Unyielding Spring Mountains - Chapter 22: Past Life

Wei Zhen knelt before King Chu’s throne. Behind her stood a gilt bronze boshan incense burner adorned with auspicious beasts, from which wisps of blue smoke curled into the air, drifting like mist and climbing up the hem of her gown.

The hall was silent. No one spoke for a long time until the queen finally took a step forward, reaching out a hand to support Wei Zhen.

“Ah Zhen, are you truly willing to marry in the princess’s place?”

“Yes. Princess Yiyang is naturally free-spirited and unwilling to be bound. Since she does not wish to go to Jin, I am willing to marry in her stead.”

Wei Zhen gently folded her sleeves in front of her, presenting a docile and obedient demeanor.

“Wei Zhen.” A voice sounded from below. Wei Zhen lowered her gaze and saw Qi Yan stepping forward.

Their eyes met, but she dared not look at him for long and quickly averted her gaze.

Her willingness to marry was sincere, a decision carefully weighed after considering all factors—

She was already struggling to survive in Chu, and it would be nearly impossible to change her circumstances. Instead, leaving Chu might be the best course of action. By assuming the role of a marriage alliance princess, she could, in turn, bring favor to the Wei family, ensuring that Wei Ling would not be implicated because of her.

She knew that Qi Yan had stepped forward to intervene for her sake, likely out of consideration for Wei Ling and his mother. After all, a princess sent away in a marriage alliance could not predict what fate awaited her in a foreign land.

However, in that brief moment, Wei Zhen had already made up her mind.

The queen turned to King Chu. “Your Majesty, since Wei Zhen is willing, why not summon the Jin envoy immediately?”

King Chu remained silent.

Wei Zhen spoke earnestly, “Years ago, my mother gave her life to shield Your Majesty from arrows. Now, I too am willing to follow in my mother’s footsteps—to share Your Majesty’s burdens, to serve Chu, and to ensure the kingdom’s lasting prosperity.”

King Chu’s expression softened slightly. His dark gaze lingered on her for so long that a thin layer of sweat formed on Wei Zhen’s forehead.

His response came in a single, weighty word—“Very well.”

Wei Zhen bowed deeply, finally releasing the breath that had been stifling her chest. “This humble daughter thanks Your Majesty for granting this.”

The Jin envoy was announced once more, and King Chu nodded. “Let him in.”

The envoy from Jin was a middle-aged man dressed in a purple robe. He strode into the hall at a measured pace. Wei Zhen stepped aside. When the envoy’s gaze landed on her, standing gracefully in the hall, radiant and alluring, he paused for a moment before shifting his eyes away.

His look contained little of a man’s lust for a woman. Rather, it was filled with admiration and appreciation.

The envoy stopped at the steps and smiled. “Chu and Jin are to be united in marriage. Has Your Majesty decided on the final candidate?”

“Take a look at this one,” King Chu said, pulling Wei Zhen forward and presenting her to the envoy.

The Jin envoy was taken aback. “Is this not the young lady of the Wei family—the future crown princess of Chu?”

The queen shook her head and smiled. “Our king has annulled her betrothal to the crown prince. May I ask if this choice pleases the King of Jin?”

The envoy took a step back and carefully examined Wei Zhen from head to toe. A look of delight soon appeared on his face.

“During the royal hunt outside the palace, I once caught a fleeting glimpse of Lady Wei’s unparalleled beauty. For her to enter Jin is indeed a great fortune for our kingdom. Since Chu is willing to part with such a treasure, Jin has no reason to refuse.”

In marriage alliances between nations, it was common for a princess or a noblewoman to be chosen as a substitute.

The envoy was particularly satisfied with the candidate chosen for this marriage.

King Chu and the queen dismissed the others in the hall, continuing their discussions regarding the alliance.

Wei Zhen withdrew, walking alone toward a side chamber. Just as she lifted the curtain to enter, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and grasped her wrist.

Qi Yan pulled her close. In the narrow space, they were almost pressed against each other.

Qi Yan said, “If you wish to protect yourself, why must you humble yourself and volunteer for this marriage alliance? I can speak to the Empress Dowager and have the Jin envoy retract their decision.”

Wei Zhen hurriedly grabbed his hand and looked up at him. “I know the young general is considering my well-being, but if I remain in Chu, neither the king nor the crown prince will ever let me go.”

She stepped closer, their breaths mingling. She was so near that she could see the fine hairs on the young man’s face. Her lips parted slightly. “I am trapped, with no way forward or back. Much like the young general’s position in Chu—can you not understand?”

Qi Yan’s dark eyes deepened, his gaze turning heavy.

