Chapter 1: Leaving an Heir for the General

The General’s manor held a Taoist ritual for seven consecutive days.

The cause was a nightmare the old matriarch had, in which the Great General died on the battlefield without a single descendant to see him off.

When the Taoist priest finished the rites and was about to leave, he left the old matriarch a cryptic note

"Only through the harmony of Yin and Yang can this be resolved once and for all."

The old matriarch pondered this for three days, unable to grasp what the priest meant.

While Wen Wan was cracking melon seeds, she heard her little sisters discussing the matter and burst into a giggle.

"Harmony of Yin and Yang? Doesn't that just mean the old matriarch should send women to the border to breed with the Great General and leave behind an heir?"

The little sisters had a sudden epiphany. They snuck off to tell the old matriarch their interpretation and were even rewarded with two taels of silver for their trouble.

Consequently, the seventeen or eighteen women in the backyard belonging to the Great General all began to harbor ambitions, vying to get close to the mistress of the house, hoping to seize the chance to bear the Great General’s child.

Only Wen Wan continued to eat until full, sleep until rested, drink until satisfied, and play mahjong, living a carefree and leisurely life.

In her past life, she had worked overtime until she died of sudden cardiac arrest. In this life, having transmigrated into a concubine of the Great General, she only wanted to lie flat and refuse to participate in the rat race.

No 996, no bottom-tier layoffs, no performance reviews; she had good food and drink every day, and she didn't have to deal with a boss.

Such a life was the dream of every worker.

Therefore, a high-risk, low-reward job like having a child—whoever wanted it could have it; she certainly didn't.

Unfortunately, the General’s manor mistress, Lady Zhao, was a shrewd one. The more the others crowded around her, the more she felt they were difficult to control. Instead, she set her sights on Wen Wan.

Wen Wan: "..."

Why wasn't this boss playing by the rules?

With no other choice, Wen Wan had to pack her bags and, along with another concubine named Chun Niang, follow Lady Zhao toward the border.

The journey, which should have taken a month, took a month and a half to reach the vicinity of the border city because Lady Zhao, born into a noble family, could not handle the bumpy roads and insisted on stopping frequently.

Accompanying them to the border city this time were a dozen or so young, strong guards from the manor.

As the sky grew dark, the group settled in a village by the post road.

There was only one inn in the village. Lady Zhao’s maiden family was wealthy, so she waved her hand and rented out the entire independent courtyard at the back.

Wen Wan and Chun Niang shared a room. They had barely fallen asleep when the sound of gongs and drums erupted outside the inn.

"Bandits! The bandits are here!"

Screams and the clanging of copper gongs mingled together, sounding terrifying in the dark of night.

Chun Niang was frightened to tears, clutching her quilt and shivering.

Wen Wan was scared too, but fear aside, she crept to the window and pushed it open a crack to peek outside.

One look, and she gasped in horror.

The guards who had been eating with them earlier had their heads chopped off by the bandits who had stormed in.

The bandits were already inside; if she didn't run, she would die!

Wen Wan pulled her head back, grabbed Chun Niang by the arm, and dragged her toward the back window to escape.

Just as she pushed Chun Niang out the window, the door was kicked open.

Two bandits, each wielding a long saber, rushed in. Their eyes lit up when they saw Wen Wan.

"Oh, a delicate little lady!"

"We're in luck today. We actually caught such good goods in this inn. Those fellows outside earlier had good looks too; they'll fetch a high price."

"Stop the chatter, tie her up and take her out first."

Hearing their conversation, Wen Wan felt a momentary sense of relief.

As long as they didn't kill her immediately, she could always find a chance to escape.

To avoid physical suffering, Wen Wan proactively raised her hands and said to the two bandits quite readily

"Big brothers, please be gentle when you tie me up. I will cooperate fully."

The two bandits had been robbing houses for years, but this was the first time they had encountered a young lady who didn't scream or struggle and simply let them tie her up. The way they looked at her became strange.

Was this little lady mentally ill? Was she a fool?

"Foolish" Wen Wan was tied up and taken to the front room of the inn.

In the large room, fifty or sixty fierce-looking bandits surrounded a group of hostages.

Wen Wan was pushed forward, stumbling as she fell, and it looked like she was about to crash into a young man.

She thought to herself that it was fine; having a human cushion to soften the blow meant it shouldn't hurt too much.

Who would have thought the intended cushion would step aside, denying her the chance to soften the impact?

Wen Wan landed hard on her bottom, and a sharp pain immediately shot through her tailbone.

She grimaced and looked at the cushion that had refused to save her, instantly locking eyes with a pair of deep, dark pupils.

Uh, this cushion was actually quite handsome.

The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes. He wore the coarse cloth tunic of a village farmer, revealing sturdy arms and calves. Behind his slightly open collar, one could vaguely see wheat-colored skin and powerful, taut muscle lines.

For the past three years, Wen Wan had been kept in the backyard. Although she had no worries about food or clothing, her spiritual life had been extremely impoverished.

She missed the pleasure of being able to "lick the screen" online anytime, anywhere, back in modern society!

It had been a long, long time since she had seen a handsome man who so perfectly hit her aesthetic points.

Perhaps her gaze was too naked; the young man frowned and swept a look of disgust at her.

"Uh..." Wen Wan realized belatedly that her behavior was inappropriate and quickly reined in her gaze, looking away.

Among the people captured, she did not see Lady Zhao.

She figured that since Lady Zhao was the mistress of the house, the guards must have done everything in their power to protect her as she escaped.

The bandits questioned the hostages one by one.

A bandit who knew a few characters sat with paper and brush, responsible for recording.

They noted down the hostages' ages, names, and other basic information. If their families were wealthy, they would demand a ransom; if they were poor, they would be sold directly to the barbarians beyond the pass as slaves.

As someone who had been gifted to the General’s manor as a concubine, she figured the General’s manor wouldn't be willing to spend a large sum to ransom her. But if she were sold beyond the pass, the difficulty of escaping would certainly be much greater.

After a moment of thought, Wen Wan fabricated a story for the recording bandit

"My name is Zhao Xiaowan. My husband is Zhou Baiwan from South Street in Linqiu City. My husband is very wealthy, and he dotes on me greatly. He will definitely send people to ransom me."

There was a merchant named Zhou Baiwan on South Street in Linqiu City; Chun Niang had mentioned him during their idle chats, so the person did indeed exist.

Wen Wan figured that as long as she escaped before these bandits sent the ransom note, she wouldn't have to worry about her lie being exposed.

"So you're from the Zhou Baiwan household. No wonder there were guards with such good skills in this inn."

The bandit didn't doubt her. Anyone who could afford such guards must be from a wealthy family. Looking at the high-quality silk clothing Wen Wan wore, she certainly looked like the wife of a rich man.

Wen Wan got through the ordeal and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, it was the handsome young man's turn to state his background.

"A-Chai, twenty-four years old. I have a brother who does business and can afford the ransom..."

He was handsome, and his voice was so pleasant to hear.

It was a pity that he, like her, had been reduced to a prisoner.

Half an hour later, the bandits separated the hostages for transport. Those who could be ransomed were locked in a large carriage.

Wen Wan was the last to board the carriage. She scanned the empty seats and instinctively sat down next to A-Chai.

A-Chai’s face darkened, and he shifted away in rejection.

Wen Wan: "..."

It was just a few extra glances; was it necessary to treat her like a lecherous pest?

That was quite a blow to her self-esteem!

(End of chapter)