A strong, rich floral fragrance drifted in, abruptly rousing Wen Lisheng from her deep slumber.
She took a deep breath and sat up, opening her eyes to see a cluster of crimson flowers stretching in through the window, bathed in golden sunlight that fell upon her snow-white dress.
Her thick, slightly curled lashes fluttered lightly. Her hands instinctively moved to her abdomen—the piercing pain from before was completely gone, leaving no trace.
Hadn’t she died?
The moment that poisoned wine touched her throat, a searing, fiery pain had spread all the way to her stomach. In mere moments, the agony became unbearable. She had coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, and then… nothing. She remembered it clearly—that was the feeling of death.
Damn it, what kind of poison hurts that much?!
Just as her thoughts were in turmoil, someone suddenly burst through the bamboo door and shouted at her, “Lizi, we got him!”
Wen Lisheng jumped in surprise. Looking up, her beautiful eyes widened in shock. “Shen… Jiaqing?”
The newcomer was a youth dressed in apricot-colored robes, with red lips, white teeth, and a beaming smile. He waved at her. “Come out and take a look!”
Shen Jiaqing was her childhood companion. Three years ago, when evil cults rose across the jianghu, wreaking havoc, Shen Jiaqing—as the young master of Wind Spirit Manor—had shouldered his sword, bid her farewell, and set out on a journey to uphold justice. She hadn’t seen him since.
Now, faced with this youthful version of Shen Jiaqing, she was utterly bewildered.
“What are you spacing out for?” Shen Jiaqing frowned in confusion, seeing her dazed and strange expression. “We caught him. Aren’t you going to see?”
Wen Lisheng’s mind was a complete mess, unable to think straight. She followed along and asked, “Caught who?”
To her surprise, Shen Jiaqing looked astonished at her question, then replied, “The heir of Jing’an Marquis.”
The word “heir” struck Wen Lisheng’s ears like a bolt. Her eyes widened, and she cried out involuntarily, “What did you say?!”
She immediately scrambled off the bamboo bed, hastily slipped on her shoes, and rushed outside. The moment she stepped through the bamboo door, gentle sunlight spilled over her hair, dark as aged ink. A butterfly-shaped golden hairpin swayed, reflecting a brilliant light.
A warm breeze brushed against her face, stirring her snow-white dress. Before her stretched a lush, green spring landscape.
The scene gradually formed a clear outline in her mind. As her gaze shifted, Shen Jiaqing had already walked up to her, pointing toward a small bamboo hut to the south. “He’s in there.”
Wen Lisheng hurried forward, her shoes scuffing the ground, but Shen Jiaqing stopped her. He handed her a long black cloth and scolded, “Are you stupid? Cover your face so he won’t remember it!”
In the sixth year of Jianning, the heir of Jing’an Marquis first arrived in Yiguan County in the north of Liang Kingdom. Rumors spread throughout the county that the heir had come with a mission to purge corrupt officials, and the first target was none other than Wen Lisheng’s own father—the notoriously corrupt official of Yiguan County.
Back then, Shen Jiaqing believed that since the heir was new to Yiguan County and unfamiliar with the area, even a powerful dragon would struggle to suppress a local snake. Before the heir could enter the county, Shen Jiaqing wanted to give him a warning, lest he later overestimate his abilities and target the Wen family. After discussing it, the two thought it feasible. So, on a sunny afternoon, Wen Lisheng and Shen Jiaqing, along with a bold group of followers, audaciously planned to intercept the heir’s convoy a hundred li outside the county.Wen Lisheng clearly remembered that day they had come up empty-handed—they hadn’t even encountered a single merchant caravan, let alone the young lord. So why was Shen Jiaqing now shouting that they had succeeded?
Thinking of Xie Xiaonan’s icy gaze, she couldn’t help but shudder inwardly, cursing under her breath, “Shen Jiaqing, you’ve got some nerve, daring to lay hands on someone from the imperial city!”
Shen Jiaqing, suddenly scolded, was quite puzzled. “When we discussed this earlier, you agreed too. Why the sudden change of heart?”
Wen Lisheng’s words caught in her throat. Back then, she truly had been ignorant and had conspired with Shen Jiaqing in this matter.
They were in deep trouble.
Wen Lisheng snatched the black cloth and hastily covered half her face, then ran to the small bamboo hut. As she approached the window, she heard muffled sounds from inside. She gasped, instantly feeling as if her heart and lungs had frozen over. Bending down, she quietly peered through a crack in the bamboo window.
Sunlight streamed into the room, providing a fairly clear view. The moment she looked inside, her eyes met those of the person within.
Wen Lisheng froze.
The person inside wore an indigo-blue robe and a silver crown, with two tassels woven from silver threads and red cords hanging by his shoulders. His hands and feet were bound, and a cloth gagged his mouth as he continued to struggle and make muffled noises. Upon seeing Wen Lisheng, his cries grew even louder.
This was not the young lord.
Wen Lisheng recognized him just by his eyes. Although the man was dressed in luxurious attire, his face was far from that of the young lord.
She let out a huge sigh of relief, nearly collapsing to the ground. Removing the cloth from her face, she muttered “Thank goodness” three times in a row.
“Rumors say the Jing’an Marquis’s son made a name for himself at a young age, possessing unparalleled talent and celestial beauty. But seeing him now, he’s nothing special. We haven’t even done anything to him yet, and he’s already scared out of his wits,” Shen Jiaqing’s disdainful voice sounded beside her.
Wen Lisheng fell silent for a moment. “Why did you gag him?”
Shen Jiaqing replied, “Naturally because he kept shouting that he wasn’t the young lord. I found it annoying.”
