Chapter 219

…

The hour of Wei.

Xiao Puxianwomen arrived at Qunyu Palace with only two maids and announced publicly: "His Majesty has chosen Yelu Chongyuan for his favor; all women in your palace must bathe, change clothes, and prepare thoroughly to await His Majesty's visit."

Though they had long suspected this day would come, these Western Xia women never imagined it would arrive so swiftly—nor did they expect Zhao Yu would visit their Empress right before all of them.

Worse still, according to Xiao Puxianwomen's instructions, every single Western Xia woman must prepare to be visited by Zhao Yu.

With their country fallen and their families destroyed, they were now reduced to playthings for their enemies—this drove many fiery Western Xia women to tears, their eyes reddening, tears swirling in their sockets, yet they clenched their lower lips tightly, refusing to let the tears fall, as if this feeble resistance could defend their last shred of dignity.

Xiao Puxianwomen coldly scanned the group of Western Xia women, her eyes showing not a trace of sympathy, only condescending arrogance and disdain. She parted her Zhu Chun lips, her voice icy as winter wind through trees: "Western Xia is dead; you are all captives. His Majesty is merciful and grants you the honor of serving at his side—do not mourn as if your parents had died, spoiling His Majesty's pleasure, or I shall not hesitate to crush you like flowers."

A Western Xia woman dressed in lavish but worn garments stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with unyielding fire; though her voice trembled, it was firm: "We Western Xia women would rather die noble than live in shame. If forced to serve our enemies, we shall die to preserve our purity."

At these words, Qunyu Palace fell silent, save for the occasional birdcall from outside the window, deepening the sorrow.

Xiao Puxianwomen curled her lips into a cold sneer: "From Xingqing Prefecture to our Kaifeng Prefecture is three thousand li—a journey of over a month. If you truly had the heart to die for your nation, why wait until today? As for purity—defeated soldiers have no claim to purity. I advise you to obey quietly, lest you bring suffering upon yourselves."

Xiao Puxianwomen turned to the speaker—Jin Wangfei, Lady Mozang—and spat outright: "Your ancestor was originally the wife of Yeli Yuqi. When Yeli Yuqi was executed, your ancestor became a nun. Li Yuanhao sought out Yeli's surviving kin, saw your ancestor's exquisite beauty, was utterly enchanted, and secretly took her to his bed. Though clad in monastic robes, Li Yuanhao visited her temple repeatedly, indulging in pleasure with her. Even on hunts, he took her along, sharing tents with her, ignoring public scorn."

When Li Yuanhao passed away, his son Li Liangzuo ascended the throne and honored your ancestor as Empress Dowager, ruling from behind the curtain. Holding heavy power, she grew ever more reckless, amassing a harem of handsome men—Li Shougui, Bao Baochidu, and others—all fell into her net, entering and leaving the palace, corrupting the inner court. Each night, behind the curtains, her debauchery was extreme, her shame echoing through the land."

Rumor says your ancestor was addicted to pleasure, especially fond of night excursions. Whenever she traveled, her carriages and horses thundered, lanterns blazing the sky. She ordered the entire realm to light torches to accompany her, burning through the night without restraint, indulging in wild revelry. Her conduct was perverse, violating propriety and custom; all who saw her despised her."

Later, your ancestor was assassinated by Li Shougui due to her moral corruption, dying in disgrace, mocked by all under heaven."

Here, Xiao Puxianwomen added bluntly: "All women in the world may speak of purity—but your Mozang bloodline carries stains of vile deeds. Your ancestor's lust and debauchery long ago shattered your 'jade' into dust. You stand here boasting 'better to die noble than live in shame,' yet you do not realize your 'jade' was already ground to powder by your ancestor's lust."

Jin Wangfei Mozang's face turned pale, her body trembling slightly, yet she forced back her tears. She knew—no, everyone present knew—that Xiao Puxianwomen spoke no falsehood. Even in relatively open Western Xia, the Empress Dowager Mozang's deeds had been universally reviled; this history weighed like an iron chain, passed down through generations, crushing the Mozang women beneath its burden. Mozang women were branded as lustful harlots; unless absolutely necessary, no one wished to marry one.

