The biting cold wind shrieked; Wangchuncheng would never see another spring.
Yu Ange gripped her longsword tightly. Even though she was covered in wounds, her figure remained proud and aloof, and the blood on her face added a soul-stirring, lush beauty to her features.
The Liangbing surrounding her gradually drew closer. At this life-or-death moment, a charming voice called out, “Young General Yu, though you are a woman, you are brave and skilled in battle. If you are willing to bow your head and submit to Liangguo, you will surely be able to fulfill your ambitions.”
The Liangbing surrounding Yu Ange stepped aside to open a path. Yu Ange narrowed her eyes and saw a beautiful woman walking slowly toward her.
The newcomer was dressed in red and wore a phoenix crown, forming a sharp contrast with the blood-soaked and wounded Yu Ange.
Seeing her, Yu Ange’s eyes turned red with moisture, and she questioned with hatred, “Song Jin’er, as the Empress of Dayin, why did you disregard the empire and curry favor with Liangguo!”
Song Jin’er was originally the illegitimate daughter of the Libu Shilang of the Dayin Dynasty. After falling into the water once, her personality changed drastically. She became world-famous with the poem “A Tranquil Night of Spring Flowers and Moonbeams over the River,” causing the men of the world to fall for her one after another.
Yu Ange’s fiancé had broken his engagement with her for Song Jin’er.
Yu Ange’s brother had been beaten to death for “molesting” Song Jin’er.
The former Eldest Prince of Dayin, now the current Emperor, had left his imperial harem empty for Song Jin’er, favoring only the Jiaofang.
Even the Emperor of the enemy nation had fallen in love with Song Jin’er at first sight. This very war had been launched by the Liangguo Emperor to fight for her.
But no one expected that Song Jin’er, as the Empress of Dayin, would collude with the enemy and betray her country, throwing herself into the arms of the Liangguo Emperor and causing the tens of thousands of Shenweijun soldiers led by Yu Ange to perish on the battlefield.
Hearing this, a contemptuous smile appeared on Song Jin’er’s face. “The Emperor of Dayin is fatuous, and the people are living in misery. Why should I not betray such a country?”
A buzzing sound filled Yu Ange’s mind, echoing with the wails of homeless, wronged souls. The battlefield had long since become an eternal purgatory.
Yu Ange’s voice trembled. “Dayin gave birth to you and raised you. How can you say such things!”
Song Jin’er sneered. “You and the Shenwei Dajiangjun are truly father and daughter; even your words are exactly the same.”
Hearing her mention her father, Yu Ange’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot, the hatred within them enough to destroy the world.
It was because of Song Jin’er’s betrayal that her father had fallen into the Liangbing’s ambush. She had searched through the mountain of corpses and sea of blood for three days and nights, only to find her father’s head and right hand.
A legendary general of his generation had actually been torn apart by five horses by his enemies!
Yu Ange raised her sword to strike Song Jin’er, but she was already at the end of her strength. Before she could even touch a corner of Song Jin’er’s clothes, she was heavily wounded by the halberds of the Liangbing.
“Song Jin’er, you will die a miserable death.”
After struggling to utter these words, Yu Ange lost her strength and fell to the ground, her eyes closed and motionless.
Song Jin’er moved with graceful steps and lightly kicked Yu Ange, only to find she didn’t move at all. Only a trail of bloody tears flowed from her eyes—the sign of one who dies with grievances unredressed.
In a detached tone, Song Jin’er said, “Since you’re already dead, I might as well tell you: I am not a person of Dayin. I am a Chuanyuenü. The survival of Dayin has nothing to do with me.”
Seeing that Yu Ange still didn’t move and was likely truly dead, Song Jin’er curled her lips, her eyes showing a hint of pity.
But just as Song Jin’er turned to leave, Yu Ange suddenly surged up from the ground. Holding her sword, she used the last of her strength to lung at her.
Song Jin’er was terrified, her face turning pale. Just as the longsword in Yu Ange’s hand was about to pierce her throat, a cold arrow whistled through the air, piercing through Yu Ange’s chest.
Blood splashed onto Song Jin’er’s face, causing her to let out a piercing scream.
Yu Ange clutched the arrow fletching in her chest and turned her head with difficulty to look at the archer.
The man held a bow and sat on a horse, his silhouette framed darkly by the lingering glow of the setting sun.
That man was her former fiancé, the legitimate son of the Yongchang Bofu of Dayin, Cen Jiashu.
In the face of national peril, her fiancé had not only betrayed the country for Song Jin’er but had also shot her dead.
Yu Ange’s vision went black in waves, her soul feeling as if it were being torn apart. With the last of her strength, she cursed, “Cen Jiashu, Song Jin’er, if there is a next life, I will make you pay in blood.”
As she approached death, Yu Ange heard Cen Jiashu ride closer and say coldly, “The Nanchuanwang of Dayin is leading troops toward Wangchuncheng to provide reinforcements. Men, hang Young General Yu’s body from the city gate. Let the Nanchuanwang see clearly that this is the consequence of stubborn resistance.”
Nanchuanwang?
Shang Qingyan?
Yu Ange thought of that person who possessed the charm of snow and the elegance of frost, a man like a banished immortal or a divine lord.
He was the deposed Crown Prince of Dayin, and the only member of the imperial family willing to extend a helping hand to Yu Ange after the Liangguo invasion.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t wait for him anymore.
…
“Miss, Miss.”
“Young Master Cen has just placed as Tanhua and has traveled a thousand miles to Wangchuncheng. He must be here to propose marriage.”
Yu Ange suddenly snapped back to her senses and stared blankly into the bronze mirror. The young girl in the mirror wore no makeup but was already peerlessly beautiful. Her eyes were particularly striking, like obsidian fallen into frost and snow, shimmering with cold light.
Was she… reborn?
Yu Ange was momentarily dazed, and a book inexplicably surfaced in her mind.
Opening it to the last page, it described how Yu Ange, the daughter of a military family, had remained obstinate and stubborn, leading the remnants of the Shenweijun to guard the city gate.
Alas, as a mere Paohui, she was simply overestimating herself compared to Song Jin’er’s Nüzhu Guanghuan.
Soon, under Song Jin’er’s direction, the Liangbing broke into Wangchuncheng, killed Yu Ange, and hung her body from the city gate.
When the Liangguo Emperor led his iron cavalry through the city gates, Song Jin’er pushed through the crowd and smilingly threw herself into his arms.
The Liangguo Emperor pointed at the devastated Wangchuncheng and said tenderly to Song Jin’er, “For you, what does it matter if I exhaust the world?”
And at the end of the book, the tragedy of the blood-soaked land and the fields covered in mourning was lightly summarized in four words—A Love That Toppled a Kingdom.
Absurd, how utterly absurd!
Yu Ange was overcome with grief and indignation, coughing up a mouthful of blood. In her deep, ink-black eyes, a bloodthirsty look surged.
Yanbo’s hair stood on end when she saw this, and she cried out repeatedly, “Miss, why are you spitting blood! I’ll go call a doctor!”
Yu Ange shook herself free from the painful memories and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with a trembling hand. “No need, I’m fine. What did you just say?”
Yanbo said with eyes full of worry, “Young Master Cen has arrived.”
Hearing that name, Yu Ange let out a low laugh.
Heaven was just, allowing her to be reborn at the moment her nightmare began.
In her previous life, her fiancé Cen Jiashu had come to Wangchuncheng at this time. However, it wasn’t to propose marriage as Yanbo thought, but to break the engagement so he could fulfill his promise of being a devoted couple with Song Jin’er for a lifetime.
Yu Ange had known that a forced relationship wouldn’t be sweet, so she had somberly agreed. Who would have thought that after Cen Jiashu returned to the capital, he would slander her, claiming she had lived among the army, failed to cultivate her private virtues, and had long ago lost her chastity.
Later, when the enemy invaded, Cen Jiashu even tricked military intelligence out of her father. Tens of thousands of Shenweijun soldiers died because of a single secret letter from him.
Thinking of the ending in the book—where that pair of scoundrels became the Liangguo Empress and the Liangguo Prime Minister—Yu Ange’s murderous intent burned like fire.
She said to Yanbo, “I want to go see him.”
Yanbo stamped her feet in anxiety. “Why see Young Master Cen? Your health is more important! I’m going to find a doctor!”
Yu Ange pulled Yanbo back, her tone brooking no refusal. “Listen to me. Go set up a screen in the main hall. I will see him there.”
Yu Ange’s word was law in the household. Although Yanbo was worried, she did as she was told.
Yu Ange put a veil over her face to hide her peerless beauty. After composing her emotions, she followed Yanbo all the way to the main hall.
A large screen divided the hall in two. On the other side of the screen stood a tall man. Sensing Yu Ange’s arrival, he cupped his hands and bowed to her.
“Sister Yu, we haven’t met for many years. Are you well?”