My sister and I are daughters of the Lin family, identical twins with faces so alike even our parents struggle to tell us apart. Yet, despite our matching appearances, our parents’ love has never been equally shared between us. From childhood, they’ve always favored my sister. One day, the Emperor came to inspect our region, disguised as a commoner. He stayed at our home, and after indulging in too much wine, he took a liking to my elder sister and spent the night with her. We thought the next day would bring news of a new imperial concubine in the palace. However, to our shock, the Emperor denied everything. Even worse, he “rewarded” my elder sister to Wang Xiang, a notorious eunuch known for his cruel treatment of women. eunuchs were men who had been castrated, often to serve in the imperial court. After the Emperor left, my sister threw herself at our parents’ feet, wailing, “Mother, I won’t marry him! Let my younger sister take my place! If not, I’ll kill myself right now!” “Sister, you want me to marry Wang Xiang in your place?” I was stunned. Mother stroked my sister’s hair tenderly, then looked at me. “Zhisi, you’ve always been strong-minded and never cared about others’ opinions. Even if you marry Wang Xiang, you won’t spend your days worrying and grieving.” My sister cried, her face a mess of tears. “That’s right! I’m a delicate woman, nothing like my sister. If I don’t die today, I’ll surely kill myself from shame when people gossip about me ‘marrying a man without his root’!” I stood there, frozen. The Wang Xiang that the Emperor had chosen for my sister was a well-known… deviant! Rumors said he was ruthless and cold-blooded, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. He followed the Emperor’s every command, earning him the nickname “lapdog” among other officials. Moreover, due to his physical limitations, he never approached women, and no one knew how he would treat a wife. “Say something, Zhisi! If you don’t agree, I’ll end my life right now—” Suddenly, my sister broke free from Mother’s embrace and rushed towards a pillar, ready to smash her head against it! Father grabbed her sleeve just in time, pulling her back forcefully. “Zhiqiao, have you lost your mind?” Mother started crying too. “Zhisi, if anything happens to your sister, I won’t be able to go on living!” Looking at Mother’s tear-stained face, my heart softened, and I nodded. The fortune teller had said the eighth day of next month would be auspicious for marriage. On that day, dressed in a red wedding gown, I sat in the swaying bridal sedan chair as it entered the main gate of Wang Xiang’s mansion. On our wedding night, Wang Xiang entered our chamber, reeking of alcohol. Through the hazy red veil covering my face, I saw a tall figure approaching. “How did it feel to be with the Emperor… my dear wife?” His voice was cold and androgynous, like a half-asleep snake. This question was meant for my sister. I had no answer. I remained silent, only shaking my head. “I heard you’re usually lively and quick to smile. Why so quiet today?” The bed sank as he sat beside me. He reached out to lift my red veil. As I looked at this infamous husband of mine, my eyes widened in surprise. How could he be so beautiful? His eyebrows were like distant mountains, his eyes held the gentleness of spring water, and there was a small red birthmark on his forehead. This face, beautiful to the point of being otherworldly, was shrouded in a faint sadness. When he lowered his gaze, he looked like a merciful Buddha. It was hard to believe that such a person could commit such horrifying acts. Years ago, when the Sixth Prince was found guilty of treason, the Emperor ordered Wang Xiang to execute him. But Wang Xiang went beyond the order—he led his men to infiltrate the Sixth Prince’s mansion at night and skinned everyone inside alive. The next morning, the entrance of the Sixth Prince’s mansion was lined with human skin stuffed with straw! He didn’t even spare the three-month-old baby. After that bloody “chicken killing to scare the monkeys” (a Chinese idiom meaning to punish one to warn others), no other prince ever dared to think about rebellion again. Looking at this beautiful eunuch whose actions contradicted his appearance so strongly, my heart fluttered strangely. Although he might be as wicked as a demon, wouldn’t it be pleasant to spend my days with such a beautiful person? I gazed at him intently. “Husband, you’re so beautiful.” Wang Xiang looked surprised. “You’re not afraid of me?” I shook my head. “Although today is our wedding day, you must be tired after such a long day. Let me help you rest.” He picked up a pillow from the bed. “I don’t like forcing others. I’ll sleep in the study.”