The reason Jin Wang Li Lin married a Mozang woman was solely because Li Qianshun needed Mozang support to overthrow the Liang clan—he forced Li Lin into this great sacrifice.

Otherwise, Li Lin would rather die than marry a Mozang woman.

Empress Dowager Mozang had sealed the fate of all Mozang women.

Precisely because of this, Mozang women especially clung to words like "purity" to define themselves.

Crucially, since Empress Dowager Mozang and her lover Bao Baochidu were assassinated by another lover, Li Shougui, the Mozang clan's power declined generation after generation.

Thus, marrying Li Lin—the only living brother of Li Qianshun and the hero of Western Xia—was a stroke of fortune for Jin Wangfei Mozang. Though this marriage was steeped in political scheming and family interests, she had always taken pride in being Li Lin's wife.

Yet Li Lin had died in battle against the Zhao Song dynasty, making Jin Wangfei Mozang his widow with a deep grudge against Zhao Yu.

That was why Jin Wangfei Mozang was the first to stand, defiantly vowing to defend her last shred of dignity and pride.

But Xiao Puxianwomen had just shamelessly ripped open the Mozang clan's darkest secrets in public.

In Western Xia—even during its decline—the Mozang clan had been a great family, intermarried with the imperial house, wielding immense power. Though others mocked Mozang women, no one dared speak it aloud, especially not before their faces; they only whispered behind backs about Mozang women and the men who married them.

Now, mere days after arriving in Zhao Yu's harem, Xiao Puxianwomen publicly exposed the Mozang clan's shame—like a bucket of icy water dumped on Jin Wangfei Mozang and every Mozang woman, instantly shattering the fragile dignity Jin Wangfei had tried to defend.

"You…"

Jin Wangfei Mozang, enraged and humiliated, lunged forward as if to tear Xiao Puxianwomen apart.

Many Western Xia women, especially those of the Mozang clan, slowly advanced, clearly intending to kill Xiao Puxianwomen on the spot alongside Jin Wangfei Mozang.

Xiao Puxianwomen didn't even lift her eyelids. She spoke calmly to Jin Wangfei Mozang: "Tonight, His Majesty will visit Yelu Chongyuan. As Li Lin's widow, you must serve beside him, to demonstrate their fraternal harmony and the imperial favor. If you dare defy this, a white silk noose hangs from the beam, poison and blade lie before you—should you wish to join the underworld, you may do so at once. If you feel lonely, I shall petition His Majesty to issue an edict executing every Mozang woman, so your entire family may walk the path of death together, granting your Mozang clan its famed loyalty—how does that sound?"

At these words, the Western Xia women advancing toward her slowed.

Only then did Xiao Puxianwomen turn to the hostile Western Xia women and speak coolly: "One Mozang is not enough? There are also Momo, Dulu, Ren Duo, Po Chou, Wei Mu, Wang, Fei Ting, Wang Li, and Po Chao clans. His Majesty owns the four seas; all women under heaven are his to take. Kill a thousand—what difference does it make? Or perhaps you'd rather not live in silk and jade here, but become military prostitutes in Song armies—where every man may use you?" No one doubted Xiao Puxianwomen was bluffing. They knew well how many stubborn Western Xia forces the Song army had slaughtered. If they killed so many, what difference would it make to kill these playthings?

Moreover, even before Tong Guan brought them to Dongjing Bianliang, these Western Xia women had heard this tale:

"With Western Xia's fall, the wind reeked of blood. The imperial army's iron cavalry shattered the Helan Mountains' passes; Western Xia's imperial kin were all bound in chains, noble lords slain on the battlefield. High officials lay dead in alleys; aristocratic families stained the yellow sands with blood. Their noble daughters—whether golden branches or jade leaves, whether adorned with hairpins or famed beauties—were either granted to military elites as lowly concubines, or forced into brothels as camp prostitutes. Once delicate ladies of vermilion gates and embroidered halls, now cast into the dust, subjected to every indignity. One noble daughter from a Western Xia minister's household, forced to serve a hundred fierce soldiers daily, died on the military bed."

Compared to this, how fortunate were these women sent into Zhao Yu's harem.

