Unyielding Spring Mountains - Chapter 20: Bewitch

The Crown Prince had always harbored suspicions about the relationship between the two, but he never expected that after just casually mentioning it, Qi Yan would actually be inside the hall, knocking on the screen as if nothing had happened.

That sound was clearly intentional, meant for the Crown Prince to hear.

The Crown Prince remained silent, his cold gaze fixed on the person before him.

Wei Zhen quickly stepped forward, placing herself between the two men.

However, Qi Yan rested a hand on her shoulder. “The Crown Prince had not yet finished speaking. Didn’t you say you would ask me in person about my relationship with the eldest lady of the Wei family?”

The Crown Prince saw the defiance in Qi Yan’s eyes, as if he had no fear of this matter being exposed.

“Lady Wei is renowned for her beauty, remarkable talent, and resilient character. Among all the noble ladies in the capital, she is an outstanding figure. Why would the Crown Prince think she is not exceptional enough to have bewitched another man?”

The words “bewitched another man” were spoken with a slight upward lilt at the end, carrying an inexplicable hint of ambiguity and teasing.

Not only was the Crown Prince stunned upon hearing this, but even Wei Zhen was momentarily taken aback.

Qi Yan continued, “Does the Crown Prince believe that everyone is like you—that any private meeting between a man and a woman must be considered an illicit affair?”

The Crown Prince asked, “Then why are you here, appearing in Wei Ling’s room?”

The Crown Prince was no stranger to romantic affairs. In the past, he had often used Princess Yiyang’s name as a cover to secretly meet with Wei Yao. Looking around the sleeping quarters, he quickly grasped the general situation.

“Think whatever you like,” Qi Yan said.

Such an indifferent attitude only confirmed the Crown Prince’s suspicions.

Jing Heng turned to Wei Zhen. “Ah Zhen, is what he said true?”

Wei Zhen met Jing Heng’s gaze and, after a moment, replied, “Isn’t this exactly what the Crown Prince wanted to see?”

She was only a step behind in following Qi Yan’s train of thought. Since the Crown Prince had already assumed there was an illicit affair between them, why bother wasting words in defense? He wouldn’t believe it anyway.

But now that they had admitted it right in front of him, why did the Crown Prince’s expression suddenly darken?

Qi Yan lowered his gaze slightly, looking at her. The soft light fell upon her face, making her eyes appear even brighter. She met the Crown Prince’s stare with calm composure, not a trace of anger in her demeanor.

The two of them understood each other perfectly without the need for words.

The Crown Prince smiled. “Since you both admit it, then I have nothing more to say. Guards—” he called out loudly to the palace attendants outside the hall.

Qi Yan stepped forward. “Is the Crown Prince planning to expose my affair with Lady Wei? I happened to overhear Your Highness mention the death of the Sixth Prince just now. As it happens, I am in charge of this case and hold some evidence in my hands.”

Who didn’t know how to make threats? The Crown Prince had used this matter to threaten Wei Zhen, but now he found himself caught in his own trap. If an investigation were to be pursued, his own responsibility would be far greater.

“If the Crown Prince wishes to make an accusation, you are welcome to try,” Qi Yan said, lightly tapping the screen with his fingers, his tone relaxed and casual.

“But rather than dwelling on whether your former fiancée has been seeing another man, perhaps Your Highness should focus more on the matter of the Seventh Prince’s return to the country.” Qi Yan reminded him.

The Crown Prince’s gaze darkened. “Was it you?”

Qi Yan said, “How could it be? Ever since the death of the Sixth Prince, His Majesty has already considered changing the heir. Now that the Seventh Prince is returning, as a general of Chu, it is my duty to ensure his safety. I have already dispatched an elite force to escort him, ensuring that no ill-intentioned individuals have an opportunity to act.”

The Crown Prince smiled in mock praise. “The young general has done an excellent job!”

He had finally torn away his mask of gentleness, and a sneer surfaced in his eyes. He shot a cold glance at Wei Zhen. “I hope you won’t regret this.”

With those words, he left the hall.

Now that their engagement had been completely broken, he would undoubtedly hold a grudge. Wei Zhen had long anticipated this outcome.

