Story 1: A Dragonfly Alights on the Jade Hairpin

On a spring afternoon before the rain, Wang Shao entered the Yu Wang Manor.

A suppressed and humid atmosphere foretold an impending storm. Wang Lin asked if she needed someone to attend to her personally, but she declined. She had long prepared herself to face an uncertain future alone and didn’t need another person to know her secrets.

The Yu Wang Manor already had four consorts, and she would be the fifth.

Among the four consorts, three wore gentle warm colors – apricot, pine, and iris. Only one wore bright orange clothing, standing out distinctly from the others, particularly eye-catching.

Outside the jade railings, pomegranate flowers bloomed everywhere, burning bright even in such weather. The woman in orange stood beneath the trees, as vibrant as the flowers themselves.

Wang Shao bowed to them, secretly thinking that this must be Guo Wan. The famous beauty of Chang’an, with her brilliantly alluring features, in the prime of her youth – among all the consorts, she was the one who had been by Yu Wang’s side the longest.

Wang Shao smiled, standing before them with pure docility as Yu Wang took her hand. Guo Wan, who had illuminated the Yu Wang Manor for many years, became like yesterday’s faded flowers from the moment Wang Shao arrived.

The long-held rain finally began to fall. The first droplet landed on Guo Wan’s cheek as her pupils contracted like a cat’s while watching Wang Shao.

It was the instinctive alertness of a woman sensing a natural enemy.

“That Lady Guo has been by Yu Wang’s side for quite some time, hasn’t she?” she casually inquired while removing her makeup that evening.

Yongling, who was combing her hair, replied unhurriedly: “Yes, among all the consorts in Yu Wang Manor, she was the first to be established. Moreover, she grew up accompanying Yu Wang in the palace since childhood. When Yu Wang left the palace, she followed, and their relationship remains deep to this day.”

“My sister… when Lady Wang married here, I heard she also lived in this place?” Wang Shao, with her long hair loose, walked to the courtyard and gazed at the small flowing pool.

Yongling nodded: “Yes, His Highness valued the Lady greatly, specifically letting you stay here, placing you above everyone else.”

She turned slightly, looking at the slowly flowing water in the courtyard with veiled eyes, and said slowly: “I dare not say so. I came later, after all, and can only humbly reside after the other four ladies. Living here fills me with guilt.”

“How could you feel guilty? It was I who asked you to stay here,” someone laughed from behind. “Besides, there’s no such thing as first or last – don’t be too weak, or people will take advantage.”

Wang Shao turned to see Yu Wang and quickly bowed, lowering her eyelashes with just a smile, saying nothing.

Yu Wang took her hand and looked her over carefully again, saying softly: “That day at your home, when I saw you, I could hardly believe such beauty existed in the world – even now looking at you, I still can’t believe it… The Wang family protected you well, never revealing your existence.”

“I was sickly since childhood and was sent to live in a Taoist temple. I thought… my youth would pass in vain,” Wang Shao lowered her head with a faint smile.

“So it was destiny that you waited until now, just to become mine.”

She smiled and nestled against his chest, quickly running through everything she knew about this man in her mind – Yu Wang, the eldest son of the current dynasty, born to a lowly mother, not favored. Sent away from Daming Palace in his youth, his future is still uncertain.

She had seen many such men before in Yangzhou. He needed a pure, fragile woman who would grow dependent on him, so he could find a sense of accomplishment in his long disappointment.

What did it matter if she pretended to be someone else, living a life of false emotions? After all, she didn’t love the man before her – this was merely a means of survival to live a better life.

So when she was pulled to the bed, she was too shy to even raise her face. She thought of her youth when her master said: “Wanzhi, your talent for the pipa is the finest I’ve seen in my life.” But even with such rare talent, she still practiced the pipa night after day, never resting for a moment. Because she thought, this was her means of survival, and she must cherish it.

And now, it was time to cherish the man before her.

As her clothes fell away lightly, she closed her eyes and held tight to this unfamiliar man, soft and submissive, as if cherishing her chance at rebirth.

Outside the corridor, the rain finally began to fall, gentle and distant, pattering endlessly.

In the misty haze before her eyes, she saw Cheng Jingxiu, still as he was when they first met. He bowed deeply to her and said, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in my life, so please allow me to paint your portrait.

She was willful and playful then, thinking he was just another man using an elegant excuse to approach her. She gave him a sideways glance, took off a hairpin she had long tired of wearing, and threw it into the nearby river, saying, if you can find this hairpin for me.

He looked at her in the sunlight, with a helpless yet indulgent smile.

She still remembered that day, when it also rained like this. Worried about the courtyard roses being damaged by the rain, she rose early the next day. And Cheng Jingxiu was already waiting for her under the roses in the courtyard, completely drenched, holding in his hands that very hairpin.

Life is strange indeed. If she hadn’t seen Cheng Jingxiu that day under the roses, drenched but with eyes clear as crystal – would she still be in Yangzhou now, playing pipa in Yunshaoyuan, letting her beauty fade with time, wasting her youth?

Everything seemed to turn to dust and scatter in an instant.

