At that time, it was frivolous
Shangguan Yuqi said blankly, "I only heard about this from my aunt later. Because I was still an infant on the day it happened, I naturally have no memory of what happened."
That day, a heavy snow fell, covering all the bridges, alleys, courtyards, pavilions, and towers in Jianzhang City.
Early that morning, Yanxiu, the eldest daughter of the Shangguan family, accompanied by her family, went out of the manor to the manor south of the city to take stock of the year's income and taxes, and to distribute the year's rewards and festival gifts.
In winter, darkness falls very early, and dim yellow lanterns were hung in front of the mansion early on to welcome Yanxiu and her entourage back.
After a day of welcoming and seeing off guests, the snow in front of the mansion gate was covered with cart tracks and hoofprints, and the melted snow water was gradually freezing back into ice. Inside the gate, there was already a lot of noise and the place was full of distinguished guests. It was the time of year when people would visit relatives and friends, and everyone was eagerly waiting for Miss Yanxiu to take her seat.
As usual, Yanxiu lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage. Someone had already opened an umbrella for her. As she stepped into the snow with a pair of gilded wooden clogs, she caught a glimpse of a hurried figure rushing towards her from a corner of the wall.
Amidst the shouts and cries of the servants and guards, a pale, withered hand, its veins bulging, had already clung tightly to the hem of her brocade robe adorned with white mink fur.
Yanxiu calmly dismissed the servants, then gently lowered her eyes and asked, "What do you want?"
She had already seen it in a glance; the person rushing towards her was a thin woman who was simply asking her for a favor and wouldn't harm her.
She was a thin, withered woman with her hair half-tied up, yet still possessing a certain air of strength and character. Beneath her long eyebrows, her eyes, brimming with tears, must have once shone brightly.
She was dressed in tattered clothes and shivering from the cold, but she was holding a swaddled baby in her arms, whose fair and lovely face was visible inside.
The mother, presumably spending her days in tears and never wearing any makeup, still remembered to apply a touch of vermilion rouge to the center of her baby's forehead, making the baby's delicate face appear even more beautiful.
The mother's haggard appearance contrasted sharply with the baby's innocent ignorance of the world.
One glance was enough to make Yanxiu unable to look away.
When the woman saw that the renowned Miss Shangguan was willing to pay attention to her, tears streamed down her sorrowful eyes, but she refused to utter a single word.
She just clutched Yanxiu's clothes and desperately tried to shove the child into her hands.
Yanxiu was completely unaware of the whole story. Normally, she would never have accepted a child from a stranger, for who knows if it was a trap.
But at that moment, the woman's desolate, snow-white eyes and the baby's innocent and pure gaze seemed irresistible to her, and she obediently took the child and held it in her arms.
She guessed that the woman was probably unable to raise her child and was looking for a good family to take care of her, so she wanted to ask where she was from and whether she could stay and work in the Shangguan family.
But as soon as she took the child, the woman's eyes suddenly lit up with extreme gratitude, and tears streamed down her face like broken pearls. She immediately pushed the child away, turned her head, and ran away from the crowd without looking back.
The next instant, amidst gasps of surprise, she crashed headfirst into the stone wall of the narrow alley to the side, and then her body slumped down limply.
After the initial shock and grief, Yanxiu immediately ordered an investigation into the woman's identity.
The baby was still heavy, nestled in her arms, gazing at her innocently, completely unaware that just moments before, her mother, who had carried her across most of Jianzhang City, had tragically died.
Yanxiu had a feeling. If she hadn't agreed to take the child and tacitly accepted the child's mother's entrustment, perhaps the place where this woman had just run headfirst would have been the main gate of the Shangguan family.
If that were the case, tonight in front of the Shangguan family's residence would be a sensational, bloody case that would shock the entire capital.
She would never forget the despair in the woman's eyes, and the woman's trembling hands, the renewed hope in her eyes, and the profound gratitude when she took the child from her.
The woman had long been determined to die, but because of Miss Shangguan's momentary compassion, she changed her mind and blood was not spilled in front of the Shangguan family, thus avoiding a scandalous incident for this century-old noble family.
Shangguan Yuqi remembered that when Yanxiu mentioned this point, she suddenly stood up and walked to the window.
She knew that her aunt didn't want her to see the tears in her eyes.
Yanxiu said, "Yuqi, I only met your mother once in this life. But even from that one meeting, I know she is a good woman, not at all as bad as they say."
He would rather sacrifice his own life for the future of his newborn daughter.
Because of a little kindness from the stranger Yanxiu, her desire for revenge to bring shame and disgrace to that unfaithful man's family would change.
Even if she had thought that climbing to a higher social position would allow her to escape the hellish situation, it was merely the instinct of an innocent and vulnerable woman seeking survival.
Throughout the entire ordeal, she risked her life but never harmed anyone else.
"She is a good woman, Yuqi."
The people sent out to verify the woman's identity have not yet returned, and someone from her family has already come forward to confess and take responsibility.
In terms of seniority, he could be considered Yanxiu's cousin.