After he left, she turned to Qi Yan and said softly, “Actually, the general didn’t have to step forward just now. I had my own way of dealing with the Crown Prince.” She bowed her head slightly in gratitude.

Qi Yan walked alongside her toward the outside. “I just couldn’t stand his behavior. And don’t take my words just now to heart.”

Wei Zhen shook her head and said gently, “How could I?”

She was not the kind of overly shy and delicate woman who would be overly affected by a few words suggesting they had been meeting in secret. And clearly, Qi Yan had not meant it that way either.

In truth, aside from the night he intruded into her quarters, they had always observed proper conduct and had very few moments of impropriety.

“But some of what I said wasn’t untrue,” the young man’s voice came from above.

He tilted his head slightly, a few stray locks of hair brushing against his face. His eyes, bright and luminous, gazed at her as he stood bathed in the dappled light of spring.

Wei Zhen was momentarily stunned, recalling his words from earlier. Was he referring to the part where he praised her as “an outstanding figure among the noble ladies of the capital”?

From childhood to now, this was the first time she had been praised so openly by a man outside of her family.

She averted her gaze, feeling uncharacteristically flustered, and mumbled a response. But he seemed to have brought it up casually.

Wei Zhen turned her eyes slightly to the side, walking shoulder to shoulder with him toward the outside. “The Empress Dowager’s birthday has passed. Tomorrow, my younger brother and I will pack our belongings and leave Zhanghua Palace. Afterward, we will head south to return to our fiefdom. Thank you, General, for taking care of me and my brother these past few days.”

They stopped beneath the flowering trees. “Will the General be returning to the borderlands afterward?”

Qi Yan glanced beyond the courtyard. “I have to make a trip to Jin.”

Wei Zhen asked, “Jin?”

“Yes, I have to escort the princess who is being sent there for marriage. Her dowry is already prepared, and the Jin envoy will be departing within the next few days. After the court divination, an auspicious date will be chosen for the journey.”

Wei Zhen asked, “Has the bride been decided? Which princess is it?”

Qi Yan said, “It’s mostly settled. But Princess Yiyang is still resisting and refuses to leave with the envoy. She has been placed under house arrest by the King of Chu. Meanwhile, the Queen seems to be considering selecting another suitable noblewoman from the royal family.”

Wei Zhen did not inquire further. She suspected that Qi Yan’s trip to Jin was not solely for this purpose—he likely intended to meet the old King of Jin as well.

The Qi family was constrained at every turn in Chu, always facing the threat of annihilation. Rather than being doomed by their own brilliance, seeking refuge in Jin might be the better choice.

She wondered, in their past life, after that fateful night when Qi Yan lost all his family, when he was stripped of his wings and forced to grow up—did he also go to Jin?

In their past life, their encounters had been fleeting, like a spring flower falling into a pool, creating a ripple before dispersing completely, never to intersect again.

Perhaps this lifetime would be the same…

Fortunately, their fates had unknowingly changed, setting them on a new trajectory.

However, they did not know when they would meet again in the future.

Wei Zhen stood in the midst of the rich spring sunlight, watching his departing figure for a long while before finally turning away.

The Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration had passed, and most of the noble families who had come to attend the banquet had begun packing their belongings, preparing to return to the capital within the next two days.

Wei Zhao’s second wife, Madam Song, sat by the table, anxiously waiting for news.

The wedding between the Crown Prince and Wei Zhen was fast approaching, making it nearly impossible for any changes to occur at this point. Meanwhile, her daughter’s belly was also growing larger and would soon be impossible to conceal.

Because she had suffered grievances in the past, Madam Song did not want her daughter to endure the same criticism for being involved with a married man.

The old maid Yun, whom she had sent to deliver a message to the Crown Prince, stepped over the threshold and returned, shaking her head at Madam Song. “His Highness the Crown Prince is still occupied with state affairs and is unable to spare time to see our young lady.”

Madam Song trembled with rage, laughing coldly.

They called him the esteemed Crown Prince, a gentleman among men, yet in the end, he did not even have the sense of responsibility that Wei Zhao did. At the very least, when Wei Zhao got a girl pregnant, he took responsibility.

