Master of the Ming Dynasty

Under the dim night sky and scattered stars, the early summer evening felt both warm and cool. From the grassy area of the back garden of Xiahou Hong, a fifth-ranked official in the Ministry of Works, came the voices of a man and a woman. A flustered young maid exclaimed, “Young master, tonight is your wedding night! If you… do that with me, and the lady—no, the mistress—finds out, she’ll be upset…” A man’s voice interrupted, “Don’t worry about her! My darling Haitang, show me your charm; I can’t wait anymore…” This was followed by the sound of clothes tearing, a girl’s soft scream, and then the rustling of movement. Suddenly, amidst the starry night sky, a light grew brighter and brighter, dazzlingly so. At that moment, the young master’s body tensed. Grabbing his chest, he let out a groan of pain. Then, he collapsed beside the bare girl and lay motionless. At the same time, a bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens, illuminating his body with divine brilliance, as if a celestial being had descended. The maid, initially gasping and cooperating with the young master’s movements, became slightly puzzled when he stopped moving. She opened her eyes after a moment and saw a bolt of lightning strike the young master’s n***d body. Though she heard no thunder, the shock was no less than if she had. Trembling, she reached out to check his breathing but found he was already lifeless. Terrified, she let out a piercing scream that echoed throughout the garden. Struggling out from under the man’s body, she hastily threw on her clothes and fled in panic. At the garden’s gate, an elderly man with a graying beard reached out from the shadows and stopped her. “Haitang, weren’t you told to serve the young master in the back garden? Why are you running out? Where is the young master?” Terrified, Haitang stammered, “Old He, something terrible has happened… A bolt of lightning… struck the young master… and killed him!” With that, she burst into tears. “What?” Old He exclaimed, “Quickly report this to the master and mistress!” He rushed into the garden. When he arrived at the young master’s side, he found him n***d, eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth, and unresponsive. Checking for breath, he confirmed the worst and began to wail. Soon, Xiahou Hong, his wife, and a group of maids and servants hurried into the garden. Seeing the scene, Xiahou Hong asked in shock, “What happened to Tianchu?” Old He had already dressed the young master in his disheveled clothing and was sobbing beside him. Hearing the question, he replied, “Haitang said… she was with the young master in the garden… when a lightning bolt struck him, and he stopped breathing. I don’t know how to face the late master now!” Tears streamed down his face. Standing nearby, Xiahou Hong’s wife appeared to show a trace of relief but feigned a sorrowful cry. Among the servants, a bright-eyed maid glanced at the trembling Haitang, hiding in a corner, then spat softly while eyeing the disheveled young master. “Serves him right! On his wedding night, fooling around with a maid. He deserved to be struck by lightning! Hmph!” “Feiyan, mind your manners!” Xiahou Hong’s wife glared at the maid. Feiyan quickly bowed and fell silent. Xiahou Hong stomped his foot. “I failed to take care of Tianchu. How can I ever face his late father?” The deceased young man, Meng Tianchu, was the son of Meng Hao, a childhood friend and sworn brother of Xiahou Hong. The two families had arranged a betrothal between their children since birth. Xiahou Hong excelled in the imperial examinations and became a fifth-ranked official. Meng Hao, however, repeatedly failed the exams, and his family fell into decline. He and his wife eventually passed away in despair. Despite the Meng family’s downfall, Xiahou Hong remained true to his word. He supported Meng Tianchu in taking the imperial exams, hoping he would succeed and marry his daughter. But Meng Tianchu lacked ambition, falling asleep over the classics and excelling only in indulgences, driving Xiahou Hong to near despair. As Meng Tianchu reached adulthood and repeatedly failed the exams, and with Xiahou Hong’s daughter reaching marriageable age, Xiahou had no choice but to arrange the wedding. Unexpectedly, on his wedding night, Meng Tianchu, instead of enjoying his marital bliss, went to the garden to fool around with a maid—and reportedly died by lightning. Lightning? Impossible. Xiahou Hong glanced at the clear starry sky and shouted at Old He, “Nonsense! There’s no rain, no clouds—where would lightning come from?” Old He, a loyal servant of the Meng family, was startled. “I only repeated what Haitang told me.” Xiahou Hong’s face darkened as he turned to Haitang. “You wretch! What really happened? Speak!” Terrified, Haitang knelt and begged for mercy. “It was… Old He gave me money to serve the young master in the garden, and then… a bolt of lightning came down and struck him…” “Nonsense! Under a starry sky, where would lightning come from?” Xiahou Hong dismissed her claim. “Clearly, you seduced the young master, and amidst the cold night, he suffered a fatal condition. You wretch, daring to seduce the groom on his wedding night! Take her away, whip her a hundred times, and hand her to the authorities!” The servants obeyed, dragging Haitang away as she screamed her innocence. Just then, the seemingly lifeless Meng Tianchu groaned, opened his eyes, and looked around in confusion. “Where… am I?” Old He rushed forward, overjoyed. “Young master, you’re alive! This is wonderful!” Even Xiahou Hong, relieved, leaned in. “Tianchu, thank goodness you’re alright. How are you feeling?” Xiahou Hong’s wife and Feiyan looked disappointed, while Haitang rejoiced at her escape.