She thought he ought to understand. The hand she had placed on his sleeve slowly slipped away and hung by her side.

Wei Zhen turned and stepped further into the chamber. The curtain swayed and fell, concealing her figure from view.

Qi Yan slowly withdrew his gaze and let out a quiet sigh.

He stepped out from behind the curtain. Upon seeing him, the Jin envoy strode forward. “Young General!”

Qi Yan inclined his head in acknowledgment.

The envoy saluted him and smiled. “With Lady Wei entering Jin, our king will surely be pleased. In all these years, aside from the late Princess Ji Qin, I have never seen such a beauty.”

Beside Qi Yan stood an elderly eunuch who had long served by the Empress Dowager’s side. The eunuch frowned and asked, “Is this lady being presented to the King of Jin?”

“No,” the envoy waved his hand with a laugh. “Since the queen’s passing, His Majesty has not set foot in the inner palace for years. Why would he take a new queen now? I have come to select a wife for another prince of Jin. Many princes and royal sons remain unmarried, and among them are outstanding young men well suited for a princess.”

“So that’s how it is.”

“The minister believes that with Lady Wei’s beauty, she will surely gain the favor of nobility and have boundless prospects. It would not be any worse than being the crown princess of Chu.”

The Jin envoy spoke tactfully, but in truth, given time, if Wei Zhen were to marry the heir apparent, becoming the queen of Jin was not out of the question.

The old eunuch nodded. “Indeed.”

The Jin envoy looked at Qi Yan. “Young General, you should also make preparations. In about five days, our convoy to Jin will set off northward.”

Qi Yan nodded.

Outside the hall, the other members of the Wei family were waiting, unaware of what was transpiring inside.

Madam Song paced back and forth, clutching a handkerchief tightly. Though she had not been able to sentence Wei Zhen to death, forcing her into a marriage alliance was satisfying enough.

It was merely a marriage that Princess Yiyang did not want—was being a marriage alliance princess really that glamorous? Just a sacrificial pawn in a political marriage.

Wei Zhen had always prided herself on her purity, even making a scene to annul her engagement with the crown prince. Now, she had fallen from being the distinguished crown princess of Chu to becoming nothing more than the plaything of an aged and dying King of Jin. Wasn’t this exactly what she wanted?

Madam Song even felt a hint of pity. Who knew how many years the old King of Jin had left? When he died, Wei Zhen would surely be buried with him.

Madam Song walked over to her daughter and held her arm. “Once Wei Zhen is gone, Ah Yao, the position of crown princess will undoubtedly be yours.”

Accompanied by her parents, Wei Yao approached the crown prince and curtsied. “Your Highness?”

To her surprise, the crown prince turned around, his face filled with fury. “Who told you to expose Wei Zhen before the king?”

The Wei couple trembled. “Your Highness…”

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in the crown prince’s usually gentle eyes. “You two acted without knowing the full truth, recklessly accusing her. Do you not realize that if I had not suppressed the matter, your precious son would be dead by now? And today, you nearly implicated me as well!”

Had it not been for the many palace attendants present, Wei Zhao and Madam Song would have collapsed to their knees in front of the crown prince.

Madam Song, now fully aware of the grave consequences, shrank back in fear and exchanged glances with Wei Yao.

Wei Yao stepped forward to plead, but the crown prince pushed her away.

She pulled her mother aside, full of worry. “Mother, I fear this incident may have caused the crown prince to resent us.”

Madam Song grasped her daughter’s hand tightly, about to speak when the sound of a door opening interrupted them.

Wei Zhen stepped out of the great hall.

She walked straight ahead, passing by the crown prince. He wanted to speak to her, but she did not even pause.

As she brushed past Madam Song, the latter chuckled. “Ah Zhen, being chosen to marry in place of the princess is a great honor for the Wei family.”

Wei Zhen gazed at her for a moment, then looked away.

Madam Song continued, “With your beauty, you will surely be greatly favored by the King of Jin. Allow me to offer my congratulations in advance.”

Wei Zhao let out a derisive laugh.

“What do you mean by that, Madam?” A voice interrupted her.

Madam Song stepped back and finally noticed that a eunuch of King Chu’s inner court was accompanying Wei Zhen.

The eunuch rebuked her, “The princess is entering Jin not to marry the King of Jin, but rather a noble of the royal family.”

Madam Song’s smile instantly vanished. “Not marrying the King of Jin?”

“Of course not.”

Madam Song clenched her fists. If she was not marrying the old King of Jin, then she would become the wife of one of the Jin royal princes…

The sudden realization left her breathless.

“Madam, Father.” Wei Zhen stepped forward, her red lips curving into a faint smile.