The noise of the servants packing up their belongings made Madam Song’s headache worse.

Maidservant Yun instructed the servants to leave. Once the hall quieted down, she approached Madam Song, gently stroking her back to soothe her.

Madam Song gritted her teeth. “Why must Wei Zhao insist on stopping Wei Zhen from breaking off the engagement? If only this marriage were dissolved, the position of Crown Princess would naturally fall to my daughter.”

Maidservant Yun wanted to offer some comforting words, but Madam Song grabbed a teacup from the table and smashed it to the ground. Hot water and shards of porcelain scattered everywhere, startling Maidservant Yun.

Seeing that Madam Song’s anger remained unappeased, Maidservant Yun hesitated for a moment before leaning close to whisper in her ear, “Madam, do you still remember the method I mentioned before? The one that would utterly disgrace Wei Zhen and force her out of the Wei family?”

Madam Song lifted her head. “Of course, I remember.”

“The man in question has been secured. Once Madam returns home tomorrow, he can be summoned to explain everything.”

At the mention of this man, Madam Song finally calmed down. “Is it truly as he claims—that Wei Zhen is not of Wei family blood? Can his words be trusted?”

Maidservant Yun remained silent for a moment. “That servant’s mother was once a trusted aide of the late Lady Wei. After Lady Wei passed away, the maid also left the Wei household. It was only before her recent death that she revealed the hidden truth of the eldest young lady’s origins to her son.”

Madam Song remained skeptical. “Could he not simply be looking to extort money?”

Since that servant had approached Madam Song, claiming to hold a secret about Lady Wei, she had already spent a significant amount of money on him. Yet, like a bottomless pit, he kept demanding more, firmly grasping her weakness. Madam Song was losing patience.

Maidservant Yun held up several fingers. “Madam, there is an eighty percent chance that this is true. I have investigated it—his mother was indeed a servant of our household. Her household registry and slave imprint all match up. He says that once Madam returns to the capital, he can fully explain the events of that year.”

Madam Song took a deep breath. The thought that Wei Zhen might not actually be a true daughter of the Wei family filled her with irrepressible excitement. “Yes. In any case, we are returning home tomorrow. We will soon find out the truth.”

If the truth of Wei Zhen’s origins was exposed, what face would she have left to continue claiming the status of the eldest young lady?

At that time, Wei Yao would become Wei Zhao’s only legitimate daughter. If Madam Song fought for her, the marriage Lady Wei had arranged would naturally fall to Wei Yao instead.

Wei Yao’s belly was growing by the day—there was no more time to waste.

Madam Song waved her fan. “Once we return to the capital, you must immediately bring that man to see me. Be discreet—do not let Wei Zhen suspect anything, understood?”

It was truly convenient—just when she needed to get rid of Wei Zhen, someone had presented her with a solution. It was as if she had wished for a pillow and one was promptly handed to her.

Lady Wei’s shadow had loomed over her for so many years, but at last, she would finally be able to hold her head high in the Wei family.

The next day, the Wei family departed from Zhanghua Palace.

When the carriage stopped at the mansion’s gates, Madam Song, supported by Maidservant Yun, quickly stepped over the threshold.

Wei Zhen lifted her skirt as she alighted from the carriage, instructing the servants to handle the luggage carefully before heading toward the inner courtyard with Tian Amu.

As they passed through the floral gateway and walked along the covered walkway, Wei Zhen sensed the person beside her stiffen. She stopped and followed Tian Amu’s gaze toward the far end of the corridor.

A maid was leading a young servant boy in a hurried stride, their figures disappearing around the corner.

The maid was one of Madam Song’s attendants.

Wei Zhen recognized the woman, but the boy was unfamiliar. She had only been in the capital for six months and was uninvolved in the Wei family’s internal affairs, so she did not think much of it.

However, Tian Amu seemed to have lost her soul, her eyes staring blankly ahead.

Wei Zhen asked softly, “Amu, what’s wrong?”

Tian Amu snapped out of it, her face still carrying a look of panic. Forcing a smile, she replied, “This old servant’s eyes must be failing me—I thought I saw an old acquaintance, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t.”