Seeing him about to leave, I panicked and impulsively threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Please stay, husband! I have a habit since childhood—I can’t sleep unless I’m holding someone!” Through his clothes, I could feel his lean, strong muscles. If he were a complete man, I couldn’t imagine how many young women he would captivate. Wang Xiang turned his head to look at me. “Are you serious?” I nodded vigorously. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask my maid Ranqiu! Before I got married, she was my human pillow every night. I’ve been hugging her to sleep since I was little!” A flash of helplessness passed through his eyes. “I’ll stay with you then.” In the candlelight, I fell into a deep sleep in Wang Xiang’s arms. He had a faint floral scent, very pleasant. The next day, as soon as I opened my eyes, a dazzling light caught my attention. I focused my gaze and saw six maids standing by the bed, each holding a treasure box filled with pearls, agates, and jades. My maid Ranqiu walked in. “Madam, you’re awake? These jewels are all gifts from the master. He specifically instructed us to let you feast your eyes on their luster when you wake up.” How extravagant. I picked up a pearl to examine it and found it was even larger than the one on my sister’s most expensive hairpin. I was increasingly feeling that this marriage swap was a good deal. In Wang Xiang’s household, there was only Wang Xiang himself. This meant that as his wife, I didn’t have to serve parents-in-law or take care of children. Moreover, he treated me exceptionally well, always speaking to me in a gentle voice. My daily meals and clothing were all of the highest quality for a noble lady. He even sent me dozens of bolts of the same fabric used for palace concubines’ clothes and invited the best tailor in the capital to make clothes for me. Sometimes I felt that he was using material abundance to make up for the lack in our marital life. “I heard you like bamboo, so I had the east wing torn down and replaced with a bamboo grove. In a while, you’ll be able to play the zither and drink wine there.” On a rest day, Wang Xiang leisurely combed my long hair with a jade comb. “Husband, you’re so considerate. But isn’t this too extravagant?” “It’s fine. As long as Zhiqiao is happy, I’m happy. Creating a bamboo grove is nothing. I paid the craftsmen twice the market rate.” Wang Xiang’s voice was very gentle, soothing to hear. I felt a bit disappointed. Zhiqiao was my sister’s name, and I was the younger sister who had taken her place in this marriage. If I wanted to keep everything I now had, I had to forget my original name. “In a few days, I’m hosting a banquet at our mansion. The main guests will be the Left Minister, Right Minister, Grand General, Fifth Princess, and her consort. Come, let me show you their portraits in my study. Remember their faces so you don’t address them incorrectly.” Wang Xiang chuckled softly as he led me up. My father had once mentioned some palace secrets to me and my sister. The Crown Prince had not yet been established, and all the princes were vying for this position. The two most intense competing forces came from the Seventh Prince, born to Noble Consort Rong, and the Third Prince, born to the Empress. As I pondered over the official titles Wang Xiang mentioned, I suddenly realized that Wang Xiang was part of the Seventh Prince’s faction!
“What good fortune the Ninth Master has, to have such a beautiful wife,” the Left Minister glanced at me, giving Wang Xiang a meaningful smile. “Every time I visit Wang Xiang’s mansion, it feels empty. Now there’s finally a mistress to manage the household,” the Fifth Princess giggled behind her sleeve. Wang Xiang’s smile was dazzling, but the joy didn’t reach his eyes. “A wife bestowed by the Emperor is naturally the best.” The mansion’s famous chefs had prepared a table full of delicacies. The noble guests exchanged glances as they raised their cups to drink. The Lin family’s daughter being bestowed in marriage to someone from the Seventh Prince’s faction meant that the Lin family, which had been trying to remain neutral, was now forcibly drawn into the struggle for the position of Crown Prince. After drinking for a while, the Princess Consort suddenly laughed loudly. “The other day when I went to the Emperor’s palace for a meeting, I happened to hear the Third Prince being scolded by the Emperor!” The Northern General spoke up. “Oh? Why was the Third Prince being scolded?” The Princess Consort’s expression was playful. “The Third Prince has been frequenting brothels.” “And he even found a male prostitute! He nearly played the poor man to death. This incident spread quite unpleasantly among the common people. When an official informed the Emperor about this, he was furious.” The men shared knowing smiles, while the Fifth Princess and I wore confused expressions. Wang Xiang leaned close to my ear and whispered, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask me after everyone leaves. I promise to tell you everything.” I felt a warmth in my heart and nodded at him. Late that night, in the quiet of our chamber, I asked one curious question after another about what I had heard at the banquet. Wang Xiang’s answers were increasingly shocking. They were all scandalous stories, and I felt myself blushing. By the end, even his jade-like face was tinged with a faint red as he lay on the soft pillow, looking at me. “Zhiqiao, do you regret marrying me?” I shook my head. He suddenly sat up. “Really? Not even a little bit?” I looked at his beautiful face. “At first, maybe I regretted it a little, but now, I don’t regret it at all.” I had heard that women all endure the pain of childbirth. My wet nurse once said, “When a woman gives birth, she’s walking through the gates of hell. Whether you’re the wife of a commoner or an imperial concubine, in the face of death, you’re all the same!” Wang Xiang was a eunuch, and I was a eunuch’s wife. I would never be able to have children in this lifetime. I would never face the threat of death due to childbirth. He stared at me for a moment, then suddenly reached out to take a silver box from a nearby low cabinet, turning his back to me as he opened it. Curious, I leaned over to look, and my pupils dilated in shock—the silver box contained over a dozen sex toys made of jade in various sizes! His cheeks flushed crimson, his long fingers resting on the silver box. “I won’t force you. If you don’t want to…” “I want to.” As Wang Xiang looked at me in astonishment, I untied my own clothes.
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