Su Jinhui of the Northern Zhenfu Division had only one daughter. Born with a congenital illness, she was a sickly beauty who spent her days secluded in her boudoir—three steps brought a light cough, five steps drew blood. She could not bear sunlight, nor withstand wind or frost.
When the beauty had just been born, the abbot of Yong’an Temple divined her fate and declared that her yin energy was excessive. To suppress it, she was given a masculine name to counterbalance the yin with yang.
The sickly beauty was named Su Yihan, with the courtesy name Wangyou.
At the age of fifteen, Su Yihan reached the age to enter the palace for the imperial consort selection.
By special imperial permission, due to her poor health, she only needed to make a brief appearance and go through the motions. She did not need to stay in the palace as a consort, nor enter service as a palace maid.
The Su residence was thrown into chaos.
Su Jin hurriedly knocked on the door of Lifaang Courtyard and asked softly,
“Wangyou, can your body still hold up? If you truly feel unwell, Father will go beg His Majesty. We won’t make this trip at all.”
From within the courtyard came a calm, gentle voice, light as drifting mist:
“I can manage. Father need not worry.”
The steward rushed over to report, “Master, Eunuch Zhuang is urging us.”
Eunuch Zhuang served by His Majesty’s side. At the selection banquet, Su Jin was required to be present to maintain order.
Left with no choice, Su Jin hastily threw out, “If you feel unwell, Wangyou, have Taozi send word,” before leaving in a rush.
Inside the courtyard, Chun Tao inserted the final hairpin into the woman’s neatly arranged hair before the bronze mirror, finishing her preparations.
Standing at the doorway, Chun Tao called out, “Is the sedan chair ready?”
The servants quickly answered, “It’s ready!”
A comfortable sedan chair waited in the courtyard. Tao Chun supported the woman in pale green robes, step by step like blooming lotus flowers, slowly helping her into the palanquin.
A breeze brushed past the green fabric, bringing a chill. She coughed lightly twice.
Once she was finally seated, Tao Chun hurriedly stuffed a hand warmer into Su Yihan’s hands.
Four men lifted the sedan chair, moving smoothly along a road specially repaired by Su Jin to prevent jolting the frail beauty.
Even so, her complexion remained deathly pale, without the slightest hint of color.
On the long street, a path was cleared as the townsfolk habitually stepped aside.
Su Yihan rarely left the residence. Each time she did, the roads along her route were cleared in advance to avoid any collisions.
But today was different.
A man dressed in black rode a fierce horse, charging recklessly down the street.
At the instant a collision seemed imminent, Tao Chun’s expression changed.
“Stop!”
The driver halted immediately. The sedan jolted, and a suppressed groan sounded from within.
Chun Tao pulled open the curtain, worry etched across her face. “Miss, I’ll send someone to summon the imperial physician at once.”
Su Yihan gently shook her head, and Chun Tao could only give up.
They had assumed nothing would go wrong on the way, and with imperial physicians available in the palace, they had not brought one along.
Turning around, Chun Tao glared angrily at the man wearing a malicious smile, her chin lifted.
“If anything happens to my young miss, you’ll pay a grievous price!”
The man was highly skilled in horsemanship and had reined in his horse just in time.
Even so, the driver had been badly frightened, and the sedan had jolted.
The man’s brows and eyes were sharp, like a wolf roaming freely across the desert—unrestrained, wild, and at ease.
With a teasing grin, he said, “Whose pampered young lady carries a bigger presence than His Majesty himself, clearing the streets just to go out?”
Chun Tao’s face flushed red with anger. She glared at him.
“You’re not from the capital, are you? If you don’t understand, don’t make wild assumptions!”
If not for her miss’s fragile health, there would be no need for such caution.
Behind him, a brocade-clad man of similar age hurried over.
Chun Tao offered a respectful bow. “Young Master Qi.”
“Chun Tao.” Qi Jue nodded, signaling for the man on horseback to dismount.
