Chapter 1 I am Song Wei's daughter, Song Huiyin
On the day of Ji-You in the second month of the fifth year of the Jianyuan era, there was heavy rain.
In the most secluded courtyard on Xuanpingmen Back Street, due to its low-lying location, small puddles had formed in the courtyard. The rammed earth at the corner of the wall was not properly compacted and had been washed away by rainwater, leaving a gap in the corner, with yellow mud and sewage mixed together.
This is a small courtyard facing south, nestled behind two tall earthen houses. It is dark all day long. The two houses in the courtyard are adjacent to each other. On the left side, there is a low shed with a stove made of yellow mud inside.
The inner room was just as simple as the outer courtyard, with only a simple layer of wheat-yellow mud plastered around the walls, and the plaster had already begun to peel off in many places.
Apart from the low wooden table by the window, the only other piece of furniture was a low pine couch in the inner room. It was called a low couch, but it was actually just a hardwood bed that was about the height of a staircase on the ground.
On the pine wood couch lay a frail, sick woman. Though her face was thin, one could still vaguely discern the beauty in her features and delicate facial structure. The woman's hand, hanging limply at her side, had fair, smooth skin, a stark contrast to the simple rammed earth house.
The window wasn't fully closed, and the slanting rain extinguished the candlesticks, plunging the room into darkness. The woman on the couch raised her hand, groping in the air for a long time, weakly calling out, "Huiyin... Huiyin..."
No one answered for a long time.
——
"Get out of here! Do you think you can just barge into the residence of the Junior Minister of Works?"
The gatekeeper of the Yan residence ruthlessly drove away the thin girl in front of the gate. He held his nose high and looked at the soaking wet girl with the same way that the master of the mansion usually looked at him.
The young woman pleaded softly, "I am Song Huiyin, daughter of Song Wei. I have important business to discuss with Lord Yan. Please help me announce my arrival."
The gatekeeper chuckled twice, his tone strange: "Song Huiyin? The one who lost her molts?"
Intrigued, he moved closer to the girl and, taking her by surprise, swiftly removed her bamboo hat. Though it was dark, the Yan family mansion was wealthy, and the silk lanterns in front of the gate formed a continuous canopy, illuminating the girl's face clearly.
She was dressed simply, in a plain linen dress with narrow sleeves, and a wide dark brown belt around her waist. The dark hem was already wet and clung heavily to her legs, making her look disheveled.
But her eyes were as bright as stars, her eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a landscape painting. She tilted her head slightly, her cheeks full, and her brows furrowed slightly at the gatekeeper's sudden offense. Her exquisite features were as if they were finely sculpted, and her beauty was unparalleled.
The gatekeeper stared in disbelief, almost wanting to step forward. Just then, a soft cough came from behind the door. He turned around and instantly snapped back to reality, lowering his head in fear and retreating back into the mansion.
Behind the door, a dark robe embroidered with gold thread was faintly visible, and the vermilion door was tightly shut in front of Huiyin, leaving no gap.
Huiyin rushed forward and patted him, "Uncle Yan, my mother is seriously ill and there is no medicine to cure her. Please, for my father's sake, help me! I beg you!"
No matter how much she pounded and called out, there was still only silence behind the door, with the sound of rain responding to her.
Exhausted, Huiyin knelt before the Yan family's gate. This was the fifth family she had visited today seeking help, and the fifth time she had been turned away. Since her father's death and the downfall of the Song family, her former friends and relatives had all turned a blind eye and refused to offer any assistance.
She lowered her head and gave a self-deprecating laugh. She should have understood the coldness of the world long ago. Huiyin dragged her weary body to her feet; her mother was still waiting for her, and she couldn't stop.
"Sister!" A young man wearing a raincoat rushed out from the rain. He was soaked to the bone, but he was agile and leaped to Huiyin's side in just a few steps.
The boy had a youthful face, delicate features that had not yet fully developed, and a height of about seven feet, similar to Huiyin's. He had a strong waist and long arms, indicating that he was skilled in martial arts.
