In the Li Manor, white silk hung from every pillar, but the air felt more like a celebration than a mourning. Servants walked quietly through the halls with lowered heads, yet I could still hear the whispers hidden behind their sleeves. Some pitied my mother, while others mocked her fate in silence. The scent of incense filled every corner of the manor, heavy enough to make it difficult to breathe. Outside, the cold wind rustled the mourning banners, making them flutter like restless ghosts.

My mother, the daughter of the wealthiest merchant in the capital, was finally silent. The woman who once filled the manor with warmth and laughter now lay beneath layers of white cloth, cold and unmoving. No one dared to speak of the pain she endured during her life. To them, her death was merely another matter of the Li household, something to be buried and forgotten as quickly as possible.

They buried her, and as I stood by the cold stone, I realized that in this house of high ranks and deep bows, I was now the only “legitimate” thing left that my father did not want. The realization settled heavily in my chest like ice. I was not mourned, loved, or protected. I was merely a reminder of the woman my father had despised. The servants looked at me with careful eyes, as though they feared being associated with me for too long. Even the distant relatives avoided my gaze, unwilling to involve themselves in the household’s hidden cruelty.

My father, Minister Li Zhaoxian, stood at the head of the funeral procession. He looked every bit the grieving husband. His robes were spotless, his expression calm and dignified, perfect enough to fool every official who came to offer condolences. But I saw the truth hidden beneath his mask. I saw the way his eyes drifted toward his concubine, who stood just a few steps behind him, already wearing the jade earrings that had once belonged to my mother. The sight made my stomach twist with disgust. Those earrings had been one of my mother’s most treasured possessions, yet now they rested against another woman’s skin as though my mother had never existed at all.

“Mei’er,” my father’s voice was like silk over a blade as he looked at me. “Your mother is gone. You are the eldest daughter of this house. Do not let your grandfather’s blood make you forget your place. You are a Minister’s daughter now. Nothing more.”

I bowed my head, my bangs hiding the coldness in my eyes. He did not want a daughter; he wanted a political tool, something he could use whenever it benefited him. In his eyes, I was not a child grieving her mother. I was only another piece on the board of his ambitions.

I looked at my pale, trembling hands and made a silent vow. I would stay hidden in this remote corner of the manor. I would remain invisible, obedient, and forgotten by everyone around me. I would survive no matter what humiliation or loneliness I had to endure. And one day, when the time finally came, I would burn this “rank” to the ground with my own hands.

My name is Li Mei. I am the daughter of a second-rank official.

Before my father, Li Zhaoxian, married my mother, Wang Meiling, he was nothing. He was only the son of a fallen noble family. He married my mother so that he could use my grandfather's wealth to climb the ranks of society. He passed the imperial examination, but it was my grandfather who helped him secure the seventh position by using his money and influence. After that, my father continued to use my grandfather's wealth to rise higher and higher in rank.

My grandfather helped him, believing that he would remain loyal to my mother. However, he never expected my father to be such a snake. In the end, he drove my mother to her death.

My mother was one of the most beautiful ladies in the capital, though she was not of noble birth. My grandfather was the richest merchant in the country, and because of that, my mother could have married a truly good man. But my father deceived her. He told her that he loved her and slowly made her fall deeply in love with him. At first, my grandfather refused to allow their marriage, but in the end, he gave in for the sake of his only daughter's happiness.

After they married, my mother was truly happy. For a short time, she believed she had found love and peace. But after a year, she learned the cruel truth. My father already had a mistress — perhaps it would be more accurate to call her the love of his life. That woman, Ming Suyin, had once been his fiancée. However, he broke off their engagement because he wanted to marry my mother for wealth and status. Even so, the only woman who truly lived in his heart was always Ming Suyin.

After discovering the truth, my mother confronted him, but he said nothing. His silence slowly drove her mad with grief and despair. She began to believe that if she gave birth to a son, everything would return to the way it should be. She hoped that a son would bring back my father's affection and restore her place in the household. But instead, I was born. To my mother's disappointment, I was a daughter. After giving birth to me, her value within the family fell even further. Soon after, my father openly brought back his mistress and made her his concubine without any shame.

The betrayal, the grief, and the pain of childbirth slowly destroyed my mother. She became weak and sickly, yet she still survived until I turned nine years old. She would not have become so weak after giving birth to me if my father had not poisoned her medicine little by little. He killed her slowly and cruelly while pretending to care for her. When she finally died, my father was more than happy, because his plan had finally succeeded.

I know all of this, yet I am still unable to do anything. I feel so hopeless, so sad, and filled with emotions that I cannot even begin to name.

after my mother died I live in the remote courtyard for a year.

...----------------...

...----------------...

I was wandering through the small courtyard assigned to me when my maid, Xiren, came running toward me. Her face was pale, and her breathing was uneven, as though she had run across the entire manor.

"Miss! Miss!" she cried.

I immediately grabbed her shoulders. "Xiren, what happened?"

She looked around nervously before lowering her voice.

"Your grandfather... he is being executed."

For a moment, I thought I had misheard her.

"What are you saying?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Executed?"

Xiren nodded, tears gathering in her eyes.

"They accused him of embezzling military funds. He was responsible for supplying food to the soldiers at the northern border, but the food never reached them. Many soldiers starved to death because of it. Now the Imperial Court has sentenced him to death."

My mind went blank.

"No..." I whispered.

