Chapter 1 — Red Plum Blossoms in the Snow

After my father married a concubine who relentlessly oppressed me, my mother came to a twisted conclusion: a legitimate wife is inferior to a concubine, and a concubine is inferior to a secret lover. Once she grasped this logic, she took the etiquette instructors she had hired for me and sent them to my younger half-sister instead. She then spent every day teaching me the alluring mannerisms of a courtesan. I had to wear my hair in loose, seductive coils, and my gait had to be as languid and swaying as a willow in a gentle breeze. Whenever my half-sister complained about how difficult it was to learn proper etiquette, I would secretly feel lucky that my mother treated me so well, believing she was teaching me the true skills needed to secure my place in a noble household. She even told me to climb into the bed of my betrothed, to cast aside all propriety and engage in a secret affair with him, and I obediently followed her instructions.

It was not until the wedding day that the Pei family discovered I was pregnant. Before a hall full of guests, they reviled me as a base creature. My mother did not offer a single word of defense; she merely led my half-sister forward and said with a bright smile, "Dao is different from her. Her manners are strict and refined, possessing the true grace of a mistress. Why not exchange this marriage for her instead?"

My mother finally achieved the wish she had held for so long, proving her worth as a legitimate wife. My betrothed found a more desirable match, and I alone was left with my reputation in tatters, forced into exile. Three years later, upon our reunion, she remained smug and triumphant. "I have already discussed it with Dao. In a few days, I will send a small sedan chair to welcome you into the Pei household. Mother is doing this for your own good; while being a concubine might not sound pleasant, you will lack nothing in terms of favor."

I only gave a faint smile and replied calmly, "No need, I am already married."

My mother froze for a moment, then let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Do you truly think that just because you left the capital, no one would recognize you? Before you were even wed, you were already defiled; the whole capital knows of your shameless, seductive ways. Even if you went to the most desolate corner of the earth, do you truly believe any respectable family would dare to take you in?"

Times had changed, and all the bitterness she had suppressed for so long finally poured out. I no longer debated or quarreled as I once had; I only lowered my head to hide the ache in my heart. So, she had known all along. She knew that these were not the manners a legitimate daughter should learn. She knew that doing such things would lead to scorn, fingers pointed in my direction, and insults hurled at my back. Yet, all those years ago, she had pretended to be heartbroken, clutching my hands and saying, "Mother teaches you these things so that you will never be bullied by others as I have been."

Perhaps noticing my long silence, my mother realized she had spoken too freely. Just as she was about to explain, a maid pulled back the curtain and entered, her face radiant with joy. "Madam, the young lady and her husband have returned!"

My mother’s expression brightened instantly; the disgust for me in her eyes was wiped away by pure delight. She hurriedly straightened her robes, then turned to glare at me, whispering a warning: "Be quiet later. Do not ruin Dao's good fortune."

I lowered my eyes and said nothing. She was always like this—kind and generous to strangers, while treating me like an enemy. Years ago, when the concubine and my mother were both pregnant, my mother desperately wanted to bear a legitimate son to surpass her rival. When both gave birth to daughters, my father favored neither, and he grew cold toward me. My mother shifted all her resentment onto me, hating that I was a girl, hating that I was not loved by my father. She even stole the concubine’s child to raise as her own, lavishing her with care while using every scheme to sabotage me and steal my future.

Amidst her endless warnings, the servants led Pei Ming-yuan inside. Upon seeing me, he stopped, his gaze lingering on my face. Chu Jing-dao walked beside him, looking at me with the same wariness as she had years ago, instinctively starting to bow; however, my mother blocked her. "You are the legitimate wife now; she will have to be a concubine under your authority. If you bow to her, what will become of our standing?"

Chu Jing-dao glanced at me, a hint of shyness on her face. "Mother is joking. We are sisters, there is no distinction between wife and concubine. I am pregnant and cannot easily attend to Ming-yuan, and I heard my sister has returned, so I wished to bring her into the manor."

My mother was overjoyed, patting her hand and praising her profusely, then urging me to show my gratitude. Three years had passed, and I thought my heart had gone completely cold, but seeing this scene still filled me with disgust. I stood up, ignoring my mother’s curses, and turned to leave. But as I reached my courtyard, Pei Ming-yuan—who had not spoken a word until then—chased after me. He placed a plate of pastries in front of me, his voice carrying a note of ingratiation. "In the capital, this was your favorite. I heard you were back and went out of my way to buy them."

These were indeed the sweets I had craved in my youth. Because my mother wanted me to maintain that willow-like, swaying frailty, even eating my fill was a challenge. Pei Ming-yuan had once pitied me, bribing maids and servants to bring me sweets every few days. Back then, his eyes were gentle, and he had truly loved me. But now... I pulled back my thoughts, pushed the plate away, and asked coldly, "Did you follow me just to give me this?"

Perhaps not expecting such a reaction, Pei Ming-yuan’s eyes flickered with guilt. He grabbed my wrist and hurried to explain, "I know the events of the past made you resent me, but Jing-dao is innocent. She is pregnant, and because you left without a word earlier, she has been worrying, which is not good for the child."

