Yuchen could hear the steady sound of footsteps approaching her, but she did not raise her head. Even when the two female guards beside her...
Yuchen could hear the steady sound of footsteps approaching her, but she did not raise her head. Even when the two female guards beside her addressed the newcomer as 'Wangye', she still did not look up.
Yan Wushuang waved the two female guards away and instructed them, "You may leave." It would be inconvenient to speak with the two women present.
A very long time passed, yet Yuchen still did not hear Yan Wushuang speak. Eventually, she could no longer resist raising her head. When she did, she saw Yan Wushuang standing in the middle of the room.
Yan Wushuang was dressed in formal court robes embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon. A dark red brocade sash was tied around his waist, its broad edges embroidered with golden thread, and every detail was exquisitely refined. He was strikingly handsome, and his eyes were a deep, shadowy blue, like a bottomless well1, calm and without a ripple2.
Yuchen asked resentfully, "What do you want?" Had Yan Wushuang been like other men and looked at her with infatuation, she would at least have had some idea where she stood.
However, when Yan Wushuang looked at her, there was neither infatuation nor admiration in his eyes. This made Yuchen feel somewhat unsettled.
Yan Wushuang sat down in a chair, the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile. "Her Majesty the Empress is the greatest beauty under heaven. What do you think will happen now that you have fallen into my hands?" As he spoke, he idly played with an exquisitely crafted curved Wu blade🔗. It was both his weapon and his plaything.
Upon hearing this, Yuchen wore a cold expression and did not respond again.
Yan Wushuang was not angry. Instead, he continued, "I know that you hate me because I killed your husband." He then continued somewhat ruefully, "In truth, I hate them too. I hate the immoral and incompetent Emperor, the cunning Song Huaijin, the vicious Song Shi, Zhou Chaixuanℹ️, who stopped at nothing4, and Zhou Chaijin, who helped a tyrant commit evil5. Had it not been for them, the Yan family would never have been wiped out to the last member, the Tong City Incident would never have occurred, and there would not be more than a hundred thousand wronged souls."
Yuchen immediately argued, "My husband did not help a tyrant commit evil5. He knew nothing about this." She was certain of that because Zhou Chaijin had been only eight years old at the time and had not been involved in affairs of state.
Yan Wushuang laughed derisively and said no more about it. "Then do you want to avenge your husband?" Whether Zhou Chaijin knew about Zhou Chaixuan's treason was entirely irrelevant. His identity had destined him to be Yan Wushuang's enemy. As such, Yan Wushuang would naturally eliminate him at the first opportunity.
Yuchen remained silent, but the resentment written all over her face answered the question.
Yan Wushuang placed the curved Wu blade on the table beside him and leaned back. "You want revenge, so I will give you the chance to get it." He pointed to his chest and said, "Stab me here. Just one thrust, and you will have avenged your husband."
At that moment, Yuchen thought Yan Wushuang was a madman—an utterly unreasonable madman.
After a while, seeing that Yuchen had not moved, Yan Wushuang said with a smile, "I gave you an opportunity, yet you refused to use it. It seems that you don't really want to avenge Zhou Chaijin. Still, there is nothing wrong with that. Zhou Chaijin did not have much genuine affection for you. Otherwise, he would not have embraced one woman on the left while holding another one on the right6 or impregnated other women. A man like that is hardly worth sacrificing your life for." People outside claimed that Emperor Taichang had loved his Empress deeply and devotedly, but only fools would believe such a thing.
Yan Wushuang's words stabbed straight into Yuchen's heart and lungs7. She asked through clenched teeth, "What exactly do you want?" Since being captured, Yuchen had considered many possibilities, but she alone had never imagined that Yan Wushuang would humiliate her with words.
Yuchen had never considered snatching the curved blade and k!lling Yan Wushuang. It was not because she did not want to avenge Zhou Chaijin, but because she knew that even if she lunged at him, she would not succeed in k!lling him. Yan Wushuang's words were merely intended to toy with her for his amusement.
Yan Wushuang shook his head. "I do not want anything. I merely wanted to talk to you."
Yuchen was so exasperated that she could have spat blood8. She had never encountered a madman like him, and when facing such a madman, silence was the best response.
Yan Wushuang smiled. Why was it that no one believed him whenever he told the truth? He did not explain further. Picking up the curved blade, he said, "Rest well. I will come and see you again in a few days." When he was in a bad mood, looking at such a great beauty easily lifted his spirits. Naturally, it would be even better if Han Yuchen would properly accompany him in conversation. Yan Wushuang believed, however, that that day was not far away.
