The Prince Consort and I were the two people who hated each other most. He hated me for tearing him and my royal sister apart.
I hated him because his heart would always belong to another woman.
In the eight years of our marriage, the words we spoke most to each other were, “You will come to a terrible end.”
But on the day the city fell, he tied me to his warhorse and stood with his sword, blocking the enemy’s path.
“Axue, ride on. Don’t look back.”
As a thousand arrows pierced his body, he cast one last look in the direction of my escape.
“My debt to you in this life is now repaid. If there is a next life, I pray Your Highness will grant me my wish to be with her.”
By the time I broke free from my bonds and rushed back, he was gone, clutching my royal sister’s jade pendant.
That night, I leaped from the city wall—dying for my country, and for him.
When I opened my eyes again, I went to find my father, the Emperor.
“For the marriage alliance with the Northern Borders, your daughter is willing to go.”
In this life, I would be the one to travel far from home to protect our people, and to fulfill his lifelong wish.
“You want to take Shuang’er’s place in the marriage alliance?”
My father thought he had misheard. After all, I was known to kick Chu Yanshuang when she was down. The idea of me going to the Northern Borders to eat sand in her place was unthinkable.
“But didn’t you just cry and beg me to decree a marriage between you and General Pei?”
I paused.
“That is no longer necessary. Give her to my royal sister.”
My father gave me a complicated look.
Though he was reluctant, between me and Chu Yanshuang, he truly preferred his younger daughter—the one who was sweet-tongued and knew how to charm him.
In my past life, if I hadn’t fought it to the death, he would have made me go in my sister’s stead. And so, he turned and ordered the imperial edict to be changed.
It was raining.
As I left the Grand Hall, I saw a figure kneeling in the downpour.
In my past life, Pei Shian had also knelt in the rain, begging His Majesty to retract the order for my royal sister to be sent for the marriage alliance.
Back then, I had my attendants forcibly carry him indoors. And then, I had forcibly married him.
This time, I simply walked to his side, holding an umbrella, and gently tilted it to shield him.
He looked up at me. He frowned and quickly averted his gaze.
“Have you ever considered that if Father retracts the order, I, the Eldest Princess, will be the one sent to the Northern Borders?”
His voice was as steady as ever.
“I am the great general who protects this nation. I will not allow any princess of our court to be traded for peace.”
“Hah.” I laughed. “Great General, one of us, either my sister or I, must go to the Northern Borders. No matter how long you kneel, you cannot change that fact.”
His cold eyes swept over me.
“As long as the Eldest Princess does not maliciously influence His Majesty’s will, the marriage alliance can yet be stopped.”
I pulled the umbrella back.
“What a pity, then.”
With that, I strode away, ignoring his stunned expression.
I had no intention of telling him that I was now the one chosen for the marriage.
He had suffered so much injustice in our past life; letting him suffer a little longer wouldn’t hurt.
That way, on his actual wedding day, he would be all the more overjoyed to see that his bride was my royal sister, not me.
A wave of bitterness washed over me as I remembered how, in our past life, he had ignored my kicks and struggles—tying me to his only warhorse without a word and holding off the enemy’s pursuit for me.
I had used every means possible to keep Pei Shian by my side. But even though he gave me his life, his heart had died long ago in the Northern Borders, along with my sister.
Pei Shian, you saved my life in our past life. This time, let me give you a grand gift in return.
Back in my residence, I couldn’t sleep a wink.
The Xiongnu King of the Northern Borders was notoriously hostile towards the Central Plains.
In my past life, my sister had been married to him for less than a year before she took her own life, unable to bear the torment.
Her death directly led to war between our two nations, which in turn led to Pei Shian being pierced by a thousand arrows while protecting me…
If I could placate the Xiongnu King, could the Great Zhou Dynasty avoid war?
But how could I be sure I could do it?
After a sleepless night, I washed up simply. The moment I stepped out, a figure slammed me against the wall.
“Why must you provoke His Majesty into sending the little princess to the marriage alliance?”
His grip on my shoulder was excruciating.
My maid, Xiao Tao, rushed forward to stop him, but one glare from Pei Shian sent her back.
“Get out of my sight!”
He reeked of alcohol, clearly having not slept all night.
“Do you want your sister dead that badly?”
