Gu Fang Bu Zi Shang Volume 01

Original novel by FENG NONG

Illustrated by XI XI GUO

CKM Scans Chinatown KM

http://ckmscans.halofight.com
01/01/15

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Volume 01 Contents
Before You Read (Reference) ~
Book One: A Sinful Encounter with Destiny
Chapter 01
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
Chapter 07
Chapter 08
Chapter 09
Chapter 10
Chapter 11

Translation Notes

Book Two: Tragic Nations, War of Love

Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27: Intermission

Translation Notes

Comments
Credits

Before You Read (or Reference)

In my attempt to romanise the different ranks of the Gu Fang hierarchy, I have used various words from the
peerage system and then updated them. Others, such as the servant hierarchy is common knowledge. I do try
to romanise the language as much as possible, while keeping the basic meaning to avoid confusion. If you
still get lost in the midst of the rank naming, just get into this story (this part can serve as a reference).
Hopefully itll all clear out later.
Nobility Ranks

King (part of the Royal House, lives in the Royal Residence)

Prince: It seems that usually only the inheritor(s) of the throne will be called the Prince in this novel.
(Part of the Royal House, lives in the Royal Residence.) Theres a princess too
Duke: Similar in rank to Prince, may or may not have royal blood connections. In other words, dukes
may be princes or people from recognised families. Being called a duke seems to give more
military advantage. This is replacing the wang prefix and suffix, e.g Jing Anwang = Duke of JingAn; Wangye = Duke. He lives in a Ducal Residence. People of similar lineage (i.e his sons and
daughters) can be grouped as House of (The Chinese for this is the same, but it doesnt make
sense in English if only one is used)
The wife of the duke (formerly wangfei) will be the Duchess.
The dukes son(s) will be given his fathers subsidiary titles, e.g. marquess or earl etc.
Scholar: Not really nobility. Usually a commoner/peasant who has gotten the Kings respect due to
high placing in national exam. Supposedly all men, but in fiction and probably history, there have
been women who cross dress to study and earn these titles. Top scholars tend to be awarded an
official rank and often became governors of small provinces or military commanders. Sort of like
the count role in the peerage system.
Official: All of the above, except women (e.g duchess) and the King. Basically, they can all serve in
court. The royal court seems to generally be divided into two wings - the left and the right... (But
that's not really important to the story right now)

Military Ranks

[Military] General: The strongest warrior(s) and/or main commander(s) of the war. This person may
go to the front lines and fight. There is also sometimes a Main General.
[Military] Advisor: Someone who doesnt usually go to fight (but may go to battlefield if needed).
Basically someone who thinks of all the tactics to use and does the planning etc. Im using the word
advisor to cover both strategists and tacticians.
[Military] Commander: A person who commands an army or part of it, to war when needed.
Warrior: A soldier who is recognised for his strength in battle.
Soldier: A fighter in the war.
**The King is supposed to have absolute control over the military. In Gu Fang, the term military is used
synonymously to army.

Servant Ranks

Upper Servants: Housekeeper, Ladys Maid, Valet

Senior Servants (Middle/Lower upper, requires some skill): Nurse, Cook, Seamstress
Under Servants (manual labour): Housemaids (e.g. Kitchenmaid, Chamber Maid, Laundry Maid),
Footmen, Eunuchs

Addressing Others (if not by name/politer form)

The Master and Mistress of any Residence or owners of shops will be addressed as Sir and/or My
Lady. (Sir ~ and Lady ~ /Madam ~) Their sons and daughters would be addressed as Mister and
My Lady.
The direct master of any servant may be addressed as Master or My Lady.
All guests will be greeted as Mister/Sir or Miss/Madam/My Lady or by title. (less
polite/more polite)
Housekeepers will be acknowledged as Mrs ~ regardless of marital status. In Gu Fang, the
housekeeper usually takes on the name of the Residence or House, e.g. Hua Housekeeper (literal
translation). She will be acknowledged as Mrs Hua.
The nurse will be acknowledged as Mother ~. Sometimes older (under) maids may also be
acknowledged as a mother.
Important maids may be addressed as Sis ~ by younger maids, or as Miss ~ by older maids.
When referring by third person, not by title, after all (possessive) pronouns or articles must be
capitalised, i.e the Lady (specifically referring a lady), his Master etc.
Contrary to proper peerage address, the King is still often addressed as King instead of Sire or
Your Majesty, while the Queen is still often addressed as Queen. Likewise, Duke, Duchess,
Princess etc.
*Servants often inherit their masters family name.

Naming (sort of like honorifics this isnt that important, so skip if needed)

-Boy: This is actually the antonym of lao (old) but this nickname method is usually used for men
and stereotypically, tired middle-aged men (though a lot of teenagers use it too nowadays). Therefore
the use of boy is the same sort of off-putting, belittling, but at the same time endearing, as the use
of lao.
Xiao-: Literally means small. A form of endearment. Think of this as -chan and -kun
(Japanese) honorifics. In historical terms, the addition of this character does give a slave-like quality
to it, especially to womens names. However, I tend to not keep this prefix as it makes names sound
too similar, especially for non-Chinese speakers. Besides, a single character for a name, e.g Hong
already gives a poor impression, as richer families tend to give their children compound names (more
than one character, e.g. Pingting).
-er: This character doesnt really mean anything on its own (though it does seem to slur the
character before it). This is also a form of endearment. Think of this as a -y or -ie in English, e.g
Maddison goes to Maddie. I usually keep this suffix as is, because I dont like modifying the pinyin
of names.
A-: This is a common addition to single character names. It strongly hints peasantry in general, the
poorer farmers. Not quite so in modern times though.
(Older) Sis: This is an endearing way of addressing older girls (younger than 25 Id say) by a
younger girl. Think of this as the -neechan (Japanese) honorific. I did not keep it in pinyin (-jie
or jiejie) to avoid confusion of Chu Beijies name. There doesnt seem to be many cases in Gu
Fang where an older girl calls a younger girl, a (younger) sis (meimei) anyway and it's easy to
figure out when they do. When two girls say that theyre like sisters, that means theyre best
friends. Funny how a lot of people don't get along with their blood-related sisters, even in China.
Brother: Could be younger or older. Could be blood related or not. Bro is a bit too informal in this
case (not that sis isnt, but bro doesnt quite picture familiar but somewhat formal relationship).

Book One
A Sinful Encounter with Destiny
Chapter 01
July, Gui Le territory.
The sun blazed high in the sky, so fierce that the trees on both sides of the road seemed to have bowed down
in shame.
Four or five travellers, who could no longer stand the scorching heat, were huddled under the shade of the
tree, desperately trying to cool themselves. Because of this, the old man with a small tea booth by the
unpaved road had a few more customers than usual.
A cup of tea. A traveller carefully took out his wallet and fished out a few coins, placing it on the table,
while fanning himself vigorously.
Here, a cup of tea for you to soothe your liver and cool the heat. The old man brought the tea and smiled
at him. It's a hot day. Where are you headed to, Mister?
Yes, this demon of a day is indeed hot enough to toast one to death. Just one sip of tea seemed to appease
his dry, depleted throat. He seemed slightly happier and said, Im just hurrying to deliver stock to the
border. Sigh, ever since Dong Lin started messing with the border, its been hard for us traders to earn a
living. Luckily the Marquess of Jing-An is pushing that Bei-Whats-His-Name away. Otherwise, I wouldve
never known when to go there.
Yeah, the Marquess of Jing-An is amazing!
I know who you're talking about, hes the brother of the King of Dong Lin. He's strong too.
The nearby people laughed. Who cares about strength? He still got forced back home when he opposed the
Marquess of Jing-An, eh? He drained the remaining content of his cup and placed a few more coins on the
table. Another cup please, Sir!
Hearing that, the tea seller nodded. I heard that hes never lost a battle - totally worth his title of being Gui
Les strongest commander.

Suddenly a voice interrupted, You dare mention the Marquess of Jing-An? Hes currently labelled as the
traitor of Gui Le.
This struck the tea drinkers crowd like lightning. Their mouths dazedly dropped open.
The tea seller broke the silence. What are you saying? The Marquess of Jing-An
Do all of you not know? The newcomer sat down and used his sleeves to fan himself. I just came out of
the city yesterday. Apparently he attempted to assassinate the King and has now escaped out of the capital
city. At the moment, the King has commanded everyone to capture him. I heard that the reward is pretty
good too.
But didn't he just stabilise the borderline situation and was returning to the capital to collect his rewards?
Heh, isnt it strange. On the very night he was returning to the capital, he tried to assassinate the King.
Guess what weapon he used? The newcomer was dramatising the news, as most of them had their attention
on him.
Must be a precious sword, someone guessed.
Dont listen to this nonsense, others argued, Theres no way Id believe that the Marquess of Jing-An
would betray us. Hes Gui Les most loyal official, theres no way hed break the law.
The newcomer saw the others suspicious looks and stroke his beard. He used the Precious Heimo Sword,
which was personally bestowed to him by the King. And you know, any damage inflicted by that precious
sword, no matter how small, will leave a nasty black scar which will never fade.
But
In the midst of their debating, they suddenly heard hooves approaching.
A carriage, probably an ordinary merchants, had arrived; its curtains tightly drawn. The driver was a man
with huge muscles. He threw down two coins, yelling, Ye old man! Gimme some tea!
Coming!
This damn day is too hot!
Thats right, thats right. Feel free to cool down under the tree before going on your way. Were discussing
about the Marquess of Jing-An.
Tch. Im only interested in business, not some royalty or political creep. He gulped down the rest of his
cup noisily and brought out a huge water container. Fill that up, I gotta go now.
The seller hurriedly filled the water container.
The man grabbed the container, got on the horse which neighed once, before moving forward.

Inside the horse carriage, Pingting finally opened her eyes, against the endless bumps of the unpaved road.
It was a humid day and sweat was dripping down her neck. Her eyes were narrowed, as they tried to adjust
to the light.
Her head was really sore and pangs of dizziness rose, like waves threatening to consume her.
Where am I? Pingting looked at herself absentmindedly, then around her, and seemed to be fullyawaken
now.
The memory of a scene, full of fire and cries of battle and fighting returned to her.
Pingting, wait outside the city. Well go in to save Father.
ThenMaster, well meet again on the cliff at dawn.
Where was the Duke? Master? And what about that mischievous, always-causing-trouble, Dongzhuo?
She remembered that after making the promise, she had set out for the cliff. In her most recent memory, she
was definitely already at the cliff. And out of sudden, the back of her head throbbed painfully once before
her eyes fade to black
You awake? The curtains were pushed aside, revealing a peering mans face, You shoulda woken ages
ago. Any longer, and Zhang Boy woulda beaten ya to death.
Are these people human trafficking troupe?Pingting studied them carefully.
Could it be that Ive been caught by human traffickers when Master needs me the most? The number of
times Pingting had left the Residence alone throughout her life was scarce and during this exact moment
where she was urgently needed, she JUST had to be caught by the human traffickers.
Okay, Im gonna ask ya somethin. The man sat inside the carriage and took out the gag in Pingtings
mouth. They must have had placed it in her mouth to stop her from screaming for help in case she woke up
along the journey. He gave her an intimidating glare, If you dun tell meh the truth, Ill feed ya to the
wolves.
Pingting nearly laughed at this child-like threat. Why would she be scared? Shed been serving the Marquess
of Jing-An, He Xia, since small and she was the only woman who could follow him on his outings.
Although she was young, shed already seen a lot of battles.
Pingting didnt wait for the man to ask his question, asking one of her own instead. Did you capture me in
the city?
The man looked surprised at her relaxed expression and chuckled, not angrily. Yeah.
How long did I sleep for?
Two days and a half.

Pingting went pale when she heard this, stunned in shock.

