Chapter 1: The Female Slave's Rebirth Amidst a Torrent of Rain.
A cold wind howled, the river rushed, and the green trees on both banks swayed wildly, sounding like the low cries of monkeys.
Under the cold moonlight, a passenger ship sails on the dark and turbulent river.
When Chaolu woke up, she was in excruciating pain all over her body. She had been bound with rough hemp rope and was lying on the cold, damp floor of the cabin.
The sound of rushing river filled her ears, and beneath her was endless turbulence. In the dark and silent darkness, she curled up in pain, feeling like a fish on a chopping board, unable to move.
The metallic taste of blood still lingered in her throat, and a sharp, stabbing pain surged from her chest. She slowly opened her eyes.
A scene of utter chaos unfolded before my eyes—
The cabin was sparsely furnished, with broken ceramic bowls scattered everywhere; sticks lying in the corners rolled along with the boat, occasionally slamming heavily against the cabin walls; water on the floor seeped through the cracks in the wooden planks, like writhing venomous snakes, slowly crawling toward her skirt.
There was an argument here earlier.
In the quiet, the sound of a few elderly people talking could be heard from the corner table.
"We're almost at shore."
"Yes, it's a pity we encountered a downpour on the way, which delayed our journey. I'm really afraid we won't make it in time for the auspicious time of our wedding tomorrow."
"She went on a hunger strike for days, but in the end, she still ended up like this. It was all for nothing. She's just a lowly maid who bewitched the eldest son into bringing her to the Helan Mansion, causing chaos throughout the entire mansion. Once the ship docks, she'll be married off tomorrow morning, whether she likes it or not..."
The old woman's voice was hoarse. She had her back to the morning dew and her back was slightly hunched. She was already old, but the shadow she cast on the side of the boat was like a towering, insurmountable hill.
Helan family...
Upon hearing this name, Chaolu's fingers, which had been limply hanging on the floor, slowly curled into fists.
A full day has passed since she was ordered by the eldest daughter of the Helan family to be tied to this ship and sent to a remote place for a marriage.
All day long, she was humiliated by these two old servants in every way, treated like the lowest of animals, her dignity trampled on the ground.
She had endured such a life in the Helan family for three whole years.
From the day her adoptive mother passed away, she was like a caged beast.
Chaolu was not her biological child; she was taken in and raised by her adoptive mother. From the time she could remember, her adoptive mother traveled between the northwest border and the Western Regions. She was a merchant in Jinzhou County, Longxi, and for more than ten years, she became familiar with the main transportation routes between Guanzhong and the Western Regions.
Three years ago, the foster mother led her caravan back from the Western Regions. On the way, they were suddenly caught in a sandstorm and trapped in the Gobi Desert. The caravan's cargo of pearls, agates, fine horses and birds was also swallowed up by the sandstorm.
The disaster struck suddenly, causing incalculable losses. In addition to suffering huge deficits, the Chamber of Commerce also had to face accountability from the powerful Helan family in the Northwest.
The Helan family, entrenched in the Northwest and with deep-rooted influence, entrusted a merchant caravan with a precious treasure from the Western Regions, paying a fortune for it.
Such extravagant spending, if placed outside, would be enough to cover the annual expenses of a hundred households in Jincheng County.
Even though her family had accumulated some wealth over the years, it was not enough to cope with the enormous debt.
He Lanyi, the young master of the He Lan family, took a liking to her at that time.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the nobleman wiped away a mountain of dust that had settled on their family.
But the moment she entered the mansion was the beginning of her descent into the abyss.
Helan Yi's covetousness was like a venomous snake, causing her endless torment. His sister, Helan Zhen, was even more cold-blooded and mean-spirited. Every time her brother left the mansion to go to the border military camp, Helan Zhen would do everything she could to ridicule and humiliate her. Afterwards, when Helan Yi returned, she would take the initiative to appease her brother and apologize, but each time Helan Yi would lightly brush it off.
Helan Yi tacitly approved of her actions.