Wei Zhen smiled. “Ever since my mother passed, you followed me to the south. If this person is an old acquaintance of yours, wouldn’t they also be someone from my mother’s side?”

Tian Amu shook her head and denied it, continuing to walk forward with Wei Zhen.

Wei Zhen said, “The south has been unsettled recently. Bandits have risen in rebellion. I received news yesterday and already instructed my younger brother to lead troops back to our fiefdom to stabilize the situation. Amu, we should also pack quickly and set out for the south in the next few days.”

Tian Amu absentmindedly agreed, but as she stepped off the walkway, she once again glanced back at the direction that servant boy had gone.

This time, worry had deeply settled in the old woman’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Maidservant Yun pushed open the door, motioning for the person behind her to enter.

“Kowtowing in respect, I am Chang Shou.” The young servant knelt in greeting.

Madam Song did not bother with pleasantries. She patted the table stacked with silver, prompting the servant to understand immediately. Standing up, he said, “I wonder if Madam recalls my late mother, Peng Niang, who once served Lady Wei?”

Nearly twenty years had passed, and Madam Song’s memory was somewhat hazy. But at the mention, she vaguely remembered someone by that name.

“Lady Wei died saving His Majesty from an arrow. Later, the master dismissed the household servants, and my mother had to leave the Wei family. She lived in poverty for years. It wasn’t until her death that she revealed a shocking secret to me.”

Madam Song gripped the edge of the tea table tightly. “And then?”

Was Wei Zhen an illegitimate child born from Lady Wei’s affair, or was she a foundling taken in from the streets?

The servant glanced at Madam Song’s expression and lowered his voice. “When Lady Wei first married into the family, she soon became pregnant. It was a joyful event. However, later on, Madam also became pregnant, and the news reached Lady Wei. She was already in poor health, and upon hearing it, she suffered severe distress and nearly miscarried. She barely managed to keep the child but was left in fragile condition.”

Madam Song frowned. This had something to do with her?

“She went into labor early, at eight months, giving birth to a weak daughter who barely survived. Surely Madam remembers this?”

“I remember.”

“In truth, that baby was switched!”

Maidservant Tian choked with emotion, her thin body prostrated on the ground before her. “Miss, please listen to this old servant. Back then, when Madam gave birth to a baby girl, the infant was born weak and frail. Not long after coming into this world, she passed away. This old servant feared that Madam would blame me, and knowing that Madam was already in poor health and could not bear such a blow, I gritted my teeth and made a decision—I took a child I found outside and replaced the deceased infant with her.”

The words were too unbelievable—how could Wei Zhen possibly believe them?

She removed a jade pendant from her waist and held it out to Maidservant Tian. “Did you not say before that this was the jade pendant my mother left for me?”

The jade pendant was carved with a pattern of a soaring serpent. Under the sunlight, it exuded a warm luster, pure and flawless, every detail exquisitely crafted—a treasure that could not be bought no matter how much silver one offered.

Maidservant Tian’s lips trembled. “This… should have been placed inside the swaddling cloth by the one who abandoned you back then.”

Wei Zhen did not believe her and spoke gently, “Maidservant Tian, look carefully. If I were truly a child you picked up from the countryside, how would I have such a precious item?”

“Your true parents must have hoped you would be taken in by a good family, so they placed this jade pendant in your swaddling cloth, wishing that whoever found you would, out of regard for the pendant’s value, treat you kindly.”

“But it was precisely because I recognized the worth of this jade pendant that I deduced you must have come from an exceptional background, though I did not know why you were abandoned in the wilderness. That was why I took you back with me.”

Wei Zhen’s fingertips trembled as she clutched the jade pendant. She knew that Maidservant Tian had no reason to deceive her. Even though she was always calm, at this moment, she could not help but have red-rimmed eyes. “Maidservant Tian…”

Maidservant Tian prostrated herself on Wei Zhen’s lap, her tears soaking through the fabric of her skirt.

