Chapter 1 — I Refuse to Be a Concubine

Cui the Vice Minister has two younger sisters. To everyone he meets, he says:

"Thu is gentle and virtuous, fit to marry a man of power as his primary wife."

"Tue is selfish and gloomy; she is only fit to be a concubine."

I hear these words and feel no end of injustice. My elder brother asks coldly in return: "You ruined the heirlooms of our late parents."

"You pushed a noble young lady into the water and usurped the credit for a kindness owed to the Marquis’s estate."

"Is there any of these things that you were falsely accused of?"

Every single incident was a falsehood concocted by my sister, yet he has never once believed me. Suddenly, I feel an urge to weep. The next day, the Heir to the Marquis’s estate comes to the manor to view me as a potential match. He looks at me, his tone filled with regret.

"Thu saved my life; I must grant her the position of primary wife."

"As for you—"

"You have admired me for many years; I could take you as a favored concubine."

My face turns deathly pale. The concubine of the Song family on the East street was forced to drink a toxic abortifacient just days ago. The concubine of the Lam family on the West street was tormented to death only months prior. I do not desire such an ending. Therefore, I secretly slip out of the manor. I knock on the door of the city’s most notorious man. Wiping away my tears, I ask: "Will you marry me?"

01

Ta Cham Luu stands frozen in place. A mask covers half of his brow and eye, shimmering with a silver hue under the cloak of night. I grip my handkerchief tightly, asking again with a fluttering heart. Only then does he return to his senses, offering a helpless smile.

"Tue," he says, his voice slightly raspy, "do not tease me."

"I know," he murmurs, "you have always adored the Heir of Truong Ninh."

It is true that I once liked Co Dien Ngoc. But that was in the past. After he spoke those words to me tonight, I cried for a long time. My affection faded away with my tears. I bite my lip: "He wants to betroth my sister."

"He even said he wanted to take me as a concubine."

"But I do not want to be a concubine."

To be a concubine is to be bullied. The mistress of the Song household forced her gentle, yielding concubine to drink the bitter herbs, leaving her barren. The concubine of the Lam house was a famed poetess, gifted from the age of seven, yet she was tormented until she withered away in her prime.

"Crash!"

Ta Cham Luu suddenly punches the door with great force.

"How dare he?"

"How dare he humiliate you in such a way!"

"If I had known this sooner, I would have..."

The wind brushes across my cheek, drying the trail of tears. I smooth the corner of my eye and ask: "What did you say?" Ta Cham Luu reaches out to pick a fallen leaf caught in my hair. His white robes flutter in the wind.

"Marrying you, I am certainly willing."

"I can also guarantee that in my Prince’s estate, there will never be a secondary wife or a concubine."

"It is only that my appearance is marred, and my reputation for cruelty is widespread."

"I fear I am not a worthy match."

He takes my hand and places it upon his mask.

"I think you should see my face before you decide."

I hesitate for a moment. The light in his eyes dims.

"If you—"

The mask is lifted. A face as gentle as jade is revealed. His brows are like drawn ink, his phoenix eyes slightly curved. From the corner of his eye to his temple lies a very faint scar. He smiles bitterly: "The imperial physician said that, at best, this is as much as can be restored." It is already wonderful. Unless one looks closely, it is hardly visible.

"Ta Cham Luu."

"I will not scorn you," I pause, "if you do not scorn me for my ruined reputation."

"Everything I do is inferior to my sister."

"Then, please, request the imperial decree for our marriage."

02

Cui Thu is not actually my blood sister. She is an orphan my father picked up from the battlefield. My mother loved her and adopted her. When we were young, our relationship was excellent. The change began after our parents fell in battle. At that time, my brother bore the weight of the Cui family alone. Between the two of us, he preferred the clever and beautiful elder sister. Thus, when my sister accidentally broke our parents' relics, she panicked and pushed the blame onto me. My brother believed her without a moment’s hesitation. He furrowed his brows: "Cui Tue."

"Why must you always be so stubborn?"

"Cannot you learn from Thu and give me one less thing to worry about?"

I felt deeply wronged. I wiped my tears and left the house, only returning when the night was thick. My brother sat in the hall, holding a ruler, waiting for me, his face full of fury.

"Do you know?"

"Thu was worried about you; she fell and injured her leg while searching for you."

"Cui Tue, you truly are a harbinger of disaster."

The ruler struck my palms, one by one, with searing pain. My heart was filled with guilt, and I did not dare to plead for mercy. Yet, the moment I looked up, I caught sight of my sister returning from a stroll, carrying an exquisite crab-shaped lantern. She offered it to me, her eyes filled with feigned regret.

"Tue, you will not blame me, will you?"

"I was so terrified that I reported your name."

I asked blankly: "Is your leg alright?" My sister caught sight of my swollen, red palms and feigned an epiphany. She smiled slightly: "It was already healed by then."

"Who would have thought Brother would punish you for this? I apologize on his behalf."

A lump formed in my chest. My intuition told me I had lost something irreplaceable. At the spring flower banquet, the noble ladies spoke of my sister.

"She is only an adopted sister, yet Vice Minister Cui elevates her to the heavens."

"I suspect that in his heart, the status of his own blood sister, Cui Tue, does not even compare to Cui Thu."

...What they said did not seem wrong. Whether it was hairpins, bracelets, gowns, or rare treasures gifted from the palace, my brother always let my sister choose first, and whatever remained was cast into my room. If she liked it all, then I had nothing. As the banquet drew to a close, the noble lady who had been gossiping the most about my sister was suddenly pushed into the water. My sister bit her lip. She looked at me, wanting to speak but holding back.

"Tue, I just saw it."