Her voice was so gentle that it sent a chill down the backs of Wei Zhao and Madam Song.

“Father, you must not have expected that I would still be standing here speaking to you, did you? Yesterday, when you scolded and humiliated me, I remembered every word. But I wonder, did you remember mine?”

What had she said…? The two of them recalled it.

At that time, the guards had pinned her to the ground, and through gritted teeth, she had spoken as if sobbing blood, swearing she would never let them off.

The image of her then overlapped with the person standing before them now.

Wei Zhen stood tall, her eyes gleaming with warmth. “Father, have you remembered?”

She took another step closer, her voice still as soft as ever. “Father, from the moment I could understand the world, neither Wei Ling nor I have lived a single day without hatred toward you. We always swore that one day, we would make you kneel before Mother’s memorial tablet and admit your sins. But as we grew older, we had concerns—if Wei Ling killed you with his own hands, he would bear the crime of patricide, and I could not bear for him to suffer that fate. But now… I no longer have such concerns.”

She smiled lightly. “I am not your biological daughter. If I take your life, no one will call it patricide.”

Wei Zhao roared in fury, “Wei Zhen! How dare you!”

Wei Zhen said, “Father, let me think about what to do. I am not such a ruthless person who would directly take your life. There are plenty of ways in this world to slowly torment someone to death. When my younger brother returns, I will discuss it with him.”

She sighed softly, her voice gentle, her tone light, as if she was merely concerned about something as trivial as “how the weather would be today.”

Song Shi said, “Wei Zhen, how can you be so ungrateful?”

Wei Zhen’s gaze fell upon her. “Ungrateful? Madam, I have not forgotten your kindness either.”

She slowly rolled up her sleeve, revealing a stretch of jade-white wrist, on which bruises and scars had yet to fade.

Wei Zhen said, “Madam had the servants tie me up and harm me yesterday, intending to teach me a lesson. Just now, I showed these injuries to the King and the Queen. Upon learning the full story, the Queen permitted me to deal with you as I see fit.”

Song Shi did not believe it and cast an inquiring glance at the eunuch.

The eunuch stepped forward and said, “Madam, since Miss Wei is the princess whom Chu is sending to Jin, how could you disgrace her in such a manner? The King indeed granted her this right.”

Song Shi’s hands trembled at her sides. At last, she understood that the role of the peace-bringing princess falling upon Wei Zhen was not a disaster for her but rather a shield that allowed her to act as she pleased.

The Queen adored her youngest daughter. Since Wei Zhen had done her such a great favor, she would naturally agree to any request Wei Zhen made.

From the moment she became the peace-bringing princess, the Chu royal family was bound to treat her with courtesy.

Song Shi’s heart burned with resentment so intense it nearly bled.

Wei Zhen said, “So, Madam, however I was hurt, you must suffer the same. Let us start by locking you up in the woodshed, just as you did to me.”

As her words fell, two guards stepped forward to restrain Song Shi. Wei Zhao moved to push them away.

Wei Zhen said, “Father and Madam are deeply devoted to each other, sharing blessings for many years. Naturally, you should also share misfortunes together, shouldn’t you?”

With that, she lifted her steps and walked toward the carriage.

Behind her, the cries of the Wei Zhao couple did not cease until a crisp whip cracked through the air, striking them down, and at last, the clamor came to an end.

Wei Zhen glanced indifferently at the bloodstains on the ground and ordered the guards, “Bind them and escort them back to the Wei residence. Keep them under close watch.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Wei Zhao and Song Shi were locked in the woodshed, personally watched over by a royal enforcer skilled in torture.

Wei Zhen returned to her chamber.

The night deepened, and the heavy dew set in. Moonlight filtered through the narrow gaps in the bamboo blinds, casting a scattered, bright glow inside.

Wei Zhen sat before the dressing mirror, using a golden comb to brush her long hair. A knock came at the door, and a figure entered from outside. Their eyes met through the bronze mirror.

Wei Zhen put down the comb and turned around. “A’Mu(nanny)!”

Maidservant Tian staggered forward. Though only a few days had passed, she seemed to have aged years.

The old woman hugged Wei Zhen, tears welling in her cloudy, aged eyes. “That land of Jin is far away, treacherous and full of dangers. How can you go there? It is my failure to fulfill Madam’s trust—I have harmed you.”

Wei Zhen gently patted her back, resting her forehead on her shoulder, speaking in a soft, soothing voice. “A’Mu, how do you know the road ahead must be perilous?”

She shared her thoughts with her and then added, “If I refuse the marriage, after breaking off my engagement with the Crown Prince, the Wei family will undoubtedly become a thorn in the royal family’s side. But if I accept the marriage, the royal family, considering my position, will at least not mistreat my younger brother.”

