Despite being imprisoned, Qing Ya was treated with utmost care and comfort. Her cell was meticulously cleaned, incense burned, and her bed piled high with thick bedding and draped with a canopy.
Song Ming, fearing she might grow bored, even had a stack of newly released storybooks delivered from the publishing house. It was as if they were about to set up a stage and hire performers.
In contrast, Han Shi was overcome with sorrow. Even during their most intimate moments, Song Ming had never shown her such patience. She secretly vowed to hold out to the very end.
However, her resolve shattered that very night when a mouse scurried over her foot.
Qing Ya tutted, "If you'd held out a few more days, I might have thought a little higher of you. And you broke so easily?"
Han Shi glared at her, her eyes burning with a desire to devour her alive, but Qing Ya couldn't be bothered.
The next day, Han Shi publicly apologized to Qing Ya outside the main hall of the Dali Temple, earning herself a torrent of scornful looks. In Han Shi's heart, bowing to Qing Ya was not the most humiliating part; the most humiliating was that her own husband stood on another woman's side.
As the crowd dispersed, Wang Shoucheng, along with his son, carefully helped her into the carriage, as if she had suffered some terrible injustice.
Meanwhile, her husband had not even spared her a glance from beginning to end.
Unable to contain herself, she yelled towards Qing Ya's retreating back, "Are you satisfied now?"
Qing Ya, not accustomed to her arrogance, retorted, "He who insults others will be insulted in turn. You should have considered this outcome before bothering me."
After this incident, a deep animosity formed between Han Shi and Qing Ya. If they encountered each other outside, Han Shi would invariably make some sarcastic remarks. Qing Ya, too lazy to engage, eventually took to avoiding her.
Everyone in the capital knew that where Han Shi attended a banquet, Madam Wang would certainly not be present.
Song Ming was a favored minister of the Emperor. By rights, Han Shi's status should have far outweighed Qing Ya's. However, she was not favored by Song Ming. Appeasing her was useless, so why offend the Empress's confidante for her sake?
This was a truth Han Shi only understood much later.
But it was too late.
Qing Ya did not sever ties with Song Ming because of Han Shi. They had years of friendship, and it was impossible to end it over a woman like Han Shi. However, in their subsequent interactions, Qing Ya consciously avoided any impropriety.
She was unaware of Song Ming's feelings for her.
Song Ming, even more so, dared not let her know how much he cared about her maintaining propriety.
In the grand scheme of things, Han Shi was not particularly significant. Even without this incident, his affections were destined to remain buried in his heart forever.
However, people are people, and who hasn't had moments of misplaced anger?
From then on, Song Ming's disdain for Han Shi grew even stronger.
Life continued uneventfully. While love was unrequited, his career in officialdom progressed smoothly. Han Shi could not win back Song Ming's heart and her hatred for Qing Ya deepened.
Yet, as Qing Ya paid her no mind, Han Shi did not dare to seek her out.
She was afraid of being divorced.
Later, Meng Changdong was transferred to the Ministry of Punishments as its minister. He was promoted accordingly, becoming the Dali Temple Minister, a third-rank official.
That year, he was not yet thirty, full of ambition and with a boundless future.
When a man gains power, women flock to him.
He later took two more concubines and had a son and two daughters.
On the surface, it appeared to be a happy life, but only he knew that a piece of his heart remained incomplete, a void that could never be filled.
He had considered granting Han Shi freedom, but she disagreed, so he let it be. In any case, since he could never marry the woman he desired, it made little difference whether the position of the principal wife was vacant or occupied.
Qing Ya lived a good life. Although she held no official power, with the Empress's backing, no one in the capital dared to provoke her. Wang Shoucheng devoted himself wholeheartedly to her, never taking any concubines or even a maidservant for himself.
Qing Ya had a son and a daughter.
Her son, for some unknown reason, took to reading, suggesting a change in family fortune might be on the horizon. He would surely earn Qing Ya a noble title in the future. Her daughter, however, was an exact replica of her, especially that spirited demeanor, just like Qing Ya in her younger days.
I pondered if it would be good to have this girl as my daughter-in-law. Unfortunately, my son was born late and is a full five years younger than Qing Ya.
If we were to arrange a marriage, we would have to settle for Wang Zihuan.
But then Qing Ya was unwilling.
I know it's because she dislikes my wife. Alas!
If I can't marry her, why is it so difficult to even establish some connection with her?
(The End)