Chapter 3 - The Original Owner

The Original Owner

When Mu Mingtang shouted “sister-in-law”, Xie Xuanji began to boil with anger, yet he didn’t dare act recklessly to make the situation worse.

King Qiyang was the biological son of the former Emperor. So the position between the current Emperor and King Qiyang was a bit awkward.

Even though King Qiyang was in a coma, he was still alive. So it was not wise to provoke King Qiyang. Other than that, with the rise of Neo-Confucianism (今理学兴起 )[1], the barriers between men and women were becoming more and more strict, and the brother-in-law and sister-in-law had to avoid suspicion. As a young sister-in-law, if Mu Mingtang yells at Xie Xuanji and moves her hands and feet, Xie Xuanji can’t do anything openly about it.

Xie Xuanji put his hand away with a sullen face, and Mu Mingtang was relieved and happy when she saw it. No one was helping her. So, she must be her backing until she pursues victory. If the drowning dog falls into the water, it has to fight quickly[2].

“His Royal Highness Jin is famous for being gentle, so you should pay more attention to your usual behavior. After all, I am your sister-in-law, and you also know the situation of your brother.”

After Mu Mingtang finished speaking, she looked at Xie Xuanji and walked out. When she went out, she met a maid who was guarding outside. When the maid tried to stop Mu Mingtang, she sneered and said: “You want to stop me? You were eavesdropping just now. Didn’t you hear what we talked about? I’m the Princess Qiyang who was appointed by the sage. Can you afford it?”

After Mu Mingtang went, the situation in Jiang Honghao’s study became more awkward. Jiang Honghao was embarrassed and frightened. King Jin, besides being his soon-to-be son-in-law, he was the son of the Emperor.

So, Jiang Honghao hurriedly stepped forward and gave Xie Xuanji a long bow: “King Jin, please forgive this official, this official’s adopted daughter has no status and bumped into His Highness. She was originally a merchant girl, and her background was not high. She does not have much knowledge. Lord Jin, so don’t care about her as a sham.”

Xie Xuanji couldn’t do anything and finally nodded without speaking.

The Emperor had praised the Jiang family’s righteousness in the morning court today. So, the Jiang family couldn’t let Mu Mingtang make the slightest mistake.

Jiang Honghao stroked his beard and said: “King Jin, thank you for helping the Jiang family. The matter about the adopted daughter and King Qiyang would not have been settled so quickly without King Jin’s help. King Jin, don’t worry, Mu Mingtang, she has inherited the kindness of the Jiang family, and the Jiang family has given her a huge debt of gratitude. It is only natural for her to repay the Jiang family. Now she has the best sense of interest. If she dares to resist, she will die in the Qiyang Palace.”

Xie Xuanji nodded and said: “Father-in-law is serious, Mingwei is my fiancee, and the Jiang family’s business is mine.”

Jiang Honghao felt relieved when he heard this. As a father, seeing the unmarried son-in-law’s love for his daughter was deep and righteous, he felt happy. Our Jiang family cannot point out King Jin. Jiang Mingwei was the one who eloped with a foreign man and lived together outside for a year.

Jiang Honghao was a little confused when he thought of this. He was a father, and it is hard to ask too much about his daughter’s past. Jiang Mingwei’s whereabouts were unknown for a year. He heard that she had left with a Beirong man[3]. But Mrs. Jiang naturally said that her daughter was innocent. After all, Jiang Mingwei was the daughter she raised with her own hands.

What’s more, Jiang Honghao, as a father, doesn’t mind that his daughter is young and ignorant to do wrong, but what about Xie Xuanji? Can he ignore that his fiancée had eloped with a foreign man and lived together outside for a year?

Jiang Honghao didn’t dare to mention it, but after all, Xie Xuanji was a member of the royal family. Jiang Honghao thought for a while, and said casually, “King Jin, you and Mingwei have been together since childhood. As a father, this official can see that you two still have a deep emotional bond. When I moved into the capital, I was busy dealing with matters in the imperial court. So I couldn’t pay attention to Mingwei, and her mother also neglected her mentality changes. Mingwei was thirteen or fourteen at that time, and it was the time when young people were sensitive. She didn’t know how to hold her back, so she left home to seek freedom outside. Those things happened because of this father’s poor discipline, King Jin…..”