Wen Lisheng glanced at him. “Did it ever occur to you that you might have kidnapped the wrong person?”
Shen Jiaqing reacted strongly. “Impossible! This man was dragged out of the Jing’an Marquis’s carriage. I do things properly—when have I ever made a mistake?”
“When have you ever seen the Jing’an Marquis’s carriage?”
“One look at that carriage and you could tell it belonged to the Jing’an Marquis. There’s no mistake,” Shen Jiaqing insisted on his judgment.
Wen Lisheng looked at the man in the room again, confirming it wasn’t the young lord, and resumed arguing with Shen Jiaqing.
As the two of them bickered endlessly, someone behind them suddenly let out a lazy “Ah,” and said, “So this is where you are.”
Wen Lisheng instantly fell silent and turned to look.
In that moment, a summer wind rose from the ground, sweeping through all the surrounding trees and rustling their leaves. The chirping of cicadas echoed from all directions, yet it all seemed muffled and distant. Wen Lisheng’s panic surged uncontrollably as her eyes met his indifferent gaze.
The young man stood against the wind, bathed in brilliant sunlight that freely outlined his handsome features. His dark eyes, like fine black jade, were half-lidded, and his entire expression exuded laziness. His robe, white as frost, swayed slightly, with exquisite golden cloud patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs, radiating an indescribable air of nobility.
He stood there casually, his ink-black hair gently fluttering in the breeze. He was the very picture of youthful elegance, a natural grace that no brush could fully capture.Back when Wen Lisheng was married, the bridal procession with its ten miles of red dowry wound through half the city, scattering wedding candies and coins all along the way. The clamor of gongs and drums filled the air, creating a scene of joyous celebration. But just then, rebel forces breached the city gates and charged straight in. The crowds lining the streets to watch the festivities scattered in panic, and every household shut its doors, not daring to step outside.
The wedding procession carrying her bridal sedan chair abruptly dropped her and fled in all directions.
After hearing the commotion outside fade into silence, Wen Lisheng mustered her courage and lifted the sedan curtain. Before her eyes stood a black horse clad in silver armor, not far from the sedan. Raising her gaze, she saw a man of unparalleled beauty seated high upon the horse, looking down at her with cold indifference in his eyes.
That face overlapped with the youth before her now—identical.
This was the widely praised prodigy, the illustrious heir of the Jing’an Marquis.
And also the rebel who later raised an army in rebellion, undefeated in battle, who fought his way to the capital, dragged the emperor from his throne, and usurped the crown for himself.
Xie Xiaonan.
Only now did Wen Lisheng fully realize that it had not been a fleeting dream. Every detail of those years of life remained vivid and clear in her memory, and the lingering sensation of poisoned wine in her throat still sent shivers down her spine.
She had indeed been poisoned to death, after Xie Xiaonan ascended the throne.
But she had been reborn, in the sixth year of Jianning.
The only difference was that back then, she and Shen Jiaqing had eagerly waited to ambush Xie Xiaonan on his first journey into Yiguan County, only to wait an entire day without seeing him, coming up empty-handed.
But now, after Shen Jiaqing had tied up someone unknown and returned, Xie Xiaonan stood before the bamboo hut, unexpectedly crossing paths with her.
Wen Lisheng froze, meeting Xie Xiaonan’s gaze for only a moment before hurriedly looking away, frantically thinking of how to handle the situation.
Slowly, she raised the black cloth in her hand and covered her face again. Was it too late to run now?
Just then, Shen Jiaqing spoke up. “Sorry to keep you waiting, brother. My friend and I were just dealing with some personal matters. Once we’re done, we’ll head back and take you along to Yiguan.”
His tone sounded almost hospitable.
Wen Lisheng glanced at him in surprise and confusion, seeing Shen Jiaqing’s genuinely enthusiastic expression, as if he had no idea that the very person he intended to kidnap was standing right in front of him.
Xie Xiaonan glanced at the bamboo hut behind the two of them, his brow lifting slightly. “Are you bandits?”
His voice seemed to blend with the lingering summer heat, carrying a lazy, unhurried tone.
Shen Jiaqing immediately denied it and was about to speak when Wen Lisheng coughed loudly, trying to catch his eye.
In this situation, the more they said, the more mistakes they’d make. The only way out was to slip away quickly. Once back in the city, even if Xie Xiaonan recognized her, as long as she stubbornly denied it and relied on her father’s protection, nothing would likely come of it.
But Shen Jiaqing didn’t react. Instead, Xie Xiaonan was drawn by the coughing, his eyes shifting slightly as his scrutinizing gaze drifted down.
Wen Lisheng reacted swiftly, turning her head away, bending over, and clutching her stomach, groaning softly.
Shen Jiaqing was startled. “Pear! What’s wrong?”
She twisted around, calling out as she shuffled toward the back of the bamboo hut. “My stomach hurts, I need to step away for a moment!”
Once she was out of their sight, she glanced back, saw no one following, and immediately broke into a sprint.
Never mind, she’d run first. She could come back with reinforcements to rescue Shen Jiaqing later.After running just a few steps, she saw someone suddenly appear a short distance ahead, offering her a polite smile. “Miss, our young master requests your presence.”
Wen Lisheng pretended not to hear, keeping her head down as she continued walking.
The person took a couple of steps to catch up and repeated, “Miss, our young master requests your presence—”
Can’t hear, can’t hear. Wen Lisheng did not respond.
Yet the next moment, the voice sounded right beside her ear. The person had somehow blocked her path. “Are you deaf?”
Wen Lisheng snapped angrily, “Who are you calling deaf?”