Chapter 1

The weather in April was still a bit chilly. The overflowing sunlight spilled across the endless imperial road, casting a dense, pockmarked pattern of light and shadow through the trees lining the path from the road to the market entrance—flickering and hazy. A light breeze carried a faint chill, yet it could not disperse the endless sea of red.

Dazzling, scarlet silk rippled along the streets, swaying with a hint of maidenly sentiment, yet there was also a touch of desolation mixed within, a flavor beyond description. The red silk stretched from that endless imperial road, through the prosperous market, and all the way to the entrance of the residence of the most prominent official in the Beihe Dynasty—the Prime Minister, An Fang.

Two imposing stone lions sat perched on either side of the high, wide mansion gates, draped in red and adorned with ribbons. Their sharp, spirited eyes seemed to possess the power to suppress celestial spirits and demonic monsters. As they stared straight ahead, countless guests were intimidated by the sheer majesty of these two magnificent beasts.

A red carpet stretched straight into the depths of the Prime Minister’s mansion, where no end could be seen. Red lanterns were hung all along the way, illuminating the path. Everything was red—vibrant and enchanting, yet carrying a thin, cold chill within it.

Ten miles of red dowry—it was nothing less than that!

This was the supreme glory bestowed by the Imperial family, and even more so by Prince Xuan. Such a grand display and such momentum were truly rare to behold. From early on, along the imperial road all the way to the gates of the Prime Minister’s mansion, there was a constant stream of well-wishes and an endless tide of people.

Some sighed, some envied, some scorned, some worried, and others felt pity.

No one in the Beihe Dynasty was unaware that the apple of the current Prime Minister’s eye, his eldest daughter An Chuyi, was marrying today as the Princess Consort to Prince Xuan, the grandson whom the current Emperor favored most among his only two. From this day on, the An family would ascend into the ranks of the imperial relatives, rising rapidly. Their power, prestige, and even their burgeoning ambitions would finally reach their peak!

However, Prince Xuan and An Chuyi, who were childhood sweethearts, had been separated for two years due to that damned war. Prince Xuan had requested to lead an expedition, personally commanding three hundred thousand troops to press toward the border. He fought bravely, killing the enemy, and through a path of fresh blood, he forged a reputation as a tough-as-nails warrior and a "Blood-Faced Yama."

But, with his beauty waiting alone and youth fleeting, Prince Xuan missed the roots of the affection buried deep in his heart more and more. For two years, they had gazed at different skies, missing each other, until he could bear it no longer. Finally, after the victory in this great battle, he withdrew his troops and returned to his homeland.

"Xuan, are you really not going to tell An Chuyi that you..." A melodious male voice, tinged with a hint of wickedness, drifted from inside the speeding, ornate carriage. The golden, luxurious silk curtain was whipped up by the wind of their rapid travel, revealing a pair of slightly upturned peach-blossom eyes. In the narrow slits of his eyes, a trace of wicked light and surprise flickered.

Who could have imagined that the bloodthirsty, merciless "Blood-Faced Yama" on the battlefield could have such a childish moment? His teasing tone was cut off by a low, cold, and charming male voice.

"Tell her I am well?" The thin, cold voice carried a trace of imperceptible joy. A long, jade-like hand slightly lifted the carriage curtain. A ray of sunlight suddenly darted in, reflecting onto the man’s slightly narrowed, slender eyes, strangely revealing a golden light swirling within them, enchanting and hazy.

"Yes, if An Chuyi knew you were healthy and not disabled, she would surely be overjoyed to marry you. Although she is marrying you now anyway, she should be crying her eyes out right now!" The man’s wicked tone was clearly gloating. He leaned lazily against the slightly swaying carriage wall, his gaze flickering between light and shadow.

The long hand hesitated for a moment, then let the curtain fall. The pair of narrowed, starry eyes snapped open, their gaze sharp and cold, yet in the next instant, they melted into a thousand strands of tenderness. His voice was barely audible, yet gentle: "If she loves me, even if I were on the verge of death, she would still happily marry me."

"Oh?" The handsome brows arched, his tone unkind. "You specifically exaggerated your injuries, claiming you were permanently disabled—were you testing her love for you?"

This matter had been an accident. He had been anxious to return, leaving the main force to travel to her alone. On the way back, he was ambushed by thousands of death-sworn assassins. No matter how skilled he was in martial arts, no matter how heroic he was, he eventually grew exhausted under the wheel-war tactics. Covered in wounds and on the verge of death, if it hadn't been for Huang Ziyuan arriving in time, his soul would have truly returned to the afterlife.

Beitang Xuan’s sword-like brows furrowed slightly. His gaze was deep. After a long while, his thin lips curled into a perfect arc. He slapped the shoulder of the "peach-blossom man" beside him, his tone resolute: "Ziyuan, I trust her!"

Three words—simple, clean, and without a shred of doubt! Their relationship had lasted seven years; they were childhood sweethearts. She had waited bitterly for him for two years, from the prime age of eighteen to an age difficult to marry. A simple span of time had wasted the most beautiful years of a woman’s life, yet she was willing and had no regrets. Thinking of this, Beitang Xuan felt a sweetness in his heart like drinking honey.

Huang Ziyuan was shaken to his core. He had never seen Beitang Xuan with such flair and confidence. That dazzling smile was like a flash in the pan, yet it was undeniably real. He was shocked—could that delicate woman, An Chuyi, really make someone as cunning as a fox and as wise as an elder like Beitang Xuan so devoted?

Beitang Xuan, the god in the eyes of every woman in the Beihe Dynasty—he was perfect, handsome, god-like and demon-like. He was deeply rooted in people’s hearts. He possessed the most perfect and noble status, talent, and cultivation in this world. He was the man most qualified and most expected to be a playboy. Yet, he had guarded this one little girl from the age of thirteen to twenty. For seven years, this twenty-three-year-old Imperial Grandson had had only a handful of women!

The carriage sped on. Along the way, there was only the sound of galloping hooves and the creaking of the carriage wheels. The grand wedding procession followed the ten miles of red dowry that Prince Xuan had personally promised, rapidly closing the distance to the beautiful bride waiting in her boudoir.

In the Prime Minister’s mansion, everything was bright red, yet there was no atmosphere of joy. While the main hall was filled with the roar of voices and constant well-wishes, the backyard of the mansion was currently stifling, with faint sounds of weeping and scolding.

With a bang, a middle-aged man in a cyan robe, embroidered with dark gold beasts on the chest and back, kicked a fine pear-wood chair to pieces. The air pressure in the back hall dropped to the extreme in an instant, and even the soft sobbing vanished.

"Who can give this old man an explanation!" It was not a question, but a demand—aggressive and overbearing. The low, imposing, and authoritative voice made everyone in the hall tremble.

The middle-aged man turned abruptly. On his clean-shaven, square face, two thick eyebrows were tinged with white, and his temples were frosted with silver. His tiger-like eyes were sharp and piercing. The aura radiating from his upright frame was that of a military general. Yet, this man was none other than the person everyone in the Beihe Dynasty knew, the man who held power over the court—Prime Minister An Fang!