CHAPTER 5

Fu Yi’s expression grew distant, as if he had fallen into some kind of memory. He continued, “At that time, I was deeply moved and even shed tears. The young master had finally grown up! But there was also a newfound, never-before-felt surge of blood boiling in me. Your father was pure-hearted and not driven by fame or profit. I have lived in Shaji for nearly twenty years, and though life was peaceful, I had no way to fulfill my ambitions. Your desire to conquer the world has also fulfilled my wish.”

Yi Qiancheng’s gaze shifted slightly. “I will not forget.”

“Then, please, General, prioritize the greater picture.”

“Military advisor, what do you mean?”

“I mean, General, your choices. Those who achieve great things must understand that sometimes they must temporarily let go of certain things. The petty person seeks small gains, while those with great ambitions focus on the big picture. I hope, General, that in your quest for revenge and world domination, you can see clearly what matters most, and what comes first and what comes later. Do not let fleeting hatred delay the greater plan.”

Yi Qiancheng furrowed his brows. “There are many ways to strive for dominance, and they don’t conflict with my desire for revenge.”

“But here, right in front of you, is a shortcut. Yet you deliberately avoid it and choose a longer, more uncertain path.”

“Yidong City is not a shortcut,” Yi Qiancheng said, understanding what Fu Yi was implying. He felt a slight displeasure, his deep hatred for that woman and that city surfacing.

“How do you know unless you try?” Fu Yi pressed on. “Of the five cities in Great Liang—Yidong, Shaji, Yuanhuai, Fengmu, and Huanshui—they say Shaji is the most barren and wild, but as the ruler of a city, you should know better than anyone that Shaji has a strong military force, superior terrain, and is uniquely positioned. The other cities are blinded by Shaji’s desolation and fail to see the hidden strength within.”

Yi Qiancheng fell into thought, and Fu Yi hurriedly continued, “Fengmu is the richest, Huanshui the most peaceful, but Yuanhuai has a city lord, Xiang Han, who could rival you. When the imperial court fell into chaos, all five cities had their own ambitions. Xiang Han has tried tirelessly to align with Huanshui, but to no avail. Now, General, you have an easy opportunity to take Yidong, and yet you intend to let it slip away.”

“Military advisor, just say what you want me to do.”

“Marry the girl from the Lian family! Take control of Yidong openly and without shame!”

Yi Qiancheng thought back to Lian Sheng’s tear-filled eyes and the bloodshed during the fall of Shaji City. The coldness in his eyes slowly faded, and he whispered, “Fine, as you wish, military advisor.”

He would marry Lian Sheng, but whether she could bear it was another matter.

After Yi Qiancheng left, Lian Sheng had been contemplating her next move. She knew that simply relying on the marriage to convince Yi Qiancheng to send troops was futile. Every person has a weakness, but until she found her way into Yi Qiancheng’s heart, her words would mean nothing.

Emotions are the strongest force that can sway a person, followed by power.

Since she couldn’t influence Yi Qiancheng emotionally, her only hope was to convince him with the greater picture of the world. But what if he truly wasn’t driven by fame and profit? Then nothing she did would matter.

Lian Sheng ran through the three remaining cities that might offer help. She realized that aside from Yi Qiancheng, no one could save Yidong. And ironically, the one who could help was the one with a deep blood feud with the city.

Her mind became a mess. After traveling for several days, she had managed to hold on, waiting for Yi Qiancheng to return, fearing his unpredictable temper. But in the end, exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep in his bed.

When she woke up the next day, Lian Sheng felt frustrated. At such a critical moment, she had allowed herself to become so careless. She looked around the room, and everything seemed the same as last night. Had Yi Qiancheng not returned?

She got out of bed and noticed her wedding gown was crumpled, making her look utterly disheveled.

She opened the door and saw the old steward standing respectfully at the threshold. His usual indifferent expression was unchanged, with his eyelids perpetually drooping. “Miss, prepare yourself. Tomorrow you will marry the general.”

“Marry?” This sudden change was too much for her. She had expressed her urgent desire to marry Yi Qiancheng the night before, but aside from his desire to kill her, she had never imagined anything else. Yet now, after waking from her nap, had he really changed his mind? Was she dreaming?

Lian Sheng thought carefully and realized that the only variable was the “Master Fu Yi” in this situation. After Yi Qiancheng went to meet Fu Yi, he never returned, and the next day, he agreed to marry her. It seemed that this master had a great influence on him. Lian Sheng silently made a note of this and thought of finding an opportunity to meet this master.

If she could understand what Yi Qiancheng truly wanted, it would be best—people have desires, and with desires come weaknesses. Once the danger of Yidong was resolved, she would still be stuck in Shaji. Without truly understanding Yi Qiancheng, she would always be hindered by him, and she didn’t want that.

The situation was developing in an almost strange way, and Lian Sheng felt overly passive.

The wedding gown she wore could no longer be used. In Shaji’s tradition, when the city lord marries, he must celebrate with the people. This meant that the next day, Yi Qiancheng would take her to the Yi family ancestral hall to complete the grand ceremony, rather than the simple wedding customs of ordinary families. Only after completing the ceremony would she officially be considered the wife of the Yi family.

