Unyielding Spring Mountains - Chapter 13: Fate

Wei Zhen knelt before the Queen, her sleeves gathered as she bowed deeply in formal obeisance, her gown spreading over the floor.

The Queen said, “A’Zhen, rise quickly.”

The Crown Prince leaned down to help her, but Wei Zhen turned aside to avoid him, remaining kneeling. “Years ago, His Majesty arranged my betrothal to the Crown Prince, but unforeseen twists and turns have since arisen, bringing many complications. Now that His Highness and my younger sister share a deep mutual affection, I have no wish to become the villain in their story. I ask Your Highness to grant my wish and annul this engagement.”

The Crown Prince lowered his head and called to her, “A’Zhen, what are you saying?”

Wei Zhen looked at him. “Did His Highness not say that I would have the final say in this matter?”

Jing Heng met her gaze, and her dark pupils gleamed like ice, as if she were placing a thousand-mile distance between them.

The Queen’s voice rang from above. “A marriage agreement is no trivial matter. A’Zhen, rise first and do not act on impulse.”

No matter what, the Queen still sided with the Crown Prince. She had said that everything would be left to Wei Zhen’s decision, but now that things had escalated to the point of annulment, she had changed her stance.

Wei Yao crawled on her knees to Wei Zhen’s side, choking with sobs. “Sister, if you say such things, does that not make me the sinner who ruined your marriage? I do admire the Crown Prince, but I understand propriety and know I should not be entangled with my sister’s betrothed.”

Wei Zhen asked, “Then you do not wish to enter the Eastern Palace?”

“I acted in a moment of confusion and now deeply regret it. How could I blindly follow Cousin into such a situation?”

Her words made Wei Ling laugh coldly. “So, unwilling to follow him blindly means you only wish to become his rightful consort? Do you expect my sister to hand over this marriage to you completely?”

Wei Yao’s eyes reddened, and she bit her lip. “Brother…”

Wei Zhen listened to everything in silence. She had no intention of placing all the blame on Wei Yao—this matter was not without the Crown Prince’s fault. Yet, he remained silent, merely standing aside and watching as the sisters quarreled, as if they were fighting over him.

Wei Zhen’s gaze lifted slightly, though out of decorum, it only rested on the Queen’s robes at her knees.

The royal gown was embroidered with a hundred birds, its grandeur unparalleled. Golden threads shimmered under the sunlight, radiating the dignity and majesty of a queen—so weighty, so oppressive.

The gaze from the high seat bore down on her with a crushing force.

Maintaining perfect composure, Wei Zhen spoke gently. “I am deeply grateful for Your Highness’s kindness in these past days, but marriage cannot be forced. After the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, I will return south to my homeland. This way, I will not put Your Highness in a difficult position.”

With that, she bowed and took her leave. Her white sleeves billowed like falling snow, and she did not stop even as voices called after her.

Wei Ling followed, casting a sharp glance at the Crown Prince as he left.

Only then did this farce finally come to an end.

After Wei Zhen’s departure, the Queen pressed her fingers to her forehead and coldly ordered Wei Yao and her mother to withdraw.

“How does the Crown Prince plan to handle this matter?” The Queen’s voice was hoarse.

She turned to the Crown Prince, who stood in the shadows, his expression unreadable.

“I have long turned a blind eye to your private meetings with Wei Yao, pretending not to see. But since you two were meeting in secret, did it never occur to you to be more discreet?”

There was reproach in her words—not for the affair itself, but for their failure to keep it hidden.

“That mother and daughter are truly cut from the same cloth. My dear younger sister, before she was married, had already entangled herself with a man who had a wife, even becoming pregnant out of wedlock. It was I who covered everything up for her and helped her marry into the Wei family as she wished. And now, her daughter has followed the same path.”

The Crown Prince replied, “How can Mother blame everything on A’Yao? I also have feelings for her; that is why I kept seeing her in secret.”

Hearing how he defended Wei Yao, the Queen shook her head and asked, “What do you intend to do now?”

“For now, stabilizing the Wei family’s eldest daughter takes priority. Wei Zhen spoke of annulment in anger, but she understands the difficulty of breaking a royal betrothal. Though she resents me, she knows the weight of this marriage.”

The Queen gave him a long, meaningful look.