The Helan family's torment of her was like the pleasure of a high-ranking person looking down on a low-ranking person, or a cat playing with a mouse. They had to watch their prey, with its neck bitten off and on the verge of death, still dreaming of bleeding and struggling to escape.
Not a day goes by that she doesn't want to escape.
Half a month ago, the current emperor sent an urgent summons, transferring Helan Yi to the front line, and she saw a long-awaited opportunity to escape.
It was at this time that a young woman from the capital visited Helan Mansion.
While Chaolu was tied up and locked in the woodshed, she overheard the old servants discussing how Miss Helan had managed to send away the noble lady who had come looking for her relatives...
She claimed that her younger sister was separated from her family when she was young and wandered around. After searching for many years, she finally found out that her younger sister was taken in by a merchant from the Northwest and entered the Helan family. She could match up with a female slave in the Helan family.
However, Helan Zhen flatly refused the other party.
"So what if she's a young lady from Jingluo?"
In the messy woodshed, her disheveled hair brushed against her face, while Helan Zhen, dressed in fine clothes, looked down at her from above.
"Your sister came from Jingluo, but she is very weak and frail. It seems she will not live much longer. She wanted to see her younger sister one last time before she died, but unfortunately she will not be able to fulfill her wish. It is truly pitiful."
Helan Zhen covered her face with her delicate hand, her smile incredibly beautiful, as if she were talking about something extremely interesting.
“You didn’t see how furious and helpless your sister was in front of me. But what could she do? She’s an orphan. Even in Jingluo, she can’t stand up to the Helan family.”
“I’ve wanted to sell you away, you wretched maid, for a long time, but I’ve held back because of my relationship with my brother. Now that my marriage is approaching and I’m to be married in the capital to become a princess, and my brother is on the frontier, it’s time to get rid of you, this eyesore.”
Adorned with jewels, Helan Zhen seemed to be bathed in a dazzling light, while she wore coarse clothes and a simple hairpin, as lowly as mud.
The passenger ship rocked and swayed back and forth.
As Chaolu drifted off into a daze, the old woman glanced at her and saw that she had already woken up.
The old woman slowly rose and walked closer from the dim candlelight. Her hunched shadow became increasingly prominent on the wall, just like that of an old vulture.
"woke up?"
The old woman brought a bowl of water to feed her, forcefully prying open her lips, but Chaolu turned away.
With a crisp "clang," the porcelain bowl fell to the ground, scattering shards everywhere.
Just then, a piece of snow flew by, and Chaolu turned her head to avoid it, but it still grazed her ear.
The old woman flew into a rage and raised her hand to slap her.
This was the second bowl she broke along the way.
The slap didn't land on her cheek. Instead, a line of warm, crimson blood dripped down the girl's left cheek near her ear. Her thick, black hair cascaded down to her waist, highlighting her exquisitely beautiful face. Though her skin was pale, her eyes shone brightly, like an untamed wild leopard.
If her hands weren't bound at this moment, it seems she would pounce out and bite someone at any moment.
That look again, that defiant and rebellious attitude...
The old woman sneered, her eyes filled with resentment: "Miss Helan is right. Sending you away might not be useful. With your scheming nature, if you were to marry a living person, I'm truly afraid you'd cause trouble and escape to take revenge, unless..."
"You're marrying a dead man."
The candlelight flickered and swayed, and the old lady's withered fingers grasped her chin.
"The marriage I've arranged for you is a genuine ghost marriage. The young master of that gentry family has passed away, and all that's missing is a suitable bride. Tomorrow, at the auspicious hour, you will put on your wedding dress, lie down in the coffin amidst the sound of gongs and drums, and we will personally seal the coffin and cover it with earth for you."
The girl's gaze froze.
Immediately, she raised her head and said, "Isn't Helan Zhen afraid that her brother will come back and take his anger out on her?"
"To take your anger out on others? Sending you away was also the old lady's idea. Besides, you were sold because you committed theft and stole from the family. How could the eldest son harbor resentment towards the old lady and young lady because of a lowly maid?"
The old servant emphasized the word "theft".
At this point, with the boat sailing on the river and surrounded by water on all sides, and guards protecting her, where could she possibly escape to?