“Father-in-law.” Xie Xuanji stretched out his hand to stop Jiang Honghao and said, “Our two families have lived next to each other since childhood. As far as I can remember, I ate with the Jiang family many times, and Mrs. Jiang also took care of me a lot. I am close to the Jiang family and Mingwei.  Mingwei and I are childhood sweethearts. How can I doubt Mingwei’s character? Don’t say anymore, this is not only humiliating Mingwei but also humiliating my feelings for Mingwei. Let the past things pass, Mingwei just wanted to change for a while, as long as she is back now, it is enough.”

When Jiang Honghao heard that, he was relieved. “King Jin is noble and upright. This official admires you very much. This official uses tea instead of wine, and I respect this cup of King.”

“How can this be done?” Xie Xuanji avoided it slightly, raised the cup, and said, “It’s right that I respect my father-in-law.”

The atmosphere became pleasant in the study room, but the situation became unpleasant in the main room of Jiang’s house.

“Why!” Jiang Mingwei threw bead flowers to the ground and shouted, “She is just a lowly refugee, why should she marry Xie Xuanchen and make her Princess Qiyang?”

“Hey, you Child!” Mrs. Jiang glanced at Jiang Mingwei angrily, leaned over to pick up the delicate beaded flowers, and put them on the lower table again, “This is the latest style of Linlang Pavilion, and many people queuing outside can’t buy it. It’s just this: the price of a pearl flower is enough to keep up with the whole family in the city for a year.”

Jiang Mingwei signed after listening to her mother. Nobody knows that Jiang Mingwe was reborn recently. In fact, not long ago, Jiang Mingwei was not the young lady of the Jiang family but the Han concubine of the Northern Rong Emperor Yeluyan[4].

She couldn’t help thinking of those dark and desperate days she spent as the Rong Emperor’s concubine. And before she was reborn, her biggest dream was to return to the Jiang family and beg for her parents’ forgiveness.

In the beginning, the Jiang family was not notable in the capital, and Jiang Honghao’s official position did not rise to deputy prime minister. At that time, Jiang Honghao worked as a seventh-rank civil official in the government office.

Before ascending the throne, the Emperor’s Xie Rui family lived next to the Jiang family. The alley they live in is called Jian’an Alley. The adults in the family do not allow children to interact with the commoners and children from the merchants’ houses, so their children have to find playmates in the alley. Jiang Mingwei and Xie Xuanji are about the same age, and they live close together.

Jiang Mingwei was good-looking when she was a child, stood out among her peers, and was very popular among young people in the vicinity. Xie Xuanji was good at reading, tall, knew how to gather followers at a young age, and was the king of children in that area. Both of them were outstanding among others.

The adults in the both families were intended to make Xie Xuanji and Jiang Mingwei husband and wife. At that time, both families had similar status, and it was the best choice to marry a neighbor. However, the Jiang family had another reason.

There were rumors in the alley that Xie Xuanji has an uncle in the capital with a very high official position and an excellent cousin. Even though no one had seen that, Xie Xuanji’s reputation went up. So, Jiang Mingwei was very proud about the marriage agreement between the two families.

The unforgettable incident happened when Jiang Mingwei was twelve years old. Jian’an Lane suddenly became crowded, and a row of majestic guards stood in front of Xie’s house, saying that General Xie had an order to pick up his younger brother Xie Rui’s family to Beijing.

It turns out that rumors about the Xie family were true. After the Xie family moved to the capital, some people in Jian’an Lane were also promoted. Jiang Mingwei’s father was one of them. So the Jiang family also moved to the capital.