“Pei Shian! Let go of me!”
I gritted my teeth.
He only squeezed my shoulder tighter.
“Chu Zhaoxue, a jealous, vicious woman like you, who harms her own kin—what right do you have to be loved by anyone?”
“Do you really think I’ll obey if you beg for a marriage decree? In your dreams!”
My body went rigid.
The way he gritted his teeth now—how was it any different from the times we were at each other’s throats in our past life?
Slap!
I struck him hard across the face.
“Pei Shian! Remember your place!”
Red marks were already forming on my neck from his grip.
I clutched my shoulder, glaring at him through clenched teeth.
The slap seemed to sober him up a little.
His gaze fell on the red marks on my neck, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
Regret flashed in his eyes.
“I’m sorry… I was drunk.”
I turned my back to him.
“The marriage alliance is a matter of state policy, and the wedding will be arranged as it should be. The General need not worry. The outcome will surely be as you wish!”
I spat out the last few words.
But he just laughed bitterly.
“With Your Highness here, what chance does Shuang’er have?”
I spun around in anger, but he was already walking away.
My fists clenched inside my sleeves, and I bit my lip.
Rest assured, Pei Shian. In this life, I will not cling to you anymore.
Less than an hour later, Pei Shian sent someone with a wound salve.
It was a special formula, originally for soldiers to staunch bleeding.
I didn’t touch it.
I knew that any concern he showed me was only because my mother, his adoptive mother, had raised him after the Pei family, all loyal patriots, had perished for the country.
He only saw me as a sister, but I had clung to that for a lifetime.
The imperial edict for the marriage alliance was formally delivered to the Eldest Princess’s residence.
The edict for the wedding, however, was delayed.
Following my suggestion, my father only informed Chu Yanshuang of the marriage privately, planning to announce it to the world on the wedding day.
As for me taking my sister’s place, I kept that news confined within my residence for the time being.
This was my surprise for Pei Shian, a repayment for saving my life. It was also the final chapter for us, in this life and the last.
But Pei Shian, still in the dark, continued to work tirelessly to stop the marriage alliance.
One day, passing through the imperial garden, I saw Chu Yanshuang with Pei Shian. Freed from the burden of the marriage, Chu Yanshuang’s smile was much sweeter.
“Brother Pei, your hands are so skilled. I bet many girls beg you to carve little things for them, don’t they?”
Pei Shian held a piece of wood, his downward gaze a mixture of worry and doting affection.
“No. I only carve for those I care about.”
The words grated on me. It was my mother who had taught Pei Shian this woodcarving skill. When she was alive, she would carve little things for me to make me happy.
After she passed, he took over carving things for me. But ever since Chu Yanshuang appeared, there was one more person he was willing to carve for.
Because I resented Chu Yanshuang’s mother for causing my own mother’s death, I often forbade Pei Shian from carving for her.
But all I got in return was his impatience.
“What would you like?” Pei Shian asked her gently.
Chu Yanshuang saw me, and her eyes darted around before a malicious smile touched her lips.
“Then… how about a small wooden sword?”
Pei Shian froze. I turned and walked away.
The small wooden sword was what my mother had made for me most often.
After she died, my jewelry box was filled with the little wooden swords she had left me.
Chu Yanshuang didn’t like them. She was provoking me on purpose.
I didn’t try to hide the sound of my footsteps. The moment I turned, he looked up.
I didn’t look back.
Xiao Tao placed a box on my table. I opened it to find a long wooden sword.
It was exquisitely crafted, beautifully carved, and even lacquered—looking almost like a real sword at first glance.
I knew only Pei Shian possessed such skill.
“Childish.” I pushed the box aside. After a few steps, I turned back.
I took the long sword with me.
I attended my last Mid Autumn Festival banquet in my homeland.
When I arrived, Chu Yanshuang was crying to a group of noble ladies from the capital, her eyes red.
“After the festival, I’ll have to travel to a distant land. I really don’t know how Chu Zhaoxue can call herself the Eldest Princess. She doesn’t step up at a time like this, her mind filled with nothing but forcing General Pei to marry her.”
“Our Shuang’er is the one with a sense of national duty. Shuang’er, I’ll miss you after you leave.”
Hidden beneath her sleeve, Chu Yanshuang’s sobs were mixed with a hint of imperceptible smugness.
