CHAPTER 1

Please Marry Me

The thick fog in front of her cleared, and the sound of battle cries pierced her ears. Lian Sheng raised her eyes and saw a rain of arrows falling upon the gates of Yingtong City.

Panicked, she looked toward the army where a man was fighting valiantly. “Brother!”

Lian Qi couldn’t hear her terrified shouts. The Xiqiang people had been invading for nearly a month, and he, along with countless soldiers, had been defending the city with all their might, preventing the barbarians from breaching the gates. Yet, reinforcements from Shangjing had still not arrived. At this moment, Lian Qi was utterly exhausted, his body covered in countless wounds, barely managing to stay upright on his horse.

As another wave of arrows came, Lian Qi swung his silver spear with all his strength.

“Whoosh—”

“Brother!” Lian Sheng’s eyes widened, tears spilling uncontrollably down her face. She wanted to rush forward, but her body was bound by an invisible force, leaving her to watch helplessly as everything unfolded.

Lian Qi fell from his horse, an arrow piercing his heart. He could no longer feel pain as his consciousness began to fade. For a man, dying on the battlefield was an honor. Yet, it was a pity…

With his last strength, he glanced toward the direction of Yingtong’s city walls. He could no longer take care of Lian Sheng. She was so clever—surely, even without her elder brother, she would manage to survive.

The city gates were violently smashed open by the Xiqiang soldiers.

The sounds of killing drew closer, and the city was breached!

Terrified screams of the women echoed, mixed with the unrestrained laughter of the barbarians. When Lian Sheng turned her head, she saw her father and Madam Sang falling one by one into pools of blood.

She still couldn’t move. A Xiqiang soldier grinned wickedly as he raised his blade toward her—

“Miss, Miss, wake up.”

Lian Sheng opened her eyes to see Nanny Liu looking at her worriedly.

“Another nightmare?” Nanny Liu helped her sit up from the couch. It took a long while before Lian Sheng realized she had been dreaming the same nightmare again. She touched her face, which was damp with tears.

Since the seventh day of the Xiqiang invasion, Lian Sheng had been plagued by nightmares of the city falling.

At first, she could only see thick fog. By the fifteenth day of the invasion, her brother was killed by an arrow in her dreams. Now, her dreams had grown clearer with each passing day. In today’s dream, the city had fallen, and the Xiqiang people had slaughtered everyone.

Anxiousness filled her heart as the ominous dream repeated itself again and again. In just twenty days, she had become visibly haggard. A nagging premonition haunted her—if things continued like this, the nightmare might come true!

She had to do something to stop the events in her dreams from happening.

“Nanny, is there any news from my brother?”

Nanny Liu looked at her young mistress’s delicate face with pity and used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. “There’s no news from the young master yet, but don’t worry, Miss. The city lord sent a request for reinforcements to Shangjing half a month ago. The aid will arrive soon.”

If Lian Sheng had believed this at first, she no longer did now.

Before her brother left for the battlefield, he had spoken to her about the situation in Shangjing. The old emperor was critically ill, and the princes were scheming against each other for the throne. None of those with military power were willing to deploy their forces, fearing they would lose their safeguard and fall victim to the chaos of the succession struggle.

The Kingdom of Daliang had five main cities, each with its own garrison. But distant water couldn’t quench nearby fires, and no one wanted to plunge into this mess.

The Xiqiang people were savage and brutal—who would willingly take up arms and charge forward?

Lian Sheng frowned deeply, her heart a mix of burning anger and icy despair. She longed to go herself and see how her brother was faring.

Nanny Liu couldn’t possibly know what her mistress was thinking. The people of Yingtong City, except for Lian Sheng, all believed firmly that reinforcements would arrive.

But Nanny Liu was worried about another matter entirely.

“Miss, you must plead with the city lord. You’re his daughter—he shouldn’t push you into the fire pit!” Nanny Liu’s eyes reddened, tears nearly spilling as she recalled the shocking conversation she had overheard today. Her young mistress was so kind—being sent to that place would ruin her.

Earlier that day, while fetching snacks for Lian Sheng, Nanny Liu overheard the second young lady, Lian Sitian, secretly discussing something with the second young master, Lian Xiyue. They mentioned Lian Sheng repeatedly, causing Nanny Liu’s heart to skip a beat. She quickly hid behind a rockery.

What she overheard was appalling! It turned out the city lord had requested General Yi Qiancheng to send troops, and Yi Qiancheng had set a condition—he wanted one of the Lian family’s daughters as a bride.

The original candidate for the marriage alliance was the legitimate daughter, Lian Sitian. She cried hysterically, and in the end, she and her brother, Lian Xiyue, conspired to replace her with the eldest daughter, Lian Sheng.

Nanny Liu immediately felt something was amiss. Everyone in the City Lord’s Manor knew that Lian Sheng was not favored, while Lian Sitian was the apple of the City Lord’s eye.

It wasn’t just that Lian Sitian came up with such a malicious idea—even if she hadn’t, the City Lord would most likely have decided to substitute Lian Sheng for the marriage.

Seeing Nanny Liu’s anxious expression, Lian Sheng paused for a moment before asking, “Nanny, are you saying Yi Qiancheng has agreed to send troops for aid?”

“Miss, my dear young lady, that’s not the issue! Even if General Yi doesn’t send troops, reinforcements will definitely come. The real problem is that Second Miss and Second Young Master are planning to send you to Shaji. Do you know what kind of place Shaji is? They say it’s a land plagued by drought, filled with rough and crude people. Moreover, you’re well aware of how much General Yi hates the Lian family. He’s not looking to marry a wife—he’s seeking revenge! If you go there, you’ll be ruined.”

Lian Sheng blinked, her bright eyes sparkling.

