Yuchen looked up at Teacher Song and finally voiced the thoughts she had kept hidden for so long: "Teacher, before Heshou passed away, she told me that Yuxi was just like her—that both of them had lived an extra lifetime." Logically, she told herself this couldn't be true. But in reality, she had begun to have doubts.
Teacher Song had originally dismissed it as nonsense, but when she saw the struggle in Yuchen's eyes, she asked, "What exactly did Heshou say to you? Tell me in detail."
Yuchen repeated everything Heshou had said, even mentioning that she had claimed to have been the Empress in her previous life. When she finished, she added, "Before Yuxi contracted smallpox, she was very weak and timid. But after she survived, it was as if she had become a completely different person—much more shrewd." Given what Teacher Song had said earlier, Yuchen was even more convinced that Heshou's words might be valid.
Teacher Song fell silent for a moment before asking, "So, do you believe Heshou's words?" At the very least, Yuchen already believed most of it; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought this up to her.
Yuchen shook her head. "I don't know." If it had been before, she would have dismissed it outright. After all, when a person died, their existence ended—there was no such thing as past or future lives. But now, she felt confused. Many of Yuxi's actions did not match her age. But when she tried to find faults, she couldn't find any apparent contradictions.
Teacher Song had a good understanding of Yuxi's nature and even more so of Yuchen's. "Are you regretful and unwilling to accept it because of what Heshou said?" Given Yuchen's beauty and talents, she was more than capable of becoming Empress. Even Master Le Tong had once told her that her fate was destined for great nobility.
Yuchen opened her mouth but swallowed her words.
Teacher Song continued, "Even if Heshou's words were true, even if you were the Empress in your past life, dignified and noble, but now you regret it and are unwilling to accept it - what would you do about it?"
Yuchen murmured, "Those things Heshou said, they all came true."
Teacher Song asked, "Then what?"
Yuchen looked pained. "I don't know."
Teacher Song observed her momentarily before saying, "Yuchen, even if Heshou was right and she did live an extra life, I can assure you—her past life must have been miserable."
Yuchen shook her head. "She never said that."
Teacher Song chuckled. "Yuchen, a person's basic nature is hard to change. With Heshou's personality, she would never meet a good end no matter how many lifetimes she lived."
Yuchen fell silent, understanding Teacher Song's meaning. If Yuxi had indeed been weak, incompetent, and indecisive in her past life, then she wouldn't have grown into the person she was today. After a long pause, Yuchen said, "Maybe Yuxi suffered too much in her past life, and that's why her personality changed so drastically." Major hardships could change a person—that wasn't impossible.
Teacher Song nodded. "That's not an unreasonable theory. But if what Heshou said is true—that Yuxi was neglected by her family, abandoned on her wedding night, and tormented by her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law—then when she died, she should have been filled with resentment and an unwillingness to let go." Then, she looked at Yuchen and asked, "After she recovered from smallpox, was she full of resentment? You would know better than anyone." At that time, she had not yet entered the residence and was unaware of these matters.
Yuchen answered firmly, "No, she didn't."
Teacher Song asked again, "Did she do anything unusual after surviving smallpox?" She had taught Yuxi for five years, and while she found her to be deeply calculating, she had never seen her do anything extreme.
Yuchen shook her head. "No, she didn't."
Teacher Song let out a soft sigh. Yuchen was intelligent, but she lacked experience and was easily misled. She pointed out, "Yuchen, you've fallen into Heshou's trap." Then, after a slight pause, she added, "Whether Yuxi has lived another life or not doesn't matter."
Yuchen whispered, "It doesn't matter? Then what does?"
Feeling a little uncomfortable from sitting too long, Teacher Song stood up and said, "What matters is that Yuxi is alive and well now. And she is no longer the person she was three years ago when others could decide her life and death at will."
After this failed assassination attempt, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to kill her again.
Yuchen asked hesitantly, "Teacher, if Yuxi is like Heshou, then does that mean she can see the future?"
Teacher Song knew Yuchen had trapped herself in a cycle of doubt. She remained silent for a moment, then walked over to the chessboard, picked up a white piece, placed it down, and said to Yuchen, "Play a game with me."
Yuchen wasn't in the mood, but she didn't refuse. She took a deep breath, calmed down and started to play. Because she was distracted, the game lasted less than fifteen minutes, with Yuchen losing.
Teacher Song didn't comment on the result. Instead, she reset the board and started a new game. This time, after just one move, she stopped and said, "Yuchen, life is like this chessboard. A single different move changes not only the result but the whole course of events. Even if Yuxi did live an extra life, she still couldn't foresee the future." If Heshou's claims were true, then the course of the world had already shifted, making the future unpredictable. If Heshou's words were false, then there was no point in worrying about it at all.
Yuchen placed her chess piece down, her gaze lingering on the board.
Teacher Song said, "Yuchen, you are not as strong as Yuxi in this regard." Han Yuxi would never let a few words shake her resolve.