All that remained was her writhing and moaning beneath another man, tears falling when he held her tight, like a newly bloomed flower unable to withstand the night wind and rain. The pigeon blood hidden in the wax pill stained her brocade clothes, spots of fallen red, the pain welling up in her chest and self-disgust making her secretly nauseous.

Finally, all was quiet, and she lay alone with open eyes in the silent night, listening to the rain outside, each drop seeming to strike her heart.

Wang Lin told her that Cheng Jingxiu had left the capital with Xuese. He had always been a gentle and tolerant man, and knowing he would become her stumbling block, he buried everything in his heart and left.

For a moment, she felt she had wronged him. But then she thought, how had he not wronged her? These past years, they were just two people who shouldn’t have been together, wrongly giving each other their youth and beauty, only to find in the end they couldn’t give each other what they wanted.

In this world, the only person she had wronged was her Xuese.

Xuese… Xuese.

Soft, small, a piece of flesh that had fallen from her body, like a speck of fine snow within a plum blossom, so delicate it seemed it would melt in the sunlight – such a tender daughter. From now on, she would never see her mother again.

Because her mother was heartless, ruthless, and decisive.

Thinking this, she raised her arm to cover her eyes, curling up on the glazed seven-treasured sandalwood couch.

Lying beside another man, she told herself: Mei Wanzhi, you must live well. For the love of silk and splendor, you have already done things beneath even beasts. If you don’t live happily now, heaven and earth won’t forgive you!

Story 2: The Tower’s Reflection in the Lotus Pond

The room where Wang Fu had lived was decorated lavishly, so ornate it felt oppressive.

When first entering the manor, Wang Shao always wore light colors – pale green, gosling yellow, faint blue. She knew this would make her appear more delicate and fragile, dampening her striking beauty, and make her seem more girlish.

She had most of the room’s decorations removed, striving for simplicity in the furnishings.

When Yu Wang inquired, she just held Wang Fu’s left-behind books, furrowing her brows slightly with a constrained smile: “It’s already improper for me to live in my sister’s room, I dare not keep it so lavishly decorated.”

“You’re so young, don’t be excessively well-behaved,” Yu Wang teased her.

She smiled and lowered her head to read, avoiding revealing the faint mockery in her eyes.

A cornelian cherry petal pressed between the pages had faded to yellow, floating down slowly as the paper was turned.

She held the petal in her hand while absently reading the words on that page.

Don’t let today’s favor make you forget past kindness. Seeing flowers brings tears to my eyes, but I won’t speak of it to the King of Chu.

It was Wang Wei’s poem “Lady Xi Fu.”

She felt as if her chest had been pricked by countless needles – not intensely painful, but gradually seeping blood. Yet her face showed an even gentler smile, causing Yu Wang beside her to reach out and embrace her, kissing her ear and saying: “Such a girlish mind, what’s so interesting about a withered flower petal?”

She lowered her long lashes, making her lips curve more. Her gaze caught two characters hastily written in the margin below –

Save me.

Even such messy strokes couldn’t hide their original grace.

It was Wang Fu’s handwriting, which she had become familiar with over the past few months.

Without changing expression, she leaned on Yu Wang’s shoulder and placed the cornelian cherry petal back in its place, right over those two small characters.

It was already deep autumn, with leaves falling chaotically. She casually picked up a maple leaf nearby, slowly turned through the book again, and placed it inside at another spot.

Yu Wang held her shoulders and said softly: “You’re delicate, better return to your room, lest the wind gives you a headache.”

She nodded in agreement and was just rising from the corridor holding his hand when she unexpectedly felt dizzy and softly leaned against him.

Yu Wang quickly embraced her, asking: “What’s wrong, did the wind give you a headache?”

Before she could speak, she covered her mouth and began to retch.

The child in her womb was just over a month old, at a time when careful nurturing was needed.

Guo Wan was the first to visit her, with her wet nurse carrying her daughter Linghui. She placed Linghui on the bed beside her, letting the child sit next to her, and smiled: “When I had Linghui, it was truly smooth sailing, so today I specially brought her over, hoping the child in your belly will be like Linghui and not torment its mother.”

Wang Shao smiled and reached out to embrace Linghui, saying: “Thank you for your sister’s kind words.” Her hands very precisely pressed on the child’s knees and shoulders, preventing her from touching her belly no matter what.

Linghui seemed to feel pain, and she looked at her with big eyes for a long while before silently crawling back to Guo Wan’s side and burying her face in her mother’s embrace. She was already four years old but still couldn’t speak, causing concern.

The other three consorts of the manor also came in succession, bringing various things for children, creating an atmosphere of sisterly harmony for a time.

Besides the princess consort, princes of this dynasty could marry two titled consorts and ten concubines. Now the only titled consort Wang Fu was dead, and these few concubines had nothing to do with each other, rarely meeting and maintaining polite distance. But now that she was pregnant and had the Wang family of Langya behind her, the smiles on everyone’s faces were very different from usual.

After they left, Wang Shao looked over everything they had brought, just gold bracelets and silver locks and such, nothing extraordinary.

