Ever since Wen Lisheng met Shen Jiaqing at the age of six, the two had grown up together, stirring up plenty of trouble in Yiguan County.
However, one was the young master of Wind Spirit Manor, and the other was the legitimate daughter of Prefect Wen. In the past, whenever they caused minor troubles, someone would always step in to clean up the mess.
But this time, Shen Jiaqing’s poorly thought-out plan, combined with an inexplicable twist of fate, had easily led them to kick the iron plate that was Xie Xiaonan.
Shen Jiaqing remained blissfully unaware. As they descended the mountain, the sunlight fell on Wen Lisheng’s solemn face, making him curious. “Lizi, are you alright? Still worried about that young master?”
“Xie Xiaonan,” Wen Lisheng suddenly said.
“What?” Shen Jiaqing was taken aback.
“His name,” Wen Lisheng replied, her brows furrowed. She glanced toward the lush, dense forest below the mountain and sighed. “We’re too far from the capital to know much about what goes on there. I once heard my father say that the Xie family has served the kingdom for generations, with outstanding military achievements. Their status in the capital is extremely high, even overshadowing other royal relatives and nobles. Offending him this time might bring us no small amount of trouble.”
Yiguan County was located in the north of the Liang Kingdom. To the south lay a vast natural canyon, dotted with green mountains of varying sizes, while to the north stretched an endless grassland, home to nomadic tribes.
Far from the reach of the emperor, Yiguan County had become a unique place.
It was home to countless martial arts sects, with the He, Shen, Mei, and Hu families leading the way. Shen Jiaqing’s Wind Spirit Manor was one of them.
Later, however, the Mei family was convicted and their property confiscated.
At the same time, the officials of Yiguan County, both large and small, held significant control over the county’s lifelines. Over the years, the government and the martial sects had maintained a delicate balance, coexisting in Yiguan County.
In this place where the concept of imperial authority was faint, Shen Jiaqing’s understanding of the government was completely muddled, and he had no idea what a noble title truly meant.
So he shrugged it off. “He’s just a young master from a marquis’s household. Why should we fear him? This isn’t the imperial city—he can’t do as he pleases here. How could he possibly turn Yiguan County upside down?”
Wen Lisheng rolled her eyes at him.
She remembered how naive she had once been, sharing Shen Jiaqing’s belief that Xie Xiaonan, who had just arrived in Yiguan County, was nothing to fear. But later, during a conflict, Shen Jiaqing provoked Xie Xiaonan and nearly had his right hand crippled. It was only after Wen Lisheng knelt, begged, and bloodied her forehead that Xie Xiaonan relented.
Afterward, Wind Spirit Manor tried every means possible but could not lay a finger on Xie Xiaonan. Even Wen Lisheng’s father, breaking his usual demeanor, sternly warned her never to provoke this “troublemaker” from the capital again.
It was only then that Wen Lisheng truly understood the power this young master wielded.
As for later, when he led troops to breach the city and marched south to seize the throne, Wen Lisheng would feel a sense of relief every time she heard news of him from others, grateful that she hadn’t offended him completely back then.
Though in the end, she was still poisoned to death.
The thought made her throat go dry. She swallowed hard and said to Shen Jiaqing, “If you still value your life, stay away from Xie Xiaonan from now on.”
Shen Jiaqing shook his head, swaying slightly. “So timid. It seems our brotherly bond has come to an end.”
Wen Lisheng nearly kicked him out of the carriage.
The journey back took nearly two hours. The lingering glow of the sunset hung on the horizon, dyeing half the blue sky with a hazy red hue. The temperature had dropped slightly, and the wind carried a refreshing coolness.Wen Lisheng returned home covered in dust and grime. As soon as she reached the entrance, the gatekeepers and maids rushed forward to surround her, chattering all at once, “Young Miss, where have you been? The master has been looking for you for a long time.”
Exhausted, she waved her hand to signal them to be quiet. After the emotional rollercoaster and the bumpy journey, all she wanted now was a good sleep.
But just as she passed through the main courtyard and the covered corridor, she heard a booming roar, “Wen Lisheng—!”
Startled, she saw Wen Puchang charging over furiously, holding a bamboo rod as long as an arm, his eyes wide with rage.
Wen Lisheng quickly scrambled out of the covered corridor, dashed a few steps, and found a sturdy tree to climb. In her youth, whenever she made a mistake, Wen Puchang would bring out this bamboo rod, and she would climb the nearest tree. She had climbed most of the trees in the estate. However, in recent years, Wen Puchang had stopped doing this, so she no longer needed to climb trees. Her skills had grown rusty, and she nearly slipped while climbing.