Her breath caught when she saw me out of the corner of her eye.
I usually disliked such occasions. I never attended the Mid Autumn banquet.
She had clearly counted on that when she decided to play the victim in public.
I looked at her, gave a meaningful, cold smile, and took my seat.
“What does she mean by that! Is she looking down on Shuang’er?”
“If she’s so capable, why doesn’t she go for the marriage alliance? So what if her mother died? She acts like the whole world owes her.”
I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them.
In my past life, when the enemy breached the city, their fates had been quite miserable.
A few sharp words now were better than the destruction of their country and families.
Leaving the banquet alone, I intended to go to the pond to clear my head, but Chu Yanshuang called out to me.
“Sister.”
I turned, and she came to my side.
“I know you’re taking my place in the marriage alliance, but you did it willingly. I didn’t force you. After all, this hardship was meant for me. You just snatched the merit that was originally mine. It’s not too much for me to say a few words at the banquet, is it?”
I lifted my chin.
“Merit? Do you think you could have stabilized the situation by marrying him?”
She froze.
“Chu Yanshuang, with your spineless character, do you really think you could have lasted a year there? At best, your death would only serve to worsen the relationship between our nations.”
I scoffed.
“I’m cleaning up your mess. Don’t try to take credit for it.”
“You!” Her chest heaved violently. Suddenly, she saw something, and a cold smile flashed across her lips.
She lunged, grabbing my neck, and we both tumbled into the pond.
“Ah! Sister! Why did you push me!”
I couldn’t swim.
All I could do was choke on water, unable to speak.
It was then that I saw a familiar figure.
“Pei Shian!” I tried to call out, but I saw him swimming desperately towards Chu Yanshuang.
“Pei… cough, cough…”
I reached for him with all my might, but he had already lifted a perfectly fine Chu Yanshuang out of the water.
It wasn’t until my personal maid, Xiao Tao, arrived and cried out in alarm that the guards finally jumped in and pulled me ashore.
Chu Yanshuang was sobbing breathlessly.
Pei Shian draped his outer robe over her, pushed past the guards surrounding me, and came to stand before me.
“Are you insane? What good would killing her do you? If she’s gone, do you think you could take her place in the marriage alliance?”
“Cough, cough! Pei Shian… I…”
“Enough!” Pei Shian gritted his teeth.
“I thought you were just willful, but I never knew you were this malicious and jealous!”
“You lack Shuang’er’s sense of duty, but you’ve learned all the skills of a shrew!”
“You are a disgrace to your title as princess, a shame to our people! It’s a good thing your mother died early and never had to see the loathsome person you’ve become!”
“Pei Shian!”
My sword was out of its sheath as I shot to my feet.
Pei Shian drew his sword in response.
It was the same scene as in our past life.
In our eight years of marriage, we had drawn our swords on each other many times over Chu Yanshuang.
But we never struck each other.
I was about to lunge, but my legs gave out and I collapsed.
I fell into a firm embrace.
For a moment, Pei Shian was flustered.
“Axue?”
With my last bit of strength, I grabbed his collar, my teeth clenched.
“You have no right to speak of my mother!”
I felt myself being lifted.
Chu Yanshuang’s voice was pitiful.
“General Pei, I…”
But Pei Shian didn’t stop.
He left her there and strode away from the banquet, carrying me in his arms.
For the first time ever, Pei Shian came to my residence on his own initiative after I woke up.
“I’m sorry. I was angry.”
I gave him a cold look.
“Between you and me, there is no longer any need for apologies.”
I walked past him.
Behind me, there was a sharp slap!
Pei Shian had slapped himself.
Two days before the wedding, I decided to take the small wooden swords my mother had left me to the northern frontier.
But when I went to get them, the cosmetic box was gone.
When I found Chu Yanshuang, she was holding my little wooden swords, turning them over and admiring them.
“Chu Yanshuang!”
The moment I spoke, her hand trembled, and she dropped the box.
The swords shattered on the floor.
I drew my long sword in a flash.
She suddenly burst into tears.
“Sister! I’m leaving soon. I’ve never played with little things like this. Please don’t be angry, sister!”
She took a step back, her heel landing precisely on a small wooden sword.
“You!”
