This malicious world finally made its move against her, who was weak, pitiful, and innocent.

Now, the Weinan Royal Mansion had plummeted from the clouds to the mud in an instant.

With the cinnabar mines seized, their economic lifeline brutally cut off, and their military forces weakened from years of continuous warfare.

During this tumultuous time in Weinan, the King of Weinan was bedridden, unable to even rise. Liu Chen, his only son, was captured outside and his fate remained unknown. The Queen of Weinan spent her days washing her face with tears, while Su Baiyue, a fragile medicine jar, was pressured by the deranged male lead and lingered on the brink of starvation.

The entire Royal Mansion of Weinan was in despair, the maids chattering uncontrolled outside.

“Hey, did you hear? The emperor has decreed that the Crown Prince will soon marry the daughter of Xingyuan, Mistress Yang Shi as his consort.”

“The same Mistress Yang Shi known for having countless male consorts?”

“That’s the one. It’s said that now Xingyuan is the most powerful among the feudal lords, the emperor doesn’t dare offend him, and has even forced the Crown Prince to marry the notorious Mistress Yang Shi,” the maid said, implying disdain without directly criticizing the royal family for trading honor for peace.

“Given Mistress Yang Shi’s temperament, the Prince’s palace might as well turn into a Southern Breeze Pavilion,” a maid giggled behind her hand, then looked towards the main house and lowered her voice, “I think our Mistress is much better. If not for the great misfortune that befell our house, our Mistress would have been the Crown Princess by now, not that Mistress Yang Shi.”

“Indeed, who can say otherwise. But in the end, it seems our Mistress just wasn’t destined for it…”

“You little wretch, what are you gossiping about!” Jing Wen suddenly appeared, scolding them sharply.

The maids ducked their heads and clamped their mouths shut, scattering like birds and beasts.

Jing Wen pursed her lips in a sigh, then carefully pushed open the door to the main house, only to see Su Baiyue curled up on the couch, her face pale as snow.

Already delicate, she had grown even more pale and frail after the calamity that struck the Weinan Royal Mansion. Jing Wen saw this, and it pained her heart.

In reality, Su Baiyue wasn’t as frail as others perceived; she was just very hungry. And because she knew the storyline, she knew that the King and Queen of Weinan would live long lives, and her foolish brother would become a strong arm for the male lead.

Apart from her, the delicate one destined to die young, everyone in the Royal Mansion of Weinan was doing well.

Though the current plot had deviated a bit, Su Baiyue believed things would soon get back on track.

Now that it was spring, nearing summer, Su Baiyue’s body still couldn’t tolerate the cold, and she still used a lot of expensive smokeless coal every day.

She nestled on the couch, a small brazier of smokeless coal burning nearby. She was covered with a fox fur blanket, and next to her was a cup of warm fragrant tea, emitting a delicate, crisp aroma. On a small table in front of her lay that marriage proposal, its calligraphy bold and powerful, hiding the dragon and revealing the phoenix.

After pondering for three days, Su Baiyue wondered what Lingyun Wengzhu would do if she were in her shoes?

Naturally, she would agree to Lu Gan.

Although Lingyun Wengzhu disliked others getting close and was somewhat distant from her parents and Liu Chen, she was dutiful.

During these days of the King’s illness, Su Baiyue, as a daughter, also frequently attended with medicines. The Queen, worried about tiring Su Baiyue, had firmly persuaded her to go back.

The Royal Mansion of Weinan wasn’t as wealthy as before, with financial outlays drastically reduced, and even the residences of the King and Queen had half the usual staff. But to ensure Su Baiyue’s comfort, none of the maids in her residence were dismissed. Even her daily needs were maintained just as before.

Yet Su Baiyue could still distinctly feel that the prosperity behind her was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Previously, the smokeless coal she used never had any fragments; now, beneath the coal basin, there was clearly a layer of small coal pieces. Although well-concealed, Su Baiyue had noticed.

Oh dear, could she no longer perform her role properly? Wasn’t she promised a peaceful death in luxury?

Su Baiyue sank into a sorrow born of hunger.

…

On the fourth day after the marriage proposal arrived, Su Baiyue secretly signed it and sent it off to Hebei.

Soon, news came from the battlefield in Hebei: a fierce general under the Wei’an Royal Mansion led a ten-man cavalry in a night raid on the camp of Hejian’s hundred thousand army, sweeping through like a whirlwind and rescuing Liu Chen from amidst a hundred thousand soldiers.

This battle greatly enhanced Lu Gan’s reputation, making him a hot topic in the imperial city.

Su Baiyue knew her foolish brother was probably weeping gratefully now, thinking of the threats he faced that his sister married into madness.

With such intelligence, no wonder he could only be the male lead’s loyal lackey.

The war lasted two years.

On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the third year, the victorious army finally returned.

The city gates were wide open, and many onlookers had gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of the legendary General Rakshasa.

This General Rakshasa had risen to prominence from a surprise attack two years ago and had achieved numerous military exploits on the battlefield over two years. In just two short years, he had risen from an unknown youth to a hot topic of discussion among various feudal lords.

Such a fierce general was covered by every feudal lord, each hating they couldn’t snatch him up immediately to serve under their banner. Some even offered their princesses in marriage to him.

But General Rakshasa declared, “I am already betrothed,” much to everyone’s regret.

What woman could be more prestigious than a princess, offering him a swift ascent to greater heights? This General Rakshasa truly had a rigid mind.

