As dusk fell, each household was dark, conserving their candles as a luxury, but the district magistrate’s residence remained lit as usual. Wu Sanniang noticed the candles dwindling with each use, so she crafted a candle stand from bamboo tubes. As the wax melted, it collected in the bamboo below, forming new candles, ensuring an unending supply.

    Wu Sanniang placed the candle stand in her father's study room before sitting down at the nearby writing desk to assist him with his official correspondence. After a while, she suddenly remembered something and rushed to check the basket for return letters, but it was empty.

    "Father, the tax exemption petition you sent to the capital last month hasn’t received any response. I fear it might have been lost along the way or perhaps because..."

    "Niang’er..." Wu Shihuang interrupted without looking up, his voice tired, "It wasn’t lost, but because Father lacks Kong Fang.[10]"

    Young Wu Sanniang’s face crumpled. The corrupt system of bribery!

    "Father, it’s very late now. You've been reviewing documents since the afternoon. Please rest."

    "Mmm, you go to sleep first. After I finish my tea, I’ll go to bed too," Wu Shihuang coughed softly a few times, prompting his daughter to set his tea outside the window before urging him to put down his brush, "Ah! This child... Okay, sleep then."

    "Work won’t run away, father. Uncle Bao has been your clerk from youth to age, still robust because he sleeps early. You should do the same, wake refreshed, and work more efficiently. Aunt Yuan brought ginger earlier; I’ll make you hot ginger ale for breakfast. You must take care of yourself to be with me longer."

    She spoke in one breath, giving no chance for a reply.

    "Sigh, soon you’ll be married, and you can't act like a child anymore. I intend to find you a proper match this spring. Maybe you’ll settle down like Ping Ping."

    Wu Sanniang furrowed her brows as she helped her father to bed, arranging the blankets neatly, then returned to tidy his desk before heading to her own room. She didn’t see the logic that being engaged would solve everything. She looked up at the moon, determined by her father’s commands, which are absolute for a daughter. If her father wished her to marry someone, she had no right to refuse.

    The only way out was to make the man reject her. It would be so simple.

    She laughed to herself quietly but stopped as she heard Ping Ping on the wall.

    "Niang’er... Niang’er..."

    "Ping Ping? It’s so late; why are you here? It’s dangerous," Wu Sanniang hurried to the wall, concerned by Ping Ping’s trembling voice, "Is something wrong at your home?"

    "I... I... Can you come out to meet me... I have something to discuss."

    "Of course," Wu Sanniang was concerned that something serious might have happened to her dear friend, so she quickly pushed open the back door of the kitchen to go out. But then her beautiful eyes widened in confusion when she saw a group of about ten well-armed, burly men standing imposingly in the dim moonlight, and a woman not far from them — it was Li Cuipin, that court lady herself.

    Wu Sanniang couldn't piece together what was happening and didn't understand why this was occurring.

    "Niang’er... I'm sorry, huhu..." Ping Ping sobbed, bound and beaten unconscious. Wu Sanniang grabbed a piece of firewood, ready to rush to her friend's aid, but Li Cuipin urgently cautioned her.

    "If you don't want your friend to be killed or violated, it would be better for you to behave."

    "What do you want?"

    "The prince wants to see you. Please get in the carriage."

    …

    No explanations or consolations were given by these people.

    Her delicate body was tightly bound, blindfolded, and led onto a carriage without being told the destination. All she knew was that the court lady had made several detours until her senses, dulled by the long duration, began to register that they were entering Han San, the capital of Lian Region.

    The sounds of horses' hooves on cobblestones and echoing announcements let her know that she was being brought into the palace. Wu Sanniang was helped down from the carriage and then lifted onto a litter. As she worriedly pondered her situation, the litter was set down, and she was carried somewhere. Moments later, her blindfold was yanked off.

    "Hmm... She'll do. Finally found one, eh?"

    "She's simple and foolish, and her mother was from the fallen region of Chu. She very much resembles her in build and appearance."

    Wu Sanniang's knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the glaring light. Her slender body was then grabbed and pulled to its feet. She was in a regal setting, surrounded by people who knelt in awe. Wu Sanniang was utterly confused and did not understand what was happening.

    "She looks decent enough. Clean her up and apply some makeup. Her figure and complexion aren't bad either. This should work well."

