Chapter 63: A Decade of Grudges Meets the Present (Part One)

On the night that Chu Xiu was imprisoned in the disciplinary hall, Lady Xie Miaodan, matriarch of the Yun family, had a long and painful dream. In that dream, all sorts of unbearable memories from the past resurfaced—most vividly, the circumstances of her husband Yun Li's death appeared before her once more.

“Madam, the love poison in your body has been cleared. Though your internal organs are somewhat damaged, they can be restored with medicine.” Luan Qing, only fifteen or sixteen, her eyes bright and catlike, answered honestly.

Xie Miaodan pressed her hand to her chest and sat up from the couch, feeling nothing amiss in her body. But Luan Qing had been personally brought by Yun Li from the land of Jiang; there could be no error in her detoxification. Never had Xie Miaodan imagined that she would have fallen victim to a love poison, and worse, that she had passed it to her son Ci, causing him to be born with congenital afflictions and now suffer from a crippled leg.

For her beloved son Yun Ci, this poison was innate, rooted deep in his bones and blood, destined to afflict him for life.

“And the Marquis?” Recalling that her husband Yun Li was also poisoned, Xie Miaodan could not help but worry. No matter how much discord or estrangement had arisen between them, she could never truly let him go.

She even felt, faintly, that purging the love poison this time might be a turning point—if she handled things well, she and Yun Li could renew their marital bond of over a decade. They had, after all, shared both hardship and the intimacy of the same poison—she, his official wife, was the only one who could claim such closeness.

With that thought, her yearning to see Yun Li grew urgent. She asked again, “Where is the Marquis? Has his poison been cured?”

Luan Qing looked at her deeply with light brown eyes and nodded without expression. “It has. Like you, he is no longer in danger.”

“Truly?” Xie Miaodan rose immediately from the couch, but having lain for a day and night, she felt a wave of dizziness.

Luan Qing quickly supported her. “Careful, Madam.”

Xie Miaodan steadied herself. “Where is the Marquis?” She remembered that last night, when detoxifying, Yun Li had been in the room next door.

“The Marquis is cured. He said there was urgent state business to attend to. He came to check on you and then left. He did not say where he was going,” Luan Qing replied.

Xie Miaodan grew anxious. “He’s just been cured—why push himself so hard?” She looked at Luan Qing. “Child, since Jiang has yielded to Nanxi, and your people have all submitted, you are the Marquis’s legitimate concubine. If you do not wish to return, you may stay here in the Yun household; no one will trouble you.”

Luan Qing merely inclined her head. “Thank you for your protection, Madam.”

Xie Miaodan smiled. “It is we who owe you thanks for saving our lives. You must be tired. Go and rest now.”

But Luan Qing hesitated, stealing a glance at Xie Miaodan, and asked carefully, “Madam, how does the Marquis usually treat you?”

Xie Miaodan thought she was worried about her place as a concubine and comforted her with a gentle smile. “The Marquis treats all his wives and concubines well. Besides, your status is special; he will not make things difficult for you.” She patted the girl's hand. “Go and rest.”

Luan Qing lingered, seeming uneasy. “I will wait here a while longer, in case either you or the Marquis feels unwell and needs my help.”

Seeing the foreign girl’s thoughtfulness, Xie Miaodan said no more. Her mind was full of Yun Li, so she hurried toward the study. If he was handling official business, he would surely be in the Pure Heart Retreat.

On her way, Xie Miaodan pondered what to say to Yun Li. She had always prided herself on her strong character, never one to submit. In the past, disputes over Yun Li taking concubines, as well as troubles from her own maiden family, had driven a wedge between them. True, both had their faults. But now, after nearly dying from this love poison, she found herself seeing things differently.

It was the perfect opportunity to mend their marriage.

As she approached the Pure Heart Retreat, her thoughts racing, she was stopped at the archway by Yun Zhong. “Madam, the Marquis is busy and will see no one.”

“He is not well. I will leave as soon as I have checked on him,” Xie Miaodan replied forcefully. Accustomed to her authority, Yun Zhong could only yield and let her through.

She entered quietly and peered into the study, but found it empty. Had he gone elsewhere? She was about to leave when she heard noises from the side room—the rustle of clothes, mingled with breathless, suggestive gasps.

“Marquis, not so hard, I cannot bear it…” The voice of the Third Concubine, Wen Xian, rang out, breathy and lascivious.

“My dear Xian’er, I was in Jiang for over three months. Did you not miss me?” Yun Li’s voice was warm, tinged with playful desire.

“You brought back a new concubine, I hear—a girl of only fifteen, young and beautiful. I’ve borne your children; I am old and faded—how can I compare to her?” Wen Xian’s voice was laced with jealousy and coquettish complaint.

“There’s a story behind it—it’s not as you think.” Yun Li hastened to explain. “The fourth concubine is but a pretense. Xie Miaodan was poisoned, and Luan Qing, a woman of Jiang, came only to cure her.”

“Poisoned?” Wen Xian gasped, but was soon silenced by a moan. “How…how could that be?”

Plainly, Yun Li, caught in the throes of passion, had no wish to elaborate. “You’ve been with me so long. You know my heart, don’t you? Rest assured, after curing her, my marriage to Xie Miaodan is over. I’ll divorce her, make you my official wife, and from now on, our son Xian’er shall be the heir.”

