Chun Niang was startled.
She had indeed heard this name before.
A few months ago, when they first arrived at the Wei household, she had privately inquired about the matter of Zheng Shu. At that time, she had unintentionally heard some hints from an old servant who had worked in the Wei family for many years. Later, after telling Xiao Qiao about Zheng Shu, she was about to mention this person but was interrupted.
Chun Niang had originally planned to find another opportunity to tell Xiao Qiao. But then, she noticed that after Young Master returned to Yuyang, he began sharing a room with the Young Mistress, and their relationship seemed to be improving. So Chun Niang hesitated.
The woman called Su E Huang was, after all, an old story from long ago. She was already married and now far away. Since the Young Master and Young Mistress were getting along well, it seemed unnecessary to mention her to the Young Mistress, lest it cause unnecessary worry. So Chun Niang hadn’t brought it up again. Now, suddenly hearing her ask about it, Chun Niang looked up to see Xiao Qiao’s bright eyes, misty from the bath steam, looking at her. She hesitated before cautiously asking, “Why does the Young Mistress suddenly mention this name? Have you heard something?”
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Qiao knew that Chun Niang must have heard something before. She tilted her delicate head, resting it on her fair arm, and smiled, “I’ve learned a bit. What do you know, Chun Niang? Tell me first.”
…
Su E Huang was the eldest daughter of the Su family, Marquis of Xuanping in Zhongshan State. The Su family was also related to the royal family of Zhongshan. It was said that when she was born, the room was filled with a strange fragrance, as sweet as orchids. Her mother consulted a fortune teller, who said that this girl had an extremely noble destiny.
The Su family was already wealthy and prestigious as a marquis family. Having a daughter with such a noble destiny implied an even greater future. The whole family was overjoyed and treasured her like a jewel. Su E Huang lived up to her family’s expectations. As she grew up, she became exceptionally beautiful and skilled in music. Her voice was as melodious as a lark’s, making her famous not only in Zhongshan State but gradually in Luoyang as well.
The Su family was distantly related to Madam Xu. Over a decade ago, when Wei Shao’s father, Wei Jing, was still alive, the two families often interacted. Su E Huang and Wei Shao knew each other as children, and she was very caring towards Wei Shao, who was two years younger than her.
At that time, marriages were not only arranged between families of equal status but it was also fashionable to seek an older wife, preferably three to five years older than the husband. As Su E Huang and Wei Shao grew up, both families saw how well-matched they were and once had thoughts of arranging a marriage between them. However, unexpected misfortune struck.
When Wei Shao was twelve, the Wei family suffered a great calamity. Wei Jing and his eldest son both died in battle. The Wei family lost its pillars, and for several years, Madam Xu single-handedly supported the family through difficult times. In the first year, the two families still maintained some contact, but gradually, their interactions became less frequent.
Three years later, when Wei Shao was fifteen and began to take charge of military affairs under Madam Xu’s guidance, the seventeen-year-old Su E Huang married. Her husband was Liu Li, the younger brother of the then-Emperor Xuan and the Duke of Zuofengyi. After marriage, Su E Huang moved to Luoyang with her husband, frequenting the palace. Before long, she earned the title “Lady of the Jade Tower,” which became famous throughout Luoyang.
It was said that her husband adored her and specially built a magnificent tower for her north of Lita in Luoyang, named the Jade Tower, hence her title.
…
The bits and pieces of Su E Huang’s past that Chun Niang had gleaned from the old servant in the Wei household were roughly these.
What Chun Niang didn’t know was that heaven envies beauty and the Han dynasty was in decline. Less than three years after Su E Huang arrived in Luoyang, Emperor Xuan died suddenly of illness. Emperor Xuan had no heir but two brothers: Liu Li, Su E Huang’s husband, and Liu Ai, the King of Hedong. The two brothers fought for succession, with court officials taking sides, leading to a stalemate. At this time, Xing Xun, the most powerful Inspector of Henan, led a large army into Luoyang.
He accused Liu Ai of poisoning Emperor Xuan and killed him under the pretext of avenging the emperor. He then chose the seven-year-old Liu Tong from the imperial clan as the new emperor and has been controlling the court ever since. Liu Li was placed under strict surveillance. Depressed and unhappy, Liu Li fell ill and died last year. Su E Huang became a young widow, and for some unknown reason, she had now returned to Zhongshan State.
…
“Besides all that, was there any other connection between the Young Master and the Lady of the Jade Tower when they were young? If you know anything, Chun Niang, don’t hide it from me, you must tell me!” Xiao Qiao asked coquettishly.
Chun Niang clearly didn’t want to say more, but unable to resist Xiao Qiao’s coaxing, she reluctantly continued, “… This servant hasn’t heard much else… Only the old servant mentioned that when the Young Master, though he escaped the siege with his guards, was severely injured and took half a year to recover. During those days, Miss Su stayed at the Wei house to take care of him…”
Xiao Qiao blinked, and a dewdrop-like tear that had gathered on her eyelashes suddenly rolled down.
