Chapter 1: Prologue

The forty-first year of the Jiayong era, deep winter.

The funeral bell from the West Courtyard of the Yan residence pierced through the heavy walls of the deep night, swept across the dense wind and snow, and echoed throughout the surrounding streets and alleys.

Half a month ago, Yan Song, the Senior Grand Secretary who had dominated the imperial court for decades, was impeached by the Censorate for several crimes, including the persecution of loyal officials and the acceptance of bribes.

After a delicate half-month, Yan Song suddenly entered the palace yesterday with a ten-thousand-word memorial to see the Emperor, only to dash his head against the dragon pillar outside the hall immediately afterward.

The Emperor had been frail since childhood, and Yan Song had served him for over forty years, remaining in office even as he approached the age of eighty.

Upon Yan Song’s death, the Emperor’s anger instantly turned to grief. He issued an overnight decree, tearfully pardoning Yan Song’s crimes, bestowing upon him a posthumous title, and granting him the rank of Duke.

Furthermore, the Emperor granted Yan Song’s only son, Yan Shu—who served as a Junior Minister in the Palace Treasury—the title of Marquis of Wuyang. He ordered that Yan Shu’s three-year mourning period be reduced to one year, after which he was to enter the court to participate in government affairs.

Yan Shu had been raised in the deep palace since childhood; his cunning surpassed even that of his father. With this death, Yan Song had secured the Yan family’s future and pushed his own son—a man with the heart of a wolf and a leopard—into power, ensuring the continuation of their monstrous favor.

At midnight, the Yan residence remained brightly lit. Everyone was gathered in the western mourning hall to manage the funeral arrangements. Yet, at that very moment, a loud "bang" suddenly erupted from the northeast corner, followed by a pillar of fire several zhang high!

Against the backdrop of the snowy night, the pillar of fire shone so brightly it instantly illuminated half the sky.

The previously orderly residence fell into chaos. Cries of alarm and screams traveled from the fire in the east all the way to the mourning hall. Meanwhile, several black shadows took advantage of the confusion to slip from behind the flames into the deep mansion, scattering along the corridors beneath the eaves.

The firelight pierced through the wind and snow. Deep within a residential area separated by a street, Shen Qingzhou grabbed several blood-stained bundles from before him and tossed them into a corner of a dilapidated temple. He then sat on the threshold, picked up a few sticks of firewood, and lit the charcoal in front of him. "Did you avoid the innocent?"

"We did." He Qu pulled off his mask. "The brothers scouted the path last night. That courtyard is usually uninhabited; setting it on fire wouldn't harm anyone."

The sparks of the charcoal flickered in the dark night. Shen Qingzhou lifted the hem of his black fur cloak and used a silk handkerchief to wipe the blood from his fingers. "Not only must you get Yan Shu’s head within two quarters of an hour, but you must also do your utmost to deal with his remaining eight sons!"

"Understood!"

He Qu turned his body and leaped out of the ruined temple like a harrier hawk.

Snowflakes filled the sky and covered the earth; the world fell silent in an instant.

Before long, beyond the sound of the wind and snow, there came the sound of footsteps accompanied by light, labored breathing.

Shen Qingzhou warmed his hands, picked up the mask beside him, and covered his face, calmly pushing aside the cold ash to reveal the red embers.

At the doorway, which was lit only by a faint glow, someone tripped over the threshold and tumbled into the room with a clatter.

The woman’s low, ragged breathing sounded muffled beneath the wind. As the cold air rolled in, a thick, pungent scent of blood aggressively permeated the room.

Shen Qingzhou frowned slightly and struck a fire starter.

The firelight was like a sharp arrow, quickly illuminating the person sitting against the wall. It was a young woman in her early twenties. Because of the sudden light, she looked like a startled cat, her back pressed tightly against the crumbling wall as she stared at him.

Shen Qingzhou’s gaze lingered for a moment on her face beneath her disheveled black hair, then slid down to the white clothes she wore.

In such heavy snow, she was wearing only a thin padded jacket. And on the shoulders, back, and abdomen of this jacket were several glaring, scarlet bloodstains.

Shen Qingzhou shifted his gaze back to her face. "A member of the Yan family?"

The Yan family occupied several streets, and there were no other prominent households nearby. To be able to run here from the Yan residence while severely injured on such a snowy night was quite impressive. Seeing her high-coiled bun and the phoenix bracelet on her hand, she was likely a legitimately wedded young mistress of the Yan family.

The woman braced herself, her right hand instinctively and vigilantly moving toward her waist. "Who are you?"

