The eldest daughter of the late Prince of Hidden Repose, Li Jian-cheng, Princess Linfen of the Great Tang, hanged herself in her own bedchamber in the eastern wing of the Temple of Common Vocation during her own wedding ceremony.
The floral crown on her head fell to the ground, its jewels scattering in all directions. Several struck Wei Shufen’s face, stinging her skin painfully. Rubbing her cheek, Wei Shufen pushed herself up from the floor but lacked the strength to stand, staring blankly at the tall, slender youth in purple robes who was holding the hanged corpse.
"Yang Da! Xinzhi!"
The purple-robed youth shouted, summoning more people into the room. First came the towering, iron-like figure of Yang Xinzhi, followed by several men and women who crowded through the warm chamber’s doorway. They pushed aside the obstructive screen and hastily lowered the woman hanging from the beam, seemingly placing her on the bed at the far end of the chamber.
"Fourteenth Uncle, Zhewei, Xinzhi—all of you, out! The groom’s attendants aren’t needed here, it’s too crowded!" A composed and authoritative woman’s voice came from within. "Fetch water, wine, medicine, blood—anything! And a woman who can move to help me hold Yi Niang, quickly!"
Wei Shufen’s mind had just begun to settle. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced around—there didn’t seem to be a single woman who was "able to move." Summoning courage from somewhere, she braced herself against the wooden wall and stood, then walked step by step to the bedside.
The three men in the room retreated slightly from the bed. A young court lady sat on the edge, one arm supporting the hanged woman’s waist and abdomen, her dark hair hanging downward over the edge of the bed, while the other hand repeatedly struck her back. Seeing her struggle, Wei Shufen hurried forward to take over, cradling the slender body in her arms. The moment she touched it, she felt only stiffness—utterly lifeless.
Indeed, after much effort—pinching the philtrum, pouring medicinal broth, trying every possible method—the tall youth in purple robes finally spoke:
"Yingniang, stop wasting your strength. Let her go in peace."
At these words, several women in the crowd gathered outside the warm chamber burst into simultaneous sobs. The court lady also sighed deeply and stopped, laying the corpse flat on the bed and pulling a quilt over it.
"This foolish child... why, in the end, was she so desperate?"
Wei Shufen looked at the pillow beside her. Amid the disheveled hair was a delicate face, its features twisted, the rouge beneath revealing a flushed crimson, with traces of blood at the lips and mouth.
Was this the same Princess Linfen, Li Yi Niang, she had seen two days ago? That timid, quiet, and lovely girl—the eldest surviving child of the late Crown Prince Li Jian-cheng—who had endured so much suffering at such a young age? Just as she was about to marry and escape this imperial prison, she had ended her pitiful, tragic life in such a horrifying manner...
Outside the door, the women’s wails grew increasingly heart-wrenching:
"Your fate was so bitter... Xi Niang... why... my dear little lady... oh, woe..."
The court lady’s gaze shifted from the corpse, as if she had only just noticed who had helped her. She paused slightly:
"A-Wei, it’s you?"
"High Truth Master," Wei Shufen tried to rise and bow, but her legs and waist were too weak to support her, so she could only nod. "It’s me... I... have a request..."
"I just heard Yang Da relay your message—you wanted to see me, but I truly couldn’t spare a moment," Chai Yingluo, the High Truth Master, said apologetically. "Did you come with your parents to see Yi Niang off for her wedding? They must still be outside..."
Wei Shufen shook her head, tears welling up."I'm not... My parents don't know I'm here... High Truth Master, please save me..."
Reaching out a hand to grasp the female official's wrist, the eldest daughter of Chancellor Wei pleaded desperately: "Sister, save me... Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to hang myself too..."
The lamplight in the room wasn't particularly bright. The towering hairpins of the High Truth female Taoist cast deep shadows across her jade-like face, making her expression momentarily unreadable.
"It seems you've also encountered misfortune," Chai Yingluo sighed. "But I can't attend to you right now. This is my elder brother's bride—she suddenly decided to take her own life for no apparent reason..."
