Chapter 1, The Heart-Piercing Sword

Yun Dingquan walked over holding the hand of that woman: "Qingmei, this is Lin Qinghe."

Su Yong'an held her hand and, in a fragmented manner, revealed a shocking secret: "Ah Fei, it turns out that your mother encountered the bandits because of your father's arrangement; he is not an ordinary person... You need to be more vigilant and protect your mother and younger brother well"

Whenever her husband is mentioned, Su Qingmei's face is filled with a blissful and proud smile: "That is because he vowed not to take a concubine back then. When he married me, he was utterly destitute. If it weren't for me and your grandfather tirelessly helping him pave his way, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today"

Su Qingmei had half of her body inside the wardrobe, frantically pulling out clothes, tossing them onto the bed one by one like falling petals, and anxiously asking: "A Fei, which one looks good on Mother?"

Tears fell like a torrential rain, smudging the carefully applied makeup that had taken half an hour to perfect. The rouge, priced at ten taels of silver per box, had been a painful purchase for her, made only to please him. Unfortunately, such fine rouge could not withstand the passage of time, nor could it hold a person's heart, serving only to validate the hypocrisy and absurdity of promises.

Yun Fei inexplicably felt a sense of unease

Yun Fei turned her head, half-kneeling on the rose chair, smiling as she looked at her: "Mother is beautiful, and looks good in any outfit."

Yun Dingquan turned his head to see his daughter and gently called out: "Afei, come over and meet your second mother"

She has said this more than one hundred times, and Yun Fei pinched her earlobe, unable to suppress a smile: "Then mother, what are you still worried about?"

Yun Fei struggled to support her swaying body, her mind flashing back to her grandfather's words before his passing. At that time, she still held onto a glimmer of hope, perhaps her grandfather was mistaken, perhaps she would never need to be wary of her father. But now, she knew that this moment had finally arrived

Her mother happily served as the governor's wife, living in a blissful ignorance of just how happy she truly was

Qinghe has met her elder sister. Lin Qinghe gracefully and shyly performed a salute, her delicate and charming smile was youthful and beautiful, as striking as a thousand sharp swords

Did you not say that you would never take a concubine in this lifetime and that I am the only one for you

Su Qingmei stood at the entrance, holding her son's hand, frozen like a wooden statue, one foot inside the door and the other foot outside, as if she were a wooden carving nailed to the ground

As she approached the shadow wall, she saw the maid Fuling, who had been sent to wait at the entrance early in the morning, hurrying inside. Upon seeing Su Qingmei, she smiled and said, "Madam, you have arrived just in time; the General will be here shortly"

Yun Fei secretly sighed: Father has indeed become more handsome, as it is true that power and influence are a man's best attire

Yun Fei has always believed that her parents' story is the most typical tale of a hero saving a beauty, with the husband and wife supporting each other, more perfect than any story found in books, until the day three years ago when her grandfather passed away

In the second year after their marriage, Yun Fei was born, and Su Qingmei's belly ceased to swell, remaining unchanged for seven to eight years. Yun Dingquan not only did not despise her but also vowed never to take a concubine. Touched, Su Qingmei spared no expense to support her husband’s career, helping him rise steadily to the position of provincial governor

The bright red curtain is embroidered with large peonies, resplendent and eye-catching. The light pink tassels at the corners are blown by the wind, fluttering like scattered cherry blossoms, blooming in a charming and delicate manner.

"Mother, there's no need to take a picture, let's go quickly." Yun Fei said without further discussion, pulling her out of the room

This hue has a name that evokes both heartache and helplessness: youth

This secret, her grandfather kept until his death, and she also intends to keep it buried within her, not letting her mother know

The rouge from Yongchuntang, priced at ten taels of silver per box, is indeed very effective, giving the cheeks a blush as delicate as peach blossoms. Upon closer inspection, it truly resembles the appearance of someone in their early twenties.

Yun Fei said: "Of course, if father has no concubines by his side and only obediently stays with mother, it shows that mother's beauty is unparalleled in the world"

Yun Fei's smile froze on her face, the word 'father' stuck in her teeth, and her feet felt as if they were weighed down by a thousand pounds, unable to move forward a single step

It turns out it is not like this

Er Niang! It was as if a tremendous thunderclap had exploded above her head; Yun Fei's first reaction was to turn around and look at her biological mother

Su Qingmei hesitated for a moment: "Wouldn't deep purple be a bit too mature?" Ever since she turned thirty, she began to dress herself in youthful colors, with light pink, tender green, and delicate yellow garments, one after another, resembling a sister to her daughter.

This carriage does not belong to the Yun family

After the death of Emperor Jing, the court fell into disarray, and various local warlords rose to power, each establishing their own military rule. Yun Dingquan, holding military authority, was nominally a governor but in reality was the overlord of the Chu region. He had always harbored great ambitions, and in this chaotic era, he was even more eager to achieve a grand enterprise. Usually preoccupied with military and political affairs, he rarely returned home. This time, he went to Luzhou and was away for a month.

This vow surged through her mind like a raging wind, threatening to burst her brain, yet her throat felt as if it had been cut by a knife, leaving her unable to utter a single word due to the pain. Her body trembled like a sieve, and the butterflies on the pale pink veil flitted among the flowers, as if each one was poised to take flight.

Years later, she held a cup of pear blossom white and smiled as she asked Yun Dingquan: "Father, have you ever been suddenly stabbed by the one you love the most while you were in a moment of great happiness?"

The combination of the colors of the shawl and the spring shirt is surprisingly beautiful, Su Qingmei said with a smile, "I will go try it on."