I advanced with my sword, but Pei Shian suddenly stepped in front of me.
“It’s just a pile of wooden swords. Is it really necessary? I can just carve you more if it’s that big a deal.”
I stared at him.
“Did you take them?”
He remained silent.
Only he knew where I kept my mother’s wooden swords.
“Shuang’er is being sent for the marriage alliance. Wasn’t that your doing?”
His tone grew colder.
“You’ve ruined her life. Isn’t that worth more than some broken pieces of wood?”
“Broken pieces of wood…”
My breath trembled.
“My mother carved those for me!”
“I know.”
A hint of pity crossed his brow.
“I will carve you better ones.”
“You can’t!”
I shoved him hard.
“Who do you think you are!”
I rushed towards Chu Yanshuang.
She backed away in fear, but every step landed precisely on the broken swords.
“General Pei!” Her voice trembled, full of pitiful appeal.
“Stop!”
I raised my long sword.
Behind me, Pei Shian’s sword was also drawn.
He flashed in front of Chu Yanshuang, shielding her.
The scene was uncannily similar to our past life.
We were always at daggers drawn, never hurting each other—only wounding one another with the most vicious curses in the world.
“Stop!” Pei Shian commanded.
I didn’t stop.
He raised his sword.
“I said stop! Chu Zhaoxue!”
Thud! Squish!
The long sword sank deep into my shoulder.
His eyes widened in shock.
The sword I had thrust at him had broken.
Only then did he realize I was holding the long wooden sword he had carved for me.
How could a decorative sword ever truly harm someone?
“Axue!”
He caught me in his arms.
“Why didn’t you dodge? You were always the best at dodging!”
He suddenly paused.
Always?
When did he and I have an always?
Why would he say something like that?
My bloody hand reached for Chu Yanshuang.
Then it fell, limp.
Pei Shian stood guard outside my room for two days and two nights.
On the eve of the marriage journey, I still hadn’t let him in.
The moonlight outlined his tall figure at my door.
He finally spoke.
“Axue, I will marry you.”
I leaned against the door, silent.
“I will spend my entire life making up for this wound. I swear it to you, as a soldier.”
I still didn’t answer.
He stood outside for a while longer, then his footsteps faded away.
Inside, I curved my lips into a smile as a tear slid from the corner of my eye.
On the day I left for the frontier, I rode a horse, dressed in red, allowing no one to follow.
Not even Xiao Tao.
This was a hardship I would bear alone. Why drag others down with me?
Today was also the day of Pei Shian’s wedding to my royal sister. He had probably received the surprise I left for him by now.
I just didn’t expect to find Pei Shian waiting for me on the road I had to take.
A veil covered my face. He looked at me deeply.
“I’ll see you off.”
I said nothing, riding straight past him.
He turned his horse and followed.
“Are you angry with me for marrying your royal sister?”
I froze. So he thought I was Chu Yanshuang.
It seemed he had been waiting here for a while and hadn’t received the surprise yet.
“But… I owe her this.”
I continued on in silence.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop you from being sent for the marriage alliance.”
I still said nothing.
“But,” he said, grabbing my reins, “if you regret this, I can help you escape right now, where no one will ever find you.”
I glanced at him.
I pushed his hand away, spurred my horse, and galloped off.
Behind me, his calls scattered in the desert wind.
“Shuang’er!”
Pei Shian stood there for a long time.
Until the red figure vanished over the horizon.
He returned to the city, utterly dejected.
Chu Yanshuang had been very strange today. Not only did she refuse all escorts, she wouldn’t say a single word to him.
He slammed his sword into the ground, his face filled with regret.
If only he had tried a little harder, maybe she wouldn’t have had to go!
She must be blaming him.
But… what else could he have done?
This life is promised to Chu Zhaoxue, so we are not fated to grow old together.
He had sworn an oath. He could not break it.
In the bridal chamber, he mechanically lifted the red veil.
He was stunned by the familiar face of the woman before him.
“General!” Chu Yanshuang threw herself into his arms.
“How can it be you?”
A terrible suspicion formed in his mind.
Chu Yanshuang’s eyes darted away, her face shy.
“I… I don’t know why, but the imperial edict suddenly changed yesterday. My sister is going for the marriage alliance instead…”
“What did you say!”
Pei Shian grabbed her shoulders fiercely.