Clutching the branch, Wen Lisheng pleaded pitifully, “Father, spare me some dignity. After all, I am the young lady of this estate.”
Seeing her climb the tree as nimbly as a monkey, Wen Puchang stomped his feet in anger. “You still care about dignity? You’ve nearly shamed your father! Skipping the academy today—where did you sneak off to?”
Wen Lisheng deftly shifted the blame. “It was Shen Jiaqing who dragged me away. He said skipping one day wouldn’t matter.”
Wen Puchang fumed, “That rascal Shen Jiaqing! Didn’t I tell you long ago not to associate with him?”
Wen Lisheng had said this line no less than a hundred times. “Fine, fine. I’ll cut ties with him tomorrow.”
Wen Puchang grew even angrier. “Our Wen family is, after all, a scholarly household. I don’t expect you to be a prodigy, but at least act as demurely as other young ladies. Instead, you run around like a wild monkey all day, and now you’ve grown bold enough to skip the academy openly. Go back to your room and copy ‘Exhortation to Learning’ ten times as punishment. No dinner for you!”
“Father—” Wen Lisheng felt the punishment was truly excessive.
At least let her have a bite to eat!
Wen Puchang ignored her, snorted coldly, and was about to leave when he seemed to remember something. “Don’t go to the academy tomorrow. Stay home. At noon, I’ll take you to a banquet.”
Wen Lisheng was puzzled. “What banquet?”
“The welcome banquet for the son of Jing’an Marquis.”
As soon as she asked, she remembered—it was the welcome banquet Wen Puchang had arranged for Xie Xiaonan.
For many years, a balance had been maintained between the martial sects and the government in Yiguan County. However, Xie Xiaonan’s arrival disrupted this balance. Long before the news broke, many had already begun scheming. On the surface, this banquet was to welcome Xie Xiaonan, but in reality, most attendees had ulterior motives.
Wen Lisheng recalled attending this banquet in her previous life, where she had only caught a distant glimpse of Xie Xiaonan in the crowd.
Back then, she had gone out of curiosity, eager to see this young lord. Now, she wanted nothing more than to avoid him. She immediately put on a serious expression and said, “Father, why should a young lady like me attend the welcome banquet for the young lord? What if someone catches sight of my beauty and sets their sights on me?”Wen Puchang stared at her in astonishment, clearly not expecting her to have the audacity to say such a thing. “You spend all day jumping around like a wild monkey, and now you suddenly remember you’re a young lady? You’re going whether you like it or not. If you don’t get to know the young lord’s face, you might end up offending him one day and lose your head without even knowing how!”
Wen Lisheng wanted to argue further, but seeing him raise the bamboo switch in his hand, ready to scold her again, she reluctantly agreed.
“I have business to attend to tonight, so you better copy it properly. I’ll check when I return!” Wen Puchang tossed out these words before turning and leaving.
Only after he was gone did Wen Lisheng jump down from the tree. She first went back to wash off the dust, fill her stomach, and then obediently copied “Encouraging Learning” under the watchful eyes of her maidservant. As she continued, she grew sleepier and sleepier, hastily scribbling five copies before handing them in as a perfunctory effort and crawling into bed to sleep.
It had been a long time since Wen Lisheng slept so soundly.
Ever since Xie Xiaonan stopped her wedding sedan and news spread that her fiancé’s family had been completely uprooted by him, Wen Lisheng had been confined to the estate. Although her food and drink remained as abundant as before, the guards at the gate forbade her from leaving, trapping her within the courtyard. Surrounded by Xie Xiaonan’s people, she slept with constant anxiety.
She slept until the sun was high in the sky. When she finally woke up, sat up, and stretched lazily, her maidservant pushed the door open, bringing hot water for her to wash, dress, and prepare for the day.
Since childhood, Wen Lisheng had often run around and played with Shen Jiaqing, frequently climbing trees and raiding bird nests. Thus, she usually wore practical tops and trousers for ease of movement. Now, however, she had to attend a banquet and naturally dressed more formally.
Remembering how conspicuous she had looked in red in her past life, Wen Lisheng carefully selected her outfit this time. She wore a goose-yellow short jacket trimmed with gold, paired with a long black skirt embroidered with golden ingot patterns. Over it, she draped a layer of gray mist-like gauze. The lantern-like sleeves revealed a small section of her slender, fair wrist, adorned with a silver bell bracelet that made her skin appear even brighter.
Young and beautiful, her eyes seemed to carry a smile even when expressionless. Standing still and silent, she resembled an exquisitely crafted porcelain doll.
Wen Puchang was extremely pleased when he saw her, briefly acknowledging her as his precious daughter. He repeatedly reminded her, “Once you arrive, just stand there like this and don’t say a word.”
Wen Lisheng didn’t respond.
Feeling uneasy, Wen Puchang turned and called out, “Bring the medicine. Let’s seal your voice for a few hours first.”
Wen Lisheng hurriedly cried out, “I know, I know! I promise I won’t speak!”
Only then was Wen Puchang satisfied, and he took her out.
Her corrupt official father was a man of great pride and would never arrive on time. Even if everything was prepared early, he would deliberately delay. Wen Lisheng looked up at the sky, feeling troubled. She wondered if they would still make it in time for the meal.
The welcoming banquet was held at the Mei family’s Old Tree Hall, named after the century-old tree inside. Passed down through generations of the Mei family, the tree had witnessed the passing of several generations and remained lush and vibrant. In summer, its canopy could block out the sun, creating a spectacular sight.
However, after this banquet, the Mei family would be convicted and fall from grace. That great tree would eventually become the private property of the Wen family. Wen Lisheng even hung a swing under it and occasionally played there. Later, during the chaos of war, Wen Puchang auctioned it off.After arriving at a leisurely pace, other carriages could only stop outside the main hall, but the Wen family carriage was able to proceed directly into the inner courtyard without any hindrance.
As soon as Wen Lisheng stepped out of the carriage, she saw people standing all around, chatting and laughing in small groups, with many stealing glances in her direction. The sight left her somewhat dazed. In her previous life, after the Mei family was purged, this manor had naturally been seized by her father. After extensive renovations, its original appearance was almost completely erased, and Wen Lisheng occasionally came here to play.
Her gaze swept around, and from a distance, she spotted Xie Xiaonan standing beneath the century-old tree. He wore a light white robe, clean as cotton, with only a hint of gold faintly visible on the buttons. His jet-black hair cascaded over it, creating a stark contrast between the two colors. In her memory, his eyes were always filled with indifference, but now they held a smile as he listened to someone speaking.
His youthful features, untainted by the world, were like sweet, clear spring water.
At a glance, he seemed less arrogant than he had been the day before, instead resembling a polite and scholarly young man.
The head of the Mei family, Mei Xing’an, stepped forward first, clasping his hands in greeting and saying with a smile, “The County Magistrate has arrived late. You must punish yourself with a few drinks.”
Wen Puchang responded with a smile, “That is only natural.”
As he walked forward, Wen Lisheng was about to tell her father she would slip away to play, but unexpectedly, Wen Puchang, seeing her unusually well-behaved appearance today and considering her less-than-stellar reputation in the county, decided to reintroduce his daughter to everyone, hoping it would make it easier for her to find a husband in the future. He said, “Sheng’er, stay close to your father. Don’t run off.”
Wen Lisheng saw Xie Xiaonan up ahead and naturally had no desire to go. She was about to speak when Wen Puchang shot her a warning glance.
Afraid her father might twist her ear in public, she had no choice but to follow, half-hiding behind him.
When they reached the old tree, everyone stepped forward to greet Wen Puchang, but he responded casually. Only when he stood before Xie Xiaonan did he bow respectfully to the scholarly-looking youth and say, “This humble official, Wen Puchang, County Magistrate of Yiguan County, pays his respects to the heir of Jing’an Marquis.”
Wen Lisheng also lowered her head in greeting.
Xie Xiaonan gave a slight smile and said, “The County Magistrate is too courteous.”
Wen Puchang first exchanged polite pleasantries before gesturing to Wen Lisheng. “This is my daughter, named Lisheng.”
Wen Lisheng hadn’t expected her father to suddenly introduce her and felt a moment of panic. Lifting her eyes, she unexpectedly met Xie Xiaonan’s gaze, which held a hint of amusement, and then heard him say, “I have long heard that your daughter is naturally beautiful and exceptionally clever. Seeing her now, it is indeed true.”
If it weren’t for the many people watching and her fear of offending Xie Xiaonan, she would have loved to applaud him vigorously.
Great rebel, you truly know how to put on an act.