If she had been sleeping for the last two days, then the kings soldiers would have begun searching around
the capital, making it very difficult for her Master and the others to stay at the agreed place, near the cliffs.
Her heart sped up as she asked, Where are you taking me?
To the the man suddenly stopped, realising something was wrong. Eh? Yer know Im the one askin
questions ere, right? He gave her a ferocious expression. Say, which rich family have you escaped from,
runaway wife? Wheres your home?
Runaway wife?
Pingting hesitated, lowering her head and studied herself.
Although she was only a servant of her residence, her Master had always cherished her and so shed gotten
things that were even more expensive than the ladies of normal households. Her clothes looked expensive
and she had been riding away from the city at an odd hour so the trafficker had naturally thought that she
had run away from her husband.
No wonder the trafficker hadnt thrown her out in the last two days, he had probably seen some value in her.
Pingting shook her head and laughed, Im just a maid, not a runaway wife from a wealthy family.
Tch, since when did servants get silk clothes?
Pingting debated over what to say in her head carefully. It was highly likely that the King had already
ordered all citizens to hunt for the people of Jing-An Ducal Residence, so she decided not to give away her
real identity. So instead, she rolled her eyes and said, I escaped out of the city to see my lover, but because
I wanted to look pretty, I stole some of My Ladys clothes. Gui Le was a somewhat noisy place and
therefore a lot of women really would sneak out to see their lovers.
The man frowned immediately at this and threw open the curtains, Zhang Boy! Comover here!
Coming. There seemed to be more than one trafficker, on the other carriage.
Not long after, a chubby face peered in from the window. Fu Erge, wassup?
So his name was Fu Erge.
Wassup yer head! Didnt ya say this girl was a runaway wife from a rich family and could be swapped for a
lot of money? Fu Erge glared at Pingting and jabbed an accusing finger at her, Shes just a servant,
dammit! And she slept for two days!
Zhang Boy scratched his head and studied Pingting carefully. Then he laughed, Fu Erge, dont be angry.
Whats done is done. Shell probably have some value anyway.
Oh, so ya can sell off this rubbish? sneered the man, jabbing an accusing finger at Pingtings nose.

True, Pingtings appearance certainly wasnt at all pretty. Even in the Jing-An Ducal Residence, her looks at
most, had been average, probably even more common. One could only say that she was tidy.
But everyone in the Jing-An Ducal Residence recognised how important she was.
However, as the stranger jabbed a finger at her and claimed she was worthless, she couldnt help rolling her
eyes.
Fu Erge coughed two times and faked a depressed tone. Neer mind, she should be at least worth around
fifty coins. This robbing bitch really gave meh false hope; I even let her stay in my private carriage for two
ole days. Dammit, take her to the other carriage with the others.
The moment she entered the other carriage, a terrible odour flooded her senses and Pingting realised why Fu
Erge had been so angry.
In comparison to the first carriage, this one was tattered and crowded, dirty and sweltering hot.
There were seven or eight girls already crammed inside. Their hands had also been tied behind their back
like Pingting and they were gagged, with fear evident in their eyes. All eyes landed sympathetically on
Pingting, as she was now a new addition to these cluster of unfortunate girls.
Move over! Heres another one. Zhang Boy pushed Pingting inside and began to ungag the girls, At the
moment, were in the wilderness, so Ill let you talk. Some of you are bound to die in this heat anyway. Be
good and stay put, okay! After saying this, he ran off, probably to drive the carriage or something.
Pingting stumbled from Zhang Boys push and sat down in a corner with much difficulty.
Cough, coughcough The carriage was shaking so hard and her throat felt very sore, so shed coughed
a few more times along the journey.
Suddenly, unease rippled in her.
Have I not recovered from that time I went with Master to the doctors? Pingting frowned, closing her eyes
and leaning her head against the wall of the carriage.
As she felt a bit more comfortable, she couldnt help worrying.
Jing-An Ducal Residence, the place shed been living all her life, was probably reduced to ashes right?
Prince Su, no, he was now the new king. The Kings hatred of the military-rich House of Jing-An grew day
by day. Recently her Master had triumphed in the war and the King had finally decided to take him down,
framing her Master for rebellion on the day of his return.
Luckily the House of Jing-An had been wary, so the damage was not too great.
Her Master should have already found a good escape route by now.

Not that she would know where theyd hide but that was okay, as theyd be safe in a place where no one
could guess. Their pursuers wont know where to look and therefore will never find them.
Sound suddenly erupted, as most girls were crying over their misfortune. Pingting opened her eyes and
looked around slowly.
Yep, theyre all really pretty. I should be the ugliest one here, right?
Human traffickers were always after pretty girls. They could be sold off as a concubine for a high price.
Pingting thought of Fu Erge, and how he estimated her value of fifty coins and chuckled. It was definitely
easy enough to drown him with the amount of money her Master gave her every week.
Who knew what expression Fu Erge would make if he knew who she was.
Um Sis A girl beside Pingting touched her shoulder shyly, Did you get captured by them too?
She was really cute, no wonder shed been caught by the human traffickers. She nodded. Yeah.
Arent you scared?
No.
The little girl looked at her in surprise. Youre not scared?
Pingting saw that she was probably going to say something else, so she began first. Whats your name?
Mynames Qing. Whats yours?
Im Hong. She automatically lied about her name. She definitely wouldnt use such a fancy name like Bai
Pingting but it wouldnt do to have no name at all.
Okay Sis, then
Do you know where were going? She interrupted Qing again, taking advantage of her situation. She
wasnt scared, just a little excited. It was a bit like accompanying her Master, figuring out the enemys
motive from the different clues. Except this time, she was fighting alone.
According to that fat guy and mean guy, we would be sold in Dong Lin.
In the enemys country? Pingtings eyebrows creased even more.
Her Masters last battle at the border was against the troops of Dong Lin. Pingting had the Dong Lin army
purposely being directed into the mountains and then by controlling the river flow, the enemy were forced to
full retreat in the threat of a flood. Back then, her Master had said, Now the whole army knows that we
have a female military advisor. When we get back, Ill get Father to reward you. What would you like this
time?
If she was recognised in Dong Lin, the consequences would be

It seemed that using the human traffickers carriage to escape the Kings wrath was impossible. Shed need
to find a good time to escape, leave their carriage and then find her Master by herself.
In the midst of her thinking, her body suddenly heaved forward. Pingting felt her energy draining away as
she began to cough again.
Cough, cough
Sis Qing looked at her worriedly.
Im fine. She had finally stopped but she was left with a foul, blood-like taste in her mouth. Pingting
suddenly froze, did she just cough up blood again?
First things first, how could she escape?
She wasnt unhealthy, but her illness was slowly eating away at her. She hadnt told her Master back in the
battlefield, because she didnt want to worry him. And then that incident happened the night they went back.
Her thoughts were still a mess, no wonder her illness had gotten worse.
Pingting thought for a little longer and sighed, Fine, Dong Lin it is. She had decided to go to Dong Lin
with the human traffickers.
After all, the command to capture the one thousand members of the Jing-An Ducal Residence was only valid
on Gui Le territory.
The enemys country wasnt a bad option as long as her identity remained a secret.
A couple of days later, the carriage had arrived in Dong Lin.
But the human traffickers were not stupid to sell the girls at the poor villages on the outskirts of Dong Lin,
so they continued to travel for a couple of days. When they arrived at capital of Dong Lin, Moen, they
forced the girls off the carriage, have them cleaned at an inn and gave them fresh clothes to wear.
Despite the war, trades of women from the other countries weren't unusual. There seemed to be a section for
human traffickers in almost every major citys trading markets. Each of them was pushed on to a stage, one
by one, and auctioned.
Pingting was the most unpopular and was placed towards the end of the line. The silk clothes she had
originally been wearing had been given to Qing, who was labelled for a high price.
Beauties from Gui Le! Hey, beautiful women from Gui Le!
Pingting thought of how she was the most important maid at Gui Les Jing-An Ducal Residence and how
she was being sold like a complete nobody now. She shook her head and laughed bitterly.
No wonder people always say that life changes so quickly.

She stood on stage and studied her fellow girls, most of them now sold. The one who bought Qing was a
painter and he looked very kind, very rich. Qing was quite noisy, yelling Sis! Sis! refusing to let go of
Pingtings hand.
But Pingting knew that Qing, who came from a poor family, was actually very lucky to be sold into a nice
family. Even her, if she hadnt been saved by her Master back then, she wouldve died of hunger long ago
on the streets.
Go, dont be scared. Pingting patted her hand, eyes following her as she left.
She was the last one to be sold.
Being ugly really put her at a disadvantage this time. The human traffickers tried to persuade the audience
and finally sold her off to a housekeeper looking for an under servant, for forty cents.
If her Master knew that shed been sold for forty cents, he would have died laughing.
She was then brought over to the well-decorated front door of a huge residence. This is the main entrance,
got that? You under servants should be using the side door though. The housekeeper pointed at a sign
overhead.
Pingting looked up and read the big characters on the sign, Hua Residence.
Luckily it wasn't the Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence, or she would've tried to run.
The Duke of Zhen-Bei, Chu Beijie, was the famous younger brother of Dong Lin's king. He was the best
military commander of Dong Lin and one of the people whod retreated in the last battle.
Yeah, not bad, at least you can read. The Missus Hua nodded while taking Pingting to the so-called side
door. From now on, this is your new home. Master and his daughter are both very kind so if you do your
work properly, youll be treated very well.
Just like that, Hua Residence gained another normal maid.
Pingting's main role was laundry work. It was shocking to her that thered be a day where she needed to
wash so many clothes.
Back in Jing-An Ducal Residence, although her rank was a maid, she was like her Master's younger sister.
She never did anything more than bringing tea or accompanying her Master while painting or play the qin.
As for her own clothes, she had always given them to her maids to wash.
Finally done. She took the painfully cleaned clothes and hung them up in the patio to dry. Pingting
muttered, Geez Pingting, dont you know that you shouldnt slack off with your daily duties? Now do you
know what being a maid really means, right? This isnt the first time youve slacked off. She smiled,
showing two dimples.
Her black eyes shone, revealing a hidden radiance that overwhelmed her surroundings. Although her looks

were fairly plain, her expression had a sort of graceful youth about it.
If Fu Erge had seen Pingting just then, hed totally regret selling her off for only forty cents.
The people of Hua Residence were kind to their workers. Mrs Hua noticed that Pingting coughed a lot and
even bought her some medicine. Though it didn't exactly work, she did feel a little better after drinking
some.
Pingting secretly waited for her recovery, but one small incident, ruined all her plans to escape.

Chapter 02
The weather was relatively good, the sun was hidden behind the clouds and it wasnt as hot as the last two
days.
Pingting had already finished washing the assigned clothes and was wiping the sweat from her face when
Mother Chen approached her.
Hong, are you busy?
Ive just finished washing. What do you need, Mother Chen? Ive done yesterdays washing too, except I
still need to fold them
Dont worry about that. Mother Chen followed Pingting to the washing line and chuckled, You can put
that down for now, I need to talk to you.
Pingting put down the bucket of washing, Yes?
You fixed the two holes in my clothes, didnt you?
I saw them so I did do the mending. Is it no good?
Mother Chen gave another chuckle, Its not no good. I could hardly tell that there was a hole there! I
never guessed you had such nimble fingers! She grabbed Pingtings hand, studied it and asked, Why
didnt you tell us about your skill? Ill tell you this, My Ladys wedding is coming up and were in a rush to
prepare the clothes. Only three girls in our entire Residence are proficient with needlework, so Im worried
we wont finish in time. From today on, you dont need to do manual work anymore, come and help sew!
She was Lady Huas nurse, so she was extremely excited when it came to her wedding.
This is These days, her health had greatly improved and she was planning to escape soon. It wouldve
been a lot easier to escape if she was still a laundry maid.
This is what? Do you still want to do manual labour? Mother Chen patted Pingtings hand, Its a great
opportunity. Ill tell the housekeeper about this. Inside you go and dont worry about anything else for now.
She bounced away happily, before Pingting could answer.
Pingting had no choice but to pack her things up and go inside.

