"The Breathing of Silence"

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That night, the silence in the room was heavy, broken only now and then by Shen Tao Hua's restless breathing and the soft rustle of wind at the window.

Mo Chen sat at the edge of the cushion, watching her lady, who seemed lost in thought, as if her mind were caught in a storm with no way out.

After a long pause, Tao Hua spoke in a low voice, as though she were speaking to the shadows:

— "Mo Chen… if you were in my place, what would you do?"

Mo Chen lifted her head in surprise, then gave a sorrowful smile and said:

— "Perhaps running away would be a solution… if I were in your place, I'd be asking you that same question. No one truly understands the weight of a choice except the one who must carry it."

Tao Hua looked at her with quiet gratitude, then let out a deep sigh and said:

— "Running away is not a solution. If I flee, my mother will die… my younger sister… maybe even my brother. I don't have that right."

Mo Chen moved closer and gently held her hand:

— "Then we must prepare. There's so much you need to learn—trade, diplomacy, reading between the lines… If we go to the Liang household before the wedding and spend a week there, we might discover something useful."

Tao Hua raised her head, as though the idea had begun to take root in her mind.

— "A week? Will that be enough to tell if this house will become my grave… or my kingdom?"

Mo Chen smiled and said:

— "A week, for one who knows how to watch, can be worth a year. We'll observe, we'll listen, we'll learn… and no one will notice."

Tao Hua nodded slowly, then murmured:

— "Yes… before I marry, I need to see with my own eyes—not through the eyes of the Empress."

Then she closed her eyes, seeking in the darkness behind her lids a trace of light to guide her toward her decision.

One morning, Shen tao hua lay half-asleep, half-awake, as an eerie silence filled the air.

Shen Meiling stormed into the room like a tempest, an imperial decree clutched tightly in her hand."Wake up, you traitor!" she shouted. "I knew you attended those gatherings only to flatter those above your station!"

Shen Tao Hua turned her gaze toward her, calm and unshaken. "What's the matter, Third Sister? Why are you so angry?"

Meiling's voice trembled with fury. "I'm angry because you stole my future husband! I told you he was going to send a betrothal gift for me in a few days, and now you've bewitched his mother and the Empress into sending this decree!"

Tao Hua's heart thudded in her chest. So the Empress is in such a hurry for this marriage?She smiled sadly at the road that was being drawn for her without her consent and said, "May I see what the decree says?"

Meiling screamed again, "See what? It speaks of the betrothal gift! Are you pretending to be ignorant now?"She stepped forward, raising her hand toward Tao Hua, about to grab her by the throat, but was stopped by the sudden intervention of the maid, Mo Chen.

"What do you think you're doing?" the maid cried. "My lady didn't ask for this marriage! It was a command from the Emperor himself! Or do you now challenge his will too?"

Meiling shot her a venomous glare. "She fooled them with her sweet face and honeyed tongue! I know it! No matter what you try, you'll always be just the daughter of a sickly concubine — weak and unwanted!"

Tao Hua's eyes shimmered with deep sadness. She wasn't looking to win—only searching for a solution.But before she could think of one, her father appeared, standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back, his official wife trailing behind him.

Tao Hua bowed to him in respect. For the first time in her life, he smiled at her.

"Ah, my dear Tao Hua," he said with a rare warmth. "I see there's a decree from the Empress herself, praising your manners and knowledge. She has even ordered your marriage into the Liang family."

Tao Hua gazed at her father with a sorrow she couldn't hide. The last time he had spoken to her was when his wife falsely accused her of theft. Now he was speaking because a noble suitor had appeared.

Meiling's voice broke with the bitterness that had filled her heart: "Father! I told you he was going to send his betrothal gifts for me soon!"

But her words were met with a harsh shout: "Were they sent? It turns out they're for your sister! It's decided!"

"But father, I—" she tried to plead.

"No buts!" he snapped.

He turned and exited the room, his wife following behind.And just like that, with her father's support for the marriage, Meiling couldn't fight anymore. She ran away sobbing, heartbroken, leaving the imperial decree — sealed in red — lying on the floor.

Tao Hua picked it up, her fingers trembling, and as she read the contents, tears streamed down her face too.

Later, once she had calmed down, she dressed herself in soft hues of yellow, pink, and green, adorned with a pink jade hairpin. Then she made her way to her father, who was seated in his study.

She bowed gently and said, "Father."

Seeing her, he chuckled warmly. "Ah, Tao Hua, my dear! Come sit. What do you need?"

Tao Hua spoke gently, with hesitation in her voice. "Actually… I came to consult you about something."

The father raised his brows in curiosity. "And what is it?"

She replied, "Some time ago, the matriarch of the Liang family offered to take me under her wing — to work and learn trade under her. I came to ask if I have your permission to go."

The father's face lit up with genuine joy. "Yes, yes! Of course you may go! Haha! Why not?"

Tao Hua smiled, as if she had been waiting for that very answer. She rose, bowed to him once more, and quietly left the estate — heading toward the Liang residence, where her fate awaited