Chapter Six: What Is the Truth?
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Unable to take her own life, Liu Meng gave up temporarily and began to live normally—eating, drinking, and dressing herself—determined to win Xue Huaiyuan’s heart and find an opportunity to escape. She succeeded in capturing Xue Huaiyuan’s affection, but this only sparked the jealousy of his legitimate wife and the other three concubines. They began to scheme against her relentlessly.
Every day before dawn, Xue Huaiyuan’s principal wife would summon Liu Meng indoors to wait until she woke, only to subject her to endless torment. One day, Liu Meng was made to stand under the scorching sun for hours; the next, she was forced to kneel while holding scalding tea; and on another day, she had to attend to the wife’s every whim. Whenever life displeased the wife, she took her anger out on Liu Meng, beating her without mercy.
Seeing the principal wife’s harsh treatment, the other concubines grew even more ruthless in their cruelty. Though Xue Huaiyuan adored Liu Meng, he regarded her as nothing more than a plaything and a servant of the household. Despite being favored, Liu Meng was tormented daily with no intervention from him.
Occasionally, he would feel a pang of conscience and reward her with gifts. However, these offerings were promptly stolen by the other concubines. Liu Meng, hoping to save some money for a chance to escape, fought back to reclaim her belongings, but outnumbered, she was repeatedly beaten and left bruised and battered.
Moreover, the concubines often accused Liu Meng falsely, telling the principal wife that she was the aggressor. As a result, Liu Meng was punished according to family law, enduring a daily existence steeped in despair.
Just as she contemplated ending her life again, Liu Meng discovered she was pregnant. She saw the child as her chance to turn her fate around. She approached Xue Huaiyuan, informing him of the pregnancy and requesting permission to go out and buy necessities for the baby. To her surprise, he granted her this rare favor.
Seizing this opportunity, Liu Meng attempted to escape but was captured and brought back. Xue Huaiyuan tied her up and beat her mercilessly before imprisoning her in the wood storage room. Liu Meng had hoped the child would be her salvation, but the principal wife and others feared the same. One midnight, they broke into the storage, forcing the still-sleeping Liu Meng to the ground.
Holding a bowl of medicinal broth, the principal wife forced it down Liu Meng’s throat. Despite her desperate struggles, she was powerless. Soon after, Liu Meng suffered a violent miscarriage and severe bleeding.
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Her body weakened, and she was rendered infertile. Upon learning that Liu Meng had lost the child and could no longer bear children, Xue Huaiyuan locked her away in a dark, isolated room. Despair overwhelmed her, but she resolved to recover her health and find a way out.
What she did not anticipate was that each night, different men were brought into the dark room to violate her. The men were often sickly or diseased, and Liu MengI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.