    The high-ranking man before her appeared to be around her father's age but had aged poorly due to indulgence in women and wine. Though wealth could make the blind see, it could not buy time, and Lian Wang looked significantly more decrepit than his age would suggest. He wore a crown adorned with a twelve-strand pearl fillet and a ceremonial robe embroidered with dragons. Wu Sanniang realized immediately that this aged man was Lian Wang, the ruler of the land she stood upon, and beside him was Princess Wen Cheng, with her sleek dark hair and radiant pale skin, beautiful as sculpted jade.

    "You are the only daughter of the magistrate Wu, right?"

    "Ye... Yes."

    Princess Wen Cheng was dressed in lavish attire, adorned with gold and jewels, the scent of her luxurious incense wafting from the bronze crane, making Wu Sanniang dizzy.

    "Are you sure she will obey me?"

    "Absolutely, Your Highness. She is a naïve and simple country girl. Everything has been taken care of; she will never betray you." Li Cuipin reassured emphatically. "Consider this, Your Highness. This foolish girl is perfect. I will have her wear a veil during the day to hide her face, and at night, she can serve without arousing any suspicion."

    "Good... very good."

    Wu Sanniang gasped when the princess lightly grazed her chin with her fingertips, turning her face left and right to scrutinize her features. A flicker of jealousy ignited in the princess’s eyes, for despite Wu Sanniang being merely a daughter of a low-ranking noble with ordinary looks, a hidden allure sparkled within her. With just a little practice of a gentle smile, she could undoubtedly ensnare the hearts of many men.

    "Your mother hailed from Chu Region as my imperial mother. Your face bears a resemblance to mine in many ways, and your figure is... quite enticing to men."

    Princess Wen Cheng traced her fingers down to Wu Sanniang's cheeks and pinched hard. Although Wu Sanniang stifled her cry, her delicate shoulders twitched, reflecting her fear. This reaction seemed endearing enough to make the princess chuckle. "You appear as though you've never been touched by a man. Despite your unkempt and provincial smell, you are perfect, Father."

    "Little girl, don't be afraid. Do you want to go home?" Lian Wang asked as Wu Sanniang knelt on the floor and then looked up, nodding vigorously through her tears.

    "Please, Your Highness, have mercy on me. My father has no one else to care for him, and he is currently ill..."

    "It's quite simple. Perform a small task for me, and you'll return home safely. And your father will be granted a special position. While you're away, I'll have someone look after him closely on your behalf," Wen Cheng replied mockingly. Wu Sanniang glanced at the surrounding dishonest officials, understanding the kind of person Lian Wang was.

    "What task would Your Highness have me perform?"

    "You stupid girl! Just obey the princess’s commands, and that's enough. If Your Highness didn’t ask, do not dare to speak up," Lady Li Cuipin pinched Wu Sanniang's back, but she remained silent and stoic, clearly wanting answers. She would help willingly only if she knew what the dignitaries required of her and who she would be up against.

    Wu Sanniang was about to negotiate but was taken aback by Li Cuipin's deliberate emphasis, intentionally calling her 'stupid girl.' Confused but noticing something off about the princess, Wu Sanniang decided to keep quiet, playing the fool.

    "I... I am familiar only with chores like cleaning, sewing, gardening, and raising chickens... chickens... I... I don’t know what task Your Highness might have for me."

    "No need for those lowly tasks anymore. You shall act as my proxy and travel to the region of Yan to participate in the consecration ceremony on my behalf," Wen Cheng smirked as she watched Wu Sanniang’s body tremble and her speech falter, finding it amusing. "You are to stand by Prince Yan Shen's side. A common woman of no standing like you is fortunate to marry into the royal family of Yan Region, you should be grateful."

    Wu Sanniang’s eyes widened in shock and she shook her head in denial, but once she was taken from the prefecture, she would no longer have the right to use the name Wu Sanniang...

    "I... I am ignorant, afraid I might not live up to your expectations."

    "Do not worry. You are but temporarily performing my duties. Once I am ready, we will switch back... Find a way to serve closely and make my husband fall for you. Do it for me... You must succeed, or your father will be held entirely responsible."

    Wu Sanniang stifled her screams, bowing repeatedly. "Your Highness, be merciful, be merciful."

