Character Index
Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince, has suspected that his mother (Consort Chen) was murdered since childhood, but had no way to prove it.
Liu Boyue: Xianchun's childhood friend and right-hand man, currently more or less in the doghouse, so to speak, after he was found to have gone behind Xianchun's back.
Zhou Ying: The current Emperor, father of the three surviving princes. He is also Wenyuan's maternal uncle.
Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: Son of General Xiang and Princess Chu, also a maternal nephew of the Emperor.
Imperial Princess: A reincarnator with a mysterious background that Kayla has yet to fully uncover. Wenyuan's mother and the younger sister of the Emperor.
Sun Ruhui: Left Secretariat of Justice, a level-headed man and one of Kayla's supporters.
Chen Caichun: Chamberlain in the Court of Judicial Review, an intelligent young woman and the younger sister of Imperial Investigator Chen Jian. Kayla's supporter.
Liang Bailu: One of Hu Qing's deceased half-brothers. Hu Qing offered Liang Bailu's name as the scapegoat for the Liang clan's actions to remove Hu Qing as the heir.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Youngest son of the previous Lord Liang and the legitimate heir, his mother was a courtesan who fell in love with his father while the late Lord Liang was still a fugitive.
Feng Yi: A kind-hearted merchant with a lot of luck in both directions, previously got involved in Kayla's plot to drive a wedge between Xianchun and Liu Boyue. He is currently selling communication devices at affordable prices in the provinces as part of Kayla's newest plan to gain a support base among the populace by targeting the local clans' monopolies on power and resources.
Shen Liangjun: One of the two Vice-Directors of the Court of Judicial Review, he is secretly aligned with the Third Prince, but unbeknownst to him, Kayla and her supporters already know this.
Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince, one of the primary contenders for the position of heir.
Chujiao/Jing Shuyou: Qu Boyong's younger cousin, and Wenyuan's childhood friend/romantic interest. She was previously cajoled into leaving the Zhao household, and essentially became a hostage against Qu Boyong as a result.
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“Do you feel any discomfort? Any pain, ringing of the ears, blurriness of vision or hearing?” The healer inquired.
“No,” Kayla replied.
“Any strange taste in your mouth or feeling of your tongue becoming swollen? Any dizziness or nausea?” The healer went on, determined to be as thorough as possible. Kayla couldn’t help but feel a little impressed. Most of the healers she’d encountered thus far had been courteous, but never followed the line of insistent questioning that she was used to in emergency rooms and urgent care centers.
“No, I feel fine,” Kayla said.
The healer nodded to himself. Kayla held still as the healer finished his work. He stepped back, peering carefully at Kayla’s face to ensure that the healing magic hadn’t left any visible traces. Satisfied with his work, he nodded at Xianchun.
“It is done, my prince,” the healer said respectfully.
Xianchun cleared his throat slightly. “Good, you may go. My steward will pay you,” he said.
The healer bowed at Xianchun, and then at a lesser angle towards Kayla, before leaving the room with his medicine box in hand. Once they were alone again, Xianchun awkwardly approached Kayla.
“How do you feel?” He demanded.
“I’m perfectly fine, thank you for calling the healer,” Kayla replied.
“He sure had a lot of questions, couldn’t he tell via magic?” Xianchun commented.
“Looking, listening, asking, and taking one’s pulse are the four fundamentals of medicine, aren’t they? Even if he doesn’t need to ask, it makes me feel more at ease to hear the questions,” Kayla replied placidly.
Xianchun nodded, his gaze flitting to the inkstone on his desk again. The healer had quietly accepted Kayla’s excuse of having tripped, even though the wound on her head was evidently not from a fall, but the healer was smart enough to refrain from asking any further. Glancing back to Kayla, Xianchun turned the topic to their revenge.
“About the Grand Duke, how do you intend to proceed? Surely you have some inkling of a plan,” Xianchun said.
Kayla nodded. “All difficult tasks under heaven are solved through simple solutions, all major events under heaven are decided through the details. I will take the most direct path forward and face him within the sanctuary he has built for himself.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean to launch a coup within the Zhao household,” Kayla replied. “I am already putting things in place in preparation–making sure that everyone is accounted for and brought under control, and preparing to completely seal off the Zhao household. Once that is done, we will be able to gain whatever evidence we need, and dispose of the Grand Duke as we wish.”
