Spring of the Blade - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The spring in Hengtang always brings endless rain.

It is only the time of the "Awakening of Insects," yet the clouds in the sky are already wrapped in muffled thunder. Occasionally, the heavens clear their throat, and a roar echoes from all directions, rolling and sweeping majestically across the earth.

Qingyuan sat in the hallway decocting medicine. The liquid in the medicinal pot boiled with a rhythmic "gurgle-gurgle," the steam pushing against the lid until it rattled. She turned her head to look outside; neat white lines of rain cascaded from the eaves, splashing onto the blue stone tiles. Together with the sound of the brewing medicine, they composed the lively chorus of the human world.

The little maid was still trembling with fear because Qingyuan had stolen her task. She couldn't help but plead, "Fourth Miss, please go back to your room and rest. I will call you when the medicine is ready."

Qingyuan fanned the embers with a steady, unhurried hand. She did not respond, instead instructing Baoxian, who stood to the side, to fetch the medicine bowl.

Baoxian agreed and turned away. She was tall, and as she stepped aside, the little maid behind her finally came into view. The girl crouched slightly, her eyes filled with a pitiful expression as she stared at Qingyuan. Qingyuan smiled and said, "I do this out of filial piety; surely everyone can understand. If anyone asks, I will explain it myself. I will never implicate you."

Hearing this, the little maid stopped her chattering. She looked at Qingyuan with a dazed, wide-eyed gaze. A child of barely ten, she did not yet know how to mask her admiration. She only felt that the Fourth Miss was beautiful—from the very first day she returned, she had thought so.

A young lady's beauty generally falls into two types: one is fluid and dynamic, the other is still and object-like. The Fourth Miss belonged to the second category. She was like a piece of jade, polished to an extreme luster; just by standing there, she revealed her own inherent texture. As she stood there brewing medicine now, the air was still bone-chillingly cold, yet it was exceptionally hot beside the stove. The firelight from the furnace filled her arms, casting a tranquil flush upon her cheeks. Soaked in sweat, her complexion appeared even more delicate, like fine silk. It was a kind of unhurried beauty that grew from her very bones—one that could not be shaken off, not even by a fall. Especially when she smiled; there were shallow dimples at the corners of her lips, and her teeth were white and uniform as silver. These little maids loved to compare people when they gathered together—not themselves, of course, for there was nothing to compare among the lowliest of the low—but the young ladies of equivalent status.

When there are many sisters, it creates its own "martial arts world" (jianghu), where everyone has their own territory and power base. It was the same for these servants; they belonged to different households. Except for the few who performed menial labor and were assigned by the head nannies, everyone had their own origins. Being a servant requires, above all, recognizing who your master is; protecting one's master in every aspect is their fundamental duty. Usually, the various households did not give way to one another, but when it came to comparing the looks of the young ladies, no one could truly speak against their conscience. The Xie family originally had three young ladies, and the Second Miss was the most beautiful. Then, the Fourth Miss arrived, and the Second Miss became the second most beautiful.

"It seems the Fourth Miss is a little prettier," said Nanny Jiang, who had the sharpest eyes and the most critical judgment. Although she was called a "Nanny," she was only thirty-seven or thirty-eight, the youngest among the nannies. She was very capable and skilled at dressing herself; she slicked her hair with oil, her bun so shiny that, as the local southern saying went, even a fly would slip if it landed on it. A lover of beauty naturally has a superior appreciation for it. To hear these words from her was proof that the Fourth Miss was truly beautiful.

However, heaven is always fair; where there is an abundance, there is often a deficit. The Fourth Miss did not grow up in the manor; to be precise, she had been drifting outside for fourteen years, only returning to the Xie family last month.

Because she had no roots, she inevitably suffered contempt, and here, her beauty became an external burden that dragged her down. Someone gave a cold laugh, "The Fourth Miss is carved from the same mold as Concubine Jin."

To be born with a beautiful face usually leads to two possibilities: either you become a source of disaster, or you are victimized by others. It is said that when a great scandal occurred in the manor years ago, the Fourth Miss's birth mother, Concubine Jin, poisoned another of the Master's favorite concubines. The Master locked the doors to handle the matter internally. By rights, it was a capital offense, but in the end, the Madam interceded, and the woman was driven out of the manor.

