Chapter 1: Prologue

Early summer in the third year of the Baoyuan era of the Great Xia Dynasty, Yongqing Prefecture. Gongs and drums thundered, and firecrackers popped incessantly.

The entire street where the Dingxi Marquis Mansion was located was draped in red and green. The street was packed so tightly with people that not even a drop of water could pass through; even the trees and walls were crowded with onlookers.

"It’s been a long time since we’ve seen such a grand wedding procession in our Yongqing Prefecture."

The gray-haired elders in the crowd squinted their dim eyes as they watched the wedding procession before them.

A sixteen-person band played music, twenty men rode on tall horses, and thirty escorts surrounded a bridal sedan chair carried by six men. Along the way, attendants scattered colorful confetti and silk flowers, which drifted down like flowers scattered by celestial maidens, drawing young maidens, wives, and children to scramble for them.

The silk flowers from the Dingxi Marquis Mansion were of a quality and style that ordinary families could never obtain.

Today, the eldest legitimate son of the Dingxi Marquis was taking a wife. This was an event no less significant than the birth of an eldest son; for a great house like this, it marked a crucial moment in the continuation of the family line. Judging by the Marquis’s status in the imperial court, it was even possible that these flowers were of a fresh style obtained directly from the imperial palace.

As the procession passed, the crowd surged in waves. Those who were jostled and shoved laughed and cursed, scrambling to find lost shoes or steady their hats. Despite the chaos, no one was willing to look away for even an inch, fearing they might have less to talk about than others later.

The groom walking at the very front of the procession had a tall, upright figure. Dressed in a red crown, red robes, and red silk, he was a blur of crimson that made it impossible to discern his features or expression. This was the eldest legitimate son of the Dingxi Marquis, named Yuncheng by the Emperor himself. From a young age, he had inherited his ancestors' legacy and his father's ambition, joining the military. It was said he possessed none of the arrogance of a noble youth; he could endure hardship and did not fear death, earning a fine reputation. Such a good man was the ideal husband in the hearts of all women.

With such a fine man marrying today, the person most envied and jealous of was the bride sitting inside the sedan chair.

The thick, festively decorated sedan chair obscured the interior from view.

"I wonder whose daughter is so fortunate," many asked and sighed. "To be able to marry into the Dingxi Marquis Mansion, she must come from a similarly wealthy and noble family."

"You’re mistaken; this bride is a commoner with no status," someone in the know said loudly.

This remark caused an uproar, and more people crowded around.

"Tell us, tell us! What’s the story?" everyone asked one after another.

"Speaking of this bride, she must have cultivated blessings over several lifetimes. She was originally an orphan who drifted here from afar, living almost entirely by begging. By a stroke of fate, she met the Old Marchioness and cured her sudden illness. Seeing the poor orphan, the Old Marchioness took her into the mansion to repay the life-saving favor, and when she grew up, she decided to have her eldest grandson take her as his wife..."

This was a rare occurrence beyond daily imagination, a legend that only existed in storybooks. For a moment, the crowd was listening in great excitement.

"It just goes to show that good deeds are rewarded; Heaven is watching. We should all do more good deeds in our daily lives; who knows when we might secure a good marriage for our own children?"

Many women silently recited this to themselves, looking at the receding wedding procession with faces full of longing.

Compared to the grandeur and liveliness outside, the atmosphere inside the Marquis Mansion seemed somewhat strange. Although it was decorated for a joyous wedding and the people coming and going wore festive clothes, their expressions were somber. The guests whispered to one another, and there was not a hint of joy on their faces.

Step by step, the wedding ceremony was completed. By the time it ended, the sky had turned dark. The numerous large lanterns shrouded the entire mansion in a red mist, looking surreal from a distance.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds were sent to the bridal chamber. Once the bride was seated on the bed, she was left alone in the room, sitting quietly on the wedding bed.

The autumn night breeze blew in through the window lattice, causing the large red candles in the room to flicker and cast dancing shadows on the walls.

Rapid footsteps approached.

"Miss." The door was pushed open violently, but the person who entered was not the groom.

Hearing the tearful voice, the bride stiffened and abruptly lifted her veil.

Even with the major event at hand, the maid who ran in was momentarily stunned by the face that suddenly appeared before her.

At seventeen or eighteen, she was already beautiful, but with the bridal makeup, she looked stunning. Under the glow of the red candles and the brilliance of the phoenix crown and pearl hairpins, she looked like a celestial beauty.

"A'Ru, why are you here?" The bride looked at the maid, dazed, and walked forward a few steps in anxiety. "Is it... the Old Marchioness..."

Her words brought the maid back to her senses.

"Miss." The maid fell to her knees with a thud, tears gushing out. "The Old Marchioness has passed away..."

In the blink of an eye, the festive red was replaced by mourning white.

The bride, dressed in bright red, ran through the courtyard, looking exceptionally jarring.

"Old Marchioness, Old Marchioness..." She was finally tripped by her heavy ceremonial robes. Her makeup was ruined by tears, and she could not stop sobbing. "You said you wanted to drink Yue'niang's tea... You said you wanted to drink Yue'niang's tea... You said that if Yue'niang married, it would bring you good luck..."

Her cries were sharp as she stumbled to her feet.

"Miss, you cannot go in..." The high main hall was already filled with matrons and maids in white mourning clothes. Seeing her approach, they reached out to block her.

The bride screamed, trying to rush in.

"The Old Marchioness wants to drink my tea!" she cried repeatedly. "Bring the tea! Bring the tea!"

"Do not cry at a time like this! Do you want the Old Marchioness to leave in unrest?" A low roar came from inside the door. The curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man walked out, already dressed in hempen mourning clothes and shoes.

"Take the young lady away!" A middle-aged woman followed closely behind him, dressed in the same heavy mourning attire, and said sternly to the servants.

"Marquis, Madam... no... Father, Mother... let me see the Old Marchioness, let me see her..." The bride knelt and wept.

Upon hearing the words "Father" and "Mother," a flash of disgust crossed the middle-aged woman's face.

"Eldest daughter, today is your wedding day. You cannot be here; it is bad for you and bad for the Old Marchioness," she said, her tone softening slightly as she waved her hand.

The surrounding servants immediately swarmed forward, grabbing her arms, pinning her body, and gagging her with smooth, practiced movements.

The bride in her red dress was dragged away amidst the sea of white. She struggled desperately, looking back, staring fixedly at the majestic main hall. Her tears, like rain, soaked her clothes and dripped onto the ground, trailing off into a faint, fading line of water as she was pulled further and further away.