It seemed that in this Yu Wang Manor, she was still the boldest person so far.

That night, she went to bed early but was woken at midnight by sobbing sounds. She called Yongling but got no response. Hearing the continuous crying outside the window, feeling annoyed yet helpless, she got down from the low bed, holding a silk lantern, and pushed open the window to look out.

The winter night wind blew through the corridor, dry and cold. On the pond opposite the window, there was a white figure, hazily floating on the dark waves.

Wang Shao removed the silk lampshade and quietly blew out the candle inside.

In the darkness, the white figure became even clearer. The rippling waves shimmered hazily, revealing the shadow of a woman in white.

From the distance, and with only a faint glimmer of waves in the darkness, one could only see her floating slowly, gradually spinning on the water.

Her features were indistinguishable, only her skin and clothes visible, both frighteningly pale.

In the silent room, she stood alone, darkness enveloping her, in deathlike stillness.

She drew a deep breath, making her voice sound as if forced from her chest, terrifying and tragic: “Someone come! Someone—”

There was no response. She violently threw the lamp into the corner, looking up at the dim light where the woman’s white shadow slowly spun, sinking and floating in the water, dancing eerily, and after a long while, sank beneath the surface.

Yongling and several maids finally ran in from the adjacent room, asking in succession: “My lady, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

Wang Shao pointed at the pool ahead, unable to speak, her body trembling.

Yongling turned to look, saw the white figure slowly sinking into the water, and was so frightened her legs went weak.

Wang Shao said in a trembling voice: “You… you go look…”

Everyone shook their heads in terror, afraid to go forward. Only a maid called Fangfei tremblingly held the railing and walked to the pool’s edge, reaching out to grab the phantom.

The white figure had completely submerged, her hand grasped empty air, splashing water as her palm hit the surface.

She grabbed wildly a few times, not daring to search the water further, quickly crawling back to the corridor and curling up on the ground.

The night watch eunuchs had already come over with lanterns. Everyone looked down in the lamplight to see the rippling water, and in the crystal-clear shallow pool, only a few startled koi scattered in the light, nothing else to be found.

Wang Shao turned to examine Fangfei, looking at her sleeve wet from the water, then slowly turned back to look at Yongling leaning against the wall.

Her face was deathly pale, mumbling something under her breath.

Wang Shao listened carefully, but could only make out three words repeated over and over: “It’s back again…”

Story 3: Jade Complexion No Match for the Dark Crow

Yu Wang rushed over that night to comfort her.

“I’m fine…” she said softly, but wouldn’t let go of his hand, unconsciously pulling it to protect her belly.

Yu Wang felt his chest surge with endless tenderness. He held her tight, letting her lean against his chest, saying softly: “Don’t worry, I will protect you well. I’d like to see which ghost in this manor dares to cause trouble!”

She let out a long breath, smiling nervously as she nestled against him: “With Your Highness’s imposing presence guarding the manor, how could there be ghosts? I must have had hallucinations from thinking too much day and night…”

He also smiled, reaching out to gently stroke her smooth long hair, murmuring: “Ah Shao, you absolutely won’t be like Ah Fu… not!”

Wang Shao closed her eyes and held him tight.

After Yu Wang left, Wang Shao idly looked through several books in the adjacent study, and opened some scrolls and folded sutras to look at them, but didn’t find what she was looking for.

She wasn’t anxious though, thinking that since she was pregnant and signs had already appeared, what was meant to come would come, so why rush?

Leaning alone on the couch, she slowly turned the pages of the poetry collection in her hands, casually asking Yongling: “Before coming to serve me, where did you all serve?”

Yongling was doing needlework beside her and replied smoothly: “This servant was from the palace, following His Highness when he left. After His Highness established Lady Wang, I was assigned here. After Lady Wang passed away, I’ve stayed here since.”

Wang Shao listened absently, turning to the page where she had inserted the maple leaf yesterday.

In the margins there was dense, tiny regular script—

Wind and rain came at night, and sleep was impossible to find. Dim light outside the window, waves rippling again, phantoms multiplying. Yet the child in my womb moves in waves, my whole body rigid, beyond control. Can only pray this is a dream, mustn’t look, mustn’t listen, mustn’t go…

The writing became more scattered here, making what followed illegible.

She nodded and asked: “What about the other four maids?”

“They came from various parts of the manor, some who did needlework before, some who served in the study. When you came, the steward chose several steady ones to come here.”

“I see Fangfei knows proper etiquette, has she served before?”

“Actually no, but her sister serves Lady Guo closely, and probably taught her some things.”

Wang Shao smiled slightly, gently closing the book, and asked: “Lying here is boring every day. I wonder how my sister… Lady Wang passed time when she was pregnant?”

Yongling hesitated slightly, but seeing her insistent gaze, sighed and said: “Lady Wang was a delicate beauty, as lovely as a lotus. But unfortunately, she was quiet and cold by nature, and weak in body. When pregnant she had nightmares every night, and… and was possessed…”

Wang Shao turned her head to ask: “What do you mean by possessed?”

