On the morning of the third day of the sixth month, Chunfen quietly came to the courtyard to report trouble. She told Qiqian’er: Madam, you’d better go take a look — the two Chang family wives have brought over thirty-some carts and are loading up the gifts from our Fifth Young Master’s wedding, right there in the courtyard of the Three Sages Temple.
What gifts? Just the wedding gifts the family had received.
For so many days now, the old officials of the Shao Shang faction had been sending cart after cart of congratulatory gifts.
The Chen family now counted seven adult sons. Meng Wanquan, though only a nominal grandson-in-law, was older than all of them, so the household just called him “Big Uncle Meng” — his side hadn’t really been ranked, and he could hardly compete with Chen Dazhong for the “old strongman” title.
Chen Dasheng was the Fourth Young Master, Chang Lianfang the Fifth, and Xie Liuhao, born to be a sixth son by fate, was the Sixth Young Master.
This ranking had been formally set the year before, when the ancestral graves were established and the order of ritual precedence was officially fixed.
Very formally settled indeed.
Qiqian’er’s belly had only just begun to show, yet she still had to grind the millstone every few days — no help for it, others could at least practice a set of boxing forms at home to loosen up, but she was out and about constantly, one foot stepping who knew how many more steps behind it.
People were strange this way — they wouldn’t let her reach for high places, yet grinding the mill seemed fine to them? Everyone considered it an act of filial devotion, figuring Heaven and the ancestors surely wouldn’t let anything go wrong.
You’d think people were odd, wouldn’t you.
Reasoning always bent toward convenience.
When Chunfen came in to report the trouble, Qiqian’er’s temper flared instantly.
These past days, she and the others had been in a constant state of anger with Madam Bao and Madam Qiao — you couldn’t imagine how petty and vicious these two women could be. It was as if they meant to vent all the scoldings they’d received from their in-laws, all the loss of face they’d suffered in the neighborhood, onto Chang Lianfang’s wedding — never letting up for a moment.
Yet these past few days, strangely enough, the women of Qinwei Alley had all turned unusually gentle and magnanimous, giving these two extra deference, tolerating whatever could be tolerated.
For no good reason, why should they be the ones disciplining the old Chang family’s daughters-in-law on the Chang family’s behalf? If you two want to make trouble, fine — then we’ll just feed that flame.
True wickedness isn’t the obvious kind of pettiness. What was there to be gained from winning an argument? What was there to be gained from surface-level victories in household politics? What they wanted was to spoil these two “dry sisters-in-law” so thoroughly over these few days that they’d start thinking they could manage the imperial treasury itself without a hitch.
That’s exactly what everyone had been doing these past few days — no matter what Madam Bao or Madam Xia did, the whole household showered them with praise, not just the servants but the wives of every household as well.
Qiqian’er had even argued with her own husband several times over it, but in front of these two women, it was always: Ah! Sister is quite right, why didn’t I think of that, I’ll go change it right away… we’ll do exactly as you say, sister, who would dare go against you…
As far as the young wives of Qinwei Alley were concerned, as long as the goods at the Three Sages Temple weren’t touched, everything else could go however it liked — they weren’t going to fuss, as long as Xiaohuar’s affair went through smoothly.
The things at the Three Sages Temple were Xiaohuar’s wedding gifts. It wasn’t that they coveted the wealth — it was that once Huar accepted people’s gifts, could he really not reciprocate? If these two hauled it all off to pad their own private coffers, what would that even mean?
Who would believe they’d actually put it into the public household accounts? Fool no one.
The direct consequence of this was that Chang Lianfang wouldn’t even know who had given him what, or how much — if there was no record, how could he ever keep track in his own mind?
These two wives clearly had dark intentions. If they’d said even one word — that from now on, gifts given to their household would be handled by the Marquis Chang’s estate — no one would have objected. The problem was, they wanted to rely on their old shameless habits to keep pulling this same disgusting trick.
After all, it had cost them fifty thousand strings of cash, like cutting off their own flesh.
Qiqian’er set down the millstone handle, turned to Chunfen and asked: “Isn’t Third Brother at the Three Sages Temple?”