Wei Shufen glanced at the female corpse on the bed, then turned to look at the groom Chai Zhewei standing before it.
He was easily recognizable—the eldest son of Princess Pingyang and Duke Qiao, wearing ceremonial attire for the wedding: a six-tasseled crown and robes adorned with three insignias, the epitome of noble dignity. The young man himself appeared about eighteen or nineteen years old, quite handsome and presentable. Yet now he stared at the wife he was supposed to marry with utter bewilderment.
Wei Shufen had fled her own arranged marriage because she'd rather die than wed that old troublemaker Cheng Yaojin. But if the groom had been a noble youth like Chai Zhewei... What madness had possessed the eldest daughter of former Crown Prince Li Jian-cheng to choose hanging over marriage to him?
"Shufen, wait for me a while. Zhewei, stop standing there dumbfounded. Fourteenth Uncle, you all go out and dismiss the wedding procession. Send someone to inform my father—he's still waiting for the bride's arrival. I also need to explain to the noble ladies here, and tomorrow I must report to the palace," Chai Yingluo massaged her temples, exhaustion evident in her voice. "Ah, how should I explain this to the Empress..."
At the mention of "Empress," Chai Yingluo paused. Her eyelashes fluttered twice before her tone suddenly became decisive:
"This is how it will be. Tomorrow morning I'll personally go to the palace to report the death. Princess Linfen, eldest daughter of Prince Xi, suffered a sudden heart ailment and died by suicide. As she was already a member of the Chai family, we humbly request His Majesty and Her Majesty's permission to bring her back for funeral arrangements."
"No," objected the tall, slender youth in purple robes whom she'd called "Fourteenth Uncle." "Li Wanxi, eldest daughter of the Li family, did not hang herself. She was strangled to death."
Silence fell over the room. A cold wind seeped through the window cracks, causing beads and jades on the floor to roll slightly with faint rustling sounds.
"Fourteenth Uncle, please don't speak recklessly..." Chai Yingluo began with a frown, while Wei Shufen simultaneously blurted out:
"How do you know?—Who exactly are you?"
This purple-robed youth who contradicted everyone at every turn was truly irritating, and Wei Shufen could no longer restrain herself. Seeing her expression and tone, the still red-eyed Chai Yingluo suddenly laughed and intervened:
"My oversight—I forgot to introduce you. This is His Majesty the Emperor's fourteenth younger brother, Prince Wu, who served as chief witness today to escort his niece Wanxi to her wedding. Fourteenth Uncle, you've now met the first young lady of the Wei household, daughter of the Palace Attendant?"
What... So he was actually an imperial prince? Wei Shufen froze in shock.
What had she said to this youth when they first met? "Young as you are, you should watch your tongue"?
Prince Wu, the Fourteenth Young Master, also seemed uncomfortable. He barely acknowledged Chai Yingluo's introduction with the slightest nod before emphasizing sternly:
"Yingniang, the eldest daughter didn't hang herself. I've discovered four suspicious points proving she was strangled to death, with the scene staged to look like suicide. She—"
"Lady Yang!"Outside the warm chamber, someone was screaming in alarm. Those inside turned to look and saw the tall, sturdy young man Yang Xinzhi bending down to help up a middle-aged woman dressed in a pheasant robe.
Wei Shufen didn’t recognize the woman, but she heard Chai Yingluo call out, "Fourth Aunt," before rising to direct others in assisting her away. Chai Yingluo then asked, "Where is Eldest Aunt? She should be informed of this."
Chai Yingluo was the daughter of Princess Pingyang, the third daughter of the Supreme Emperor. The late Crown Prince Li Jian-cheng was her eldest uncle, and the late Prince Qi Li Yuan-ji was her fourth uncle. Today’s bride, Li Wanxi, the eldest daughter of Jian-cheng, was the daughter of her eldest aunt, Zheng Shi. Given how long the commotion had lasted, news of the death must have spread throughout the entire courtyard by now. Why hadn’t the mother appeared yet?