“Ah… maybe because she thought too much after becoming pregnant, she often woke in fright at night, saying she saw unclean things.”

Wang Shao placed her hand on her lower abdomen and asked: “Like what I saw last night?”

Seeing her face slightly pale, Yongling comfortingly patted her hand before saying: “Lady Wang fainted at the mere sight of it. We servants didn’t find her collapsed by the window until dawn, and she couldn’t say what happened. Later the manor invited Taoist priests and Buddhist monks, and performed several ceremonies, but from then on she had nightmares daily, visibly growing weaker day by day.”

“What about the child?” she asked slowly.

“It was premature, and after giving birth, Lady Wang died of hemorrhage,” Yongling still sighed softly as she spoke of it. “It’s almost a year old now, but still sickly, not much bigger than other children at seven or eight months. Everyone says it was born insufficient, nothing to be done.”

Wang Shao looked around the room and said: “Looking at these books on all four walls, Lady Wang must have read too many fantastical tales while pregnant, exhausting herself.”

“Exactly, His Highness was worried too, so all the books in the room were taken away then. They were only moved back to restore the room after she passed.”

“Ten months of pregnancy is so boring, didn’t she hide one book to read secretly?”

“Yes, I came across one… similar to the one in your hands.” Yongling couldn’t read and just smiled, “Though, to me, all books look the same.”

Wang Shao closed the book, closed her eyes, and leaned back on the bed, saying softly: “I understand. In my view, this place is unclean. Better tell His Highness to let me move elsewhere.”

That afternoon, Yu Wang ordered Wang Shao to move to his quarters, where they lived daily like a common husband and wife. Yu Wang’s place had its servants, and she only brought Yongling with her.

With everyone around her especially attentive and Wang Shao being careful herself, her belly grew day by day, proceeding smoothly enough.

As the year turned to midsummer, she was about to give birth, her body quite uncomfortable.

One evening, news came from the palace that the Emperor was unwell. Wang Shao saw Yu Wang off, looking at the sky, knowing he would surely stay in the palace all night.

Walking with Yongling, they passed by where Guo Wan lived and saw Linghui standing in a dark corner, watching her with big eyes. In the hazy night, this jade-white lovely little girl’s eyes looked exactly like Xuese’s.

She couldn’t help but smile slightly at Linghui, asking gently: “Why are you playing here alone? Where is your mother?”

Linghui couldn’t speak, only turned to look behind her. Guo Wan slowly emerged from the darkness, her face wreathed in smiles: “Sister, your health is important, why are you still walking about so late?”

Wang Shao also smiled: “Thank you for your sister’s concern, I’ll head back now.”

Guo Wan placed her hand lightly on Linghui’s shoulder, saying: “Linghui look, little brother will be born soon, then you’ll have someone to play with…”

Her tone was gentle but carried a strange ethereal quality that Wang Shao found eerie.

Linghui’s gaze fell on her belly, those eyes identical to Xuese’s staring at her unblinkingly, making her feel something was wrong. She instinctively grabbed Yongling’s arm, pulled her over, and calmly pushed her forward.

Yongling met the charging Linghui head-on, the two colliding, forcefully helping block Linghui’s impact. Linghui fell to the ground, bursting into loud sobs.

Yongling was startled and about to pick up Linghui when Wang Shao called: “Yongling…”

Yongling heard the tremor in her voice, her strength failing, and quickly turned to look at her.

Wang Shao stared at Guo Wan who still stood there, calmly saying: “Let’s go back.”

Guo Wan helped up Linghui who was still on the ground, walking toward her: “I’m sorry, the child doesn’t know better, frightening sister like this…”

Wang Shao put her hand on Yongling’s arm, quietly stepping back, saying to Yongling: “It’s dark now, let’s head back early.”

She slowly walked back all the way, several times Yongling felt her body trembling violently, her entire weight leaning on her.

She asked softly: “My lady, are you about to…”

“Back first.” She said, her voice already slightly breathless.

Story 4: Floating Clouds Change Form at Your Will

As soon as they returned to their quarters, she sat on the couch, enduring the contractions while first ordering two eunuchs to inform the manor’s administrator, then commanding several maids to fetch the chief secretary and midwife, to report to today’s head eunuch, and send someone to quickly inform the palace.

By the time everything was arranged, the pain in her belly was coming in increasingly intense waves.

Outside, a maid came running to report: “The ladies have come to visit, all waiting outside. Lady Guo brought the young princess.”

Wang Shao gritted her teeth, unable to speak, only waving her hand. The maid stood there uncertain, until Wang Shao finally couldn’t bear it, saying word by word: “Get out!”

The maid said softly: “Lady Guo is crying, saying this must have been caused by the young princess, she wants to apologize to you…”

“Get… out…” she managed to force out one word.

Yongling quickly sent that maid away. Her pain was urgent, the midwife hadn’t arrived yet, and many maids had been sent out, while the chief secretary and eunuchs who had rushed over could only wait helplessly outside, and Yongling herself had never been married or had children, leaving her anxiously pacing.

Just then, Fangfei from outside pulled in a midwife, saying: “The midwife is here, quickly boil water!”