“Are you certain this will work?” Xianchun asked.
She gave him a confident nod. “Yes. The Grand Duke wouldn’t keep key evidence anywhere else–he’s much too paranoid to do so. Once we have full control over the household, his fate will also be ours to decide.”
“The Zhao clan will listen to you so obediently?” Xianchun said dubiously.
“Most of them are subservient to the Grand Duke, but those bonds are based on fear, and not on loyalty or affection. If they bow to him in fear that he will harm them, then they will bow to me if their lives are in my hands,” Kayla said. “Their spines have softened from years of remaining bent, and their knees are more used to kneeling than standing. They are wholly unsuitable for being officials, but that grants us an opportunity. Of course, it also leaves us open to betrayal, hence why the only involvement I want from them is for them to shut up and stay still.”
“Will you be able to take control over the Zhao household though? You don’t have enough men of your own. Or do you plan to make use of the Court of Judicial Review?”
“No. I do not wish to involve the Court of Judicial Review because any action would require paperwork to be filed ahead of time and leave openings for being preliminarily discovered by the Grand Duke’s people,” Kayla explained. “He has eyes and ears everywhere.”
“Then I’ll need to lend you some guards,” Xianchun said thoughtfully.
“I would be deeply grateful, my prince. However, it’s best not to use guards registered under your household, but rather persons who are not officially affiliated. Just in case something goes wrong, you need to be able to extricate yourself. I would be fine, since this is an internal struggle within the Zhao clan, and Uncle is unlikely to press the issue, but your involvement would be damning for your career,” Kayla pointed out.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Xianchun said.
Kayla gave him a few more assurances and agreed to a three-way meeting with Xianchun and Qu Boyong before taking her leave. It wouldn’t do to say too much, but rather to withhold a few cards for future use. Things had proceeded relatively smoothly thus far, but there was no guarantee of whether the gentle winds and calm waves would suddenly surge into a howling tempest.
As she followed the steward down the hall and disappeared past a corner, Liu Boyue stepped out of the shadows. He had been waiting in tense silence. The vague sound of muffled shouting from the soundproofed room had been loud enough for Liu Boyue to pick up on, but he couldn’t make out any words.
Just what happened? Liu Boyue was in the dark more and more often now, the other members of the household and the Seventh Prince’s faction picking up on Xianchun’s shift in attitude towards his strategist. Whether it was to curry favor with Xianchun or to take advantage of the opportunity to increase their own position and supplant Liu Boyue as a trusted advisor, the change had been obvious and almost immediate.
He couldn’t tell if Xianchun had tacitly approved of isolating Liu Boyue, or if the prince simply didn’t take notice. Xianchun’s attention to detail often left a lot to be desired, but he could also be unusually perceptive at other times. As one born into the Imperial Family, it was a common occurrence for Xianchun to overlook the far-reaching influences of his actions, including how his supporters watched his every move with hawkish eyes, as those in a subordinate position had to in order to climb the ranks. That had been one of the reasons why Liu Boyue often chose to take care of things in the dark.
Liu Boyue could only hope that Xianchun had simply overlooked the consequences. The alternative would be that Liu Boyue had become an abandoned chess piece–he had no influential relatives, no wealth beyond a decent amount of savings that looked pathetic in comparison to the Seventh Prince’s household budget, and no political power in court beyond his position as the prince’s off-the-books advisor. Once, when Xianchun lacked friends and support beyond Liu Boyue and Yu Bianfu, Liu Boyue was the best Xianchun could get on such limited resources and connections, an advisor who ate distiller's grains with the prince. Now, however…the prince had rich and powerful supporters and had shot into a prominent position within a short period of time. Whether or not Liu Boyue had been abandoned was yet to be seen, but he was beginning to worry.
Liu Boyue took a deep breath and approached the study, knocking on its door. If Xianchun confided in him, there was still hope. If Xianchun turned him away or used an excuse to stop Liu Boyue’s questions, then his fate was sealed.
If he’s really tossed me aside, what do I do? Stay here and wait until any lingering affection has faded? Or leave before I’m discarded?
Liu Boyue cleared his throat. “Please pardon the interruption, my prince, it’s Liu Boyue.”