Just as Wei Shufen pondered this, a servant woman outside responded, "Madame Zheng has been kneeling in prayer at the Buddhist hall. Her health is too frail, and when the news was delivered to her just now, it was too blunt. She fainted on the spot and has just been carried back to her room. The people from the western courtyard are requesting the High Truth Master to examine her."
So that was it—grief had overwhelmed her heart, causing her to faint.
Chai Yingluo sighed and replied, "I’ll go there now." She then turned back to those in the warm chamber and said, "The groom’s party outside must be growing impatient, as are the people at the Fragrant Forest Gate and the streets within the city—those lying in wait to block the bridal carriage and disrupt the wedding—all waiting to escort the bride back. A Fen—if you don’t wish to see your parents, you’ll have to stay in this room for now. Are you afraid?"
Wei Shufen glanced at the corpse on the bed beside her. She was indeed a little frightened, but compared to being dragged home by her parents and forced into a marriage...
"I... I’m not afraid. Sister Ying, go ahead and attend to your duties..."
Chai Yingluo nodded and said, "I’ll ask Jing Niang to keep you company." Then, turning to the men, she added, "Let’s finish what needs to be done now, and we’ll discuss the details later."
She was right—this was not the time for a thorough investigation. The Fourteenth Young Master of Prince Wu also nodded in agreement and tugged at the still-dazed Chai Zhewei. "Let’s go handle matters outside first."
The groom had been standing motionless since entering the warm chamber, staring silently at the bride’s corpse. Now, with a low murmur of assent, he turned to leave but suddenly turned back. Bending down, he pulled the quilt over Li Yiniang’s twisted, blood-streaked face, gently covering it.
Something in Wei Shufen’s heart was tenderly stirred.
Chai Zhewei and Li Yiniang likely had no deep affection for each other. Though they were cousins and might have grown up together, after the palace coup nine years ago, Yiniang and her sisters had been confined to this Buddhist temple, and she probably hadn’t seen her cousin since.
In fact, a few days ago, when Wei Shufen had accompanied her mother to offer congratulations, she’d heard about the Chai family’s attitude toward this marriage. Li Yiniang had been betrothed to Chai Zhewei during the WuDe Era, when she was still the eldest daughter of the Crown Prince and destined to be enfeoffed as a princess. Chai Zhewei, though the eldest son of Princess Pingyang, had lost his mother early, and with no one in the palace to maintain the imperial favor, his status had waned in comparison.After the Zhenguan era began, the fortunes of the two families were completely reversed. Yi Niang became the orphaned child of a criminal, and some advised Chai Shao, the imperial son-in-law, to annul his son's engagement on her behalf. They said, "With your eldest son's lineage, background, and talents, it wouldn't be difficult for him to marry one of the current emperor's princesses." Chai Shao flatly refused: "My family doesn't engage in such dishonorable and disgraceful acts. The betrothal gifts have already been exchanged, and the young lady is already considered part of our family. Her father's crimes cannot implicate a married daughter. This bride will definitely become part of our household."
Chai Shao, Princess Pingyang's consort, had been renowned throughout Guanzhong since the Sui dynasty for his righteousness and chivalry. With father, son, sister, and brother united in their efforts, they had proudly welcomed the fallen princess of the previous dynasty into their family—it should have been a beautiful tale. But now, all their hard work had come to nothing.
The only thing Chai Zhewei could do for his betrothed was to shield her lifeless face.
With a sigh, the eldest son of the Chai family straightened up and suddenly said:
"What's this?"
Wei Shufen had already risen from the bed and was standing by its side, watching as he reached for the corner of a piece of paper protruding from beneath the pillow and pulled it out.
It turned out to be a plain letter folded into four. Chai Zhewei unfolded it and held it up to the lamplight, revealing lines of writing covering the page.
After quickly scanning the contents, Chai Zhewei looked up at Prince Wu, his expression somber:
"Fourteenth Uncle, you were mistaken. Yi Niang did indeed take her own life. This... is her suicide note."
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