Chunfen looked troubled: “In reply, Madam — Third Young Master is there, but Madam Xia of the Chang family said, these are gifts for our Third Son’s wedding, why are you standing here managing them, what exactly do you mean by that? Third Young Master felt a bit ashamed and stepped away…”
Qiqian’er took off her leather apron, clapped her hands, and said mockingly: “Third Brother’s only good for running his mouth — he’s got skill enough to fight his younger brother over wine, but when it comes to this, he shrinks away. Tell the kitchen to send a bowl of turtle soup over to Third Young Master’s household today…”
Chunfen, who had been nervous, couldn’t help laughing quietly at this and went off to relay the order. She’d only gone a few steps with her own Fourth Madam when she heard Qiqian’er ask: “Have you told your Fifth Madam yet?”
Chunfen was about to say she had told her, but before she could, she heard her mistress continue: “Never mind, never mind… ah, forget relying on him. I’ll go with Wanru and the others myself. You go get someone to hitch the carriage — go find old Marquis Chang in Yandu and tell him, from me: if he still wants to keep any relationship with his son, he’d better stop playing the stubborn old fool with me. That trick of his won’t work on me. Hurry, go!”
Watching Chunfen dash off, Qiqian’er shook her head helplessly. She’d been taken in by Xiaohuar — some “Tigress of Heliang,” what a joke… ah, more like a little kitten of Heliang, that would be closer to the truth.
A few days ago she’d still had certain expectations. If this was supposed to be a “Tigress of Heliang,” well, she wasn’t asking for a broad-shouldered, thick-waisted build — a woman like that wouldn’t look good anyway — but she’d imagined at least someone modestly sturdy, strong-legged, loud-voiced, someone who could shout and shake the room.
Well, wouldn’t you know — after all that hoping and wishing, Xiaohuar had come out of the bridal palanquin beaming, leading out a tiny bean-sized little wife. Truly bean-sized — you know those official-hat-back chairs? Standing straight, this little wife was only a bit taller than one of those chairs.
Big Niu and Second Niu had been stunted from a childhood fall and were already quite small — but this little wife was only a touch bigger than Second Niu. Wearing the tall bridal headdress for the ceremony, her hairpin barely reached Xiaohuar’s shoulder.
Being short, they could accept. But she was thin too — when the veil finally came off, there stood a woman two years older than Xiaohuar, yet with the soft, milky look of someone barely grown; if you didn’t want to bully her, you’d feel bad for her fragile delicacy regardless.
In that instant, Qiqian’er turned to Chen Dasheng and said: “Have someone raise the courtyard wall at your brother’s place by three feet.”
Just in case a strong wind came along and blew this delicate girl away.
Every sister-in-law in Qinwei Alley was stunned — no one could have guessed Xiaohuar’s type was this. There he stood, grinning like a fool.
The old marquis’s expression stayed carefully neutral, but Marchioness Chai looked utterly despairing. In a military family, aside from health, there was always the expectation of many descendants — she could already picture a row of bean-sized, adorable grandchildren gathered around her knees, feeding them a few bites while having to bend down and search the floor to find where her grandchild had gotten to.
Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration — but Xiaohuar’s new wife really was delicate, dainty as a piece of fine jade.
Qiqian’er couldn’t figure out where this “Tigress” nickname had even come from.
She asked around later and learned the story went back many, many years.
Long ago, in a remote and impoverished village, there lived a scholar with a heart for the world, who, hearing that a wise lord had risen in the north, brought his whole family to seek him out. Later, when that lord led his campaign to unify the realm, the first city he took was Wucheng Commandery, and he began to build up the Wucheng area as Daliang’s rear base.
This scholar, favored by his superior, was appointed as an aide, and later rose all the way to the post of Prefect of Heliang. The Chen family’s Fifth Madam, Xu Ximei, was the legitimate second daughter of this Prefect of Heliang.
Never mind the old grandmother of the family always saying how well they ate and dressed now, what blessings they enjoyed — in truth, being born in that particular era meant none of them could really be called fortunate.
Indeed — born right at the end of the dynasty, followed immediately by all the great powers rising up to contend for the realm, her father Xu Xuan had been so overwhelmed with work in those days, and as the rear base for the Shao Shang faction, the Prefecture of Heliang was attacked by various forces every few days.