    "I am granting you the fortune to become a princess. Soon, you'll live comfortably, wear beautiful clothes, and have a handsome husband. All of these, even a thousand seven-tiered pagodas wouldn’t secure for you. Aren’t you going to thank me yet?!”

    Wu Sanniang glanced around and saw armed royal guards standing close by; daring to refuse would mean confronting their swords. Yet, she couldn’t help but let tears fall. The princess lifted the hem of her robe in annoyance, disgusted by the commoner’s stench and her tasteless attire. All Wu Sanniang could do was hold back her tears and look for a way to bide her time for survival.

    “I... I left home without informing my father. Please, Your Highness and Your Majesty, show mercy to someone as lowly as me. Allow me a moment to bid my father farewell, and then I will depart to serve Your Highness with a light heart.”

    Princess Wen Cheng cleared her throat in disdain before nodding to Madame Li to take Wu Sanniang away, “Teach her not to defy me.”

    “Certainly.”

    Wu Sanniang struggled but was bound and blindfolded once again and taken away. The self-centered princess then contentedly stroked her prominent belly. Lian Wang wanted to scold her but only gritted his teeth. The princess’s pregnancy, despite her not yet being consecrated, was a tightly kept secret, strictly forbidden to leak.

    “Father can stop worrying now.”

    The fertile region of Lian, rich in agriculture and mining, was however beleaguered by heavy warfare. Prince Yan Shen had seized a third of the fertile territories and the seemingly friendly region of Li was only looking to exploit Lian, whose stability was thus severely shaken, counting down to collapse. Lian Wang had to use his daughter as a pawn.

    To anyone else, Lian Wang might seem to be merely stalling for time, but he had far greater ambitions.

    “Let the two regions exhaust each other, and then I will seize all their lands.”

    “I will assist you, father. Hopefully, that low-born girl proves useful.” With grand plans much like her father, Princess Wen Cheng comfortably fed her parrot, amused.

    “She must succeed... Then Father will rule all the lands, and I will marry General Yuan Shi openly. If it fails... we can still claim ignorance and disclaim any responsibility.”

    Wen Cheng was deeply infatuated with the brave and bold general, to the extent of becoming pregnant. She, ambitious like her father, rather than feeling ashamed, saw her pregnancy as an opportunity to benefit herself unabashedly.

    “If you weren’t pregnant, we wouldn’t have to bother with all this.”

    “Ha! Father has no right to blame me. Have you forgotten how you ordered the execution of my mother to please that vixen, Zhen Fei?” Wen Cheng glared angrily at her father, who glared back fiercely. General Yuan Shi already had a primary wife, but the princess had secretly become his lover. By the time Lian Wang found out, the princess was already noticeably pregnant.

    Lian Wang was deeply distressed, but to achieve his bold goals, he had to relent first.

    “You are my dearly beloved daughter, but Father needs allies. You must help Father first...”

    “Certainly, Father. I want to marry Yuan Shi. If you refuse, be prepared to face public humiliation,” said the princess, touching her stomach with pride. Once Wu Sanniang, acting as the princess's proxy, successfully carries out the secret plan, the princess will claim she was not involved and marry General Yuan Shi openly.

    While Wu Sanniang must die solely in the Yan Region.

    “This plan will give us, father and daughter, what we want. I hope you will stop despising my husband once and for all.”

    Lian Wang stroked his beard, silently listening to his daughter praise the virtues of General Yuan Shi. After the princess left with her personal maid, Lian Wang’s expression darkened, and he coldly ordered his close ministers, “Order the royal doctor to secretly administer a drug to abort the child of that reckless girl. As for Yuan Shi...”

    In the game of power, there is no room for family. Lian Wang squeezed a parrot’s neck on the golden perch until it chirped pitifully.

    “He still has his uses, but his wife and children are useless. Send men to raid and ravish his family; consider it a gift from me.”

    “Understood, Your Highness.”

    …………………….

    When one danger is avoided, do not fall into another. But Wu Sanniang had not yet escaped the severe danger bestowed by the royal decree before she fell into another grave peril.

    Her fragile body was taken to a place that required descending hundreds of steps. The stench of decay filled her nose, causing nausea. It was a smell she had never known. As she walked down, moaning echoed off the walls, sounding like the wails of ghosts. Wu Sanniang bit her lip until it bled to keep her composure, memorizing the path even though she was blindfolded.

