in the eleventh month of the forty-fifth year of the Zhaohua era.
Dark clouds shrouded the entire Jin'an Marquis's residence, raindrops falling from the sky, pounding heavily on the bluestone bricks, creating countless splashes.
As the year drew to a close, it had been a long time since the capital had seen such heavy rain.
The main hall, adorned with a plaque inscribed "Loyalty to the Emperor and Serving the Country," was surrounded by armored soldiers. Awakened from her sleep, Xiao Yan hastily threw on a few robes and stood before the person seated at the head of the table, coldly observing.
"I told you, I've never seen these stolen goods. Someone deliberately framed the Jin'an Marquis's residence,"
she said earnestly, but the person opposite her remained nonchalant, taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, pointing at the evidence seized from the table, and saying, "Miss Xiao, you can't say this to us. This is the Emperor's will. Any grievances should be addressed when the Jin'an Marquis returns to meet with the Emperor."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression grew even colder.
A raid in the dead of night clearly indicates ill intent, especially since the evidence was entirely fabricated and a frame-up.
It seems there's no way out.
Xiao Yan raised her eyes and said coldly, "The innocent are innocent. I, Xiao Yan, will obey the imperial decree. I hope you will not harbor any ulterior motives."
The newcomer chuckled, his tone meaningful.
"Of course, Miss Xiao."
...
Late November, 45th year of Zhaohua.
The full moon hung high, the long night was silent .
Near a small stall by the city gate, a dark figure huddled breathlessly under a cloth.
Suddenly, the thin fabric reflected streaks of firelight, and iron boots, inches away, pounded on the bluestone slabs, making a chilling sound.
A dense rustling sound came from afar, followed by approaching footsteps that stopped. The leading soldier stepped forward, bowing and clasping his hands in a fist salute to the nobleman before him: "Reporting, sir, we have not found any trace of the Xiao family."
"Have you searched everywhere?"
"Yes."
Hearing this, the nobleman chuckled lightly and asked again, "Really can't find her?"
The soldier's heart skipped a beat, knowing the nobleman was already displeased. He quickly knelt down, saying, "It is my incompetence, perhaps due to carelessness. Please allow us to search again."
The nobleman dusted himself off and said casually, "Heh, no need. Lie down."
Hearing this abrupt order, the soldier was initially stunned, but quickly prostrated himself under the nobleman's increasingly impatient gaze.
The cloth covering him wasn't completely concealed; the hem of the cloth hanging on the ground had a small opening, and through this barely perceptible opening, a piece of black cloth, incongruous with the surrounding fabric, came into the soldier's view.
It was a nightclothes!
Before the soldiers could even raise their heads to report the news, the person hiding under the shelf suddenly sprang out, stomping on his head and turning his unspoken excitement into a muffled groan.
Instantly, the air crackled with the sound of swords being drawn.
Layer upon layer of guards surrounded this small area of the city gate, their gleaming sword tips aimed at the dark figure in the center. At a glance, there seemed to be no way to break through, no place to hide.
Xiao Yan stood in the center, and seeing this situation, she chuckled softly. Golden embroidered clouds, black iron armor—to have the entire Imperial Guard mobilized to capture someone, she must be quite something.
The nobleman, seeing her chuckle, wasn't annoyed. He simply smiled at her and said in a high-pitched voice, "Miss Xiao, oh no, daughter of a traitor, Xiao Yan, what brings you out of the city so late at night?"
A cold wind blew past, and Xiao Yan endured the chill that emanated from her. Winter was approaching, and the night was rather cold, especially after she had been hiding on the icy bluestone slabs for so long. It was too cold, too chilling.
After a moment, she smiled and met that chilling gaze.
"Eunuch Du is a sensible man, so I won't beat around the bush. My father would never betray the country. The Fourth Prince's memorial is pure nonsense and slander."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Du let out an exaggerated "Ouch!" His shrill voice almost pierced eardrums: "Miss Xiao, you can't say such things! This is His Majesty's will. If you call it slander, aren't you implying that His Majesty is not wise? This is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!"
He then changed the subject, pretending to be embarrassed, and patted his mouth. Under Xiao Yan's increasingly cold gaze, he continued: "Look at my memory. I've forgotten that everyone in the Xiao family except Miss Xiao is dead."
His fingernails dug deeply into his palms, and blood dripped down like threads, but Xiao Yan was completely unaware.
"What a ridiculous idea of His Majesty's will! What a ridiculous idea of exterminating nine generations of one's family! It's utterly absurd! The Xiao family has served five emperors, loyally guarding the frontier, fighting against the northern barbarians and driving out the barbarians, protecting the peace of the country and the well-being of the people. For a century, our family has been a prestigious military clan, but we have never harbored any disloyal thoughts!"
Xiao Yan couldn't understand why such a loyal family would be branded as traitors.
Thinking of her family members who had died tragically on the way back to the capital, Xiao Yan tightened the dagger hidden in her sleeve.