Shen Qingzhou didn't bother to answer.

Because beneath the flying snow in the distance, the light of torches had already appeared. Listening closely, one could hear the faint sound of footsteps and shouting.

He grabbed the sword from behind the threshold and pointed it at the woman with a *swish*. "Did you lead them here?"

The sudden appearance of pursuers gave him an ominous feeling. Although the women of the Yan family were not on his assassination list, if her appearance was tied to some other motive, he wouldn't mind making an exception.

The woman gritted her teeth, looking at the blood on his sword, and suddenly rolled up her sleeve. "Given these wounds of mine, what do you think?"

Once the sleeve was rolled up, her slender arm was revealed to be covered in bloodstains, with several swollen, bleeding wounds visible. These were not even the areas bleeding the most—this certainly didn't look like a trap.

If they weren't tracking her, could it be that He Qu and the others had run into trouble?

"You... you are the one who set the fire just now?"

Just as Shen Qingzhou was growing suspicious, the woman seemed to think of something and asked in a hoarse voice.

Shen Qingzhou was in no mood to deal with her.

The woman’s face turned even paler. "I was in the courtyard when you set the fire!"

Only then did Shen Qingzhou turn his head, his brows furrowed.

"I had long planned my escape, hiding in the courtyard to avoid notice. I thought it was my maid who set the fire, so I took advantage of the chaos to get out. It was you—since it wasn't the maid who set the fire, they will soon realize something is wrong and hunt for the culprit everywhere!"

"It was you who led them here! They are tracking you!" The woman grew agitated as she spoke, her limbs trembling uncontrollably.

"You said you were in the burning courtyard?"

"Otherwise, how would I have guessed you were the killer!" The woman gritted her teeth. "I could have waited until dawn when the city gates opened to leave the city smoothly, but you ruined my plan!"

The woman gnashed her teeth; it was clear how furious she was.

However, Shen Qingzhou’s plan had not included the sudden appearance of a Yan family woman. He Qu and the others had scouted the path last night and were certain before they acted, yet something had gone wrong—and at such a critical juncture!

To ensure success, he had sent all eighteen of his guards into the Yan residence. In other words, the pursuers had already arrived, but he had no reinforcements at the moment!

By now, the torchlight behind the wind and snow had rapidly expanded its range around the ruined temple. This formation was definitely not something the Yan family possessed on their own; they must have mobilized the local government officials as quickly as possible.

Shen Qingzhou gripped his long sword and stepped over the threshold.

The woman grabbed his sleeve tightly. "Take me with you!"

Shen Qingzhou glanced at her, his cold eyes full of rejection.

A married woman fleeing in the middle of a snowy night with a bundle was definitely not normal. He had even less reason to add trouble to his plate at this moment.

"I don't mind if you use me as a hostage!" The woman stared fixedly into his eyes, her hands gripping even tighter.

She had lost so much blood that she was already very weak, but her eyes were filled with a desperate desire to survive.

The Yan family’s status was so noble that outsiders said even their guard dogs had more face than ordinary officials. A legitimately wedded young mistress must be a high-born lady from a family of equal standing.

Furthermore, given the Yan family’s status and power, logically, no one would be willing to give up such a life.

Yet she was choosing to leave in this state, in such a wretched manner.

"Be careful!"

In the silence, the shouting and torchlight had already crossed the wall. The light even shone into Shen Qingzhou’s eyes.

He gritted his teeth. "Blades have no eyes. You asked for this yourself."

The woman swallowed. "Don't worry, I won't blame you if I die!"

Shen Qingzhou cast a cold glance and leaped onto the roof with her.

The scene before them was chilling. The ruined temple was indeed surrounded on all four sides by Yan family guards holding torches. Figures were moving rapidly through every alley, and there were even several rows of crossbowmen mixed in.

Shen Qingzhou knew the layout of the capital by heart. He did the opposite, darting toward the back alley of the Yan residence. Because the entire Yan family guard had been mobilized, based on past experience, returning toward the source usually revealed more openings.

"Stop!"

The nearby guards quickly spotted them, and soon their companions from all sides rushed to surround them.

The wind and snow lashed against his face, biting and cold. But for someone fighting to survive, it was not worth noting.

Just as they dropped from the wall into the street, two groups of men blocked their path from the front and back.

Shen Qingzhou pushed the woman in front of him. "Clear the way!"

The pursuers' blades were almost touching the woman’s chest and abdomen, but if they could break out of this alley, they would reach the Prince’s Street, lined with official residences—a place the Yan family couldn't enter without notice. As long as he could buy time to shake off the pursuers, he was fully confident he could escape.