“The water has cooled completely. Let’s get you dressed, or you’ll catch a cold if you soak any longer.”
Having said this, Chun Niang seemed to regret it and hurriedly changed the subject, urging Xiao Qiao to get out of the bath.
Xiao Qiao responded with an “Oh,” smiled at Chun Niang, took the offered towel, and rose from the water.
…
That night, Yuan Shi passed away. The next day, Zhongshan State went into mourning. The funeral was held seven days later. Madam Xu stayed until the end of the funeral rites. Exhausted from many days of fatigue and grief, on the morning after the funeral, when she was supposed to set out for home, she found herself unable to get up. Liu Duan was extremely worried and summoned imperial physicians for a joint diagnosis. Fortunately, they determined that Madam Xu had only caught a minor ailment. After taking medicine and with Xiao Qiao attending to her day and night, she gradually recovered over the next few days. Liu Duan breathed a sigh of relief and became even more attentive in his care.
Madam Xu rested for a few more days until she fully recovered. Calculating that this trip had taken nearly a month, and worried about Wei Shao’s military campaign, she chose a day to set out on the journey back.
On the eve of their departure, Liu Duan held another farewell banquet at the royal palace. Madam Xu was too tired to attend and sent Xiao Qiao to represent her. That evening, with Zhong Mao accompanying her, Xiao Qiao, resplendent in her formal attire, sat in the center of the honored guests’ seats. Surrounded by the royal family and numerous male and female guests, she engaged in inappropriate social interactions, exuding grace and poise.
After returning from the banquet, Madam Xu privately asked Zhong Mao about it.
Zhong Mao replied, “This servant observed that the Young Mistress, with her celestial beauty and demeanor, impressed all present. She has the same aura that you had in your younger days, Madam.”
…
As Madam Xu concluded her nearly month-long journey and set out with Xiao Qiao on the road back to Yuyang, far away in the Taihang Mountains, the armies of Wei Shao and Chen Xiang had already engaged in several probing skirmishes, each advancing and retreating. Yesterday, the two armies finally encountered each other at Leping, north of Taihang.
In the late spring of April, on the endless plains of Leping, fragrant grass swayed, and a riot of flowers dazzled the eyes. On such a clear spring morning, the forces of Wei Shao and Chen Xiang, totaling over 300,000 men, clashed in battle.
This was the largest and most fierce field battle in the north in the past decade. Wei Shao of Youzhou and Chen Xiang of Bingzhou, the two largest warlords in the north, after years of standoff, seemed to have grown impatient. Both were eager for this final, decisive victory that could eliminate their opponent and realize their ambition of unifying the North. Both sides committed all their infantry and cavalry. After the initial formation battles, when the two armies truly engaged in close combat, only life-and-death melee remained. Strategies and tactics became useless on this flat, open plain.
The great battle began at dawn, turning the once peaceful and beautiful Leping plains into a hell on earth. Everywhere lay dead bodies and wounded soldiers struggling in pools of blood. In the end, among the piles of bloodied bodies entangled on the ground, it became impossible to distinguish which were from Bingzhou and which from Youzhou.
After several hours of intense fighting, Chen Xiang’s soldiers finally began to falter, with some starting to retreat and flee.
Although Chen Xiang’s power base in Bingzhou was inherited from his grandfather’s generation and was deeply rooted, Chen Xiang himself was narrow-minded. He favored appointing his confidants, was prone to listening to slander, had unclear laws, and was lax in military discipline. His army’s fighting capability was not on the same level as Wei Shao’s. When the battle reached this life-or-death stage and morale began to waver, it was like a flock of sheep panicking.
Soon, Chen Xiang’s soldiers were fleeing for their lives. Even when Chen Xiang’s generals beheaded several officers who led the retreat, they couldn’t stop the collapse. Wei Shao’s army seized the opportunity, beating war drums and launching a fierce attack. They pursued for over twenty li, with Chen Xiang’s army abandoning their armor and weapons, leaving countless supplies along the way.
Chen Xiang suffered a great defeat and barely escaped with the protection of his loyal followers. On the way to Jinyang, he received news that Jinyang had already fallen to another of Wei Shao’s armies. In despair, he raised his sword to commit suicide but was stopped by his followers. After a hasty discussion, they fled south to seek refuge with his old friend Cao Jin in Hedong. Despite several attempts at revenge, lacking sufficient strength, he never recovered from this setback. The following year, his old wounds flared up, and he died in depression.
…
The next day, Wei Shao’s army entered Jinyang. Li Dian took charge of the city’s defense, while Wei Quan pacified the populace. They captured over two hundred members of Chen Xiang’s family and household. All the men were executed, and the women were enslaved. Wei Shao entered the Governor’s office in Jinyang. His deputy commander, Tan Fu, came to report that among a group of female captives being escorted, he had noticed a woman of unusually large stature walking in an affected manner. Suspicious, he went to investigate and recognized her as Chen Rui, Chen Xiang’s son. When Chen Rui realized he had been discovered, he killed two of his escorts and tried to escape but was captured alive. Tan Fu asked Wei Shao how to deal with him.