Song Jingchuan wiped the raindrops from his face and spoke rapidly: "I went to Lord Zhang's residence at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, but he didn't even have anyone open the door for me! That damned old scoundrel, he wasn't like this when he asked my father for help before!"
Huiyin's heart sank to the bottom, and she murmured, "Times have changed."
She pinched her palms to calm herself down, looked up at Song Jingchuan, and said, "We've been out for some time now. I'm worried about Mother. You should go back and take care of her first."
"I'll go to the Su residence again."
Huiyin picked up her straw hat, which had been knocked to the ground, and, holding her rain gear, stepped into the rain. She walked alone through the raging storm. The rain gear was useless in the downpour; the spring chill was biting.
——
Song Jingchuan had practiced martial arts since childhood and was extremely fast on his feet. He arrived home in less than half an hour. When he entered the courtyard, he found the house completely dark. Using the dim moonlight, he found a ceramic lamp and lit it, only then realizing that the house was in complete disarray.
They forgot to close the window when they left, and the rain splashed into the room, wetting the corner table. Song Jingchuan closed the window and turned to look at the inner couch behind the curtain. Madam Song was lying unconscious on the couch.
He hurriedly knelt before the bed, anxiously calling out, "Mother! Mother!"
Madam Song slightly opened her eyelids, her vision blurred, and she could only see a dark figure. She raised her hand and groped around, "Jingchuan... is that you?"
"It's my child, how are you feeling?" Song Jing grasped Madam Song's hand and knelt on the ground.
Madam Song suddenly arched her back and lay on the couch, coughing violently. Upon seeing this, Song Jingchuan quickly helped her soothe her back.
Madam Song clutched her chest and asked with difficulty, "Where is your elder sister?"
“My elder sister went to the Su family,” Song Jingchuan replied, getting up to pour a bowl of water, but was suddenly grabbed by Madam Song.
Suddenly, Madam Song regained her strength, her eyes bulged, her chest heaved, and she grabbed his arm, shouting, "You can't go... Call her back!"
The next moment, as if all her strength had been drained, she collapsed weakly onto the couch, gasping for breath like a stranded fish, "I can't go... Go quickly and call your sister back, go quickly..."
Song Jingchuan was immediately startled by her, and broke out in a cold sweat. He dared not leave Madam Song behind, so he could only hold her hand and comfort her.
The Su residence was the home of the Imperial Censor, and also the home of Su Jinghao, a close friend of Huiyin. She waited in the warm pavilion in the front hall where guests were received. The maids standing inside all had their hair tied up at the back of their heads, and all wore blue-brown linen robes with their skirts drawn up. They were silent and quiet.
A lacquered wooden screen with flowing cloud patterns was placed directly in front of it, and a sandalwood lacquered table was placed in front of the screen. The cushions on both sides were made of brocade with gold embroidery.
In the center of the pavilion was a hollowed-out square charcoal stove, burning the finest silver wire charcoal, filling the room with a warm and fragrant atmosphere. In the corner, six interlocking candlesticks illuminated the pavilion as brightly as day.
Huiyin lowered her eyes. She had been to the Su residence several times, but this was the first time she had realized how extravagant it was. The wet hemp socks on her feet left watermarks on the dark wooden floor, and the water droplets dripping from her skirt formed small puddles, which were completely out of place in this luxurious house.
Huiyin consciously retreated to the doorway, wrung out her clothes, and felt a gust of wind blowing in from the hall, making her shiver with cold.
A thunderclap struck outside, as if the heavens were angry. The rain had been falling for three days, and even the water level of Kunming Pool had risen considerably.
A short while later, Su Jinghao's gentle voice came: "Huiyin".
Huiyin looked up and saw that Su Jinghao was at home, wearing only a simple wide-sleeved black dress. Her hair was casually tied into a bun and hung down her back without any hairpins or ornaments, but the turquoise necklace hanging on her chest indicated her extraordinary status.
Su Jinghao has a round face, long, slightly upturned eyes, and a delicate, small nose. Her features are perfectly proportioned, and she has a calm and composed demeanor. She is like a white lotus that has not yet bloomed, serene and elegant.