Yongling asked: “Wasn’t Yingluo sent to fetch one? Why did you find someone?”

“This is my aunt, she lives nearby. When I heard Lady Wang was about to give birth, I quickly found her to come.”

“Thank you so much.” Yongling quickly thanked her.

Wang Shao propped herself up to half-sit, but before she could say anything, another wave of intense pain came. She knew the child was coming and had no strength to send this midwife away, could only grab the bedhead and breathe heavily, unable to say a word.

Fortunately this child wasn’t like Xuese, or perhaps second children were easier, it didn’t torment her too long before crying its way into the world.

“Congratulations my lady, it’s a boy.” As soon as the midwife held the child, Wang Shao caught her breath and grabbed Yongling’s hand, forcing out a few words: “Go… watch!”

Yongling quickly followed the midwife to wash the newborn. Wang Shao let out a sigh of relief, secretly vowing in her heart that next time, she would never let herself be in such a situation surrounded by wolves.

Just then the midwife Yingluo had fetched finally arrived to care for Wang Shao. Outside came a commotion – Yu Wang had returned. Ignoring others’ attempts to stop him, he entered the messy room, sat by the bed, and held her hand, asking with concern: “Are you… all well?”

The midwife smiled nearby: “Your Highness need not worry, both mother and child are safe.”

Outside, Yongling had already brought in the child. The midwife Fangfei had found followed behind, offering hesitant congratulations.

Yu Wang didn’t notice anything amiss, just smiled broadly and told them to go collect their reward money.

When the midwife reached the outer room, Fangfei immediately asked about the situation. The midwife hesitated: “The lady is blessed indeed – this birth was faster than most first births, with less pain, even better than some second births.”

Fangfei caught her meaning, turned to glance at Guo Wan, saw her slightly raise her chin in signal, and immediately pulled her to a corner to inquire further.

Guo Wan glanced at them, putting an arm around Linghui. Though her face wore a smile, it was a cold one.

Yu Wang held the child with a broad smile while Wang Shao leaned against the bedhead, taking sips of the ginseng chicken soup Yongling fed her. Suddenly there was a commotion outside, followed by a woman’s suppressed crying.

Yu Wang frowned. Someone quickly investigated and returned with an ugly expression: “Lady Guo… struck the midwife who just delivered the baby.”

“Ah Wan? On such a joyous day, how could she do such a thing?” Yu Wang handed the child to Yongling and stood to go out, but Guo Wan had already dragged the midwife in, hatefully pushing her to the ground, then ordering Fangfei to kneel as well, before turning to tell Yu Wang: “This concubine saw these two slandering sisters, and could not contain my anger, so I’ve brought them here for Your Highness to deal with!”

“What happened? How did these two offend you?” Yu Wang patted her shoulder, comforting her.

“They… they spoke nonsense, implying that sister…” she couldn’t continue, pointing at the midwife angrily, “You tell him yourself!”

The midwife trembled prostrate on the ground, glancing up at Wang Shao once, afraid to speak.

But Fangfei knelt upright and said: “My aunt says, from how Lady Wang delivered, this was not her first birth!”

The words caused shock throughout the room. Yu Wang drew in a sharp breath, turning to look at Wang Shao.

Wang Shao leaned against the bedhead, staring hard at Fangfei, then turning to look at the midwife. Her lips trembled, trying to speak, but large tears were already rolling down her cheeks, her breath catching, her already pale face turning ashen. After a long while, she looked miserably at Yu Wang, her voice hoarse and shaking: “Your Highness… I don’t know… where this comes from?”

Seeing her like this, Yu Wang’s doubts remained unresolved but anger arose. Standing by the bed, he demanded of the midwife: “You make such claims – do you have proof?”

“Your Highness, during the birth, this old woman saw with her own eyes – first-time mothers have narrow birth canals, while women who have given birth before are wider. I’ve delivered babies for many years, I cannot be wrong!”

“You were the only one who saw then, and now that my child is born, the birth canal has changed shape, so now… whatever you say, I have no way to defend against, isn’t that right?” Wang Shao’s breathing was rapid, tears falling continuously, her throat choked, voice barely audible, “I am from the Wang family of Langya, a great noble house with strict discipline – how could you… common folk slanders me so? I know… you must be trying to frame me… determined not to let Your Highness have children. I just didn’t know… you could be so vicious, on the very day I bear Your Highness a child, you won’t rest until you drive me to death!”

Hearing her tearful accusations, Fangfei and the midwife kneeling on the ground looked terrified. Guo Wan glanced down at them before turning her gaze to Yu Wang.

Yu Wang saw Wang Shao gasping, about to faint, and his heart softened. He quickly went to support her shoulders, but she clutched his hand tightly, her nails digging deep into his flesh, like a drowning person grasping their only lifeline.

She looked at him weakly, asking in a trembling voice: “Does Your Highness remember… remember when I first became pregnant, I saw a ghostly apparition above the garden pond?”

Yu Wang nodded, saying: “Fortunately you had heaven’s protection, the ghost couldn’t harm you.”