“Come in,” Xianchun called. Liu Boyue entered the study, immediately sensing Xianchun’s mood. The prince was pacing the room, his heart in his throat.
“My prince,” Liu Boyue said in concern. Seeing Liu Boyue’s expression, Xianchun seemed to grow even more agitated.
“What happened?” Liu Boyue asked. Xianchun stopped mid-step, turning to face Liu Boyue.
“My mother was murdered by the Grand Duke!”
“What?!” Liu Boyue stared at him in disbelief. “Are you certain?”
“Of course I’m certain! I wanted to march over and hack that old bastard to pieces right this moment, but Wenyuan promised to help me get evidence first,” Xianchun said.
“Good heavens…it’s just as we thought then, your mother’s death wasn’t just due to illness,” Boyue said in shock. “Was Zhao Wenyuan the one to tell you? Does he not have evidence yet?”
“He told me as soon as he heard it from the Grand Duke,” Xianchun said. “As you know, he went to the Zhao household today, but he wasn’t able to get evidence. Our people also confirmed that there was a confrontation between him and the Grand Duke, and Wenyuan’s servant tried to sneak into the study afterward but was forcibly removed.”
“I didn’t know that, no one reported it to me,” Liu Boyue said, taking the chance to file a subtle complaint. “But did the Grand Duke say it to him? I didn’t think the Grand Duke would be so careless after their argument last time.”
“Wenyuan said it was heavily implied. I also didn’t think the Grand Duke would admit it outright, but I’m not surprised that he did. The Grand Duke has always had a short fuse when it came to Wenyuan. Not to mention that even the servants haven’t seen the Grand Duke in days now, though they’ve heard his voice. Perhaps their last fight took a toll on him as well,” Xianchun said. “But my mother really was murdered, we both know this. Even though father, grandmother, and the Imperial Healers all pretended not to know, everyone knew what was really going on! It’s been eating at me for years and—Gods above! I wish I could cut him apart with a thousand knives!”
Liu Boyue withheld a wince at the rage simmering just beneath the boiling point in Xianchun’s heart, wracked by an aftershock of fear as Xianchun explained the events of what had happened earlier.
If Xianchun had actually stormed out of the room and towards the Zhao household, it would’ve been up to Liu Boyue to stop him. The thought of it had caused a cold lump to form in his stomach. Liu Boyue couldn’t make the assurances Wenyuan could, nor could he strike Xianchun, and the prince certainly wouldn’t have listened to reason otherwise in the height of rage. Liu Boyue’s only option would have been to make an emotional appeal, but the whisperings of fear in his mind gleefully told him that approach might not work, not anymore.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
If Wenyuan hadn’t stopped him, I might not have been able to either, Liu Boyue realized. The momentary crisis had passed, but a larger one loomed, a dark cloud that hung over Liu Boyue alone. Xianchun still confided in Liu Boyue in moments of distress, but an irreversible change had already taken place, and Liu Boyue had no choice but to come to terms with that.
“I understand your feelings, my prince, but I’m glad Zhao Wenyaun stopped you,” Liu Boyue said earnestly. “Marching into the Grand Duke’s household like this would’ve ruined you even if it didn’t kill you.”
Xianchun relaxed somewhat. Zhao Wenyuan had always stirred up Liu Boyue’s suspicions and was unwittingly the cause of many disagreements between the prince and his advisor. To Xianchun’s relief, Liu Boyue had conceded on Zhao Wenyuan’s case for once. It wasn’t a show of being deferential and the etiquette of a servant that Xianchun wanted from Liu Boyue, but a genuine concession towards Xianchun’s judgment, one that would serve as an assurance of both Liu Boyue’s loyalty, and that he would not go behind Xianchun’s back again.
The visible relief on Xianchun’s face scratched at Liu Boyue’s insides, but he hid the inexplicable writhing of emotions with admirable restraint.
“What do you plan to do now, my prince?” Liu Boyue asked.
“I’ll pull Qu Boyong in as well,” Xianchun replied. “Better to have his help than not to. As for the Grand Duke…first, we’ll have to gain the evidence from the secret vault. Zhao Wenyuan’s coup will probably do the job, especially if he uses his nullification talisman. After that, then I’ll be able to take my revenge without anyone to stop me.”
There’s an underground vault? Liu Boyue lowered his head slightly to hide the annoyance that flitted across his face.
