In the 63rd year of Da Wei's Qing Yuan, in the third month of spring, the rain was drizzling. The new greenery in the city was shrouded in a layer of mist, soaking the land.
The roof tiles of the Xu family's residence in the capital were washed by the rain, revealing a layer of uniform luster. These were half-moon tiles shipped from Yunzhou. It was said that when moonlight shone on the roof, it would look like fireflies perched on the roof. The firing process of these tiles was complicated, and the price was not simple either. A full roof tile would cost an ordinary family dozens of years of hard work.
However, the Xu family in the capital had a silk business all over the country, so a roof tile was at most a drop in the bucket. Lord Xu was the tutor of the current Crown Prince. He had two sons. The eldest, Xu Zhiheng, stood alone. At a young age, he was already a Hanlin scholar, and everyone in the capital praised him. Xu Zhiheng also had a wife. When he was 18, he married the daughter of the second master of the He family, He Yan. The eldest son of the He family, He Rufei, was the current Emperor's General Feihong. The marriage between a scholar and a warrior could be considered a well-matched match.
"Madam, what would you like?" A delicate maidservant in a thin gown handed her a cup of hot tea and asked crisply.
"I'm going out for a walk," He Yan replied and drank the tea in one gulp.
"But it's raining outside …"
"It's fine, I'll hold an umbrella."
The maidservant looked at the young woman in front of her. The Xu family was a scholarly family, and the women were all dressed elegantly. Young Mistress Xu was the same. However, the green feather satin robe on her made her look petty and out of place. In fact, Young Mistress Xu was very good-looking. Her facial features were distinct and heroic, and her eyes were like a cleansed lake, clear and distant … Unfortunately, she was blind.
Young Mistress Xu was not born blind. Three months after marrying into the Xu family, she suddenly contracted a strange illness. She had a high fever for two days and two nights, and when she woke up, she could no longer see. The Xu family invited many divine doctors, but they were still helpless. After that, Young Mistress Xu did not go out often. It was inconvenient for a blind person to go out.
He Yan walked to the pavilion by the pond in the courtyard.
After marrying into the Xu Family for a year, she went blind after three months. In the remaining nine months, she learned to live without her eyes and adapted very well. Occasionally, she would miss the days when she could see. For example, right now, she could hear the sound of rainwater falling into the pond and feel the red carps fighting for food in the pond, but she couldn't see anything.
An unseen spring was a good spring, just like an unseen person.
Perhaps she had gone blind too early, so she couldn't even remember Xu Zhiheng's current appearance. The only thing she could remember was when she saw Xu Zhiheng when she was 14 years old. The young man in green stretched out his hand to her with a warm smile. The current Xu Zhiheng would not stretch out his hand to her. Although He Yan treated her gently and politely, there was a layer of something between them. He Yan could feel it.
But she wouldn't say it.
When she was young, she had spent many years in the military. She had learned to deal with men as a man, but she didn't know how to be a woman. Therefore, she could only watch Xu Zhiheng and his concubine, Madam He, being gentle and affectionate. She felt sad and tired. She simply couldn't see it anymore. Even these heart-wrenching scenes were saved, so she had a lot of leisure time.
She sat quietly in the pavilion. Suddenly, she remembered the years when she was young and the days when she followed the army. It was also a spring day like this. The rain was drizzling. She sat in the middle of the soldiers and drank a bowl of strong wine with a smile. She felt her whole body heat up.
This heat engulfed her body in a flash. He Yan supported herself on the railing. Waves of sweetness gushed out from her throat. With a "pu" sound, she spat out a mouthful of blood.
Someone's footsteps slowly approached.
He Yan asked, "Xiao Die?"
There was no answer. The footsteps stopped. He Yan frowned slightly. "Madam He?"
A moment later, a woman's voice sounded. "Madam has good hearing."
A strange feeling rose in her chest. Her many years of intuition made her subconsciously take a defensive posture. Madam He had always been gentle and careful. She didn't say many words to her in the fu. Suddenly, she came and spoke in such a proud tone. He Yan felt uneasy.
But she also felt strange. She wasn't a competent mistress. In the fu, she was more like a decoration. She couldn't stop Madam He from seeking favor. A blind person was no threat to Madam He. Madam He didn't need to and had no reason to deal with her.
"What's the matter?"
He Wanru stroked the hairpin in her hair. It was Xu Zhiheng who gave it to her yesterday. Suddenly, she remembered that the person in front of her couldn't see. She regretfully withdrew her hand and said, "Madam, you are pregnant."
He Yan froze in place.
"A few days ago, the doctor who looked at your eyes took your pulse. You are pregnant."
He Yan didn't know what to do, but a trace of joy appeared. She was about to speak when she heard Madam He sigh again. "What a pity."
What a pity?
He Yan's smile disappeared. She asked, "What's a pity?"
"It's a pity that this child can't be kept."
He Yan said sternly, "Madam He, how dare you!"
Her long, shapely eyebrows were raised, and her gaze was like a knife. Although she was blind, her expression was frightening. He Wanru's hair stood on end. But after a moment, she steadied her mind and said, "I'm not the only one who said this, General He."
He Yan's scalp went numb when she heard the words "General He". She asked, "What do you know?"