"The families of the dead soldiers demanded justice," Xiren continued. "The entire city is gathered at the execution grounds."

I stumbled backward. My grandfather was the only person who had ever truly loved me after my mother's death. He had protected me whenever he could.

Without another word, I turned and ran.

"Miss!" Xiren shouted.

But I did not stop.

I rushed through the manor gates and into the crowded streets. My heart pounded against my chest as I pushed through the sea of people. The closer I got to the execution grounds, the louder the noise became.

People were shouting.

People were cursing.

People were demanding blood.

By the time I arrived, the square was already packed.

I forced my way through the crowd until I finally saw him.

My grandfather knelt upon the execution platform, his hands bound behind his back. His once-fine robes had been replaced by the rough clothing of a criminal. His hair was disheveled, and his face looked older than I remembered.

The executioner stood beside him with a massive blade resting upon his shoulder.

My breath caught in my throat.

"Grandfather..." I whispered.

The executioner raised his blade.

At that moment, my grandfather seemed to sense my presence.

Slowly, he turned his head.

Our eyes met across the crowd.

For a single moment, all the noise disappeared.

I expected fear.

I expected regret.

Instead, he smiled.

It was the same gentle smile he had given me when I was a child.

A smile filled with warmth.

A smile filled with love.

A smile meant only for me.

Then the blade fell.

Everything happened in an instant.

A flash of steel.

A spray of red.

His head rolled across the platform.

My grandfather was gone.

"No!"

The scream tore from my throat.

I fell to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Tears blurred my vision as grief crashed over me like a tidal wave. I did not know what I was feeling anymore. Pain. Shock. Anger. Despair.

All I knew was that he was gone.

Around me, the crowd erupted into cheers.

"Justice!"

"He deserved it!"

"The criminal is dead!"

Their voices stabbed into my ears.

As they celebrated, I could only cry.

I cried until my throat was raw.

my maid to me out of the sea of people.

I cried until I could barely breathe.

And for the first time since my mother's death, I felt truly alone.

...----------------...

By the time I returned to the Li Manor, the sky had already darkened.

My eyes were swollen from crying, and my legs felt weak from running. The image of my grandfather's final smile would not leave my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I could still see the blade falling.

I slipped through the side gate, hoping to return to my courtyard unnoticed.

"Miss..."

Xiren's frightened voice stopped me.

The color drained from my face.

Servants stood on both sides of the path with their heads lowered. At the end of the courtyard stood my father, Minister Li Zhaoxian.

His expression was colder than winter ice.

I immediately understood.

He knew.

"Father..." I whispered.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

His voice was calm, but that calmness was far more terrifying than anger.

I lowered my head and remained silent.

"Answer me."

The pressure in his voice made my body tremble.

"I... I went out."

"And where did you go?"

The servants around us became even quieter.

I clenched my fists.

"I went to see Grandfather."

The moment those words left my mouth, the atmosphere froze.

My father's face darkened instantly.

"You dared to leave this manor without permission?"

"He was my grandfather!" I cried. "I only wanted to see him one last time!"

"One last time?" my father repeated with a cold laugh.

His eyes filled with disgust.

"That criminal deserved his death."

I stared at him in disbelief.

That was the man who had once used my grandfather's wealth to build his career.

The man who had taken everything from him.

Yet now he spoke as though my grandfather were nothing more than dirt beneath his feet.

"He trusted you," I said through tears.

"Enough!"

He turned toward the servants.

"Bring the punishment rod."

The courtyard fell silent.

Xiren immediately dropped to her knees.

"Master, please! The Young Miss is only a child!"

"Silence."

My father's voice was cold and merciless.

He looked directly at me.

"You left the manor without permission. You went to see a condemned criminal despite my orders. Fifty strikes to the hands."

My heart sank.

I knew arguing would only make things worse.

Slowly, I stepped forward and held out my trembling hands.

A servant hesitated before lifting the rod.

The first strike landed with a sharp crack.

Pain shot through my palm.

I bit my lip.

The second strike came.

Then the third.

Then the fourth.

Each blow felt like fire spreading through my fingers and bones.

By the tenth strike, my hands had become red and swollen.

By the twentieth, I could barely keep them raised.

Tears streamed down my face, but I refused to beg.

Not in front of him.

Not in front of the servants.

My father watched without the slightest trace of pity.

To him, I was merely a disobedient daughter who had shamed him by publicly mourning the man he wanted everyone to forget.

The strikes continued.

Twenty-five.

Thirty.

Thirty-five.

Forty.

My hands shook uncontrollably.

Every impact sent another wave of agony through my arms.

Xiren was sobbing quietly from where she knelt.

Several servants lowered their heads, unable to watch.

Yet no one dared to intervene.

Finally, the fiftieth strike fell.

The rod lowered.

My arms dropped weakly to my sides.

Both palms were swollen and burning with pain.

My father stared at me for a long moment.

"The merchant family is finished," he said coldly. "Your grandfather is dead. Do not embarrass this household by speaking of him again."

I lowered my head.

Blood rushed in my ears.

My hands throbbed with every heartbeat.

But the pain in my chest was far worse.

My grandfather had died with a smile on his face.

My father had punished me for wanting to see him one last time.

At that moment, I realized that no matter how obedient I was, he would never see me as his daughter.

I remained kneeling in the courtyard as he walked away.

The pain in my hands would fade one day.

What happened today would not.