CHAPTER 9

Since the siege of Yingdong, Lian Sheng has been counting the days, almost obsessively.

On the seventh day of the siege, she started having nightmares about the city falling. From then on, every night’s dream became clearer and more vivid, almost as if they had already happened.

When she married into Shaji City, Yingdong had already been under siege for a month. Her brother, Lian Qi, had also endured the siege for a month and still hadn’t received any reinforcements. Ever since her marriage to Yi Qiancheng, she hadn’t had any more nightmares about the city’s fall.

However, last night, she dreamed of Yingdong again.

The dream became even clearer, and she learned that before her brother’s death in battle, Yingdong had experienced a brief victory. They had burned the supplies of the Xiqiang people, forcing them to retreat by ten miles to regroup. The soldiers of Yingdong had caught their breath and celebrated.

But the turning point came on the third day after the victory, when news arrived from the Imperial City—the Emperor had passed away.

The world descended into chaos, and the struggle for power truly began.

The five cities each had their own ambitions, and the princes fought to the death. Upon hearing this news, the Xiqiang people went into a frenzy, attacking Yingdong City. It was during this battle that her brother, Lian Qi, was struck by an arrow and died.

Then, Yingdong fell. The Xiqiang people entered the city, burning, killing, looting, and committing unspeakable atrocities.

Lian Sheng woke from the nightmare, her heart racing. Outside, the birds were chirping happily.

“Nanny,” she called out instinctively, but the room was silent. No one answered. It was only then that she remembered that she had married and become a wife.

Lian Sheng furrowed her brows in thought. This dream was different from the previous ones; it contained many things that hadn’t appeared before. For example, she didn’t know that before the city fell, Yingdong had experienced a victory. Nor did she know that, shortly after Yingdong’s victory, the Emperor had died, plunging the world into disarray.

She hadn’t told anyone about her dream, as no one would believe a dream, especially one that she had continued having for a month, each time clearer than the last. To others, it would seem too absurd.

But Lian Sheng believed in this dream wholeheartedly, as though some unseen force was pushing her to change everything that was about to happen.

Lian Sheng walked over to the table, took a sip of tea, and tried to calm her racing heart.

She couldn’t panic. She had successfully married Yi Qiancheng—that was the first step in changing things. Now, she could take this opportunity to verify the details of her dream.

The first thing she needed to find out was whether there had been a victorious battle in Yingdong.

Lian Sheng thought about her current lonely situation and felt a little anxious. Yi Qiancheng was truly a miser; he hadn’t even sent a maid for her. She felt like a caged canary, unable to gather any information.

Yi Qiancheng wouldn’t come to her of his own accord. If she wanted to learn anything, she would have to find a way to get it herself.

After thinking for a moment, her eyes lit up. That’s right! She had almost forgotten about the rule of returning to her maiden family after seven days!

It was the third day since her marriage to Yi Qiancheng, and according to custom, on the seventh day, he should accompany her back to Yingdong. Even though he didn’t care much for her, he had at least acknowledged her as the mistress of Shaji City in front of the entire city five days ago. Since he had been willing to show such respect the first time, there was a possibility he might do so again.

If... If Yi Qiancheng were willing to accompany her back to Yingdong, there was a higher chance that he might send reinforcements.

The more Lian Sheng thought about it, the more excited she became. She quickly prepared herself, brushing her hair. Lian Sheng wasn’t very good with complicated hairstyles, so she simply pinned up a small portion of her hair with a pin, leaving the rest to cascade like a waterfall. In the mirror, the beauty seemed three parts delicate, three parts charming, and the remaining four parts were pure laziness.

Lian Sheng took the medicine that the housekeeper had brought her the day before and carefully treated the wound on her forehead.

As she was about to leave, she bumped into the old housekeeper.

“Madam, your maid has arrived. She is in the mansion now.”

Lian Sheng was delighted. The two maids that Madam Sang had sent for her had finally arrived at Shaji. She instructed, “Send them to my courtyard. I’ll go find the general first.”

Yi Qiancheng was practicing his sword in the courtyard. His moves were sharp, and the wind tousled his hair, giving him a free-spirited, unrestrained look.

Lian Sheng stood to the side, not daring to approach. After all, with Yi Qiancheng’s temperament, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to throw the sword at her on a whim. Right now, she was very precious to herself.

As soon as she arrived, Yi Qiancheng noticed her.

He hadn’t gone to the military camp these past few days, but he hadn’t slackened off. He had initially intended to ignore her and finish his sword practice, but Lian Sheng’s intense gaze fell on him, burning like a fire.

His usual broad, forceful movements became unusually stiff, as if his hands and feet were bound by an invisible string. He felt out of place, and his own actions were hard to control.

Yi Qiancheng furrowed his brow and stopped. He turned around, coldly glaring at Lian Sheng.

“What are you standing there for?”

“Admiring my husband’s heroic posture.”

“Hmph.” Yi Qiancheng tried to ignore her words. This woman may speak sweetly, but who knew how venomous her heart was.

“Do you remember, husband? Today is our fifth day of marriage.” She noticed that Yi Qiancheng was sheathing his sword and casually walked over.

“Oh? I don’t remember.”