“What can I do for you?” Liu Boyue asked instead.
“You contact Qu Boyong,” Xianchun said. “And I want you to listen in on the meeting as well, I’ll need your help for the next steps.”
Liu Boyue hesitated for a moment and bowed his head again. The words that should've brought him relief seemed to only sharpen his anxieties.
“As you wish, my prince.”
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Kayla flipped through the scrolls on her table, steadily growing more irritated.
Did I fucking lose a scroll? She doubted any of the servants would have touched the table clearly labeled DO NOT TOUCH in giant red characters, especially with Wei Guang’s strict instructions to leave her things alone. Yet the scroll with the Imperial Princess’ self-introduction was missing. Kayla had already transcribed the contents, and technically had more important things to tend to, but couldn’t stop herself from all but turning the room upside down to find where the hell she had put it.
Xianchun’s burst of fury hadn’t frightened Kayla as she’d expected, and even the inkstone to the head hadn’t invoked instinctive reactions of uncontrollable fear or anger. It had, however, left her with an erratic energy that had been suppressed beneath the rational thought process that guided her interactions. It had simmered under her skin on the way back, and now, with nowhere else to go, all of the energy had latched onto the missing scroll.
A knock on the door drew her out of her frenzied search, and Kayla got up from where she was checking along the ground on all fours. She hastily smoothed down her robes and tried to hastily rearrange the mess she’d made.
“Please pardon the interruption, Minister. Left Secretariat Sun and Chamberlain Chen are here to pay a visit,” the steward announced.
“Please come in,” Kayla called.
The steward opened the door, bowed, and stepped aside. Sun Ruhui and Chen Caichun came in, offering their greetings as the steward closed the door behind them.
“Left Secretariat, Chamberlain, thank you both for coming,” Kayla said. She hadn’t called for them, but it was evident that they were here about the Seventh Prince.
“Apologies for disturbing you so late at night,” Sun Ruhui said, as though Kayla hadn’t messaged or called for them way after midnight multiple times before.
“Not at all, I’m glad you’re both here. There are a lot of moving parts to this plan, and I lack the ability to navigate it alone,” Kayla gestured for them to sit, belatedly realizing she’d overturned one of the cushions. Chen Caichun turned it back and sat down without comment.
“My lord, would I be correct in assuming that you succeeded?” Caichun asked, leaning forward in anticipation.
“I think it would be safe to say yes,” Kayla replied. She quickly recounted the events, letting out a deep sigh as she finished. “Hopefully, Qu Boyong will cooperate.”
“You have both Ji Yantao and Miss Chujiao, he can’t just clench his jaw and act out on his own,” Sun Ruhui assured her. “More importantly, there is yet to be news from Feng Yi, and at this rate, the Seventh Prince will staunchly think of you as his one of his men. We need to prepare for how to transition to supporting the Third Prince without incurring the Seventh Prince’s wrath, for he will surely feel betrayed.”
“Hu Qing will serve as a turning point. My investigation will uncover the records of Liang Bailu bribing an official to change Hu Qing’s status from the heir to an illegitimate son, and that’ll allow us to back out of further cooperation without having an emotion-based falling out,” Kayla explained.
A subtle frown furrowed Sun Ruhui’s brow.
Oh shit. Right. He was the one who told me not to touch Hu Qing’s lineage! Kayla did remember the warning, but it had faded into background noise when faced with the urgency of the future Lady Lin had shown her, not taking a center position until now.
Kayla glanced at Sun Ruhui apologetically. “I’m sorry, Left Secretariat. Your warning was well heeded, but the situation has changed drastically from before. We’re now taking offense rather than playing defense, so I changed my tactics accordingly. But I should’ve consulted your advice first.”
“No matter,” Sun Ruhui said calmly. “I admit that if you had asked me, I would not have approved. But you had your own considerations regarding the situation, and moreover, once you’ve stretched the bow, there is no arrow that can reverse its course. Since the decision has been made, it must be followed through to the end.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Left Secretariat,” Kayla replied.
“However, there is one thing you must keep in mind, my lord. Since you kindled Hu Qing’s hopes and set him on this path, you must be prepared to take responsibility should things go wrong,” Sun Ruhui said in a heavy voice. “You should prepare yourself for losing both the battle and a general.”
