, there was a snowy night, and she saw the story of that book.

The reason Jeong Yumuk, who in her past life had died before marriage without ever telling the truth, was suddenly acting as though her personality had changed was simple: Jeong Yumuk had also learned the story of the book. Indeed, the present Jeong Yumuk was exactly the Jeong Yumuk of her previous life.

It seemed that after Jeong Yumuk ran out yesterday, she had informed Gwak Jangyeon of the truth. Was that not why Gwak Jangyeon had come today, brazenly, to call off the marriage?

Old Maid Jeong stared blankly at the eldest young lady, beautiful as a painting, smiling brightly. When the eldest young lady rose abruptly, her gold-threaded cloud brocade skirt rustled as it unfurled. The luster flowing across her hem, as though the starlight filling the sky had fallen upon it, was indescribably beautiful.

As her shoes approached Old Maid Jeong as if gliding on clouds, the hem of the eldest young lady’s wide mamianqun—a style of pleated skirt—did not sway in the slightest. With light, dainty steps and an unwavering skirt hem, Jeong Yugeun executed the gait that countless noble ladies of the capital struggled with as if they would die trying to perfect it, as easily and naturally as flipping her palm.

While Old Maid Jeong watched in a daze, Jeong Yugeun had already passed her by. Duyak hurriedly draped a crimson leather wind cloak over Jeong Yugeun and asked in a low voice.

“Young Lady, where are you going?”

“To meet my betrothed.”

“Young Lady!”

“What is there to fear?”

Jeong Yugeun smiled brightly.

“I, Jeong Yugeun, am the eldest granddaughter of the Uichun Marquis household, the eldest legitimate daughter of Princess Gyeongbok, and the maternal granddaughter of King Yeong. For fourteen years I have been the model noble lady of the capital, praised by all with clicking tongues. How could such a person as I fail to meet any husband? For what reason do they insult me so?”

Duyak and the maids thought Jeong Yugeun was going to the main hall to cause a commotion. It was a sad thing, but for a young lady who had been cast aside to go before her mother-in-law and wail and make a scene was utterly shameful.

Yeongyo quickly spoke up.

“Young Lady, I am relieved you think that way. You are beautiful and of noble birth. Whichever family you marry into would be honored. The Jeongyong Marquis must have been possessed by something. That is why he committed this rash mistake. The news has not yet spread, so it is not too late. Young Lady, hurry and beg the Dowager to settle this matter. If the man’s side calls off the marriage, breaking the engagement without reason is also bad for the Jeongyong Marquis household’s reputation. If the Dowager steps in, you will surely be able to salvage the marriage.”

“That’s right. They say one would rather destroy ten temples than ruin one marriage. Breaking a marriage is that grave a matter. Young Lady, first go to Grand Lady’s quarters and escort her to Suandang Hall. Since Grand Lady is a Princess, if she speaks up, even the Jeongyong Marquis household will not dare act recklessly.”

“Did I say I was going to salvage the marriage?”

At Jeong Yugeun’s smiling words, the maids were bewildered.

“Pardon?”

“I am going to call off the marriage.”

In the front courtyard’s main hall, after a maid served tea with her head bowed, Princess Gyeongbok, her face clouded, held her tongue for some time before opening her mouth.

“Lady Gwak, the children’s marriage is no small matter. Have you thought this through?”

“I would not come to see the Princess without thinking. The eldest young lady is a fine noble lady. The Princess and the Marchioness have raised her well. I am fond of her as well. However, a child’s marriage must ultimately be wanted by both parties. It is not something to be forced.”

Princess Gyeongbok was furious.

Both parties must want it? Pah! Did they think the Uichun Marquis household was pining for Gwak Jangyeon?

Princess Gyeongbok cursed inwardly. It was not that she was angry at her daughter’s broken engagement in principle, but because calling off a marriage that had been made with such fanfare made her lose face.

No matter how angry she was, she could not say Gwak Jangyeon was a common prospect for a son-in-law. Throughout the capital, other noble heirs of a similar age had just moved out of the inner academy and were waiting to secure official posts through their elders’ connections. Those who had achieved merit and received a noble title like Gwak Jangyeon were truly few and far between.

When Gwak Jangyeon’s father, the late Jeongyong Marquis, died in battle in the ninth year of Geonmu, the Gwak family became entangled in various affairs. Everyone was busy guessing Chief Minister Yang’s intentions, using the Crown Prince’s young age as a pretext to delay Gwak Jangyeon’s succession procedures. During that time, the Jeongyong Marquis household was merely an empty shell; with only the Marquisate plaque and no proper head, anyone could look down on it.

Lady Gwak Seol had been widowed at a young age and subjected to such persecution, so she gritted her teeth and endured, raising her seven-year-old son. Fortunately, Gwak Jangyeon also applied himself diligently. But even when he turned sixteen, the Imperial Clan Court still showed no sign of returning the title to the Gwak family, so he realized he would have to step forward himself. At seventeen, he went to the battlefield, leaving behind Gwak Seol, who wept as if her heart would break.

Coincidentally, that same year, an old case that had long oppressed the Seol family was overturned, and the Gwak family, as if sniffing the wind and testing the waters, submitted a memorial to the court requesting the restoration of their noble title. There was no reply, but the memorial was not returned either. Realizing that the day her son would receive his title was near, Gwak Seol was overjoyed.