The Crown Prince’s expression remained calm. “She is only making a scene to demand a resolution. If we give her enough respect and accommodate her in all things, she will eventually take the way out we provide.”

“Balancing grace with authority is the key to securing loyalty.” The Queen nodded. “Her mother sacrificed her life to win her this marriage into the royal family. She should know to be content.”

With Wei Zhen settled, the conversation turned to Wei Yao. The Queen asked how he intended to arrange things.

“A’Yao is Mother’s niece—I would never mistreat her. For now, she must endure a little longer. Once I am wed, I will bring her into the palace. As long as Wei Zhen marries me, no matter how unwilling Wei Ling is, he will have to prioritize his sister’s standing in the palace and ultimately submit to me.”

The Crown Prince lowered his gaze. “Father and Mother arranged my marriage to Wei Zhen for the sake of the Wei family’s power, did they not?”

A mere marriage contract—if the royal family truly wished to break it, it would be effortless.

That they did not was merely because they had other motives.

Was he truly such a heartless man who would sacrifice his beloved for power?

Wei Ling dared to strike him today only because he wielded too much power, too recklessly.

He would bring the Wei family under his control, file away their sharp edges, and ensure they never dared to be this brazen again.

With that thought, Jing Heng descended the steps.

—

Rumors spread fastest within palace walls.

Though Wei Zhao had not left the residence, he had already heard what had transpired.

As soon as he learned that Wei Zhen and Wei Ling had returned, he summoned them to the front hall.

“A marriage is not something that can be annulled so easily! Wei Zhen, you must go see the Queen at once and tell her that your words were spoken in a moment of haste. Perhaps there is still a chance to salvage this.” Wei Zhao said.

“Father, my mind is made up. Please do not interfere.”

Wei Ling stepped forward. “As soon as Sister returned, Father blamed her, but have you asked what our younger sister and her mother have done?”

Madam Song lifted her head. “A’Zhen, I know you have a kind heart. Since you are willing to annul your engagement with the Crown Prince, why not fulfill your sister’s wish and preserve the marriage?”

Wei Ling sneered. He had not expected such shamelessness. “That is absolutely impossible!”

“If my sister annuls the engagement today, I would not object if the Crown Prince were to marry another woman. But your daughter? Never. This marriage was won with my mother’s life. How could it be given to the daughter of the woman who caused her death?”

Few knew that when Lady Wei gave birth to Wei Ling, she was already frail. Yet, Wei Zhao had brought Madam Song into the residence, treating her as an equal wife. This left Lady Wei in despair, her health deteriorating further.

Later, during the spring hunt, she sacrificed herself to shield the King and Queen from an assassin’s arrow.

Who could say whether she had foreseen her own fate and chosen to gamble her life for her children’s future?

And now, this family of three spoke so righteously, condemning Wei Zhen as selfish while attempting to wring the last drop of blood from his mother. How could Wei Ling endure it?

His eyes turned red. “Father, rest assured—so long as I live, your wish will never come true.”

A hand reached out from behind him, gripping his wrist.

Wei Zhen tightened her hold slightly, urging him to stay calm and not waste words on them. “A’Ling, let’s go.”

Just then, a palace attendant lifted the curtain and entered.

Wei Zhao straightened his expression and hurried forward. “Has His Majesty sent word?”

The old eunuch nodded. “Yes. His Majesty has heard of today’s events and sent me to deliver a message—”

“This marriage was arranged by His Majesty himself. Whether it will be annulled requires careful deliberation. However, under no circumstances must the eldest daughter of the Wei family be wronged.”

The eunuch then turned to Wei Yao.

“The second daughter of the Wei family—shall not enter the Eastern Palace.”

Madam Song’s face froze. “What does His Majesty mean by this…?”

The old eunuch said, “His Majesty still remembers the great debt owed to Madam Wei for saving him.”

Such heavy words clearly represented His Majesty’s will.

Madam Song repeatedly answered, “Yes,” respectfully seeing the messenger off. Wei Zhen and her younger brother also left the main hall together.

Once they had gone, with a loud crash, Wei Zhao swung his wide sleeves, overturning all the tea cups on the table.

Madam Song angrily said, “His Majesty spoke of a marriage alliance between the Wei family and the Crown Prince. Our daughter is also of the Wei family, so why is she not allowed?”