As Yuchen watched Yan Wushuang walk away, she felt somewhat dispirited. She was completely unable to deal with a man like him. Nevertheless, she had no intention of doing so. All she hoped was that her son would stay far away from the capital and avoid being captured by this madman.
Upon hearing that Yan Wushuang had captured Yuchen, everyone assumed that he was lusting after her beauty. There was nothing particularly shameful about a man being fond of beautiful women. In fact, quite a few people secretly thought that Yan Wushuang was now enjoying enviable luck with the beautiful woman. After all, Her Majesty the Empress was the greatest beauty under heaven.
When Jiang Hongjin heard the news, he nearly ground his teeth to pieces9. The woman he had thought about day and night had actually been taken by that shameless scoundrel Yan Wushuang. Nothing could wound him more deeply than this!
After returning to the residence and hearing that Jiang Hongjin had smashed many things in his study, Jiang Wenrui frowned and summoned him, asking, "Why did you lose your temper today?" Most of the injuries on Jiang Hongjin's face had already healed. With another period of proper recuperation, they would be almost completely healed. There would be no scars, only a few faint marks afterwards. That was sufficient; they would not affect his official career.
Jiang Hongjin replied, "Dad, I heard that Yan Wushuang captured Her Majesty the Empress. Dad, we must rescue Her Majesty from the sea of fire10…" In the past, Jiang Hongjin would certainly have concealed his emotions. However, ever since he was injured, he had become easily agitated and found it difficult to control his temper.
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Wenrui kicked him. He put all his strength into the kick, sending Jiang Hongjin stumbling backwards two steps.
Jiang Wenrui was furious enough to die11. "Is Her Majesty the Empress someone you are entitled to desire?" Fortunately, no one had discovered Jiang Hongjin's secret feelings before. Otherwise, the Jiang family would have been ruined long ago. Jiang Wenrui had once thought this son of his was reasonably capable, but he now realised that Jiang Hongjin was completely unfit to be entrusted with important responsibilities. Fortunately, his eldest son lived up to expectations. Otherwise, Jiang Wenrui's entire life would have been an utter failure.
That kick brought Jiang Hongjin back to his senses completely. He knelt on the ground and confessed, "Dad, I was wrong. I've allowed a ghost to bewitch the apertures of my heart12.
Jiang Wenrui looked at Jiang Hongjin, his eyes filled with disappointment. "For the time being, stay at home and recuperate properly." Once Jiang Hongjin's injuries had healed, Jiang Wenrui planned to send him back to their hometown. Jiang Hongjin was no longer suited to remain in the capital.
Jiang Hongjin did not dare object and nodded in agreement. However, he then asked about the matter that had constantly occupied his thoughts. "Dad, has Dage sent a letter? Has he discovered the identity of the mastermind behind the attack?" He hated the culprit bitterly and was desperate to learn who that person was. Even if it took him his entire lifetime, he would seek revenge.
Jiang Wenrui answered coldly, "No. The northwest is so vast. How could finding one person possibly be considered easy?" In truth, he had begun to grow suspicious. In his previous letter, Jiang Hongfu had said that he had already asked Yun Qing to investigate. With Yun Qing's help, finding someone should have been easy, yet more than a month had passed with no news.
Jiang Hongjin looked at his furious father, lowered his head, and did not dare say anything else.
Whenever Jiang Wenrui saw Jiang Hongjin, he felt increasingly impatient. "Leave." Even though his face had healed, this son of his was already ruined and useless. Their branch of the family would still have to depend on Hongfu.
Upon hearing that her son had been struck, Yu Shi hurried to Jiang Hongjin's courtyard. Although she found her son safe and unharmed, she was still worried. "Jin-er, did your Dad hit you? Where are you hurt? Quickly tell Mom."
Jiang Hongjin pushed Yu Shi away. "Mom, I am fine." He now disliked being touched by women. Even when the woman was his own mother, he was unwilling to allow it.
Yu Shi had not previously known that Jiang Hongjin had been injured. She only learned about it after he returned to the capital. When she discovered that he had been disfigured, she fainted immediately. Fortunately, she did not know that Jiang Hongjin was already incapable of performing as a man13. Otherwise, she probably would have cried herself to death.
Two days after being taken to Yan Wangfu, Yuchen met Han Jingyan and Wen Shi. Han Jingyan and Wen Shi had come to persuade her on someone else's behalf.
When Yuchen heard Han Jingyan tell her to submit to Yan Wushuang and become his woman, her eyes widened until they were perfectly round. After a while, Yuchen's hands began to tremble with anger. "Dad, what did you say? What did you just say?"
