An Inch of Ashes

Chapter 1: His Victory

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The east wind sighs, the fine rains come:
Beyond the pool of water-lilies, the noise of faint thunder.
A gold toad gnaws the lock. Open it, burn the incense.
A tiger of jade pulls the rope. Draw from the well and escape.
Chia's daughter peeped through the screen when Han the clerk was young,
The Goddess of the River left her pillow for the great Prince of Wei.
Never let your heart open with the spring flowers:
One inch of love is an inch of ashes.

The One Unnamed (II) by Li Shangyin

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"Good night, Mother," Zhen Ji said to Lady Liu before leaving for her private chamber.

Since Yuan Shao's defeat at Guan Du four years ago, Lady Liu's health has been deteriorating at an alarming rate. Humiliated and left with nothing, her husband almost immediately succumbed to death. He intended to pass on his legacy to his youngest son Yuan Shang, but many of his officials wished for the inheritance to go to his eldest son Yuan Tan. Even though their relationship was riddled with strife and tension, the brothers still managed to unite against Cao Cao the prior year. Unfortunately, they ended up tearing themselves apart at Liyang and officially turned against one another that day. Zhen Ji's brother-in-laws, who grew up loving and protecting each other, were now caught in the midst of a power struggle. They were intent on besting and conquering the other while her husband Yuan Xi was left in the middle, just as he's always been since the younger Shang was born.

Funny how even the best of friends will immediately turn against each other when land and authority are involved, Zhen Ji mused in her mind as she recalled the fact that Yuan Benchu and Cao Mengde were once friends, much like how the two quarreling Yuan brothers were in their earlier years.

Lady Zhen has not seen her husband since the day his father named him the governor of You Province. Rather than accompanying him to a new region, she chose to stay in Yecheng with Lady Liu. In all honesty, Zhen Ji never loved Yuan Xi in the way a wife should (or, at least, how she thought spouses should love one another). Originally from Zhongshan, Zhen Ji was immediately married off to Xi once Yuan Shao had heard of the maiden's beauty and charisma. Their marriage was never consummated due to Ji's feelings (or lack thereof); she cared for him as if he was one of her brothers. Much to her surprise, Yuan Xi was very understanding and didn't press the issue any further. Marrying out of love is almost unheard of in this day and age and he knew that his marriage would be no different. Besides, concubines were always an available option for the son of one of the most powerful warlords in China.

Exhausted from working all day and tending to her mother-in-law in between her chores, Zhen Ji finally made it back to her private quarters and eagerly retired to her bed. Although she was able to rest her body at night, her mind was never fully at ease. Rather than sleeping peacefully until the crack of dawn, most of her nights were spent lying awake, thinking of the inevitable capture of Ye and worrying incessantly of Lady Liu's health. Her husband's defeat, followed by his hasty death, and subsequently having to hear the news of her sons fighting against each other severely weakened the woman—both physically and emotionally.

I can't imagine her pain, Zhen Ji lamented. I fear she will die of heartache.

As a little girl in Zhongshan, her mother, Lady Zhang, often told Zhen Ji the story of a visit she and her siblings once had from the famed physiognomist Liu Lang and how he sang praises of her, the youngest daughter. While he examined every aspect of her youthful face with the delicate touch of an experienced physician, he'd nod and smile as if in approval of something. Singling out the young Ji, he loudly proclaimed, "The exalted status of this girl will one day be indescribable."

Unable to hold back her suppressed feelings any longer, tears streamed down her sullied face, leaving fresh stains on her pillow. In her heart, Zhen Ji knew that Cao Cao would eventually arrive with his troops to ransack the city. She knew that he would order the deaths of everyone in the castle, of anyone in the Yuan family. She did not see the exaltedness of her situation; Zhen Ji only felt dread and never felt more alone in her life. The Hero of Chaos will surely arrive soon, signaling the deaths of Lady Liu and herself.


Having utilized the turmoil that followed Yuan Shao's death to his advantage, Cao Cao further fueled the dispute between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang by recently accepting an alliance with the elder brother. In response to this, the younger Shang was almost certainly on his way to Pingyuan at this very moment to defeat his brother, leaving Ye occupied by only a handful of soldiers and completely vulnerable. For those reasons Cao Cao knew that this was his moment to strike the last remaining Yuan stronghold. It would be a swift capture for he sent Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Zhang Liao to ambush Yuan Shang during his march to Pingyuan and there were none in Ye capable of opposing him. So confident was the warlord he only brought a small number of platoons and was accompanied only by his younger cousins Cao Ren and Cao Hong and his now-eldest son (after the unfortunate death of his son Cao Ang at Wancheng) Cao Pi.

"Cao Pi," called the warlord, glancing slightly towards his right where his son rode his steed.

"Yes, Father?"

"We've arrived at Yecheng. When you enter the castle, leave no Yuan alive."


