Chapter 1: The Mourning Hall

Chapter 1 The Mourning Hall

In mid-autumn, August, Qingyuan County was a tapestry of vibrant golds and greens, a perfect season for friends to gather and admire the scenery. Yet, the wealthy Wei family had suddenly unfurled white funeral streamers.

Master Wei had succumbed to a sudden illness, prompting business associates to offer condolences and sparking widespread gossip. Master Wei was immensely wealthy; seven out of ten shops on Qingyuan County’s east street belonged to him.

Beyond his fortune, Master Wei also had a son of exceptional talent and appearance. The academy tutors lauded Young Master Wei incessantly, some even claiming he was a reincarnation of the Star of Literature.

However, what the townsfolk discussed most were Master Wei’s romantic escapades—despite his age, he was known for dabbling in many affairs without true commitment.

In Qingyuan County, many families couldn’t even afford a single wife, yet Master Wei had taken twenty-eight concubines. The most recent, Concubine Xin, who had entered the household just last month, was rumored to be a year younger than his own son!

While the front courtyard was consumed by elaborate funeral preparations for Master Wei, the rear courtyard was eerily silent, save for the soft plop of hibiscus petals falling from the branches.

A woman in plain garments sat by the window, her silhouette slender, her profile delicate—this was Concubine Xin.

“Yiniang, the pregnancy tonic is ready,” Qiong Hua, the maid, announced, hurrying in with a bowl of medicine.

The entire Wei residence was shrouded in funeral white, and the mournful wails from the front courtyard occasionally drifted in, casting a somber pall over everything.

“Set it down,” Xin He instructed, glancing at Qiong Hua. “If you don’t want a scolding from the steward, rein in your excitement.”

With the master not yet buried, such cheer was indeed inappropriate. Qiong Hua quickly composed herself but couldn’t resist adding, “I’m just happy for you, Yiniang!”

Though Master Wei had twenty-eight concubines, none had borne him children.

Yet Xin He, having entered the household barely a month ago, was already pregnant. The pregnancy was only discovered after the master’s death, leaving Qiong Hua unsure whether to call it good fortune or ill.

After his wife passed away, Master Wei had never remarried. Since Xin He’s arrival, she had become his favorite among the concubines, and he had long yearned for another child. Had she conceived before his death, she might have been elevated to principal wife status due to the child.

But now, even if she bore a son, she would remain a concubine, and her child would be considered a secondary son.

Qiong Hua’s face registered regret.

Xin He, feeling troubled, didn’t wish to engage and simply dismissed her.

The mourning cries from the front courtyard gave Xin He a headache. She mused: If Master Wei had a spirit in heaven and learned he was a father, he’d probably leap out of his coffin in anger!

After all, besides her, he was the one who knew best—he had never touched her since she entered the household.

More precisely, Xin He hadn’t allowed him to.

She had been forced to become Master Wei’s concubine.

Two months prior, Xin He was a country girl from Shili Village. Orphaned young, she lived with her grandfather and uncle’s family.

Her uncle had two sons and three daughters. Despite the family toiling from dawn till dusk, their lives were perpetually hand-to-mouth, often lacking their next meal. Her younger siblings cried from hunger, and Xin He became a burden.

More than once, Xin He overheard her uncle and aunt discussing selling her for grain or money.

Terrified, Xin He desperately gathered medicinal herbs to sell, diligently cared for her younger siblings, and worked tirelessly on the farm, all while trying to curry favor with her uncle and aunt. Ultimately, she narrowly escaped being sold.

Growing up in such precarious circumstances, Xin He matured quickly. While her peers were still naive, Xin He had already learned to leverage individual temperaments to make her life easier, all while quietly planning her future.

From childhood, Xin He never lacked admirers.

Thus, she realized early on that her only asset as an orphan was her beauty.

Beauty brought her advantages and was her capital for a high-status marriage. Xin He painstakingly navigated and selected among those she could access, hoping to marry into a wealthy family she could control.

But Master Wei’s appearance shattered all her efforts.

Two months ago, while picking mulberry leaves, Xin He encountered Master Wei, who was in the countryside collecting rent.

The next day, the Wei family steward arrived at Xin He’s uncle’s home.

Since Xin He reached marriageable age, her uncle and aunt had been eager to marry her off for a bride price. Xin He persuaded them to wait, arguing that she was still young and praised for her beauty throughout the villages—surely someone would offer a higher price.

Tempted by the prospect of more money, they allowed her to decide.

But this time, her uncle and aunt wouldn’t listen.

In all of Qingyuan County, few could rival the Wei family’s immense wealth. Moreover, the Wei family was generous, offering enough silver to build a new house and cover the marriage expenses for her two male cousins.

Ignoring Xin He’s protests, her uncle and aunt tied her up and sent her to the Wei household.

Master Wei was old enough to be Xin He’s father. He was short and potbellied, his face creasing into folds when he smiled, but his eyes were sharp and shrewd, like a cunning gold ingot wrapped in human robes.