Wei Shao, who hadn’t slept all night and was still wearing his blood-stained battle armor, his eyes red from exhaustion, felt intense disgust at the mention of Chen Rui’s name. Without thinking, he immediately ordered his beheading. As Tan Fu was about to leave, he added resentfully, “That bastard Chen Rui, even after being captured, was still spewing vile insults against you, my lord. Beheading is too merciful for him!”
Wei Shao, who had already started to leave, suddenly stopped and ordered Tan Fu to bring the man to him. Tan Fu obeyed and quickly brought Chen Rui.
…
In the battle of Shiyi at the beginning of the year, Chen Pang had been captured, while Chen Rui had luckily escaped by hiding among grave mounds. After fleeing back to Jinyang in a sorry state, he never mentioned his command failures to Chen Xiang, instead blaming the loss of the city entirely on Chen Pang.
Chen Xiang and Chen Pang were not born to the same mother. Chen Pang had years of merit in guarding Shiyi and was popular among the people. Even the citizens of Jinyang often praised Chen Pang. Chen Xiang had long harbored jealousy towards this brother. Now that Shiyi was lost, he was already angry with him.
With Chen Rui’s false accusations, not only did he not blame Chen Rui, but he believed everything, fixating on recapturing Shiyi to avenge this humiliation. His earlier alliance with Xue Tai had been carefully planned, hoping to defeat Wei Shao in one strike. In the Battle of Leping, to secure a retreat, he had ordered Chen Rui to lead 10,000 troops to defend Jinyang.
Unexpectedly, they suffered a complete defeat: routed at Leping and Jinyang captured. When the city fell, Chen Rui had nowhere to escape. Seeing a group of camp courtesans, he had a sudden idea and disguised himself as a woman to blend in. With his delicate features, he could pass as a woman at first glance. However, his hastily adopted feminine gait was so strange that it caught Tan Fu’s attention, leading to his capture.
Chen Rui was still in women’s clothing, with a flower in his hair, looking like a striking woman at first glance. However, he was tightly bound, and his mouth was swollen from Tan Fu’s earlier slaps. Now before Wei Shao, he showed no sign of weakness, standing straight and cursing loudly: “Wei Shao, you Youzhou bandit! Even if I’ve fallen into your hands, I won’t even flinch! Last time you ruined our plans, and now you’ve stolen our Jinyang. Even as a vengeful ghost, I’ll devour your flesh!”
Wei Shao walked towards him, his gaze sinister.
“Come on, kill me!” Chen Rui, knowing he had no chance of survival, decided to vent his anger one last time. He laughed maniacally: “You think Qiao is still your wife? Her heart has long been mine! When I took her into the city last time, that very night we became a pair of blissful immortals! I, Chen Rui, have known countless women, but she is the finest I’ve ever encountered! Her feet, soft as tofu, even a bite is ecstasy! Qiao was so enthralled by my lovemaking, that she said Wei Shao was impotent, never giving her any pleasure. Only with me did she truly experience the joys of the bedchamber! Haha! Having slept with such a beauty, even if I die, I’ll be a romantic ghost under the flowers, worth it all…”
Wei Shao’s fingers clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white with bulging veins. He suddenly threw a heavy punch, striking Chen Rui’s chest. With a clear “crack” of breaking bones, several of Chen Rui’s ribs shattered simultaneously. He flew backward, crashing into the wall behind him before falling to the ground.
Chen Rui kept coughing up fresh blood, lying on the ground and gasping for air, still mumbling incoherently.
The veins on Wei Shao’s forehead were still bulging, and his bloodshot eyes fixed on Chen Rui on the ground. He ordered Tan Fu: “Cut off his manhood and stuff it in his mouth!”
…
On the eve of their departure, Su E Huang had come again to bid farewell to Madam Xu, but she didn’t get to see her. Zhong Mao went out and politely told her that the old madam was resting after her illness, preparing for an early departure the next day. Su E Huang then asked about Xiao Qiao, and Zhong Mao said that the young mistress had returned from the palace banquet slightly tipsy and was not fit to receive guests. She would convey their intentions to each other. Su E Huang smiled, showing no sign of displeasure, chatted briefly with Zhong Mao, and then left.
The next day, Xiao Qiao set off with Madam Xu. King Liu Rui of Zhongshan, accompanied by a group of civil and military officials, saw Madam Xu off at the city gates. The journey went smoothly, and several days later, they returned to Yuyang.
A couple of days later, on an ordinary afternoon, Xiao Qiao was summoned by Madam Xu and found Madam Zhu there as well.
Madam Zhu wore a smile, appearing very happy. This was the first time Xiao Qiao had seen such an expression on her face after all this time.
On the table beside Madam Xu lay a scroll. In a steady voice, Madam Xu informed Xiao Qiao that her husband, Wei Shao, had recently captured Jinyang and achieved a great victory in battle. He would be returning soon.