“It was all this old servant’s fault. I should not have let myself be blinded by fear, but at the time, if Madam Wei had woken up and found that her child was gone, she truly would not have survived…”

Hearing her mention Madam Wei, Wei Zhen’s tears slipped down uncontrollably. She grasped the jade pendant tightly and murmured, “Mother…”

Maidservant Tian raised her head, about to say more, when suddenly, a commotion erupted outside.

Wei Zhen rose and walked to the door. Outside the courtyard, a dozen or so guards had arrived. Those attempting to enter were being blocked by Wei Zhen’s own guards, and soon, a fight broke out.

Earlier, when Wei Ling traveled south, Wei Zhen had been uneasy and had sent most of her guards to protect him. The few who remained by her side were all highly skilled, the elites among the guards, yet they were still outnumbered. After holding out for a while, they were eventually defeated.

“Miss, the head of the family requests your presence,” one of Wei Zhao’s guards stated coldly as he stopped before her.

Seeing that Wei Zhen did not move, he gestured for his men to step forward and drag her away.

Wei Zhen said coldly, “I can walk on my own.”

In the past, who in the Wei family would have dared to lay a finger on the eldest daughter of the house? Now, she stood there in a red dress like a blazing flame, her expression sharp and cold, reminding the guards of the times she had commanded servants with authority. For a moment, they hesitated, merely flanking her on both sides as they escorted her away.

As she passed through the courtyard, she saw Jing Shuang collapsed on the ground and discreetly signaled to him with her eyes.

Jing Shuang struggled to rise but was ruthlessly pinned down by a boot pressing hard against his shoulder.

A tall figure blocked Wei Zhen’s view. She looked up, meeting the fierce gaze of the guard, his eyes filled with killing intent. “The head of the family has ordered the entire Wei estate to be sealed. Even if you wish to send a message out, it is impossible. Do not waste your efforts, Eldest Miss.”

Outside Wei Zhao’s courtyard, many people were already standing at the entrance. As Wei Zhen ascended the steps, Wei Yao bowed to her. “Elder Sister.”

Wei Zhen walked straight into the hall without acknowledging her. The doors closed behind her, shutting out the prying eyes of outsiders.

“My dear daughter has finally arrived,” Wei Zhao stepped forward. “You really kept me waiting.”

Previously, because of their thin blood ties, Wei Zhen had still called him “father.” But now, she did not even bother to speak, merely glancing at him before shifting her gaze away.

Wei Zhao had known about her true origins before she did. Seeing her reaction, he sneered and summoned the servants.

Immediately, two guards appeared, pressing down on Wei Zhen’s shoulders, forcing her to kneel. At the same time, Maidservant Tian was also brought in.

Madam Song walked to Wei Zhao’s side and said, “Chang Shou, you may speak.”

Listening to the words of the stranger recounting her origins, Wei Zhen felt as though a sharp blade had stabbed straight into her heart. Yet, it was not for herself that she grieved—it was for her mother.

Though she had never seen her mother since she was old enough to remember, all these years, she had regarded Madam Wei as a source of comfort. Madam Wei was the softest, most cherished presence in both her and her younger brother’s hearts.

But the man before her, upon hearing that his first wife had fallen into depression after childbirth and that his newborn daughter had died soon after, had not grieved. Instead, his first instinct had been to find someone to blame.

Wei Zhen lifted her head, her reddened eyes locking onto the couple before her.

She thought, even if she had lost her status, even if she had nothing left, she must seek justice for her mother. She wanted to ask—why were they allowed to live well?

Madam Song said, “The caretaker of the old temple said that seventeen years ago, a baby girl was abandoned at the sacrificial altar, swaddled with a jade pendant engraved with a soaring serpent. Husband, look, is it not the very one hanging from her waist?”

Wei Zhao crouched before her, reaching out to seize the jade pendant, but Wei Zhen swiftly pulled it away.

Wei Zhao sneered. “What? Is this something your lowly birth parents gave you, so you’re clinging to it tightly, refusing to let me see it?”

Wei Zhen said, “Lowly? Compared to you, who caused my mother’s death—an adulterer who forced his first wife to her grave—who is more despicable?”

“You still dare call her ‘Mother’! You are nothing but a lowborn wretch who has lived off the Wei family’s wealth for years, and you still dare speak against me?”