Han Jingyan did not dare meet Yuchen's gaze. "Chen-er, you should simply submit to Yan Wushuang and become his woman." Han Jingyan also found the situation deeply humiliating, but he had no choice. Yan Wushuang had forced him to come and act as a persuader.
Yuchen had always been disappointed in Han Jingyan, but at this moment, she was truly chilled to the heart14. "Dad, are those even words a decent human being would say? His Majesty's bones are not yet cold15, yet you are asking me to remarry? And you want me to marry Yan Wushuang, the man who killed His Majesty? Dad, have you gone mad?" If she were capable of taking a life, she would certainly have killed Yan Wushuang to avenge her husband.
Yuchen knew that Yan Wushuang had forced Han Jingyan to do this, but she was still deeply disappointed. She would have preferred it if her father had spoken with righteous conviction and stern moral authority, telling her to preserve her chastity through death16 rather than seeing that he was someone who clung greedily to life and feared death.
Han Jingyan lowered his head in shame.
Wen Shi had fewer reservations. When Yuchen refused, she immediately knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Gunainai17, for the sake of every old and young member of the Han family, please accept Yan Wang. Otherwise, our entire family will die without even a place in which to be buried." She did not want to die, nor did she want anything to happen to her son.
Ever since childhood, Old Lady Han had taught Yuchen to place the interests of the clan above everything else. At this moment, however, she finally cast aside the burden of the clan. She demanded, "You should leave. Even if I must die, I will not remarry." If Yan Wushuang dared to force her, she would rather die than give in.
Han Jingyan glanced at the two female guards standing behind Yuchen, lowered his head, and said, "Yuchen, Dad has wronged you." By trying to persuade his newly widowed daughter to remarry, all the sages' books he had studied over the years had been read entirely in vain. Although he had been forced into doing this, he had already lost his integrity.
Yuchen sank weakly into the chair and suddenly began to chuckle. Afterwards, she murmured to herself, "Yuxi, you were the clever one. You severed all relations with the Third Branch long ago." After everything she had experienced, how could Yuchen not understand that Han Jingyan had treated her well not because he truly loved her, but because she could bring him enormous benefits? The father she had always respected and worshipped was, in truth, nothing more than a selfish and self-serving, life-clinging coward.
Footnotes Full List
- 如一口望不到底の深井 (rú yì kǒu wàng bú dào dǐ de shēn jǐng) — 'like a deep well whose bottom cannot be seen'; a metaphor describing eyes that are profound and impossible to read
- 平静无波 (píng jìng wú bō) — 'calm, with no waves'; completely composed and revealing no emotion
- The author actually used the name Zhou Xuan here. After some research, it was found that Zhou Xuan is the name of the former 9th Prince and Yu Xiyu's son, who is still an infant. There's no way an infant could be ruthless, is there? The late 9th Prince's real name was Zhou Chaixuan. Luckily, not many previous chapters used his real name, so I was able to correct it.
- 不折手段 (bù zhé shǒu duàn) — 'not to stop at any methods'; to use any means necessary. The source wording is likely a variant or typographical error for 不择手段)
- 助纣为虐 (zhù Zhòu wéi nüè) — 'to help King Zhou commit cruelty'; to assist an evildoer in carrying out wicked acts
- 左拥右抱 (zuǒ yōng yòu bào) — 'embracing one on the left and holding one on the right'; enjoying the company of multiple women
- 戳人心肺 (chuō rén xīn fèi) — to strike directly at someone's deepest emotional pain
- 吐血 (tù xuè) — 'to vomit blood'; an exaggerated expression for extreme frustration, anger, or disbelief
- 牙齿差点咬碎 (yá chǐ chà diǎn yǎo suì)—a hyperbolic description of extreme fury
- 救出火海 (jiù chū huǒ hǎi)—to save someone from terrible suffering or extreme danger
- 气得要死 (qì de yào sǐ)—'to be angry to the point of death'; extremely angry
- 鬼迷心窍 (guǐ mí xīn qiào)—to lose one's judgment because of obsession, greed, or desire
- 不能人道 (bù néng rén dào)—'unable to perform the human way'; a euphemism meaning that a man is sexually impotent
- 心寒 (xīn hán)—'the heart turns cold'; to feel profoundly disappointed, hurt, or disillusioned by someone
- 尸骨未寒 (shī gǔ wèi hán)—'the corpse and bones have not yet grown cold'; the person died only very recently
- 以死保贞洁 (yǐ sǐ bǎo zhēn jié)—'to use death to preserve chastity'; to die rather than remarry or submit sexually
- 姑奶奶 (gūnǎinai) — (respectful form of address for a married woman used by members of her parents' family) married daughter
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