A Beauty in His Palm

Yun Sheng was a child bride of the Lu family, lodging with her husband at the distant relative, Marquis Dingbei's residence. The first time Yun Sheng saw her uncle, Marquis Xie, she was afraid of him.

The man's sharp phoenix eyes seemed capable of devouring her. She tried to avoid him, but due to Marquis Xie's recurring headaches, her husband personally instructed her to attend to him.

One day, she overheard her mother-in-law and husband discussing giving her away. When Marquis Xie's hand grazed her skirt again, she didn't stop him. She willingly climbed onto his bed.

The man's thumb brushed against her lips, and he asked with a half-smile, "Why aren't you hiding anymore?" Yun Sheng, trembling, meekly replied, "I've been ignorant. I hope uncle will show me pity." It wasn't until she realized everything was his scheme that she knew she had escaped one danger only to fall into another.

An imperial decree arrived, intending to marry a princess to the Marquis. That night, Xie Zhan entered Yun Sheng's courtyard. Yun Sheng was gentle and considerate, very sensible.

Xie Zhan liked her obedience but also found it a bit tasteless. On the eve of his wedding, Yun Sheng's small courtyard was engulfed in flames. When her charred remains were carried out, he vomited a mouthful of fresh blood.

Others said Xie Zhan had gone mad, but they didn't know Yun Sheng had coaxed him, then eloped with another man. On a rainy night in a small town in Yizhou, the door gently creaked.

The host heard someone requesting shelter. As Yun Sheng pushed the door open, a flash of lightning illuminated the man's somber face in the rain. "My Ah Sheng, you were so hard to find," he said.

She looked as if she had seen a ghost, her spine tingling with dread. The scholar in the courtyard was still holding their daughter, calling out to her. "Shengniang, why aren't you inviting the guest in yet?"