Wei Zhao’s eyes were filled with contempt. He stood and commanded, “Wei Zhen’s bloodline is impure. This matter is settled. Take her out of the estate!”

Maidservant Tian raised her head in alarm. “Master, you must not!”

She crawled forward a few steps. “Back then, I saw how Madam Wei fell into sorrow after childbirth. Fearing she would not survive the loss of her daughter, I brought the child back. But Madam was no fool—she soon realized that this was not her own flesh and blood.”

Her words sent a shockwave through the hall.

Wei Zhen’s voice wavered. “Maidservant Tian…”

Maidservant Tian’s aged face was streaked with tears. “Madam was kind-hearted. She knew you had been abandoned at the old temple and could not bear to send you back to suffer. Just as she lost her own daughter, she poured all her love into you. If not for you, Madam might not have survived. She treated you as her own and commanded me to keep silent, never revealing the truth…”

“Later… later, when Madam passed away, I told the old master. He knew as well!”

Wei Zhao asked, “What did Father say?”

“The old master ordered me to keep it a secret. He doted on the young miss deeply. Even on his deathbed, he had her by his side, entrusting half of the family estate to her…”

Wei Zhen, though held down by guards, lifted her head, her phoenix eyes shining with unshed tears yet without a trace of fear.

She spoke, her voice steady and sharp, “Wei Zhao, right now, I have no one by my side. You can harm me—I cannot resist. But one day, when my people return, I will not let you go.”

Wei Zhao sneered. “Do you think you will have a ‘one day’?”

The Song family had long been prepared. After clapping her hands, a burly old maid stepped forward, yanked the coarse rope in her hands, and forcefully pressed Wei Zhen down.
“Take her to the woodshed and await further orders later tonight.”

The woodshed was dimly lit, filled with a pungent musty smell. Wei Zhen was thrown inside, landing heavily on the ground, her body almost falling apart from the impact.

She struggled to get up from the ground, looking around. A candlelight flickered before her eyes. Wei Zhen squinted and saw Madam Song’s maid, Maidservant Yun, walking in.

“First Miss… No, I shouldn’t call you that anymore. Speaking of which, your origins are unclear. Compared to us lowly servants, who’s really high or low in status?”

Wei Zhen had never judged anyone based on status, high or low, and had no interest in arguing with her.

Maidservant Yun continued, “I have come on the Madam’s orders to give you a warning—do not hope to marry into the Eastern Palace anymore. But you may still rest easy about your marriage.”

Wei Zhen asked, “What do you mean?”

“After all, Madam has been your mother for more than ten years. Since the Second Miss is to be married into the Eastern Palace, she cannot favor one daughter over another, can she? She has prepared a marriage for you as well—not too bad of one. The day after tomorrow, Madam’s distant nephew will arrive, and by then, your life will finally have some security.”

Wei Zhen had met Madam Song’s nephew before when he had visited the Wei family.

That man had a face full of fat, always timid and without his own opinions, constantly following Wei Zhang around. Yet when he saw her, his gaze would change into one of lust, making Wei Zhen extremely uncomfortable.

Wei Zhen lowered her head and struggled to break free, but the coarse rope wrapped around her wrists was like a silkworm cocoon—tied too tightly to break loose.

The woodshed door closed, the candle was blown out by the wind, and darkness enveloped everything.

Wei Zhen sat in the darkness, unable to see anything. She rested her head against the wall, slowly calming down.

The good news was that Madam Song’s nephew would not arrive until the day after tomorrow—she still had one day and two nights.

The bad news was that her younger brother was far away in the southern lands. Even if he received word and rushed back on horseback, he likely wouldn’t make it in time.

Madam Song was in a hurry to marry her off, certain that this move would completely suppress Wei Zhen. But she greatly underestimated Wei Zhen’s determination—if she truly had to marry, she wouldn’t seek death.

After all, she had dared to harm Jing Ke. Killing another man wouldn’t be difficult.

Wei Zhen felt along the ropes with her fingers, carefully searching, until she finally found a slight opening.

