My name is Wei Shufen, female, fifteen years old, unmarried and awaiting marriage...
Later, when Wei Shufen recalled that day in the first month of Zhenguan Year 9, the first thing that always surfaced in her mind was this inexplicable, disjointed phrase. Though she was certain she hadn't spoken it aloud, it kept churning in her thoughts, gradually casting a gray haze over everything before her.
The end of January was still bitterly cold. On this high hill at the corner of Guangde Ward, her family—the residence of Chancellor Wei—had enclosed an open space with screen fences to block the view of passersby, though they couldn't stop the biting winds of late winter and early spring. A large bronze charcoal brazier had been placed in the center, with her father, mother, and their guests each seated on couch mats around it.
As a junior, Wei Shufen could only sit downwind. The gray smoke from the brazier blew toward her face in waves, making her cough repeatedly as she lowered her head and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. When she looked up again, she saw her father, Wei Zheng, glaring at her reproachfully. She quickly clutched the white copper hand warmer on her lap, straightened her posture, and dared not fidget.
In front of her, her mother, Madam Pei, sat just as properly while speaking to Lady Cui, her face all smiles, exuding deference.
Sighing inwardly, Wei Shufen averted her gaze to the canal, ward walls, and the bustling streets of the Western Market beyond. The weather was fine today, and many families had cordoned off areas along the canal in the northwest corner of Guangde Ward for leisure. Her younger siblings were playing at the foot of the hill, their laughter faintly carried by the wind.
She longed to join them but had been dragged along by her parents to entertain guests—such was the burden of being the eldest daughter of the Wei family. In truth, her family wasn't here for casual amusement.
The entire household had gone to great lengths just to meet with the family of Vice-Minister of the Chancellery, Cui Mangan.
Madam Pei's cape gown was primarily maroon-brown, dignified and understated, yet she kept bowing and smiling obsequiously. In contrast, Lady Cui, sitting upright across from her, wore a striking red cape, green jacket, and pomegranate skirt, her expression cold and haughty. An uninformed observer might assume Madam Pei was the wife of a subordinate official paying respects to her superior's wife, Lady Cui.
But in reality, Shufen's father, Wei Zheng, now acting as Chief of the Chancellery and elevated to Duke of Julu, held a second-rank noble title and served as chancellor. His reputation as an "upright minister" was renowned both at home and abroad, earning the Son of Heaven's respect and widespread acclaim. Moreover, as Chief of the Chancellery, he was the direct superior of Vice-Minister Cui Mangan. By rank and office, it should have been the Cui family bowing and scraping with ingratiating smiles.
Yet the scene before her was the exact opposite.
Why?
Lady Cui's words—"my eldest son is already betrothed to the Zheng family of Xingyang, the second son is promised to the Li family of Zhaojun, my eldest daughter is engaged to my maternal nephew, and just the other day, a young man from the Wang family of Taiyuan came seeking my second daughter"—made the reason obvious. Madam Pei—or rather, her father, Wei Zheng—coveted the prestigious lineage of the Boling Cui family and was desperate to form a marital alliance.
Wei Shufen glanced at her father. The foremost statesman of the court, Chancellor Wei, sat with hands folded, his gaunt face framed by a goatee as he strained to produce a smile, feigning warmth and sincerity.
It must have been hard for him—even when attending audiences with the Son of Heaven of the Great Tang, Chief Wei might not have exerted himself so much to flatter.
Their family, the Wei clan of Julu, traced its lineage back to Wei Xin, Marquis of Quyang of the Han dynasty, with a tradition of classical scholarship and generations of renowned scholars. Wei Lungen, Wei Shou, and her grandfather Wei Changxian were all celebrated generals and Confucian scholars of the past century. The Wei name carried considerable prestige in the Yan-Zhao region of Hebei—Compared to the Cui, Lu, Zheng, and Wang families, they still fell short by more than one rank.
Her father had always considered "marrying into a noble family" as one of his life's greatest pursuits, with enthusiasm no less than assisting a wise ruler, creating a prosperous era, and establishing virtue, words, and achievements. For this reason, the Wei family had been sending intermediaries to convey messages to the Cui family of Boling for more than a year or two. Now that they had finally agreed to attend today's banquet, offering a chance for an in-person evaluation, her parents—despite having important duties that evening—had rushed to prepare the feast, presenting their eldest daughter for inspection and approval. Wei Shufen silently thought, How utterly degrading.
"Madam mentioned earlier that the first few young masters and ladies have already been betrothed," Madam Pei began, getting to the point. "As for the third one proposed by the matchmaker—"
A violent hiccup interrupted her. Madam Pei hastily pulled out a handkerchief to cover her mouth, repeatedly apologizing for the breach of etiquette. Wei Shufen moved closer to pat her mother's back, a scene she had grown accustomed to over the past month or two. Her mother had been pregnant five times in the last seven years, and none of the previous four had been as taxing as this one. Her father, however, was delighted, claiming, "A rowdy one means it's a boy," eagerly anticipating his fourth son... Considering that her father, Chancellor Wei Zheng, was already in his fifties, his health was still remarkably robust.