Gwak Jangyeon himself, being a tenacious person, achieved his first military merit on the battlefield in his second year of accompanying the army and formally drew everyone’s gaze. Following a series of victories, the Emperor was overjoyed to hear the news and personally received Gwak Jangyeon at a celebratory banquet. Seeing that Gwak Jangyeon was not old, the Emperor asked out of curiosity why he had joined the army. Gwak Jangyeon spoke of his widowed mother, and the Emperor fell silent for a long while before finally sighing and speaking.

“Such is the heart of all parents in the world. My Crown Prince has already been missing for twelve years. If he is still alive, he would be around your age.”

The Emperor, having asked Gwak Jangyeon’s age, grew even more grief-stricken.

“Only eighteen, you say? The Crown Prince is a year younger than you. If even you, with your mother by your side, are like this, how much he must be suffering, wandering alone outside and drifting among the common folk.”

The Emperor’s throat was choked, unable to speak further, and he left the banquet early. After the Emperor departed, the main hall was so silent one could hear a pin drop. Eventually, it was only after Chief Minister Yang raised his cup that everyone naturally revived the atmosphere.

No one dared meddle in internal court affairs, but after the Emperor asked so, the next day an official of the Ministry of Rites inquired why Gwak Jangyeon had not yet succeeded to his title. Though the superior had asked without much meaning, the attitude of those below completely changed.

Soon, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court reported that it had been a lowly clerk’s mistake, and in the tenth month, they immediately sent Gwak Jangyeon the Iron-Certificate Crimson-Edict.

(※ Iron-Certificate Crimson-Edict, also called Crimson-Edict Iron-Certificate: a meritorious service document awarded to meritorious subjects. Iron Certificate: a document made of iron. Crimson Edict: red writing, also meaning the Emperor’s writing; the certificate was written in red on an iron plate, split in half, and the Emperor and the meritorious subject each kept one half. It was said that a meritorious subject who received the Iron-Certificate Crimson-Edict could inherit their noble title and would not be punished even if they committed a crime.)

Succeeding to his title at eighteen, gaining recognition from His Majesty through his own strength, and establishing brilliant military merit—Gwak Jangyeon instantly became a celebrity in the capital, and the Jeongyong Marquis household became the hottest rising noble house in the capital.

No matter how much Princess Gyeongbok wished to favor her own family’s nephews or the descendants of the Jeong clan or her married aunts’ families—gunae, as ladies married out of the clan were called—people were not all the same, and she could not deny that Gwak Jangyeon was truly outstanding. Having raised such a fine son, it was no wonder Lady Gwak Seol was so haughty.

Thus, Lady Gwak Seol came to call off the marriage without the slightest reservation. While breaking off a perfectly good marriage would certainly damage the Jeongyong Marquis household’s reputation, with Gwak Jangyeon standing right there, who could say anything? Even young ladies from more illustrious noble families were vying to marry him; it did not have to be Jeong Yugeun.

The marriage between Jeong Yugeun and Gwak Jangyeon had been a boon that had rolled into the Jeong family from the start. Princess Gyeongbok had a headache. Naturally, she did not want to call off the marriage. But Lady Gwak Seol had come in person, and hearing that Gwak Jangyeon had even come as well—her face was already lost, so how could she cling to the end?

Princess Gyeongbok did not know what to do. She had sent a maid to notify Madam Jeong in a hurry, and inwardly ground her teeth wondering why she had not appeared yet.

Just as Princess Gyeongbok was thinking that, a rumbling noise was heard from outside. Princess Gyeongbok rose in relief.

“Mother has arrived.”

Madam Jeong entered wearing a brown straight-brocade bijia over a dark upper garment lined with fine fleece at the collar, surrounded by maids.

Lady Gwak Seol saw that Madam Jeong had also come and rose despite herself, greeting her with a smile.

“Dowager, you have come.”

Though Lady Gwak Seol had risen, she did not look particularly respectful. As the mother of a Marquis, her rank was higher than that of Madam Jeong, the Lady of the Uichun Marquis. It was merely because Madam Jeong was older that Lady Gwak Seol was giving face to the Jeong family.

Madam Jeong also realized the change in Lady Gwak Seol’s attitude, and her heart grew heavy. When Jeong Yugeun and Gwak Jangyeon were betrothed, Lady Gwak Seol, as in-laws with Princess Gyeongbok, had to observe etiquette according to family seniority when meeting Madam Jeong. But now, Lady Gwak Seol merely nodded her head, showing no intention of acting like a junior. It seemed the marriage between the eldest young lady and Gwak Jangyeon was truly finished.

As Madam Jeong approached, the maids hurriedly changed the tea set and laid out new silk cushions. Leaning on her cane and supported by a maid, Madam Jeong slowly sat down in a taishi chair.

(※ Taishi chair: the only chair among Chinese furniture named after an official post. Originally imperial furniture. A symbol of power and status.)

Lady Gwak Seol inwardly scorned them. The Jeong family’s second young lady had done such a shameless thing, and the eldest young lady had been blinded by immediate gain and stolen her younger sister’s merit. Having raised daughters who knew no shame, what confidence did they have to put on such airs?

Yet these women were all nobles who prized face above all else. Lady Gwak Seol hid her scorn and spoke with a smile.

“It has been a while. Elder, how have you been lately?”