Her younger brother was the only bloodline left by Madam Wei, and she wished to repay Madam Wei’s kindness in raising her.

She had lived off the Wei family’s resources for so many years—if some sacrifice was required of her, she would never refuse.

Surely, her mother in heaven would also find comfort in that.

Maidservant Tian shook her head, her voice hoarse. “If Madam were still here, she would never let you go. You are her daughter too!”

Wei Zhen smiled. “A’Mu, you’ve always said I was intelligent since childhood, and nothing has ever been too difficult for me. If I go to Jin, I will certainly live well, won’t I?”

These words made Maidservant Tian’s heart ache even more. But she also knew that the matter was settled, and there was no changing it.

Maidservant Tian stood up from the floor and said, “The Young Master is already on his way back. He should arrive by morning.”

“Good,” Wei Zhen replied.

The bronze mirror reflected her face. As Wei Zhen gazed into the mirror, she thought of the rumored prosperity of Jin.

The King of Jin dominated the Central Plains, with the vassal lords all bowing before him.

Jin had ambitions to swallow the world.

Her path forward would not be dim and lifeless.

Wei Zhen rose from her seat and walked to the bed. As the gauze canopy fell, Maidservant Tian said, “Miss, rest early. Tomorrow morning, the young general will come to escort you to the palace, where the painter will create your portrait.”

Wei Zhen paused in thought, remembering that Qi Yan was to accompany her all the way to Jin.

She whispered, “Alright.”

The moon sank below the horizon. The night insects chirped mournfully as Wei Zhen slowly closed her eyes.

Once again, she dreamed of her past life—flashes of light and shadow slipping past her vision.

This time, she saw the entirety of her past life.

So, in her previous life, her ending was like this—

In the fifth month of spring, the Empress Dowager passed away in Zhanghua Palace. Under the veil of white funeral banners lay the remnants of a freshly ended massacre.

The old General Qi was executed for treason, stripping the Qi family of its power and returning control to the royal family. As for the young General Qi—no one knew where he had gone, and no one cared.

The Crown Prince reveled in his triumph and, in the sixth month, married the eldest daughter of the Wei family.

Not long after, the King of Chu passed away, and the Crown Prince ascended to the throne. Wei Zhen became the Queen—everyone thought she had found a great marriage.

Yet only Wei Zhen knew the truth.

The Crown Prince was cold and distant, always hiding behind a mask.

Three months after their wedding, he brought Wei Yao into the palace as his concubine.

Only then did Wei Zhen realize that he and his cousin had long been in love.

She became the villain who had forced her way between them—the unwanted third party.

Whenever there was a palace banquet, she was an outsider, watching as the King of Chu and his beloved concubine shared their affections. Everyone naturally accepted this, adoring the King and Lady Yao. The hall glittered with bright candlelight, but Wei Zhen was always left in the cold.

She did not belong there—no matter how well she conducted herself, the Empress Dowager always found fault with her.

She wished to return home. But how could a Queen ever leave her position?

Over three years, Wei Yao thrived in the harem, adored and favored.

Wei Zhen did not wish to compete. From the first day of her marriage, she had already felt a faint revulsion toward Jing Heng, disliking his hypocrisy and coldness.

But her reluctance to fight only led to the gradual dismemberment of the Wei family’s power, handed over piece by piece to Wei Zhao and Wei Zhang, who thrived under Wei Yao’s favor.

Wei Ling had the strength to preserve the family, but Jing Heng exiled him to the southern border of Wu and Yue, making him guard the frontier.

Jing Heng used Wei Zhen to control Wei Ling, and in turn, used Wei Ling to restrain her.

Realizing this, Wei Zhen resolved to fight back.

Yet before she could act, chaos descended.

Jin betrayed their alliance and launched a full-scale invasion of Chu.

The war turned into a relentless series of defeats for Chu, forcing the court to flee south.

During their escape, as enemy forces closed in, Jing Heng sent troops to protect Wei Yao—while leaving Wei Zhen behind.

In the chaos of war, a woman’s fate was left to the wind.

As a captive Queen, her future was already decided.

Bound, she was delivered to the enemy general.

Under flickering candlelight, in an atmosphere heavy with unspoken meaning, she knelt before the man’s bed in her thin garments, her long hair cascading down her back like a waterfall.

A soldier turned to their leader, hinting with his words, “The military forbids women, but this one is different—she is a peerless beauty. That is why I dared to present her. General, please enjoy at your leisure.”

And thus, she saw the commander of the Jin forces—

Or rather, the future King of Jin, the future ruler of the world—Qi Yan.