On the day Jiang Mingwei arrived in the capital, Xie Rui’s family and Xie Xuanji were waiting at the gate of the city to welcome them. While the two adults were chatting, there was a sudden commotion outside the gate. A young man rode a white horse and nimbly moved from side to side in the crowd without any loss of speed.

So, when the people on duty saw the chaos at the city gate, they shouted to clear the road immediately.

When people saw the boy who rode the horse, they were speechless. Jiang Mingwei was so shocked by the emperor’s atmosphere in the capital. At this time, Xie Xuanji, who was beside her, ran forward and shouted: “Second brother.”

The young man turned back, just glanced at them casually, and then disappeared into the street.

Jiang Mingwei remembered that glance to this day. She could never forget that incident.

Later, Jian Mingwie learned that the young man was Xie Xuanji’s cousin, Xie Xuanchen. Xie Xuanji’s uncle was a high-ranking official in Beijing. Half of the power of the Xie family came from Xie Xuanchen. At only fifteen years old, he split the earth and made a marquis, and walked in front of the royal family. The number of soldiers under his command is comparable to that of his father Xie Yi. He had already been named Marquis of Wu’an.

After learning about Xie Xuanchen, Jiang Mingwei’s mind was full of Xie Xuanchen. After that, she didn’t want to marry Xie Xuanjin. But she could not do anything.

Once, the Jiang and the Xie family were on an equal footing. But after entering the capital, Xie Xuanji’s status became different from Jiang Mingwei’s, due to the high-ranking official uncle and the famous cousin.

Later, The Xie family rebelled and ascended the throne, so Xie Xuanji became a royal family member, and Jiang Mingwei felt even more awkward.

Therefore, in the first year of Suihe[5], when Jiang Mingwei learned from her parents that the palace intended her to marry Xie Xuanji, her inner conflict reached its peak.

At that time, Beirong spies were roaming around the capital. Beirong’s leader Yeluyan was one of them. Somehow Yeluyan attracted Jiang Mingwie to him. So, she made an agreement with him on the Shangyuan Festival[6], Run away from marriage.

In her previous life, after Jiang Mingwei entered Beirong with Yeluyan, she lived in Yeluyan’s palace. Only then did she know that Yeluyan was also a prince, so it was no wonder that the capital went to war that day.

Since Jiang Mingwei followed Yeluyan back to Beirong, everyone assumed that she was Yeluyan’s woman. However, on the way, Yeluyan never took a step forward toward her. Later, after she lived for a year, the two of them became men and women. After that, Jiang Mingwei naturally became Yeluyan’s woman, without any status.

She is Han Chinese[7], so naturally, she can’t be a concubine. Later, to compete for the throne, Yeluyan married the daughter of a nobleman from Beirong. The princess was very arrogant and jealous since she was a child, and she regarded Jiang Mingwei, who was born in the Han kingdom but exclusively loved, as a thorn in her side. Jiang Mingwei had seen many wives and concubines fighting, but she thought that Princess Yeluyan was so cruel.

Jiang Mingwei couldn’t bear the humiliation, and Yeluyan refused to punish the princess because of the power of the princess’ family. Yeluyan told Jiang Mingwei to endure for a while, and Jiang Mingwei endured and endured until Yeluyan ascended the throne.

After Yeluyan ascended the throne, Jiang Mingwei became a concubine. However, at that time, she had lost her beauty due to harsh treatments and harsh weather in the north. So, naturally, Jiang Mingwei fell out of favor.

As a Han concubine, what will happen after falling out of favor is self-evident.

The last few years of Jiang Mingwei’s previous life were extremely difficult, but when she was at her worst, she heard that the Ye Dynasty had changed to a new king, and the queen was the young lady of the Jiang family.

The young lady of the Jiang family? Impossible, Jiang’s father and Jiang’s mother have one daughter. She is already in Beirong, where did that miss Jiang come from?

After inquiring, she learned that her parents adopted a new daughter named Jiang Mingtang after she ran away. Now she is the queen of the Ye Dynasty.