Seated beside the main guest was Aunt Cui, the widowed cousin of the Cui Vice Minister, who also served as the matchmaker for this meeting. She was quite diligent, turning to Lady Cui and saying, "Madam Pei isn't feeling well and shouldn't be delayed. Let Earthen Slave come out for a quick look." Lady Cui nodded and instructed a maidservant to fetch him.
Wei Shufen understood this was for her parents to evaluate their prospective son-in-law. She was just wondering whether she should excuse herself when the Cui family acted swiftly—in the blink of an eye, a maidservant emerged from behind the screen to guide the way.
So, her future husband was about to appear? Wei Shufen quickly retreated behind her mother and lowered her head, though curiosity got the better of her. She peeked with one eye toward the screen's entrance, wondering what this third son of the Cui family would look like—tall, elegant, and dignified, as befitting a noble scion?
"Earthen Slave, greet Chancellor Wei and his wife," Lady Cui instructed. The maidservant led the third son forward to bow, and Wei Zheng and Madam Pei both inclined their heads in return. Wei Shufen, hiding beside her mother, was stunned by what she saw.
The young master indeed had a face like polished jade, fair and delicate, his hair tied in three tufts, looking utterly adorable. His tiny hands fluttered as he bowed, resembling nothing so much as a Reborn Child from Buddhist paintings—
He couldn't have been more than five years old.
My name is Wei Shufen, eldest daughter of Wei Zheng, Chancellor of the Chancellery, aged fifteen, already having undergone the coming-of-age ceremony, awaiting marriage... At the very least, I am the dignified daughter of a chancellor's household. Are my parents really planning to sell me off as a child bride to the Cui family?
Wei Shufen's ears rang as if filled with buzzing. Her mother, however, seemed entirely oblivious to her distress, showering the Cui child with praise before handing her bronze hand warmer to her daughter and rolling up her sleeve to reveal a bracelet. Wei Shufen numbly took the hand warmer but fumbled it, sending it crashing to the ground with a loud clang. The lid popped open, scattering charcoal and sparks everywhere.
The sudden noise startled the Cui third son, who flinched, broke free from Madam Pei, and threw himself into his nurse's arms, refusing to come out from behind her skirts. Madam Pei removed her gold bracelet as a gift to coax him, but it was no use. Lady Cui, observing this, scolded, "This child has no manners," prompting the five-year-old to burst into loud wails.Now, no one had any idea what to do. The soon-to-be-betrothed Third Young Master Cui, his face still smeared with tears and snot, was carried out of the enclosure by his nurse. The Cui lady also seized the opportunity to take her leave, gracefully stepping out, leaving only the matchmaker, Aunt Cui, behind.
What was left to do? Naturally... it was time to haggle over the price.
"Chancellor Wei is currently deeply trusted and beloved by His Majesty, holding a high and respected position. Even commoners throughout the court and the country know that Lord Wei is the Star Lord of Celestial Authority incarnate, sent specifically to aid the Great Tang in establishing a foundation for generations. Our Cui family, however, falls far short—generations have only known to study and farm, and our household is quite poor. We fear the new bride may suffer hardships..."
Well, starting off by crying poverty certainly got straight to the point. Wei Shufen kept her head lowered as her parents repeatedly humbled themselves, saying things like "Our Wei family also comes from humble origins, and our residence is modest," and so on. Aunt Cui, sharp and efficient, waved her scarf and laughed:
"Of course, what the Chancellor and Madam say is true. Chancellor Wei is a great scholar and an incorruptible official—he has never sought wealth! But after all, as a chancellor with a second-rank noble title, your household is still far more prosperous than our humble Cui family. Just the other day, I heard that two years ago, when Chancellor Wei offered a word of remonstrance, the Empress rewarded him with 400,000 coins and 400 bolts of silk at once. The amount of the reward aside, such honor is truly rare!"
Tsk tsk, the five great clans like the Cui and Lu families truly live up to their nickname of "marriage merchants." No matter who comes to propose marriage, they investigate even the extra income of the other party, setting their price based on wealth—a fair and open transaction, honest to all... And then there was that Third Young Master Cui, who barely reached an adult's waist. What were they raising—children or solid gold statues?
How much would it cost to buy a golden statue as a son-in-law? Wei Shufen listened patiently as her parents and Aunt Cui went back and forth for a long time, finally revealing the figure—30,000 bolts of silk.
Madam Pei immediately began hiccuping from morning sickness, while Chancellor Wei stroked his chin, nearly pulling out his goatee in shock.
Wei Shufen was utterly stunned. Over the past few years, her mother's frequent pregnancies had left her in poor health, and as the eldest daughter, Wei Shufen had often helped manage the household, giving her a good understanding of common prices. Thirty thousand bolts of silk could pile up into a small mountain—the combined assets of ten middle-class households might not even amount to that much.
Earlier, when Aunt Cui mentioned the time her father remonstrated about Princess Changle's dowry, the Empress had rewarded the Wei family with 400,000 coins and 400 bolts of silk. Four hundred thousand coins were only worth about 800 bolts of silk, totaling 1,200 bolts—less than a tenth of what the Cui family was demanding. Her father's regular annual income from salary, land, monthly stipends, and taxes didn't even reach 700 bolts of silk. Though the Son of Heaven had shown favor in recent years, granting them several estates, they dared not raise rents too much for the sake of reputation. With a large household to support, there was almost no surplus each year. For Cui Mangan's family to demand 30,000 bolts of silk in one breath—Wei Shufen looked left and right—even if that five-year-old boy were truly made of solid gold, boiled, deboned, and sold by weight, he wouldn't be worth that much.Aunt Cui, on the other hand, appeared utterly unperturbed and casually remarked with a smile, "Sir and Madam, please don’t blame our family for being greedy. Such are the times—we can’t afford to lower our standards. Both of you are aware of the case of Fanyang Lu, who is related to Madam Fang, the wife of Chancellor Fang Xuanling. When Chancellor Fang sought a marriage alliance for his eldest son, Yizhi, he had to offer forty thousand bolts of silk as betrothal gifts before the bride could enter his household. Then there’s Duke Shiji, who was granted the imperial surname Li by the Supreme Emperor and enfeoffed as a duke during the WuDe Era, reaching the pinnacle of officialdom—what prestige! Yet when he sought to marry into the Yingyang Zheng family, the Zhengs refused outright, disdainful of his background as a mere rural gentry and military man during the Sui dynasty. No amount of money could sway them. Of course, the Julu Wei family belongs to the Hebei aristocracy, and Chancellor Wei’s reputation for integrity is beyond reproach. A marriage alliance would indeed bring honor to our lineage. Our Cui family is sincere in proposing this match..."
Madam Pei sighed, glancing at her daughter before unconsciously resting a hand on her own belly.
Wei Shufen surmised her mother’s thoughts—this would be the first marriage of their generation in the Wei family, and they would have to scrape together every last penny for the dowry. She still had two younger sisters and three brothers below her, not to mention the one in her mother’s womb. If her father had his way, he would want them all to marry into or wed from the Cui, Lu, Zheng, or Wang families. Wei Xuancheng might as well abandon his post as chancellor and ascend to become the God of Wealth—that would be far more useful.
"Sir and Madam, take your time to discuss this at home. There’s no rush to settle this marriage. At present, only two or three families have come forward to seek Earthen slave’s hand," Aunt Cui said, her smile growing even more amiable. "Now, regarding another proposal I mentioned earlier—a high-ranking official and esteemed minister, widowed, seeks to remarry a noblewoman from a scholarly family with a father or grandfather holding a solid position at court. The betrothal gifts offered amount to fifty thousand bolts of silk! The eldest young lady would be most suitable. Would Sir Wei and Madam be interested?"
"Me... what?"
Wei Shufen could no longer hold back her startled exclamation. Was this about her?
Aunt Cui and her parents turned to look at her. A gray mist seemed to drift before Wei Shufen’s eyes.
"Wasn’t I supposed to marry Cui Sanlang? How did a widowed high official suddenly come into the picture?" How many times did her parents intend to marry off the same daughter?
"Cui San..." Her mother’s breath hitched again. "Child, how can you be so dense? Who told you that was a young man!"
"Ah?" Wei Shufen’s mouth fell open. "Then what is it?"
"Didn’t you clearly hear her childhood name, ‘Earthen slave’? Where has all your years of reading gone?"
When a son is born,
Let him sleep on a bed,
Clothe him in robes,
And give him jade to play with.
When a daughter is born,
Let her sleep on the ground,
Wrap her in swaddling clothes,
And give her a spindle-whorl to play with...
How could she have forgotten such a well-known passage from the Book of Songs? Now that she thought about it, that delicate, rosy-cheeked, shy little child did indeed resemble a girl. Her mother had even taken off a bracelet to give as a meeting gift... So that was the Cui family’s third young lady.
"A-Fen, this is absurd," her father, Wei Zheng, scolded with a frown. "If it were a young man from the Cui family betrothed to you, how could you two have met so openly? What would become of our family’s dignity?"
So... today, her parents had brought her, the eldest sister, along to help their eldest son inspect his potential bride?
Wei Shufen’s face gradually grew warm, and suddenly, everything became clear.
The Cui family’s asking price was thirty thousand bolts of silk. For her parents to exhaust their family’s wealth to gather the dowry, it could only be for their eldest son, Shuyu, to marry a noblewoman from the Cui family—a "principal wife" who would serve the ancestral temple. As for her, a daughter who would eventually belong to another family, to think she was worth thirty thousand bolts of silk as a dowry—how presumptuous of her.
Not only was she not worth thirty thousand bolts of silk, but she might also be sold off to earn fifty thousand."That high-ranking official who offered a hefty betrothal gift for the young lady," Aunt Cui continued to ramble, "Though the young man was once poor and lowly, he now has both fame and fortune. He's a renowned general of the court, and his father and grandfather have been posthumously granted official titles. Given Minister Wei's esteemed position, taking such a son-in-law wouldn't be inappropriate..."
"Who exactly are you talking about?" Wei Shufen asked, her heart pounding with fear.
"Supreme Pillar of the State, Duke of Su, Grand General of the Left Military Guard—Cheng Yaojin."
"Cheng—" Wei Shufen's vision darkened, and she nearly fainted on the spot.
Cheng Yaojin, nicknamed the "World-Mixing Demon King," had once visited the Wei residence. Unable to contain their curiosity, the Wei siblings had hidden behind screens and window panels to catch a glimpse of him. All she remembered was General Cheng's towering and portly figure, his enormous belly, and a face so covered in thick beard that his mouth and nose were barely visible. His fierce and menacing appearance was no different from the temple statues of guardian deities. Marry him as his second wife? She’d probably end up filling his belly on the wedding night itself!
Her ears ringing, Wei Shufen heard her mother's weak voice:
"This matter... requires careful consideration. General Cheng is nearly fifty, and the children from his late wife Madam Sun are all older than A Fen. A Fen is only fifteen. An old husband and young wife—and she’s so naive and slow-witted—how could she possibly contend with the children from the first marriage..."
"Madam, you're overthinking it. An older husband dotes on his young wife. The young lady need only wait to enjoy her blessings. Isn't that right, Minister Wei? General Cheng may look fierce, but his temper is actually quite gentle, and his family is rolling in wealth..."
Cheng Yaojin has a gentle temper? Then why don’t you, Aunt Cui, marry him yourself and enjoy those blessings... Wei Shufen glanced up and saw her father stroking his beard, nodding emphatically:
"I’ve known Lord Cheng since our days at Wagang Fort. We’ve shared a deep friendship all these years. Given my face, I’m sure Lord Cheng wouldn’t mistreat my daughter."
"Exactly!" Aunt Cui clapped her knee, laughing coquettishly. "General Cheng is still in his prime. If the marriage is settled now, who knows—by this time next year, Minister Wei and Madam might already be holding their grandchild!"
Wei Shufen turned to look at her mother. Madam Pei's face was pale, but she remained silent.
Indeed, noble families of this era emphasized matching status in marriage but cared little about whether it was a first or second union. Many high-born ladies, even princesses, had married men decades older as second wives, and such matches were praised as good unions. Her parents weren’t exactly harming their daughter—just... selling her for a dowry to secure a prestigious marriage for their son.
A perfectly normal thing, so normal they didn’t even need to hide their discussions from her. All other talk was meaningless. The only thing that truly mattered was:
Fifty thousand bolts of silk! A daughter of the Cui clan! Fifty thousand bolts of silk! A daughter of the Cui clan! Fifty thousand bolts of silk! A daughter of the Cui clan! Fifty thousand bolts!
Wei Shufen stood up silently, bowed slightly, and walked down the hillside without listening further to her parents and the matchmaker arranging the details of her marriage. This was probably considered proper and law-abiding behavior, she thought. Her father likely wore an approving expression now.
The wind at the tail end of winter was bitterly cold. The distant laughter of her younger siblings by the canal sounded strangely foreign to her ears. How many more days of such carefree play did they have left? Wei Shufen knew she could no longer join them.
She walked slowly along the screen fence until she heard clear voices and the snorting of horses outside. With a forceful push, the screen fence propped on poles collapsed, landing on the family’s waiting grooms outside.With her left hand lifting the iridescent long skirt, she stepped over the screen fence. Wei Shufen swiftly snatched the reins of the horse, mounted it with a firm step into the stirrup, and before anyone could react, urged the horse into a gallop, desperately fleeing along the roads within Guangde Ward.
The days ahead—she wouldn’t think of them yet. She, Wei Yi Niang, would not resign herself to fate so easily.
Behind her, the clamor of pursuit quickly rose, and the wind roared past her ears. Wei Shufen held back her brimming tears, tightened her grip on the reins, leaned low, and spurred the horse onward, letting it gallop wildly with thundering hooves.
That afternoon, Wei Shufen had believed herself the most wretched bride-to-be in the world. But by nightfall, she would overturn that belief.
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