4 Things a Man Secretly Does After He Has a Change of Heart, Women Need to See It Early

Chapter 1: The Unlucky A'Chou

The Great Zhou Dynasty.

The first day of the third month, the thirty-second year of Jiasheng.

The capital.

"I've never seen anyone unluckier than you!" In the chill of early spring, A'Chou sat by the well, scrubbing clothes with her cracked, frostbitten hands, "huffing and puffing" as she worked. She muttered under her breath to her own reflection in the big wooden basin, then glanced at the small mountain of clothes piled beside the basin. A'Chou couldn't help but sigh, "How long is this going to take to wash?"

A'Chou was right. She really was unlucky.

You'd think a fine young lady from an official's family would have it easy, but her father just had to be a straight-laced remonstrating official who offended the higher-ups. Overnight, her parents lost their lives, and of the entire household, only four-year-old A'Chou survived, only to be cast into the Imperial Laundry Bureau as a slave. After washing clothes there for a full ten years, at fourteen, A'Chou finally had a stroke of luck. Because she washed clothes so well, she was recommended into Yanxi Palace, the residence of the most favored Consort Zhao.

But A'Chou was so used to being unlucky that this stroke of good fortune didn't last long either. Within two years, A'Chou accidentally offended Consort Zhao, and Consort Zhao promptly gave her away to a man who had been demoted six ranks in one go - the unfortunate Duan Chenghong, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy, now merely a subordinate sixth-rank official.

What sort of person was Duan Chenghong?

At the beginning of the thirty-second year of Jiasheng, the Great Zhou Dynasty had just been founded when the sky changed. The eldest prince, Crown Prince Zhong Mingwei, born of the late Virtuous Empress, had drunk too much at the New Year's Eve banquet and behaved rudely before the Emperor. The Emperor flew into a rage and had him thrown into the Imperial Clan Court. Not many days later, several important ministers jointly submitted a memorial accusing the Crown Prince of years of misconduct. The Emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation on the spot. Before the first month was out, the Crown Prince was deposed, reduced to a commoner, and banished directly to Ningguta. His prospective father-in-law, the Right Chancellor Duan Chenghong, dropped six ranks in a single day, becoming a mere subordinate sixth-rank compiler of the Hanlin Academy.

Behind the Crown Prince's deposition, the Zhao clan behind Consort Zhao had certainly put in great effort. Duan Chenghong naturally hated Consort Zhao to the bone. Yet at this very moment, Consort Zhao had thrust this girl into his household. Duan Chenghong naturally assumed A'Chou was Consort Zhao's spy. So how could A'Chou not be unlucky?

Poor A'Chou had become the thorn in the side of Duan Chenghong's entire family. They naturally didn't dare kill someone bestowed by Consort Zhao, but they had no shortage of ways to torment her. Since entering the Duan household, A'Chou had never had a moment's rest. A sixteen-year-old girl, she had to rise before dawn to chop wood, cook, clean, and wash clothes - especially the laundry. Every day, even in such cold weather, A'Chou had to wash clothes for at least four or five shichen. Who knew why the Duan family had so many clothes to wash - even more than she had washed daily at the Imperial Laundry Bureau. A'Chou had complained, but after washing the same garment several days in a row, she stopped complaining altogether.

Fine. They were just waiting to deal with her. Did she really have to deliver herself right to their door?

By the time the laundry was finally done, it was nearly midnight. A'Chou felt her back was about to break. She laboriously hung the clothes to dry and was about to head back to the firewood shed - yes, A'Chou lived in the firewood shed. This small courtyard home was already cramped with the Duan family's dozen or so members. That a slave like her could shelter in the firewood shed was already good enough.

Rubbing her back, A'Chou was about to push open the shed door when she heard a hysterical wail come from the young miss's room.

"I won't marry that cripple! I'd rather die than go to Ningguta! Mother, if you... if you push me again, I'll kill myself right before your eyes!"

Chapter 2: The Pitiful Miss Duan

A'Chou could tell it was the voice of Duan Chenghong's legitimate eldest daughter, Duan Rulan. She could tell the girl was truly overcome with grief and indignation - otherwise, a well-bred young lady raised in a great noble household would never wail so disgracefully.

Ah. It seemed she wasn't the only unlucky one.

She had heard that the deposed Crown Prince had been carried out of the Imperial Clan Court. Rumor had it he'd been tortured there, and his legs were no longer good.

She had also heard that the journey from the capital to Ningguta had been a bumpy three months, and by the time they finally arrived, the deposed Crown Prince had become a cripple. Some said he'd been ruined by the cold, others said he'd been beaten into disability. No one could agree. In the end, the deposed Crown Prince was thoroughly broken - both in body and in prospects.

