Chapter 1 The mistress told us to take care of you.
Since the beginning of winter, the wind and snow have continued.
The cold wind made the half-open window creak.
Clang—
The porcelain vase on the windowsill was smashed to pieces.
Mingying shuddered and suddenly woke up.
She struggled to her feet, her lips colorless, her face as pale as paper, and she couldn't help but cough violently a few times, clutching her chest.
My cold hadn't gotten better, and it actually got worse.
A howling, cold wind rushed into the room, and snowflakes covered the charcoal fire.
She slipped on her shoes and walked to the window, reaching out to close it, when she heard a sharp female voice coming from the corridor not far away.
"...Now look what's happened, she's putting on this sickly beauty act. The master hasn't come for a month, I don't know who she's trying to impress! She's born a servant, does she even think she can get into the Duke's mansion?" The pink-clad maid complained indignantly to the blue-clad maid beside her.
The maid in green said, "Zhui'er, say less. Miss Ming is the master's concubine, so we should show her some respect."
Zhui'er, who considered herself extraordinary and was full of resentment, said: "Sister Ling Shuang, you are a first-class maid, why are you afraid of her? She won't be smug for long. Once Master marries Princess Jianing, such a vixen will definitely be kicked out!"
"I'm doing this for your own good, and to keep your mouth shut."
Ling Shuang knew she couldn't be relied on, so she only told her to stay behind, "Miss Ming is still sick. I'll go and fetch a doctor. You guard the courtyard and make sure no one else comes in and disturbs her."
The sound of their voices was scattered by the wind and snow. Mingying closed the window with a heavy heart, but Zhuier's words lingered in her ears.
Her long eyelashes swept lightly, leaving a shadow on her face.
I have been in the capital with the young master for three months now.
For the past three months, she has been living in this secluded courtyard, rarely venturing out, as if isolated from the world.
For the past two months, he would come over every night and make love to her as usual. But this month, she hasn't seen him at all.
Since coming to the capital, he has never told her about his life, and when he comes to spend time with her, he only stays overnight before leaving in a hurry.
Was he really as Zhuier said, too busy with the wedding to care about a mere maidservant like her?
Are you going to kick me out?
A dim, watery light gathered in her eyes.
He won't.
Otherwise, why would he bring her back to Beijing?
No matter what he's busy with, he'll definitely come to find her when he's done.
She went to the White Horse Temple the day before yesterday and caught a cold. She took some pills but didn't get better. She was still feeling dizzy and weak. She took a few more pills, lay back in bed and closed her eyes.
—
Snowflakes fluttered down, turning the courtyard into a scene of jade-like trees and branches.
There were hardly any embers left in the charcoal brazier. Mingying was burning up, her cheeks flushed red as if dyed with the sunset. It felt like her internal organs were on fire. She tossed and turned, curling up into a ball in discomfort.
Half-asleep, I felt a chill on my body as someone pulled back the covers.
She was already burning up, and the cold wind made her jaw chatter uncontrollably.
"Hey, stop pretending! Get up right now!"
The woman's loud voice jolted Mingying awake instantly.
She shook her heavy head and finally saw the faces of the two unfamiliar women in front of her. She stammered, "You...who are you?"
She was the only woman in this villa, along with Ling Shuang and Zhui'er, who had been sent to keep her company. She didn't recognize the two women in front of her.
The tall, thin woman who had just lifted the blanket explained, "I am from the Duke's mansion, my surname is Tian, and I am the nanny by the lady's side."
As she spoke, she nudged the short, plump woman in blue behind her and said bluntly, "This is Madam Wu, a famous broker in the capital. You shameless woman, you've bewitched this master. Madam has sent us to deal with you and find you a better place."
A broker, a human trafficker?
Mingying looked at the two people in front of her warily; those three words once again made her feel as if she had fallen into a demon's den.
Wu Niangzi's shrewd gaze fell on her, as if she were judging an object.
She forced herself to remain calm: "I don't know you. Please leave."
Granny Tian then carefully examined her for a few moments.
The woman before me had a delicate, beautiful face, with round eyes that still reflected the light of water. Her skin was as smooth and delicate as milk skin, even more fair and radiant than that of a rich young lady.
The Jiangnan dialect is inherently soft and sweet, and coupled with that pure and innocent expression, any man would feel a pang of pity upon seeing her.
She immediately spat to the side: "You lowlife, no wonder you're a prostitute from a brothel, bewitching this old man!"
Mingying's vision blurred, and her eyes stung with tears. She said again, "Please leave."
Granny Tian was angered by her retort and beckoned to Wu San Niang, "Master Wu, what are you waiting for? After you've finished looking, hurry up and take the person away so I can go back and report."
Wu Niangzi stepped forward to pry Mingying's teeth open. Mingying was shocked and used all her strength to resist, which caused Wu Niangzi to stumble.
"What are you trying to do? Don't touch me!"
"Granny Tian, look, this is too intense..." Madam Wu cried out in pain, clutching her arm.
Granny Tian cursed under her breath and called to Madam Wu to come forward. The two of them worked together to drag Mingying off the bed.
Mingying's knees slammed against the cold ground, the pain bringing tears to her eyes. She gasped for breath, "I am the young master's woman! You cannot punish me as you please! I want to see the young master!"
Granny Tian grinned, immediately dashing her hopes: "To tell you the truth, although our visit today was at the madam's behest, it was also at the master's behest. Otherwise, how could we have gotten in?"
