Huo Ci knelt in the ancestral hall, covered in wounds, not daring to raise his head to look at the memorial tablets of his ancestors.
His father had once earnestly warned him: it was enough to have filial devotion towards his mother; he absolutely must not obey her in every matter. He must always investigate thoroughly before making a decision.
Reflecting on it now, his father, having shared a bed with his mother for over twenty years, must have long witnessed her true nature and methods firsthand.
He had been too young then to understand the deeper meaning behind his father’s words.
Now that he truly understood, it was far too late.
He pressed his forehead against the cool, stone floor tiles.
“Father, your son was wrong.”
He had once thought, with bitter disappointment, that Jiang Xingyan couldn’t even take proper care of a child, that she was utterly useless.
Even when they first swapped souls, he had felt some resentment towards her, wondering why she hadn’t explained things clearly to him.
Only now, in this moment, did he realize how arrogant and dismissive he had been.
Never mind the inner quarters; the entire Huo residence was filled with his mother’s people. What could she possibly do?
Every day, the moment she opened her eyes, she had to busy herself with mere survival.
Did she not want to spend time with Xiao Ya?
If she stayed with Xiao Ya, who would do the work to earn their meals?
This kind of life—never having enough to eat or wear, unable to sleep soundly, even the most basic strengthening of one’s body out of reach.
Even the title of First Rank Lady was utterly meaningless.
How could anything possibly change?
He regretted it so much!
A memory suddenly sharpened into focus: Jiang Xingyan’s lovely eyes, looking at him as if she wanted to speak but didn’t dare, before she was hustled away by the matron at her side.
She had been so clearly signaling for his help, yet not only had he turned a blind eye, he had frowned and scolded her.
So much so that later, Jiang Xingyan never looked up at him again.
On the rare occasions their eyes did meet, her gaze was completely indifferent.
Tears dripped from the corners of Huo Ci’s eyes onto the floor.
He had never loathed himself more.
“Mistress, it’s the end of the Hai hour [around 11 PM]. Let’s go back.”
Xiafeng’s voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
Huo Ci hurriedly wiped away his tears and let her help him up.
“Mistress, it’s so late, the matrons didn’t want to go to the side courtyard, so they sent me to come help you back.”
Huo Ci stifled a sob. “They… they didn’t give you a hard time, did they?”
Xiafeng paused, then pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“Mistress, they won’t let you through. Please don’t try to come here again.”
Huo Ci nodded, finally abandoning the idea completely, and limped back to the side courtyard.
……
Xiao Ya had taken her medicine and, no longer feverish or coughing tonight, was sleeping soundly.
Jiang Xingyan finally had time to bathe.
She stood beside the large bathtub and began to undress.
She was quite composed about the act of touching Huo Ci’s body.
Until the divorce was finalized, they were still legitimately husband and wife.
Between husband and wife, such things were normal.
Even so, her ears gradually grew warm.
Setting everything else aside, Huo Ci’s physique was truly impeccable.
Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, strong and well-defined muscles and bones.
In a traditional robe, he was the picture of an elegant, handsome scholar.
In official court dress, he resembled a peerless top graduate.
In armor, he was the iron-blooded general who made enemies tremble at the very mention of his name.
A man of talent comparable to the heroic and imposing Grand Marshal Zhou Yu from centuries past.
No wonder Jiang Xingyan had been so deeply devoted to him.
It was just a pity that such a fine exterior housed someone so foolish and obtuse.
The side courtyard had a dedicated room for bathing.
Steam rose, warm and comforting.
Jiang Xingyan removed the inner garments, looked down at Huo Ci’s muscular torso, and her eyes widened in shock.
There, on jade-white skin, were mottled countless bluish-purple old bruises, mixed with fresh, raised red welts.
Some from willow switches, some from wooden clubs, some from pinching.
She was all too familiar with them.
Jiang Xingyan’s head buzzed.
So this was why Xiafeng said she hadn’t seen any wounds on her body—they were all on Huo Ci’s.
She reached out a finger and poked at the green marks and red ridges. It didn’t hurt at all.
Had the soul swap somehow transferred the injuries to their original bodies as well?
Now that was truly understanding through shared experience.
She should have felt triumphant.
The harm her mother-in-law had inflicted on her was finally being returned in full measure to her precious son.
Yet, for some reason, Jiang Xingyan’s heart felt heavy and stifled, as if stuffed with cotton.
After a perfunctory soak in the hot water, her mind in turmoil, she returned to the main room.
Qiuyan and Chunxue took turns going to bathe, their faces both lit with a long-absent happiness.
Jiang Xingyan sat呆呆地 (dāi dāi de – blankly, numbly) on the edge of the bed, watching Xiao Ya’s deep, sleeping face.
An intense feeling of unreality made her panicky and flustered.
She was afraid all of this was just a dream.
She didn’t know what she had to do to truly escape her current predicament and return to her own body.
What if enemy forces invaded and she hadn’t swapped back yet? What should she do then?
Or if that vicious old woman decided to kill her—if Huo Ci died, would she disappear along with him?
Her thoughts in disarray, Jiang Xingyan lay down on the carved huanghuali wood bed, tossing and turning.
Hearing the night watchman’s clapper sound the third watch [around 11 PM-Midnight], she knew she had to prepare for court in another hour.
She simply got dressed, told Qiuyan and Chunxue to sleep next to Xiao Ya, and got up to stroll casually around the estate.
Since marrying Huo Ci, she had never properly looked around the General’s residence.
She hadn’t realized the side courtyard was also so large, with its own small garden.
If not for Huo Ci insisting on eating all his meals with his mother, they should have had a small kitchen here too, to make the food they liked.
As she walked, she reminisced about the past.
When she reached the corridor, Baozhu had long since returned to the main compound, leaving only some rough work matrons dozing off, guarding against anyone from the side courtyard coming to disturb the Young General.
Jiang Xingyan smirked coldly.
She had lost count of how many times she had tried to rush through here, and how many beatings she had received for it.
There was even one time when Xiao Ya had caught a chill and developed a high fever. She had begged her mother-in-law to call a doctor for Xiao Ya, only to be flatly refused: “Just a worthless girl. If she dies, she dies. Why call a doctor? Wasting those few taels of silver for nothing.”
She had run through the pouring rain to this main compound, desperately trying to force her way in, but was outnumbered. They gagged her and dragged her to the ancestral hall.
Unexpectedly, Huo Ci was in the ancestral hall at the time.
She had clung to him like a lifeline, crying and begging him: “Please go see Xiao Ya. She has a high fever. She needs a doctor.”
But he had pulled his sleeve back with disgust. “Jiang Xingyan, I am so disappointed in you. You would use such a despicable trick to try and lure me to the side courtyard.”
“Xiao Ya is cursed to have a mother like you!”
“Mother says the daily expenses in your side courtyard amount to hundreds of taels of silver. What, can’t you spare a few to call a doctor for Xiao Ya?”
“How dare you make a scene in the ancestral hall!”
“Someone! Take her back to the side courtyard. I don’t want to see her again.”