The elders in the manor still remembered that scene. Concubine Jin was only allowed to take two sets of her own clothes; all her jewelry and valuables were confiscated into the family coffers. Two nannies dragged her to the main street and slammed the great gate shut. Concubine Jin's maternal family had withered away, and she had nowhere to go. She clung to the gate, crying out her injustice, her voice so shrill and desolate that it sounded chilling in the middle of the night.

Later, it was said that an elderly, childless couple took her in, and a few months later she gave birth to a daughter—the current Fourth Miss. Concubine Jin’s fate was bitter, and she died shortly thereafter. As for why the Fourth Miss was not brought back earlier, the masters had their own considerations. The Xie family was a prestigious, wealthy clan that had held high office for generations. The Master was then serving as the Jiedushi (Military Governor) of Jiannan Circuit. At the height of his career, he did not want to add any unnecessary trouble. As Concubine Lian put it, "Who knows if she really is the Master's flesh and blood?" After all, the child was born outside. Even if the timeline matched, if they were wrong, the Xie family would become the laughingstock of the entire Shengzhou. Thus, they preferred to leave it ambiguous and not bring it up.

Why was she brought back now? Because the household was in turmoil. The old master, who had been cultivating the Tao to become an immortal, suddenly died of illness. Two months later, the eldest son fell from his horse and was knocked unconscious, taking a full day and night to wake up. Shortly after, the old madam fell ill—coughing and suffering from headaches—and for three months she showed no improvement. Some said they heard crying in the courtyard where Concubine Jin used to live, suggesting that perhaps the concubine was unwilling to let go and wanted the Fourth Miss to be recognized by her ancestors.

The old madam was a believer in such things. She had someone calculate the Fourth Miss’s birth date, and the fortune teller claimed that this destiny would greatly benefit the prosperity of the household. Only then did they send people to retrieve her. Although the old couple who raised the Fourth Miss were not of high status, they were decent people and were initially unwilling to let her go. The Xie family had to exert great effort, threatening to involve the authorities, before they finally suffered the pain of parting with her so she could return.

The little maids were extremely interested in those spicy, bitter days of the past, chasing after each other to ask, "That ill-fated concubine, did she really poison the other concubine?"

After a moment of silence, Nanny Shang from the kitchen walked out, coughing and spitting loudly. She shouted at Shuangxi with a fierce intensity, "What time is it? Why aren't you washing the rice! Do you want a taste of the whip?"

Everyone was startled and hurried to disperse. The question remained unresolved, and to this day, it was never brought up again. However, as for the Fourth Miss, the little maids were still captivated by her beauty, and whenever they had the chance, they would take a few more looks at her.

The Fourth Miss had a very good temper. Realizing she was being watched, she would half-close her eyes and ask, "What are you looking at?"

The little maid would stammer, then a thought would strike her, "The velvet flower in the Fourth Miss's hair is truly beautiful."

She would simply say "Oh," and add, "I'll teach you how to make it later." She would blink, her eyes and brows filled with smiles.

With that single blink, even the hearts of the clumsy maids would leap with joy. Seeing Baoxian coming over with the medicine, they immediately stepped in eagerly, "Be careful not to burn your hands, Miss; let me do it."

Qingyuan said it was unnecessary. That heavy medicinal pot was always a struggle for a half-grown child to carry. She set down her fan, tucked up her sleeves, and poured a bowl herself. The thick, rolling steam rose along the walls of the bowl, its bitter fragrance washing over her face.

On the tray sat an enamel box the size of a palm. She opened it, checked the contents, and covered it again. Turning around, she headed toward the main quarters. The southern houses were connected in rows, joined by delicate covered corridors. In the overcast rain, the blue bricks beneath her feet drank in the water, revealing a deep, dark, and murky luster.

Like all prestigious clans, the Xie family placed great importance on the order of seniority and status. Consequently, the Old Madam’s rooms were the largest and most impressive in the entire manor. But such inanimate objects as houses are linked to a person's fortune; a house takes on the character of the one who lives in it. The Old Madam’s main chambers were characterized by green tiles, white walls, and a deep, shadowy courtyard. Looking up from the bottom, one truly felt as if they were at the bottom of a well. Coupled with the weather and the red-wood furniture, the interior appeared even deeper and darker. The scent of age and decay crawled out from every corner, weaving itself into a net that ensnared everyone within.