Previously, when the Marquis's mansion was seized, she was forced into prison, only to find herself in the Fourth Prince's private prison, where she received news of the Xiao family members' tragic deaths on their way back to the capital.
She finally managed to escape and contact her confidant, intending to leave the city to investigate the truth, but the city gates were sealed, preventing her from leaving.
Now, the Fourth Prince was clearly prepared. If she resisted, it would confirm the accusation of treason against the Xiao family; if she didn't resist, she would be seen as guilty and submit to the law. Either way, it was a hopeless dead end.
Seeing the faint candlelight reflected in the windows of the houses lining both sides of the long street, a ruthless glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. The century-old reputation of the Xiao family must not be ruined in her hands!
Seeing her slight movement of her sleeve, Eunuch Du's face hardened: "Stop her!"
"Thud—"
The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was ultimately a step too fast.
Xiao Yan's five fingers gripped the hilt of the knife until they turned white, the blood-soaked tip of the blade emerging from her back. Seeing the calm on Eunuch Du's face shatter, she laughed heartily. This stab was aimed straight at the heart meridian; there was no chance of survival.
Dark clouds obscured the full moon, and the firelight flickered. Xiao Yan suddenly pulled the dagger from her heart, and with a splatter of blood, she shouted with all her might: "My Xiao family would never betray the country! If Heaven has a spirit, please clear the name of my clan!"
Her voice was loud, each word filled with blood, powerfully echoing through the long street. Almost instantly, candlelight lit up in every house along the street, like the unyielding stubbornness in her eyes.
A dark shadow ripped through the night sky and crashed heavily to the ground with a dull thud. Watching the night sky gradually blur, and feeling a large amount of blood gushing from her wounds, warming the cold, pale blue stone slab beneath her, Xiao Yan slowly closed her eyes.
"Boom!"
Dark clouds rolled, and a sudden clap of thunder erupted.
A speck of white snow drifted down from the sky; someone raised their hand to catch it, the cool sensation spreading through their fingertips—it was the first snow. More and more people felt the snowflakes, looking up to see a dense blanket of white, like layers upon layers of paper money for the dead.
The snow fell quickly and thickly, gently settling on Xiao Yan's still-warm body. From afar, the red and white intertwined, like a proud red plum blossom blooming in the snow.
An old man peered out through the drafty paper window and murmured, "The snow is so thick, I wonder if it's a good omen or a sign of disaster..."
"What a tragedy!"
In November of the forty-fifth year of Zhaohua, the Marquis of Jin'an's family was accused of treason. Except for his eldest daughter who remained in the capital, the entire family died on the way to their execution. In the same month, Xiao Yan, the Marquis of Jin'an's only daughter, harbored treacherous intentions and, despite the fourth prince's confidants' advice, refused to listen and was given death by imperial decree at the city gate.
...
Near the capital, a small, old carriage swayed and rattled along the snow-covered tracks towards the city.
Including the attendant sitting outside driving, there were only three people in the carriage. A charcoal fire burned inside; the charcoal wasn't of high quality, producing little heat, its only advantage being that it didn't produce black smoke.
Two girls sat inside. One looked younger, her face still bearing traces of childhood innocence, and she was dozing intermittently, seemingly exhausted. The other girl, about sixteen or seventeen, leaned against the carriage wall, cushioned by a cloth bag containing several sets of clothes.
Her delicate brows were furrowed, and her lips were pale, making her frail face even more pitiful. Admittedly, she wasn't a beauty, but she possessed a refined and delicate beauty, like the first snow of winter or a clear summer spring, exuding a natural, captivating charm.
"So cold."
This was the only thought that crossed Xiao Yan's mind as she groggily woke up. The chill seemed to have eyes, seeping into her thin clothes and creeping over her body. Xiao Yan couldn't help but think inappropriately that she probably hadn't felt this cold even the day she tried to kill herself.
A voice filled with surprise exploded in her ears.
"Miss, you're awake!"
Xiao Yan frowned and slowly opened her eyes.
A slightly childish face came into view. Before Xiao Yan could even figure out what was happening, she was suddenly pounced on, her back slamming against the carriage wall. A sharp pain shot through her, and an itch rose in her throat. She couldn't help but cough.
The little girl probably didn't hear her, and hugged her even tighter, ignoring her cries: "Miss, you scared Yuhe to death, waaaah..."
Xiao Yan rubbed her forehead, then gently patted Yuhe's back. "Alright, alright, you...you stop crying now. Can you let me go? I can't breathe."
This time Yuhe heard her, sniffed, and got up from Xiao Yan's arms, her eyes red and swollen like a little rabbit.
Xiao Yan's heart softened, and she couldn't help but soften her voice, "I can't remember some things. You called me 'Miss,' can you tell me what's going on?"