It was in those years that Xu Ximei, who had long been sent away to stay with relatives, was brought back home by her family.
Every time enemy troops attacked, her father and brothers stood on the city walls defending it, leaving the women at home worried sick. Though the Xu family members were not physically imposing, they possessed reckless courage — while the men defended the walls, the women cooked meals for the soldiers.
But once the food was cooked, someone had to carry it up to the wall.
So, among the shorter members of the family, they picked the tallest, and this second young lady of the Xu family began carrying supplies with the household servants from the prefectural office up to the city walls — and this continued for many years, until Daliang was founded and the Ministry of Personnel formally issued the document confirming Xu Xuan’s post as Prefect of Heliang.
Xiaohuar said, wasn’t what the second young lady did just as much an act of heroism as any man’s? Something many men couldn’t even accomplish.
But no one believed him on this point.
A tiny woman who’d blow away in the wind — you’d be lucky if she didn’t wet herself in fright, people said, and now he’d actually married her — could he return her like defective goods?
He’d brought this worry entirely upon himself!
Qiqian’er stomped out crossly, and at the gate she saw her own father, one hand leading a grandson in circles around the courtyard.
No telling how long he’d been at it — he had endless patience regardless. His grandson liked to kick stones around, so he’d had someone lay out a whole trail of stones for the boy to play with as he pleased. When the little one wobbled unsteadily, he’d grab the two children by the back of their collars to stop them from falling.
And that wasn’t all — several of the eunuchs he’d once used in the palace had also been brought along with him, and today the one standing off to the side was called Wan Chunyang.
Wan Chunyang was now the chief eunuch of the Prince’s estate. In the past he rarely came to Qinwei Alley — but these days Qiqian’er had been so busy.
The two mischievous children — not even immortals descending from heaven could keep them in line. So Jixiang’s household had gone to Yandu to bring the eunuchs the Prince used to fetch to come wait on the children.
They said these eunuchs were different from ordinary outsiders — first, their tongues were sweet, and second, they were quick-witted.
Just then, watching An’er raise his foot and kick straight at a stone — don’t underestimate his small size, this child had been born with a naturally strong vital energy — the boy really did manage to send the stone flying.
Fly all you want — but every single time, Wan Chunyang would cheer in his thin, high-pitched voice, practically beside himself with excitement, then mince out on tiny little steps to fetch the stone, arrange it again for An’er and Gennu’er, and the flattery pouring from his mouth would make an ordinary person’s skin crawl.
Just watch him crouch down to arrange the stones, even carefully measuring out the distance, before praising: “Oh my, it’s still our little prince! What a fine kick, what elegant bearing — the very image of you, old ancestor! It’s not that your humble servant hasn’t seen other children the same age before, old ancestor, I’m not exaggerating — just think, with a single kick like that, whose young master could ever compare?”
The Prince himself was well used to this kind of flattery and thought nothing of it.
Whether or not Qiqian’er found it agreeable, he — She Qingling — firmly believed that his grandson deserved to be doted on exactly this way.
Hearing the praise, Prince She truly did stop to consider other children the same age — hm, indeed, none could compare, not even his eldest grandson’s toes could measure up.
Watching how patient his grandson was, already half the morning gone and one little shoe already worn through, and he still wasn’t tired of it.
This only made him more pleased with himself, though he refused to show it outwardly, maintaining a dignified “hmph.”
Just then Qiqian’er came hurrying out in small quick steps, and seeing him, gave a rather perfunctory bow: “Father, don’t spoil them so much.”
She Qingling looked calmly at his daughter-in-law: “A little spoiling here won’t ruin their nature.”
Qiqian’er didn’t believe that for a second: “As you like, Father. I have some business to attend to — I’ll grind you some rice flour when I get back…”
With that she ran off, only catching half of what he said behind her:
“Go slowly, don’t…”
Don’t what? Don’t go bounding around so much, probably.
But this pregnancy of Qiqian’er’s really was an easy one — the child didn’t give its mother any trouble at all, as if she weren’t even pregnant. No vomiting, no fussing, all calm and settled.