Shen Yu swung down from his horse with effortless grace. Tall and imposing, he was nothing like the delicate, pampered young men of the capital. Just standing there, he exuded an overwhelming pressure.
“Young Master Qi, do you know this unruly man?” Chun Tao shot Shen Yu a glare and complained.
“He acted recklessly! My miss is entering the palace today for the consort selection, and he rode wildly through the streets, nearly crashing into our sedan!”
Qi Jue’s eyes widened as he looked at Shen Yu.
“General Shen, you nearly crashed into Miss Su’s sedan the moment you arrived in the capital?!”
Shen Yu frowned in confusion.
The moment the word “General” was spoken, Chun Tao’s furious expression collapsed. Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees with a thud.
“……”
Shen Yu, General of the Northwest—he had gone to war at fifteen as a deputy general, been promoted to general at sixteen, and at twenty-two had guarded the borderlands for seven years. A victorious general who had kept the realm safe for seven long years.
Among the people of Yun Zhao, none were unaware of General Shen’s formidable reputation. Yet few had seen his face. He had been stationed in the Northwest year-round and had returned to the capital only three times in seven years, each time quietly.
Not someone to offend. If one should kneel, then kneel.
Qi Jue: “……”
Chun Tao… you didn’t have to be this realistic.
Seeing Shen Yu’s confusion, Qi Jue pressed a hand to his forehead and explained,
“Miss Su Yihan of the Su family is the only daughter of the Northern Zhenfu Division. Born sickly—so weak that a gust of wind could carry her away. That jolt just now probably means several more bowls of medicine for her.”
Lowering his voice, he added, “I’ll explain the rest to you later.”
Su Yihan’s mother had been poisoned while protecting the Crown Prince—now the reigning emperor. She was seven months pregnant at the time, and the child in her womb was afflicted as well.
After giving birth to Su Yihan, her mother passed away.
Su Jin raised his daughter alone, cradling her in his palms, unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest harm.
As such, Su Yihan was exempt from many banquets. Clearing the streets for her was hardly considered excessive.
If anything happened to Su Yihan, Su Jin—the famously doting father—would fight someone to the death.
Shen Yu understood now and had Chun Tao rise.
He walked to the side of the sedan and lifted the curtain.
Inside sat a woman with dark hair coiled neatly. Her lips were pale, tinted faintly red. Her eyes were like autumn pools, clear and light, her skin snowy white with the sickly pallor of one who rarely saw the sun.
Thin—excessively so.
Just as Qi Jue had said, a single gust of wind could carry her away.
Shen Yu had yet to voice his apology.
The seemingly frail beauty curled her lips into a mocking smile.
“General Shen’s riding skills are indeed unparalleled. Had you not stopped in time, you would have returned from the Northwest only to enjoy a hearty meal—at my funeral banquet in the Su residence.”
Shen Yu: “……”
His hand froze midair on the curtain. All the apologies he had prepared were swallowed back, and for a long while, he could not find his voice.
Was this really something a sickly beauty would say?
He found himself doubtful.
Perhaps she had spoken too much at once. Su Yihan lifted a handkerchief to her lips and coughed twice. Blotches of blood stained the cloth.
Seeing the blood, Shen Yu frowned slightly. She was indeed sickly.
Hearing the commotion, Chun Tao hurried over to the carriage.
“Miss, let’s return to the residence. I’ll speak to Master—we should go back and summon the imperial physician first.”
A single jolt and she was coughing up blood, needing to return home for treatment. Shen Yu rubbed his brow and said,
“My residence is nearby—closer than the Su residence. Come to mine.”
He was the one who had caused the jolt. Naturally, he should take responsibility.
“Dying in one’s own home feels more familiar,” Su Yihan turned her head away, her tongue as sharp as ever.
“Chun Tao, go to the banquet.”
Her tone left no room for argument. Chun Tao dared not say more and could only have the driver set off once again.