So… the woman who rode alone into the desert was…
“Husband! Where are you going!”
Pei Shian had no time to answer.
Dressed in his red wedding robes, he grabbed his sword, mounted his horse, and galloped away—ignoring everyone’s attempts to stop him.
On my wedding night, I was contemplating how to deal with the Xiongnu King.
He was a man who harbored extreme hatred for the Central Plains.
My task was to placate him as quickly as possible. Even if I couldn’t make him live in peace with our dynasty, I had to at least delay things as long as I could.
But I was not given a chance to speak with the Xiongnu King.
Instead, a blade was thrust towards my heart.
I had learned some martial arts from Pei Shian as a child.
I reacted, throwing off the veil and drawing a dagger to meet the Xiongnu King’s blade.
“The delicate little princess from the Central Plains?”
Huyan Ke’s lips curled into a smirk.
“You’ve got a few tricks, I see.”
With a slight exertion of force, my dagger was sent flying.
The tip of his blade pierced the skin over my heart, then stopped, as if he was enjoying my terrified expression.
Looking at this young lord, radiating killing intent, I began to understand why Chu Yanshuang had been driven to suicide after just one year.
“My dynasty came here to show our friendship. Why does the Great King act this way?”
He sneered, patting my cheek with the flat of his blade.
“My people have no need for delicate women. Rather than let you suffer later, it’s better if… what do you people from the Central Plains call someone in my position? Ah, yes. Your husband will personally send you on your way.”
“Wait!”
I grabbed the blade, my palm sliced open and bleeding.
He was slightly surprised. My hand trembled slightly.
“Pei Shian.”
He paused.
In front of this martial lord, the only general from the Zhou Dynasty he would look upon with any respect was Pei Shian.
While all other generals fled at the sight of Huyan Ke, only Pei Shian could fight him to a standstill.
“He has just married my royal sister, the woman he loves most. He is desperate to earn military glory to bring honor to her. He thinks about killing you with his own hands every day and returning to the court in triumph! Do you think he’s given up just because I’m here? He’s hoping I die here, to give my father an excuse to attack you, you barbarian!”
Huyan Ke frowned. The last envoy who had dared to call him a barbarian to his face had his head hanging on the city wall.
But I simply lifted my chin, baring my neck.
“Fine. If I die, he will avenge me. If the Great King is so confident of his victory, then do it!”
Huyan Ke stared at me for a moment.
Suddenly, he laughed and sheathed his sword.
“You have some backbone. Much better than the previous princesses.”
With that, he turned and left.
Only then did I realize I was drenched in sweat.
The Zhou Dynasty had sent no fewer than ten princesses for marriage alliances.
Back then, Huyan Ke was not yet the lord; perhaps the men they married were even more brutal.
The blows they endured, were they not harder than mine?
This was only the first day. The days to come… would likely be even harder.
Huyan Ke had spared me.
I thought he wouldn’t try to harm me again.
But to my surprise, he summoned me by name to accompany him on a hunt.
I was a little taken aback.
A man who despised people from the Central Plains so much, bringing me along to an event where one usually brought a beloved consort?
Then again, I was the only woman he had, forced upon him. He had no other choice.
But as we went deeper into the hunting grounds, I felt something was wrong.
I turned my head, and the dozens of people who had been with me were all gone.
I tried calling Huyan Ke’s name a few times, but there was no response.
A low roar echoed from the depths of the forest.
My horse suddenly reared and neighed—
Ahead, there was a tiger!
Meanwhile, not far away, Huyan Ke and his men were quietly observing the girl.
A subordinate spoke up.
“Great King, are we really going to kill her? I thought you spared her on the wedding night.”
Huyan Ke’s eyes were icy.
“Spare someone from the Central Plains? Impossible. But killing her with my own hands would likely provoke a strong reaction from the Zhou. Pei Shian is a worthy opponent. Dealing with him requires more preparation.”
The subordinate understood.
“Of course! If she dies by a tiger’s claws, it has nothing to do with us! Given the Zhou Emperor’s cowardice, he’ll just have to turn a blind eye. That will give us time to prepare to face that Pei Shian!”
Huyan Ke watched the woman, tense as she faced the tiger.
Looking at her closely, she was quite spirited and beautiful.