With her hands clasped over her abdomen and a perfectly appropriate smile on her face, she walked slowly, the jade pendant hanging silently from her waist. Every movement she made was a model of a noble lady from a prestigious family.
Huiyin withdrew her gaze, slightly bent her knees, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and bent down to touch her forehead with her hands.
"Huiyin, get up quickly. Why are you being so formal with us sisters?" Su Jinghao said coquettishly as she helped Huiyin up, her eyes filled with laughter.
Looking at the concern in her eyes, Huiyin felt a mix of emotions. She lowered her head to hide her expression, "Now that I am a commoner, it is only natural that I must pay my respects."
"If you hold these things against me, I'll get angry."
Su Jinghao grasped Huiyin's arm, her hand touching something wet. She frowned, twisting Huiyin's sleeve as she asked, "Why are you soaking wet?"
She turned to look at the maid standing beside her and said in a gentle voice, "Go and prepare fragrant soup and clothes."
The maids responded in unison with "Yes," and with synchronized movements, they withdrew from the warm chamber.
Huiyin took Su Jinghao's arm and gently shook her head, "No need to trouble yourself, Jinghao. I came here today because..."
"No need to say anything more."
Su Jinghao beckoned to a maid in a long linen dress and whispered a few instructions to her.
After a while, the maid came forward with a lacquered red wooden tray containing eight gold ingots. The ingots were oval-shaped with a concave bottom, resembling horseshoes, and convex at the top.
She pulled Huiyin to kneel on the brocade mat beside her, stroking her cold hand. The warmth of her palm temporarily dispelled the chill from Huiyin's body. "You could have just sent someone to tell me. Why did you come here in this heavy rain?"
A warm feeling welled up in Huiyin's eyes. Having been treated coldly by the world these days, she couldn't help but lose control of her emotions when she was being cared for gently by her friend.
She lowered her head to wipe away her tears, forcing a smile through her pain. "Thank you, Jinghao. I have to...go now."
Huiyin got up, took a gold horse hoof seal and put it in her sleeve. Just as she was about to step out the door, Su Jinghao called her back. Su Jinghao took the crimson cloak from the maid and wrapped it around Huiyin. Her words were gentle yet undeniable: "It's raining heavily outside. I'll prepare a carriage for you. It's faster than you walking."
Huiyin nodded haphazardly, reluctantly bidding farewell to Su Jinghao, and followed the Su family's maid to the side gate. The foundation of the Su family's gate was eight feet high, and the falling raindrops gathered on the ground into large puddles of dirty water. Huiyin couldn't wait for the maid to fetch a footrest, so she raised her hand to cover her face and rushed into the downpour.
After getting the medicine, it was already early evening when they returned to the back street. The rain was gradually subsiding. Huiyin got out of the carriage, thanked the coachman, and ran into the house, lifting her skirt. "Mother, I'm back!"
Hearing the commotion, Song Jingchuan rushed to the door. Tears still clung to his eyes as he looked at Huiyin with sorrow, his voice choked with emotion: "Sister, you're finally back! Mother is dying!"
Huiyin's legs went weak and she swayed. She pushed Song Jingchuan aside and rushed into the room, which was deathly silent. She stopped outside the curtain, not daring to take a step forward, her arm holding the medicine bag trembling uncontrollably.
Hearing the commotion from inside the room, Madam Song asked weakly, "Is Huiyin back?"
Huiyin could no longer hold back. She lifted the curtain and rushed in. The room was dimly lit, with only a ceramic lamp burning in front of the bed.
She knelt before Madam Song's bedside, holding the medicine packet to comfort her, "Mother, you'll get better after taking the medicine."
Madam Song refused to take the medicine anymore. She raised her hand, touched Huiyin's face, and shook her head, saying, "I can't take it anymore. There's no need to waste this money."
Huiyin shook her head with tears in her eyes, "No... This is medicine prescribed by the Imperial Physician, it will definitely work, I'll go and decoct the medicine now."