Kayla breathed in sharply. “I will,” she said quietly.
“In saying so, please understand that I cast no conjectures upon Hu Qing’s character. I do not believe he would betray you or cease to be loyal simply because things did not work out, but the Liang clan will not sit still and allow him to live in peace should he make an attempt to disturb their current structure,” Sun Ruhui said. “Regardless of Hu Qing’s own wishes, you will have to send him out of the capital.”
Kayla nodded pensively.
“And if you do succeed, you must continue to bear this responsibility, perhaps for the rest of your life. The Liang clan will not take this lying down–even if Hu Qing is successfully reinstated as the head of the household, they will not accept him so easily. In their eyes, even if Hu Qing’s mother saved the late Lord Liang and supported him while he was living as a fugitive, she is still only seen as a prostitute who came from the lowest rungs of society. As such, they will reject Hu Qing for a long time to come. He will continuously need strong backing and support, and you will need to bear the gossiping that comes from interfering in another household’s affairs. That is what I mean by taking responsibility, my lord,” Sun Ruhui said. “It cannot just be a one-time ploy to gain the upper hand over the Seventh Prince.”
“I understand your meaning, Left Secretariat,” Kayla said. She looked Sun Ruhui in the eyes earnestly. “I understand.”
He really is a good person. It’s a good thing for me to have him here, but I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing for him.
Sun Ruhui gave a small smile, accepting her assurances.
“All things considered, Hu Qing’s case is a good impetus,” Chen Caichun noted. “But you will need an excuse to expose this without consulting the Seventh Prince first, or you’ll expose your earlier moves with Feng Yi as part of a plot. The Seventh Prince will wonder why you dragged Feng Yi to his house under the guise of protecting his reputation but chose to expose Minister Liang, whose actions also affect his reputation. Consistency is key for maintaining his trust.”
“Good point,” Kayla said. “Any ideas?”
“Have someone from the Third Prince faction discover it,” Chen Caichun said without hesitation. “Vice Director Shen would be the best fit–his position is high enough that you can’t just forcibly suppress him, and he’s been subtle enough that you could get away with saying that you didn’t know he was the Third Prince’s man so that the Seventh Prince couldn’t accuse you of any wrongdoing or deceit.”
“As expected of Caichun, your plans don’t even allow a single drop of water to leak,” Sun Ruhui said. “My lord, I believe that is the best path forward. You should communicate with the Third Prince ahead of time, but Vice Director Shen’s discovery should be at least semi-public, and it should come as a surprise to both of you. Or at least, that is what the witnesses should think.”
“If you act a play, you need to perform the whole set. It would be best if one of the Seventh Prince’s men were among the witnesses. After all, what the eyes see is perceived as truth. Personally seeing it is much better proof than hearing eyewitness accounts,” Chen Caichun added immediately.
Kayla nodded at both of them with a pleased smile.
“The two of you truly are irreplaceable,” Kayla said. “Then we’ll proceed accordingly with Hu Qing’s case. Qu Boyong’s situation is also under control for now, hopefully, things will all go smoothly.”
Sun Ruhui hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat. The atmosphere immediately grew solemn, Caichun and Kayla watching him in anticipation.
“Speaking of Qu Boyong, my lord, perhaps it would be best if you spoke with Miss Chujiao before negotiations,” Sun Ruhui said.
“Chujiao?” Kayla echoed.
“Indeed. She has been staying in my household under the guise of protection, but she is a very intelligent young woman. With the transfer to the safe house, she’s surely realized something’s wrong by now,” Sun Ruhiu said gravely.
“I…I see,” Kayla said, her voice growing heavier. For some reason, she was strangely resistant to the idea of seeing Chujiao now that Wenyuan was gone. It felt almost voyeuristic to approach Chujiao in Wenyuan’s image when the actual person was no longer anywhere to be found.
“I understand that you do not wish to deceive or manipulate her, and your kindness is commendable,” Sun Ruhui said gently. “But Miss Chujiao is an unyielding woman. If she realizes that she is a hostage, more likely than not, she would rather kill herself than allow herself to be used against Qu Boyong.”
“Do you really think that?” Kayla asked urgently, her heart skipping a beat in fear.
Was Chujiao like that? She never seemed it in Wenyuan’s memories, but Sun Ruhui’s eye for people is quite good…
“Yes, I have no doubt about it,” Sun Ruhui replied.