A multitude of arrows is shot simultaneously, each piercing the heart

Su Qingmei lifted her head from the box and asked, half in disbelief, "Is it true?" This daughter of hers had always been quirky since childhood, and when she spoke sweetly, every word seemed to be infused with half a pound of honey.

Su Qingmei touched her face and sighed pretentiously: "Flowers do not bloom for a hundred days, and this year my mother is already thirty-five."

Yun Fei picked up a powder pink shawl adorned with butterflies and flowers, placing it in her hands: "With this shawl draped over, one will not lose their youthful charm"

The gossamer shawl slipped from her shoulders, falling to the ground in a state of despondency and weakness, with each butterfly upon it having broken its wings, never to fly again

At that time, she was only twelve years old. Although she could see that her father was indifferent, perfunctory, and impatient towards her mother, she naively believed that her father wanted to accomplish great things and had no time to attend to familial affections.

He leaned to one side and leaped down from the horse, his dark cloak billowing in the wind, revealing the Qinglong sword at his waist and the dragon jade pendant on his belt. His tall and slender figure was bathed in the warm spring sunlight, handsome and elegant, exuding an extraordinary presence

Yun Fei leaned out of the window, looking up at the magpies hopping about on the treetops, with two dimples sweetly adorning her lips: "Raising my head to listen to the magpies' joy, it seems that father is indeed coming back, mother, please hurry."

He appeared calm and composed, showing no signs of guilt or unease. With a casual remark, as if he were saying: I saw a lotus flower on the way, it looked quite beautiful, so I picked it and brought it home

Su Qingmei emerged after changing her clothes, and Yun Fei immediately displayed an expression of astonishment: "Mother, you look truly beautiful!"

Su Qingmei had been longing day and night, and finally awaited his return today. She busied herself in the morning, dressing up to welcome her husband, her heart more anxious than that of a lovesick girl. She kept checking her reflection in the mirror, unable to pinpoint what exactly she was dissatisfied with.

Su Qingmei felt on the verge of collapse, desperately wanting to faint and wake up to find that this was just a nightmare. However, her mind was surprisingly clear. She could vividly recall Lin Qinghe's brows, eyes, and demeanor, every frown and smile, as well as the hand that Yun Dingquan held.

Yun Fei watched as her mother, in a joyful and cheerful manner, disappeared behind the screen, and her own face, which had been adorned with a blissful and serene smile, gradually fell.

The smoke-wreathed willows paint the bridges, the wind flutters the green curtains, and the spring scenery of Jingzhou is gradually reaching its prime. Early in the morning, the governor's residence is bustling with activity, and the magpies join in the merriment, chirping joyfully on the branches.

From childhood to adulthood, she had heard her parents' story hundreds of times from her mother. Originally, Yun Dingquan was merely a small pavilion chief in Xiang County, while Su Qingmei was the only daughter of the wealthiest man in the city, Su Yong'an. One day, while going to the temple to pray, she encountered bandits on the way. At a critical moment, Yun Dingquan appeared just in time to heroically save her, thus naturally leading to this beautiful union.

Yun Fei released her hand and selected a spring shirt with a deep purple base and ash-gray silk thread embroidered with hidden hibiscus patterns from a pile of vibrant flowers and willows, holding it up to Su Qingmei's face: "This one looks good, it complements your skin, which is fairer than snow"

Su Qingmei looked at herself in the mirror with delight. Indeed, as her daughter had said, she exuded an air of nobility and grace without losing her charm and allure. Even with a waist that had thickened by three inches after giving birth to her son Acong, she did not appear bulky at all

Yun Fei jumped down from the rose chair and cheerfully hugged her waist, saying: "Mother looks at most twenty-five."

However, one can deceive others but cannot deceive oneself. The thought of being already thirty-five years old, an "advanced age," and continuously descending while my husband is thriving and rising steadily, with his impressive demeanor and handsome appearance, brings a latent sense of crisis. It feels like a small thorn, pricking at my heart; it does not hurt, yet it occasionally causes discomfort.

The finest rouge from Yongchun Hall could not conceal her face, which was as pale as a ghost at that moment, with even her lips appearing white, as if her face had been soaked in snowmelt. The only color present was the crimson of her eyes, resembling blood ready to drip.

She approached with a smile, just about to call out to her father, but saw that Yun Dingquan, after dismounting, did not walk towards the main gate; instead, he turned and walked towards a carriage.

"What are you in such a hurry for? Your father hasn't arrived yet." Su Qingmei took her son's hand and walked outside, her heart unexpectedly racing along the way, reminiscent of the time when she was newly married, filled with both happiness and excitement

Suddenly looking ten years younger, Su Qingmei smiled joyfully and pinched Yun Fei's smooth face, saying, "You have such a sweet tongue, quickly help your mother choose a piece of clothing."

Yun Dingquan lifted the curtain and helped out a charming young woman of about eighteen or nineteen years old. She was dressed in a rose-colored spring gown, her waist so slender that it seemed it would break with the slightest touch. Her face, as delicate and white as ice jade, shimmered with a faint rosy glow under the spring sunlight, a luster and hue that even the cosmetics worth ten taels of silver from Yongchun Hall could not replicate

The large contingent has already arrived at the gate, and at the forefront, seated majestically on a tall and imposing yellow steed, is Yun Dingquan, the Governor of Jingzhou.

Satisfied with her clothes, she moved closer to the mirror to examine her face carefully

Acong, with her short legs, could not walk quickly. Yunfei, unable to wait, picked up the newly made pomegranate skirt, circled around the shadow wall, and stepped out of the gate, flying down the steps like a spring swallow

Arriving at the Hanging Flower Gate, seven-year-old Acon, led by his wet nurse Qi, had long been impatiently waiting. Upon seeing his mother, he pouted and said: "Mother, you are really slow."