Hearing this, Yu He's lips twitched down, and she was about to cry again, thinking that her mistress was teasing her. But she stopped herself when she saw Xiao Yan's truly unfamiliar gaze, and choked out, "You are Xie Xiangsi, the daughter of the Prefect of Danzhou. You've been orphaned since childhood. Two months ago, your master passed away. Fearing that you would be bullied without support, he sent us to the capital to seek refuge with a distant aunt of the Xie family."
The cold wind howled through the cracks in the carriage door.
Xiao Yan pressed the door shut with her foot and spoke slowly, "Xie Xiangsi?"
"Yes, Miss, that's your name." Yu He moved the stove closer to Xiao Yan, buried her head in Xiao Yan's shoulder, and continued with a sob, "Miss, you haven't been so sick that you've even forgotten your own name, have you? Waaaaah..."
Forgot?
Xiao Yan lowered her eyes. Of course, she hadn't forgotten, but her name wasn't "Jie Xiangsi" (解相思). Her name was "Xiao Yan" (小燕). She just didn't know why she, who had long since died, had become Jie Xiangsi. Or was she not quite dead yet, and all of this was just an illusion?
She lifted the window and looked out. It was all white, and she couldn't see anything on the road. She pursed her lips, lowered the window, and after a moment's thought, asked, "Yuhe, what year is it now?"
Yuhe thought for a moment and said, "The fifteenth of the twelfth month of the forty-fifth year of Zhaohua."
Xiao Yan was suddenly stunned upon hearing this.
The twelfth month?
"Then...then do you know anything about the Xiao family?"
"The Xiao family?"
Afraid that Yuhe wouldn't know which Xiao family she was referring to, Xiao Yan added somewhat hastily, "Yes, Marquis Jin'an, Xiao Yunyan."
Xiao Yunyan was a general of the Great Zhao Flying Cloud Army, her father.
Yuhe thought for a moment, then slapped her thigh and said, "I know! Traitors!"
"Traitors...traitors?"
"Yes, Miss, it's been all over the place. They say the Xiao family is colluding with the Northern Yi tribes to rebel in the south. Luckily, the Fourth Prince exposed them, otherwise the world would definitely be in chaos again. Don't you think so, Miss?" After saying a lot, Yuhe realized that Xiao Yan beside her had fallen silent at some point, her silence terrifying.
"Miss?" Yuhe waved her hand.
"Ah...I'm fine." Coming back to her senses, Xiao Yan gave Yuhe a pale smile. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Tell me how I got sick. Also, do you know which family Aunt Jie is from?"
Although she didn't know why her mistress didn't want to continue talking about the Xiao family, Yuhe still obediently began to tell Xiao Yan: "Miss got sick a few days ago and had a fever for many days. It's only today that the fever has subsided a bit."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan belatedly felt a wave of weakness. She raised her hand to touch her forehead, and sure enough, it was still a little hot.
However, upon hearing the young maid's words, a strange and supernatural thought gradually surfaced in Xiao Yan's mind: Could this Miss Jie... have died of illness? Otherwise, how could she explain appearing in Miss Jie's body when she was clearly dead?
After all, cases of reincarnation weren't unheard of.
What if she had been reborn in Miss Jie's body?
Just as she was thinking this, Yu He continued, "Aunt Jie is said to be the wife of the Zhou family in the capital. I heard that the young master of the Zhou family is some kind of... a high-ranking official in the capital..."
"The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review," Xiao Yan began.
Yu He clapped her hands, "Yes, yes, that's it, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Zhou Yanzhi."
"Zhou Yanzhi..."
Xiao Yan savored the three words she uttered, her tone filled with admiration, as if she were very familiar with this person.
She looked at Yuhe, "So, I'm Zhou Yanzhi's distant cousin?"
"Hmm...it seems so."
"That's wonderful."
"Hmm? Miss knows the Zhou family's young master?" Yuhe was a little curious. She was bought back to the manor when Xie Xiangsi was eight years old. At that time, the master had already requested to be transferred from the capital to Danzhou and didn't know about Xie Xiangsi's past.
Xiao Yan smiled, "I guess you could say we know each other, but I don't know if he can still recognize me."
Yuhe nodded, "Oh..."
Looking at the bruises under the little girl's eyes, Xiao Yan knew that she must have stayed up all night taking care of Xie Xiangsi. It was just a pity...Xie Xiangsi still couldn't make it. Now, this body was inhabited by her, Xiao Yan.
Letting the little girl find a comfortable spot to lean on her shoulder, Xiao Yan sighed silently.
Xie Xiangsi, I am Xiao Yan of the Jin'an Marquis's manor. I'm sorry to have taken over your body. My family's revenge is not yet complete, and I need to use your identity to finish what I haven't done. If you are unwilling, I will apologize to you personally after I have finished.
Looking out the window again, through the endless white snow,
Xiao Yan—no, it was Jie Xiangsi.
Jie Xiangsi's eyes flashed with a sharp light. The Fourth Prince, and the one who betrayed her.
She, Xiao Yan, had crawled out of hell to claim her life!