It was a pity she was born in the wrong era and had come to the wrong place.
She was destined to be a sacrifice in the game between two powers.
He didn’t want to see her torn to shreds.
After telling his men to wait and collect the body, he turned his horse to leave.
But he hadn’t gone far when his men suddenly exclaimed, “Great King! Something’s happening!”
He whipped his head around and saw the woman draw a long sword, its entire blade engulfed in flames!
“Great King! She just poured wine on her sword and lit it!”
Huyan Ke was stunned.
Chu Zhaoxue held the flaming sword, the panic and fear in her eyes gone.
The horse beneath her had somehow been calmed.
The roaring flames startled the tiger, which began to back away cautiously.
“Yah!”
With a sharp cry, the horse carried her towards the tiger.
The fire made the tiger turn and flee, but she hung halfway off her horse and slashed its eye with one stroke.
With a piercing howl, she dismounted, plunging her sword deep into the tiger’s chest.
When she pulled the sword out, one foot was still on the tiger’s body, her entire being tempered by blood and fire.
Her body swayed.
She planted her sword in the ground and knelt, gasping for breath.
“Great King…”
One of the subordinates actually swallowed.
“Should we… while she’s weak… go and finish her off?”
Huyan Ke looked at the woman without a word.
“Yes, Great King. We can just pretend she was mauled by the tiger.”
“Withdraw.”
Huyan Ke turned and left. His men, after a moment’s hesitation, quickly followed.
Chu Zhaoxue didn’t tell Huyan Ke about the tiger.
She must have understood the machinations behind it.
But that night, Huyan Ke went to her room on his own accord.
Chu Zhaoxue’s shoulder was bare, covered with a poultice of herbs.
She had been scratched during the fight with the tiger.
Perhaps she was too exhausted.
The moment the herbs were applied, she fell asleep, her head lolling against the bed.
She hadn’t even managed to climb into it.
Huyan Ke lightened his steps and knelt before her.
He began to truly observe this girl from the Central Plains.
The candlelight cast the shadow of her long lashes on her face.
He couldn’t resist reaching out with his calloused hand to touch her cheek.
It was smooth, and very fair.
Were the women of the Central Plains all so delicate?
Perhaps… not all of them were so detestable.
He couldn’t help but touch her again, gently.
The girl’s eyes snapped open.
“Who’s there!”
When I opened my eyes, the man before me radiated an untamable wildness and killing intent.
The dagger in my sleeve was instantly at his neck.
He raised an eyebrow, completely unafraid.
“Don’t be scared.”
“Are you going to kill me again?”
I tightened my grip on the dagger.
He unbuckled his sword and tossed it aside.
I lowered my hand, my body going limp.
But he caught me and carried me to the bed himself.
“What are you doing?”
I watched him warily.
“I’m sleeping here tonight.”
“What?”
I was shocked.
He raised an eyebrow.
“In the Central Plains, do married men and women sleep in separate rooms?”
I discreetly slid the dagger under my pillow and moved further in, making room for him.
He saw my movement but didn’t mind, climbing onto the bed.
I didn’t dare close my eyes all night.
But he slept soundly. I could even hear his steady breathing.
When I woke with a start the next day, he was already dressed and sitting at the table, waiting for me.
The sun was high in the sky.
I felt a little embarrassed.
He handed me my clothes and turned his back.
“Get dressed. We have someone to see today.”
I dressed, still wary, and he led me to a tombstone.
On it was the name of a Xiongnu woman.
Huyan Ke first performed a deep bow before the grave, then spoke to me.
“This is my Eji.”
I was taken aback.
“It means ‘mother’.”
I understood.
He looked at the tombstone.
“Eji, I am married. You can rest assured now.”
I quickly knelt and paid my respects according to their customs.
Whatever the case, keeping him in a stable mood was definitely the right move.
When I finished, I turned to find him looking at me thoughtfully.
After that visit, I didn’t know what Huyan Ke was thinking.
But not long after, he invited me to hunt again.
I immediately clutched the dagger in my sleeve.
He actually smiled.
“This time, you’ll ride with me on the same horse.”
I was skeptical, but he simply lifted me up and placed a bow in my hands.
“Did you learn archery in the Zhou Dynasty?”
“No…”
Pei Shian had only taught me swordsmanship.