Madam Jeong answered with a dark expression.

“Thank you for your concern, Lady Gwak. This old woman is managing well enough.”

“The weather is cold and dry, so please be careful of fire, Elder.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Madam Jeong nodded with a smile, then suddenly changed her tone.

“This old woman is growing more forgetful by the day. It is fortunate that my granddaughters are extremely filial. Among them, the eldest young lady is the best. It is not that this old woman is praising herself, but the eldest young lady is the child who grew up by my side. Whether in law or in women’s work, she lacks nothing. Among the ladies who come as guests, there is none who sees this old woman’s eldest granddaughter and does not praise her. This old woman also cherished that child the most from a young age. Lately, as my health has been declining, I am counting the days until that child settles the great matter of human ethics. It would be like fulfilling a lifelong wish.”

Lady Gwak Seol’s smile grew somewhat faint as she answered.

“You speak rightly, Elder. The eldest young lady is certainly a good child. Since I was widowed, I have not associated much with various families, but I have heard of her fine reputation. However, a child’s marriage is not something that happens just because the parents wish it. The children must be compatible in heart. Since Yan-ah does not wish it, this is truly… as a mother, there is nothing I can do.”

Madam Jeong spoke with an unchanged complexion.

“Compatible in heart, you say. What does it mean to be compatible in heart? Life is not something to be idly spent like riding a horse to view flowers. A match must be weighed as an alliance between two families, as a matter of suitable station; how could it be decided by momentary likes and dislikes? Young people fuss over temporary sentiments, calling it affection or love, but that is for taking concubines, not for taking a principal wife. Has the Marquis also come today? This old woman will speak to him directly.”

Having managed the family business and dealt with daughters-in-law for many long years not in vain, when her face darkened, her momentum was no ordinary thing. Lady Gwak Seol, too, was pressured by Madam Jeong’s bearing and turned to give orders despite herself.

“Go and invite the Eldest Master.”

Gwak Jangyeon was also at the Uichun Marquis household today. Learning the truth about the snowy night before, he had been shocked and bewildered, unable to sleep all night. And after dawn broke, he came to the Uichun Marquis household determined to call off the marriage and marry the Snow Mountain goddess who had truly saved him.

Gwak Jangyeon went to Lady Gwak Seol as soon as he opened his eyes, and though she thought it unwise to go back on their word, since her son wanted to call off the marriage, she considered that calling it off was that. Without another word, Lady Gwak Seol changed her clothes and headed to the Uichun Marquis household with her son.

While Lady Gwak Seol entered through the middle gate to meet the lady of the house, Gwak Jangyeon went straight to the outer courtyard to find the Uichun Marquis heir, Master Jeong, who had once been his future father-in-law.

Early in the morning, the Jeong family’s Eldest Master, Jeong Wonhyeon, had just left his concubine’s quarters and still not shaken off the lingering scent of tenderness when he learned that his prospective son-in-law had come. Moreover, upon being asked outright to break off the engagement, one could imagine how shocked and enraged Jeong Wonhyeon was.

Both Gwak Jangyeon and Jeong Wonhyeon entered with unpleasant expressions. Since the elders of both sides were all present and there was no one to avoid, Gwak Jangyeon and Jeong Wonhyeon went directly into the inner chamber and sat with the women. After people rose and tidied their seats before sitting again, Madam Jeong looked at Gwak Jangyeon and opened her mouth in a composed voice.

“Marquis Gwak, though our ranks are equal, in any case, since I am older, may this old woman ask a few words as an elder today?”

Gwak Jangyeon clasped his hands and answered that she should speak. Madam Jeong watched his polite behavior, neither servile nor arrogant, and thought inwardly that it was a shame. She had truly looked favorably upon this junior. It was truly regrettable that she could not bind such a promising young man to her side through marriage.

“Do you truly intend to break off the marriage with the eldest young lady?”

“Yes.”

Gwak Jangyeon hesitated, then spoke firmly. At his resolute attitude, Jeong Wonhyeon’s fury surged. Madam Jeong calmed Jeong Wonhyeon with a look and asked.

“Why?”

Gwak Jangyeon recalled that winter night when the cold had chilled him to the bone. Between bouts of cold and heat, when he opened his eyes from excruciating pain, a beautiful woman was smiling at him. Gwak Jangyeon had thought that if he could take such a woman as his wife, it would be the greatest fortune of his life.

But to think she would dare lie! That such a beautiful woman could have such a malicious nature.

Gwak Jangyeon stopped his thoughts and returned to reality. He looked around at Madam Jeong, who watched him with expectant eyes; at Princess Gyeongbok, who wore an expression saying it was none of her business; and at Jeong Wonhyeon, who looked ready to strike at any moment. Then he enunciated clearly and firmly.

“There is no reason. Your household’s eldest young lady may be a good person, but she does not suit me.”

This time, Jeong Wonhyeon truly tried to roll up his sleeves. Princess Gyeongbok quickly stopped him, and Lady Gwak Seol also rose to complain.

“What is the meaning of this? What are you trying to do?”

In the midst of the confusion, a clear voice was heard from the entrance of the main hall.

“I cannot agree with the Jeongyong Marquis’s words.”

Everyone’s eyes widened, and they turned around. Seeing who it was, Madam Jeong stood up and struck her cane with a thud.