A group of servants and maids came and went, and in no time, the room was filled with various items.

“The general said, Miss, you should wear this one.”

It was a dazzling red wedding gown, intricately designed with golden phoenix embroidery on the cuffs and collar, and pleated skirts that spread out in all directions. The gown was fastened at the front with several gemstones, and a tassel hung at the waist, swaying with each step. The phoenix on the gown seemed alive, as if it were about to take flight.

Lian Sheng tried on the gown with the help of the maids. It was a little ill-fitting, but due to the time constraints, such a beautiful gown was hard to come by, so she didn’t want to complain and allowed them to adjust it.

The next morning, Lian Sheng was woken up early to get dressed and ready for the ceremony.

Technically, this was her wedding day, but because the change had come so suddenly, she felt an unreal sense of disorientation.

Becoming the city lord’s wife was not something just anyone could do. She had been meticulously dressed for an hour and a half before she was allowed to step out of the room.

Each city had its own traditions. Before the wedding, the city lord and his wife would travel through the city, accompanied by sixteen horses pulling a grand red sedan chair, making a half-circle around the city before arriving at the ancestral hall to hold the wedding ceremony.

Lian Sheng had learned about this during her journey to Shaji. It was said that this ritual allowed the people to first accept the future lady of the city before the ancestors recognized her as the new wife.

This elaborate process took an entire day to complete. As the sky lightened, Lian Sheng was escorted out of the door.

She wore a red veil over her face and immediately saw Yi Qiancheng standing before the sedan chair pulled by the sixteen horses.

For a moment, she had that eerie feeling again, as though she had returned to the strange, spine-chilling scene of the previous night, but he didn’t do anything. As she slowly walked closer, he extended his hand.

Lian Sheng didn’t hesitate and placed her hand in his.

His palm was large and dry, with a slight coldness to it. Lian Sheng had been dressed and fussed over for half the day, and her whole body felt warm, her small hand warm as well. She could feel the coldness of his hand and, after a moment’s thought, tightened her grip in return.

Yi Qiancheng paused for a moment, then quickened his pace. Lian Sheng stumbled as he led her forward.

They reached the sedan chair, and Yi Qiancheng motioned for her to get in first. With a bit of assistance, he helped her into the sedan chair. Everything proceeded smoothly, and Lian Sheng couldn’t help but feel incredulous. Was she really about to go mad from Yi Qiancheng’s constant back-and-forth? When he acted normal, why did it feel so strange?

Yi Qiancheng sat beside her, not once glancing at her. His eyes were calm and indifferent, and he didn’t hold her hand again.

The sixteen fine horses pulled the sedan chair forward, while soldiers stationed before and behind kept the path clear.

The citizens of Shaji had been told the day before about the general’s wedding, and the streets were empty as everyone gathered to watch. As the sedan chair turned from the city lord’s residence, the people along the road knelt in unison, bowing as the chair passed by.

But the faces of the people were filled with curiosity, doubt, anger, and disapproval, but there were no blessings. Whispers could be heard all along the way, and none of them were kind remarks about Lian Sheng’s identity.

Yi Qiancheng commanded respect, but Lian Sheng provoked intense rejection.

Lian Sheng clenched her fist.

Yi Qiancheng’s face was stern yet not overly severe. Under the admiring gazes of the people, his sharp eyes softened slightly, giving him a more gentle appearance.

Lian Sheng lowered her gaze, no longer wanting to look at the unfriendly stares.

“Why aren’t you looking anymore? Afraid?” Yi Qiancheng’s voice was soft, but his words were clear as he sat beside her.

“I am not afraid with my husband by my side.” She replied, composed.

“Oh? That’s good. But this gown you’re wearing doesn’t fit well.”

“Your mother’s gown?” Lian Sheng was startled by the sudden change of topic and subtly looked at him.

“This is the gown my mother wore when she married my father. My father had the best tailor in the city make it for her as her dowry. Later, she wore this gown when she followed my father into death, jumping from the city walls, her blood soaking the gown. The red from her blood became even more vivid. Do you like it?” He smirked, and his eyes, like a venomous snake, met her searching gaze.

Lian Sheng’s face turned pale. Yi Qiancheng’s mother had died in this wedding gown, and now she was wearing it.

A chill crept up from her feet, and she realized that Yi Qiancheng would never let her off so easily.

The congratulatory ceremony had barely begun, and already, he had unguardedly made her wear such a gown. The upcoming ancestral rituals and grand ceremony made her even more anxious.

Now, every time she thought of the gown she was wearing, knowing it had been soaked in her mother-in-law’s blood before being processed and integrated into the red fabric, she felt a wave of nausea rise in her stomach.

Lian Sheng sat up straight, maintaining impeccable posture, thankful for the veil that hid her pale face.

She tried hard to ignore the discomfort, repeatedly telling herself: Don’t think about it, just treat it as an ordinary wedding gown!

Yi Qiancheng shifted his gaze away from her, but the faint, cold smile at the corner of his lips never disappeared. “Lian Sheng, I hope you can remain so composed from here on out.”