She had a hidden dart in her sleeve—a specially made weapon for self-defense. She needed to wait for the right moment to use it.

However, even if she could escape the woodshed for a short time, the Wei family estate was vast—she feared she wouldn’t make it out of the main gates.

Unless someone was outside to meet her…

The key problem was that she had no way to send a message out.

Outside, the night deepened, turning from black to a pale blue. Dawn arrived, followed by noon, and the scorching sunlight streamed into the woodshed.

During this time, a few servants had come in. Wei Zhen observed their expressions but didn’t find a suitable candidate. She dared not act rashly.

Until the afternoon, when a young servant boy entered carrying a tray. He wasn’t as rigid as the previous ones—his eyes kept sneaking glances at her.

Only then did Wei Zhen lean forward, signaling him to come closer. “You can take this gold bracelet from my wrist in exchange for delivering a message for me, hmm?”

The boy shook his head frantically, panicked. “I dare not, Miss. Please don’t put me in danger.”

“Weren’t you just eyeing my valuables?” Wei Zhen’s gaze held a gentle smile, a few stray strands of hair brushing against her cheek. Even in the filthy, dim room, she remained breathtakingly beautiful.

The boy almost couldn’t meet her eyes.

She coaxed him gently, “If you help me, I will reward you well. Think about it—if Wei Hou(Duke wei her brother) returns and you report this to him, even if you fail, would he mistreat you for trying to help me? By then, you’ll receive a hefty reward. Isn’t that better than being a servant here for a lifetime?”

Wei Zhen had always been perceptive. Seeing his eyes waver, she knew he was already partly convinced.

A rough voice called from outside, urging him. Wei Zhen cut to the chase:

“Find a way out of the mansion and knock on the gates of the Qi Residence. Tell them to deliver a message to the Young General—ask if he can come to the Wei residence to save the First Miss. You don’t even have to wait for the result. Just tell Qi Yan that I promised you one hundred gold pieces. He’s generous—he will give it to you.”

She wasn’t entirely sure about the last statement, but in this situation, she could only bluff.

Besides, he likely wasn’t a stingy man.

“Hurry up!” the voice outside called again.

“Coming!” The servant boy quickly got up. In his haste, he lost his grip on the tray, and the bowls and plates shattered on the ground.

“You fool! What are you doing?” the person outside scolded.

The boy scrambled to clean up the broken shards, and in the brief moment when no one was watching, he secretly handed a small piece of broken porcelain to Wei Zhen.

The cold shard touched her palm. Wei Zhen knew she had bet correctly.

Soon, she was alone again in the woodshed. She let out a long breath, pressed her hands to the ground, and with difficulty, got up. She moved toward the wooden window, peering through the cracks to study the surroundings.

At the same time, she gripped the shard tightly in her palm, gradually applying force, slowly cutting through the coarse rope.

Ten miles from the capital, on the outskirts, a swift horse galloped down the official road toward Zhanghua Palace.

“Young General, the First Miss of the Wei family has sent a message.”

A breathless guard knelt before Qi Yan. Qi Yan had just finished serving the Empress Dowager her medicine.

Qi Yan spoke in a low voice, “What is it?”

“The First Miss is asking you to go to the Wei residence. Her stepmother plans to marry her off to a distant nephew, and the man is arriving early tomorrow morning.”

Qi Yan’s brow furrowed slightly. “Marry her off to a distant nephew?”

“Yes.”

Qi Yan rested his fingertips on the desk and tapped lightly once or twice.

“Is the Young General going?” the guard asked.

Qi Yan stood in the depths of the shadows, making it difficult for anyone to discern the expression on his face. After a long moment, he turned his head and instructed the eunuch beside him to take good care of the Empress Dowager. Then, he strode out with long, determined steps.

The night wind blew, making his dark robe billow as he blended into the deep night.

The night gradually fell, with only a sliver of pale moonlight filtering through the window.

Wei Zhen leaned against the wall, resting with her eyes closed. Four hours had passed since the afternoon, and she did not know if that servant boy had delivered the message.

Just as she was thinking about it, there was a knock at the wooden window.