Just as he finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly ripped open the window, and the wind and rain rushed into the boat.
The rain came suddenly that night, and the old woman hurriedly told the old man behind her to check the outer cabin, while she went to close the open window.
Suddenly, I heard the rustling of fabric behind me.
"Wen'am, please spare my life!"
The young girl crawled on her knees and knelt before the old woman. Her eyes were red-rimmed and tears welled in her eyelashes. Before she knew she was to be arranged into a ghost marriage, she had always kept her back straight and refused to lower her head even slightly. But now, she finally lost her composure and all her toughness vanished.
“I can do anything for Amu, as long as Amu doesn’t hurt me. You can get a lot of money by sending me to be married off, but I can earn more than that.”
Chaolu cried out, "Doesn't Mother know Helan Yi's character? He won't kill the young lady when he comes back, but what about you?"
"Splash—" A wave crashed onto the cabin.
The old woman stopped moving.
"Back then, Helan Yi killed my mother because she stumbled upon the secrets of the Helan family. Although he has been transferred to a post outside the capital by the Emperor, once the war is over and he returns to Longxi, he will kill my mother the first person he finds out I have been betrayed!"
Wenam's feet were rooted to the spot.
Tears streamed down her face as she trembled, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. She choked out, "But if Mother lets me go, when Helan Yi comes looking for me and finds out I'm still alive, he won't blame Mother at all; instead, he'll thank her, won't he?"
"Does Amu have another daughter?"
The old woman's withered lips moved slightly: "Why are you bringing her up!"
The implication was: Who knows if Helan Yi will take his anger out on Wen Amu's daughter because of this?
Wen Am looked down at the frail woman prostrate at her feet, tears streaming down her beautiful face and dripping into her thin robe.
“Mother, we’re close to the riverbanks on both sides here, so we’ve arrived at Lintao County, right? Let me off the boat here…”
Wen Am's expression changed, and he abruptly slammed the window shut.
With the cold wind and torrential rain kept out, the howling sound from the cabin also disappeared.
Even Wenam's momentary wavering seemed to last only a moment.
However, the old woman went and brought her food.
The leftovers were barely enough to fill her stomach. Afraid she would cause trouble, Wen Amu fed her spoonful by spoonful herself.
Chaolu noticed that her attitude was softening, but the old woman still hesitated because she had some reservations.
The morning dew cast its last rays, and I carefully listened to the old man's footsteps outside the window.
The old man was lame and had difficulty walking, so he must have gone to the outer warehouse to find a servant. Only these three people were secretly escorting her.
Helan Zhen wanted to send Chaolu away silently. The Wen Amu couple, although over fifty years old, were extremely healthy and strong, and ruthless. They were the most trusted servants in the Helan family.
The elderly couple kept the small cabin airtight, and there were strong servants guarding the outer cabin.
No matter how you look at it, her situation is a dead end.
But when the ship docks the next day and arrives at the gentry's village, where even more villagers gather, she will truly be left with nowhere to turn.
Will Wenham have any pity for himself?
"Could you please get me another glass of water, Auntie?"
Their eyes met. In the candlelight, the wrinkles on the old man's face were illuminated as if carved by a knife, and his cloudy eyes gleamed coldly in the shadows as he stared motionlessly at the morning dew.
After a long while, the old woman finally moved and went to fetch water for her.
Chaolu sat curled up in the shadows, her long hair hanging down to her waist, her dark eyes watching the old woman's every move, the dark shadows covering her.
With her hands behind her back, she finally cut the hemp rope.
From the moment she broke the first bowl, she hid a shard of ceramic in her sleeve. To avoid being noticed, she cut it intermittently along the way. The shards were sharp and angular, and every time she stretched and curled her fingertips, she had to endure the excruciating pain of the shards grinding blood into her palms.
Before long, the old woman brought a bowl of water.
"Thank you, Amu." Asahi smiled, revealing a friendly expression.
Suddenly, the window beside her was ripped open by a gust of wind. Just as the old woman was about to close it, Chaolu suddenly got up and pounced on her, stabbing the ceramic shards hard into her neck.