“Marquis…you—” Wen Xian whimpered, her words broken by ecstasy. “But what of the heir?”

“You mean Ci’er? His legs are crippled—how could he bear the Yun family’s legacy? Besides, with Xie Miaodan present, the household will fall under a woman’s rule.” Yun Li’s voice was bitter, his breath ragged between words.

“In bed, let’s not speak of her. Don’t spoil the mood.” He laughed low, did something unspeakable, and Wen Xian’s cries rose to a fevered pitch, unbearably obscene.

At this, Xie Miaodan needed to hear no more. The pounding from the other room, mingled with the lovers’ gasps and moans, turned her stomach.

Who would have thought that the upright Marquis of Lixin would openly fornicate with a concubine in broad daylight, shameless words echoing through the house? When he was with her, their intimacy had always been measured, restrained—like performing a duty, without haste or feeling.

She had thought Yun Li was always thus. Never did she imagine her husband could become so wild and lascivious with another woman, making even the usually demure Wen Xian moan and gasp incessantly.

He spoke of divorcing her, of making Wen Xian his official wife, even of stripping Ci’er of his title so that his third son, Yun Xian, could inherit the marquisate!

How could Xie Miaodan swallow such an affront?

Though things had long been strained between them, Yun Li had never said any of this before. Yet now, barely recovered from his ordeal, he was already making such promises in another woman’s bed!

This was the husband she had longed to reconcile with! This was the man she still cared for! A surge of grief and fury welled up in her chest, so powerful it seemed to tear her apart.

Clutching her chest, she staggered out of the Pure Heart Retreat. Just past the archway, she was seized by a suffocating pain and coughed up a mass of black, congealed blood, pooling in her palm—ghastly and strange.

Staring at the blood, Xie Miaodan laughed. For a fleeting moment, she thought it might be best to die, for after this, she no longer knew how she could face her husband.

She returned to her room in near despair, longing only for sleep, but was surprised to find Luan Qing still there.

“Madam!” Seeing the dark blood at her lips, Luan Qing hurried to her side.

Xie Miaodan showed her the clotted blood in her palm and gave a forlorn smile. “It seems the poison is not gone after all.”

A strange light flickered in Luan Qing’s eyes, then faded. “Think nothing of it, Madam. That is merely stagnant blood lingering in your throat—nothing serious. Earlier…when the Marquis awoke, he did the same.”

“Is that so?” So, she would not die after all. Xie Miaodan replied softly, lay down fully clothed, and said, “I wish to sleep. Leave me.”

This time, Luan Qing did not insist. She gently wiped the blood from Xie Miaodan’s lips with a silk handkerchief and quietly withdrew.

Xie Miaodan slept for twelve hours straight. When she awoke, it was already dusk. Even in dreams, her resentment was vivid; upon waking, her chest ached all the more.

Yet before she could decide how to face Yun Li, a calamity reached her ears—Yun Li, poisoned too long, had died of internal collapse.

Of course, that was the official story. Later, Luan Qing told her the truth: Yun Li’s love poison had barely been cured, but he had not restrained his desires and, unable to withstand the strain, died in excess.

The mighty Marquis of Lixin—who had survived countless storms and a decade of poison—was felled, in the end, not by his enemies, but by his own unchecked lust, dying in a concubine’s bed.

The following year, Wen Xian gave birth to Yun Li’s posthumous child, a daughter named Yun Muge, now the Yun family’s second young lady.

To this day, Xie Miaodan has maintained Yun Li’s last vestige of dignity before his wives and children. Save for Luan Qing, all in the clan believe the Marquis died from longstanding illness. None know just how ignominious his end truly was.

Yun Li was gone, and Xie Miaodan felt not a shred of sorrow.

Had he not planned to disinherit Yun Ci? She was determined her crippled son would inherit the title!

Had he feared she would rule the clan? She would wield power with an iron hand, governing the Yun family better than he ever had!

Fueled by resentment, Xie Miaodan handed a thriving family to her son, never allowing another disaster like Wen Xian to appear again.

Her husband had died by the snares of love; her son would never follow that path!

…

After waking from her dream, Xie Miaodan was once again the Dowager Lady Xie. She rose from her couch and summoned Nanny Chi to inquire, “How is Chu Xiu faring in the disciplinary hall?”

“The young marquis has visited twice—first to bring her bedding, then to deliver medicine,” Nanny Chi replied.

“Medicine? What kind?”

“They say she came of age today and, after being caught in the rain, is unwell.”

The Dowager Lady sighed gently. “I understand Ci’er less and less. He knew all along that Chu Xiu is Han Chu—so why punish her today?”

“Perhaps he resented seeing her close to the Second Master?” Nanny Chi ventured.

“No, he is not so petty,” the Dowager mused. “Since she has begun her womanhood today, she could not possibly have seduced Yun Qi. Everyone in the household knows the Second Master’s ways, and all know she is innocent.”

She paused a moment. “No matter what, Chu Xiu cannot stay any longer. Whatever Ci’er’s feelings, better to let Shen Yu take her away while they are estranged.”

End of section.