The Hua family was one of the most famous commercial families of Dong Lin. The head of the family had
one daughter and so her wedding was extremely important. Her clothes required at least four seamstresses
and now they had a new addition.
As a seamstress, Pingtings food and clothing had greatly improved from the time when she was still a
manual labourer. However, Pingting had been spoiled for a long time in the Jing-An Ducal Residence, so
she took no notice in the changes. Though her lifestyle had very much downgraded, she was flexible and
therefore she didnt complain.
For unknown reasons, the seamstresses had been scheduled near Lady Huas building.
What beautiful fabric, I wish I could wear something like this when I marry. I cant imagine how beautiful
Ill be! The seamstresses sat inside, in their own corner. Their heads were bent over while their needles
weaved across the fabric.
Dont be stupid, how lucky can you get?
Ruo'er, the girl who spoke first, had been promoted to a seamstress at the same time as Pingting. Seeing how
Zihua was mocking her, she retorted, How can you be so sure about that?
Okay, okay, hurry up and get back to work. Mother Chen was in the room too and seeing how Pingting
was so absorbed in her work, she couldnt resist tip-toeing over to see what she was doing. Wow! Thats
amazing needlework!
Pingting jumped back in surprise, momentarily losing control of her needle, pricking herself.
Hong, your hands really are amazing. Mother Hong took Pingtings sewing and studied the lively, realistic
phoenix. She had worked in the Hua Residence for many years yet this was the first time something had
sparked her interest. Suddenly, she had a thought. This techniqueI doubt you could find two with the
same capabilities in Dong Lin. Yeah, I think your phoenixs wings is not typically like Dong Lins
traditions, I think its more like
Pingtings heart thumped and she laughed nervously while taking back her stitching. I dont exactly
understand, but it just has to look good right?
Her sewing in Gui Le was considered spectacular as well. Although the Jing-An Ducal Residence didnt
particularly announce it, there had been some private requests for her needlework.
Pingting was also a lazy person, so she refused to sew any more except for a few objects for her Master.
This meant that there werent many traces of her sewing in the Jing-An Ducal Residence left around.
While Mother Chen wasnt looking, she unpicked the wings of her phoenix. She was just about to rest her
eyes when a beautiful girl entered the room. Her body was slender, she had huge pondering eyes and her
nose was a perfect bridge. She wore an embroidered light purple dress and a necklace of pearls glittered
around her neck.
Mother Chen hurried stood up and asked, Why are you here, My Lady?

So she was Lady Hua. Pingting had been outside doing manual labour, so this was the first time she had
actually seen the Lady. All of the maids stood up.
Oh Nurse, youre here too?
Of course, these are My Ladys wedding clothes after all, shouldnt I be seeing everything thoroughly?
Look at this sequin, I took a long time picking it out from
Lady Hua seemed to have lost interest in Mother Chens word. She glanced at the red fabric and annoyance
crossed her eyes. She turned towards the maids and eyed them, as if searching for someone.
She carefully measured everyone with her eyes, finally letting her eyes rest on Pingting.
You, come with me. Lady Hua pointed at Pingting and walked away, not waiting for an answer.
Me? Pingting pointed to herself in surprise and looked at Mother Chen.
My Lady told you to go, so what are you standing there for? Go. Mother Chen lightly pushed her
shoulder.
What does Lady Hua need me for? Dont tell meshe knows my real identity?
Pingting followed her into the main room of the Ladys building and a nice fragrance in the air made her
relax. Pingting took a deep breath, thinking, Sir Hua is really nice to his daughter. This sort of iced
fragrance is a luxury that only royalty can afford.
Lady Hua gestured to Pingting to come into the room, Come here.
Pingting followed and Lady Hua threw her some clothes, commanding, Put these on.
The clothes were very fine, a display of exquisite workmanship. It was obvious that these were the Ladys
very own clothes.
She saw the confusion on Pingtings face, clicked her tongue and smiled. You see, your figure resembled
mine most. Geez, I wasnt planning to look for a replacement but Donger just had to get sick.
Perfect! Lady helped Pingting into the clothes and made her turn around. She looked really happy when
she said, your body shape is exactly the same as mine. Youll be thought of as a beauty, so long no one sees
your face. Lady was naively romantic in a way that she actually believed her words held no ill intentions.
Pingting giggled nervously, not knowing what to do.
Whats your name?
Hong.
Hong, I need a favour. Lady Hua took a deep breath and whispered, If you successfully pretend to be me,
Ill greatly award you. If you mess uplets just say Ill punish you like hell. Also, dont you dare tell

anyone about this! If anyone else learns of it, Ill get Mrs Hua to whip you! Her words were threatening but
there was no force in her tone.
Pingting didnt know whether to laugh or not. My Lady, I promise not to tell anyone. Ill do what My Lady
asks.
Hmm, thats good. Dont be scared, Im not a violent person actually. Lady Hua paused before saying, I
need you to go with me outside the city and we will be going to a shrine on a hill. When we get there, I need
you to put on my clothes and play the qin, without a fuss. Oh yeah, I forgot, can you play qin? She had only
just remembered such an important detail.
Pingting saw Lady Hua look at her anxiously and couldnt help nodding, A little
Thats fine. Lady Hua repeated the task again, finally adding, Dont worry. If anything goes wrong,
theres still me. She patted her chest and fluttered her eyelashes. She looked really cute.
Pingting knew immediately that she was going to see her lover. She felt sorry for her fianc, who was going
to marry such a bold and reckless girl.
The carriage had been prepared by afternoon. The housekeeper was already waiting outside. Though her
father loved her dearly, she was still the Lady of a big family, so she didnt get many chances to leave the
Residence. This meant the times she could see her lover were limited, and therefore she was very excited
and nervous right now.
Hong will accompany me on the carriage, Lady declared when they came out. Lady Hua led Pingting
inside the carriage. Lady Huas requests were usually unusual due to her spoiled nature so her bringing in a
seamstress did not surprise the other people at all.
Pingting was wearing her usual clothes and the clothes she was going to change into were placed in a bag.
This outing reminded her of the ones she went with her Master. Seeing how Lady Hua was so cute and
naive, her energy came back and she was eager to help wholeheartedly.
Luckily the carriage was quite big, so the two girls had plenty of room.
Ive never seen you before.
Pingting touched her hair, I used to be outside washing clothes. How was Lady supposed to see me?
Washing clothes? Thats tiring. Lady Hua wriggled in her spot. She put a piece of Osmanthus cake in her
mouth and held up another piece. Want some?
Pingting liked sweets too. Her master always commanded to save some for Pingting, whenever they had nice
sweets. Even today, she couldnt help nodding at the sight of Osmanthus cake, Yes, please.
Lady Hua laughed and placed some in Pingtings mouth.
The moment the cake entered her mouth, the faint fragrance of Osmanthus played at the tip of her tongue.
Pingting had been treated as a normal maid for exactly two months and her face was absolutely delighted

when she ate this delicacy. Its really good.

As the two people talked, they gradually began to warm up to each other.
Soon, the carriage had left the city gates.
The carriage was put down and Mrs Hua respectfully beckoned, My Lady, weve arrived.
Lady Hua answered back and led Pingting outside. A monk, whod been waiting, welcomed Lady Hua
inside. It looked like the Hua family were regular visitors.
The housekeeper and the footmen were not allowed to go inside only Pingting and Lady Hua were allowed
to do so. They locked the door behind them.
Mrs Hua occasionally looks through the window, so put on my clothes, sit there and play the qin.The
Lady glowered, Remember, dont pause for too long. If they cant hear the qin, the monks and Mrs Hua
might get suspicious and come in to check on you.
She said this while hurriedly putting on her pre-prepared scholar clothes. She wiped the makeup off her face,
instantly transforming into a handsome man. She gave her original clothes to Pingting and winked. She was
very fast so she mustve done the same thing before.
Im going. Ill be back when the times right. She went to a corner and somehow opened a secret passage,
adding smugly, Only him and I know about this door, no one else.
Pingting had also seen secret passageways in Jing-An Ducal Residence. It seemed that every big house
would have some so she couldnt help smiling and shaking her head, while Lady Huas eager figure
disappeared.
She sat where she was asked to, hands lightly touching the qin.
The strings beneath Pingtings five fingers had a welcoming touch.
She loved to play the qin. The faster the notes were, the more it resembles top-quality wine; which possesses
the ability to intoxicate the drinker fully.
In Jing-An Ducal Residence, she was a legendary girl. Not many had personally seen her before, but
everyone knew of her battle tactics, needlework and her spectacular qin skills
Even the King knew that there was an all-rounded maid working for the Duke of Jing-An.
Zeng
Pingting lightly plucked a single string, leaving the bass note hanging in the air like a bewitching appetiser
before a grand feast.
Deep, not blunt. Light, yet highly melodic.

After the deep notes came a happy high pitched melody. It was like a graceful egrets flapping their mighty
wings, soaring over a lush green forest at daybreak.
The corners of Pingtings mouth twitched into a smile, as her fingers danced across the strings. The music
continued to soar, leaving its listeners to sigh in pleasure.
She was already tired after a piece. Pingting reached for her handkerchief and wiped the sweat away from
her face. She remembered what Lady Hua had told her and gave a bitter smile. She said that you must keep
playing the qin, even until your hand breaks from the tiredness. That just shows how little she knows about
qin.
Suddenly she heard a mans voice outside the door.
I have never heard such heavenly music in my entire life. May I see the divine face of the Lady who is able
to play such music? His voice sounded well-educated and made one feel relaxed.
This person must have been standing outside for a long time, waiting for me to finish this piece. He must be
someone who knows a lot about music.
Pingting immediately felt slightly flustered because she had temporarily forgotten her orders. Geez
Pingting, just what are you doing in the enemys country? At the moment, the Lady is seeing her lover, so if
this person comes in, our covers will be blown.
She used her thumb to gently pluck a string. However, before she could refuse, that person suddenly cut in,
My Ladys qin sound is full of regret. As it seems that you do not wish to see me again, then I can only
wait for a destined day.
Such a polite gentleman.
Pingting waited for a moment, carefully listened, and she slowly began to smile. Silence. She tiptoed to the
window and peered out. No one was there.
Has he already left? A look of penitence flashed in her eyes as her pulse began to calm down.
While Pingting looked out the window, she saw that Mrs Hua was looking her way and hurriedly lowered
her head.
By evening, Lady Hua had come back through the secret passage. Her face was flushed and she looked as if
she had a really happy day. Lady Hua and Pingting swapped clothes and informed Mrs Hua that they could
go back to the Residence.
In the carriage, Lady Hua chattered to Pingting about her lover in a lively manner. When she got to the
happiest moments, she couldnt help covering her mouth and laughing merrily.
Pingting saw how happy she was and felt really happy for her.
Sigh, the day passed too quickly. Then Lady Hua sighed again and said, Wouldnt it be nice if I didnt
have to marry?