A jet of warm blood gushed out, but Chao Lu dodged it, and it all splashed onto the pillars around her.
The old woman stared at her with wide eyes, looking at her incredulously.
She clenched her teeth, making a "crackling" sound, and twisted her body, trying to call for help.
Chaolu covered her mouth and nose tightly with both hands, not allowing her to move, and watched as the old servant beneath her struggled like an old mudfish in a pool of blood.
Outside the cabin, a torrential downpour drowned out all other sounds in the world.
The girl was covered in blood, her long eyelashes also shrouded in blood mist. She slowly lowered her eyes. The cabin was dark and desolate, making her look like a ghost, completely unlike the weak posture she had shown when she begged for mercy.
Sweat dripped down her nose, her red lips trembled, her voice quivered, but the strength in her hands did not lessen in the slightest.
“Helan Zhen is right. As long as I am not completely dead, I will definitely come back to take revenge on you.”
Under the old woman's pleading gaze, Chaolu pulled out the shard and forcefully shoved it towards her neck.
The knife cut open the neck and pierced the flesh with a sound like tearing silk.
The old woman immediately lost her strength and collapsed to the ground, her legs giving way.
The sound of howling wind and rain mingled together, and the sound of footsteps approaching outside.
As soon as the door was opened from the outside, the sound of people inside the cabin splashing into the water could be heard.
The morning dew leaped into the icy river water.
The river water was icy cold at the end of spring; as soon as you entered the water, the chill felt like being pricked by needles.
The riverbank was right in front of her, and she almost drowned. She hadn't been in the water for many years and had almost forgotten how to swim.
Helan Zhen, Helan Yi, the Helan family...
Her adoptive mother, adoptive father, and missing younger brother were all murdered by the Helan family. Thinking of them gave her a little more courage, and she slowly swam upstream along the riverbank.
This is Taozhou. The Buddhist temple that her father was responsible for repairing last when he worked as a muralist was nearby. She had visited her adoptive father here before and was extremely familiar with the surrounding terrain.
Before his death, her adoptive father sent someone to tell her that he would redeem her from Helan Mansion once he had saved enough money. He left her some travel expenses in the underground cave of the Buddhist temple in Lintao County so that she could find her relatives in the future.
She was going to the Buddhist temple. She needed to retrieve her adoptive father's belongings, and she needed to find her sister...
Chao Lu could no longer distinguish whether the water on her face was tears or rain. She grabbed the grass on the bank with both hands, endured the excruciating pain, and dragged herself ashore.
When she killed Wen Am, her fingertips were covered in cold sweat, and her throat felt like it was stuck in her heart. Even after she escaped, she was still feeling palpitations.
The servant was in the river, and could swim ashore at any moment.
Ignoring the fact that her clothes were soaked, she ran wildly into the woods.
Behind her, the torrential rain roared.
**
The torrential rain continues unabated, as if the sky has opened a giant gaping hole, causing rivers to overflow.
On the mountainside amidst the towering peaks, the figures of several horses gradually emerged from the rain.
Horse hooves struck the damp, cold rocks, raindrops flying from the horse's mane, weaving into dense threads.
The raindrops pattered on the cavalrymen's armor, giving it a cold, silvery sheen.
The general at the very front was sent to scout ahead. He sat on his horse, looking down at the riverbank and the flowing water below.
Amidst the clamor of the rain, he asked the person behind him, "How is His Majesty?"
"After days of continuous travel and riding without a single day's rest, my old ailment has flared up again."
The general frowned slightly and tightened the reins. "The night is slippery from the rain, so it's not advisable to travel. Let's go to the Buddhist temple on the mountain to take shelter from the rain."
A note from the author:
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Hello everyone, it's been a long time.
This story begins with Chaolu ending her life as a female slave, and quickly progresses to her journey to the capital to fulfill her marriage contract, from female slave to empress.
The male protagonist, an aloof and self-proclaimed gentleman, covets his younger brother's fiancée. Unable to win her heart, he begins to plot to obtain her through cunning.
I hope the comments section will be lively; please feel free to leave your messages!
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