Volume One, Chapter 1: If You Want to Live, You Must Confess

"Qin Wan, Yan'er’s father died saving me. It would be enough if you simply did not treat her well, but you actually pushed her into the water in the depths of winter. That is deliberate murder. Do you plead guilty?"

With that, a slap landed hard across Qin Wan’s face, and the stinging pain left her stunned on the spot.

At the scene before her, she was dazed.

A year ago, in the great war at the frontier, one of Qin Huai’s deputy commanders died saving him. With his last breath, he entrusted his only daughter, Su Yan'er, to Qin Huai’s care.

That very day, Qin Huai promised he would treat Su Yan'er as though she were his own daughter.

Yet for some reason, after Su Yan'er entered the household, they all seemed to have forgotten who their true daughter was.

"Qin Wan! Yan'er’s father has scarcely grown cold in his grave, and if you continue to be so overbearing, do not blame me, your elder brother, for taking action to discipline you!"

"Wan'er, this was prepared by Mother for Yan'er. She has lost her father and is pitiable indeed; we should be kind to her. Just yield a little to her!"

"Qin Wan, how could I have a daughter so lacking in manners? You are the legitimate young miss of the marquis's household, raised in comfort and luxury, yet you are not even one ten-thousandth as good as Yan'er. I, too, must be cursed by sin to have fathered a daughter like you!"

Qin Wan had long grown used to enduring such words.

But that day, at the empress's birthday banquet, when Su Yan'er unexpectedly fell into the water and Qin Wan happened to pass by, she had thought to jump in and save her.

Yet she then remembered her elder brother’s special warning: "Stay away from Yan'er from now on!"

If she were discovered, they would only say it was her fault again, and so she hesitated.

Still, with a human life at stake, in the end she crouched down and tried to reach for Su Yan'er’s hand.

However, this scene was seen by Han Shu, her mother.

Han Shu immediately sprang up and accused Qin Wan of having pushed Su Yan'er into the water.

No matter how Qin Wan explained herself, Han Shu refused to believe her and was determined that she had done it on purpose.

Han Shu’s shouting drew over the Qin family members attending the banquet, and even the empress was alarmed by the matter.

In her panic, Qin Wan tried to explain, but her own family would not believe her. How could she hope to convince outsiders?

The empress was furious at once and, on the charge of "attempting to murder the descendant of a loyal martyr," sentenced her to become a nun at Thunder Hill Temple outside the city, there to reflect in seclusion upon her sins.

Her so-called family simply watched as she was taken away, while she cried out that she had been wronged. Not one of them was willing to say even a single word on her behalf.

To keep the matter from implicating the marquis's household, her father even publicly declared with harsh resolve: "From this day forth, there is no daughter of the Pacification Marquis's household."

Thunder Hill Temple was known to the outside world as an imperial monastery, but in truth it was a prison for women of the inner chambers.

Those sent there to repent were regarded by the nuns as sinners, and they were never treated well.

Beatings and insults were mild; torture was not uncommon, and being left hungry or forced to eat slops was an everyday affair.

How she had once longed for someone to plead before the empress on her behalf and bring her home.

Thunder Hill Temple was only a few dozen li from the capital, and even if someone had simply come to see her once, that would have been enough.

But two years passed, and though her tears had long since dried up, not a single member of her family ever came to visit.

In the end, Qin Wan died in Thunder Hill Temple, her body covered in wounds.

Who could have known that heaven still had eyes? She had been reborn on the very day of the empress's birthday banquet.

In her previous life, after Su Yan'er fell into the water, no matter how Qin Wan explained herself, everything she said was ultimately branded as senseless troublemaking in their eyes.

And since the banquet was meant to be a joyous occasion, her actions had enraged the empress, who then sent her to Thunder Hill Temple.

This time, it must never happen again. Going to that temple meant certain death.

As Qin Wan was lost in thought, Qin Lang’s words interrupted her reverie.

"Father, do you not know what she is like? When has she ever admitted fault after doing wrong?

