Chapter Three: Terror

It is time for the evening meal.

The Great Zhou Dynasty followed the ancient custom of two meals a day: the morning meal and the evening meal. The evening meal was generally taken during the late afternoon, between three and five o’clock. However, today the Wang Family Fortress had hosted noble guests, and the banquet had extended into the afternoon. The kitchen staff were utterly exhausted, having no energy left to prepare the evening meal. They simply cooked whatever was left from lunch and sent it to the various household heads.

As she opened the food box brought back by the maid, Lady Jiang’s brows furrowed slightly. The steward of the kitchen was becoming increasingly negligent. In fact, it was not just the kitchen—chaos and decline pervaded the entire Wang family. Hearts had long since fallen into disorder.

Lady Jiang picked out a few dishes her daughter could eat and had the maid prepare the meal tray. The Great Zhou practiced separate dining; each person had their own tray, with portions of rice, dishes, and porridge arranged neatly. The rice was slightly yellowed—stored grain from the Wang family, yet still the finest available.

After three years of drought in Yizhou, even moderately wealthy families had long since run out of grain. Ordinary people could not even afford bean rice, let alone fine polished rice. It was only because the Wang family was a renowned clan of centuries standing that, despite their decline, their inherited wealth remained. The granaries were piled high with grain. Even the walls of the central hall, the Hall of Benevolence, were built with bricks made from glutinous rice. If the fortress were ever truly starved, they could break down these walls and boil the bricks for food.

"What a pity. Even if the ancestors had foresight, what does it matter?" Lady Jiang murmured to herself. "The illustrious Wang family of Langya has come to the point of offering up wives to curry favor with powerful men."

Having prepared her daughter’s meal, Lady Jiang found herself utterly without appetite. After an hour or so of contemplation, she had already made her decision.

Lady Jiang looked delicate and fragile, but in truth she was shrewd and determined. Years ago, as a daughter from a humble background, she had married into the clan not only thanks to her beauty, but also to the Wang family’s waning fortunes and her own schemes. She knew well the flaws of men, understood the principle that "what cannot be obtained is most desirable." She managed everything flawlessly, and had completely ensnared Wang Lin.

Beyond her cunning, Lady Jiang possessed resolve. Though she had only suspicions and no confirmation from her husband, she had already begun to make preparations. If it was true, she would strive for the greatest benefit for herself and her child. If it were false—no, it could not be false. The Wang family had truly reached a dead end.

A mocking smile curled her lips.

"Mother, Jiu has finished eating!" As Lady Jiang was lost in thought, her daughter Wang Heng set down her chopsticks and spoke in a childish voice.

"Good girl, Jiu!" Lady Jiang gently stroked her daughter’s little ponytail, her gaze settling on the plump cheeks. Her daughter’s features were nearly identical to her own, with skin so pale it gleamed like fine white jade. The only difference was in the shape of the face—Lady Jiang had an oval face with a slightly pointed chin, a look favored by men but thought "unlucky" by elders. Wang Heng, however, had a classic round face, full and smooth, the very image of prosperity.

Her daughter was still young and her features had not yet matured.

Yet Lady Jiang had no doubt that her daughter would grow into a great beauty, just like herself. After all, besides a beautiful mother, she had a handsome father. The Wang family, a noble house of generations, produced handsome men and beautiful women for centuries; barring rare exceptions, they were all of excellent appearance and distinguished bearing.

"In these troubled times, beauty is not a blessing," Lady Jiang sighed. In peaceful days, protected by the Wang family, beauty would not be a cause for fear. But now, with the world in turmoil, not only outsiders but even the Wang family itself—

She took a deep breath, suppressing the roiling nausea and anger in her chest, and pinched her daughter’s cheek. "Jiu, you must learn to take care of yourself. Listen, observe, and always ask your own heart. No matter who speaks, if it makes you unhappy, you need not heed them."

Her only worry was her daughter Jiu. So young, so lovely. Without her mother, with an ambitious father and a grandmother who cared only for profit—a vast family, yet not a single soul who truly cherished her. What would become of her?

Lady Jiang’s lips trembled; so many things she wished to teach her daughter ahead of time. Yet when she looked into her daughter’s innocent, clear eyes, all she saw was purity and naivety.

"It’s all my fault—I’ve raised Jiu too sheltered, too naïve!" She simply couldn’t understand!

No, this would not do!

Her Jiu was still so little; she must carefully plan for her future. Even if she were gone, she would find a way to protect her!

"Mother, what’s wrong?" Wang Heng asked. Mother was speaking oddly. She didn’t understand, but sensed her mother was deeply troubled.

Mother was upset?

Jiu had been good today, apart from sneaking off to play with the cat. And her mother adored her; even when she was naughty, her mother never got angry, only gently told her "not to do that," and helped her clean her face and hands.