Among the many men of the Shangguan family generation, he was not particularly outstanding or responsible, but among the sons of powerful clans, he was still considered a handsome and elegant young man.
Such a talented person, at such a young age, naturally had a wife of equal social standing whom he had arranged for him at a young age, as well as three or five charming and flattering concubines, and a large group of children around him.
He went to the brothel just to play along, but he didn't expect the other party to fall in love with him.
He wasn't entirely unmoved, but how much the sincerity of a courtesan was worth in the eyes of Young Master Shangguan, who came from one of the top aristocratic families of the time, was actually something to consider.
After all, if he really wanted it, there would be countless courtesans in brothels and theaters who would offer their hearts to please him.
The dashing and charming young master Shangguan initially gave in to this woman, who was of decent appearance and had a pure temperament. However, as he realized that she was becoming increasingly infatuated and showing signs of being headstrong, he began to back down. He gradually stopped meeting her, eventually avoiding her altogether.
He thought that by gradually cutting off contact, he could make the other party give up on him. After all, it was customary in brothels to be fickle and fickle, and both customers and courtesans should only be regarded as passersby in each other's lives.
But to his surprise, the other party closed his doors to all customers for his sake, vowing never to yield and determined to cut off his business in the brothel.
The first person to confront him was the madam of that brothel. This money tree was acting like it was dying and refused to do business anymore. She was hoping that Young Master Shangguan would offer a high price to buy this money tree back home, which would be a happy ending for both of them.
But this young master Shangguan dared not agree. He had a father who upheld the family rules and regulations, and a strict wife and beautiful maids. Taking someone into his household was not something he could simply decide on his own.
And this matter has already blown up quite a bit. Although his family is still unaware, his circle of wealthy and powerful friends in the capital has heard rumors and are mocking him about it. The reason is simple—the young master of the Shangguan family, a family with a long history, has won the heart of a courtesan from some unknown village—it sounds like a romantic tale, but it's actually a mockery: even such a country bumpkin can cling to him; the young master Shangguan is far too naive.
This young master Shangguan was caught in a dilemma, scratching his head in frustration. It was absolutely impossible for him to redeem her as a concubine, so he hoped to see her one more time, have a frank conversation, and tell her not to wait for him anymore. He suggested she either go into business or find a good home—in short, not to hang herself on his tree. He hoped they could both be at peace and find their own happiness.
But to his utter surprise, when he saw her again in the same room where they had first met, under the madam's supervision, she told him that she was three months pregnant and asked him if their vow to marry each other still held true.
Young Master Shangguan was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat; his face turned pale.
Regardless of whether the child is truly his, even if it is, marrying a courtesan along with her child would truly disgrace the Shangguan family's reputation built up over generations.
Meanwhile, the madam, pimp, and a group of middlemen stood by, brandishing knives and canes, eager to see how he would explain himself.
Although he was the son of the Shangguan family, they dared not really do anything to him. But a money tree had been destroyed in his hands. Even according to the rules of the brothel, he should give an explanation and could not just walk away.
In desperation, Young Master Shangguan could only plead, "Qingqing, I was confused back then and shouldn't have betrayed your sincerity. Now I only ask that you abort this child. I am willing to pay a large sum of money. Whether you marry someone else or go back to your old profession, I only ask that you stop thinking about me, because it is not worth it."
The brothel madam and pimp breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that he was willing to pay.
The woman had been waiting for him for a long time, but upon hearing his words, her expression changed drastically. Her face turned deathly pale, and she swayed precariously, clinging to the table.
Seeing her like this, Young Master Shangguan felt even more apprehensive, fearing that she would be relentless and cling to him, threatening suicide. He knew then he would truly become the laughingstock of the capital.
After a moment, she finally steadied herself and, in a calm, deathly tone, uttered a sentence that no one had expected:
"Go away. This child is not yours."
Upon hearing this, everyone present was taken aback and looked at each other in bewilderment: What was going on this time?
Young Master Shangguan didn't have time to verify the truth of her words. He felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He even forgot to blame her for making him take the blame. He immediately covered his head and ran away, thinking that he had escaped a disaster and fled to safety.
After that, he was still shaken and gave up all his philandering in that area, never going there again.
The largest and most powerful brothels in the capital were actually located near Luoyufang in the West Market. In the eyes of the wealthy and powerful, the brothel where this woman worked wasn't considered a particularly respectable place for entertainment; it was merely a place to occasionally have a drink and find something new.
Even as Shangguan Yuqi spoke, her tone remained remarkably calm.
This inevitably brings to mind her mother. Perhaps, when her mother faced the man who had once been so handsome and dashing in her eyes, but who had now abandoned all their past vows and only wanted to get rid of her, this burdensome lover, she uttered those words, "This child is not yours," with the same calmness.
There is no greater sorrow than the utter despair after a broken heart, a heart utterly desolate.
None of the three people present—A Qiu, Lord Liyang, or Xiao Chang'an—spoke.
Because no matter what he said, it seemed to be disrespectful to Shangguan Yuqi's biological father.
But at this moment, it's really hard to say a good word about him.
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