Chapter 4

My clever plan came to nothing.

The next morning, Master Zhang had a proper look at me. I wasn’t as pretty as Su Xiu, but I was young. He didn’t object. He had no intention of taking me away, either.

He made it sound considerate: he was afraid the tigress he had at home would hurt me.

He abused me once more, then left with a laugh.

That was how Su Xiu and I were found out.

Master Zhao decided she’d deceived him and stopped visiting her room. He decided I was a schemer and sent me to work in the kitchen.

The Third Madam spat when she saw me.

“Little slut. I always knew from those eyes of yours that you were up to something. What, couldn’t tempt our master, so you tried another trick? And now you’ve lived up to your name. That zhi—doesn’t that make you a chicken?”

Her maids covered their mouths and laughed, looking me over with contempt.

I clenched my teeth so hard my gums bled.

But who could I blame? I’d been born unlucky.

Whenever Steward Liu saw me, he dragged me toward the woodshed, cursing all the way.

“Little bitch! So that’s why you always turned your nose up at me. You had your sights set higher! Dream on. Have you forgotten what you are?”

Pinned beneath him, I could see storm clouds gathering through the woodshed’s little window.

The wind always rose before the storm.

Sure enough, the world outside changed again. The Qing was back.

Master Zhao reattached his rat-tail queue. It made him look older. He put on his official robes again and began attending court every day.

While he was in a good mood, Steward Liu asked him for me. Liu’s wife had died the month before.

Master Zhao agreed with a wave of his hand.

I hadn’t become the sixth concubine. I’d become the steward’s wife instead.

He treated me as someone he could torment at will. Night after night he subjected me to sexual violence, leaving me injured all over.

But I could endure it. I was so much younger. Surely I could outlive him.

As it turned out, I wasn’t the steward’s wife for long. Not even half a month.

One day I was stitching insoles for him when he burst in, out of breath. He tore through the cupboards, snatching things up.

“Why are you still sitting there, you stupid woman? The restoration failed! The emperor’s out again. Our master’s been arrested as one of Zhang Xun’s accomplices! This is the sort of crime they execute your entire extended family for!”

When I didn’t move, he turned around in surprise.

I swung a vase into his skull.

Once. Twice.

Until his body went limp on the floor and blood began seeping from his forehead.

“Loyal dog! You can go ahead and keep him company in hell!”

I snatched up the bundle he’d packed and ran.

The courtyard was chaos. Everyone was carrying things away. Disaster had come, and everyone was looking out for themselves.

At the gate, beggars were pouring in from outside, young and old, jostling for fear they’d miss their share.

They knocked me down. The bundle fell from my arms and opened, spilling gold and silver.

“Money!”

“Over here! This woman’s got money! Take it!”

“She’s loaded! One of his concubines, is she?”

They swarmed over me and took everything.

No! I wasn’t a concubine!

That was my money. Give it back!

They’d trampled me all over, but I still got up to chase them. Someone punched me to the ground.

“Got the nerve to come after us? You people squeezed us dry. Time you gave it back!”

A thick gob of spit landed on my face.

“Come on, come on. Let’s go.”

I lay there, my eyes swollen shut, my whole body hurting as though I were dying.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

Someone helped me up. “Hongzhi? Come with me. Quickly.”

Su Xiu.

I slipped into unconsciousness.