“No… it wasn’t a ghost, it was… someone determined to harm me… to harm Your Highness’s child!” She clutched his hand tightly, managing to say, “Your Highness… under my pillow, there is a poetry collection, please look… where the maple leaf and flowers are pressed.”

Yu Wang reached under her pillow, indeed finding a book, opened it, and couldn’t help asking: “This is… Ah Fu’s handwriting?”

“Yes… I discovered it by chance, only then learning that… sister had faced the same thing as me, people playing ghost tricks during pregnancy, intending… to harm the child!” As she spoke, her tear-filled eyes looked up at him, barely breathing, “Only because I saw sister’s writings did I understand the truth, but my sister… she was sensitive and weak, didn’t understand the truth, and let the murderer succeed, leading to…”

At this point, she covered her face with her hands, sobbing, unable to speak another word.

Yu Wang whirled around to see Fangfei kneeling on the ground shaking like a sieve, her face drained of color. Thinking how Fangfei had served both sisters, his gaze turned dark and fierce: “Ah Shao, do you know who harmed you both?”

“That day… she played ghost tricks, but couldn’t harm me. Being pregnant, I thought it unwise to deal with it then, planning to tell Your Highness later. Who knew when one plot failed, she would devise another poisonous scheme…” Wang Shao turned, pointing a trembling finger at Fangfei, “Today… on the day of my child’s birth, she was so cruel as to want to ruin Your Highness’s and my joy, conspiring with her aunt to slander me… Your Highness, she wants to drive me to death!”

“This servant… this servant never…” Fangfei shook her head repeatedly in terror, trying to defend herself, “This servant never played ghost tricks, never conspired with my aunt…”

“You never played ghost tricks?” Wang Shao gritted her teeth, using her last strength to half-sit up in Yu Wang’s arms, saying softly, “Yongling, bring the items.”

Yongling responded, quickly opening the cabinet in the back hall, taking out a box from the bottom and opening it.

Inside were several pieces of scattered camphor and several thin bamboo strips formed into a sphere shape, supported by three bamboo strips below.

Wang Shao said no more, just raising her hand slightly to signal Yongling.

Yongling angrily threw the bamboo strips in front of Fangfei, saying harshly: “This was found when I went into the water at madam’s secret command after seeing the ghost that night. Madam determined then that the white ghost was white paper painted with a human form covering bamboo strips, meant to frighten people when seen from afar in the dark! And while we were frightened, you went first, using the chance while reaching into the water to tear off the white paper, crumpling it and hiding it in your sleeve. The thin bamboo strips were barely visible in the water, so when the eunuchs came with lanterns later, they found nothing.”

Yu Wang was furious, asking: “What about the camphor?”

“This servant secretly found this in Fangfei’s room afterward. Camphor spins when it meets water – the white paper ghost was stuck on the camphor, making it sway and move, especially frightening!” Yongling spat at Fangfei’s face, wailing, “Your Highness! For the sake of her unborn child, madam made me keep quiet. These ten months, I’ve walked on thin ice, terrified… surely… madam suffered even more…”

Yongling and Wang Shao cried together, while Guo Wan stood by the bed with a frost-like expression.

Fangfei collapsed in terror. Her aunt, as if suddenly awakening, quickly pushed her away, slapping her face hard: “Oh no, Your Highness, madam, this is terrible – this old woman truly didn’t know my niece was such an evil person! I… I just had doubts, some women are naturally wider, I didn’t think… it would cause such trouble!”

Yu Wang held the still-crying Wang Shao tightly, saying nothing, just waving his hand.

Fangfei found strength from somewhere to lunge forward and grab Guo Wan’s legs: “My lady, my lady save me…”

Guo Wan kicked her to the ground, crouching down to say viciously: “Wretch, daring to slander Lady Wang – you’ve dirtied my clothes just by touching them!”

Wang Shao leaned against Yu Wang, speaking as if to herself: “How would such a lowly servant dare to repeatedly attempt harm to Your Highness’s heir apparent?”

Yu Wang silently held her, his gaze falling on Guo Wan. She heard his heart beating faster against his chest, but he remained silent, saying nothing.

So Wang Shao also said nothing more, watching as Fangfei and the midwife were dragged away, still shouting wildly, but soon something was stuffed in their mouths, leaving deathly silence.

Story 5: Pear Blossoms Cover the Ground, Door Remains Closed

Wang Shao recovered well, and after just a few days, she could walk in the courtyard holding her child.

With Yu Wang and the Wang family Langya’s support, plus the newborn child, an imperial edict soon came down making her Yu Wang’s only titled consort. In the Yu Wang Manor without a princess consort, she was effectively the lady of the house.

But the Emperor’s health was gradually worsening, and this day news came again, forcing Yu Wang to reluctantly leave his newborn son to attend court.

Guo Wan came to visit Wang Shao by invitation, bringing Linghui.

Wang Shao smiled and greeted them, then handed the child to Yongling to take inside for the wet nurse to feed.

Guo Wan pouted: “I haven’t even held him yet – how stingy of you, not letting anyone touch him even slightly.”