“Eldest Young Lady, what brings you here?”

Gwak Jangyeon, understanding Jeong Yugeun’s words as her disagreeing to the breakup, spoke as if disgusted.

“My mind is made up. Marriage is not something to be forced. It is best that the young lady and I end things amicably. If the young lady causes a commotion, it will look bad for both sides. Please do not do this.”

Jeong Yugeun entered with light, graceful steps, wearing a perfect smile that was proper and elegant. Having come inside, she did not so much as glance at Gwak Jangyeon and first paid her respects to the elders in the high seats.

“Grandmother, I greet you. Father, Mother, I trust you are well.”

Gwak Jangyeon, experiencing such cold treatment for the first time, immediately wore a displeased expression. He thought that breaking off the marriage with such a woman was exactly the right move to prevent greater disaster. With an unpleasant expression, he asked.

“Eldest Young Lady Jeong, what do you mean by that?”

“What capability does a single powerless woman have to disagree with the Jeongyong Marquis?”

Jeong Yugeun straightened her back and smiled at him with clear, shining eyes. She looked as noble and beautiful as a bright moon hanging high on a cliff, a sight without equal.

Before those words even finished, before anyone else could speak, Jeong Yugeun continued.

“However, one must consider the principles of all matters. First, when the Jeongyong Marquis lost consciousness, I saved him from the cave and moved him to Mother’s mountain villa. That is the first point. After being rescued, the Marquis hurriedly came to propose marriage, seeking to form a marriage alliance with the Uichun Marquis household. I, Jeong Yugeun, never pressured the Marquis, nor did our Jeong family ever request it. This is the second point. The entire capital knows that we have been betrothed for barely two months. Yet the Jeongyong Marquis has come proudly and brazenly to request breaking off the engagement, as if it were nothing. Furthermore, he has spoken disrespectfully to the elders of our family. This is the third point. The first is injustice, the second is faithlessness, and the third is shamelessness. Rather than marry such an inhumane, unjust, shameless person, I would rather remain unmarried my whole life. Today, with all the elders present, let me make this clear to the Jeongyong Marquis. I, Jeong Yugeun, am breaking off the marriage with the Jeongyong Marquis because I am ashamed of his character.”

Everyone in the main hall stood rooted in place. None could come to their senses, not knowing what Jeong Yugeun was doing. Since ancient times, it was the husband who abandoned the wife and the man’s side that called off the marriage; where was the law for the woman’s side to step forward first?

Lady Gwak Seol was completely dumbfounded, and as expected, Madam Jeong was the first to regain her senses. Madam Jeong marveled inwardly that raising her for so long had been worth it, that this was a child with sense. Since Gwak Jangyeon was determined to break off the marriage and there was no room for salvage, if their side spoke up first, they would at least seize the initiative.

Having finished her thought, Madam Jeong instantly changed her attitude.

“Enough. Since the Gwak family has lost its mind and tries to commit such inhumane, unjust acts, what does our Jeong family have to fear? Marquis Gwak, those who commit many unjust deeds will eventually hang themselves. Conduct yourself with restraint.”

Neither Princess Gyeongbok nor Jeong Wonhyeon could come to their senses. It was certainly refreshing to hear Jeong Yugeun let loose a torrent of condemnation. A high-level war of words was indeed different.

But was she really breaking off the marriage?

Gwak Jangyeon was dumbfounded by Jeong Yugeun’s lecture, and when he came to his senses, fury surged. This wicked woman, how dare she turn it around on him?

But Gwak Jangyeon soon thought that he was a man and there was no need to tussle with a weak woman. In any case, she was Muk-ah’s elder sister; even for Muk-ah’s sake, he would let her have the verbal victory.

Lady Gwak Seol was bewildered, but after regaining her senses, she immediately glared at Jeong Yugeun. Gwak Jangyeon stopped his mother.

“Mother, regardless of who spoke first, as long as the marriage is called off, that is enough. Eldest Young Lady Jeong, seeing that you are a woman, I will not judge right and wrong. I hope you will keep your word and hasten to call off the marriage.”

“Jeongyong Marquis, are you looking down on women so?”

Jeong Yugeun scoffed, then took out the marriage contract before Gwak Jangyeon’s eyes and deliberately, slowly, tore it to shreds.

“It is Marquis Gwak who has failed to keep his word. It is not that the Marquis does not judge right and wrong with me, but that the Marquis has not been able to act upright toward me. Remember that well.”

Jeong Yugeun loosened her grip on the torn marriage contract and threw the pieces all onto the floor. Then she glanced at Gwak Jangyeon one last time, paid her respects to each elder as if nothing had happened, turned around, and walked out.

Even while hurling insults, Jeong Yugeun had seized the moral high ground without a single crack. Gwak Jangyeon watched her retreating figure. Even in such a moment, her back was impeccably proper and beautiful. Her steps, too, were neither too wide nor too close, precise as if calculated. Gwak Jangyeon’s face grew increasingly dark before he suddenly erupted in anger, shook his sleeves, and went outside.

The remaining people, including Jeong Wonhyeon, could not come to their senses for a while and looked at one another’s faces.

Gwak Jangyeon soon chased after Jeong Yugeun. Since she walked with such bearing that she could have been selected as a court lady, it was easy to follow her.