"It’s fine. Would you like Mother to teach you poetry?" Lady Jiang suggested. "We’ve finished the Book of Songs, let’s read the Songs of Chu next."

"If one dwells at the foot of the mountain, clad in lily and crowned with maidenhair..."

As Lady Jiang recited in her gentle, melodious voice, Wang Heng, tired from her day of play, drifted off to sleep, snoring softly, her plump little belly rising and falling.

Lady Jiang gazed at her beloved daughter, her heart once again filled with reluctance and bitterness towards Wang Lin and the rest of the family.

Yet as Wang Lin entered the room, Lady Jiang lifted her head, her face already composed into a cool yet tender expression. She was a beauty capable of causing kingdoms to fall, and when she looked at him with that loving, gentle gaze, even Wang Lin, who had already plucked this flower from the heights, was momentarily lost.

Ah Jiang, so lovely!

After that moment of distraction came pain and regret. Such beauty was his wife, the mother of his child, and yet—

But recalling his mother’s words, the family’s dire straits, and all that Yang Chong could provide, Wang Lin steeled himself.

"Jiao-jiao, save me!"

...

Wang Heng slept soundly, dreaming of the fat orange cat. It didn’t run away, but lay down obediently, rolled over, and exposed its soft belly. Wang Heng happily reached out her little hand and petted it to her heart’s content.

Suddenly, the cat ran off!

Wang Heng woke abruptly, looked around, but saw no sign of the cat. She rubbed her eyes and realized she was not in the courtyard, but on a bed.

She pushed aside the layered bed curtains and circled past the screen, finally seeing her parents.

She was about to run over joyfully and call out, but stopped short.

She noticed something strange: her mother was standing, her father was kneeling, kowtowing to her mother. Then her mother knelt as well. Her parents spoke quietly; then suddenly, they embraced each other and wept aloud.

They were crying?

Why?

What were they saying—

"When I am gone, may you cherish yourself."

"You and Jiu are my dearest kin, whom I cannot bear to leave. That I cannot continue to serve you, nor raise Jiu, is my fault."

"No matter where I go, I will pray for you and for Jiu. May you be prosperous and blessed for thousands of years."

Wang Heng didn’t understand the words, but for some reason, two trails of tears slipped down her plump cheeks.

...

The next day, Wang Lin wrote a letter of divorce and parted from Lady Jiang.

That very night, Yang Chong, the great general stationed outside Yizhou City, accepted a stunningly beautiful concubine.

This concubine, it was said, was the adopted daughter of Madam Xie of the Wang clan. Admiring the general’s power and bearing, she willingly brought three thousand bushels of grain as a dowry, pledging to follow him, even as a concubine or servant.

General Yang gained both a beautiful concubine and much-needed provisions—both people and resources. He generously lent his troops to help the Wang Fortress clear out the bandits that had surrounded them, and swept away the lawless mob within dozens of miles.

Yizhou’s chaos was quelled in an instant.

Yang Chong took full control of Yizhou.

As for Wang Lin, though he lost his wife and much of his stored grain, he preserved the fortress and gained the official post of magistrate of Hedong County under Yizhou’s jurisdiction. Although only a seventh-rank, lower than his previous position, it was a real office. The key was, he officially joined Yang Chong’s faction and became his trusted aide.

...

"Meow!"

The plump orange cat waddled over, belly protruding, to Wang Heng’s side.

What was wrong with the little devil? She hadn’t chased it all day.

Wang Heng sulked, curled up in the corner behind the rockery. Her mother had left; before leaving, she promised to write and return to see her. But Wang Heng had a premonition—she might never see her mother again.

She had no mother.

"...I heard Second Brother will be leaving for Hedong County soon. Having powerful connections is wonderful; he gets to become an official just like that."

"What connections? Hmph, if he hadn’t offered up Ah Jiang to Yang Chong, would he have this opportunity?"

"Beauty is a blessing... Jiu looks just like Ah Jiang. In a few years she’ll be a great beauty, capable of toppling kingdoms."

Behind the rockery, two women strolled arm in arm, chatting.

Wang Heng’s little ears twitched. She realized the speakers were her two aunts.

"What are Third Aunt and Sixth Aunt talking about?" Wang Heng frowned. She shouldn’t have understood, but for some reason the private conversation she overheard in the Hall of Benevolence, and the scene of her parents kneeling and embracing in the main hall the previous evening, flashed through her mind.

"Jiu truly is Ah Jiang’s daughter, so pretty. She’s a bit plump now, but if she slims down, she’ll be a real beauty!"

As the two women walked away from the rockery, these words drifted to Wang Heng.

Mentioned once again, Wang Heng felt an inexplicable fear; her round little body trembled uncontrollably...