    Finally, they restored her sight.

    Wu Sanniang, already accustomed to the dark, easily adjusted her vision in the dungeon. It was the worst and most cruel dungeon reserved for the most dangerous criminals or political prisoners whom Lian Wang despised. In front of her were rows of cells; emaciated arms, reduced to bones, reached out begging for water and food. The prisoners were filthy and disheveled as if they were no longer human. Wu Sanniang realized then that the overpowering stench in this oppressive place was the smell of rotting corpses.

    “Welcome, Miss Wu, to the gates of hell,” the person sitting haughtily was none other than Jiu Jinfang. He flourished his exquisitely carved sandalwood fan and lifted the hem of his robe to his nose in a gesture of disdain. His face showed immense satisfaction. But Wu Sanniang stood impassive, giving no regard to this person. If asked to name an example of human depravity, she would immediately mention Jiu Jinfang, who preyed on the misfortunate.

    “How did you end up here, Xiucai?”

    “Heh, didn’t you request to see Wu Shihuang? I took it upon myself to bring your father here for you to meet,” he said, gesturing to the side. There, in a dark cell where underground water dripped and straw on the floor was damp, the conditions were much worse than other cells. And sitting in meditation in the middle of the cell was Wu Shihuang.

    Wu Sanniang rushed to the cell bars, her face stricken with panic.

    “Father! What happened? Why have they done this to you?”

    She tried to reach for her father but was unable to. Wu Shihuang was confined in chains and shackles on his wrists and ankles. His already weak body was rapidly deteriorating. Wu Sanniang burst into tears, not understanding why this was happening. “Jiu Jinfang, if you hate me so much, why don’t you take it out on me? Why harm my father! Lock me up in there too, you scoundrel.”

    “Ah, how pitiful. Your father caused trouble, slandered a scholar, accepted bribes, embezzled taxes, and oppressed the people. His Majesty ordered an investigation and found it to be true, hence the decree to detain Wu Shi Huang and wait for his punishment. I was in charge of bringing your father from Ma Jiang. Hehe, I heard your father is to be executed by Ling Ci[11], poor thing.”

    Ling Ci!

    Upon hearing this, Wu Sanniang fell silent as if rendered mute. Jiu Jinfang, who tormented the helpless, laughed triumphantly. However, he did not anticipate that the petite young woman would stride up to him and slap him fiercely across the face, not once but multiple times until the degenerate scholar had to crawl away as his legs were still broken. Once he remembered that he was now a person of status and no longer a worthless scholar as before, Jiu Jinfang bellowed for the guards who stood by as if deaf and blind.

    "You useless lot! Haven't you seized this mad woman yet? Allowing her to assault a Xiu Chai like me!"

    "Hmph!" Wu Sanniang spat out and shouted, "The soles of my father's feet are higher than your three thousand taels Xiu Chai's cap! Corrupting the state? Taking bribes? Slandering a scholar? You ordered a search of my house for evidence, didn't you? Did you find some three taels? Did you meticulously record the rice grains at the bottom of the barrel or the yams? When you entered the study, did you see the complaint about the flooded rice fields and the petition to defer taxes? You hollow belly[12], do you not feel a shred of shame!"

    Jiu Jinfang was so enraged that his face twitched. He wanted to lash out to relieve his anger, but his legs were still not healed. The despicable scholar thus lowered his pants and screamed, "Chain her up! I'll teach her that a woman should not dare defy a man!"

    "Try touching her, and I will ensure that everyone involved will have their hands cut off,"

    retorted Lady Li Cuipin chillingly before emerging from the shadows. Her expression was stern. "You have overstepped your bounds, Scholar Jiu. Please, retire for your own good."

    Jiu Jinfang, new to the capital, did not dare to be reckless and complied with the command of the court lady, inwardly scornful that soon he would have this old woman kneeling before him!

    When Li Cuipin faced Wu Sanniang, the court lady sighed deeply before kneeling and clasping her hands over her head to show profound apology.

    "Miss Wu, please accept my deepest apologies. I am the one who has harmed you and your father."

    "Why?" Wu San Niang's tears flowed freely.

    "I need not explain. A sharp child like you would understand everything, no doubt."

