Chapter 1

Twenty four years of benevolence, Autumn.

Yiling was captured by the rebel leader Peng San, bound hand and foot, and taken to the open fields outside Qingyang City.

Twenty paces away stood General Xie Hengzhi, leading thirty thousand elite soldiers.

Peng San pressed his knife against Yiling’s throat and shouted towards Xie Hengzhi, “If you don’t want your beloved to die under my blade, retreat your army immediately!”

The land of Beiyong was desolate and barren, with sand and gravel flying in the air, and the surroundings were eerily silent.

Yiling faced the wind and sand, unable to see Xie Hengzhi through the yellow dust, but she could feel the chilling edge of the blade against her neck, as if it could slice through her throat at any moment.

At this moment, her life hung by a thread, dependent entirely on Xie Hengzhi’s next decision.

Three days ago, Peng San, a rebel from Yongliang, had marched from Lishuo to Qingyang. The city’s Soldiers, realizing they were no match for him, abandoned the city and fled. The local gentry and wealthy families, sensing the danger, also fled with their families that very night.

Yiling’s grandfather, Mr. Yi Lao, was well respected in the region. After retiring from the Hanlin Academy, he returned to Qingyang to live out his years in one of the city’s most elegant estates.

On the day the city fell, Yiling was still sleeping in her bedroom when the door was violently broken down, and she was captured by the rebels.

She called out for help but discovered that the entire Yi residence had been emptied overnight, with only some elderly servants remaining.

It turned out that, during that night, her grandfather had packed up the valuables and led his family to seek refuge in the deep mountains.

He had even taken the concubine he married two years prior, but he had not taken his own granddaughter, Yiling.

After capturing Yiling, Peng San didn’t force himself upon her.

He liked to conquer strong-willed beauties, as it displayed his masculine charm.

For the past few days, he had been pillaging and burning in Qingyang while trying to win Yiling over with various gestures.

Little did he know that in just three days, Xie Hengzhi had led thirty thousand elite soldiers to besiege the city.

The rebels had indulged in wine, lust, and brutality for several days, slaughtering women and children and living in a state of stupor.

Forget about fighting; many of them hadn’t even sobered from the alcohol.

Peng San, realizing he had no means to defend himself, thought of Yiling in his desperation.

Perhaps this woman was his sharpest weapon at the moment!

He immediately bound her up and dragged her onto his war chariot.

Ahead, a line of soldiers blocked the way. The sandstorm was so fierce that Yiling couldn’t see anything, but from the tremor in the ground, she could tell that Xie Hengzhi’s elite troops were closing in.

Peng San fluctuated between despair and excitement, his hand trembling as it gripped the hilt of his knife.

Desperate, because he and his soldiers might die under Xie Hengzhi’s hands, their years of effort turning into nothing but the label of “rebels and bandits.”

Excited because this battle might be the easiest one he ever fought, he could force the enemy to retreat without lifting a finger.

Yongliang was filled with vast deserts. Looking around, all he could see were endless yellow sands and the enemy army marching in tight formation, riding tall horses, their dark figures stretching across the horizon.

Though the sandstorm blurred his vision, the sound of galloping hooves echoed like thunder, signaling that battle was imminent.

Peng San gave the order, and the soldiers who had blocked the chariot stepped aside, revealing the woman whose life hung by a thread.

He leaned close to Yiling’s ear, his smile dark and cruel.

“Whether we fight or retreat, it all depends on the charm of the great beauty, Yi.”

Upon hearing this, Yiling broke into a cold sweat.

Only at this moment did she understand what Peng San had in mind.

The howling wind and sand whipped around her. Yiling lifted her head and looked at the distant, blurry figure.

She never imagined that after being abandoned by her parents in this desolate land and then forsaken by her grandfather, she would have to rely on Xie Hengzhi to save her life.

What sins had she committed in her past life?

Yiling took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and said to Peng San, “If you want to kill me, just do it. What kind of hero are you, threatening the court with the life of one woman?”
 
“I, Peng San, am naturally no hero!”

Peng San laughed loudly, “But that Xie Hengzhi, let me see whether he wants to be a hero or to win the beauty!”

With that, Peng San raised his knife and placed it across Yiling’s neck, shouting to Xie Hengzhi’s army, “If you don’t want the one you love to die by my sword, retreat at once!”

His rough voice carried across the yellow sand to the foot of the city.

Yiling closed her eyes, awaiting her fate.

She didn’t know how much weight she held in Xie Hengzhi’s heart, nor did she know whether he would retreat for her.

After all, at most, she and Xie Hengzhi had only met once, and that was ten years ago.

At that time, she was the cherished daughter of the Dingyuan Boshizi in the capital. Xie Hengzhi, however, was just a poor scholar who had come to the capital to take the imperial exams—completely worlds apart, with no possible connection.

But after that, Yiling’s fate changed.