Before she died, she heard that the new Emperor Xie Xuanji wanted to send troops north to recover the sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun[8]. And also heard that Xie Xuanji has been thinking about his former childhood sweetheart all these years, who was similar in appearance to his queen.

Xie Xuanji had missed her very much and married a substitute who acted like her. That woman’s name was Jiang Mingtang, the adopted daughter of the Jiang family. Although she came from a humble background, for Jiang Mingwei’s sake, Xie Xuanji never planned to change her status as the queen.

Before Jiang Mingwei died, she burst out with endless resentment. She hated Yeluyan who was ruthless and unscrupulous, hated the vicious and jealous queen, hated herself who was young and ignorant and missed her beloved, and hated the fake who replaced her.

If it wasn’t for Jiang Mingtang, she would be the queen. The person Xie Xuanji’s love has never changed!

When Jiang Mingwei was reborn again, she learned that this was the 3rd year of Suihe, and she had just entered the Northern Rong realm. She was not late and still has time to change her fate. So, Jiang Mingwei turned around and returned to Beijing without saying a word.

She vowed not to be blind again in this life. Xie Xuanji will become the Lord of Destiny[9]. So, she cannot miss this opportunity and cannot let that fake second Miss Jiang be the Empress. The fake one has to go where she came.

Jiang Mingwei hurried back to Jiang’s house before Xie Xuanji got married. Sure enough, as soon as she appeared, Mrs. Jiang’s eyes were red, and Xie Xuanji immediately dropped the fake and asked her where she had been all these years.

Jiang Mingwei was Mrs. Jiang’s own daughter. She watched Jiang Mingwei and Xie Xuanji grow up. In her heart, her daughter and Xie Xuanji were a match made in heaven, and everyone else was a third party. Now that Jiang Mingwei was back, what was the use of Mu Mingtang? So, everyone felt that the marriage should be returned to the original daughter.

Mu Mingtang lived with the Jiang family for more than a year. So Mrs. Jiang thought of preparing a dowry for her and marrying her to an ordinary official’s son. But Jiang Mingwei was not satisfied and refused. Jiang Mingwei cried about the hardships she had suffered over a year. After gaining Mrs. Jiang’s sympathy, she took the initiative to say that she had a solution for Mu Mingtang. So Mrs. Jiang didn’t arrange anything for Mu Mingtang.

Jiang Mingwei was satisfied and waited at home with peace of mind. In the end, she waited for a few days. But did she wait for the news that Mu Mingtang was going to marry Xie Xuanchen?

“No.” Jiang Mingwei gritted her teeth and said, “She is just a businesswoman who has been among the refugees for a year. Who knows if she is still clean or not. Why should she marry Xie Xuanchen and be a concubine?”

End of chapter 3

Translator Notes:

1.Neo-Confucianism (今理学兴起 ) –  is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu (768–824) and Li Ao (772–841) in the Tang Dynasty, and became prominent during the Song and Ming dynasties under the formulations of Zhu Xi (1130–1200). After the Mongol conquest of China in the thirteenth century, Chinese scholars and officials restored and preserved neo-Confucianism as a way to safeguard the cultural heritage of China. – Wikipedia ↵

2.When you are going through tough times, without money, living a life of misery — there will be no one to give you what you want, because you don’t have any value to them. You have nothing to offer! ↵

3.Beirong man – were various people who lived primarily in and around the western extremities of ancient China (in modern Gansu and Qinghai). ↵

4.Northern Rong Emperor Yeluyan – a kingdom in ancient Northern China ↵

5.Suihe – Chinese ear at the Western Han Dynasty ↵

6.Shangyuan Festival – The Lantern Festival, also called Shangyuan Festival, is a Chinese traditional festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar, during the full moon. ↵

7.Han Chinese – The Han Dynasty ruled China from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. and was the second imperial dynasty of China. People who lived under the leaders of Han dynasty were called Han Chinese. ↵

8.The Sixteen Prefectures – a historical region in northern China along the Great Wall in present-day Beijing, Tianjin, and northern Hebei and Shanxi. ↵

9.the Lord of Destiny ↵