When Consort Zhao heard of this, she was deeply moved. Before the Emperor, she shed tears of heartache, saying that although the deposed Crown Prince was now a commoner, as his former stepmother by rank she simply could not bear it in her heart. Now that he was crippled and had no proper person to attend him, it was truly improper. Unfortunately, the deposed Crown Prince's principal wife, Madam Ding, had passed away early.

At this reminder, the Emperor suddenly recalled that there was still a marriage contract between the deposed Crown Prince and the legitimate daughter of the Duan family. Calculating the years, that Duan girl had already come of age. The Emperor immediately ordered Duan Chenghong to send his daughter to Ningguta.

These past two days, Duan Rulan had made four or five scenes of despair and near-death. Duan Chenghong had lost his patience and couldn't be bothered to say more to her; he directly ordered the steward to lock her in her room. But Madam Duan, after all, couldn't bear to see her own flesh and blood suffer, so she had been keeping watch by Duan Rulan's side these past few days, afraid the girl might really try to take her own life.

Thinking of Duan Rulan's eyes, swollen red like walnuts, A'Chou shook her head, let out a sigh, and pushed open the firewood shed door. She was truly exhausted. The moment she burrowed into the tattered cotton quilt, she fell into a deep, drowsy sleep.

Of course, if she had known she would become even more unlucky tomorrow, she probably wouldn't have slept so soundly.

In Miss Duan's bedchamber.

"Mother, you and Father can't do this to me..." Duan Rulan was crying so hard she could barely breathe. Her usually sweet, pleasant voice was now a hoarse, unrecognizable mess. "That man is already a cripple... I... I don't want to marry a cripple! Mother, I don't want to go to Ningguta. If I go... if I go, I'm afraid I'll never see you and Father again! Mother! Please stop forcing me!"

"Lan'er, your father and I have no choice either," Madam Duan said, tears in her own eyes. She reached out and gathered Duan Rulan into her arms, choking out, "This is an imperial decree. The Emperor's command cannot be defied! Besides... besides, you and the deposed Crown Prince truly do have a marriage contract... You were always meant to be his..."

"But before... before, he was the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace! Now... now he's just a half-dead cripple!" Duan Rulan grew agitated again, pounding her chest with both hands, eyes wide as she accused Madam Duan, "Mother, I was raised and trained by your own hands since I was little. I learned household management from you, learned how to balance the inner quarters. I'm proficient in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I can recite the Admonitions for Women, the Instructions for Women, and the Analects for Women from beginning to end! I worked so hard because you told me that one day I would become the mother of the nation. But now you and Father want me to marry a commoner, and a cripple at that! I won't marry him, I won't!"

"You'll marry him whether you want to or not!" Madam Duan's face suddenly turned cold. She took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her own face as she spoke to Duan Rulan in an icy tone.

Chapter 3: The Dowry Maid

"Do you think you're still the eldest young miss of the Right Chancellor's mansion? Your father is now nothing but a subordinate sixth-rank petty official, and dragged down by the deposed Crown Prince on top of that. What kind of life are we living now? Living in constant fear, dreading that today might be our last! At a time like this, can we still afford your willfulness?! Have you thought about it? If you defy the decree today, tomorrow our whole family will be dragged to the execution ground. Losing our heads would be a blessing from a past life - who knows, if the Emperor flies into a rage, we could be torn apart by chariots or sliced to pieces by a thousand cuts!"

Overwhelmed by Madam Duan's ferocity, Duan Rulan's body went limp, her mouth opened wide, and she burst into "wu wu" sobs again.

"Lan'er, there's no other way," Madam Duan's voice softened again. She gently patted her daughter's shoulder, helpless and weary. "Lan'er, I know you've been wronged, but what can be done? Consort Wan is in high favor now. I'm afraid it won't be long before the Emperor makes Consort Wan's prince the Crown Prince. We must be cautious and keep our heads down, especially at a time like this. Do you really want to dig our own grave?"

"But Mother..." Duan Rulan, desperate and grief-stricken, collapsed crying into Madam Duan's arms.

……

By the time Madam Duan had coaxed Duan Rulan to sleep, it was past midnight. She returned to her room with red eyes. Duan Chenghong was still awake, sitting on the edge of the bed draped in his clothes, staring blankly. Hearing the door open, he came back to himself. Seeing Madam Duan's expression, he couldn't help but sigh, "Has the girl come around?"

Madam Duan wiped her tears and nodded. She walked over and sat down beside Duan Chenghong. The once well-maintained noblewoman had aged visibly after months of exhaustion and worry. She wiped her tears, paused, and choked out to Duan Chenghong, "Lan'er has been so wronged..."

"Wronged or not, since ancient times the winner takes all and the loser is the bandit. What's there to say?" Even as he said this, Duan Chenghong's eyes were full of regret.