Though Gwak Jangyeon called to her from behind, Jeong Yugeun pretended not to hear and ignored him. Unable to endure any longer, Gwak Jangyeon abruptly grabbed her arm.

“Stop!”

Unable to endure any longer herself, Jeong Yugeun turned around and swung her hand immediately.

“Let go!”

Gwak Jangyeon was utterly shocked by the slap. He had never imagined there would be a woman who dared strike him, and thus he could not dodge it.

Unfortunately, Jeong Yugeun’s strength had its limits. She shook her stinging hand in regret. It had merely turned red; she had not been able to scratch this trash’s face. If she had, she could have ruined his path to officialdom.

Jeong Yugeun was deeply disappointed inwardly, while Gwak Jangyeon touched the corner of his mouth in disbelief. He was so furious he could hardly control himself, but as someone who maintained his dignity nonetheless, he did not strike back. He looked coldly at Jeong Yugeun.

“What, have you decided to stop putting on airs now?”

“Putting on airs? I am the eldest young lady of the Uichun Marquis household. For a long time, everyone has praised me for being proper and virtuous. I cannot even bear to step on an ant. It is you, Marquis Gwak, who should be careful while walking. If you trip over a stone and scratch your face, what then? Your future path will be severed for the rest of your life.”

“You…”

Gwak Jangyeon frowned in fury as he looked at Jeong Yugeun. He could not believe such a woman existed in the world.

“A woman who stops at nothing for honor, hypocritical and manipulative. Who would want to marry such a venomous woman? What a waste of that beautiful skin.”

Jeong Yugeun scoffed and said.

“Thank you for the compliment, Marquis. Marquis, have you never heard that the more beautiful a woman is, the better she lies? Did you think every woman in the world is as innocent, kind, and weak as your darling Muk-sister?”

Jeong Yugeun did not hide her contempt for Gwak Jangyeon and shot him a sideways glance.

“Are you a fool?”

“Jeong Yugeun!”

Not wanting to look at this fool for even a moment, Jeong Yugeun turned away coldly. But she saw a group of people standing not far off. Jeong Yugeun and Gwak Jangyeon happened to be blocking the only exit. There was no telling how long those people had been standing there listening.

Thinking inwardly that she had made a grave blunder, Jeong Yugeun switched to a neat, beautiful smile in the blink of an eye and quickly assessed the group. Since they had appeared in the inner courtyard of the Jeong residence early in the morning without a guide, they must be relatives within the five degrees of kinship of the Jeong family.

The person standing at the front wore a red yesal (曳撒: a garment with attached upper and lower sections, originally a military uniform later adopted as official attire) and a black daechangeui (大氅衣: a wide-sleeved outer garment), an official's belt dangling at his waist. With his tall, striking stature, he stood as straight as a pine tree.

At first, Jeong Yugeun thought the group was from the Jeong family. If they were relatives of the Jeong clan, her earlier slightly out-of-line behavior would have been no serious matter. But the moment she saw this man, she lost confidence in that assumption.

The red yesal meant he was undoubtedly a court official. Moreover, his rank was not low. The morning wind blew snow from the night before into the air, making everything hazy so that the other party's face was not clearly visible. But it was certain that he was not old.

A person of high standing at a young age—did the Jeong clan have such a person?

The attendant beside the man cleared his throat and spoke deliberately in a loud voice.

“Ninth Lord, the Lord is waiting.”

Ninth Lord?

Jeong Yugeun realized in an instant. So it was him!

As though he had endured all he could, the other party slowly approached, leading a crowd of attendants. He did not even glance toward Jeong Yugeun.

Jeong Yugeun, always composed even in great affairs, stepped back to clear the way and slightly turned her wrist to offer a standard manbok greeting (萬福禮).

“Ninth Uncle, I wish you ten thousand blessings.”

(A manbok greeting is one of the courtesies for women. After Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty claimed the imperial throne and established ceremonial rites, she changed women's greetings from prostrations to standing straight, placing both hands before the chest, slightly bowing the head, and subtly moving the hands and knees. At the time, it was called “yeorinbae,” and during the Tang and Song periods, women often uttered “manbok” when paying respects, which later became the “manbok greeting.”)

When Jeong Yugeun stepped back to make way, the other party truly passed before her leisurely, without the slightest gesture of greeting.

He was tall and straight, slightly taller even than Gwak Jangyeon. With distinct eyes, a prominent nose, and a sharp jawline, his looks were quite outstanding. Though the man showed no particular expression as he passed before Jeong Yugeun and Gwak Jangyeon, Gwak Jangyeon unconsciously backed away to clear the path.

It was not the bearing of an ordinary person. Ordinary people could never possess such a natural aura, as if they had been worshipped since birth.

Jeong Yugeun knew there was someone of very special status in the Jeong family. But she had heard that he had not resided in the inner estate for a long time and had been serving in provincial posts in recent years. Thus her impression of him was very faint.

Because of that very sensational incident at the time, Old Madam Jeong and Old Lord Jeong had nearly fallen out. When Jeong Yugeun was just a one-year-old infant, Old Lord Jeong suddenly brought in a six-year-old boy from outside, claiming he was the son of himself and Lady Seol. Saying that letting one's bloodline wander outside was not a matter of propriety, Old Lord Jeong registered the brought-in child in the family registry.