Madam Song weakly pulled her back, and after a moment of bitter smile, said, "There's no need to make a fuss." She looked past Huiyin to Song Jingchuan, who was standing behind her silently weeping, and beckoned him to the bedside.
Madam Song struggled to sit up. She held the hands of her two children together and gave them her last instructions: "After I die, bury me with your father. After that... you should leave Chang'an and return to your ancestral home in Jingzhou. Don't come back."
She coughed twice, opened her mouth and nose to breathe deeply, and Huiyin reached out to pat her chest to help her catch her breath. Madam Song smiled sadly, "Huiyin, promise me, don't investigate your father's case anymore."
Huiyin's long eyelashes filled with tears. "Father is innocent."
Madam Song wept and said, "I know what kind of person your father is better than anyone else, but you... can't fight them now."
She caught her breath and continued, "Swear before my bedside that you will never investigate this matter again!"
Huiyin stood frozen in place, head bowed and silent.
Upon seeing this, Madam Song coughed violently, her face turning bluish-purple, and she pointed at her, unable to speak. Song Jingchuan looked helplessly at Huiyin, secretly touching her arm to signal her to speak.
With tears in her eyes, Huiyin knelt on the ground, her expression obscured as she lay prostrate. "I promise Mother, I will not investigate this matter any further."
Having received her promise, Madam Song breathed a sigh of relief and lay back on the couch, tilting her head back to instruct, "From now on, the Song family will only have the two of you left. You must support each other, live well, and carry on your father's bloodline..."
"Mother, please stop... You will get better." Huiyin knelt before her, her chest feeling constricted, making it difficult for her to speak.
Madam Song's breathing became increasingly rapid, and her eyes gradually became unfocused. In the final moments of her life, she touched her daughter's hand and comforted her, "Good child, don't cry... don't cry, your mother is alright."
She slowly raised her hand to Huiyin's face and stroked it, saying, "Let your mother see you again."
Huiyin raised her tearful face, held up the oil lamp beside her cheek, and looked at Madam Song's smiling and satisfied face, her heart breaking.
“Mother…” Huiyin murmured.
May my son enjoy endless happiness...
The wick flickered twice, and the oil in the ceramic lamp burned out. A gust of wind, seemingly from nowhere, extinguished the lamp. In an instant, the room became dim and gloomy.
Madam Song's hand gradually lost its strength and fell limply to her side. Huiyin watched quietly as Madam Song slowly closed her eyes, lifeless.
Unlike Song Jingchuan, who was wailing and crying beside her, she just sat there blankly, tightly holding Madam Song's drooping hand, as if this could stop Madam Song from leaving.
After Madam Song left, the rain that had been falling for three days gradually stopped. The soft sound of the wind, along with Song Jingchuan's sobs, reached Huiyin's ears. Her soaked clothes began to feel cold, the thick, sticky fabric making it hard to breathe.
Huiyin slowly straightened up, added more oil to the lamp, and lit the candlestick. Her legs were numb from kneeling for so long. She paused for a moment, then carefully tended to Madam Song's remains.
Madam Song passed away peacefully. Compared to the torment of her illness in the past, today was perhaps the most comfortable day she had had in recent times.
She straightened Madam Song's clothes, her gaze falling on Madam Song's thin, bony shoulders, her dry eyes throbbing with pain. It belatedly dawned on her: her mother was gone; she had no mother left.
Song Jingchuan crawled forward two steps and embraced Huiyin in silent comfort. The two of them watched sadly as Madam Song left the bed, their sobs mingling.
Lady Song's original name was Yan Zhuo. She was from a family of gentry in Wan County, Jingzhou. At the age of seventeen, she married Song Wei, a member of the Song clan in the same county. Later, because Song Wei was renowned for his talent, he was recruited into an official position, and she settled in Chang'an with him.
She was born with a weak constitution and suffered postpartum hemorrhage when she gave birth to Song Jingchuan. Her health has been poor ever since, and she has relied on tonics to maintain her health.