From behind me, he took my hands, drew the bow to its full extent, and shot an arrow into the sky.
Before I could even see the target, a wild goose fell at our feet.
After four or five times, I couldn’t help but speak up.
“I want to ride my own horse.”
He raised an eyebrow and gestured to a subordinate.
I mounted the horse, aimed at the sky, and let an arrow fly.
A goose fell to the ground.
I couldn’t help but exclaim, “I hit it!”
There was a hint of a smile in his eyes too.
My hands itched.
“Great King, shall we have a competition?”
“What?”
“Let’s see who can shoot more!”
He laughed.
He gestured for his men to follow.
“Let’s form a team. You and me together.”
“Alright.”
Fiery steeds galloped across the grasslands, and one by one, geese fell from the sky.
Our horses crossed the finish line, and cheers erupted across the plains.
“Huyan Ke!”
I excitedly dismounted and threw myself into his arms.
“We won! We won!”
He caught me and spun me around several times before gently setting me down.
I was about to say more when I realized how close we were.
He had said he hated people from the Central Plains, especially delicate little princesses.
The smile froze on my face.
I quickly stepped back.
“Thank you. I had a lot of fun.”
After eating and drinking with the other women, I passed by Huyan Ke’s tent and heard drunken voices from within.
“Is the Great King not going to deal with that little princess? Didn’t you say you couldn’t stand those delicate little princesses from the Central Plains?”
Huyan Ke’s voice was also tinged with drunkenness.
“She is no delicate little princess. She is the most passionate gē sāng flower on the steppe.”
My breath caught.
Have I… successfully infiltrated his inner circle?
Huyan Ke stayed in my room every night.
But he never truly touched me.
Over time, I gradually became able to sleep by his side.
I could feel he didn’t hate me as much as before.
But he was only a little kinder to me, one person from the Central Plains.
He was still the same Huyan Ke who detested the Central Plains.
I didn’t dare try to influence his strategic decisions regarding the Zhou Dynasty yet.
I was afraid of ruining the fragile peace we had built.
One day, I received a letter.
The handwriting was familiar.
It asked me to meet outside the border.
As I mounted my horse, a well-defined hand grabbed the reins.
“Where is my lady going?”
Huyan Ke’s tone was heavy with meaning.
I turned to see him staring at me intently.
I tightened my grip on the reins.
“I… wanted to go for a look around.”
His wolf-like eyes seemed to see right through me.
“If you don’t agree, I won’t go.”
I was about to dismount when he stopped me.
“When will you return?”
I paused.
I didn’t know if I could return.
But I looked at the sky, dismounted, and planted a sword in the ground.
“When the sword’s shadow moves to here, I will be back.”
Huyan Ke’s wolf-like eyes showed no emotion.
I didn’t know if he truly believed me.
But he released his grip on the reins.
In an ancient city beyond the border, amidst the ruins, Pei Shian waited for me on his tall horse.
“General Pei.”
I nodded politely.
His breath hitched.
In this life and the last, this was the most distant I had ever been with him.
The corners of his eyes reddened slightly, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Axue, come home with me.”
I lowered my eyes.
“Does the General wish for war between our two nations?”
If the princess sent for a marriage alliance was snatched back so soon, how could Huyan Ke possibly swallow that insult?
“With me here, I will not let Huyan Ke’s iron cavalry set foot on our soil.”
I looked at him and shook my head.
In our past life, after Chu Yanshuang died, he had held the line for the Great Zhou for seven years.
In this life, without me holding him back, he might indeed be able to stop the Xiongnu.
But all wars have a cost, a cost ultimately borne by the common people.
Besides… Pei Shian was not invincible.
“As long as I am here, there will be no war on the border. The General should go back and be with his wife.”
“I did not marry her.”
Pei Shian’s eyes were red.
I was surprised.
“Axue, I’ve been having a dream.”
He gripped the reins tightly.
“I dream that you and I were married, and I argued with you every day. In the end, the Xiongnu breached the city. I managed to send you away, but you came back and jumped from the tower…”
I was speechless.
“The dream is so painful. Every time, I want to stop you. But I always fail. I wake up from the dream, only to remember that you have already gone to the northern frontier for the marriage alliance.”
I lowered my eyes, silent.