Truly a peaceful child indeed.
If not for her belly, no one would even guess she was carrying twins.
Prince She watched his daughter-in-law’s group disappear, and after a long while sighed almost inaudibly: “Still just a child at heart — never quite grows up!”
Wan Chunyang smiled, thoroughly relaxed — ever since leaving that patch of ground within the palace, only now, following the old ancestor, did life feel like life again.
The old ancestor was a fellow sufferer just like him — no one in the Prince’s estate dared look down on either of them.
Hearing the old ancestor’s affectionate grumbling, so like an ordinary household elder’s, Wan Chunyang’s heart felt utterly, blissfully content.
Having arranged the stones, he stood and walked over to Prince She, saying with a smile: “Old ancestor, you needn’t worry at all. Just think of how it is for the little consorts in the palace when they’re expecting! For any of them who’s with child, why, it’s a whole production for the imperial physicians — a medical record a foot thick is considered a mild case. Now look at our own little madam here — everything you eat, old ancestor, comes from what our little madam sends out of filial devotion. I’m not just saying this, but this pregnancy is sure to turn out healthy and sturdy, just like our little prince.”
Privately, they all called Qiqian’er “little madam” — after all, she would one day be the Prince Consort’s principal wife, and this was how master and servants showed their closeness.
Prince She stood there, thinking of the women back in the palace, and let out another “Hmph~!”
No telling exactly who he was scoffing at — but whoever it was, he did it with great satisfaction, as if no daughter-in-law in the whole realm could compare to his own.
Qiqian’er gathered her people and called for Zhang Wanru and the others; once everyone had assembled, the group of sisters-in-law set off together. They had just reached the mouth of the alley when a flash of red darted past.
A whole group of Heliang household servants came rushing toward the Three Sages Temple.
Qiqian’er stopped to observe, and after a moment heard Zhang Wanru behind her say: “Little Sister-in-law, is that — could that be Xiaohuar’s wife?”
Qiqian’er blinked: “What do you mean, ‘could that be’ — that’s exactly who it is.”
Her eyes were sharp — she’d noticed something strapped to the small woman’s back. A pair of blades?
Blades?
Was she going to… take out Madam Bao and Madam Xia?
Surely not that dramatic?
Her mind still spinning, Qiqian’er then spotted Chang Lianfang, dressed in fine brocade, his whole face glowing with satisfaction, strolling over unhurried, hands clasped behind his back.
Qiqian’er called out to him when she saw him: “Huar, come here.”
Chang Lianfang, delighted, came over to bow and greet his sisters-in-law: “My dear sisters-in-law, you’ve been working so hard. Where are you all headed?”
Qiqian’er glared at him: “You know exactly why I’m asking. I saw your wife — looked like she was carrying —” she made a chopping motion with her palm: “Is that really true?”
Chang Lianfang laughed up at the sky, then said to Qiqian’er: “See, you still don’t believe me. We really are a tiger, not some kitten! Small we may be, but we’ve got everything we need — we don’t take losses lying down. Rest easy, Sister-in-law!”
Rest easy, my foot!
Qiqian’er’s whole body was full of a strange, restless energy, but she didn’t let it distract her — she was still thinking things through carefully from every angle for the good of the family.
Qiqian’er, annoyed: “Stop rambling about nonsense — I’m asking you a serious question! Is she really carrying that?” She swung her hand in a sharp chopping motion: “Really nothing to worry about?”
Chang Lianfang nodded: “Yes, of course it’s nothing to worry about.”
Qiqian’er didn’t believe him one bit, and called everyone to hurry toward the Three Sages Temple. Halfway there — well, it turned out the entire neighborhood of Quanhou Street had been keeping tabs on this Chang family drama these past days, using it as their dinner-table gossip.
At that moment, in front of the Three Sages Temple, more than thirty carriages were already lined up. Madam Bao and Madam Xia stood beaming in front of the carts, gently and sweetly urging their little sister-in-law: “Sister, you’re new here and don’t know Yandu’s customs. While parents are alive, children hold no private property — isn’t that right, Sister-in-law?”
Out here in the countryside, how would a low-ranking official’s family know that the Marquis Chang’s household had long ago divided its assets?
That Xu Ximei had a small build — petite in stature, round-eyed, small pouty mouth, rosy round cheeks — even though she was an adult, she looked like a girl of fourteen or fifteen. All the jewelry she wore was delicate and fine — a tiny gold coronet, dangling red lantern-shaped gold earrings, and on her wrist, a bracelet carved not with old-fashioned floral patterns but with a row of tiny rabbits — this wasn’t exactly the occasion for that, but it really was rather endearing.
She herself was small, and the servants she’d brought along were all short in stature too.
All silver-haired old matrons, and every one of them petite as well.
After Madam Bao finished speaking, seeing that the seemingly weak little sister-in-law didn’t respond, she assumed the girl was frightened, and glanced smugly at Madam Xia, winking, giving her a signal.
Fifty thousand strings of cash had been enough to drive these two women half-mad with resentment.
Madam Xia cleared her throat and, putting on an air of concern for the girl’s own good, said earnestly: “Sister, why don’t you step aside — standing here just makes you a spectacle for others to laugh at. What kind of household is ours? You come from humble origins and don’t understand our ways — in time we’ll teach you, and gradually you’ll come to understand.
Go ahead and ask around — every family does it this way. Oh, do you really think you’re truly settled here now, that this is really your family? In our Yandu, only where your parents are is truly ‘home.’ You don’t even have a single person of your own out here, and yet you’re bold enough to just leave things lying about like this. It’s a wonder Elder Sister and I even worried something might go wrong — and look, you really did bring an outsider to watch over things. What were you two thinking?”
Xu Ximei still said nothing, her head — topped with its small gold coronet — tilted back, chin lifted with effort, eyes flicking sideways at the two women, then at the carriages. The goods themselves she didn’t care for, wasn’t particularly bothered by.
But thinking of how Xiaohuar had held her and wept last night, a wave of tenderness and heartache washed over her — a handsome man crying was already hard enough to bear, and when it was her own handsome Huar crying, it hurt all the more.
What was wrong with her Huar? So fine-looking, and utterly without complaint toward his parents and brothers. The young wives of Qinwei Alley were living proof — everyone praised him!
She could tell good people from bad in an instant.
Anyone who praised Huar was a good person.
Anyone who spoke ill of him… deserved to be cut to pieces!
Being bullied by this pair of vicious, petty women — it was infuriating. What, just because their chins were pointed up in the air?
Seeing the girl still not speaking, Madam Bao sneered inwardly, thinking: you think carrying two little blades on your back is going to scare us? I’ve been through campaigns alongside my husband and father-in-law — I’ve seen the world.
And so she raised her whip and cracked it sharply through the air, shouting fiercely: “All troops!”
There were no troops — only a handful of the old Chang family’s household guards, who nonetheless answered in unison, right on cue.
They were guards of the Viscount’s estate, with nothing to do with this household.
Madam Xia, equally full of bluster, called out: “Sister, step aside! If you have something to say, we’ll settle it back at the house — if you feel you’ve been wronged, go report it to our parents-in-law, and we’ll defer entirely to their judgment.”
With that, she waved her hand, and the broad-shouldered, thick-waisted drivers climbed up and cracked their whips, driving the carriages forward and out.
This was the first real clash between the outsider sister-in-law and them — Madam Bao and Madam Xia had already split the spoils between themselves, and now needed to present a united front.
Qiqian’er, furious, was about to rush forward to help, but Xiaohuar caught her by the arm, blinking and smiling at her…
At Yandu’s eastern gate, several swift horses galloped out at full speed. Marquis Chang cracked his whip against his horse’s flank and cursed into the wind: “You’ve truly spoiled them rotten with no limits! Do you think I don’t know why Third Son married that woman standing three inches tall, huh?! Looking to get themselves killed and nowhere to bury the bodies!”
They had just received a letter — Chang Lianfang had summoned them to Qinwei Alley to collect the bodies.
Chang Lianqi and Chang Lianxu were panicking too — those were their own wives’ mothers, after all — how could they have known the two women would go this mad, insisting on making such a fuss over this?
To be schemed against this deeply by their own younger brother — it was thoroughly disillusioning.