A month ago, Commandant Sun Li was accused of embezzling military supplies in Youzhou. His Majesty ordered the Court of Justice to investigate.
After being imprisoned, Sun Li suddenly confessed that he had been instructed to embezzle funds by the Imperial Censor Song Wei, and produced a silk scroll containing Song Wei's correspondence, bearing Song Wei's personal seal as proof. Shortly after the accusation, Sun Li committed suicide in prison.
Song Wei was suspended from his post and detained for investigation by the Court of Justice. Yuan Zhi and others, together with the Imperial Censor of the Imperial Library, submitted a memorial demanding that Song Wei be severely punished. Five days after the incident, Song Wei committed suicide in prison, confessing his guilt and leaving behind a letter of confession.
From then on, the once-powerful Song family collapsed. His Majesty, pitying Song Wei's many years of hard work and meritorious service as an official, issued an edict to pardon his family members' crimes, only confiscating their property.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; within a month, Madam Song's health rapidly deteriorated, and she was on her last legs.
A note from the author:
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My next pre-order novel is called "The Empress Has Returned to the Palace in Triumph." Please add it to your favorites if you like it!
Many people say that Xin Yi was lucky, and she herself thought so too. As the daughter of a border general, she was fortunate enough to marry Prince Su as his principal wife. The couple were deeply in love when they were young, and they had no other relatives for three years after their marriage.
Then, the late emperor suddenly died, and the Rebellion of the Three Princes resulted in countless deaths and injuries. In the royal family, only Prince Su, an adult prince, was left, and he seized the opportunity to become the new emperor.
As a result, Xin Yi naturally became the empress, and everyone in the capital said she was lucky.
The emperor and empress were deeply in love, and the emperor's exclusive favor in the imperial harem became a celebrated story.
——
In the fifth year of the new emperor's reign, the weather was favorable, the country was peaceful and prosperous, and he took in many concubines.
This year marked the third year of Xin Yi's imprisonment in the Northern Palace. As she gazed at the snow plum blossoms falling softly in the cold wind, she reminisced about the past.
When Liu Zhan first ascended the throne, the imperial court and harem were controlled by the Liang family, who kowtowed before him and swore: "I only brought them into the palace to balance the court, and I will never touch them!"
Xin Yi looked into his tearful eyes and believed him.
Later, she and Consort Liang became pregnant only a month apart. He held her and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, the position of Crown Prince will only belong to our child in the future."
Later, Consort Liang miscarried, and all the clues pointed to Xin Yi. She tried to defend herself, but he held the weak and weeping Consort Liang and said coldly, "Once your child is born, give it to Empress Dowager Liang to raise."
She didn't even have time to see the child before she was hurriedly taken away and banished to the Northern Palace for confinement while still in her postpartum period, forbidden to leave without being summoned.
Her young son was taken away, her father and brothers were demoted, and she was imprisoned for three years. Xin Yi resented and hated for three years, but then she suddenly understood.
Love is the most useless thing in the world; power is the only true path.
——
Xie Qingyan, a son of the Xie family, is the most principled person in the family's history.
He possessed profound wisdom and unparalleled intelligence. Before he even reached adulthood, he had already become a young leader in the court who could turn the tide of events. A single word from him could settle a storm, and a single strategy could secure the nation.
As a child, he witnessed the Liang family, relatives of the emperor, wreaking havoc on the court, which triggered the Rebellion of the Three Princes and caused the people to be displaced.
Xie Qingyan vowed to eliminate the maternal relatives and support the country, not for the honor or disgrace of his family, nor for a place in history, but because of his most fervent ideal of serving his country and his desire for a peaceful and prosperous world.
But no one knew that this young minister harbored a secret—he admired the woman who was destined to be his adversary.
Knowing full well that what lay ahead was an abyss, Xie Qingyan willingly approached it step by step.
This lucid descent into depravity began the moment he met Xin Yi, and there was no turning back.
Mine clearance:
Female not male 1/Male 2 rises to power/Wife-chasing drama/Female lead is an empress with a child
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