“Axue, did those things really happen? Did you experience all that, and that’s why you chose the path of the marriage alliance?”
I turned my horse.
“The General should go back.”
“Axue!” he called after me.
“If you chose this path for my sake, I want you to come back. I will use all my power to protect you for the rest of your life and keep Huyan Ke’s men forever beyond the border!”
I smiled.
I turned my head.
“The General overthinks things. Didn’t you say I was a disgrace to my title as princess? I just wanted to prove myself.”
His breath caught. He seemed to recall the angry words he had spoken that night.
“Axue, that’s not what I meant… I was angry then. I never really thought you were…”
“That’s enough, General Pei.”
I smiled, the wind whipping my hair across my face, partially obscuring my vision.
“Since I can bear the title of princess, I will accept this fate. This has nothing to do with General Pei. It was my personal choice. Please, General, do not be so sentimental.”
His eyes were red.
My horse took a few steps back.
I stopped and turned my head.
“Pei Shian.”
He looked at me.
“I will do everything I can to hold Huyan Ke back. As long as I am here, I will not let Huyan Ke’s iron cavalry enter the Central Plains. If I fail, I will die for my country. No matter what, this is the last time we will see each other.”
His breathing became unsteady.
“Axue!”
“General Pei.” My voice carried across the wind and sand.
“In this life, I wish you a house full of children and grandchildren, a long and prosperous life.”
With that, I turned my horse and galloped away.
The sound of hooves and his calls were swallowed by the yellow sand behind me.
“Axue!!”
The sword’s shadow had long passed the appointed time.
The subordinates grew anxious.
“Great King! The Eldest Princess must have left with that man named Pei!”
“That’s right! She deceived the Great King! She might have even taken our secrets with her!”
“Great King, give me a thousand men, and I will bring back both their heads!”
“Silence!”
Huyan Ke’s face was terrifyingly grim.
His wolf-like eyes were fixed on the sword’s shadow.
A bad feeling was growing in his heart.
But… he didn’t want to harm her again.
“Forget it.”
He reached for the hilt of the sword.
Just as he was about to pull it out, the sound of galloping hooves approached.
“Huyan Ke!”
My voice cut through the wind and sand.
He looked up sharply.
Without a second thought, he rushed out.
I dismounted and fell right into his arms.
He didn’t hesitate, lowering his head and kissing me fiercely—a kiss of urgency and fear.
“You came back…”
His hands, holding me, trembled slightly.
It was hard to imagine that this man, who could wear heavy armor for three days straight on the battlefield, was now trembling while holding a woman.
I couldn’t help but tease him.
“Has the Great King’s strength waned?”
He gave a meaningful smile.
That night, all I could do was beg for mercy.
“I was wrong! The Great King is the mightiest! The Great King’s strength has not waned at all!”
As dawn approached, he finally let me go, kissing my hair, his breath coming in soft pants.
“I wish to be with the Eldest Princess, for one lifetime, one world, one pair.”
I smiled.
“Where did the Great King learn such poetry from the Central Plains?”
He smiled back.
“Does the Princess like it?”
I caressed his face and nodded.
Huyan Ke did not lie to me.
He never took another wife in his entire life.
Although according to the customs of his tribe, he was to inherit the wives of his father and brothers after their deaths, he gave all those women money and let them go free.
Until his eightieth birthday, when he died of old age, the only wife by his side was me.
In this life, he truly never set foot in the Central Plains again.
In his final moments, his old hand held mine tightly, a smile on his lips.
“I, Huyan Ke, have been fortunate for three lifetimes to have met Your Highness. If there is a next life, I wish to meet you sooner…”
I saw him off on his final journey.
In this foreign land, the only person I cared for was gone.
I was left alone in this vast, empty world, guarding the longbow he had used to teach me archery all those years ago.
In the vast yellow sand, a white-haired man rode towards me on a horse.
Pei Shian’s appearance hadn’t changed much.
He had only gained a more mature and weathered look.
He knelt before me.
“Your humble servant, Pei Shian, respectfully welcomes the Eldest Princess home.”
I took the longbow Huyan Ke had left me.
After fifty years beyond the border, it was time for me to go home.
I died in my homeland.
Pei Shian never married.
Not long after he arranged my funeral, he followed me and departed from this world…