At that time, she and the son of Duke Dingyuan had been childhood sweethearts, with hearts that understood each other. She thought her life would always be as blissful as it had been then.

Both families had formally betrothed them, and just as things seemed perfect, Xie Hengzhi exposed Duke Dingyuan’s rebellion. In a single night, all the male members of the Duke’s family were killed, and it was said that the lotus pond in the Duke’s residence was stained red.

Later, Yiling was introduced to that year’s newly appointed top scholar.

Who would have guessed, she had already embroidered her wedding dress when this top scholar was discovered by Xie Hengzhi to have cheated in the imperial exams. Along with the examiners, he was exiled to Lingnan.

It was said that the newly appointed top scholar died of fright on the way to Lingnan, and the Emperor even forbade anyone from retrieving his body, leaving it for wild dogs to devour.

At that point, the capital began to gossip, claiming that Yiling was a cursed star and anyone who married her would meet an untimely death.

But even so, some people didn’t believe in such superstitions and wanted her beauty, even at the cost of their lives.

Yiling’s third marriage was arranged with Xue Shengan, the Commander of the Five City Soldiers.

Yiling’s family, fearful of another disaster, hastily arranged the wedding, hoping she would marry off quickly.

No other family in the capital married off their daughter in such a hurry, but even that couldn’t defy fate.

On the day of the wedding, an urgent military situation arose in the southeastern coast, and the court had no generals. Xie Hengzhi advised the Emperor to appoint Xue Shengan to suppress the pirates in the southeast.

How absurd! A general who was responsible for maintaining order and aiding the poor in the capital was sent to war?

In an instant, the wedding celebration turned into a farewell party. Xue Shengan left overnight, not even stepping into the bridal chamber.

At this moment, the people of the capital finally realized.

Yiling wasn’t a cursed star at all; it was clear that Xie Hengzhi had loved her but could never have her, so he didn’t want anyone else to.

As the rumors spread, Yiling couldn’t help but recall their first meeting ten years ago.

The year was distant, and the details had faded, but Yiling remembered that Xie Hengzhi had indeed looked at her several times.

At that time, she had been sitting in a palanquin, the spring breeze lifting the curtains, while the poor Xie Hengzhi stood by the roadside, glancing at her again and again but not daring to look directly.

In his gaze, there was certainly a mixture of amazement, admiration, and a self-aware resignation.

It was still her own fault for being too beautiful, allowing Xie Hengzhi to remember her for ten years after just one meeting.

Yiling considered herself unlucky but helpless, only hoping Xie Hengzhi could show some humanity and do something decent.

But after Xue Shengan left, the Xue family caused a ruckus and forced Yiling back to the Yijia.

They would rather offend the Hubu Shangshu (Minister of Revenue) than Xie Hengzhi.

Having married her off, Yiling was humiliatingly sent back home! It was a disgrace!

But what could the Yi family do?

Thus, Yiling’s parents sent her to their distant home in Qingyang, citing her fragile health.

By then, Yiling had become a pariah, and even her grandfather in Qingyang was unkind toward her. After settling her in the house, he ignored her.

But no matter how cold, she was still blood-related.

Yiling never expected that her grandfather would abandon her so heartlessly, sneaking away while she slept.

In the end, Yiling’s fall from grace was entirely the fault of Xie Hengzhi.

If you truly loved me, why didn’t you come and propose yourself?

Did you think the Yi family would dare to refuse someone as powerful as Lord Xie?

Whenever she thought of this, Yiling was filled with rage.

But now, in the face of life and death, Yiling had no intention of continuing to argue with Xie Hengzhi over these personal grievances.

She was a fragile woman, true, but that didn’t mean she was someone who would simply live in disgrace.

The Yi family saw her as a disgrace, but she had nothing to be ashamed of and vowed to keep her integrity intact.

With this in mind, Yiling suddenly opened her eyes, chest heaving with resolve.

“Xie Hengzhi!”

She shouted, her heartbeat thunderous.

“As the ancients say, I would rather use this body to serve the country than be born within the Jade Gate! You don’t need to care whether I live or die, but you must—”

Whoosh.

A cold, sharp arrow flew through the air, piercing Yiling’s chest with deadly precision, silencing her words.

The pain was sudden and intense, and Yiling’s vision blurred.

The cold wind howled, and the battle flags fluttered.

Xie Hengzhi, riding on his warhorse, looked like a celestial being, elegant and scholarly.

And this man, with a swift and decisive motion, pulled the crossbow and shot the arrow without a moment’s hesitation.

Yiling’s blood soaked her clothes, blooming like a red flower on her chest.

A taste of blood filled her mouth. A drop of blood fell from her lips as she finally realized what had happened.

“Xie Hengzhi…”

Before she collapsed, Yiling glared fiercely, eyes wide with fury, staring at the figure behind the wind and sand. “You will face retribution!!!”

Unfortunately, Xie Hengzhi couldn’t hear what she said.

He simply raised his hand and lightly gave the command—

“Kill.”