“According to custom, the day after tomorrow, you should accompany me back to my family,” she continued without paying attention to his increasingly cold gaze. “I’ve checked. The seven-day return rule applies in Shaji as well. Could you accompany me back for a visit?”

“You think you can make such a request?” His gaze was sharp and cold, devoid of any warmth.

“You can ignore me, dislike me. Though it hurts, it won’t change your feelings. But five days ago, you married me in front of all the people of Shaji, and you can’t let everyone think our marriage is drifting apart.”

She paused.

“Besides, I want to live a good life with you. I am your wife, the mistress of Shaji City. Please give me the respect I deserve.”

Lian Sheng wasn’t sure which of her words had affected Yi Qiancheng, but his cold expression suddenly cracked into a smile. “Alright.”

Lian Sheng instinctively took a step back. She was truly afraid of this man who smiled like a knife concealed in a sheath.

“First, accompany me to pick up Huan’er. I don’t feel at ease leaving her in Shaji.”

“Huan’er?” Lian Sheng frowned, confused.

“My younger sister.” When he mentioned “younger sister,” his expression finally softened, and his eyes filled with tender, fragmented light. Lian Sheng looked at him, feeling a sigh in her heart. She had tried so many ways to please him, but had never experienced even a trace of his kindness.

However, she quickly suppressed that feeling and made herself think about Yi Qiancheng’s family. Before this, she had known very little about him. Apart from knowing that he had once bravely entered Yingdong for help several years ago, she knew nothing else.

Before marrying Yi Qiancheng, Lian Sheng had been aware that his parents had died in the war. She thought that he had no family left, but it turned out he had a sister, and she didn’t even live in the Lord’s residence.

Lian Sheng felt uneasy. One Yi Qiancheng was already more than she could handle. If his sister disliked her as much as he did, life in the Lord’s residence would be even harder.

Moreover, judging by Yi Qiancheng’s tender expression when he mentioned his sister, it was clear he cared deeply for her. As his wife, Lian Sheng was just a thorn in his side, an irritant. Lian Sheng almost wanted to bury her face in her hands. What a dreadful situation she was in.

Forget it, the fact that Yi Qiancheng was willing to accompany her to visit her family was already a good thing, especially since it was to the war-torn Yingdong.

She could only hope that when she met Yi Qiancheng’s sister tomorrow, she wouldn’t be met with too much hostility.

“Huan’er has a gentle nature, unlike your coarse one. If I find out that you’ve bullied her, you’re finished.” His tone was casual, but the warning was clear, as he looked at Lian Sheng with a gaze full of suspicion.

“I won’t. I’ll treat Huan’er well...” Lian Sheng smiled back at him, but inside, she couldn’t help but feel a bit angry. Who exactly was the coarse one? She was just as “gentle” as anyone else!

When Lian Sheng’s two maidservants saw her, they were obviously very excited. Even the usually composed Xiyu had reddened eyes. “Miss, are you alright? These days must have been difficult for you.”

“I’m fine.” Lian Sheng smiled faintly, though there was a hint of sadness in her heart. Her maids had just arrived at Shaji, and they already knew that she hadn’t been treated well. This showed just how difficult her situation was in the Lord’s residence.

“Miss, don’t be fooled by Lu’er’s timid nature. Her cooking skills are excellent. You’ll enjoy the food.” Xiyu spoke with a smile, clearly having developed a good relationship with Lu’er on the way here.

Lu’er, hearing Xiyu praise her, blushed deeply. Shyly, she said, “No, no. Xiyu is just teasing me.”

Seeing the two of them teasing each other, Lian Sheng’s mood improved greatly. She had been so lonely in Shaji, always smiling during the day, but when night fell and she looked at the empty room, she often found herself missing Nanny Liu and her older brother.

The people in the Lord’s residence avoided her like a venomous snake. Since everyone knew that Yi Qiancheng didn’t sleep in her room, she was merely a figurehead as the wife of the Lord. While they didn’t dare to show disrespect openly, they still made many small moves behind her back.

Luckily, Lian Sheng wasn’t bothered by it. Compared to them, Lian Si Tian was far worse. She would avoid them when possible, but if they truly provoked her, none of them would fare well.

Now that the two maidservants had arrived, it would be much easier to gather information, and she wouldn’t feel as lonely. After all, no matter how clever Lian Sheng was, she was still just a sixteen-year-old girl.

Yi Qiancheng had said he would go pick up Yi Huan. The next day, they set off.

Her two maidservants took turns sleeping outside and woke up early to dress Lian Sheng. All her beautiful clothes had been brought along, and the two maidservants spared no effort to make her look beautiful and proud. How could the general be so blind, having such a beautiful wife?

Lu’er was skilled, not only in cooking but also in hairstyling. She styled Lian Sheng’s hair into a hibiscus bun, with a small jasmine pin of mutton-fat jade slanting through it. She then chose a bamboo-colored pleated skirt with scattered floral patterns. Lian Sheng looked elegant yet alluring, her walk revealing the delicate tip of a two-tone satin peacock-feather beaded slipper. She was an exquisite sight.

“Miss, you are truly beautiful. You are the most stunning person I’ve ever seen,” Lu’er said as she tied the ribbon around her waist, her eyes filled with admiration.