Earlier before the transmigration.....
The 13th year of Shenping, Eastern Jin Capital — Qianzhou, Hour of the snake.
The morning mist still clung to the rooftops of Qianzhou, curling gently over clay tiles and merchant banners. Street vendors were just beginning to open their stalls, brushing off tables and calling to each other in lazy voices.
Suddenly, the vendors paused mid haggle, heads turning towards the narrow alleyways. Children that were playing along that way were called back by their mothers. The streets became silent as the first carriage of the day moved through it.
The carriage, covered, rolled slowly down the stone - paved road, its wheels groaning low against the cobbles and pale linen hung from its frame like drifting spirits. It had no windows, tightly shut, giving a heavy presence. It was pulled by a single horse, accompanied by few attendants.
There was another carriage leading it but it looked normal.
The scene clearly screamed that someone was dead but no one was sure because they hadn't heard anything. Rumors in Qianzhou moved really fast.
""Eh?, did you hear of anyone's death?" A woman who paused setting her goods turns to the old man sitting not far from her side.
"Scary. To encounter such a thing as soon as you come out is bad luck. " A man, leaning on the wall, opposite her, shaked his head as he watched the carriage pass by.
" The deceased must not have lived a happy life. Death, along with gloom reeks from the carriage. Such a pity." The old man said before taking a sip of his hot tea.
Everyone else around watched and gradually lost interest as the carriage was moving further out of sight. It continued moving forward and people along the way gossiped as they saw it. But their curiosity grew more when the carriage suddenly reached a residence that people who walked by knew too well.
Yongning Manor, residence of the fifth prince of the emperor.
The manor walls loomed high, painted a solemn grey with red pillars and bronze lions that glinted faintly in the morning light. Passersby were curious to know who the person was and how their death related to the prince. Their questions were soon answered as soon as a figure stepped out of the leading carriage.
"Madam Lu??" Two men couldn't help but scream. Everyone began to whisper too.
"It really is Madam Lu."
"Of the An family right?"
"Yes."
"But why the mourning carriage?"
"Could it be...."
"Tch." Lu Meifen, Madam of the An family, clicked her tongue. "So noisy."
Dressed in a flowing black Ruqun, the fabric shimmered in the morning light. Her hair swept into a high bun delicately pinned with jet black hair pieces and a single silver hairpin shaped. Her face, with an unreadable expression, was blocked with a folding fan of black lawyered wood and silver ribs. She looked too elegant for such a situation.
Walking ahead with a steady grace, she snapped the fan shut and began tapping it against her palm, her eyes sharp as she watched the door to the prince's residence. She paused and signalled for one of the attendant to knock.
The door opened slightly in response to the knock and a servant came out looking at the scene before him.
"You are..."
"Inform the prince that Madam Lu of the An family has arrived." Lu Meifen said in a commanding tone, her eyes watching the servant steadily.
The servant bowed and rushed in, closing the door behind him. As soon as it closed, she turned towards the servants and nodded at the maids who in turn, rushed towards the mourning carriage. They returned with a woven rush mat, laying it on the stone paved ground just a few paces away from the gate of the prince's residence. It was positioned directly in the shade cast by the towering gate pillars.
Another maid unfurled a thin white silk over the mat and stepped back. At this time, onlookers had gathered a good amount around them, drawn by the process, standing in hushed curiosity. The creak of the carriage door broke the silence and two male attendants carried with care the body that laid in that carriage.
Laying it on top of the clothed mat, the thin gauze that was over her face was removed and everyone gasped. There laid a young girl in her 20th year, dressed in a simple lavender hanfu. Her hair, dark, long and curly was without decorations, just a giant mass beneath her head. Her hands were folded across her chest, non moving.
"Wait. Isn't that the dark skinned girl?"
"Yes. The adopted daughter of the An family."
" She's the one that died?"
"Oh my.. but wasn't her wedding in a few days?"
"That's true. Poor child."
"Do you think An Renshu knows about this?" Someone uttered which caught the attention of Lu Meifen.
" No. He doesn't know about it and will never know." She replies in a cold tone.
"What does that mean?" A man from the crowd dared to ask.
"You need not know of my business. As you can see, I am trying to mourn for the deceased." She said, opening her fan and using it to fan herself as she turns away from them deep in thought.
Looking over to the girl's body, her eyes have a hint of coldness and disdain. She looks over at the gate again, coincidentally as a servant comes out.