Pingting thought about how strange that was. Sir really cares about My Lady, so why did he engage you to
the Chen family without consulting your feelings first?
Lady Huas face darkened at the mention of marriage. Daddy may love me, but this business is in
competition with the Xu family. Theres no way hed let me marry the son of the person he hates the most.
Dont tell this to Daddy or hell make me marry even earlier.
My Lady, your wedding is rapidly approaching. You wont be able to hide it much longer.
Yeah I know Lady Hua sighed and looked at Pingting. Suddenly she had another thought and grabbed
Pingtings hand, pleading, If you dont finish my wedding clothes, doesnt that mean I dont have to marry?
Its a good idea, just make a small hole in my wedding clothes every day and make Mother Chen and them
work more, please? She fluttered her eyelashes, clearly pleased with herself.
Pingting laughed and rolled her eyes at this childish idea. She was about to tell Lady Hua that that wouldnt
work when the carriage stopped.
A crowd of unknown men circled them and slowly closed in. There was about ten of them, and they were all
on horses.
These men were wearing peasant clothes but their expression was far too educated, while their actions were
too collected.
The sun was starting to set and the Hua carriage was still outside the city. There were no other travellers on
the road. The footmen knew that if they were attacked by bandits, there was no way to defend themselves.
The housekeeper finally plucked the courage, barely managing to stay at front of the carriage, her chubby
face twitching as a young man, who seemed to be the boss, got off his horse. Mister, my Lady is in this
carriage. We were just returning from the shrine so we have donated most of our money. Theres not much
left
The young man was carrying an air of importance and he saw how the housekeeper had stammered so badly.
He laughed, Missus, you have misunderstood me. I am here on behalf of my Master. Turning to the
carriage, he spoke again, Please excuse my rudeness, My Lady, and accept this.
Lady Hua wasnt sure what exactly was going on but she was very much amused, What are you going to
give me?
My Ladys qin technique was spectacular. Master has asked me to give this guqin to My Lady.
Pingting made a small sound of recognition and suddenly remembered the man who had wanted to see her.
She leaned forward to whisper in Ladys ear.
Who is your Master? asked Lady Hua.
The man politely answered, Please forgive me, My Lady. Master wishes to keep his name a secret for now.
But Master did say that when the time is right, he will come to see you again. After saying this, he bowed
again and carefully gave the guqin to the housekeeper. Then he got back on the horse and left.

The others saw him leave, and gradually followed suit.

The housekeeper saw that they had all left and immediately relaxed. She passed the guqin inside and
chuckled, That was surprising, hehe, My Lady must have been playing really well today to have attracted
such a rich man. I thought Lady was playing well today too. It was mystifying!
The Lady blinked at Pingting and whispered, So youre good at the qin huh? I couldnt tell.
Pingting bent over and studied the guqin. The qins body was made of old Paulownia wood and just by
tapping it with mere finger left a sonorous sound.
Pingting suddenly paled. Phoenix Paulownia-Guqin?
Phoenix Paulownia-Guqin was extremely rare.It was something that even her Masters money couldnt buy.
The previous owner of this item must be someone special, to give away such a precious item as a gift.
A good qin for a beauty huh. I unwittingly picked up a talented girl. Interesting, very interesting. Lady
Hua declared, looking really happy and she nudged Pingting, That person said that he will come to see you,
Im sure hes interested in you. Gui Le and Dong Lin were rich cities and women had no difficulty in
talking about love.
Interested in me? Pingting fingered the qin.
Her heart thumped and she wasnt sure what to do.
That person was indeed very sly, his actions were not too fast and not too slow. First quietly listening to the
qin, then asking to meet, yet leaving without saying a word and then giving her an expensive qin. Everything
was clearly calculated with different motives, just like the art of war.
Although they hadnt met yet, it was enough to spark Pingtings curiosity.
Hong, the Lady nudged her and giggled, look at you and your dazed look.
Pingting laughed sheepishly in response, but her eyes never leaving the guqin.
Dong Lin isnt a playground, I have to stay alert.

Chapter 03
Ever since the visit to the shrine with Pingting, Lady Hua became very attached to Pingting and had an
everlasting supply of subjects to talk about with her. She was closer to Pingting even more than the other
girls who had been with her for the last few years. Coincidentally, Lady Huas maid, Miss Donger was very
sick and had to go back home so her parents could look after her. Lady Hua then requested Pingting to
become her personal attendant.
Just like that, Pingting rose from a manual-work maid to a wedding seamstress to the Ladys Maid. She had
skipped several stages, which surprised everyone.

September was just out of summer, but the autumn tiger was quite fierce.
The laughter of two girls was often heard behind the trees of the Ladys main room.
Like this?
Nope.
Then is it like this?
Nope.
Lady Hua had tried to sew for the whole day, but she still didnt get it. She threw away her sewing and
sighed dramatically. I refuse to learn, its no fun and my fingers are full of wounds.
Pingting laughed, I already warned My Lady that sewing wasnt fun. When I first learned it, all ten of my
fingers were swollen. My Ladys wounds are very small anyway. Pintings plan dictated that she was
supposed to escape earlier, but since she hadnt had any news of her Master, she decided to extend her stay.
That guqin was really good. Though Pingting liked it, shed have to ask to use it, as it was displayed in Lady
Huas room. After all, that qin was namely given to the Lady of Hua Residence.
I wanted to sew something myself for him Lady Hua meant her secret lover.
My Lady,Mrs Hua seemed to be looking for her. Her face broke into a smile when she saw them and
hurriedly smiled, Oh, so My Lady was here, I had a difficult time finding you. Someone wants to see you.
Who wants to see me?
A handsome young man and the person who delivered you the qin is also there. He claims his name is
Dong Dingnan.
Pingtings expression darkened. He really came.
Bring him inside, Lady Hua told the housekeeper before turning around and grabbed Pingtings hands.
Her eyes were bright when she said, See? I guessed right, didnt I? He really did want to see you.
Pingting laughed, Hes looking for My Lady, not me.
Lady Hua answered back, Geez, why are we still idling around? Come with me.
She pulled Pingting into a guest house and sat down behind a blind. Soon the housekeeper led the guests
inside
My Lady, Mr Dong is here.
Okay. Mrs Hua, you may leave.

Lady Hua and Pingting peeped at the man.

The housekeeper had left. There was only a young man left in the room. His clothes were expensive yet not
flashy, the fabric being silk. His eyebrows were black and a graceful royal air surrounded him thus making
him an extremely handsome young man.
Lady Hua stared and then whispered into Pingtings ear. Your qin skills must be really good, to have
attracted such a good looking guy.
Pingting was just as shocked as Lady Hua, though her thoughts were different.
She had been in Jing-An Ducal Residence for many years so she knew immediately that he was not just an
average rich man.
Could he be an official of Dong Lin?
No, could he even be a member of the royal family?
It wasnt entirely impossible to meet them, as this was Dong Lins capital. His manners and the formal way
he gave the qin was even more suspicious.
I, Dong Dingnan, have selfishly come to see you, Lady. Dong Dingnan entered the room. When he saw
the blinds, he knew immediately that she was quietly observing. He was extremely confident and laughed a
little.
His family name wasnt actually Dong and his name certainly wasnt Dingnan. He was the current ruler
of Dong Lins very own brother, the Duke of Zhen-Bei, Chu Beijie. He was often out on the battlefield and
used to figuring out enemy plans. He had just been strolling around an outside of a shrine, feeling very bored
when he heard a mystical qin music that soothed his heart.
Who would miss the opportunity to meet a beauty?
As the brother of the King of Dong Lin and as the most important duke, Duke of Zhen-Bei, he had planned
everything meticulously. First wait and listen, ask to see at a later time, give a qin and research the Hua
family before going to their Residence.
Lady Hua saw how Pingting stared at the man without a word and assumed that she is fond of the good
looking gentleman behind the blinds separating them. Not quite knowing what to say, she rolled her eyes,
Since you already know how inconvenient this is, why you still came to see My Lady? My Lady doesnt
usually see outsiders.
Pingting raised an eyebrow, but Lady Hua was clearly pleased with herself.
The sound of qin was memorable and I have come here to ask for another piece, Chu Beijie replied
breezily, giving a radiant smile.
Pingting began to analyse Dong Dingnan, but she could not recall a Dong family in Dong Lin. This man is

using a fake name, which is extremely suspicious. If he finds out who I am, I might get into a lot of
trouble. Seeing that Lady Hua was about to speak, she cut in, Are you really here for a piece?
Yes.
So you gave me the expensive Phoenix Paulownia-Guqin just to hear me play it?
Thats right.
Pingting put the qin in front of her and plucked a string.
A soft qin melody drifted from within the blinds; it was like a small stream running through a mountain of
fresh spring grass. Spellbinding.
Even people outside were listening, breathing in perfect unison.
The melody started strong and powerful, gradually fading to a slow, gentle and sweet section, finally
finishing with a high-pitched trill.
After playing one piece, Pingting said, This qins sound indeed seems to fly in the wind, disappearing yet
ever present. Im guessing that Mister would like another piece?
The so called Dong Dingnan smiled, My Lady is very understanding, yes, I would like to hear another
piece.
I have already returned your favour with the piece I just played. Pingtings voice was suddenly cold,
Playing the qin is fine with me but playing for someone who is using a fake name does not make me feel
comfortable.
Chu Beijie seemed to be a little stunned. When did My Lady realise I was using a fake name?
Mister does not need to know when. Pingting knew that her suspicions were right and a sly smile crossed
her face. Mister only needs to tell me whether I guessed right or not.
Chu Beijies eyes brightened and stared intently into the blinds. He had heard that the Lady of Hua
Residence was a beauty with one-of-a-kind qin skills. It seemed that her skills lived up to her name, and it
would be universally hard to find someone with similar skills. My Lady is right. Dong Dingnan is one of
my pseudonyms, though I didnt imagine My Lady to see through that.
Why does Mister use a fake name?
Chu Beijie thought that the girl in the blinds was very clever. Their conversation resembled the excitement
of overthrowing an enemy, yet it was all hidden. Instead, he laughed and asked back, Then why is Lady
hiding behind the blinds?
Is my face that important?
Then are names that important?

How can Mister compare those two? You wanted a piece from me so I did you a favour. Of course you
should use your real name.
Chu Beijie sat by the table, sipping his cool tea, Does My Lady not want anything?
Eh? Pingting raised an eyebrow, What do I want?
What My Lady wants is naturally music critic. He simply laughed, his voice deep.
Pingting briefly thought that he was very difficult to guess, but had to admit that had a confident charm,
which was enough to justify his arrogance.
Heart thumping loudly, she couldnt help walking towards the curtain and secretly look closer.
Chu Beijie sat there proudly with a smug face that said I know youre secretly looking at me. Pingting
noticed the decorative stitches of his clothes, finally letting her eyes fall on his jade pendant that hung from
his waist.
Her slim figure was startled and she stiffened.
The jade pendant was shiny and smooth, obviously a top-quality product. What surprised her though was the
Dong Lin royal family emblem.
He was someone of the Dong Lin royal family.
Pingtings eyes suddenly lit up. She had not heard any news about the Duke of Jing-An ever since coming to
Dong Lin for several months. She believed that this was a good opportunity. Why not ask this Dong
Dingnan?
With that thought in mind, Pingtings dark black eyes were now full of cunningness.
I see that Mister is a music critic, do you have an opinion after one piece?
My opinion? Chu Beijie stared into the blinds, the corners of his mouth suddenly lifting into a smile.
Bemused, he replied. The piece was like a mystical swan flying through the clouds and like a strong eagle
conquering the fields. This shows that My Lady is curious towards all aspects of life and does not care for
riches. My Lady is like a man in more ways than one.
Pingting fell silent.
Chu Beijie was cleverer than she thought. He was able to tell her personality from one piece. Although she
was fully aware of the potential danger he posed, she couldnt help but give him a look of admiration.
Pingting replied, Mister is indeed right, but unlike a man I cannot do anything. For example, the world
outside must be big and beautiful but I have not seen this myself.
This was on behalf of all women in the world, who were bound to their families and status. Even Lady Hua,

who was still listening to their conversation, was nodding her head.
Pingting took a deep breath, I heard that apart from Dong Lin, there is a beautiful country called Gui Le.
Dont they all love to sing?
Thats right. Gui Le has many mountainous scenery, the people there like to dance and sing, but the most
valuable thing in Gui Le is their copper. Gui Le makes more copper in one year than Dong Lin in three
years. Chu Beijie brightened at the mention of Gui Le because that was one of his few interests. He had
spent almost every day pondering over the map of Gui Le and without thinking, he had chattered away about
it.
No wonder they say that Gui Le is rich. Must be their bronze.
Indeed, they are quite a rich country, but this has made them too relaxed. They are a weak country at the
moment because the King and the nobility are always fighting internally.
Chu Beijie summed up Gui Les problem in a couple of sentences.
Pingting sighed.
The House of Jing-An was at the core of Gui Le and since Pingting had grown up in their Residence, she
knew more details about the court than the average peasant.
If the King hadnt been jealous of the centuries-old House of Jing-An, then the Residence wouldve never
been burnt overnight, right?
When Pingting heard Gui Les biggest problem from the enemy in such a nonchalant tone, she couldnt
help asking, So does Gui Le not have any form of monarchy or governors?
Well yes, Gui Le does have a duke, Duke of Jing-An. He has looked after the armies and governed the
country for many years. His smiled gently, revealing pleasure, But because the House of Jing-Ans army
was too big and successful, the new King decided to wipe it out.
What! A rustling sound was heard from behind the blinds, Didnt you say the people of House of JingAn were good? Then Gui Les King must be really weird.
Chu Beijie sat up straighter, his expression much more determined. He laughed, The House of Jing-An may
be loyal to Gui Le, but he hates my Dong Lin. Now that theyre gone and Gui Le is without a strong leader,
Dong Lin can easily conquer Gui Le.
Pingting painfully registered the news, but feigned happiness, I see, then our Dong Lin is even stronger.
So did no one from the Jing-An Ducal Residence survived?
There are some very cunning people in the Jing-An Ducal Residence, especially the young master, He Xia.
I heard they werent there at the time of the fire. It is believed that they have escaped Gui Le. He Su is still
trying to capture them, despite being on the same side. A real pity. What he really meant by the last two
sentences was it was a real pity that He Su didnt finish off the House of Jing-An.

She had finally learned that her Master had not been captured yet and she felt slightly relieved at this.
Her Master and the others were probably safe, right? Even if she tried, she didnt know where to begin
looking for them. Why not stay here for a little longer, accompanying Lady Hua, and use him to find out the
latest news?
Thinking that much, she plucked another string.
On the other side, Chu Beijie heard that note and the melody that followed. It was harmoniously broad, yet
as smooth as trickling water. It was very much inspiring like the first except it was slightly more feminine.
Before one could sigh in pleasure, a somewhat deep voice began to accompany the qin sound.
When there is trouble, there are heroesWhen there are heroes, there are beautiful womensurviving the
turmoil, surviving the turmoil
The mellow voice resonated, like an angel.
Chu Beijie was temporarily caught off guard by her voice and the theme of this song. His heart lifted at the
sound of her music. Although he was only twenty years old, he had learned the art of war since he was little
and excelled in all his studies. He grew up in the royal Residence, meaning that hed seen many beautiful
women in his lifetime and over time, admiration became disgust and contempt for them.
He vowed to find a real, real beauty.
The person behind the blinds, he knew, was definitely the best qin player he had ever heard. It was
impossible to criticise. Though he had not seen her personally, he knew that she was beautiful from a
portrait he had asked for during his initial investigation.
Looking at the figures shape inside the blinds, he knew that it had to be her.
Each word filled the audiences heart and mind like jade beads clattering on a plate, while sometimes as
quiet as a cup soundlessly being placed onto the table.
Pingting ended the piece by singing surviving the turmoil several times and held the note there, letting it
slowly die away.
Chu Beijie had closed his eyes to appreciate the music and he took a while to come back to his senses. This
Surviving the Turmoil song is inspired by the pain and suffering of the beauty. However, for you, theres
a completely different feeling. Its more victorious, less suffering and pain.
Thank you Mister. Pingting replied in a slightly deep voice and her face was flushed. Playing qin and
singing was tiring work for her, but she still wanted to know more and had to keep his interest by appeasing
his ear, Ive heard of He Xia from the House of Jing-An too. Dont they all say hes the best commander in
Gui Le?
That is correct.

Thenis our Duke of Dong Lin stronger than him?

Chu Beijie smiled at the mention of himself, What does My Lady think?
Ive been inside for too long, how should I know? I have heard, from the newest servants, that He Xia
fought Chu Beijie a while ago, at the borders of Gui Le.
Yeah.
Who won the battle? Pingting knew that the victor had to be her Master, but she thought the victory had
been too easy. Sure, she did lead them into a trap, but the troops of the Duke of Zhen-Bei were large enough
to put up a good fight. However, they admitted defeat and retreated a bit too quickly.
When the Duke of Zhen-Bei returned to Dong Lin, was he punished for his defeat? If the King of Dong Lin
ripped Chu Beijie of his authority, then he wouldve helped Gui Le immensely.
He Xia won. Chu Beijie replied without any emotion.
In other words, the Duke of Zhen-Bei lost?
No, the Duke of Zhen-Bei won too.
Oh?
Chu Beijie gave a dark, ambiguous smile, He Xia small victory, Chu Beijie big victory.
Most people wouldnt understand, but this shocked Pingting deeply.
She knew this battle too well, Dong Lin had been invading the border for the last two years. At first, the
King persisted in refusing to dispatch her Master there. It was only until the army there was about to admit
defeat, when hed hurriedly issued the transfer order, announcing that her Master must protect the border
town at all costs.
The lack of medical supplies and food storage, in addition to the vigorous size of enemy army, had strongly
threatened the military of her country.
But why did we win? She had thought of many scenarios to answer this question several times before, but
Dong Dingnan had just confirmed her biggest fear.
Why is My Lady so quiet? His voice was deep.
Pingting pondered for a little longer, then sighed, Humans cant stop fighting, how annoying.
Chu Beijie heard the annoyance in her voice, not quite understanding it, My Lady, why bother with
political affairs? Lets talk about something more light-hearted.
True. Talking about nature would be a nicer topic.

Pingting didnt want to arouse his suspicions so she changed to literature and art. She was still worried that
she might have accidentally given away her identity. She kept her answers short and always spoke curiously.
This was a good chance for Chu Beijie to show off, though he did try to keep a low profile, as he had
travelled immensely in number before. But royal blood still ran his veins, so he veered off course. He began
to talk about the shape of the place, then how to counterattack when attacked. He then explained when to
openly attack, and when to plan assassinations. Even his comments about systems of government were well
explained.
Hearing the silence inside the blinds, he tried to smile. My discussions arent interesting enough. I swapped
back to war again.
Pingting, inside the blinds, was thinking that this man had to be at least a warrior of the Dong Lin army.
Suddenly, she had another thought, could this guy be the Duke of Zhen-Bei himself?
No wayhow can there be such a coincidence? She shook her head several times to forget the thought. She
whispered, Thank you Mister. As you know, I am female, so I do not understand these things.
The two people unwittingly talked the whole afternoon away.
Just before sunset, two knocks were heard outside the door, and the young man who had passed on the qin
came in and whispered in Chu Beijies ear.
Pingting saw this and felt that they were talking about the war, possibly even about her Master himself. She
tried to hear what they were saying, but she was too far away.
Chu Beijie sat up straighter, Talking with My Lady and hearing My Lady play the qin was very pleasant. I
wont bother My Lady anymore, Dingnan gives you his thanks. Dingnan will come again in two days.
He got up too fast, too sudden. Pingting was even more suspicious that it was something to do with her
master. She turned hostile, Perhaps another girl has arrived outside your home.
Dong Dingnan couldnt help thinking that she was suddenly very rude and was about to retort back when
Pingting suddenly laughed. I know, I know. Women dont interest Mr Dong; war is what Mister likes. Of
course I shouldnt hold Mister back.
Her warm laughter rippled out and his fingers twitched. Humour flashed in his eyes. The Marquess of JingAn, Gui Le, whom My Lady had mentioned today; maybe My Lady will see him in a couple of days.
This struck her like lightning. Pingting almost dropped her tea cup. Could it be that her Master had been
found, captured and held in the Dong Lin capital?
She was about to ask again, but Chu Beijie had already stood up. My apologies, but I must leave
immediately, goodbye.
Pingting made a strangled sound, Please Mister, dont leave yet.
Chu Beijie really seemed to be in a rush. He simply waved before rapidly walking away into the night.

Chapter 04
Ah, the shows finished After Chu Beijie left, Lady Hua finally sneezed, jumped up and removed the
blinds with a face of utter boredom. He is such a battle freak. Only his appearance looks good. He didnt
even say anything fun. I wonder how you could even talk with him for such a long time. Hey Hong, why are
you silent?
Pingting was still feeling anxious and deeply thinking about what the leaving Chu Beijie had said.
Is there any news about Master?
Are all the people of the Jing-An Ducal Residence safe?
What is Dong Dingnan doing right now?
He had a lasting impression and a smile as he discussed politics. He knew all the details about the war, just
as well as Pingting, meant that he must be an important military commander.
Military commander? She began thinking through all of the important commanders of Dong Lin. The Duke
of Zhen-Bei was the first name to come to her mind. She blinked, regretting she had not asked for a portrait
of Chu Beijie earlier.
But wasnt it be far too complex a coincidence for the Duke of Zhen-Bei to give her a maid serving the
House of Jing-An a qin and requesting to see her?
Lady Hua saw that she was in a daze and laughed hard, Hes already gone and look at your dazed
expression. Already missing him? She playfully waved her hand in front of Pingtings face.
Feeling her touch, Pingting returned to her senses and told Lady Hua, Sorry, Im really tired. I want to
retire to my room.
You havent eaten dinner yet.
Ill eat more, tomorrow morning.
When Pingting returned to her room, she laid on the hard but clean bed and began to think again.
Master She gritted her teeth. Her heart felt like a fire blazing gently in her chest. She began to get
anxious. Dont be so anxious, Pingting, being anxious will ruin everything. She quietly told herself.
Slowly, her messed thoughts got pulled back into order. She calmly took two deep breaths and closed her
eyes. She pictured the Duke of Jing-Ans flag; she remembered her Master, the Jing-An Ducal Residence,
that last victory and the road home
The Marquess of Jing-An had just won a battle, the army slowly marched. The radiant Duke of Jing-Ans
flag was fluttering high in the wind.

The commander in front was riding a huge magnificent horse. He wore a purple uniform adorned with a
dragon emblem. Strips of metal gleamed on his shoulder. Gems, gold and jade hung from his waist
luxuriously. He was the legendary He Xia.
That day, although He Xia had been victorious in war, he did not smile and was frowning very deeply.
Master! A girls voice came from the crowd and the sound of hooves from behind.
Even though He Xia did not turn his head, he knew who it was. Pingting, didnt I tell you to travel by
carriage as you didnt feel very well in the last few days? Why are you riding a horse again?
Pingting caught up to He Xia, and breathlessly said, Who said I needed such care? I only coughed a few
times but that damn Dongzhuo was so scared and immediately told Master. I was afraid that Master thought
I got sick too often and wouldnt let me come next time.
Its not like youll listen to me, even if I tell you to stay home, right? Im just feeling sorry for you, a girl
whos defenceless against a sword. Even if you get sick, theres no husband to look after you.
Pingting managed a small smile and twirled her wind-swept hair. Im not pitiful. Which maid has such a
good life and is able to go with her Master to war? She laughed twice but suddenly frowned, coughing.
He Xia turned his head, Whats wrong? If you havent recovered, dont push yourself. The sun is very
strong yet you still want to come riding with me. If you dont listen, I really wont let you come alongside
the army next time.
Pingting quickly covered her mouth to hide her coughing. Glancing up, she saw that He Xias face look
concerned so she smiled gently. Dont worry Master; Im healthier than any horse. Her beady eyes studied
He Xia for a moment, before lowering them, quietly saying, Im just afraid that sigh, that when Master
feels anxious, there wont be anyone beside you to cheer you up.
She sighed deeply and He Xias heart melted. He gave a twisted smile while shaking his head, You are
such a strange maid. I cant hide anything from you. Seeing that Pingting hadnt her usual rosy cheeks, he
smiled. Come here then. Let me ride behind you on the same horse so you wont worry about it too much.
Lets share our thoughts.
Ok. Pingting nodded and slid off her horse.
He Xia reached out his hand and pulled Pingting onto his horse. He put one hand on her waist for support
and the other one on the reins. He slowly gathered his thoughts and carefully chose his words, Our
opposition was the Dong Lin army. This war with Chu Beijie has lasted two months, on the surface we won
but underneath we lost.
Pingting nodded, Master is right. Though Dong Lin may have retreated, Gui Le had huge casualties. If
Dong Lin attacked again, theres no way the Gui Le army would be able to hold up against them. If only the
King was on Masters side and didnt stubbornly refuse to let Master take charge for two whole years, then
the situation wouldntve been so bad.
Pingting, dont carelessly criticise the King. He Xia thought for a moment, Just remember that the new

King is not the Prince Su before he took the throne.

