Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
At the Xie Family Village in the Beijing Suburbs, a young woman in coarse linen clothing carried a bamboo basket, picking vegetables. Beside her, a small child followed her every step, occasionally plucking a wildflower or chasing a butterfly before stumbling over to her side.
"Mother, look! This flower is pretty. I’ll give it to you."
The milky, sweet voice was enough to melt anyone's heart. The woman smiled, pulled him into her arms, and dotingly tapped his tiny nose.
"Ping'an, how about Mother stews some old hen soup for you tonight?"
The child nodded vigorously, cheering, "Okay!"
The two of them smiled at each other and, hand in hand, walked toward the only habitable little wooden shack in the village. This woman was none other than Xie Zhixue, once known as the most talented woman in the capital.
Three years ago, she had endured three days and three nights of agony, surviving a massive hemorrhage and losing half her life to give birth to Xie Ping'an. During her postpartum recovery, Madam Xie had secretly visited her once with tonics, but had never returned since. During that time, her personal maid, Ruyi, had fallen in love with the village steward, and Xie Zhixue had taken it upon herself to marry her off to him. From then on, only she and her son remained in the small village, relying on each other for survival.
The villagers were simple folk; she told them her husband had died young, leaving her a widow with a posthumous child, struggling to make ends meet. Everyone looked after her, and though life was hard, it was peaceful. Ping'an was a sensible boy; he had started private schooling at the beginning of the year and had already memorized the *Hundred Family Surnames* and the *Thousand Character Classic*.
Xie Zhixue let her son practice writing in the dirt outside while she stayed by the earthen stove to stew the chicken. Three years of hardship had transformed the young lady who once never touched a drop of water into a "Mother Ping'an" who could nimbly handle all farm and household chores.
The aroma of chicken stewed with mushrooms drifted far into the distance. Hearing footsteps, Xie Zhixue assumed it was Ping'an being greedy, coming to taste if the seasoning was right. She turned her head, and her ladle dropped back into the pot with a splash.
"Father, Mother..."
Standing outside the wicker gate were Hanlin Xie and Madam Xie.
Xie Zhixue hurried out to meet them, looking at the two in disbelief. She hadn't seen her father since leaving home; though he still looked scholarly, there were now strands of white at his temples. Her mother was still dressed in fine silk, but her eyes were red-rimmed, clearly having spent the night weeping.
Ping'an followed behind them, looking up at Xie Zhixue and asking in confusion, "Mother, who are they?"
Xie Zhixue gestured for Ping'an to kneel with her and kowtow to his grandparents. "Father, Mother, your daughter is unfilial. Have you been well all these years?"
Madam Xie wiped her eyes and pulled her up. "Xue'er, how did you become so thin..."
Before she could finish, Madam Xie began to choke on her sobs. Hanlin Xie took over. "Let the child go outside for a moment. We have something to discuss with you."
Xie Zhixue nodded, coaxed Ping'an to go back to his writing, and led her parents into the main room. It was a meager space—less than a third of the size of her former bedroom. With earthen walls and an earthen bed, there was no sign of silk screens or beaded curtains, not even a thick quilt.
Xie Zhixue brewed two cups of coarse tea and sheepishly pushed them toward her parents. "It’s nothing like the fine tea at home. It’s just enough to wet your throats."
Madam Xie’s eyes turned red, and a lump in her throat prevented her from speaking for a long time. "Xue'er, we have failed you!"
Hanlin Xie’s gaze darted away; he couldn't look at her, only sighing incessantly. Xie Zhixue sensed something was wrong, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. She could only comfort her mother, "Mother, I live well here. It is I who am unfilial, unable to serve you in your old age."
Upon hearing this, Madam Xie could no longer hold back, and tears began to stream down her face. "My lord, Xue'er is the child I carried for ten months. Is there really no other way?"
Hanlin Xie remained silent, pulling a strip of white silk from his sleeve and throwing it in front of Xie Zhixue.
"Don't blame your father for being heartless. The Emperor issued an edict the day before yesterday, betrothing you to the Crown Prince to take your place in the Eastern Palace."
"This is a catastrophe! If you do not die, our entire clan will be executed!"
Five days ago, the Crown Prince had returned in triumph from the northern border. The Emperor had gone out of the city to welcome him and asked what reward he desired. The Crown Prince had asked only for the eldest daughter of Hanlin Xie to be his Crown Princess. Before he had left for the campaign, the Emperor and the Empress had wanted to choose a consort for him, but he had refused, so it never came to be. Now that he had chosen the daughter of a scholarly family, the Emperor had naturally agreed and immediately issued the imperial decree.
Hanlin Xie had returned home with trembling legs, feeling that what he held was not a marriage decree, but a guillotine that would sever the lives of nine generations of his kin. An imperial Crown Princess who was pregnant out of wedlock was an unforgivable stain on the royal family. The only way for the Xie family to survive was to end Xie Zhixue’s life first and bury the secret forever.
Xie Zhixue picked up the white silk. The day had finally come. Three years ago, when her body was defiled, she should have died to prove her innocence. That she had survived until now was only due to her parents' mercy. The only thing she couldn't let go of was Ping'an.
"Mother, after I die, please take Ping'an back with you. See that he has a life free from want."
Madam Xie wept uncontrollably. "Ping'an is my own grandson. Don't worry, Mother will raise him well."
Xie Zhixue hung the silk from the roof beam, stood on a wooden stool, and slowly placed her neck into the noose. Hanlin Xie looked away, unable to bear it. If there had been any chance of survival, would he not have fought for his own daughter? But the stakes were too high. He dared not gamble the lives of the entire clan. By sacrificing her alone, he could save their kin and even take Ping'an back to the Xie family to be raised properly. He had to be cruel...
Just as Xie Zhixue was about to kick away the stool, Madam Xie could no longer restrain herself. She threw herself forward, clutching her daughter’s legs tightly.
"My Xue'er! Mother won't let you die!"
"My lord! Can't we send Xue'er far away instead? I beg you, I beg you!"
Madam Xie crawled on her knees toward Hanlin Xie, weeping. "We have been married for twenty years, and I have never asked you for anything. Husband, I beg you! Spare our daughter's life!"
Hanlin Xie had come from a humble background, and when he married Madam Xie, he was merely a poor scholar. They had supported each other for twenty years; their love was deep, and their home had never known concubines or even maids in the bedchamber. He helped his wife to her feet, gritting his teeth.
"Fine! We will set fire to this place! We will tell the world that Xue'er has perished. Once the storm has settled, we will send her to the south to be settled!"
Madam Xie finally broke into a smile through her tears, helping Xie Zhixue down from the stool.
"But if we leave like this, it will be hard for Mother to ever see you again..."
Hanlin Xie sighed. "From this day on, you must consider this daughter dead!"
The tighter the secret was kept, the greater the chance of survival for both the Xie family and Xie Zhixue!