“Children are delicate – even a slight touch can sometimes lead to unexpected things.” Wang Shao sat with them in the courtyard, her gaze falling on Linghui, smiling faintly, “Besides, Linghui doesn’t seem to like having a little brother.”

Guo Wan’s face darkened: “I knew you’d remember that – Linghui is young, she doesn’t know better…”

“I understand. Please wait a moment, sister.” She went inside smiling, then personally brought out three cups of milk custard. One was sprinkled with finely cut red and green fruit strips, looking deliciously bright – she handed this one to Guo Wan. The second, topped with ground walnuts, she gave to Linghui. The third, an almond custard, she kept for herself.

Wang Shao had already moved back to Wang Fu’s former residence. The three sat in the afternoon courtyard, eating desserts and watching the gentle breeze ripple across the lotus pond where only one or two fading flowers remained.

Linghui finished her walnut custard, her eyes fixed on the red and green decorated custard in Guo Wan’s hands. Guo Wan had finished the custard but seemed to dislike the red and green strips, leaving most of them.

Seeing Linghui staring, Guo Wan scooped up the fruit strips, about to feed them to Linghui.

Wang Shao said quietly from the side: “I advise you, better not give those to your daughter.”

Guo Wan held the empty cup, looking up at her in confusion.

Wang Shao gestured for everyone to withdraw, having Linghui taken to the back as well. Then, resting her delicate chin on her hand, she gazed at the jade-like lotus leaves ahead, smiling coldly: “Otherwise, if your daughter also becomes unable to bear children for life, you as a mother might feel some regret.”

Guo Wan looked at her hands, then at her, finally understanding. The empty cup fell from her hands, shattering to pieces.

She felt pain beginning in her abdomen, cold sweat breaking out, her body involuntarily slumping over the table. Pointing at Wang Shao, she asked through gritted teeth: “You… what did you make me eat…”

“Nothing much just added some herb that will make you barren for life. You’ll never need to worry about the pain of childbirth again.”

She leaned down to look at the curled-up Guo Wan, her smile still gentle, her voice soft and slow like the summer breeze, “You’ve accompanied Yu Wang for many years, naturally have feelings for him, so I understand why you don’t like me. But if you have more children in the future, they might become my trouble. After much thought, I could only take this approach. This way, we can resolve our differences and each live our good lives.”

“You… you’re so vicious… His Highness won’t spare you…” she clutched her stomach, collapsing to the ground, crying out in anguish.

The surrounding maids had long disappeared, leaving only the two of them in the courtyard.

Wang Shao pulled at her skirts, slowly standing up, retreating to the corridor, ignoring Guo Wan’s twisted face as she writhed in pain. She just gazed at the elegant lotus flowers, saying softly: “Guo Wan, if you had been docile and obedient like the others, wouldn’t everything have been fine? Even though you originally directed Fangfei to harm Wang Fu, what was that to me? But now you’ve provoked me, I can only make you understand that you chose the wrong person.”

Guo Wan was in unbearable pain, drenched in cold sweat, unable to speak a word, only making choking sounds. Wang Shao leaned against the vermillion pillar behind her, gazing leisurely at the summer afternoon, thinking of that muggy spring afternoon a year ago when she first arrived.

Then, Guo Wan had stood beneath the pomegranate flowers, wearing an orange dress, alluring and vibrant.

Hearing Guo Wan’s painful moans, she listened as if to gentle music, unconsciously smiling: “I’ve tasted all manner of cruelty in this world, and I’m not afraid to inflict it myself. You women who’ve never weathered storms, how could you know what kind of person I am…” Her gaze fell on Guo Wan, examining her for a moment before smiling disdainfully, looking up at the sky, “Not knowing yourself, not knowing others, yet still provoking me – how unwise. Tell me, if I were to tell everything to His Highness now, would you live or die?”

The intense pain in Guo Wan’s abdomen finally passed. She lay prostrate on the ground, only crying pitifully, afraid to answer.

“Live…”

Suddenly a childish voice from behind struggled to form two words.

Wang Shao turned around to find Linghui, who had somehow secretly returned, standing frozen in the back hall doorway. Her mouth moved, and she struggled to say again: “Live.”

The four-year-old child had spoken her first words, and these were what she chose to say.

Wang Shao stared hard at her. This child, only four years old, with her round face and big eyes, when she looked up, had an innate stubborn determination in her eyes that couldn’t be erased.

Why are some children born so stubborn? Just like when she left Xuese, who had cried with that same kind of gaze that seemed it would remember her forever, staring without blinking.

In this moment, Wang Shao lowered her head, avoiding the child’s gaze.

Her heart, which she thought had become hard enough to never be moved again, contracted at this moment, squeezing out painful blood that flowed throughout her body.

She raised her hand, signaling the newly arrived maids to grab Linghui. Guo Wan found strength from somewhere to lunge forward to protect Linghui, about to scratch at Wang Shao.

“Don’t touch me!” Wang Shao violently knocked away her hand, saying coldly, “If you want to live, take your daughter and go back to your place!”

Guo Wan’s pain hadn’t fully subsided. As the maids pulled at her, she could only sadly and desperately grit her teeth and lead Linghui slowly toward the door.

At the doorway, they met Yu Wang entering from outside. He barely glanced at them before turning to tell Wang Shao: “Father Emperor is unwell, I’ve come back to gather some things, might have to stay overnight at the palace again…”

Before he finished speaking, Linghui beside him tugged his sleeve, looking up at him.

He looked down at this daughter who had never spoken, surprised.

“Live,” Linghui said clearly.

“What?” He didn’t understand at first, his gaze sliding carelessly over Guo Wan’s pale face as he crouched down to look at his first child, somewhat delighted: “Linghui can speak now? What did you just say?”

“Live,” she said again, not knowing what she was saying but smiling proudly.

Before Yu Wang could praise her, someone suddenly rushed in from outside: “Your Highness! Your Highness! His Majesty… has passed away!”

Yu Wang’s eyes widened in shock as he stood up abruptly, his mouth opening and closing.

Before he could speak, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside, and the reporting eunuch, crying with joy, added: “Now… the imperial procession has arrived… to escort you to the palace for your coronation!”

Everyone gasped, standing frozen, disbelief, and wild joy intermingling as no one spoke for a long while.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Only Linghui kept saying: “Live, live!”

“Now… I really will live!” Yu Wang picked up his daughter, kissing her forcefully twice. Twenty years of suppression and anxiety now dispersed in an instant, bringing tears to his eyes.

Wang Shao walked to his side, gracefully kneeling: “Congratulations, Your Majesty.”

“Ah Shao…” he put down the child, hastily squeezing her hand, saying, “I must go to the palace now, I leave everything here to you… and from now on, you’ll need to help manage the palace as well.”

“Your Majesty need not worry.”

Yu Wang left immediately without packing anything.

Guo Wan stood in the doorway, deathly pale, but no one noticed her. The entire Yu Wang Manor was immersed in joy, only she stood dazed and dim.

Wang Shao looked at her, speaking gently: “Hurry back to pack your things and prepare to enter the palace, Noble Consort Guo.”

She turned her head numbly, forcing out a few words: “What did you… call me?”

Wang Shao smiled faintly, still appearing gentle and harmless, though Guo Wan seemed to realize only today that Wang Shao was taller than her, so when she looked at her, it was naturally with a looking-down posture.

“You’ve been by His Majesty’s side the longest, naturally you should have a position.”

“You… you…” Guo Wan looked at Wang Shao’s calm demeanor, her whole body trembling, eyes full of fear, “Are you really… willing to let me stay by His Highness’s side?”

“Why not?” Wang Shao smiled, giving her one last glance, “After all, I should thank you.”

If Guo Wan hadn’t schemed with ghost tricks to frighten people, how could she have turned the situation to her advantage, washing away suspicions about her second birth during childbirth? She had endured ten months, until the child was born, not for the child’s sake, but to have something to resolve a crisis if needed.

Moreover, she didn’t mind letting Guo Wan keep a position by Yu Wang’s side. At least, a woman whose future she had already cut off posed no threat to her.

And what comforted her most was that she didn’t love that man. So she could stay detached, manipulating everything in the palm of her hand, only gaining benefits, never getting hurt.

After all, being a manor concubine, titled consort, imperial consort, or empress were just means for her current survival. Her life now was about playing a suitable role, living in silk and splendor.

Life had reached its perfect completion.

Her life had gone exactly according to her design, without deviation.

She became Empress, and mother to the empire, navigating the palace for many years without ripples.

The Emperor and Empress’s love was perfect and complete.

Many years later, the former Yu Wang, now Emperor, once asked her: “Ah Shao, play the pipa for me? That piece from when we first met.”

Wearing magnificent robes, she sat on the carpet in the hall, smiling and shaking her head, saying: “I never really liked the pipa, and now after not playing for so many years, I’m quite rusty.”

The Emperor asked in surprise: “Oh? How could you not like it? I remember that pipa performance was like heavenly music, rarely heard in this world!”

She raised her eyes to smile at him: “Your Majesty must have been biased by love – was I that good that day?”

“Could it be that I was only enchanted because I was already enchanted?” Recalling that day, he could only clearly remember her one smile as she held the pipa and gazed at him. So he became confused too, and could only joke, “In any case, if I say it was good, then it was good.”

She lowered her head, looking at her hands, smiling without speaking.

From the moment she left Cheng Jingxiu and Xuese, she never touched any musical instrument again.

She had forcefully made all traces of her days and nights practicing pipa disappear from her hands. Now, these hands were delicate and soft, skin like jade, with no traces remaining.

No one knew that years ago under solitary lamp and moon, she had played those tinkling melodies through the night, consuming the most beautiful years of her youth to win the title of one pipa performance worth a hundred dancing beauties.

No one knew that once a man had stood in the night rain holding her hairpin, waiting before the roses until dawn. Those eyes that had stayed awake all night suddenly brightened at the sight of her.

No one knew that she had once had a daughter named Xuese, like a speck of fine snow within a plum blossom, so delicate it seemed it would melt in the sunlight.

Except for the moon in the sky, no one knew.