Having grown up in poverty, Xin He considered resigning herself to fate once she entered the Wei household.

But when Master Wei’s damp, sticky hands touched her, her body trembled uncontrollably, and nausea welled up inside her.

She reminded herself it was for the money, trying desperately to ignore the discomfort, but she couldn’t.

Master Wei noticed her resistance but wasn’t angered; instead, he saw her as a wild sparrow he wanted to tame, relishing the process and sensation of domination.

Unfortunately, he was short-lived. Before he could fully tame her, he died.

With Master Wei’s death, the fate of concubines like Xin He fell to Young Master Wei.

Xin He had heard that Young Master Wei was noble and virtuous—likely to give them severance pay and release them from the household.

Xin He had long decided: once she received the money, she would leave Qingyuan County and never give her uncle and aunt a chance to sell her again.

But the sudden arrival of this child disrupted her plans.

When she first learned she was over a month pregnant, Xin He was terrified. No one knew better than her how this child came to be.

But amid the envious and jealous glances of others, she quickly calmed down.

If Master Wei were still alive, this child would be her death warrant.

But now that he was gone, the child’s timing might secure her a life of luxury.

Master Wei was immensely wealthy. As long as her child bore the Wei name, whether son or daughter, they would be entitled to a share of the estate.

Though Xin He had never met Young Master Wei, she’d often heard of his brilliance—achieving top honors in the imperial exams would be effortless for him.

Such a man surely had lofty ambitions and wouldn’t stay in a small place like Qingyuan County forever.

Once the estate was divided, if Young Master Wei wished to fulfill his fraternal duties and care for the child, she would welcome it.

If not, he could pursue his official career while she enjoyed her fortune with the child—they need not interfere with each other.

But this path was fraught with danger.

Once the truth came to light, both she and this child would face certain death.

But now everyone in the Wei household knew she was pregnant. If she still insisted on leaving the Wei family, it would be tantamount to admitting that the child in her womb was not Master Wei’s, and the Wei family wouldn’t spare her.

Xin He rested her hand on her still-flat belly.

That unexpected and absurd affair back then was beyond her control. The arrival of this child was neither wanted nor expected.

But now, she had no other choice.

Rather than waiting around to die, she might as well take a risk for a chance at fortune—perhaps Heaven would stand on her side!

Xin He slowly picked up the medicine bowl and downed the pregnancy tonic.

The wailing up front gradually softened. A gentle breeze carried the faint fragrance of osmanthus, and the warm sunlight streamed through the window, casting speckled light on Xin He’s plain white skirt.

Drowsiness slowly washed over her, and Xin He lay down on the daybed for a nap.

She didn’t know how long she had been asleep when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside.

Xin He’s eyes snapped open, and she saw Qiong Hua rushing in: "Yiniang, the young master is back."

The only son of Master Wei was born to his late wife, who had passed away many years ago. A few days ago, during the autumn examinations, Young Master Wei had gone to the provincial capital to take the exams. He must have hurried back right after he finished the exams and received the news.

By the time Xin He arrived, everyone else was already there.

Master Wei was a lustful man with plenty of money. Whenever he took a liking to someone, he would take her as a concubine. Now that he was dead, all his concubines had gathered to mourn him, making for a crowded scene.

Second Master Wei found this highly improper and arranged for them to take shifts keeping vigil.

Now that Master Wei was gone, the fate of these concubines lay in the hands of Young Master Wei. As soon as the news of his return spread, they all rushed to the mourning hall, scrambling to get a look at him.

A crowd of women buzzed with noise and excitement.

Not wanting to stand out at such a moment, Xin He stood at the very back of the crowd.

But as soon as she settled into place, she felt eyes on her. Xin He followed the gaze and saw Fang Xu’s eyes fixed on her belly.

Fang Xu was Concubine #25 of Master Wei, and everyone called her Concubine Xu.

Xin He had heard from Qiong Hua that before she entered the household, Fang Xu had been the favorite of Master Wei. After Xin He’s arrival, Master Wei had devoted all his attention to her and cooled toward Fang Xu. Because of this, Fang Xu had often had it in for Xin He, both openly and covertly.

Now, seeing Xin He look back, Fang Xu swept a meaningful glance over her belly, then turned away with a cold sneer to speak to someone beside her.

Just as Xin He frowned, hurried footsteps sounded from outside.

In an instant, the steward’s tearful voice rang out at the entrance: "Young Master, you’ve finally returned."

The chattering crowd of beauties immediately fell silent, stepping back in unison to both sides and clearing the foremost space in the mourning hall.

A figure dusty from travel entered from outside.

Xin He had long heard of this Young Master Wei but had never had the chance to meet him. Now, she couldn’t help but lift her gaze toward the front of the hall.

Standing before the spirit tablet was a man in white mourning robes, tall and slender, his face etched with sorrow as he held incense and performed the rites.

The moment Xin He clearly saw Young Master Wei’s face, all color drained from her own.

How could it be him!