**************
His highness, the fifth prince,
Lady An Yelan, second daughter of the An family has passed away.
Though her status was not yet formalized, she was engaged to you and so it is only proper that you see her body before it goes through the rites.
It is something that she would want after all.
I have arranged for her body to be brought to your highness' residence in the early morning.
.....
—Madam Lu Meifen of the An family.
Li Yanshu didn't bother about the rest of the letter because the only phrase that caught his interest was " has passed away."
His expression was unreadable as he watched the letter that he received last night on the table. His mind deep in thought.
It's been weighing on my mind but how should I feel about this? After all, she was to be my wife few days from now.
His brows furrowed, silent with eyes dark with something unreadable. The silence lingered- heavy, tense. But then, something flickered. A twitch at the corner of his mouth and slowly, a smile crept in with a laugh escaping his lips.
"Yonghui." He says softly, almost like a sigh and at that moment, he has a fleeting vision of her, her eyes looking at him lovingly, giving him her most valued smile and her lips calling his name in the sweetest way...
"Li Yanshu!!"
He presses his forehead against his knuckles, trembling as the sudden recall of her breaks him. He begins to call her name repeatedly, his voice soft at first but getting colder, until he's practically growling her name. Suddenly he snaps, his eyes already bloodshot, looking at the letter again. His knuckles whiten as they grip the table's edge.
"Yonghui!! You dare to leave me?! How dare you run away?! " He howled coldly, ripping the paper into pieces and shoving everything on the table down.
After the sounds of things crashing died down, the room became silent . Amidst the chaos, only his panting was heard. He breathed out and patted his chest. Clearing his voice, he calls out towards the door the name of his personal bodyguard.
"Wen Suihan."
Wen Suihan stood just within the doorway, his posture straight yet relaxed. He wore a deep slate-blue robe, fastened high at the collar, its edges lined with understated silver thread — not enough to shine, but enough to show he served someone of status. A black sash bound his waist, from which hung a slender sword in a worn, dark scabbard — the hilt wrapped in grey silk.
His hair was pulled into a tight half-knot, the rest falling neatly down his back, not a strand out of place. He bore the steady expression of someone not given to emotion, but his almond-shaped eyes were watchful especially at the mess of the room the prince made.
Ignoring it, he cups his hands, bowing. "Yes, your highness." He responds.
Li Yanshu rose without a word, the quiet scrape of his chair barely cutting through the still air. With deliberate steps, he walked toward the lacquered stand where his robes hung in quiet readiness. His fingers moved with practiced ease as he began to dress, each motion slow but precise, as though the weight of the moment seeped into the folds of fabric he pulled over his shoulders.
Behind him, Wen Suihan remained still.
"Did someone come to see me?" Li Yanshu says as he smooths his robe.
"Yes, your highness. It was the servant at the gate." Wen Suihan replied. "The An family has arrived."
Li Yanshu eyes glimmered. " Oh?".
He turns to Wen Suihan and pats his shoulder. "Well, we shouldn't keep our guests waiting."
As he walked towards the door, he paused.
"What is it?" He asks, his back still turned to Wen Suihan.
"Pardon me your highness, but your robe..." Suihan calls out, his voice low but couldn't finish the sentence as Li Yanshu turns towards him.
"What about it?" Li Yanshu asks with a sharp gaze.
"It's nothing. " Wen Suihan bows again. Li Yanshu began moving out as Suihan followed him.
His highness, the fifth prince approaches.
A servant shouts as the main gate opens up for the prince. As soon as he stepped out, the people began to gasp and mutter.
"Why is the prince dressed like that?" It was a common question in all their minds. Lu Meifen scoffed in secret.
The prince is quite bold.... she thought inwardly.
Still, it didn't stop anyone from bowing as the prince made his way towards them. Li Yanshu nodded slightly at Lu Meifen who reciprocated the act with a bow.
"Your highness." She greets.
Li Yanshu moves towards the body of the girl, An Yonghui, her face covered with a cloth. A servant moves to remove it but he stops them.
"No need." He said, voice calm but tight.
She really is dead. He says internally.
Even though he already had Wen Suihan confirm it last night when the letter came. Truly, seeing is believing.
Sighing, he turns away from the body and towards Lu Meifen.
"The grief swallows me but madam Lu,.I know it can't compare to yours. After all, you've been with her the longest dedicating your time towards her growth. You know she always spoke about you on a daily basis." Li Yanshu says with a smile.