"If we had not arrived in time, Yan'er might have been pressed under the water and killed by her. Yan'er is still resting in the side chamber now!

"She has such a vicious heart. She must be punished severely!"

Hearing this, Qin Wan could not help lowering her gaze. Looking at her second brother and father, who had once adored her so deeply, and seeing them now publicly punish her, she felt a sharp ache in her heart.

Not even hearing her explanation, they were already certain that it was her fault. Even though she had been reborn once, Qin Wan’s heart still throbbed with pain.

"Father, look at her. She still refuses to admit her mistake. It is infuriating to behold. She is Yan'er’s same age, yet she is not even one-thousandth as good. What she did today is utterly outrageous and cannot be left at that. We must make her understand that she truly was wrong!"

Qin Lang felt that Qin Wan had reverted to her old ways. This was the empress’s birthday banquet, and yet she had dared to do such a thing.

If they did not use this chance to make Qin Wan see her error, who knew what kind of disaster she would cause in the future?

Everything he was doing was for her own good.

"Qin Wan, do you admit your fault?" Seeing that Qin Wan did not speak, Qin Lang asked again.

"I was wrong." Qin Wan raised her eyes and met Qin Lang’s gaze.

Qin Lang was stunned for a moment by her reaction. Why had she not argued back?

Shouldn’t she have been crying and shouting that it was not her fault, after which he would bring out irrefutable evidence and properly teach her a lesson?

"I knew it was you!" Qin Huai, standing to one side, gave a cold snort. His eyes were filled with undisguised disappointment as he turned to the empress and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. My daughter is stubborn and unteachable, and she has disturbed your birthday banquet. This is because I have failed to discipline her properly. I will surely make her understand her mistake!"

The empress waved her hand. "No matter. Since she has admitted her fault, let her receive twenty strokes of the cane as a warning to others. If there is a next time, send her directly to Thunder Hill Temple for quiet reflection!"

"Yes! This minister will take my daughter down at once to receive her punishment!"

With that, Qin Huai reached out and seized Qin Wan, who was kneeling on the ground.

He came from a martial background and was tall and powerfully built. With that violent pull, he gripped her arm so hard it felt as though her bones were splitting apart. Yet even in such agony, she merely let out a muffled groan.

Qin Lang also bowed and withdrew, but after following behind for only a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

Only then did he belatedly realize that Qin Wan’s reaction today seemed somewhat unusual.

In the past, when she stole Yan'er’s things, even if someone witnessed it, she still refused to admit it.

Even if she were locked in confinement, or placed in the dark room she feared most, she would still deny everything. Yet today she had admitted it so quickly?

And that expression of utter despair she had worn earlier made him feel as though she had become a different person. Perhaps she was simply overawed by the empress’s authority.

On the long bench, Qin Wan was bound hand and foot.

Crack.

A board came down, and she felt her backside burst open in pain. Qin Wan clenched her lips, but the agony still drove blue veins up across her forehead, while the stench of blood filled her mouth in an instant.

Yet she never cried out once.

Qin Lang watched the punishment from the side, silently counting the strokes.

He had assumed she would not endure even three blows before begging for mercy, but now five had already landed, and she still had not said a word, still forcing herself to bear it.

Not speaking, was she? Then continue.

As the board kept falling, Qin Lang’s fists at his sides gradually tightened. This was the punishment she deserved for her arrogance and insolence.

But after twelve strokes had landed, she still made no sound, and blood from her backside had already soaked the ground around her.

Seeing this, Qin Lang felt an inexplicable surge of irritation. If only you would beg for mercy, I would certainly go and plead with the empress for you!

Ordinary soldiers who commit offenses are punished with no more than twenty strokes of the cane. She is merely a sixteen-year-old girl—what exactly is she enduring in silence like this for? She must surely be unwilling to accept it!

After this, he would make her understand where she had gone wrong and temper that spoiled, stubborn temper of hers.

"Twenty!"

The eunuch overseeing the punishment gave the cry, and the cane punishment came to an end.

Qin Lang hurried forward to look, but by then Qin Wan had already fainted.