“You should say no more,” Wei Zhao said in a deep voice. “If not for Wei Ling today, I fear I would still be kept in the dark, unaware of what our ‘good daughter’ has done.”

Lately, troubles had arisen frequently within the Wei family. Wei Zhao had only one beloved son, Wei Zhang, and ever since he had been exiled to Wuyue, Wei Zhao had become increasingly temperamental, his face devoid of any joy, replaced only by a deep gloom.

Wei Zhao brushed his sleeves and left, leaving behind a floor littered with shattered tea cups.

Madam Song, having been scolded in front of the servants, felt deeply humiliated. Wei Yao, nestled in her arms, looked up at her in panic. “Mother, does this mean I can never marry the Crown Prince in my lifetime?”

“How could that be?” Madam Song gently stroked her daughter’s back.

The King of Chu’s health was failing, and it was uncertain whether he would survive the year. How could the living dictate the affairs of the dead?

She comforted her daughter with a few words and sent her back to rest, keeping only her trusted maidservant, Yun Maidservent, by her side.

Yun Maidservent said, “Those siblings are nothing but trouble if they remain…”

Madam Song took a sip of tea and said, “But how can I possibly get rid of them? I originally intended to persuade the Queen to send Wei Zhen in place of Princess Yiyang for the peace marriage. But now, with both His Majesty and my sister standing by Wei Zhen’s side, that path is clearly impossible.”

Yun Maidservent hesitated before speaking. “Actually, Madam, if you truly wish to remove the eldest young lady… I may have an idea.”

She leaned in to whisper, and Madam Song’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re saying that Wei Zhen’s parentage holds hidden secrets?”

“Yes. A servant boy came to me, saying that his mother once served Lady Wei and knew some details of the past. However, he speaks of this matter only to demand money, so I feared he was merely trying to extort us.”

Madam Song lowered her voice. “Now is not the time to stir up trouble. Let’s wait until after the Empress Dowager’s birthday, and then we can discuss it once we return to the capital. For now, keep that servant boy placated, give him money, and see if he reveals anything more.”

Even if it was fabricated, Madam Song could still twist it into the truth.

She took another sip of tea. She wanted those siblings out of the Wei family for good, but first, she had to deal with Wei Zhen, their pillar of support.

“Madam is wise.”

**

While the mistress and servant whispered in secret, on the other side, Wei Zhen returned to her chambers and immediately summoned her guards.

“You all should go home ahead of time, pack our belongings, and start moving them back to the fief.”

Tian Maidservent asked, “Miss, why are you sending the guards home in such haste? Are you planning to leave the capital?”

Wei Zhen walked to the mirror and removed the ornaments from her hair.

From the Queen’s words, it was clear she did not wish to see the engagement annulled. However, Wei Zhen had already made her stance clear. Staying in the capital any longer would be futile. Once the Empress Dowager’s birthday was over, they would immediately head south to the fief, cutting off all ties and leaving no room for reversal.

For the next three days, Wei Zhen remained behind closed doors, refusing all visitors, including the Crown Prince, with various excuses.

But during these days of seclusion, one matter weighed heavily on her mind.

Ever since Qi Yan left to handle some affairs, there had been no word from him.

The scenes from her dreams were vivid in her mind: the air thick with the scent of blood, torrential rain blowing through the windows, a young man bursting through the doors, while outside, pursuing soldiers pounded against them as if bringing death itself.

On the day of the Empress Dowager’s birthday, Wei Zhen awoke and stepped out of bed, pushing open the window.

Though it was already morning, the sky remained shrouded in darkness. Heavy clouds churned at the horizon, and a bitter wind howled, signaling an impending storm.

The weather today was as somber as in her dream.

She wondered if Qi Yan had managed to resolve everything. If not, then the Qi family might not escape the same tragic fate as in her past life…

Wei Zhen called out to the guard outside her window. “Jingshuang.”

“Miss, what are your orders?”

“Go back to the capital and find out what’s happening with the Qi family. If you hear anything, report to me immediately.”

The guard acknowledged the order and disappeared into the gloomy sky.

Wei Zhen’s fingers lightly tapped against the window frame. Whether or not the Qi family could survive this crisis would depend on tonight.

By evening, the palace gradually lit up with lanterns, yet Jingshuang had not returned with any news.

Accompanied by her Maidservent, Wei Zhen proceeded to the grand hall where the banquet was being held.