"Young lady, you should be sensible. If you truly care about the master, you shouldn't ruin his wonderful marriage. The master is a man of high status, and even his concubines and maids must be girls from respectable families. A woman like you, from a brothel, isn't even worthy to carry his shoes!"
Upon hearing this, Mingying felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart, a chill rising from the soles of her feet, and all the remaining color drained from her face.
Is it really because he wants to deal with his wife after getting married?
Salty tears dripped onto trembling lips, and my mouth felt like it was soaked in bitter juice.
She was born in Yangzhou, the daughter of a respectable family whose family made a living by her father's crafting of musical instruments. However, times changed drastically. Her father was implicated for making instruments for a rebellious prince's court, and the authorities raided her home overnight. Her parents were killed, and her brother disappeared without a trace.
She was adopted by her foster mother for a year, and at the age of twelve, she was sold into the infamous Mianyuelou, a brothel in Yangzhou that offered her services as a "slim horse" (a woman who is only given a small, attractive male concubine).
That day, the slave trader pried open her teeth in the same way, nodded in satisfaction, gave his foster mother ten taels of silver, and led her away.
Her worthless life was only worth a mere ten taels of silver...
Upon entering the Moonlit Pavilion, she had never entertained guests due to her young age, yet she could not shake off her tainted reputation.
She still remembered that when she was fourteen, she went to the prefect's mansion to perform. The young master praised her for playing the pipa well. At that moment, he was like a dazzling star in the sky, shining brightly into her eyes.
She had never seen such a handsome man.
The next day, the madam cheerfully told her that a handsome gentleman wanted to redeem her. The day she followed the young master out of the Moonlit Pavilion, it was as if all her suffering had vanished. She simply stared at him blankly, completely lost in thought.
When he served as an official in Yangzhou, she stayed by his side for three years. Even when facing danger, she never abandoned him. He was her benefactor, her master, and the man she loved.
She thought their three-year friendship was unbreakable.
Unexpectedly, he considered it so insignificant.
If he really wants to clean house, then where should she, a drifting duckweed, go?
Even if she were to die, she would probably just be wrapped in a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave, and no one would care about her at all.
Tears streamed down my face, like ice flowers, bringing a pang of pain.
Granny Tian was annoyed when she saw her and wanted to finish her off as soon as possible so she could go back and collect her reward. Seeing that she was stunned and not struggling, she reached out and pried open her mouth. "Madam Wu has always been in this business. Go back to where you came from. Don't covet what you shouldn't be thinking. You might as well keep your worthless life!"
Mingying suddenly raised her face and bit her hard on the tiger's mouth, with a trace of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.
"You little bitch! You dare bite me!"
A crisp slap landed on Mingying's face, her head was spinning, and she would have collapsed immediately if she hadn't been grabbed.
Ling Shuang led the doctor in, and as soon as they entered, they heard a jarring noise coming from the main room.
"Granny Tian, what are you doing?!"
She recognized the woman as Granny Tian, who served the madam, but Granny Tian only obeyed the master's orders, and no one was allowed to harm Miss Ming.
"Miss Ming is my woman, how dare you kill her at will?"
Granny Tian angrily scolded her: "Ling Shuang, you ungrateful little hussy, don't forget who your mother works for!"
Mingying was pulled and tugged from left and right, like a broken rag doll, until her limbs felt like they were falling apart, and she had no strength left.
Three years ago, the moment she followed him, she thought she could change her fate.
Ultimately, she was just a lowly person, and she shouldn't have been so delusional.
She listened to the chaotic words—screams, questions, and sarcasm…
Finally, unable to hold on any longer, everything went black, and he collapsed.
—
The window screen was gray, making it impossible to tell whether it was day or night.
The room was filled with the refreshing scent of orange peel, and orange peel water for treating colds was being boiled on a small stove.
Mingying opened her eyes groggily and saw the familiar light blue curtains.
She... is still in the other courtyard?
She was wrapped in layers of blankets, covered in sweat, and felt much more refreshed despite the stickiness.
Her right cheek, still burning from the slap, reminded her that what she had just experienced was not a dream.
If it wasn't a dream, wouldn't she have been sold to some brothel by human traffickers by now?
Feeling dizzy and disoriented, she tentatively called out to Ling Shuang a few times, but there was no response.
A moment later, bright yellow fireworks lit up outside the courtyard, their various shapes hitting the window paper like floating ghostly shadows.
Immediately following were a series of heavy, loud bangs, mixed with the agonizing screams of men and women.
She was terrified by what she heard. Not knowing what was happening outside, she ran barefoot to the door without even putting on her shoes.
As he reached out to lift the curtain, a force from outside lifted it first, revealing the person's slender, jade-like bones.
The brocade curtain with its dark floral pattern fluttered, bringing in a sudden chill in the air. It collided with a pair of clear, bright eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time, and her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
The man had broad shoulders and long legs. A few snowflakes clung to his frosty white robe, and the silver cloud patterns on the hem swayed with his strides. Above him was a face of extraordinary beauty, aloof and noble.
Mingying held her breath, utterly shocked: "Young Master, you..."
The next moment, she felt her body lighten, the icy sensation on the soles of her feet disappeared, and her nose was filled with the cool yet familiar scent of sandalwood.
She was lifted up by the man in front of her and carried straight to the bed.
A note from the author:
----------------------
The story has finally started! The male lead is a mad dog; he abuses women—both physically and emotionally. If you can't handle that, proceed with caution. [pity]
You can check out my next pre-order novel, "The Imprisoned Swallow," a story about a ruler taking his subject's wife.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