"I know everything that I should know. I also know everything that I shouldn't know. General He, with such a big secret, how can the He Family and Xu Family dare to tolerate you? "
He Yan couldn't speak.
Before the He Family had a general like General Feihong, they were like all the noble families in Da Wei. They were even on the verge of decline. Nineteen years ago, the He Family's sisters-in-law gave birth at the same time. The He Family's eldest young mistress gave birth to He Rufei, and the He Family's second young mistress gave birth to He Yan.
He Rufei should have the title of nobility, but He Rufei was born with a weak body. The doctor said that he wouldn't live past the age of three. He Rufei died, and the title of nobility was taken away from the He Family. The entire family was left with nothing.
The He Family discussed it and made a bold decision. He Yan replaced He Rufei. He Rufei lied that he was He Yan. He was born with a weak body and was sent to the temple to recuperate.
He Yan grew up with He Rufei's identity. Although she was born in the second branch, she grew up in the first branch. Since she was young, she thought of herself as a boy and liked to practice martial arts. When she was fourteen, she joined the Fuyue Army behind her family's back. Gradually, she became famous in the military campaigns. She even received the title of General Feihong from the Emperor and had the opportunity to enter the palace to meet the Emperor.
It was at this time that He Rufei, who was sent to the temple to "recuperate," returned.
He Rufei didn't die. He even lived peacefully until he was eighteen years old. He looked agile, healthy, and handsome. Thus, everything returned to its original state.
He Rufei met the Emperor and became General Feihong. He Yan was still He Yan. Everything wasn't as difficult as imagined. In order to prevent a situation like today's, the He Family had long made a rule that He Yan would wear a mask and no one would see He Rufei's appearance. He Yan was arranged by the He Family to marry the current Hanlin Academy scholar, the young talent Xu Zhiheng.
Xu Zhiheng was handsome, gentle, considerate, and polite. Her mother-in-law was also generous and never treated her harshly. For a woman, this was the best marriage. He Yan also used to think this way. Until today. Her mask of warmth was torn apart. The bloody truth was even more chilling than the most difficult battle she had ever faced on the battlefield.
"That bowl of soup that poisoned you was personally ordered by the elders of your family to send it over. Only the dead can keep secrets. As long as you're alive — — you're a huge threat to them! "
"When you were taking the medicine, Eldest Young Master was watching from the room next door."
"If you died, the He Family and the Xu Family would only be relieved. You only have yourself to blame."
He Yan laughed loudly.
Blame her?
Blame her for what?
Blame her for taking He Rufei's identity for the benefit of her family? Blame her for being obsessed with martial arts and learning to join the army? Should she be blamed for drinking blood on the battlefield and killing the enemy to the bitter end? Or blame her for kissing His Majesty and being bestowed the title of General Feihong and letting He Rufei receive her meritorious service?
Blame her. Blame her for being a woman. Because she was a woman, she couldn't use her own name to make achievements openly. Because she was a woman, she deserved to pave the way for the He Family and the men of the He Family. In the end, she overestimated the He Family's humanity and underestimated the He Family's selfishness.
And Xu Zhiheng … … She should have been blind a long time ago to think that he was good.
"What are you laughing at?" He Wanru frowned and asked.
"I'm laughing at you." He Yan looked in her direction and said word by word, "I'm laughing at how ridiculous you are. I died because of a secret. Do you think you can still live after knowing this secret? "
He Wanru sneered, "You're about to die and you're still so stubborn. Guards …"
Guards quickly appeared and surrounded He Yan.
"Kill her!"
Willow branches could be used as weapons. They were soft and tough, just like a woman's hand. They were clearly light branches with new shoots on them. They were like a sword embroidered with flowers and could brush away the opponent's sword.
He Wanru had also heard of General Feihong's name. She knew that the woman was brave and good at fighting and didn't seem like an ordinary girl. But only when she saw it with her own eyes did she know that the rumors were true.
He Yan was already blind, but she could still fight against ten. She kicked away the guards in front of her, as if she wanted to break through the encirclement in this gloomy house and ride her horse back. No one could stop her.
But suddenly, she fell from the air like a wild goose shot by an arrow. The blood she spat out splashed on the grass like little wildflowers.
That cup of tea … the cup of tea that Xiao Die handed to her.
She lost her sight and now even her five senses. She was truly a blind person, a cornered beast.
In order to kill her, they really made foolproof preparations.
"A bunch of idiots. Now!" He Wanru said anxiously.
He Yan wanted to raise her head. "Bang!" She felt a sharp pain in her knee. The person behind her hit her leg heavily. Her legs went soft and she almost knelt down. But in the next moment, she was punched in the back again.
The fists fell in disorder and hit her body like raindrops. Her internal organs hurt.
They wouldn't hurt her with a sword or leave a trace of evidence on her body.
Someone pulled her hair and dragged her to the edge of the pond. Her head was pushed down violently. The cold water went over her eyes, nose, mouth, and neck. He Yan couldn't speak anymore. Her body fell heavily, but she struggled to look up. The water was getting farther and farther away from her. The sky was like the sunlight. For a moment, she felt like she had returned to her hometown. She vaguely heard the songs sung during the march. Her companions read letters home in their local accent, accompanied by Madam He's panicked crying.
"Guards, Madam is drowning …"
She wanted to go home.
But she was homeless.