Chapter 2: A Matchmaking Loss from a Past Life

Fu Minglang tossed Li Ning’an aside, causing her head to hit the bed frame and her body to collapse onto the floor.

Her throat felt like it was on fire, and her face burned with pain.

But none of that compared to the sting of Fu Minglang’s words:

“Send her to the brothel, to be the lowest of the low, a common courtesan.”

No.

Her father couldn’t be dead.

Her younger brother wouldn’t let himself be manipulated.

She couldn’t go to a brothel.

She was Princess Ning’an.

Li Ning’an knew Fu Minglang’s words were true. She had given him all her power and was left with only two maids by her side.

The only news she ever received came from Fu Minglang himself.

For him to do this, her father must have truly passed away.

Her younger brother was only five years old; there was no way he could stand up to Fu Minglang.

Fu Minglang had played his role so well that even her father had been deceived.

It was no wonder her brother trusted him.

Li Ning’an would rather die than be sent to a brothel. So, she pulled the hairpin from her hair—the very one Fu Minglang had gifted her.

She knew she couldn’t overpower the maids. Unable to fight her way out, she plunged the hairpin into her throat.

But the death she anticipated never came.

Instead, she found herself back at the Dragon Boat Festival banquet.

She absolutely couldn’t marry Fu Minglang.

The pain in her neck was nothing compared to what she had endured before. Stubbornly, Li Ning’an looked at her father, determined to gain his approval for the marriage she now sought. Emperor Mingde sighed and finally relented a little.

“If you can make him come here and ask for the decree himself, I will grant it.”

If Ning’an had chosen Fu Minglang, he would not have dared to defy imperial authority.

But Yan Ziqi? That boy was truly capable of causing chaos.

  

The Yan family was left with only one heir—Yan Ziqi.

Because of this, Emperor Mingde spoiled him excessively, which led to his wild and unruly behavior.

Today, during the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, he didn’t even bother to show up.

Instead, Yan Ziqi was lounging at the Zuichun Pavilion, with his left arm wrapped around a woman’s slender waist, her soft body pressed against him. The woman leaned close, her eyes filled with affection, offering him a cup of wine. His right hand was pinching the cheek of another woman, attempting to steal a kiss, though she dodged him. On the table in front of him were snacks and tea, while the sound of a qin filled the air, played by the renowned courtesan Leng Shuang.

Yan Ziqi wore a deep blue robe, his hair tied up with a jade crown. His features were sharp and refined, exuding both nobility and a carefree, roguish charm.

His boots were casually tossed aside as he leaned back, eyes half-closed, enjoying the music. In the corner of the room, a young man was bound tightly with ropes, glaring at Yan Ziqi with hatred, as if he wanted to tear him apart.

“What are you looking at? If you keep staring, I’ll gouge your eyes out,” Yan Ziqi sneered. “Leng Shuang belongs to me.”

“Do you have more money than me? Are you more favored by the emperor than I am? How dare you try to steal her from me? You must be tired of living. If it weren’t for your father being the Minister of Justice, I’d have broken your legs already.”

“Why bother with such lowly folk?” said the woman on his left, her ample chest brushing against him as she handed him another cup of wine. Yan Ziqi accepted it without hesitation.

What was so special about the banquet in Hanliang Hall? Could it compare to the attentiveness of the girls at Zuichun Pavilion?

And then there was Li Ning’an, that fool. Of all people, why did she fall for the hypocritical Fu Minglang?

Thinking of her suddenly soured Yan Ziqi’s mood.

“Enough. Everyone out.”

He stood up and threw a handful of silver notes into the air. The two women scrambled to pick them up. Leng Shuang, noticing the change in mood, stopped playing the qin. She was dressed in a white gown, ethereal and beautiful, as cold and distant as frost.

Seeing that Yan Ziqi didn’t stop her, Leng Shuang gathered her qin and quietly left.

As Yan Ziqi walked out the door, the brothel madam hurried over, smiling ingratiatingly, with a hint of hesitation in her voice. “Young Master Yan, may I return the son of the Minister of Justice now?”

She couldn’t afford to offend either side.

Yan Ziqi nodded. “I’m not in the mood today. Let him go. I’ve reserved Leng Shuang—if anyone dares to cause trouble again, tell them to come find me at the Duke of Xiang’s residence.”

The madam quickly nodded, carefully escorting the young master out and promptly releasing the Minister’s son.

Yan Ziqi mounted his horse, which was led over by his attendant, and with a sharp whip, rode back to the Duke of Xiang’s residence. As he approached, he noticed a figure standing in the courtyard.