Innocent? I looked at him and nearly laughed out loud. Back then, in the Pei household, before the guests, I was forced to drink abortifacients, enduring countless mocking gazes before being driven away to Qingzhou. I had hated my mother, and I had hated Chu Jing-dao. But for him, I had always believed he was merely blinded. It was only later that I realized he had known everything all along. He liked Chu Jing-dao; it was only because, without me, his family would never have permitted a son of the Pei house to marry a secondary daughter. Thus, I became the stepping stone, facilitating his romance and my mother’s standing as a legitimate wife, while no one remembered me.

"The past is finished. I do not wish to speak of it again," I said, pulling away from his grasp. "I will never be your concubine, and besides, I am already..."

Before I could finish, rapid footsteps echoed outside. Before I could even turn, a resounding slap struck my cheek, causing me to stumble as my ears rang. Seeing me struck, Pei Ming-yuan instinctively reached out to pull me behind him, but before a word of concern could escape his lips, he saw Chu Jing-dao standing not far away. Her eyes were red, and seeing him treat me with such care, tears began to stream down her face. Pei Ming-yuan’s expression changed instantly; no longer caring for me, he rushed after her.

My mother stood before me, her face flushed with fury. The slap had not quenched her rage. She pointed at me and scolded, "I knew you were a base-born creature! You claim you won't be a concubine, yet you were just flirting with Ming-yuan in the yard! What exactly are your intentions?!"

Seeing me hold my face as I watched Pei Ming-yuan carry her away, she sneered coldly, "Did you see? You scheme and crawl to entice him, but in his heart, isn't it still only Dao? Apart from losing your honor and bringing shame upon yourself, what else can you do?"

Without waiting for me to explain, she ordered two burly housekeepers to pin my arms. "Tie her to the ancestral hall and make her kneel! She won't rise until she learns how to bow her head and be humble!"

In the ancestral hall, the cold wind cut through the hall. I knelt on the stone floor, the pain sharp in my knees. By the following day, my legs were numb, and my maid, Lu Zhi, finally found a chance to sneak in. Her eyes were red as she helped me up, her voice urgent and angry, "Miss, please, just endure it a little longer! I have already sent word outside. Once your husband returns, he will certainly make these people pay!"

This trip to the capital was meant to be a visit to my husband’s family, but he had received sudden orders on the road, so I had returned first. Calculating the time, he should be arriving soon. I struggled to stand, intending for Lu Zhi to help me home, but the door was pushed open. My mother and Chu Jing-dao entered, followed by several servants. Seeing me standing on my own initiative, her expression darkened, but Chu Jing-dao gently held her arm, advising softly, "Mother, my sister has knelt all night; she must surely know her mistake."

She smiled at me, completely lacking the grievances of the previous day. "The Pei family has already chosen the date, so I came specifically to bring you the clothes for your entry and the gifts for the concubine-taking ceremony."

She turned, taking the wedding robes from a maid, shaking them out and holding them against me. "I still have a good eye, though my husband kept saying the size I chose wouldn't fit." She paused, looking down at the fabric. Her voice was full of feigned regret and innocence, "Look at my memory, I grabbed the wrong one. This color is the true crimson—a concubine cannot wear this." She looked at my mother, then at me, her eyes hidden with calculation. "I think you look beautiful in everything, even pink would suit you. It's just that the matriarch there values decorum; if a concubine enters in true crimson, it would be difficult to explain."

Every word she spoke mentioned the word "concubine," intentionally twisting the knife in my heart. In the past, her words would have triggered my emotions—my mother’s favoritism, my father’s strictness. I would always argue with her, only to seek out Pei Ming-yuan for comfort afterward. At first, he would pity me. But I do not know when that pity turned toward Chu Jing-dao. "She is a secondary daughter, her life is harder than yours; can you stop being so unreasonable?"

But now, I merely looked at her silently. Seeing no reaction, her smile faded slightly. She picked up a hairpin and walked toward me, forcefully jabbing it into my hair. "This hairpin was given to me by my husband last night; he said it was the dowry he had meant for you. Since there was no opportunity three years ago, it isn't too late now."

As she spoke, the hairpin jabbed painfully into my scalp. I gasped and instinctively raised my hand to stop her. She used the momentum to stagger backward, falling perfectly into the arms of Pei Ming-yuan, who had appeared in the doorway. "Ming-yuan, my stomach... it hurts so much."

Her face was pale, and Pei Ming-yuan’s eyes darkened. My mother stood nearby, shouting, "Dao is merciful, coming herself to bring the gifts, yet you are jealous because she is pregnant!"

With them playing their parts, Pei Ming-yuan’s eyes grew colder. Without asking the reason or giving me a chance to explain, just as he had on our wedding day, he struck me hard across the face. Old wounds layered over new, the metallic taste of blood rising in my throat, yet he continued to press down on me, "If you cannot behave, you will never step foot into the Pei household."

Pei Ming-yuan was certain I had shamelessly returned to the capital to marry him, but he was wrong. I stepped toward the wedding robes and the gifts, grabbing a candle and throwing it onto the pile. In just a few breaths, the flames swallowed everything. Across the glow of the fire, I stared at him.