Now, some foolish Western Xia women wished to destroy their own fortune, dragging others to death or into the brothels—immediately, many Western Xia women refused.

A Western Xia woman, taller than Guo Ting and Wei Shi, stepped forward coldly and said to those advancing on Xiao Puxianwomen: "Whoever ruins our chance to live, I'll snap her neck."

Another woman, nearly identical to her, stepped out and declared sharply: "Whoever wants to die—we'll grant it!"

Xiao Puxianwomen knew these two: they were twin sisters, Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei, members of the Liang Empress Dowager's clan, leaders of the Ma Kui, fierce warriors, unmatched by any man.

When Li Qianshun eliminated the Liang clan's maternal relatives by killing Little Liang Empress Dowager, he considered killing Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei.

But Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei had repeatedly earned battlefield honors against Zhao Song, commanding respect among the Ma Kui and even within the Western Xia army.

The Ma Kui held vital importance in Western Xia: they fought in battle and handled logistics during war, comprising roughly 15% of Western Xia's total forces, playing a crucial role in defending their homeland.

Thus, after careful thought, Li Qianshun spared Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei—and did not exterminate the entire Liang clan.

Yet because Li Qianshun had executed the core Liang figures like Little Liang Empress Dowager and purged maternal relatives, deep blood feuds remained; relations between Liang and Li Qianshun were always strained.

Had Song armies not kept attacking Western Xia, leaving Li Qianshun no time to resolve the Liang clan's remnants, "Liang remnants" would have been eradicated long ago.

In other words, Zhao Song's conquest of Western Xia had, in a way, saved the Liang clan.

Crucially, though the Liang clan led the anti-Song resistance, one fact remained unchanged: the Liang clan was Han Chinese.

In Western Xia, the Liang clan had to be more anti-Song than the Tanguts or Uyghurs to survive.

Now that Western Xia is gone, the Liang clan's Han heritage has become their invisible shield in Zhao Song's harem. Compared to the Tangut and Uyghur women, who are seen as outright foreigners, the Liang women, by virtue of their Han blood, are psychologically more acceptable to the Song—even if that acceptance is tinged with complexity and ambivalence.

—To the Song, the Liang clan may have once been enemies, but their shared Han blood grants them a measure of tolerance and understanding.

Liang Damei, Liang Xiaomei, and other Liang women understood this well; they had long planned to use their Han identity to carve out a new path in the harem.

In fact, not only Han-origin Liang women, but many other Western Xia women, refused to die for Western Xia.

As Xiao Puxianwomen said—if they truly had the will to die, they would have died long ago. Why survive until now?

Moreover, these newly arrived Western Xia women had already spoken with those who entered Zhao Yu's harem earlier, learning that if they surrendered their defiance and lived obediently, they would lack for nothing; if lucky enough to be visited by Zhao Yu, they would continue enjoying luxury and wealth.

Thus, after Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei stepped forward to stop those blind to the situation, many other Western Xia women immediately lined up behind the Liang clan, declaring their stance.

Without counting, it was clear: the Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei side had far more women—dozens of times more. Jin Wangfei Mozang had only dozens of Western Xia women beside her.

Clearly, the majority of Western Xia women did not wish to die; those willing to die for Western Xia were a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction.

Crucially, even among those who claimed to die for Western Xia, how many truly would? Most likely, the vast majority were merely pressured by circumstance or swayed by radical rhetoric, acting on momentary impulse. When true blades and life-or-death choices appeared, that so-called "loyalty" and "passion" would vanish like morning mist, revealing their deepest fear and desire to live.

Seeing this raw truth, Jin Wangfei Mozang's heart sank. She felt herself burning on a fire.

Meanwhile, Yelu Nanxian, who had been watching from the side, felt a sudden tightening in her heart. She suddenly realized that her previous political stance might have been wrong.

Before Wang Fei Mozang could regret it, and before Yelu Nanxian could think further, Xiao Puxiannv turned to Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei and said: "I will petition Your Majesty to have you two sisters serve the bedchamber together tonight, so you may guard His Majesty and prevent anyone with the audacity to assassinate him."

Having spoken, Xiao Puxiannv cast a meaningful glance at Yelu Nanxian and Wang Fei Mozang…

……

(End of Chapter)