Yi Qiancheng!

Yes, if anyone could turn her nightmare around, it would be this man! Nanny Liu’s concerns were clear to her, but Yingtong City would be doomed without reinforcements. If the city fell, no one would meet a good end.

Her father likely knew this as well—if he had truly believed reinforcements would come, he wouldn’t have sought help from Yi Qiancheng.

Five years ago, when Shaji City fell, Yi Qiancheng had come to Yingtong alone, seeking help. Her father not only ordered the city gates closed but also personally destroyed their betrothal agreement.

Now, the tides had turned, and the Lian family had fallen into Yi Qiancheng’s hands. It was poetic justice.

Today, Yi Qiancheng wanted to marry a daughter of the Lian family. His intentions were painfully obvious—he wasn’t going to marry the daughter of his enemy just to cherish her, was he?

Lian Sheng wasn’t fearless, but Yi Qiancheng was the last straw she could grasp. Even if it meant walking into a fire pit, someone had to take the leap.

Her elder brother had always been so good to her—there was no way she could just sit back and do nothing.

Lian Sheng got out of bed and slipped on her shoes. “Nanny, help me dress. I’m going to see my father.”

Nanny Liu was overjoyed, quickly responding with a cheerful “Yes!” as she efficiently began helping Lian Sheng get ready. She thought she had successfully persuaded Lian Sheng and that the young lady was finally going to fight for her future.

If she had known that Lian Sheng was planning to voluntarily request the marriage, Nanny Liu might have fainted on the spot…

Lian Sheng sighed. She didn’t want to marry, but sitting idle and waiting for death wasn’t a choice either.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror. The beauty in the mirror stared back at her. Lian Sheng was stunning, but her beauty had nothing to do with innocence or purity. Her slightly upturned eyes carried an innate allure that seemed to reach deep into one’s soul. Her small, delicate lips curved slightly upward, giving her a natural coquettish charm.

She had always disliked her seductive appearance, which seemed to scream “born to be a femme fatale.” But now, Lian Sheng hoped Yi Qiancheng had a weakness for her type—at least enough to spare her life.

Her journey to Shaji wasn’t to die but to seek survival against all odds.

...

Nanny Liu wasn’t wrong. Lian Sheng’s father, the City Lord of Yingtong, Lian Mo, had indeed considered sending Lian Sheng to marry Yi Qiancheng in place of Lian Sitian.

The thought made Lian Mo feel somewhat awkward. Lian Sheng’s mother had a lowly status, and Lian Sheng herself was not close to him. As she grew older, her piercingly bright eyes often left him uneasy, as though she could see through everything.

Lian Mo didn’t like this feeling.

He knew that marrying Yi Qiancheng was like stepping into a fire pit. But if it wasn’t Lian Sheng, it would have to be his younger daughter, Lian Sitian.

If Lian Sheng went, it would be somewhat embarrassing for him. But if Lian Sitian went, it would feel like cutting his heart out.

After Lian Sitian came crying to him, Lian Mo’s heart ached even more.

Clenching his teeth, he resolved to send Lian Sheng to Shaji. But when he thought of Lian Sheng’s occasionally mocking gaze and his eldest son, Lian Qi, who was fighting valiantly on the battlefield, Lian Mo hesitated.

Lian Qi adored Lian Sheng. If she were sent away at such a time, it could lead to trouble.

Moreover, Yingtong City’s stability depended entirely on Lian Qi’s efforts. Lian Mo found himself at a crossroads, unable to decide.

When Lian Sheng entered the room and saw her father’s expression, she immediately understood most of the situation. After years of disappointment, this was nothing new, though it still left her feeling cold.

Lian Sheng folded her hands at her waist and performed a flawless curtsey.

“Father, I am aware of General Yi’s condition for sending reinforcements.”

Lian Mo’s face stiffened slightly. Lian Sheng’s black-and-white eyes seemed to say, I also know what you’re thinking.

This was exactly why he disliked this daughter—Lian Sheng was too threatening, a walking thorn in his side.

Lian Sheng asked, “Did General Yi specifically request that my younger sister marry him?”

“No, he only said he was willing to form a marriage alliance with one of the Lian family’s daughters.”

His words were vague, but for the past sixteen years, everyone in Yingtong City had only known of a daughter named Lian Sitian in the City Lord’s household. They were unaware of Lian Sheng’s existence. So, it went without saying who Yi Qiancheng initially had in mind.

By bringing this up, Lian Sheng provoked her father’s embarrassment and anger.

She smiled faintly at him, her gaze like a knife. “Since it’s a Lian family daughter he wants, I’m willing to marry.”

“What did you say? You’ll go?”

Lian Sheng nodded with a bright smile. “I’ll go. Or does my younger sister wish to?”

Lian Mo didn’t have time to dwell on her tone. “Sheng’er, are you truly willing to go to Shaji?”

Lian Sheng’s smile faded, her eyes deep and cold like a frigid pool. She looked steadily at her father. “Elder Brother is on the battlefield, and the entire city is in panic.”

Lian Sitian might be fierce at home, but she only bullied her own people. Facing Yi Qiancheng, she would likely forget about negotiating for reinforcements in her terror, if she even survived.

Lian Sheng had never met Yi Qiancheng, but she had heard that five years ago, at the age of just seventeen, he had single-handedly killed countless invading Xiqiang soldiers and managed to hold out until he could seek aid from the Lian family.

Now, Yi Qiancheng’s violent and ruthless nature has spread throughout all of Daliang. Times have changed. He now wields a massive army and rules his own territory. It would be strange if he didn’t seek revenge against the Lian family!

Starting from the next chapter, the female lead will start to seduce the male lead. The sugar-coated bullet mode is officially activated!