"You accidentally bumped into Miss To, causing her to fall into the lotus pond."

The noble lady, having been fished out, shook her head.

"I vaguely saw the person wearing a purple dress."

"And the second Miss Cui is wearing a turquoise robe."

I was about to open my mouth to prove my innocence, but my brother, having heard the news, arrived and slapped me twice. While I was reeling and my ears were ringing, he took the blame for me.

"My sister is spoiled and corrupted; I hope you all will show leniency."

In the carriage on the way back, my sister pretended to be intimate, wanting to hold my arm, but I dodged her. She froze, tears clinging to her lashes.

"Tue, do you resent me?"

"But I truly saw it; the one who caused the trouble was wearing a turquoise dress with a double-bun hairstyle."

"Her attire was identical to yours."

"I understand now; perhaps someone intentionally framed you."

I looked at my sister’s soft purple dress and said nothing. After that day, everyone in the capital knew: the adopted daughter of the Cui family was upright and kind, earning the love of the brother. The blood daughter was sinister and vicious, causing her own brother to detest her.

03

My brother favored my sister, so he did not hesitate to destroy my reputation. I only never expected Co Dien Ngoc to be the same. We had known each other for three years. Before I saved him on the mountain temple, I had liked him for a very long time. When the Marquis’s lady brought her son to the door to express gratitude, my sister bowed her head bashfully: "It was merely a trivial matter."

"If it had been anyone else, they would have saved the Heir as well."

"Thu does not dare to claim the credit."

Bad deeds were mine; good deeds were always hers. It had been like this many times. My brother always stood on her side. I had no way to fight it. But this time, Co Dien Ngoc was here, so I spoke up.

"That day, my sister did not even step out of the house."

"How could she have saved anyone?"

My sister’s beautiful face drained of all color. She shed tears incessantly, looking pitiful.

"If Tue likes him," she sobbed, "this debt of gratitude can be ceded to you."

My brother furrowed his brows and slammed his hand heavily upon the table.

"Enough."

"Do not bully your sister."

"Who does not know you have been greedy for vanity since you were small, always trying to contend with her for everything?"

My eyes instantly stung with tears.

"I have not."

I never contended with her. Our parents were always fair; whatever I had, she certainly had as well. It was my brother who frequently gave her gifts in secret, while I received nothing. The Marquis’s lady, seeing this, tugged on Co Dien Ngoc’s sleeve.

"You come and identify which young lady truly saved you."

The Marquis of Truong Ninh had two sons. One was ostentatious, the other gentle. He favored the ostentatious younger son, but Co Dien Ngoc was the eldest. I thought he would understand me, but he stared intently at my face, then shook his head. His gaze shifted to my sister. His tone was firm: "It was the eldest Miss Cui."

"The one who saved me was her."

My tears could no longer be contained. For a moment, I was utterly disgraced, not knowing how to justify myself. My brother, having received the answer he wanted, gave a cold laugh.

"The second daughter has slandered her own kin."

"Someone, take her to the ancestral hall and make her kneel for two days."

Co Dien Ngoc looked at my retreating figure, his lips trembling, but in the end, he said nothing. Two days later, he came to find me, bringing a box of the pastry I liked most.

"I lost so much blood that day, I was quite delirious."

"I truly did not see my benefactor’s face clearly."

"I could only rely on my instincts to recognize it was Cui Thu."

Indeed. My sister’s reputation was sterling. Such a virtuous deed must have been hers. As for me, even though we were familiar, in his heart, I remained the wicked girl who usurped another’s kindness. My throat felt as if it were blocked by a mass of wet cotton. Suddenly, I could not utter a word.

04

My sister had been of age to marry for a long time, but she kept delaying it, saying she wanted to stay with me and my brother. When I finally came of age, my brother intended to settle the marriages of both sisters at once.

"Tue, I will find you a good house."

Seeing my lack of interest, he spoke coldly.

"Do not harbor dreams of the Co Heir anymore."

"You are unworthy of him."

I raised my eyes and spoke back for the first time.

"True, only my sister is worthy."

Having said this, I ignored the look of fury on his face and turned to leave. Perhaps he felt his words had been too harsh, hurting my heart, for the next day, my brother took the initiative to make peace. He brought me a small kitten. Its fur was a mix of gold and white, innocent and cute. My heart softened. Our relationship eased because of this. A few days later, a close friend invited me to stroll through the market. Before I left, I specifically instructed my maid to take care of the kitten. When I returned carrying a rattan ball, it was nowhere to be found. The maid immediately knelt, trembling as she explained.

"The eldest Miss said the cat was adorable."

"She brought it to her courtyard."

My heart suddenly sank. I hurried to find my sister. As I stepped into her courtyard, she rushed toward me, wiping away tears, sobbing until she nearly lost her voice.

"I only fed it a bowl of porridge."

"The kitten suddenly frothed at the mouth and its limbs began to twitch."

"It died not long after."

I saw the little cat lying silently on the stone slab. Its body was stiff, devoid of any spark of life. I held it, my vision blurred by tears. My reason instantly abandoned me; I pushed my sister in a fit of hatred.

"You killed it!"

As she fell, she shifted her body intentionally, tumbling to the side. Her forehead struck the stone chair, and blood flowed freely.

"Cui Tue!"

My brother’s thunderous voice rang out from behind me. He strode to my sister’s side, his eyes wide with rage.

"Find the physician! Hurry!"

A trail of blood zigzagged down her pale cheek. My sister gripped his sleeve, smiling weakly.

"Do not blame Tue; she is only too heartbroken."

As she finished, she closed her eyes. My brother’s hateful glare landed squarely upon me.