Chapter 3 — A Wrongful Match in Crimson

Yet she could neither see the true weight of Xie Yan Zhou’s lavish, mountain-high betrothal gifts, nor fathom the profound glory of his hard-won martial achievements. What use had I for that sort of reciprocal, soul-stirring affection? Even in my past life, when I was wedded to Co Tu Vien, there had never been so much as a half-ounce of genuine love residing within the quiet chambers of my heart.

My dear younger sister, blissfully unaware of the shadows dancing in my mind, pressed on with her cheerful chatter:

"Once I am formally wed into the Co family, I shall frequently visit you here to chat and confide in you. The two of us sisters will remain close as ever, and you certainly will not suffer from loneliness."

My hands, meticulously guiding the glittering needle through the embroidery hoop, came to an abrupt halt. Yet, I chose not to shatter her innocent, boundless optimism with bitter truths.

On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, Xie Yan Zhou arrived with the imperial decree conferring my title of official noble consort to escort me to his manor. The distinguished guests crowding the Shen estate were countless. The staggering collection of betrothal gifts brought by Xie Yan Zhou, combined with the lavish imperial bestowals from the palace, stretched continuously for ten miles in a breathtaking sea of festive red.

Madame Co also graced the occasion with a congratulatory gift. However, harboring a bitter resentment toward me because I had decisively rejected the marriage proposal with Co Tu Vien, every word she uttered was tipped with venomous thorns.

"The eldest young lady of the Shen household is certainly clever at calculating her own fortunes, managing to secure such a magnificent match. How could our Tu Vien ever dare to presume to marry a woman of such towering ambition?"

"Thu Kieu, on the other hand, is exceptionally virtuous and pure of heart, entirely devoid of scheming calculations. Knowing she will soon step across the threshold as a bride of the Co family, I can scarcely contain my boundless joy."

As she spoke these words, she pulled my younger sister into an affectionate, protective embrace. A deep, rosy blush bloomed across the cheeks of the younger girl.

Later, as the wedding procession prepared to depart and she watched me board the bridal sedan chair, she could not conceal her genuine worry on my behalf, fretting over the sparse household of the Xie family.

"I have heard that General Xie lost his esteemed father at a tender young age, and his honored mother chose to remarry elsewhere. There are neither brothers nor kin to lean upon; you alone will bear the heavy burden of managing the entire Xie household from this day forward."

Once more, she covered her mouth with a delicate handkerchief, letting out a soft, sympathetic giggle.

"Unlike my esteemed Elder Brother Tu Vien, who is surrounded by a loving family, not to mention how wonderfully and tenderly esteemed Madame Co treats me."

I let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh. In my previous existence, she had perished far too young, never living to experience the trials and joys of marriage.

Following the formal wedding ceremonies that bound our lives together, I was gently guided into the crimson-draped bridal chamber. Finding myself a bride for the second time, my composure remained absolute. Calmly, I reached up and lifted the heavy bridal veil by myself, intending to search for some light pastries to appease the hollow emptiness in my stomach.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden door swung wide open.

Xie Yan Zhou strode in, clad in his vibrant red wedding robes, his countenance radiant with a brilliant, youthful vigor. If his complexion were merely a shade lighter, he would have resembled not a battle-hardened young general of the frontiers, but rather a brilliant top-ranking scholar who had just conquered the imperial examinations.

"My wife."

My hand, holding a delicate pastry suspended mid-air, froze completely.

"My lord, why are you not lingering in the outer hall to entertain the honored guests?"

Xie Yan Zhou raised a brow in amusement, effortlessly lifting the porcelain tea cup he had brought along.

"I had originally intended to personally bring some refreshments for my beloved wife, though it seems my wife has already resourceful enough to feed herself."

I offered a stiff, awkward smile, my gaze dropping back to the tea cup he held. Perhaps it was sweet soup dumplings? In my past life, the wedding food brought to me by Madame Co had been raw, unboiled dumplings meant to humiliate. But when Xie Yan Zhou gracefully removed the porcelain lid, what met my eyes was not dumplings at all, but a steaming bowl of translucent, glowing red bird's nest.

I stood frozen in utter astonishment.

"You..."

Such precious red bird's nest was an exceedingly rare luxury, reserved strictly as tribute for the imperial court. Xie Yan Zhou must have specially petitioned the Emperor himself to obtain it.

He scooped up a delicate spoonful, blew upon it with utmost gentleness, and brought it directly to my lips.

"Those volumes of the Lotus Sutra... you labored through copying them by hand with great hardship, did you not?"

Perhaps it was merely an illusion of the heart. Though it was the same nourishing delicacy, this bowl of red bird's nest tasted infinitely sweeter than anything I had ever known. Ever since I discovered the Grand Princess’s fervent devotion to Buddhism, I had never ceased my arduous task of transcribing sacred scriptures, day after day, until every single character was indelibly etched into the deepest recesses of my mind. In the beginning, it had been a grueling, bone-weary trial, though over time, it had simply become a second nature.

Xie Yan Zhou confessed softly that, initially, he had never harbored any intention of taking a wife.

"Life upon the blood-soaked battlefield is a fragile thing, where survival today guarantees nothing for tomorrow, and blessings and disasters remain forever unpredictable."

"To become the wife of a military general is to endure a lifetime of unbearable suffering and heartbreak."

His own birth mother had abandoned him and remarried precisely because she could not bear the constant, agonizing shadow of widowhood hanging over her life.

"I do not blame her; it is simply my own misfortune to lack the abiding care of parents."

During the grand banquets and poetry gatherings, while aristocratic maidens exerted every ounce of their talent to perform and catch his eye, he had felt nothing save profound indifference. He had never even expected to survive long enough to care for such trivial amusements.

Yet, there had appeared a solitary maiden who dared to use her own freshly drawn blood as ink, draining her very life force and spirit to copy sacred Buddhist texts. Such a reckless, desperate endeavor had been undertaken for one sole purpose—to secure a chance to marry him.

Understanding this, Xie Yan Zhou had strode into the inner chambers during the imperial banquet, ruthlessly slashing through the precious pearl curtains with his sword to signal silently to the Grand Princess that he had chosen his bride.

Now, his striking, peach-blossom eyes curved into warm crescents, and his voice dropped to a low, tender murmur.

"Did you fancy me so very much?"

I choked silently, utterly at a loss for how to frame a suitable reply. But he harbored no haste to demand an answer from my lips.

"At the very least, from this day forward—you must love me deeply."

"In the days to come, I shall treasure my own life, and you, too, must cherish yours dearly for my sake."

With a swift, practiced motion, he scooped me up effortlessly into his arms, strode across the chamber to extinguish the flickering red wedding candles, and whispered deeply against the sensitive shell of my ear:

"My dearest wife, I shall never, under any circumstance, grant you the opportunity to marry another."

The spring night was warm and fragrant, tragically short and frustratingly difficult to prolong.