    Wu Sanniang pondered before saying, "They want me to be a mole... to gather intelligence... to assassinate."

    "Yes... The intelligence you send will lead thousands of soldiers into battle. The person you are to kill will spark a major vendetta. His Majesty is leading the people of Lian Region into disaster. Lian Region will be consumed by two other regions. I beg you to help me."

    "No! I don’t care about any of it. No matter who wins, the people will still be oppressed as before. So whether armies march against each other, or men shout for empty honors, it's all meaningless. It’s just about changing one ruler for another. Please let me and my father return to Ma Jiang. I cannot do it. I am unable to do anything!"

    "Miss Wu... I was ordered to find a beautiful woman resembling Princess Wen Cheng. It's not that I didn't find any, but those women had the looks but lacked intelligence. I added a complicated pearl test on my own accord. I chose you because I’m confident you would know how to stop all this."

    Li Cuipin met Wu Sanniang's tearful gaze as she sobbed and turned towards her father, crying out for an appeal from fate.

    "I'm just a child, how can I bear such a degrading responsibility? If I must be the cause of a great war, wouldn't it be better for me to end my life instead?"

    "The princess was going to grant you death anyway."

    "But she said she would switch places, and then I could go home..."

    "She won't come. Once you finish your task, the princess will marry General Yuan Shi and then Lian Wang will die." Li Cuipin's own eyes were red with anger. After all the killing and chaos, it was the common, innocent people who suffered the most, people who never wished for such senseless wars. Wu Sanniang slumped against the prison bars, collapsing to the floor.

    "What exactly is the task I must do? Will my father and I be able to go home?"

    "Lian Wang intends for us to assassinate Yan Wang and every prince. Everyone sent to Yan will never return. If you fail, you will die without a grave, and Yan will surely destroy our land without mercy. Even if you succeed, the disgrace Lian Wang has caused will spark endless wars."

    Finally, Li Cuipin admitted the truth, kneeling down and clasping her hands over her head in a gesture of deep apology. "I alone must implore you to help me stop this war. If you agree to help, I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life. Please, Miss Wu."

    Wu Sanniang had anticipated that the princess had no intention of releasing her and her father. Whether she acted or not, she would die; moreover, she was about to become the trigger for a war that would torment the land for countless decades. Overwhelmed, she began to sob uncontrollably, refusing to accept this burdensome duty.

    "If you die, His Majesty will still find someone else to perform your duty. Therefore, my child... you must be the one to stop this, no matter the risk. You must help save Lian Region. Don't do it for me, don't do it for His Majesty; do it for the people! What have I always taught you?"

    Wu Sanniang cried bitterly, her voice hoarse. "Everyone holds their own destiny."

    The misfortunes arising from oneself are hard to bear. Even if she could escape the immediate suffering, she might encounter greater torments. Thus, she had to endure. But how could she abandon her father in such a wretched place?

    "I can't do it, I can't leave you here," Wu Sanniang said with newfound strength, though she could not bear to leave her father. Wu Shihuang reached out, and Wu Sanniang stretched her arms, trying desperately to touch her father's fingertips.

    "Even if you are unruly, I know you are a dutiful child," Wu Shihuang said through tears. "Dutifulness is the root of all virtues. In youth, serve your parents; in maturity, serve your country; and in old age, uphold the honor of yourself and your family. Niang'er... you have grown up. Serve the people and the land of your birth."

    "No, not like this," Wu Sanniang shook her head, refusing to listen to her father.

    "Rest assured, I have requested that His Majesty move your father's place of detention to the official prison. My son works there, he will look after him."

    "You know my father has done nothing wrong."

    "There's nothing more I can do," Li Cuipin had to be honest. "Besides me, many of Lian Wang's people are also disguised as maids in the palace with you. If you make a mistake or are suspected of treason, your father will be executed immediately. Remember this well..."

[10] Kong Fang refers to a square hole (a flat, round coin with a square hole in the center), which symbolizes that Wu Shi Huang does not have money to pay under the table to the officials for submitting his petition to Lian Wang.

[11] Execution by flaying involves slicing the flesh of the prisoner thousands of times, torturing them until death.

[12] The Chinese expression ‘belly’ refers to the brain or intelligence, such as saying that someone has many books ‘in the belly’ means that they have a lot of knowledge in their mind.