Pretty Dawn

@tylee

"Since it is an imperial marriage, and General Lang has made such a decision, neither the Empress Dowager nor the Emperor can make a judgment lightly. It would be best to ask the young lady of the Xiao family."

In the resplendent hall, Emperor Yunchang sat on the dragon throne, while the voice of the Empress Dowager came from behind a beaded curtain beside him.

"No, I will not break off the engagement, I will not break off the engagement." As soon as Xiao Jin, who had just been summoned into the hall, heard the words about breaking off the engagement, she knelt on the ground urgently.

"Presumptuous!"

An attendant's sharp rebuke was about to order the disrespectful woman to be dragged out when a slight cough from behind the beaded curtain stopped his next move.

The woman had a delicate face but looked as if she had been suffering from long-term hunger, her face sallow and thin, and the wide dress made her look even more emaciated.

At this moment, her tearful eyes were pitiful, pleading as she looked at the handsome and upright man standing beside her.

"My mind is made up. Please, Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, grant my request!" Lang Shiqing showed no emotion, his eyes filled with disgust.

"No, General, you cannot break off the engagement, you cannot break it off."

Xiao Jin shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum, tears streaming down her face.

An imperial marriage was originally a blessing; unless there was a great loss of virtue, breaking off an engagement was unheard of.

Lang Shiqing was determined to break off the engagement, even at the risk of defying the imperial decree, which showed his resolve.

However, it was pitiful for this innocent girl. From now on, not only would Xiao Jin be unable to marry, but she would also be ostracized if she cut her hair to become a nun.

Officials in the hall held their breath, waiting for an answer.

"Minister Lang, is there any room for negotiation in breaking off the engagement?"

Emperor Yunchang looked at Xiao Jin with compassion and asked Lang Shiqing with difficulty.

Hearing the question, Xiao Jin seemed to grasp a glimmer of hope and quickly looked at Lang Shiqing standing beside her, praying that he would change his mind.

"Please, Your Majesty, grant my request!" Lang Shiqing still refused.

"No, no, General, you cannot break it off, you cannot break it off."

Xiao Jin's tears flowed more and more. She knelt and moved towards Lang Shiqing, disregarding propriety and decorum, extending her hands to tightly grasp the hem of Lang Shiqing's brocade robe, shaking her head and pleading incessantly, her eyes blurred with tears.

Lang Shiqing's already ashen face instantly turned icy. He detested her and pulled his robe away, stepping forward and kneeling on one knee.

"I will never marry such a spineless woman. Please, Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, grant my request!"

With another firm refusal, Xiao Jin's outstretched hand trembled violently, and she collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud.

The surrounding disdainful gazes were openly directed at her frail body. If not for the prohibition against whispering in the court, the hall would have been filled with murmurs of discussion.

Her tightly bitten lips were already bleeding. Turning her head slightly to look at her father's position, Xiao Yi's eyes pierced her heart like a knife.

What happened in the hall today would soon spread throughout the capital.

Being rejected without fault had already disgraced her and her entire family. Now, in this situation, she no longer had a reason to live in this world; only death could possibly preserve her family's honor.

"Please, Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, grant my request!"

Lang Shiqing's words hit Xiao Jin like a heavy blow, shattering her completely. She forced a despairing smile through her tears, giving one last hopeful look at the person before her...

With a dull thud, Xiao Jin saw her husband and his mistress standing on the balcony, smiling triumphantly, but she was in too much pain to move. The strong smell of blood filled her nostrils, and soon she lost consciousness.

The distant and nearby sounds woke Xiao Jin. When she instinctively tried to turn her head, the pain in her neck pulled at her entire head, causing a severe ache.

The fragrance in the air did not suppress the strong smell of blood. In her blurry vision, she saw a woman in ancient attire standing by her bed.

Outside, there seemed to be a woman's voice, sounding like she was scolding someone.

With her vision hazy and her ears ringing, Xiao Jin tried to close her eyes to clear her mind, but her head felt like it was about to explode. A series of images that did not belong to her flashed vividly in her mind like a revolving lantern.

Xiao Jin, the eldest daughter of Xiao Yi, the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Court. Her mother, Mu Shi, was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Anyuan.

Mu Shi had a difficult labor, giving birth to twins at the brink of life and death. Xiao Jin was born safely, but the other child went missing.

Mu Shi was heartbroken and fell ill, with all household affairs managed by Xiao Yi's concubine, Yao Yiniang. It was unclear what methods Yao Yiniang used to move Mu Shi and Xiao Jin out of their original courtyard, later sending Xiao Jin to a rural estate under the pretext of recuperation.

The servants at the estate, bribed by Yao Yiniang, treated Xiao Jin harshly, nearly causing her death.

Last year, Lang Shiqing defeated the enemy and returned to the capital, receiving continuous rewards and becoming a favored figure.

Xiao Yi, seeking to ally with him, thought of a marriage connection. Initially, it was to be with Yao Yiniang's daughter, Xiao Qin, but she was too young, and waiting further might bring changes, so he remembered the daughter in the countryside nearing her coming-of-age ceremony.

The Lang family, a lineage of military generals, was happy to marry into the scholarly class but decided to break off the engagement upon learning that Xiao Jin had grown up without proper education.

The fragments settled on the scene where a golden hairpin was plunged in, followed by the memory of her own death. Touching her flat abdomen, Xiao Jin felt overwhelming sorrow.

"Your Highness, Miss Xiao has awakened."

A palace maid, noticing movement on the bed, approached and met Xiao Jin's newly opened eyes. The maid froze for a moment, then quickly turned and left.

Xiao Jin sat up, her head spinning again.

Not long after the maid left, the sound of urgent footsteps came, the curtain lifted, and a woman dressed in luxurious attire with a phoenix hairpin, surrounded by palace maids, appeared before her.

"Jin'er..."

Seeing Xiao Jin sitting up, the woman called softly with tears in her eyes and then reached out to embrace her.

Memories in Xiao Jin's mind connected at that moment. Mu Shi had a close friend who was the Empress. Judging by the woman's attire and actions, it should be her.

"Your Highness..."

Her voice was a bit hoarse. The Empress immediately held Xiao Jin's hand, looked her over, and said with a choked voice:

"How could you be so foolish? Fortunately, you were not seriously hurt. Otherwise, how could I face your mother?"

Seeing the Empress's concerned expression, Xiao Jin, still not fully clear-headed, couldn't distinguish the sincerity of this affection and had to comfort her instead:

"Your Highness, please do not worry. I am fine."

The Empress nodded and then sighed gently.

"Jin'er, there are not only Lang Shiqing in this world. If this matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily..."

The Empress hesitated, and Xiao Jin understood. It seemed that breaking off the engagement was already decided.

Seeing her lower her head without responding, the Empress felt a bit distressed.

"I am also a woman and understand the difficulties women face in this world. There are always ways to solve problems; you must not always seek the path of no return."

Xiao Jin nodded slightly. Seeing her tired expression, the Empress wanted to say more but held back, thinking it better to leave her some time to slowly process everything.