Captive to Spring’s Passion: After the Aloof Powerful Minister Broke His Vow

Xie Zhi was once the daughter of Xie Jinhuai, the Yangzhou Cishi, living a privileged life until her father was implicated in a massive smuggling case. The imperial investigation, led by the stern Xingbu Shilang Pei Du, resulted in her father’s execution, the exile of the male family members, and the demotion of the women to Jianji status, effectively condemning them to a life of servitude or worse. To avoid being sold to a brothel, Xie Zhi desperately begged Pei Du to take her with him. Although he initially showed disgust, he ultimately rescued her, bringing her back to the Changping Houfu in the capital. However, Pei Du made it clear that his intervention was solely an act of charity on the anniversary of his late mother’s death, not an act of kindness toward her. He assigned her the name Li Chun and placed her under the care of Old Madame Pei, warning her to know her place and not to harbor any illusions about gaining favor.

Life within the vast Pei estate was fraught with danger and humiliation. Xie Zhi, now a lowly maid, faced constant hostility from Yuyang, the arrogant County Mistress and Pei Du’s half-sister. Yuyang accused Xie Zhi of stealing calligraphy drafts to forge letters and subjected her to physical abuse, forcing her to kneel in the summer heat. Despite her fallen status, Xie Zhi possessed a sharp mind and a deep desire for knowledge. She secretly collected discarded practice papers from the family school to teach herself, hoping to improve her literacy and secure a safer position. Her diligence eventually led Old Madame Pei to transfer her to Guanxuelou, the estate’s library, where she could work in relative peace and continue her studies. However, her presence in the library did not shield her from the political and social intrigues of the household.

The core conflict escalated when Yuyang, driven by a twisted sense of jealousy and a misunderstanding involving a man named Qi Songqing, decided to punish Xie Zhi by forcing her to marry Shuangfu, a simple-minded groom with a pockmarked face. Yuyang’s goal was to remove Xie Zhi from the estate permanently and assert her dominance. Simultaneously, Xie Zhi devised a desperate plan to escape her fate. She believed that by winning the affection of Pei Hong, the dissolute Fifth Young Master, she could secure a position as his concubine. This would allow her to request her household registration documents, the Nuji Wenshu, from Pei Du, which she could then use to legally leave the estate and disappear. She carefully orchestrated encounters with Pei Hong, using her beauty and charm to manipulate him, unaware that Pei Du was closely monitoring her actions.

A critical turning point occurred when Yuyang’s accomplices, Granny Zhang and her son Shuangfu, pushed Xie Zhi into Xingbohu lake, intending to create a scandal that would force Shuangfu to marry her to save face. Xie Zhi, a skilled swimmer, survived the attempt and sought to redirect the scandal by having Pei Hong rescue her instead. However, it was Pei Du who emerged from the darkness to save her, having intercepted her earlier attempts to contact Pei Hong. Pei Du’s intervention exposed her manipulative scheme, leaving her vulnerable and feverish. Rather than punishing her immediately, he revealed that he had been aware of her plans all along. The chapter concludes with Xie Zhi attempting to flee the estate by hiding in a carriage, only to be caught by Pei Du, who discovered her bundle of stolen valuables, signaling that her precarious situation was about to become even more dire.