Pingting bit her lip and thought hard. After Prince Su took the throne, he had indeed changed a lot. She
swallowed her worry and tried to say comfortingly, I understand why Master feels so upset but the number
of casualties of our army is not Masters fault. It has been a difficult two years. The King finally letting
Master taking charge mustve been because he wanted to embarrass you.
Thats exactly why Im anxious. If we dont win this battle and return to the capital, a lot of people will
protest and even Father will be affected. The House of Jing-An holds far too much influence and power.
Even if I were the King, Id try to get rid of them as well.
Remembering the new kings cold behaviour after taking the throne was extremely unpleasant. The two
immediately felt a chilling sensation running down their spines.
Seeing his own little maid frowning over the royal heritage problems, He Xia smiled. He reached out and
using his thumb, gently smoothed out the wrinkles on her forehead. Stop thinking about it. Lets say some
happy things. Its thanks to you to think of the extremely clever plan of changing the course of the river to
threaten flooding enemy troops when we led them to the mountains. Chu Beijie totally lost to that and had to
retreat. Now everyone in the army knows that we have a female advisor. When we get back to the capital,
Ill make sure Father gives you a huge reward. Say, what would you like?
More rewards? The Duke has already given me enough rewards to last me more than ten lifetimes.
Pingting looked at the sky; the sun was slightly to one side, beside the high-raised Duke of Jing-Ans flag.
She carefully looked back at He Xia then turned away again. It a quiet voice she murmured, Master, theres
something I dont know whether I should say or not.
What cant you say to me?
Pingting looked uncomfortable then suddenly cracked a smile. Actually I wont say it. If I did, youd feel
annoyed again.
He Xia seemed to have guessed what Pingting had wanted to say and gave a small smile in return.
Neither of them talked and the horse just plodded.
The horses thumped against the sun-baked mud, leaving puffs of dust flying.
Pingting calmly gazed ahead, thinking deeply about something. He Xia knew that his clever little maid was
thinking deeply about something, so he let the horse slow down even more and settled comfortably in the
saddle.
After a while Pingting said, I guess Ill try and say it anyway.
Im listening. When He Xia saw that Pingting had a serious look on her face, he immediately began to
listen intently.
Master, if my predictions were right, things will get worse even more. Im not joking. Pingting turned her
head and stared at He Xia in the eyes. In a nervous voice she said, Its likely that Chu Beijie knows how

weak our army is and can no longer fight well. If he comes again within two months, Gui Les army will
definitely perish. Im sure he deliberately retreated when we were at our most vulnerable point so
thatMaster could go back to the Capital.
Youre right but why did he do that?
Pingtings energetic black pupils rolled twice, it seemed that she already had the answer but she sighed, If
Master lost the battle, the King could, hypothetically, take advantage to cut away the House of Jing-Ans
enormous military power. Say, Master, he probably wont do that after just one defeat, right?
He Xia shook his head, Of course not. The House of Jing-An has been an important part of Gui Le in the
past. If the King really decides to kill me, unnecessary blood will be shed and it will cause a riot.
Then if Master wins and goes back, will the King reward Master?
If we win, of course the King has to reward us. He Xia then put in, Though its not like I want the
rewards, but the King must reward and punish freely, to earn everyones respect.
If Master wins and returns to the Capital, the peasants will love Master even more. I believe the King will
give Master rewards but deep down, hell resent the House of Jing-An even more. The House of Jing-An
will be in danger then.
In other words, the King will feel threatened and try to get rid of the House of Jing-An. As soon as the
Duke of Jing-An falls, Gui Le will be unstable and Dong Lin will take this as an opportunity to attack. Haha,
Chu Beijie sure is crazy. What he wants isnt just a few cities, but the entire land our Gui Le occupies.
You said that right! Pingting clapped her hands, pleasure lit up in her eyes. She immediately changed from
the serious army advisor to an energetic, cute maid. On her round face, two dimples appeared. Glancing
back at He Xia, she smiled, Master is so clever. Whatever Chu Beijie is plotting, Master will find the
answer easily.
He Xia couldnt help laughing, The cleverest person I know is our army advisor, Bai. If you were a boy, I
wouldnt be the main advisor anymore would I?
Both people laughed. Though this cheerful sound did not stop, in their hearts, both of them felt uneasy.
The mud path ahead seemed very difficult to travel on.
Though their hearts were prepared, not even in their wildest dreams did they guess that in a blink of an eye,
everything would change. Forever.
After a journey of five days, they finally arrived at the capital. Gui Les King, He Su himself, came to
welcome them. The peasants of the city knew that the famous Marquess of Jing-An had won and returned.
They rushed to greet him and they scrambled behind the two lines of somewhat serious-looking soldiers.
Everyone had their necks craned forward, trying to get a better view of the stage.
Which one is the Marquess of Jing-An?

Yer stupid. Have ya never seen the Marquess of Jing-An before? Someone pointed, Thats him, the un
in front of the army. Geez, who in the capital cant recognise the Marquess of Jing-An?
Haha, this is my first time in the Capital. I came to visit my relatives. I never imagined Id be able to see
the Marquess of Jing-An with my very own eyes! When I get back home, Ill have a lot of stories to tell!
While the crowd continued to chatter, the army had already stopped at the city gates.
He Xia got off his horse. In a loud voice he shouted, Hail the King. I, He Xia, has won the battle and Dong
Lin has officially retreated.
He Su was completely covered in yellow-gold cloth. On his head he wore a headdress adorned with gems.
More gems glittered from his clothes. He smiled slightly and personally helped He Xia up. My Beloved
Official, you may get up. Thank you for solving another one of my many problems. Gui Le is very proud of
having the House of Jing-An and thanks to them we have nothing to fear about our enemies.
He picked up He Xias hand fondly and they turned around.
Look! Its him!
The Marquess of Jing-An!
A ripple of excitement from the crowd of peasants.
He Su smiled at He Xia, I cannot thank you, My Beloved Official, enough. He walked up the wellprepared stage and held up a cup of the best wine in Gui Le. He slowly announced, To all those who have
gathered here, please listen. Dong Lin has long been an enemy of Gui Le. After todays victory, we no
longer have to live in fear and I shall repay our hero who has made this so.
Everyone nodded eagerly, wondering exactly how the ruler was planning to reward He Xia.
He Xia knelt down, The victory was thanks to King, who directed everything. All He Xia, did was make
the army follow Kings plans. I do not deserve any reward.
No no, you are Gui Les best official. How could I not reward you? He Su had another thought, I will
give you three rewards. First, Ill award you a cup of the best wine in Gui Le.
Behind He Xia, someone gave him a cup of the good wine. He Xia took it and raised his head to look at the
King. He Su nodded, You may drink.
He Su made sure he had finished the cup before saying, Secondly, Ill give you a precious sword. Someone,
please bring it up.
He Xia was presented with a long red box.
He Xia started to get a headache. He was getting even less sure of He Sus real intentions. He could only
reply, Thank you, King. He pushed open this lid and his eyes widened. Ahh

An extremely precious sword laid inside the box. There was no sign of rust and the hilt was a jet black
colour. It was a long lost sword, known as the Precious Heimo Sword. It was known that the blade was
extremely destructive one small cut would leave a nasty scar for a lifetime.
He Xia had lived in wealth for all of his life and so he took no interest in jewellery and the like, but he loved
good weapons. Seeing the precious sword made him shout in surprise.
He Su laughed from the raised platform, How is it? You like it?
This sword is too precious. How could King
Thats why I have to give it to you. Everyone knows you like soldiers and weapons. Just take it.
He Xia didnt know whether to be shocked or happy. Thank you, my King. He turned back around and
received the box.
Pingting had come up from behind and took the box from her Master. She was about to leave when He Su
noticed her, My, arent you Pingting? He walked down the platform, breaking into a smile, Why are you
here with He Xia again?
Pingting bowed, I am here, my King.
No need. Back when you were still learning with He Xia, you memorised everything faster than us, and
was acknowledged as a female genius. Back then, we visited the Royal Residence a lot too, and there were
many beautiful women but not as clever as you! He Xia, youre luckier than me. He Su turned his head and
laughed, Anyway, the third is rather normal, jewellery and gold. I know you dont like those kinds of things
so Ill just get someone to send them to Jing-An Ducal Residence.
Thank you, King!
We grew up together, were like brothers, so why the politeness? He Su looked at He Xia fondly and
looked at Pingting, who was planning to leave. Pingting.
Pingting felt rather tired and she was planning to quietly go back to rest in the carriage. Unfortunately, she
heard He Su call for her and so she had to answer, How may I help you, my King?
She certainly wasnt pretty, but her voice was charming like every word was bouncing of her tongue.
He Su quietly stared at her bowed head, thoughts elsewhere.
My King?
Eh? He Su came back to his senses and he paused before saying, You may leave.
Pingting quickly left, handing the box to another person, commanding, Be careful with it, Master really
likes this heavy black thingy. Her learning ability was better than most and though she did know that this
was the Precious Heimo Sword, she disliked weapons herself. She always called He Xias darlings as
thingys.

Master had returned victorious and the King had given him many rewards. Everyone in the Residence would
eventually get their share.
The soldiers filled up exactly twelve tables and the Duke of Jing-An, He Mo, sat at the main table, grinning
as he heard the compliments from the crowd.
He Xia was drinking a lot of wine too, probably three big bottles in total. Pingting could be counted as one
of the important main people of her Residence, but she wasnt present that evening.
Her room was far away from the bustling activity, very quiet. Pingting sat inside, she had lit up a lamp,
making a dark silhouette outside.
Pingting? He Xia suddenly burst into the room.
Pingting put down her needle, raising her eyes and laughed. Why is Master here when there are still so
many guests?
To see you. He Xia took her half-finished Mandarin duck, They say that no one is perfect, but honestly, I
must disagree. You can do everything, not only are you good with song and poetry, but you can even
scheme in war. Not to mention your intricate needlework is like a work of heaven.
Pingting giggled, No one compares needlework to heaven, you know? Quit playing with words. She took
her sewing back and did a few more stitches, but suddenly sighed.
Pingting, has Father told you?
Yeah.
I only just learnt that myself, from Dongzhuo. He Xia saw Pingtings frozen smile, so he chose a chair and
carefully chose his words. Geez my father, he didnt even consult me first.
The Duke told me that even though Im not a concubine, my current status is much like one. He says that
everyone in the Residence should be calling me Madam apart from Masters future official wife, the
Marquess.
He Xia saw how Pingting was slowly opening up and his heart began to hurt. Pingting, do you want to
marry me?
Do I not suit you? Pingting whipped her head around, staring intently into He Xias eyes.
No way! He Xia shook his head, suddenly got up and began to pace around the table. I understand. For
the last few years, we studied and played together, even learned how to fight and deal with horses together,
but Im only an older brother to you and youre only a younger sister to me. If you marry me just like that,
wont you feel upset?Seeing Pingtings expressionless face, he tried again, Youre unlike most girls. You
have your own opinion. I just dont want you to be upset.
After some silence, Pingting quietly whispered, If the Duke wants me to, so what can I do? Master should