Wei Zhen followed the sound and saw a faint, hazy figure outside the window—it was the same servant boy who had left earlier in the day. He passed a fire striker and a few candles through the gap in the window.

The items weren’t much, but to Wei Zhen, they were enough.

The servant boy didn’t say much before leaving.

Wei Zhen returned to the pile of straw and sat down. The coarse rope binding her wrists was finally cut away, and the hemp rope fell to the ground.

She closed her eyes again to rest, but after the time it took for a few sticks of incense to burn, the noises outside startled her awake.

“Is the young lady inside?” It was Maidservant Yun speaking.

“Yes, she’s been tied up the whole time. Has the young master arrived?”

“The young master’s carriage is waiting at the side gate. You all get ready. In about half an incense stick’s time, move ‘goods’ onto the carriage.”

They referred to Wei Zhen as “goods.”

The young master had chosen neither an earlier time nor a later one but had come specifically at night when Wei Zhen could not see.

After the footsteps outside gradually faded, Wei Zhen got up from the ground and walked to the wooden door. With the faint moonlight, she barely made out a blurry silhouette.

Wei Zhen said, “I am feeling unwell and wish to go to the front to change my clothes.”

“No, Madam’s orders are that no matter what, Miss must not step out of the woodshed.”

Wei Zhen’s voice was weak. “I have come upon my monthly cycle. My lower abdomen aches, and blood is flowing uncontrollably. If I don’t change clothes, won’t everything be stained with blood? You can have someone accompany me, but I am bound—where could I possibly go?”

The door was pressed against her body, leaving only a thin gap. The moonlight illuminated the girl’s face inside. The guard outside saw the fine beads of sweat on her forehead, her face deathly pale, and heard her let out a faint, painful groan.

Inside, Wei Zhen clenched the cold shard in her hand.

The sharp fragment pierced her palm, and fresh blood began to flow. The wound burned with a searing pain, making the sweat on her forehead increase. She raised her hand to show the bloodstains to the guards outside.

The two guards exchanged glances, their brows furrowing. One of them took a step back and said, “Fine, but be quick.”

Wei Zhen said, “Wait a moment. I need to steady myself.”

Her claim of menstruation was false. She turned back into the woodshed, picked up the fire striker from the ground, struck it, and tossed it onto an inconspicuous pile of straw.

At first, the flames burned silently in the darkness, just a tiny flicker. Then, bit by bit, they spread outward, slowly devouring everything around them.

The chains at the door unlocked, and moonlight, mixed with the glow of lanterns, poured inside. Wei Zhen rose and walked out, and her vision became completely clear.

At the Wei family’s side gate—

Madam Song stood beside the carriage, giving instructions to her young nephew. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a wisp of white smoke rising.

She turned her head and saw that the southeastern corner of the Wei residence had somehow caught fire. The flames climbed up the eaves, burning brighter and brighter, almost illuminating half the sky.

Realizing something was wrong, Madam Song thought, Isn’t that where Wei Zhen was being held?

The fire had erupted unexpectedly, and tonight’s east wind made it spread even faster. The bright red flames engulfed the estate, crackling fiercely.

As the night wind howled, the Wei residence plunged into chaos.

Madam Song rushed into the courtyard, ordering the servants to find Wei Zhen.

But the fire was growing, and the servants were barely managing to fight the flames, let alone search for someone in the midst of the chaos.

Wei Zhen lifted her skirt and ran through the estate. She had thrown all the fire strikers into the straw piles—whether they had ignited or not, she did not know. She sprinted along the small paths, dashing toward the main gate.

Behind her, the fire raged. The glow of the flames cast a brilliant hue, lighting up her face. She ran in her red dress, like a flower burning in the wind.

As she neared the front gate, several guards behind her shouted loudly, almost catching hold of her skirt.

Wei Zhen lifted her head and saw someone reining in his horse at the gate.

A young man in dark robes dismounted and strode inside with large, decisive steps. Wei Zhen’s heart pounded violently—she knew she had not placed her trust in the wrong person.

She quickened her pace, her long hair flowing in the spring night breeze, her dress rippling like water. With a few more steps, she threw herself into his embrace, where he held her tightly.

She called out, “Cousin!”