At dusk, the steward had already instructed the servants to light the lanterns, casting just enough light for Yan Ziqi to make out the figure’s silhouette.

Striding forward, he tossed his whip to the steward and immediately began mocking, “Little blind Ning’an! Did the Dragon Boat banquet end so quickly? Why aren’t you chasing after that fool Fu Minglang? What are you doing here?”

Before he could finish, Li Ning’an turned to face him. A white bandage was wrapped around her neck, clearly from an injury.

Yan Ziqi’s usual carefree demeanor shifted, and he asked with a touch of seriousness, “Who did this?”

He walked in circles around her, checking for any other injuries. Finding none, he returned to stand in front of her, then burst out laughing.

“Well done! Why didn’t you scar your pretty little face too?”

Li Ning’an had just begun to feel touched.

She thought, after all, they had grown up together. Despite his wild antics and constant bickering with her over the years, he still cared for her.

But this infuriating man even wished her face had been ruined! In her past life, her foolishness had truly proven him right.

  

Li Ning’an wasted no time grabbing Yan Ziqi’s ear and twisting it.

“Riding your horse recklessly in the streets again—do you want me to haul you off to the Judicial Office?” she scolded, hearing the abrupt halt of hooves outside. It could only be Yan Ziqi again.

She twisted his ear harder, and Yan Ziqi’s face contorted in pain, squeezing together as he muttered, “A real man doesn’t fight with women. But don’t expect me to help you anymore with advice on how to be a good daughter-in-law.”

The steward, seeing that the princess meant business, was beside himself with worry. “Please have mercy, Your Highness! The Yan family has only this one heir—if the young master dies at your hands, how will I ever face the duke and his wife?”

The steward, now in his forties, shuffled over and awkwardly tried to free Yan Ziqi’s ear from the princess’s grip. Yan Ziqi yelped dramatically as though he were about to die, and Li Ning’an appeared to be the true villain here.

Seeing him like this, Li Ning’an couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

She released him, leaving the steward to inspect Yan Ziqi’s now bright red ear.

Yan Ziqi waved it off, quickly reassuring the steward that it was nothing serious.

It felt good to be back.

Her father was still alive, she hadn’t married Fu Minglang, her younger brother wouldn’t fall under anyone’s control, and her face and voice were unharmed.

“There’s no need to learn how to be a good daughter-in-law. I, the Princess Ning’an, don’t have to bow to any woman. Now hurry and come to the palace with me. I need Father to decree our marriage—there’s something important I need to do after that.”

Li Ning’an suddenly remembered her mission.

Yan Ziqi, who had just soothed the steward by claiming Li Ning’an was only playing with him, froze when he heard her words. He instinctively thought she was up to some new trick to get Fu Minglang’s attention.

“What’s this now? Weren’t you going to ask His Majesty to grant you and Fu Minglang a marriage decree? Why the sudden change to me? How are you planning to annoy him? Don’t think he’ll get that jealous. He doesn’t care about you at all. He—”

Yan Ziqi suddenly stopped.

Normally, when he bad-mouthed Fu Minglang, Li Ning’an would shake her head furiously and say, “I don’t want to hear it! You’re just jealous of how popular, handsome, and capable he is.”

But today, she seemed eager for him to continue talking.

Unable to resist, Yan Ziqi placed a hand on her forehead.

“You’re not possessed, are you?”

Li Ning’an swatted his hand away in irritation.

“This princess has had an epiphany and achieved enlightenment,” she declared smugly.

In her past life, she would come looking for Yan Ziqi half a year later.

At that time, Yan Ziqi had just returned victorious from defeating the Northern Yue Kingdom.

While everyone rushed to Suzaku Street to see the Iron Cavalry return, Li Ning’an sat quietly in her courtyard, dressed like a proper wife, waiting for Yan Ziqi.

Yan Ziqi first went to the palace to report to the emperor, recounting the most glorious moments of his victories. After receiving his rewards, he returned to the Duke of Xiang’s residence.

Although he could have inherited the duke’s title directly, he insisted on waiting until his marriage to request it. As a result, people continued to call him “Young Master Yan,” but now he also carried the title of General of the State.

The moment Yan Ziqi laid eyes on Li Ning’an, his dark pupils lit up, and the killing aura he carried from the battlefield dissipated. He strode over to her with purpose.

Then Li Ning’an asked him, “Yan’er, do you have someone in your heart?”

“How about I introduce you to someone?”

“My husband’s younger sister, Fu Mingying—what do you think?”