know that the Duke found Pingting on the roads and looked after her like his own daughter. Pingting is
extremely grateful to the Duke so if he wants her life, she will give it.
Back then, who said that they wanted to find the best possible husband or else they would rather never
marry and die a long death?Shes usually very clever, so why is she so sappy today? He Xia was already
annoyed with Pingtings moans and sighs and the table seemed cracked from his thumping.
The two people were still discussion when Dongzhuo ran in. Master, please go to the front courtyard. The
King has given His Order. Oh yeah and apparently Pingting has to come too.
He Xia asked, What does Pingting have to do with this Order?
Dont ask, youll know when you get there.
The three people hurried to the front courtyard.
The front courtyard was no longer bustling with activity like before. It was very late into the night, and
about seventy or eighty percent of the guests had already left. The remaining ones were extremely drunk and
some of them were even snoring, drool falling onto the table.
A man, who was wearing royal service clothes stood there. When he saw them he said, The King has given
His Order: Please may the son of the Duke of Jing-An and Pingting meet him in the Royal Residence. After
reading the order, his face broke into a smile, Please may the son of the Duke of Jing-An also bring the
Precious Heimo Sword. The King said so.
He Xia wondered aloud, Why, its so late, does King want to see us?
I guess I know. The messenger chuckled and said, The Queen was talking to the King about how noisy
the Jing-An Ducal Residence would be this evening. I dont know what exactly the Queen said, but the King
started talking about how he used to see Sir practising swordsmanship, like a lion, while he studied. Miss
Pingting, whose intelligence is so impossibly rare, would also be there, serving at one side.
Ah, the King sure likes praising us today.
Yes, yes, yes, so you see, the Kings praises, made the Queen feel curious to see Sir sword dance,
accompanied by Miss Pingtings qin. As Sir knows, the King is very devoted to the Queen, so he sent an
Order, to take you two to their Residence. The messenger added, The King also said that although its
very late, the moon is very large and round, perfect for moon gazing, which will be followed by sunrise
later.
He Xia nodded, I see. He turned back to Pingting, Since the Queen wants to hear you play qin, bring our
best qin.
Pingting went inside and not long later, she hurried back with her qin. She had also put on a chiffon cloth
over a part of her face.
He Xia took five other servants, including Pingting and Dongzhuo. No one took the carriage, they were each
on their own horse. All of the shops had long closed for the day. No lights were on, everyone was well

asleep. The only sound that night was the steady beat of hooves, thundering on the stone pavement.
Seeing the messenger and his companions leading the way slowly, not far ahead, Pingting leaned towards
her master. In a quiet voice, she whispered, Master, the King is going to make his move.
Yeah, I dont have a good feeling either. He Xia looked at the messengers back view, Except for the
messenger himself, all of his companions are top assassins.
King wants Master to bring the Precious Heimo Sword but it isnt stated clearly on the Order. He sent a
messenger insteadthis must be a trap. The horses steps were slow and hesitant, as if sensing danger.
Pingting reached out to pat the horse reassuringly, while saying, Im worried that the King plotted to make
Master bring in the Precious Heimo Sword into the Royal Residence and then create chaos, so that His
Majesty can frame Master for betrayal when royal military comes to back up.
He Xia looked around, His soldiers are standing beside the footpath as well. If we attempt to escape, theyll
definitely attack.
Dongzhuo was beside them, listening to every word. He gripped the edge of his seat, lowered his voice and
muttered, Yup, theres a murderous aura here. He had also been with He Xia for a while, so he could sense
when danger was approaching.
The other servants were alert, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.
They were still only halfway there, but they knew that if He Su really was planning to frame them, entering
the Royal Residence meant certain death.
What should we do? asked He Xia.
Pingting nodded slightly, Well, I told the Duke about my suspicions as I went to get my qin. Although there
are lots of people living in the Jing-An Ducal Residence, they should all be able to escape the capital city
under the cover of dark. As for us She opened her palm, revealing five ink-black marbles.
Whatever that meant, He Xia himself knew.
Okay! Still speaking quietly, He Xia and Pingting nodded at each other.
The Mister in front of usplease stop for a while. Pingtings high-pitched voice rang out.
The messenger and his companions turned forward and Pingting calculated the right time to time to throw
the things in her hand. Sparks of fire shot out with a boom, instantly cutting off He Xias group and the
messengers.
Clang! The Precious Heimo Sword was unsheathed.
The King wants to hurt an official! Fight our way out! Dongzhuo yelled.
As expected, more soldiers appeared on the two sides of the road.

The sky was filled with cries of battle.

KILL!
GO! DONT LET ANY OF THEM GET AWAY!
The King has given his Order: CAPTURE HE XIA AND THAT GIRL ALIVE!!
Pingting raised her head and noted that there werent many soldiers on the enemy side. She secretly sighed
in relief.
Thats how it should be. The House of Jing-An has been the managing the military for the last few decades,
so using soldiers to assassinate them wouldnt work. But isnt He Su worried that we might counterattack
and attack his Royal Residence instead?
KILL!
The men He Xia had brought were all excellent warriors whod survived hundreds of battles, except for
Pingting herself. It wasnt long before they managed to break out of the enemys encirclement.
The House of Jing-An has rebelled!
The King plotted against His Majestys loyal official! The King plotted against His Majestys loyal
official!
The House of Jing-An rebelled!
The House of Jing-An must be destroyed!
The cries of murder echoed the sky, blood splattered on the fighters faces yet both sides were still
screaming for war.
Pingting couldnt fight and usually hid behind He Xia. At the most she could only throw two or three light
bombs. However, she did know that the bigger the chaos, the more likely the people of Jing-An Ducal
Residence could escape.
Shed already run out of bombs by the time He Xias group were safely outside the city gates. Everyone was
covered in blood and Dongzhuo had been cut twice, though his injuries werent life-threatening.
Leaving the city gates behind, it was like the battle had ended. Only the coarse breathing of the war horses
could be heard in the cold night.
Pingting looked into the distance and then she pointed at a pillar of flames. Look Master, the Royal House
have begun to move. I hope the Duke is fine. I reckon the King thought hed be able to capture us, so he
didnt send many people to our Residence.
He Xia followed her finger, finding himself facing the direction of his home. He couldnt stop worrying
about his father, so he turned his horse around. Pingting, wait outside. Well check on Father and well be

back soon.
Pingting knew she couldnt fight and wouldnt be of much use anyway. She jumped from the horse and said,
Ill meet you all at that place in the mountains, where we often go.
He Xia nodded, Okay. He led Dongzhuo and the others back inside the city.
Pingting watched these family-like people disappear. He Su may be the King and an evil one at that, but he
only dare uses selected peoples loyalty. The army wont take sides at least until tomorrow morning, until
the chaos is cleared and understood. With a neutral army, the residents of Jing-An Ducal Residence should
be able to escape without too much difficulty.
What exactly He Su would do the next morning was unimportant as her people would have safely escaped
by then.
She checked her thoughts at least three times for any mistakes, before relaxing, and slowly leaving for the
mountain cliffs where they promised to meet.
The cliff was two miles away. It would have been quite easy if she was on a horse, but it was a little more
difficult on foot by herself.
Pingting walked on for a little longer and far away, she could see the sky changing to a grey-white colour
behind the mountain ahead. She took a few more steps when suddenly she heard a rustling noise

Chapter 05
Outside the window, a cat meowed and Pingting stirred. She opened her shining, energetic black eyes and
faced the window, chuckling softly. Youre an annoying cat, tomorrow Ill definitely find a way to get back
at you. Suddenly she remembered that the House of Jing-An was still in danger, and her dimples
disappeared.
What should I do? It was still dark and most of the inhabitants are still asleep, when she got up and
fumbled for the table. She drank a cup of cold tea and continued to worry.
If I hadnt been caught by human traffickers, I would still be by Masters side and I wouldnt have to worry
about him. Dongzhuo is too cheeky and energetic, I hope he doesnt annoy Master too much.
If I leave tomorrow, where should I go to find Master?
Though she was extremely clever, she was still quite young and couldnt help feeling weak without the
support of others. Suddenly, Chu Beijies face popped into her thoughts, his eyes seemingly able to see into
ones soul.
Should I invite that fake Mister Dong here and demand the latest news? But she knew that deep down,
Dong Dingnan was highly likely to be Chu Beijie, and therefore being around him makes her feel uneasy
inside. If I mess up

She thought of when she first received the Phoenix Paulownia-Guqin it was the same uneasy feeling. But
whenever she thought of Dong Dingnan and the way he spoke of his experiences, his proud attitude her
face suddenly began to feel very hot.
The vivid image of him in mind and her memory of receiving the Phoenix Paulownia-Guqin caused her
heart to speed up. She thought of her conversations with Dong Dingnan, Dong Dingnans experiences, Dong
Dingnans bold and extravagant actionsand her face for some reason, began to feel very hot.
Pingting kicked herself, stroking her cheeks she said, Pingting, what are you thinking about? Finding
Master is the most important thing at the moment.
As she tend to her random thoughts or daydreams, the sun is already up.
After washing, she went inside to serve her Lady. When Lady Hua saw her, she clapped her hands, giggling.
You fell asleep before you could even eat dinner, so why are there dark circles under your eyes? Im sure
you were thinking about your lover all night, am I right?
Pingting turned and looked at the mirror. As expected, there were dark violet smudges under her eyes. She
blushed slightly, What is My Lady joking about? Say that again and I wont serve My Lady anymore.
She had always talked to her Master like that back in the Jing-An Ducal Residence, and didnt think she was
being rude. Fortunately Lady Hua had been flattered throughout her life and liked her temper. Trying to hold
back her laughter, she said, Dont be angry, I totally understand. When I first saw the guy of my dream, I
couldnt sleep for the first couple of nights too.
Pingting wasnt originally thinking that, but Lady Huas words made her heart thump and she lowered her
eyes. Let me help wash My Lady, the water is getting cold.
I dont need you, clumsy girl, I can wash myself. She grabbed the dry towel off Pingting, You were
never suited to serve others in the first place.
Im not suited to serve others? Pingting eyes widened. She had always been serving others, especially her
mischievous master and no one had ever said she was doing a bad job. She could play qin and chess equally
well, she was talented in both literature and art, while also being known for her entertaining wit and
conversations, and she wasconsidered to be extremely gentle. How is she not suited to serve others? Pingting
had to protest back, But in the previous days when I washed you, I only broke a few strands of your hair.
Of course, because you have never helped people wash their hair before.
Lady Hua was right. Back in the Jing-An Ducal Residence, she had her own maid to help wash herself. She
had hardly washed her own hair, never mind helping others wash theirs. Once or twice, she had tried to wash
her Masters hair, but He Xia had shrieked in pain after a few seconds and she gave up on that idea.
After Lady Hua had washed, she continued to work on her sewing. Unfortunately, she had jabbed herself
several times and was crying in pain after a while.
Pingting tried to hide her boredom. I said it would take hard work, so why does My Lady still want to learn
it? Everyday My Lady gets me to help and then gets hurt Whats the point in doing this?