Two years ago, the deposed Crown Prince's principal wife, Madam Ding, had died of illness. At the time, in order to cling tightly to the deposed Crown Prince's powerful leg, Duan Chenghong had run around and exhausted himself to arrange a marriage contract between his then fourteen-year-old daughter and the deposed Crown Prince. As soon as his daughter came of age, she would become the Crown Prince's second principal wife. With this marriage contract, the Duan clan had firmly established itself in court. He had taken great pride in this contract over the years. Who would have thought that out of nowhere, such a sordid mess would arise?

It was like a bolt from the blue.

"The day after tomorrow is the day our daughter leaves the capital," Madam Duan sighed. "We once prepared quite a dowry for her, but now that our family has come to this... I'm afraid we can't even produce a presentable wedding dress, let alone a dowry maid. That child has been pampered since she was little and has a proud temper. How will she get through the days ahead..."

After a long silence, Duan Chenghong said in a low voice, "Have that girl called A'Chou go with Lan'er to Ningguta as her dowry maid."

"But... she..." Madam Duan was astonished. She hurriedly lowered her voice. "But isn't that girl one of Consort Zhao's people? I can't feel at ease letting her go with Lan'er. Who knows how that girl might harm Lan'er."

"I've been observing that girl coldly these past days. She's not a malicious sort - at most she just reports information to Consort Zhao," Duan Chenghong said.

"That's still terrible!" Madam Duan said anxiously. "With an informant following her every day, won't Lan'er's every move be relayed to Consort Zhao's ears? Won't Lan'er's life be even harder?"

Chapter 4: The Dowry Maid 2

"What can we do about it?" Duan Feihong let out a long sigh. He scratched his graying temples and said helplessly, "Consort Zhao shoved her in here, and right after that urged the Emperor to send Lan'er to Ningguta. With such an obvious intent, are we supposed to play dumb? Forget it. Let her go."

"Consort Zhao is... making sure Lan'er marries the deposed Crown Prince, and having this girl openly spy on her," Madam Duan gasped. "She wants to bind our entire Duan clan to the deposed Crown Prince's sinking ship, so we can never rise again for the rest of our lives!"

"It's good that you understand," Duan Feihong said wearily. "At this point, we have no choice but to go along with Consort Zhao's wishes. At least we can preserve the lives of the whole family."

Madam Duan's tears fell again. She twisted her handkerchief, sobbing and choking, and spent another sleepless night.

The next day.

A'Chou rose before dawn as usual - chopping wood, boiling water, cooking. After a full shichen of bustling about, A'Chou's back, which had rested for one night, began to ache again. She didn't know if it was because she was growing, but she was always prone to body aches, and she could never get enough sleep. Last night she'd had cramps several times, grimacing in pain for most of the night. Now she looked utterly wilted.

She carried the prepared food into the main hall and set it out. She was just about to withdraw when Duan Feihong called her back.

"Master, you called for me?" A'Chou felt very nervous around Duan Feihong. Ever since he'd brought her back from Yanxi Palace, he had never given her a kind look. A'Chou knew he disliked her, and she knew her place, so she never dared linger in the main hall. She asked uneasily, "Master, what are your orders?"

Duan Feihong studied A'Chou, whose face was lowered almost to the ground. He just stared straight at her for a long time, until A'Chou's neck grew sore, before she heard him say, "Tomorrow you will leave the capital together with the young miss."

"Ah?" A'Chou was shocked. She had known all along that Duan Rulan was to marry and go to Ningguta, but it had never occurred to her that this matter had anything to do with her. Forgetting for a moment whether Duan Feihong would dislike her even more, she hurriedly looked up at him, "Master... what do you mean?"

Duan Feihong's originally calm face, upon being looked at by A'Chou, immediately produced a great deal of disgust and coldness: "What? Is it a grievance to you, ugly girl, to serve as the young miss's dowry maid?"

Yes, A'Chou was ugly, just as her name suggested. It wasn't that she'd been born ugly. Last year, when a fire broke out in the palace, she'd been licked by flames while fighting the fire. The dark red scar wasn't large in area, but it snaked from her right wrist all the way up to her neck, and even her chin had a scar the size of a fingernail. And so A'Chou had gotten this name.

"No no no, it's no grievance..." A'Chou hurriedly waved her hands. She paused, then shook her head, "But..."

"No buts about it!" Duan Feihong couldn't be bothered to say more to her. He waved his hand to shoo A'Chou out. Then he paused, frowned at A'Chou's coarse hemp robe, washed so thin it had turned white, and said, "Go to the steward and get a proper set of clothes. You won't do rough work today. Go attend to the young miss in her room."

"Yes, this slave obeys." A'Chou steeled herself and agreed. Her indenture contract was in Duan Feihong's grip. Naturally, whatever he said was law - what right did she have to object?

But Ningguta...

A'Chou frowned and went to find the steward. She stared at the tender green grass shoots sprouting from the cracks between the stone bricks, thinking of the gossip she used to hear the palace servants chew over back in the palace.