As the cool breeze carried the scent of sweet osmanthus, people craned their necks in anticipation when a blue silk carriage quietly turned the corner of the street.

Some noticed the carriage and stepped aside, recognizing the white horses pulling it, then turned to whisper to those beside them in surprise.

“Could that carriage belong to Lingyun Wengzhu? How has she come to this?”

Everyone remembered how, back when Lingyun Wengzhu went out of the city to welcome the triumphant General of Building Might, she had displayed such wealth and elegance.

“Thirty years on the east bank of the river, thirty years on the west, the Royal Mansion of Weinan has now fallen,” someone had just remarked when a commotion suddenly erupted at the city gate.

All attention shifted.

On the official road outside the city, a large group approached.

Though many were in the group, there was one who stood out, immediately noticeable.

It wasn’t that the others weren’t distinguished, but this man was so striking that he made everything around him seem to vanish. It seemed that all one could see was him.

The sun shone brightly today, and among the group, the man riding a black horse wore dark armor, a matching great cloak draped over his shoulders. He was tall and well-proportioned, coming towards them with his hair neatly tied back, revealing his handsome, pale face. His eyes were dark as ink, his nose was high, his lips thin, and his jaw beautifully chiseled, his whole appearance as perfect as if carved from jade.

As he rode the robust black horse expressionlessly past, he caused the women and ladies by the roadside to cry out in excitement and blush.

“Could this be the legendary General Rakshasa?” someone shouted in astonishment.

The legendary devil who would slay gods and Buddhas on the battlefield was such a beautiful man!

“This is no devil; clearly, he’s an immortal descended from the heavens.”

This remark emerged from the crowd, and everyone silently nodded. Even the immortals above were probably no more than this.

“Hey, I heard that General Rakshasa’s name is Lu Gan, why does that sound so familiar?” whispers began to swirl among the crowd.

“Do you remember the incident from two years ago with Lingyun Wengzhu and Yangshi Weng… ahem, the Crown Princess, over a little horse servant?”

Mistress Yang Shi had married the Crown Prince and continued to arrogantly keep her consorts. Meanwhile, the once-popular Lingyun Wengzhu became increasingly invalid and withdrawn, gradually fading from public view.

This was closely tied to the rise of the Xingyuan Royal Mansion and the decline of the Weinan Royal Mansion.

Reminded by someone, people suddenly realized, “Could this General Rakshasa be that little horse servant from back then?”

“It might just be a coincidence of names,” some doubted this speculation, raising objections.

“I think there’s a resemblance,” another countered.

“How could a horse servant become a general…”

The discussion was varied.

Meanwhile, the originally cornered blue silk carriage suddenly moved forward, and Liu Chen, riding a horse and seeing the insignia of the Weinan Royal Mansion on the carriage, paused for a moment before driving his horse forward. On seeing Jing Wen emerge from the carriage, his expression changed dramatically

.

“Jing Wen?”

Jing Wen nodded awkwardly, looking back inside the carriage.

Liu Chen was even more astonished, “Is my sister inside?”

Jing Wen bowed her head and continued nodding.

Liu Chen clenched the reins in his hand, gritting his teeth, “What exactly is going on?”

Jing Wen shook her head, looking miserable and at a loss for words.

“Sister,” Su Baiyue’s familiar cool voice came from inside the carriage.

Jing Wen quickly turned to arrange the carriage’s curtain.

The veiled lady in a plain white long dress, her slender and delicate figure wrapped so tenderly and appealingly.

It had rained all night, and the ground was covered in muddy water.

Su Baiyue, considering her pristine white dress, thought better of stepping out of the carriage, then suddenly felt a breeze pass before her eyes.

Amidst the crowd’s exclamations, the handsome man who had been sitting high on the horse suddenly took off his great cloak and, without a moment’s hesitation, leapt down from the horse and spread the cloak on the ground with no regard for its fineness.

The crowd exchanged looks. Lu Gan walked up to the carriage, stretched out his lean arms, and lifted Su Baiyue from the carriage.

The woman in his arms was as fragrantly soft as she had been two years ago, even more palpably real than in his dreams. Light as catkins, no matter how she was folded, she always displayed the most beautiful and frail posture.

The man couldn’t help tightening his grip, burying his head next to Su Baiyue’s veiled face, a look of infatuated intoxication on his face.

Finally, he was about to have her.

Su Baiyue, feeling light as air, stood there dazed, even her veil askew, like a fairy tainted by the mortal world.

Su Baiyue: Was she just given a princess carry?

Around them, everyone gasped in unison, the onlookers’ eyes widening in amazement.

“Lu… Brother Lu…” Even Liu Chen was startled into stammering, forgetting to inquire about the situation with the Weinan Royal Mansion.

In contrast, Lu Gan maintained his calm, handsome face. He loosened his hold on the woman’s slender waist, rubbed his hands, then bent down, his voice husky, his eyes sparkling like stars, his tone barely containing a shadow of excitement, “Wengzhu, I’m back.”

Su Baiyue, remembering that marriage document and thinking of what she had previously done to this big brother, couldn’t help but shiver.

In just two years, the man had grown taller as if he’d been fed hormones. Not just taller, his body had also become much more robust. Although he looked slender, when he had held her, his body was all bulging muscles, painfully so.

And that scent of blood that was forcefully making its way into Su Baiyue’s nostrils made her already fearful heart grow even more timid.

The man reached out to adjust Su Baiyue’s veil, his thin lips slowly curling up to reveal a set of sharp, white teeth.

You see, in the end, you still came back to me.