Old Madam Jeong was furious. She had toiled bitterly at home managing the family estate, yet Old Lord Jeong had frivolously continued his connection with an old flame outside and even fathered an illegitimate child who was now six years old.

Bring him into the family? Not a chance!

But Old Lord Jeong was very resolute in this matter. Stubbornly, he opened the ancestral hall, named the child Jeong Won-gyeong, and entered him into the family registry as the ninth in the line.

In other words, by generational ranking, Jeong Won-gyeong was Jeong Yugeun's ninth uncle—Ninth Uncle.

Jeong Yugeun remembered what happened afterward. The outraged Old Madam Jeong made a drastic decision: if Old Lord Jeong took in Lady Seol and the illegitimate child, she would take her children and return to her maiden home. It was unthinkable for a legal wife—who even had a granddaughter who had begun to walk—to undergo a divorce by mutual consent (和離). In any case, Old Madam Jeong was the mistress of the household who had borne two sons and a daughter for the estate. Unable to handle his aged wife, Old Lord Jeong set up a separate outer residence to take care of Lady Seol and Jeong Won-gyeong outside.

Men were creatures who could restrain their lower halves but not their hearts; Old Madam Jeong could not possibly stop him. Since Lady Seol and Jeong Won-gyeong could not affect her status anyway, she decided to pretend ignorance and let it go.

Once the Old Madam took that stance, no one in the Jeong family mentioned the Ninth Young Master. Through occasional news dropped by the Gyeongbok Princess, Jeong Yugeun learned that the child of the outer residence was exceptionally brilliant and had passed the jinshi examination at sixteen. But with no one to look after him, his official career had not been particularly smooth.

A jinshi entered the Hanlin Academy. Even a lowly, poorly paid official of the Hanlin Academy was under the direct authority of the two chief ministers, making it the necessary path for anyone wishing to enter the grand secretariat in the future. But Jeong Won-gyeong did not have such good fortune; after obtaining a mediocre post, he was transferred to a provincial position before long.

He had not returned since going to the provinces, but today, Jeong Yugeun had suddenly met Ninth Uncle, Jeong Won-gyeong, in her own home's inner courtyard.

Jeong Won-gyeong passed Jeong Yugeun without so much as a glance and went inside. Since he had not engaged Gwak Jangyeon either, Jeong Yugeun thought nothing of it.

At this time, Gwak Jangyeon was equally surprised and bewildered. A man trained in the military, eating camp rations—yet he had failed to notice that man standing in the corridor with so many attendants.

It was a great shock to Gwak Jangyeon, and he felt deeply intimidated. He was no longer in the mood to confront Jeong Yugeun; even though he saw her disappear from the corner of his eye, he did not press further.

In any case, he could not hit a woman. Jeong Yugeun's slap would have to be taken as compensation for the stain on her honor.

Jeong Yugeun circled the corridor, crossed multiple thresholds, and only opened her mouth after the people behind her had completely disappeared.

“Was that man just now Ninth Uncle?”

“Seeing as the attendant called him Ninth Lord, it must be him.”

Jeong Yugeun furrowed her brows and muttered.

“Grandmother resented Lady Seol, so why has he suddenly returned after four or five years without word?”

How would Duyak and Yeongyo know of outside affairs? Jeong Yugeun murmured to herself as she passed through a moon gate (月亮門: a gate with a circular aperture).

“He's only been gone three years, yet he's risen to the Fourth Rank. That's too fast, however you look at it.”

Duyak and Yeongyo, who knew nothing of court matters, spoke in puzzlement.

“Young Lady, how did you know Ninth Lord is Fourth Rank after just a brief glance?”

“Dukes, marquises, prince consorts, and those up to the Fourth Rank wear red. The Fourth Rank is not low either—among the great ministers of the court, Third Rank officials can be counted on one hand.”

Having said that, Jeong Yugeun suddenly halted.

“This is bad.”

She happened to stop beneath a red plum tree. Against the white snow and red plum blossoms, Jeong Yugeun in her bright red cloak looked all the more fair and lovely, beautiful as a painting.

“Ninth Uncle's birth mother is Lady Seol, and Gwak Jangyeon's mother is also a Lady Seol.”

One could not conclude a connection between Lady Seol and Lady Seol of the Gwak family just because they shared a surname. After all, their stations were as different as heaven and earth. However, Jeong Yugeun, who had experienced a previous life in a dream, happened to know that the two were indeed distantly related cousins.

Jeong Yugeun suddenly turned around and went back. Yeongyo and Duyak exchanged glances and quickly followed.

At that moment, Jeong Won-gyeong crossed the threshold of the most splendid courtyard in the Uichun Marquis Estate and removed his daechangeui. An attendant received it and hung it on an incense rack, carefully melting the snow pellets.

When Old Lord Jeong struggled up from his sickbed and hurried out of the inner chamber, Jeong Won-gyeong quickly supported him as he nearly fell. Before even speaking, Old Lord Jeong's eyes were already red.

At Jeong Won-gyeong's slight gesture, the attendants filed out one by one. Once everyone had withdrawn, Old Lord Jeong staggered to his feet and bent his knee to offer a great bow to Jeong Won-gyeong.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, you have returned!”

Jeong Won-gyeong seized Old Lord Jeong's arm. Old Lord Jeong tried to kneel several times, but Jeong Won-gyeong stopped him in a tone that brooked no refusal.

“Lord, please rise.”