"Thank you for your words, your highness." She said bowing slightly again.
"Not only are you loving but also considerate. You saved me a trip even though it wasn't necessary. " He continued, his smile even though bright and beautiful, Lu Meifen could feel a chill behind it.
"You must have wanted the world to see her because she was your pride and of course, she should be appreciated by the world. Even death couldn't stop that." Lu Meifen watched the prince closely, feeling uneasy by the words he said.
"A remarkable send off indeed. The second daughter of a merchant, on a plain white covered mat, on the bare ground." He said, eyes lowered, words coming out like needles as they pierced through the air. Tension building as he watched Meifen.
"To others, it may look simple but love doesn't have to be extravagant for a mother. Yes, even the poor villagers would take up loans just so that they can give their children a proper farewell most times to hide the fact of their failure of a child. You are humble. Yonghui must be watching from the afterlife. Her mother, has placed her in front of all this people so they can remember her by. I am moved. People should learn from Madam Lu." He finished with grace.
Ahhh.....
Madam Lu look at the prince with hooded eyes, her mouth forming an ugly frown hidden with her hand fan. What a man, she thought. He was clearly mocking her but what damage could that do?
She wouldn't deny that she could care less for An Yonghui. Infact, her death was a lucky moment, after all, the dark skinned lady had tried to sieze all the valuables left by her husband from Lu Meifen's hand. So what if An Renshu left it for her... She was no more than a stranger in their world. Both their family and the whole of China. The color proves it.
"It isn't everyday one gets to see your highness or get flattered by his words. The fact that we had to meet like this, on such a day in a solemn situation..." She smiled with eyes turned cold. " Your majesty is truly looking too good that anyone who sees you would know that today is a very joyful day for you." She says with a smirk.
Li Yanshu was dressed in a striking robe of imperial gold, the fabric shimmering under the morning sun like it was woven from sunlight itself. Intricate patterns of soaring dragons and auspicious clouds were embroidered in threads of silver and deep crimson, wrapping around his sleeves and collar with lavish detail. His inner garment*, a rich shade of vermilion, peeked through subtly, adding to the layers of brilliance.
At his waist, a broad belt in polished jade green held an ornamental pendant — a phoenix carved from white jade, gleaming softly.
He truly looked like a man arriving at his own coronation.
"But I know how much you care for her, you wouldn't do something like that. " She dropped the final blow.
Everyone began to whisper at both their words. The tension between Li Yanshu and Lu Meifen was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Wen Suihan wants to move but is stopped by Li Yanshu.
He gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "It's too bad we weren't able to become in-laws. You humor me."
"Well then, I will take over the burial rites and will give her a tomb. "
Lu Meifen gave a small bow. "His highness is truly generous."
"Not at all." He turns to Wen Suihan. "I'll leave it to you then." Wen Suihan bows.
The door began to open and Li Yanshu walks towards it, the same time Lu Meifen walks towards her carriage.
"When we get back, I need a herbal bath. " She says to a maid. She sighs, that is now settled. She no longer had to deal with it anymore. The next thing to do now is to recover the properties Yonghui hid away. If only she was still alive, she could have tortured her to spit it out.
Some buff men position themselves at Yonghui's body to transport her when one of them falls back, his face pale.
"She... she moved." He screamed.
This action made Lu Meifen and Li Yanshu freeze.
"What are you saying? " Wen Suihan asks.
The man points repeating his statement. Another man stepped forward.
"If you can't carry it then just say so. Instead of giving everyone a heart attack." He moves towards the body and calls the others. "Well, let's move it."
As he lowers to carry it, her hand shoots out to touch his face, this action was seen by everyone except the prince makes who was still turned towards the gate. The man and his companions screamed, the village men and women around too.
Li Yanshu heard all the commotion and dared not turn towards it. He hoped that it wasn't what it was because if it was.....
"Shut up.What's going on?"
That voice tore what little hope he had. The voice was so familiar, it couldn't be mistaken.
"It can't be true." Even though he said that, he knew he didn't misheard. He turned slowly and there she stood. Standing there like someone who hadn't died at all, one would think that it never happened.
Suddenly, she turned to him.
"Who are you?" She says with a face so innocent, like nothing ever happened.
Wen Suihan watching the both of them, his master's unreadable expression and An Yonghui's calm face. He sighed, knowing it wouldn't end well .
An Yonghui, you should have just stayed dead.