The Lament of the Abandoned Bride

In the heart of Xiao Qi’s ancient town, where cobblestone streets whispered tales of yore, there stood a dilapidated mansion known to the locals as the Abandoned Bride’s Bower. The mansion had seen better days, its once-proud facade now cloaked in vines and dust. It was said that the last bride to walk through its doors had never left, her spirit trapped within the walls, a silent witness to her own tragedy.

One crisp autumn evening, as the town slumbered under the weight of twilight, a young scholar named Lin Wei wandered into the town square, his eyes reflecting the glow of the lanterns that adorned the street. The townsfolk had spoken of the mansion, of its eerie silence and the whispers that seemed to come from the very stones themselves. But Lin Wei was driven by a thirst for knowledge and the thrill of the unknown. He decided to pay the mansion a visit.

As Lin Wei approached the mansion, the air grew heavy with a sense of foreboding. The door creaked open of its own accord, as if beckoning him to step inside. With a deep breath, he pushed the door open and entered the darkened corridor. The scent of decay and dust enveloped him, and the silence seemed to press down upon his shoulders like a leaden cloak.

He moved cautiously, his footsteps echoing in the emptiness. The walls were adorned with faded portraits, their eyes watching him with a disquieting intensity. Lin Wei’s heart raced as he reached the grand staircase, its wooden steps groaning under his weight. At the top, a door stood slightly ajar, revealing a room bathed in moonlight.

In the room, Lin Wei found an ornate wedding chamber, its centerpiece a grand four-poster bed draped in crimson silk. The room was a relic of a bygone era, its walls lined with mirrors and tapestries that depicted scenes of love and loss. But it was the figure in the center of the room that caught his attention—a woman, her wedding dress still pristine, her hair flowing like a river of silver in the moonlight.

Startled, Lin Wei stepped closer, and the woman turned to face him. Her eyes were wide with a mix of terror and sorrow, and her lips moved silently, as if she were trying to speak but could not find her voice. Lin Wei’s heart broke as he realized she was the Abandoned Bride, her spirit trapped within the room, her love story unfinished.

“Who are you?” Lin Wei asked, his voice trembling.

The bride did not respond, but her eyes pleaded with him. He approached her, reaching out to touch her hand. To his astonishment, her fingers brushed against his, cool and lifeless.

“I see you, young man,” the bride’s voice finally echoed through the room. “I am Li Hua, the bride who was never meant to be. My groom was a greedy man, consumed by his desire for power. He forced me to marry him, but my heart belonged to another. On the night of our wedding, he poisoned me, and I died, my love unrequited.”

Lin Wei’s eyes widened in horror. “Why do you haunt this place, Li Hua? Why not rest in peace?”

“The man who took my life also took my husband’s life,” the bride’s voice grew louder, more desperate. “He was my groom, but he was not my love. He is responsible for my death, and I will not rest until he pays for his crimes.”

Lin Wei knew then that he had to help the spirit of Li Hua. He vowed to uncover the truth behind her tragic demise, to bring justice to her and her husband. He spent days and nights in the mansion, piecing together the story of Li Hua’s untimely end.

Through his research, Lin Wei discovered that the greedy groom, a man named Chen Feng, had been involved in a web of deceit and corruption. He had manipulated Li Hua’s father into signing over the family’s wealth, only to betray him and her. In a fit of rage, Chen Feng had poisoned both Li Hua and her husband, hoping to inherit their fortune.

With the help of the townsfolk, Lin Wei gathered evidence against Chen Feng. The court found him guilty of his crimes, and he was sentenced to a life of exile. The spirit of Li Hua finally found peace, her love story finally coming to a close.

As the mansion lay in ruins, the townsfolk spoke of the brave scholar who had brought justice to the Abandoned Bride. The story of Li Hua and her unrequited love became a cautionary tale, warning of the dangers of greed and the eternal consequences of one’s actions.

Lin Wei, having fulfilled his vow, left Xiao Qi’s ancient town, his heart heavy but satisfied. The spirit of Li Hua had found her final resting place, and the mansion of the Abandoned Bride stood as a testament to the enduring power of love and the quest for justice.