Old Lord Jeong barely held back his tears and spoke, absolutely refusing to sit.

“How could this subject sit facing Your Highness? It violates propriety.”

“What nonsense is that, Lord? What propriety?”

Jeong Won-gyeong smiled faintly, though his gaze was calm.

“Lord, I am now a Jeong. Do not call me that from now on.”

Old Lord Jeong quickly nodded. Unable to defy Jeong Won-gyeong's will any longer, he slowly sat down opposite him. Though he sat, he could not settle fully, perching on the edge.

“Then this subject shall call you Gurang from now on.”

“Do as you please.”

Jeong Won-gyeong extended his hand and gestured for him to do so.

“Gurang, why have you returned so suddenly after doing well outside?”

“I heard that your illness was grave. How could I, as your junior, live with a peaceful mind? Besides, I cannot wander outside avoiding everything forever. So I have returned to Gyeongseong both to attend to you and to settle here. I intend to remain in the capital from now on.”

Old Lord Jeong felt both joy and a sigh. Though Jeong Won-gyeong was an imperial son, a dragon's descendant, after raising him for several years as a son in name, he could not help but feel emotion.

Since falling gravely ill the previous winter, Old Lord Jeong had not been as strong. Lately, he often felt his time to close his eyes was near. Looking back on his life, he had been born into a wealthy marquis estate and lived in riches since childhood. Though he had experienced the pain of losing a loved one, after reaching the age of thirty he reunited with his beloved and spent the years together, and into his old age he had borne the expectations of the entire nation. To Old Lord Jeong, who truly had no regrets, the Crown Prince hiding his identity and living in loneliness outside was his only worry.

Thus Old Lord Jeong was truly moved that Jeong Won-gyeong had returned today. He wiped his tears, took Jeong Won-gyeong's hand, and said,

“You have returned well. You have returned well indeed. If His Majesty sees you doing well in Gyeongseong, he too will be at ease.”

After a while, Jeong Won-gyeong asked,

“His Majesty... how is his health these days?”

“His Majesty is at peace. But Gurang was not by his side, and after meeting face-to-face only briefly during the palace examination, you went straight down to the provinces... His Majesty always keeps you in his thoughts. Last year at the celebration banquet for a frontier general, he saw a man of similar age to Your Highness, and his voice choked so that he could barely speak...”

At the mention of the Emperor, Jeong Won-gyeong fell into a long silence. Old Lord Jeong let out a sigh and spoke slowly.

“I know you have suffered greatly since childhood. A rightful imperial grandson having to live with the reputation of a bastard. But His Majesty also has his difficulties. The Yang Empress Dowager is still alive, Yang Boseong controls the court, and in the rear palace, Empress Yang holds her ground every day. It is not that His Majesty does not wish to welcome you back; he simply cannot.”

Jeong Won-gyeong withdrew his gaze and smiled calmly and peacefully.

“Of course I know. I am His Majesty's subject; naturally I must share my lord's burdens.”

Old Lord Jeong became so distressed he could not speak. He tried to persuade him further but closed his mouth upon seeing Jeong Won-gyeong's expression. His face was neither dark nor seemed angry. Having spent three years in the provinces, he had become more composed and careful, revealing no emotion. That very demeanor made him look more dignified.

He looked decisive, bold, and difficult to read.

Old Lord Jeong thought that an increasingly high and noble dignity overflowed from Jeong Won-gyeong. If such a person were truly a descendant of the Jeong family, he could close his eyes in peace right this moment. Unfortunately, the Jeong family did not have such fortune.

The person before him was not of the Jeong family, and his name was not Won-gyeong.

He was Yi Seung-gyeong, the Crown Prince who had been missing for fourteen years.

Old Lord Jeong, long-experienced in court, still had his keen eye for reading people. Knowing Jeong Won-gyeong did not wish to speak at length about the Emperor, he gradually changed the subject.

“Gurang, during the three years you were away, you did not return even for the holidays. You have just returned to Gyeongseong, and the transfer order from the Ministry of Personnel has not yet come down, so rest well at home in the meantime. You haven't met them yet, but the children of the family have all grown up.”

Jeong Won-gyeong unconsciously recalled the scene from the corridor earlier and thought that perhaps he had already met them.

Suddenly curious, and having nothing to do at the moment, he asked about that.

“I saw there was a guest today. Who was it?”

“A guest?”

Old Lord Jeong asked back in puzzlement. Lying ill and recuperating, word of a guest had naturally not reached his ears. At his reaction, Jeong Won-gyeong added:

“A young man. Not very old, and seemed to be in the military.”

Hearing this, Old Lord Jeong immediately understood. Who else would be a young military officer appearing in the rear garden of the Jeong residence? He smiled and spoke.

“It's the brat of the Gwak family from the Jeongyong Marquis Estate. His name is Jangyeon. Last year he became engaged to Gurang's eldest niece.”

“Hm?”

Jeong Won-gyeong grew more interested. Smiling faintly, he remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

“However, the engaged couple did not seem to be on good terms.”

“What?”

Old Lord Jeong was greatly surprised. He was simply bewildered. Ever since finding Lady Seol, all his attention had been focused on her. After learning Jeong Won-gyeong's true identity, he had devoted himself entirely to Won-gyeong's care. Old Lord Jeong had scarcely—rather, never—paid any attention to his legitimate grandchildren.