Zhen Ji awoke with a loud gasp to the shouts of the soldiers guarding the palace entrance. Covered in beads of cold sweat and her stomach twisting into a tight knot, she instinctively knew that Cao Cao and his men were outside the walls slaughtering the few guards the castle had. She quickly kicked the bed covers off her trembling frame and grabbed only her blue silk robe as she fled her quarters. The frightened Zhen Ji ran barefoot down the hall as she struggled to put the robe on. Stopping in front of the all too familiar ornate door leading to her mistress' chamber, she pushed it open. Quickly entering, Zhen Ji slammed the crossbar in place and turned around to catch her breath. She saw Lady Liu and her handmaidens huddled together on the floor at the furthest corner of the room. Most of them were sobbing and holding each other for support while some remained unnervingly calm.

Despite wanting to block the doorway with anything heavy she and the handmaidens could manage to move, Zhen Ji decided against it and solemnly walked over to the other women. She knew that even if they had managed to move all the dressers and even the bed against the door, the soldiers would still break through with ease. They were trapped and nothing could help them now.

A few handmaidens cried out in fear and others jumped in fright as they all heard the first pound on the sealed door. They all surrounded Lady Liu and braced themselves to prepare for what would come charging through. The door was easily broken by a makeshift battering ram and a small handful of soldiers quickly piled in. Seeing only helpless and unarmed women, they all lowered their weapons for they perceived no immediate threat against themselves or their lord. Zhen Ji, who had remained so strong and firm up until now, began trembling from a combination of the cold draft entering the room and her growing fear. She held Lady Liu's hand tightly as if it would end their current ordeal. Even though it did not seem like much to her, it surprisingly helped the maiden stay collected and she hoped it was doing the same for her mistress.

A man of high stature—obvious to any with sight due to his elaborate armor as opposed to the common uniform worn by the troops—stepped in last, the soldiers moving aside to clear a path for him. Young and even handsome to Zhen Ji's eyes, the man said not a word as he examined the room and the group of maidens huddled together. He stopped in his tracks as his eyes met her own. Despite the tears rolling down her face, Zhen Ji's fierce, uncompromising gaze seemed to intrigue and even enamor him. The man stepped closer towards the terrified women and faced Lady Liu.

"I am Cao Pi, son of Cao Cao," he introduced himself. "Lady Liu, who is this maiden?"

Cao Pi glanced towards Lady Zhen, indicating who he was referring to. Choosing not to answer him just yet, Lady Liu let go of Ji's hand to remove the jade comb that was placed in her hair. She left it on her lap as she turned her attention back to Zhen Ji. She gathered her daughter-in-law's hair and fashioned it into a bun, securing it with the jade comb. Reaching under one of her pillows, Lady Liu took out a handkerchief and wiped Zhen Ji's face clean of the dirt that tainted it. Tears welled in her eyes as she held the maiden's face. Lady Liu wanted to thank her for all that she's done. She wanted to let the young woman know that she thought of her as her own daughter. She wanted to tell Lady Zhen so much for they both knew that this would be the last time they'd ever see each other. Instead, Lady Liu gave her a loving look, hoping that everything flooding through her heart would somehow be delivered through her eyes. She let go and faced Cao Pi.

"This is Lady Zhen, the wife of my son Yuan Xi."

His eyes widened in awe as he looked at her a second time. He thought the woman was captivating before even with her disheveled hair and dirtied face, but now she was the most radiant maiden he ever laid eyes on. Her face was as flawless as porcelain, as clear as jade. Enthralled by her unparalleled beauty, Cao Pi knew that he had to have her. He did not care if she was already the property of another man—he had to make her his.

"Ah, such a beautiful flower to be found in such a forlorn place," praised Cao Pi. "Come with me, sweet maiden. Grant me the honor of returning to Xu Chang by my side and I shall spare your mistress of the fate my father has ordered."

Zhen Ji's hand reached her mouth as she let out a small gasp. She was in shock at the sudden twist of fate and turned towards Lady Liu who merely nodded, even encouraging her with a small smile. This alone gave the woman enough courage to speak.

"Yes, anything you wish, My Lord," Zhen Ji replied softly, albeit with a hint of hesitation, as she bowed her head towards Cao Pi and to her new future.


Benchu – Yuan Shao's style name

Mengde – Cao Cao's style name

physiognomist (physiognomy) – the art of determining a person's character or personal characteristics from the form or features of the body, especially the face


Note: I've always loved the story of Zhen Ji and her untimely end. I also like the many rumors regarding her time married to Cao Pi and thought it'd make a great story. This is my second attempt at writing a story based on the relationship between Zhen Ji, Cao Pi, and Cao Zhi. The first one was titled One Inch of Love is an Inch of Ashes and was uploaded back in 2003. It was left incomplete so hopefully I finish the story this time around. I'd also like to add that I tried making this historically accurate regarding the ages, relationships, areas, clothing, technology, and so forth (I tried, so please don't be bothered too much if you find an error). I made the characters younger than they were during the time this story takes place, but I'm pretty sure I listed the age differences between most of the characters correctly. If the differences are incorrect then I either made a small mistake or made the change on purpose (such as with Zhen Ji and Cao Pi because I am going by how old they are in the Dynasty Warriors series). Some circumstances will be based on fact, plausible theories, or made up entirely by myself (of course ;P). So, enjoy! Any feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated. :3 Oh, and a lot of the events that took place in this chapter are from Zhen Ji's biographies up on kongming (dot) net. Check 'em out!