Yuchen admitted, "I'm not as strong as Yuxi. I wouldn't have made it this far if I had gone through what she did."
Teacher Song didn't disagree but added, "That's not the point. Do you remember when Master Le Tong said Yuxi was destined to bring misfortune to those around her? Even your father believed it and insisted on sending her away. If it were any other girl, she would have either committed suicide or drowned in grief, never to recover. But Yuxi? She carried on as usual, completely unaffected." Rumours could destroy a person, but only if they were weak. If everyone had Yuxi's strength of will, they would all survive just fine. And in that respect, Yuchen was far too weak—Heshou's words alone had shaken her.
Yuchen didn't react. She knew that she wouldn't have remained so calm if she had been in Yuxi's place.
Teacher Song said, "If you still have doubts, ask Master Le Tong yourself. He is a wise and enlightened monk. He has read both your and Yuxi's fortunes—if there were anything unusual about Yuxi, he would have noticed it."
If all these explanations still couldn't convince Yuchen, then her doubts ran deeper than Teacher Song had thought.
Yuchen had merely fallen into the trap set by Heshou, but she was no fool. If there were indeed something strange about Yuxi, Master Le Tong would have pointed it out long ago—there was no need to wait for her to ask.
Teacher Song glanced outside and said, "It's getting late. You should head back—Yan-er is still waiting for you at home." It was useless to say too much; Yuchen had to figure things out for herself.
Yuchen left behind a pile of gifts and returned home.
Outside, Old Woman Ding, who had been guarding the door and had overheard everything, asked, "Master, do you truly believe that Fourth Miss Han is not some kind of monster?"
Teacher Song replied, "Why bother yourself with such thoughts?" If Yuxi was strange, then yes, she was indeed strange—but so what? Would spreading rumours that she was some kind of evil spirit would make Yun Qing, or the people and soldiers of Yu City, believe it? Absolutely not.
Old Woman Ding thought about it and agreed.
Inside the carriage, Momo Gui finally broke the silence when she saw how exhausted Yuchen looked. "Wangfei1, Junzhu2 is gone. Please, stop torturing yourself." Like Old Woman Ding, she had also heard everything from the past.
Unlike Teacher Song, Momo Gui understood exactly what Wangfei1 was struggling with. She knew that Wangfei1 was not grieving because she had not become Empress. Instead, she believed that if Wangfei1 had truly become Empress, Grand Junzhu2 would not have lost her life. It was the loss of her daughter, Grand Junzhu2, that caused Wangfei1 so much pain.
Hearing these words, tears streamed down Yuchen's face. She sobbed, "My Xia-er..." Every time she thought of the moment her daughter died in her arms, it felt like her heart was being torn apart.
Momo Gui said firmly, "Wangfei1, all this talk of past lives and reincarnation is nonsense. Heshou just wants you to be consumed by pain and resentment, to make you hate Fourth Miss and turn against her. You must not fall into her trap."
Yuchen wiped away her tears and said to Momo Gui, "Don't say anymore." She was exhausted—physically and mentally. She just wanted to rest.
In the past, Momo Gui would have obeyed Yuchen without question. But now, some things had to be said, no matter what. "Wangfei1, no matter how much you grieve or pain you feel, Grand Junzhu2 will not return. Mourning her endlessly will not change that." Grand Junzhu2 was gone, and no amount of sorrow could bring her back.
Yuchen muttered, "It was my failure as a mother." If she had protected her daughter better, Xia-er would not have died so young.
Momo Gui said solemnly, "Wangfei1, this is not your fault. The Imperial Family has always been the cruellest, coldest, and most merciless place." Why did so few royal children survive? It was because the power struggle was too terrifying—they were harmed and k*lled for it.
Yuchen understood the logic, but she could not overcome this pain.
Momo Gui was almost desperate. She had tried to reason with her for so long, but nothing seemed to get through. "Wangfei1, Wangye3 has already noticed your change in attitude towards him. If you continue like this, you will push him away, and other women will take advantage of the situation. Ultimately, you and Shizi4 will suffer the most." Seeing that Yuchen was still unmoved, Momo Gui continued, "Wangfei1, if the other concubines in the official residence give birth to sons, and one of them wins Wangye3's favour, she will certainly set her sights on Shizi4's position. If you and His Highness grow apart, how will you protect Shizi4 then? Wangfei1, the Grand Junzhu2 is already gone—you cannot afford to let anything happen to Shizi4 as well."
Yuchen's eyes flashed with determination. "I won't let anything happen to Yan-er."
Momo Gui nodded. "Then, Wangfei1, if you truly want to protect Shizi4, you must pull yourself together. You can't go on like this." It was the death of Grand Junzhu2 that had shaken Wangfei1 so deeply. Otherwise, Heshou's little tricks would never have worked on her.
Footnotes Full List
- 王 wáng = king, 妃 fēi = consort
- formal title for a King(wang) 's daughter
- 王 wáng = king, 爷 ye = lord
- heir to a noble house
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi