Night.
In the dim light, Yan Hui stood before the window, letting the cold wind lash her face. Only like this could she clearly confront her situation. Though unwilling, she had come to the northern frontier. Her purpose here was marriage. Thinking of the man she had seen in daylight—towering like a mountain—her dark eyes flickered. That was the husband she had traveled thousands of miles to wed.
Lost in thought, she heard the post station’s doors open. She looked down. The night wind was fierce. A figure in dark purple appeared leisurely in her sight. Her gaze locked tightly on him.
Li Suyu felt the weight of her stare and turned to meet it. The restless wind tangled at his ears. In the dim light, the girl at the window stood out sharply.
Yan Hui did not flinch. Her eyes met his directly.
Li Suyu’s brows furrowed. From the moment he received word from Bianjing, he had held contempt for this girl—she was not truly of the Wang family, just as the Wangs had dared to scorn the late emperor’s marriage decree.
“General, can’t you sleep?” Yan Hui asked, her eyes fixed on his face, as if speaking to an old friend.
Meeting her gaze, Li Suyu’s heart skipped unexpectedly. His lips curved faintly: “Does Miss Yan find this desolate land hard to endure?”
Yan Hui considered his words, then smiled lightly: “It’s not so bad. The northern frontier is not as terrible as people in the capital claim.”
A trace of chill crossed his features. He had thought he knew how to deal with this girl from the capital, but seeing her in person stirred something more complicated. He did not dwell on it.
“Rest early.” With that, the young man turned and disappeared into the night.
Yan Hui’s probing expression faded, her eyes returning to calm.
Li Suyu was far harder to approach than she had imagined. His sharp gaze seemed able to pierce anyone’s heart. He was a man of deep calculation—not the rough, simple warrior of rumor.
Morning.
After Suiqiu finished dressing Yan Hui, Zhao Chi knocked at the door.
Seeing Suiqiu open it, he asked: “Miss Suiqiu, shall we depart today? The General returned to Yuncheng last night to prepare for Second Sister‑in‑law’s arrival.”
Suiqiu raised her brows: “I’ll ask the young lady.”
Before Zhao Chi could react, the door slammed shut.
Moments later, Suiqiu’s voice came from inside: “Miss, Zhao Chi asks if we can set out for Yuncheng today.”
“Yes.”
Outside, Zhao Chi was relieved. Though Second Sister‑in‑law seemed aloof, she was not so difficult after all.
Half an hour later, the caravan set out again.
Yun City was the foremost stronghold of the northern frontier. Ten miles outside lay the Li family’s military camp. From afar, the ancient city loomed vast and imposing. Yan Hui gazed at it, her face shadowed with complex emotions. Upon entering, they did not go directly to the Li household, but were lodged in an inn arranged by the Lis.
The arrival of a bride from the capital stirred ripples throughout Yuncheng.
By evening, Zhao Chi hurried back from the Li residence to the inn.
Knock, knock…
Suiqiu opened the door: “Brother Zhao, why do you look so troubled?”
“Is Miss Yan available?” Zhao Chi asked nervously.
Before Suiqiu could answer, Yan Hui herself stepped forward.
Zhao Chi bowed: “Miss Yan, because of the marriage contract between the Li and Wang families, our matriarch asks that you present the token once given by the Wang family to the Lis.”
He produced a brocade box from his robe: “This is the token the Wang family gave us. Please, look it over.”
Yan Hui found the scene absurd. This matter had nothing to do with her, yet she was made to suffer humiliation. The imperial decree had already reached the Lis, yet they still demanded proof from her. Was this not simply declaring her false?
“Suiqiu, bring out the token,” Yan Hui said coolly.
Zhao Chi felt guilty, but the fault lay with the court and the Wangs. The Lis had no choice.
“General Zhao, if the Li family wishes to repudiate this marriage, I have no objection. I am not of the Wang clan, nor bound to this contract. I am merely a pawn in others’ game. If the Lis dare resist the court, I would admire them. But if they vent the court’s oppression on me—pardon me, I am not so easily bullied.”
Her strong words fell just as a young man arrived.
Zhao Chi, at a loss, cried out in relief: “Second Brother! You’re here at last!”
Yan Hui’s gaze fell on a pair of black boots, armor rising from shin to waist, a collar embroidered with gold thread, a long neck, the shadowed outline of a jaw.
In the dim light, the young man’s eyes were cold and piercing. He said: “Is the Li family making things difficult for you?”