The Old Madam’s maid, Yuejian, came to greet her, saying politely, "I’ve troubled you again, Fourth Miss." She added, with a hint of reproach, "The maid in charge of brewing medicine is becoming lazier by the day."

Qingyuan said it wasn't the case, "I insisted on doing it myself. The physician recently changed the prescription, instructing to add fritillary bulbs only halfway through the decoction. I was afraid the maid wouldn't get the timing right, so I thought it better to oversee it myself." As she spoke, she walked toward the inner chamber, "Is Grandmother awake now?"

Yuejian replied that she had just woken up. She lifted the green bamboo curtain high. The maid on duty inside took the tray and reported in a soft voice, "Old Madam, the Fourth Miss has brought the medicine."

A cough came from the large bed, and the gauze curtains moved slightly. The Old Madam was leaning against the headboard, a mere blurred silhouette.

Qingyuan stepped forward, signaling the maid to present the medicine. She said in a gentle voice, "Grandmother, the physician said that you have suffered through the winter, but now that the weather is warming up, you should be fully recovered. Today, he prepared a new prescription, changing a few of the ingredients. Please take these two doses and let's see how it works." After she finished speaking, she personally took the medicine bowl and stepped onto the footstool. Waiting for the Old Madam to take it, she drew out a handkerchief to cushion the quilt, then reached for the enamel box with her other hand.

Old Madam Xie was a woman of great authority. The Old Master never concerned himself with household affairs, and the entire family deferred to the Old Madam’s decisions. She had been strong-willed in her youth, and while her temper had softened slightly in her old age, her lingering prestige remained. The daughters-in-law and grandchildren were all somewhat afraid of her. In her courtyard, unless it was for the morning and evening greetings, one rarely saw the shadows of the younger generations. When she was in good health, she didn't mind, but once she grew ill, a sense of melancholy would arise.

Only this granddaughter, taken back halfway through life, was a bit more attentive, the Old Madam thought as she lowered her eyelids. The bitter and astringent medicine scraped her throat, much like this unsatisfying life. The maids she had raised were all strictly conformist—too rigid, lacking any creativity, knowing only to tell her not to drink water after medicine for fear of diluting its efficacy. She was left to let that sour bitterness spread across the roots of her tongue before swallowing it. The Old Madam cared deeply for her reputation, so she naturally wouldn't complain. But since Qingyuan had arrived, there was always a plum she had pickled herself waiting after the medicine—a perfect, clear sweetness that could smooth out the "thorns" on her taste buds.

The Old Madam set down the bowl with a sense of anticipation, watching as Qingyuan lifted the lid of the enamel box and fed her the plum.

The sky was dim, and corner lamps were lit in the room. A pair of slender hands, a delicate face—standing there amidst the undulating light, she appeared exceptionally refined and lovely. Seeing this face, the Old Madam faintly recalled her birth mother. Concubine Jin had not been a person who liked to stand out. As Xie Shu’s status grew, his concubines increased. The Old Madam had not paid much attention to his private quarters since his marriage, knowing only that in the end, some had died and others had been driven away, leaving only one wife and two concubines.

Qingyuan’s mother was a loser in the battle for favor, a concubine who carried a burden of sin. With such a mother, it was clear that this child’s fate was also destined to be thin.

The Old Madam shifted her gaze away, "In the future, you need not do these chores yourself. Just take care of your health. A young lady of a prominent family should carry herself with the proper demeanor."

Qingyuan acknowledged this with a "Yes," then paused before continuing, "Granddaughter has not been able to show filial piety at your side since childhood. Now that I have returned, I should be the one to serve at your bedside. If I am clumsy and fear I may not win Grandmother's favor, then since Grandmother has spoken, I will take more care in my conduct hereafter."

She bowed slightly and retreated from the inner room. Such cold treatment was nothing new, but she had to endure it, grinding her teeth in silence.

Baoxian came to greet her, and she smiled, "Let's go back."

Just as they rounded the partition, a head nanny came in, bowed hastily to her, and headed into the inner chamber.

The nanny had a booming voice, and her words drifted out to the doorway—she said the Prefect's wife had come, seeking an audience with the Old Madam and the Head Madam, saying there was an urgent matter to discuss with the Old Madam.

Baoxian glanced at her mistress. Qingyuan’s expression remained indifferent; her pace did not slow as she lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold.