Chapter 2 — Han Yen's Rebirth

Knowing full well that my parents could not be persuaded, I flatly refrained from mentioning the matter any further. Once the midday meal was finished, my mother immediately urged me to return to the estate, saying, "You should head back early, lest you displease your mother-in-law." I had no intention of pretending to be a filial daughter either. Climbing into the carriage, I prepared to return to the Cho household. Before departure, my mother stealthily slipped a book into my hand, whispering, "Yen, take this. Most men are fond of beauty; if you please him, he will naturally treat you well." With that, she flushed crimson and hurried away into the inner courtyard. Once inside the carriage, I opened the book, and sure enough, it was an illustrated manual of intimate bedroom arts. I quietly folded the volume closed as my thoughts drifted far away. In my past life, someone else had also blushed deeply, stuttering as he shoved a book into my hands. Only, that person was a young man, and what he gave me was a medical text. In that momentary daze, his figure flashed vividly before my mind. Tan Minh Nam, are you still well? Reckoning by the time, two months from now, you will enter the capital. In this lifetime, I will not make you wait in anguish; I shall go out to find you myself. Very soon, we shall meet again.

The carriage halted outside the secondary gates of the Cho estate. The moment I stepped down, I saw Cho Dinh standing before the courtyard entrance, waiting.

"You have been away for three days for the bride's homecoming, and I quite forgot. Why did you not send a maid to find me so I could accompany you back?"

I couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind and quietly made my way inside. He strode forward, swiftly blocking my path.

"Han Yen! What temper are you throwing now? I have already admitted my mistake, what more could you possibly want? Giang Nguyet is gravely ill, and I merely looked after her out of concern. Do not push your luck!"

I halted, fixing a cold gaze upon him.

"Cho Dinh, a good dog does not block the road—step aside!"

"Han Yen!"

Observing his expression, a sudden blaze of fury ignited deep within my chest.

"Cho Dinh, I know full well why you married me. You believe that Lieu Giang Nguyet's father was wronged, and you think that I am to blame for all of it. You imagine that I was infatuated with you, and that out of a desire to marry you, I conspired with my own father to frame a loyal and upright official. You married me simply to torment me, to exact revenge on behalf of Lieu Giang Nguyet!"

His complexion turned progressively paler with every word I spoke.

"Han Yen, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Whether I am talking nonsense or not, your own heart knows best."

I looked straight into his eyes, pronouncing each word with distinct clarity:

"I, Han Yen, walk with an upright head and have never done anything to shame my conscience! My father serves as the censor-in-chief in the Censorate, and impeaching corrupt officials is quite literally his duty! As for me..."

I leaned in close to his ear, speaking in a slow, deliberate tone:

"My greatest wish in this lifetime is that from this day forward, I shall have no connection to you whatsoever! In this life, I will never, ever love you!"

The instant he stood frozen in shock, I grabbed Minh Nguyet—who had just arrived and had not yet recovered her wits—and pulled her away. Once back in our chambers, it took a long while for Minh Nguyet to regain her composure, and she stammered in utter horror, "Mistress, were the things you said just now... truly the truth? This... this is entirely too absurd!"

I gently nodded. Three months ago, Lieu Giang Nguyet's father was accused of corruption and abuse of power, and was executed on the spot. The female members of the Lieu household were demoted to government slaves. Cho Dinh had exhausted all his efforts and spent a considerable sum of money to ransom Lieu Giang Nguyet and settle her within the estate. Aside from her, the remaining female relatives of the Lieu family chose suicide rather than face humiliation. Cho Dinh stubbornly insisted that Lieu Giang Nguyet was as pure as a white moonbeam, and loving the house, he loved even the crow upon its roof; thus, he firmly believed her father could never have been a corrupt official. In his eyes, the downfall of the Lieu family was entirely the work of malicious schemers. As for the reason why my father chose to impeach the Lieu family... it was because I loved Cho Dinh, and Cho Dinh loved Lieu Giang Nguyet. Therefore, out of jealousy and envy, I had allegedly incited my father to plot against innocent people. This was Cho Dinh's preposterous speculation. Yes, in my past life, it was precisely because of these absurd notions that he married me and thereafter subjected me to endless torment. And every single tragedy in my life began with the fact that I loved him far too much.

Minh Nguyet immediately grasped my hand tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Mistress, what do you plan to do then?"

I gently wiped away her tears. "Do not be afraid, I already have a plan. In a month's time, I will lead you away from this place."

The days that followed were far from peaceful; Lieu Giang Nguyet constantly resorted to schemes within the inner chambers. I regarded her actions like a clown performing a silly dance, turning a deaf ear and a blind eye. Until she finally pushed her luck too far, plotting to frame me for slipping croton beans into her restorative herbal medicine, whereupon I calmly took the bowl and poured the entire contents straight down her throat. After three full days of haunting the latrine, she finally realized I was not someone to be trifled with. Once the incident had passed, Lieu Giang Nguyet immediately ran to Cho Dinh to weep and pour out her grievances. Cho Dinh promptly came storming over to question me. I merely replied with utter indifference: "If others do not offend me, I shall not offend them. So long as the two of you do not flutter about before my eyes, I shall consider you both as good as dead, and we can all enjoy some peace." A single remark that left Cho Dinh turning green with anger. Day after day, Lieu Giang Nguyet attempted on several occasions to provoke me with sarcastic barbs, but I treated them like mere dust upon my garments, not deigning to care. A month later, under the pretext of going out to purchase cosmetics, I boarded a carriage and left the Cho residence. I departed the estate at dusk and returned as the evening glow faded from the sky. The moment I stepped down from the carriage, an elderly matron was waiting right outside the secondary gates. Her face was icy, and her tone carried not a hint of warmth: "The First Young Mistress, the Matron has issued an order inviting you to proceed immediately to the Hall of Harmonious Family; the entire household is waiting for you there." The Hall of Harmonious Family was the quarters of Cho Dinh's parents. Minh Nguyet unconsciously clutched at my sleeve, whispering, "Mistress, this servant is afraid." I patted her hand to reassure her there was nothing to worry about.

"Very well, it just so happens I have things to discuss with everyone as well."

I had originally assumed that this formal tribunal, complete with the family rules brought out for inspection, was merely intended to reprimand me for leaving the estate without prior notice. Yet the moment I stepped foot into the Hall of Harmonious Family, I realized the situation was somewhat abnormal. The matriarch sat squarely in the center, her expression deeply gloomy. Cho Dinh was kneeling rigidly straight before her, his demeanor unyielding and resolute. Behind him knelt Lieu Giang Nguyet, her eyes brimming with tears as she pressed a handkerchief to her face and wept continuously. The instant she saw me step inside, the matriarch's expression instantly shifted into a warm, gentle smile as she beckoned me closer. I approached and bowed in greeting. The matriarch took my hand, letting out a succession of sighs: "Ah... this household has truly been dealt an unfortunate hand. Just a moment ago, Dinh brought this Lieu girl here and stubbornly insisted on taking her as his co-wife. I considered that you and he have only been married for a month, and to take a co-wife at such a time would likely displease you. Therefore, I leave this matter for you to decide. If you consent, I will immediately have her brought through the doors with the proper ceremonies. If you do not consent, then she can only remain a concubine. Daughter-in-law, what are your thoughts?" I quietly withdrew my hand, my expression entirely unchanging:

"Whatever Cho Dinh wishes, I have no objections."

The matriarch froze, utterly disbelieving: "Han Yen, in the past, whenever Dinh merely cast a glance at another woman, you would fly into a jealous rage. Why is it that today, when he wishes to take a co-wife, you show not the slightest reaction?" Both Cho Dinh and Lieu Giang Nguyet stared at me with eyes filled with astonishment. I retreated a few paces and said indifferently:

"Whatever transpires between Cho Dinh and Miss Lieu is fundamentally the domestic business of the Cho family. I am merely an outsider; what qualification do I have to speak on the matter?"

Cho Dinh's gaze turned icy as he spoke in a deep, stern voice:

"You are my wife, how could you possibly be an outsider?"

I reached into my robes, drew out a scroll of pale yellow silk, and unrolled it before everyone:

"An imperial edict personally brushed by the Emperor, granting me a divorce from Cho Dinh. From this day forward, each walks their own path, with no further ties between us."

Cho Dinh bolted upright in an instant, snatching the imperial decree away, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Han Yen! How could you possibly possess a decree brushed by the Emperor? Do you dare forge an imperial edict?!"

I gave a cold laugh, pointing to the red wax seal in the corner of the silk:

"This is His Majesty's personal seal. If you do not recognize it, you may let your esteemed father inspect it. I merely wish to divorce you; why would I ever need to commit the crime of forging an imperial decree and bring down the punishment of annihilation upon my clan?"

The entire hall plunged into a sudden silence. I retrieved the decree and turned to instruct Minh Nguyet:

"Minh Nguyet, go pack our belongings. Once you are finished, we shall leave at once."

"Understood!"

Minh Nguyet quickly withdrew. I turned around and calmly explained to the gathered family:

"When I went out of the estate today, I happened to encounter His Majesty traveling in disguise, rescuing someone from grave danger. He granted me a single wish, and I chose to divorce Cho Dinh."

In my previous life, the Emperor had traveled out of the palace in disguise, slipping away from his guards to ride a horse alone in the northern suburbs of Beijing. Unexpectedly, he had been bitten by a venomous snake, and though his life was saved, the delay left his left leg with a permanent limp ever since. Today, I had deliberately driven my carriage out of the city precisely to orchestrate this "chance encounter" with the poisoned emperor, thereby securing the decree of divorce. Fortunately, everything had proceeded even more smoothly than anticipated. Monarchs are monarchs, subjects are subjects; fathers are fathers, sons are sons. With an imperial decree in hand, even my parents could no longer force me to continue a matrimonial bond with Cho Dinh. Cho Dinh spoke in a frigid tone: "We grew up together, yet how was I to know you were also skilled in medicine?" I gave a faint, mocking smile: "Even though we grew up together, did you not constantly suspect me of stopping at nothing just to marry you? That is why they say: faces are easily known, but hearts are unfathomable. Who can truly see through another?" With the imperial decree protecting me, not a single soul within the Cho family dared to impede my departure.