The enemy’s offensive indeed weakened. A few of the sharp-eyed ones among them even exclaimed, "That looks like the Third Young Mistress!...Yes, it really is the Third Young Mistress!...So he’s holding the Third Young Mistress hostage!"

—Third Young Mistress?

Shen Qingzhou gave the woman in front of him a playful look. Then, he leaped up and fought his way through.

Since the "hostage" was so useful, he had even less reason to hold back. Ordinary people couldn't withstand his offensive, and with a powerful hostage in his hands, the men in front and behind couldn't help but retreat.

"Don't retreat! Kill them!"

Just as they were a few steps away from shaking off the pursuers, a sharp shout suddenly came from the front. Beneath a thick parasol tree under the East Gate of the Yan residence stood two noblewomen in their early forties, accompanied by a large group of attendants. The one in the lead was covered in pearls and jade, her gaze fixed directly on the woman in Shen Qingzhou’s hands, her eyes filled with coldness.

"The Jiang woman?"

Shen Qingzhou narrowed his eyes.

He actually recognized this woman.

As he assessed the situation, the woman he was holding suddenly shuddered, her face turning snow-white again.

"Are you afraid of her?" he asked.

"No!" the woman blurted out. "In a narrow encounter, the brave wins. Tonight, she should be the one afraid of me."

After saying this, she clenched her fists. "Kill your way through!"

Shen Qingzhou followed her lead, holding her tight as he lunged forward.

The woman under the tree was Lady Jiang, the wife of Lu Jie, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Minister of Rites. The reason she was here was that she was also the foster daughter of Yan Song.

Relying on this status, she had become the second-highest-ranking noblewoman in the entire court, second only to Yan Shu’s wife.

Even if Shen Qingzhou didn't know what relationship Lady Jiang had with this woman, he knew clearly that compared to the Third Young Mistress of the Yan family in his hands, Lady Jiang had a greater background, and attacking her directly offered better odds.

He assumed the woman thought the same, so he focused on choosing an angle of attack. But suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his waist—the woman had pulled out a dagger at some point, scanned the crowd of attendants under the tree, and then pushed him away, bolting toward the noblewoman!

"Vile woman, pay with your life!"

The woman’s roar, filled with bone-deep hatred, instantly tore through the night sky!

The crowd was thrown into disarray by her actions. The unarmed attendants around Lady Jiang scattered like beasts, while the armed guards didn't know which one to block! By the time they reacted, the woman with the blade had already reached Lady Jiang!...

Before Shen Qingzhou could recover from his shock, he turned to face the dozen blades thrust toward him, killing his way toward the woman!

He wanted to call her back, but realized he didn't even know her name!

And just as he was swinging his sword in a frenzy, the woman had already used her flesh and blood to break into the ranks of the pursuers, thrusting her blade with all her might into Lady Jiang’s chest!

"If I can drag you down with me, this death won't have been in vain!"

Her gritted words reached Lady Jiang’s ears; every syllable sounded like a vengeful ghost claiming a life!

Lady Jiang pointed at her, trembling. "Lu Jia! Lu Jia!..."

Lu Jia pulled out the blade and roared as she stabbed Lady Jiang’s chest and abdomen several more times! Lady Jiang’s blood covered her face, and at that very moment, four or five swords thrust from the side, accurately piercing her back...

The thick snow was instantly dyed red with blood.

Shen Qingzhou stood on the wall, his limbs instantly turning rigid!

—"I don't want to die!"

—"Take me with you!..."

The woman’s desire to live still echoed in his ears, yet in the blink of an eye, she was willing to be pierced by countless swords, dragging her enemy to the grave with her!

The cold wind wrapped around him as he jumped off the wall and took two quick steps toward the woman.

The woman was stretching out her right hand, struggling to reach the blood-stained bundle not far away, her mouth moving as if saying something, but in the end, not a single word came out...

"Catch him!"

The sound of the pursuers surrounding them rose again.

Shen Qingzhou leaped over to pick up the bundle, took one last deep look at the woman covered in snow, then turned and fought his way toward the street corner...

Dear readers, we meet again ε(><)з

The book, originally planned for July, was delayed until August. The good side is that I had enough time to prepare, and the story is more complete.

The new book still has a revenge plot, but there will also be more daily romantic interactions.

I look forward to your support and hope you keep up with the new chapters \(ω)/

For those waiting for updates, you can check out my recently completed "Prosperous Spring."

...

The title of this book is easy to duplicate, so please add it to your bookshelf first so you don't lose it next time ε(><)з

(End of chapter)