Chang Lianqi shouted into the wind: “Father! That’s my brother! How dare he!”
Marquis Chang turned and cursed back: “You all dare — why wouldn’t he!? Hurry! Damn it, if nothing’s happened by the time we get there, I’ll give every one of you fifty lashes with my own hands when we get home…”
In front of the Three Sages Temple, the household guards brought by Madam Bao rode their horses and mules straight forward — they only meant to frighten this little sister-in-law.
But unexpectedly, the several short elderly women standing beside the new bride suddenly drew blades and crossed them in front of their chests.
Small people, small blades too — only about a hand-span longer than a dagger, but with a flat curve extending out from the tip; on that curve, six auspicious cloud patterns glinted in the sunlight, the blade edge clearly sharpened and ready.
Chang Lianfang laughed softly into Qiqian’er’s ear: “Sister-in-law, don’t judge my wife by her size. Old Rat, King of Ground-Sweeping Blades, one of the Twelve Northern Schools of martial arts, is my wife’s own master. In all my years of campaigning, I’ve had few defeats — but I was thoroughly beaten by my own wife eight hundred years before we ever married. My father’s no fool — he knows exactly who I chose.”
Qiqian’er drew a sharp breath, then suddenly said: “Huar, don’t be sad. You have a family — you have your brother, and you have us too.”
Chang Lianfang smiled: “Mm. I’ve known that for a long time.”
Even as they spoke, those white-haired little old women, blades crossed before their chests, bent forward and rushed toward the line of horses with quick, urgent steps, showing not the slightest sign of retreat. Madam Bao and Madam Xia, who after all were only two women putting on a show of bluster, were startled to see them coming and shouted: “Move aside! Move aside! Move aside!! If you get trampled today, you’ll have brought it on yourselves…”
And yet the little red-clad bride stood perfectly still, unmoving — but the carriages could no longer stop in time.
Madam Xia screamed madly: “Stop the horses, stop the horses!! Get out of the way…”
In the blink of an eye, those old women reached the line of horses — the carts weren’t moving fast, but still had momentum — and just as they closed the distance, the women dropped to the ground together and rolled swiftly beneath the horses’ bellies. Instantly, chaos erupted — horses reared, riders fell.
From the mouth of the alley, Marquis Chang’s frantic voice rang out: “Third Daughter-in-law, absolutely do not—!”
Amid several sharp shrieks, the front legs of three lead horses had already been severed clean from their bodies.
Ground-Sweeping Blade — a technique specifically designed for cutting down warhorses in battle.
Madam Xia was thrown clear from her carriage in a wild tumble; she braced herself to hit the ground hard, but instead found herself caught effortlessly by that small red shadow.
She was utterly terrified, letting out shriek after shriek.
In her whole life, Xu Ximei hated nothing more than an enemy taller than herself — whenever she encountered one, she always went for the legs first, cutting them down from below.
She too had been forged through years of surviving sieges and city defense — how else could she have earned the title of “Tigress”? Well, this “Tigress” title was one she’d given herself, admittedly.
In that instant, a wave of killing intent leaked out from her, and Madam Xia dropped to her knees on the spot.
Well — now she really was shorter than her.
Madam Bao, seeing the ground now covered in blood, was so frightened her teeth chattered. This was supposed to be a minor household squabble — how had it escalated to this?
Chang Mianshen stumbled as he dismounted, was helped over to the front of the Three Sages Temple, and seeing only fallen horses and no human casualties, let out a breath of relief before shouting angrily: “Wife of Lianfang, what is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of this?”
The young wife stood perfectly upright, facing her father-in-law without the slightest trace of fear, and said solemnly: “In this courtyard are a thousand fine steel blades that my Ground-Sweeping School offered up to the imperial court. Father-in-law, have you lost your mind? Trying to have someone haul them off to your private household coffers?”
Hearing this, Marquis Chang broke out in a cold sweat, glancing around until he finally spotted his son in the crowd — only to find his son’s face full of scorn, smiling in the most bitter, mocking way imaginable.
In that instant, Chang Mianshen’s hopes were utterly, completely dashed — the son he could never manage to win over truly was never coming back to him.