What could have happened in two months?

“Gurang's eldest niece is a very good child. It must be that brat of the Gwak family who did wrong and hurt her.”

Though Old Lord Jeong did not attend to household affairs, he was very confident in this regard. However, Jeong Won-gyeong thought that Jeong Yugeun had not looked like someone suffering. Failing to notice Jeong Won-gyeong's expression, Old Lord Jeong continued to ramble.

“I'll have to call the first one in and ask later. He's old enough; how does he act as a father? Oh right, Gurang, Gwak Jangyeon also shares a connection with you.”

Jeong Won-gyeong raised his eyebrows at this unexpected remark.

“Oh?”

“Gwak Jangyeon's mother is also a Lady Seol. She is a distantly related cousin to Seolran (Snow Orchid).”

Since Jeong Won-gyeong did not know of this, Old Lord Jeong continued explaining.

“At the time when Seolran's family was implicated and the whole clan was exiled, the Gwak Seol family was a distant branch, and the crime did not extend to married-out daughters, so they escaped safely.”

Seolran had been Lady Seol's childhood name. Since being brought to Gyeongseong, Lady Seol had raised Jeong Won-gyeong. In a sense, Lady Seol was his foster mother.

Jeong Won-gyeong nodded. It seemed he would have to investigate the backgrounds of every household in Gyeongseong in detail.

As Old Lord Jeong and Jeong Won-gyeong were talking, an attendant outside approached from afar with loud footsteps. They naturally stopped their conversation.

The gatekeeper bowed from outside and reported,

“Lord, Ninth Lord, the Eldest Young Lady has come to offer her morning greetings.”

Morning greetings? Jeong Won-gyeong let out a scoffing laugh and shook his head. This girl was becoming more and more interesting. How uneasy she must have felt to chase him here in that short time.

Old Lord Jeong also furrowed his brows. He usually did not receive morning greetings from descendants; sons and grandsons only came formally on the first and fifteenth of the month, and granddaughters were barely seen a few times a year. Why had his eldest granddaughter suddenly come to offer greetings?

Old Lord Jeong looked at Jeong Won-gyeong as if asking his opinion. Jeong Won-gyeong smiled and nodded.

“Invite the Eldest Young Lady inside.”

Having entered, Jeong Yugeun quietly and discreetly assessed Jeong Won-gyeong first. Then she lowered her head and paid respects to Old Lord Jeong with a neat and dignified demeanor, as if measured with a ruler.

“Grandfather, I offer my morning greetings. May your esteemed health be robust.”

After speaking, Jeong Yugeun gently turned and offered greetings to Jeong Won-gyeong.

“I greet Ninth Uncle. Ninth Uncle, I wish you ten thousand blessings.”

“Rise.”

Jeong Won-gyeong raised his hand calmly. Jeong Yugeun felt slightly flustered. Old Lord Jeong was right there, yet Jeong Won-gyeong had taken the initiative to speak first.

She glanced subtly at Old Lord Jeong. He appeared peaceful and calm, completely unaware that anything was amiss.

Fine. If the grandfather himself did not fault his son's rudeness, there was no need for her to meddle.

Jeong Yugeun stood up and spoke to Jeong Won-gyeong with a smile.

“I did not know you were returning today, so I failed to greet you. Ninth Uncle, was your journey peaceful?”

Watching Jeong Yugeun's flower-like smile, Jeong Won-gyeong thought to himself that he must have been away from Gyeongseong too long to be unable to keep up with its trends. Young ladies these days were all outwardly pretty. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, even he would not have believed that such a beautiful and gentle young lady would slap her fiancé's cheek.

“It is fine. An outsider like you need not concern herself with such external affairs.”

Jeong Yugeun was so awkward at the words “outsider” coming from Jeong Won-gyeong's mouth that she did not know what to say. He was not much older than her, yet he called her an outsider so naturally; she could not possibly accept it calmly.

But what could she do when the Old Lord was someone who could not forget his old affection? Jeong Yugeun had no choice but to accept an uncle who was only five years older than her.

Taking the opportunity of Jeong Yugeun's visit for greetings, Old Lord Jeong asked,

“My eldest, let me hear it. What is going on between you and that Gwak boy?”

Jeong Yugeun glanced quietly at Jeong Won-gyeong. The Old Lord, uninterested in worldly affairs, already knew? Without thinking deeply, it must have been Jeong Won-gyeong who told him. Jeong Yugeun thought she had looked very secretly and quickly, but Jeong Won-gyeong turned his head precisely, met her eyes, and even smiled faintly.

Jeong Yugeun grew more nervous. Not knowing what Jeong Won-gyeong had told the Old Lord, she chose her words carefully.

“Grandfather, Lord Gwak and I... are already nothing to each other.”

Old Lord Jeong furrowed his brows.

“What? What nonsense at your young age. You are to become that boy's wife. You must spend your whole life with him; how can you be nothing to each other?”

Jeong Yugeun lowered her head, revealing a deep sorrow and dejection.

“Lord Gwak came today... to call off the marriage.”

“What?”

Old Lord Jeong was so surprised his voice rose involuntarily. Jeong Won-gyeong also showed a briefly surprised expression. So he had come to annul the marriage. No wonder she had slapped the other party's cheek with such precision. If it was true, he certainly deserved to be struck.