Kayla took a deep breath, slowly leaning back in her chair. It seems I have no choice.
“Then if that’s the case, I will heed your advice.”
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Cultural Notes
望闻问切/Looking, listening, asking, and taking one’s pulse: Four of the main diagnostic methods in traditional Chinese medicine.
天下难事必作于易，天下大事必作于细/All difficult tasks under heaven are solved through simple solutions, all major events under heaven are decided through the details: A quote by the Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu.
背都挺不值了/Can't even straighten his back anymore: A phrase common in modern Chinese, meaning that someone has been giving in for so long that they can no longer stand up for themselves.
跪着跪着就习惯了/Kneeling on and on, you get used to it: Another saying common in modern China, similar to the above phrase.
风平浪静/The winds are gentle and the waves are calm: An Ancient Chinese proverb describing a peaceful/calm state.
巨浪掏空/Huge waves pull [at] the sky: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to extremely stormy seas, describing the jarring sight of the waves that seem almost to swallow the sky itself.
槽糠之妻/Wife [who ate] distiller's grains [with me]: An Ancient Chinese phrase that referred to a wife that someone had while they were still poor and without influence. Distiller's grains represent a state of poverty where you can only eat the husks of rice or the discarded bits of distiller's grains. A common saying goes "槽糠之妻不可祁/You cannot abandon the wife who ate distiller's grains with you". Since the wife may have been someone the man married while he was still poor, she is likely to be older/less educated/not so pretty or refined, etc., especially if (as was not uncommon) the husband was supported by the wife selling her embroidery while he was studying for the Imperial Exams. Often, by the time he was successful, she would show signs of age and wear from long years of toil. Many men would abandon their wives once they were rich and influential, or marry a pretty young concubine and neglect their original wives, especially since they now think themselves better than the wives who accompanied them along this path.
The term is often used to refer to your original wife who married you before you were successful, regardless of whether or not the couple suffered abject poverty or not. Xianchun certainly did not, but Liu Boyue still compares himself to a wife who ate distiller's grain. Note that officials often compared themselves to wives and their lords to husbands because of the power hierarchy between them and their lords, especially in poems and the such. Another reason was that it would hurt their careers/land them in jail (depending on the Emperor) if they were to complain outright, so drawing comparisons was the most common solution. If an official's talent is not recognized by an Emperor, he might go around writing poems from a first-person POV about a beautiful young woman whose husband doesn't see how much effort she puts into her appearance, and if an official has been discarded, he might write poems about an abandoned wife who misses her husband dearly.
上行下效/The higher-ups act, and the subordinates imitate: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning that the leader's actions influence what the people below them do.
损兵折将/Waste soldiers' [lives] and lose a general: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to a lose-lose situation where you fail to preserve your resources.
滴水不漏/Not leaking a single drop of water: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to be immaculate/to do or plan something perfectly without missing anything.
做戏做全套/If you act a play, you have to perform the whole set: A Chinese colloquialism meaning that if you're going to put on an act, you have to pay attention to completing every part of it, or you'll be given away.
眼见为实/What the eyes see are truth: An Ancient Chinese proverb, part of a saying that goes 眼见为实耳听为虚/What the eyes see are truth what the ears hear are false, which essentially means to stop buying into random rumors. Caichun makes use of this mindset to continue hoodwinking Xianchun.
刚烈/Unyielding/Upright: This phrase is often associated with 1) someone who would rather die than betray their country/dynasty/lord/family, or 2) a woman who would rather die than submit to her captor, etc. It took on a twisted edge of extremity during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when extremely harsh standards were imposed on women's chastity, including cultural taboos against remarriage after a divorce or being widowed, etc. If a woman killed herself rather than remarry, she would get a plaque erected in her honor and she would be praised for being unyielding. Though these practices stemmed from Neo-Confucianism, it was very far from the original intentions of Confucianism. If you look back to the pre-Ming dynasties, or even the pre-Qin era, arguably when they would've been closer to Confucius' times, there weren't many places that had these practices, save for perhaps some remote or extremely conservative areas. Back in the Tang Dynasty, however, the term 刚烈/Unyielding had yet to take on such twisted cultural connotations, and would have been used in the context of 1) rather than 2) (see beginning of paragraph).