Lady Hua sighed and stared blankly at her sewing. What can I do? I miss him, so I sew for him, but then I
get jabbed and so I hate him because its his fault Im doing this. Then I remember he cant see me, he
doesnt know what Im doing. Oh God, Im so annoyed!
Pingting wanted to laugh but seeing her Ladybeing so depressed, she couldnt bring herself to do it. The
image of Dong Dingnan once again came back into her thoughts, her vision blurred and her needle began
to twist dangerously.
Ouch!
Lady Hua clapped, eyes sparkling. You finally got jabbed. I say this needle is biased, it only likes to jab my
thumb.
The two people continued to talk on, though Pingting appeared to be fully engaged in the conversation, she
felt anxious. She had secretly hoped that Dong Dingnan would come so she could learn more of her
master. Her eyes flicked from East to West and the day was rapidly ending, but no one came to visit them.
Lady Hua saw Pingtings tight lips and she broke into a sweet smile. Dont worry, he said he will come in
three days. If he doesnt, we will just ignore him.
Towards evening, the two girls were sitting inside and eating dinner when the Housekeeper hurried in. My
Lady, someone wants to see you.
Pingting abruptly lifted her head, eager. Lady Hua turned and said, Let him in.
The blinds came down and Pingtings heart began to beat faster. She stared at the door with anticipation.
Soon, they heard footsteps approaching the door and a huge moving silhouette appeared. He entered the
room and bowed respectfully towards the Lady on the other side of the blinds. Good evening My Lady, my
name is Chu Morang, and I am here to pass on a gift.
Oh, so it wasnt Dong Dingnan, but the person who had passed the qin to her previously. She thought in
disdain. It felt as if someone just coldly splashed a bucket of icy water onto her fiery energy. She was utterly
disappointed.
Chu Morang politely laughed, This is one of GuiLes many bronze ornaments. Its not that expensive, but
the detail is rather impressive.
Pingting looked out through the blinds, and she could tell at one glance that the ornament which Chu
Moranghas presented was in no way at all lacking. Not only was it expensive but it was carved by the
famous Gui Le bronze master, Lu Bing. Lu Bing was a legendary craftsman who died thirty years ago.
The ornament was of a girl playing qin on the mountains, her expression realistic and serene. It was so
lovely that many people wouldnt mind having a painting of it. This Dong Dingnan had probably given her
this gift to compare its magnificence to her qin skills.
Pingting decided that Dong Dignan spent money extravagantly and admired his tactics. Such an
expensive gift is hard to accept. Please take it back. Her voice was notably cold.

Chu Morang protested, Lady Hua, this is the Masters gift, especially for you.
Last time it was a guqin, this time around its a bronze ornament, so what will it be tomorrow? Pingting
paused a moment before saying, If his business meant for a barter of objects, I have nothing to give in
return as I am a woman. However, if your Master wants something else, it probably wont be as easy to get
it.
Lady Hua was clever and added another sentence from aside, And he even gets someone else to give a gift
on his behalf? How insincere, no wonder My Lady is angry. She was smiling though. Mrs Hua, send him
off.
My Lady, please listen to Morang, actually
But Lady Hua wouldnt have any of it, Not listening, not listening, not listening! You men only know how
to hurt girls hearts. Maybe it was because she was thinking of her lover as well, and thus she vented all her
resentment on Chu Morang, and decided to call for the housekeeper.
The housekeeper arrived before Chu Morang could even explain. She grabbed his hand, Mister, please do
not be angry, My Lady is tired, thats all. She needs to rest, as it is already dark. Without saying another
word she took him and the bronze statue out of the Hua Residence.
Chu Morang had never been so humiliated by his Masters orders, the Duke of Zhen-Bei Residence. In the
Hua Residence, he had tried to be as courteous as possible because he was aware that it was the residence of
the Lady his Master cherished. He went back to the Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence and dutifully told his Master,
Chu Beijie, about all the series of events that happened.
After he finished speaking, he placed the returned bronze ornament on the table.
Chu Beijie had been reading an official document when Morang had walked in. When Morang finally
finished speaking, he laid the document down, raised his head and laughed heartily. I never imagined she
would have such a temper! If she was a man I would definitely put him in charge of my army. Thats the
quality of one of those capable of commanding thousands of soldiers possesses.
After laughing a while he suddenly narrowed his eyes. Shes clever, I cannot afford to underestimate her.
Chu Moran sighed, She is very beautiful and her qin skills are extraordinarily. Since Master likes her, why
dont you officially propose marriage to her tomorrow, alongside the Duke of Zhen-Beis flag?
No. Chu Beijie contemplated before saying, Its a nice change from the usual drama here. She is a
phoenix and I am simply the worshipper. He stood up, his cloak fluttering, Well, Im going to show my
adoration now.
Now?
Pingting couldnt sleep that evening either. She wondered if Dong Dingnan would come the next day as
she had sent his messenger away in disgrace.

If he did come, shed first calm his anger, then naturally ask about the House of Jing-An obviously.she
sighed.Her eyes flickered from side to side, feeling anxious. Thinking about the possible but very likely
conversation tomorrow with a man whose origins were unknown, yet was actively pursuing her, and she
couldnt help but worry.
Active pursuing was fineas she, Bai Pingting, despite wasnt considered pretty, in the Jing-An Ducal
Residence, she had had quite a lot of admirers. But this man was so domineering and good at psychological
scheming, yet didnt seem cunning at all. Everything about him just felt natural, not in an unpleasant way.
Pingting, what are you thinking? she asked herself, facing the window.
Outside, the moonlight was scattered all over the ground. She put on some clothes and went outside to
admire the full moon.
Hua Residences replica of fountain in the daylight usually looked old fashioned but at night, it was rather
soothing to look at. The residence was completely silent, even the insects were quiet. Looking up, Pingting
could not help but stare at the moon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash.
A tall figure was perched on the wall, causing Pingting to jump back.
Assassin!
Pingting was just about to yell for help when the figure flew, like it had grown wings, at her. She couldnt
even manage to open her mouth before a big hand clamped around her mouth and nose. The smell of an
ordinary man flooded into her nostrils.
Dont speak, the man commanded.
Pingtings eyes twitched in surprise. Its him?
Chu Beijie loosened his grip and quietly whispered in her ear, Are you Lady Huas maid? I, Dong Dingnan,
mean no harm. When I let you go, dont you dare call for help, alright? He patted the sword at his waist, his
words were polite, while his tone was friendly.
Pingting nodded and Chu Beijie could see an intelligent spark in her eyes, and he completely let go of her
while chuckling quietly.
His eyebrows were dark, his eyes were bright, his nose was high and there was always a trace of a smile on
his lips. It was the first time she had ever seen him up close, and as she remembered her previous memories
of him, and she smiled back.
Chu Beijie had always been cherished and praised by the maids in his residence, so he took no notice of
Pingtings observations. Instead he asked, Is the Lady asleep?
Pingting was worried he would recognised her voice so she simply nodded.
Chu Beijie thought, before heading to war, one must explore his enemy. This maid must always be around
the Lady, so she must know what she likes. Having this in mind, he asked, Your Lady likes to play the qin,

but do you know where she learned how to play like that?
Pingting pointed at the throat and open her mouth twice.
Chu Beijie instantly understood, You cant speak. He got up and walked right up to Lady Huas door,
paused and listened. Then he just stood there.
What is this person doing? Pingting was fairly worried and refused to leave Chu Beijie side.
She wanted to ask about her Master, but now she was a maid and a mute, so she couldnt afford to be
anxious and ask questions.
Chu Beijie saw the worry in her eyes and thought that she had misunderstood his real intentions. Dont
worry, I wont disturb your Lady. I am merely sitting a vigil for my beloved phoenix.
Pingting was stunned as she recalled the Dong Lin tradition. A man would stand outside his lovers door and
sit vigil for three nights. They were supposed to protect the person they liked and this usually took place
three days before marriage. This Dong Dingnan was brave in a way, to sit vigil for a girl who was not yet
engaged to him.
Her heart felt hollow because she was still lying to him. Pingtings eyes dropped, I dont have any choice. If
he finds out who I am or that Im part of the Jing-An Ducal Residence, he will put me into jail, immediately.
You can go back to sleep.
Pingting looked at him, remaining there wasnt right but leaving him was rather awkward. If he finds out
that the Lady Hua he has been talking to was not the real one, then.
Go, go back to sleep. This is a Dong Lin mans problem. Chu Beijie had decided to do this to earn the
Ladys trust.
Pingting couldnt say anything against that, and went back to her room, head drooping.
Can I even fall asleep? She turned four or five times on her bed, telling herself, I didnt ask him to sit vigil,
so its not my problem right? But after a while, she felt really mean again.
She couldnt help quietly getting up again. She peeked out of the window.
Chu Beijie was still standing where Pingting had last seen him and he was staring off into the sky. He was
tall and imposing. The dusky moonlight was evenly scattered on him, like a soldier of heaven had
descended.
Pingting studied his aquiline noise, like a carver paying attention to the finest details. Chu Beijie suddenly
moved and she ducked down, like a frightened rabbit. She was blushing.
She pressed her hand on her chest. It felt like her heart wasnt there anymore.
Why arent you sitting down and having a rest?

Are you stupid, why do you have to be so serious about a vigil? It is not like there is anyone coming to check
on whether youre standing or not, right?
Pingting hoped that the morning would come soon, then he would be able to get some rest too and she
wouldnt have to worry about him anymore.
The sky finally became a grey-white, and Pingting hurried to the door.
But before she had actually gone outside her legs felt like jelly and she collapsed.
He hadnt slept for the whole night and she had watched him for the entire night too.
Arent we crazy? Pingting laughed awkwardly at herself. She steadied herself before opening the door to
greet Chu Beijie.
Chu Beijie had stood for several hours, yet he did not appear to be tired. He had heard her footsteps and he
saw yesterdays mute maid approach him.
You woke up early today, is that because you have to help wash your lady?
Pingting nodded.
Chu Beijie wasnt planning to talk to her, but when he saw her, he had a pleasantly warm feeling. He had
seen many girls before, but none of them had the same golden aura, not to mention a maid having one. Their
eyes accidentally met.
Her pupils shone like black crystals.
Her pupils could talk. At first glance, the light looked like a stream running into the blackness of her eyes,
but the more he looked at them, the deeper they felt. Her eyes were hiding a thousand words.
Chu Beijie couldnt help saying, Your Lady must like you as you have extraordinary eyes.
Pingting smiled slightly in reply and Chu Beijie added, To have such a maid, one can imagine what the
Lady is like.
Pingting felt like she had been slapped. Her expression didnt change even when she went into Lady Huas
room.
Lady Hua only just woke at the sound of Pingtings footsteps.
Pingting was quiet throughout the usual routines of washing.
Whats wrong with you today? queried Lady Hua.
Nothing much. Pingting debated whether to tell Lady Hua about Dong Dingnan but she chose not to as
Lady Hua was bound to mock her.

She was still very worried about her Master, but she was more afraid of people uncovering her identity if she
were to ask too much. This pressure in her chest was unbearable enough, so of course she didnt want Lady
Hua to laugh at her.
Let that guy stand. He can stand all he wants.
Lady Hua and Pingting finally managed to get out of the bedroom when Pingting came out. Chu Beijie was
nowhere in sight.
What are you looking at? Has the courtyard suddenly become prettier?
Pingting looked again but Chu Beijie really wasnt there. She thought that the next day he would personally
tell the Lady that he sat vigil for her all night. She hadnt thought that he would quietly leave when Lady
Hua woke up.
Lady Hua pushed her from behind, Lets go. The florist agreed to give me two bundles of purple peonies,
lets go to the front courtyard to see if they have arrived or not.
Pingting was still thinking deeply, about halfway there she suddenly exclaimed, Ai-yaa!
Lady Hua jumped back, What?
If Chu Beijie happened to stay in the morning, if the Lady and I happen to run into him, wouldnt our covers
be blown? Its fine to let him know that Im just a maid, but how do I explain my interest in Masters news?
Pingting broke into a cold sweat, what was wrong with me last night? These things didnt even occur to me,
I just stupidly watched that guy stand all night!
But whenever she thought of Chu Beijie and that night, she felt unexpectedly happy.

Chapter 06
Pingting looked miserably at her dinner plate. Unexpectedly, Chu Beijie had not visited her that day but she
however, had expected him to come and already prepared many questions for him.
The silence was so awkward that even Lady Hua thought that Pingting was acting strangely. She didnt boss
Pingting around after dinner, letting her retire for the night immediately.
Pingting hadnt slept at all last night, and even though she was tired, she still could not rest. She opened her
eyes wide and stared at the ceiling, her heat thumping madly. She rolled out of bed and peered out of the
window.
As expected, there was an extra figure outside Lady Huas bedrooms door.
He had that solemn, mysterious yet arrogant smile and Pingting quietly observed him. At first she tried to
convince herself that he was just plain crazy, but after a long time, she decided that she didnt have the heart
to leave him standing there alone.

Chu Beijie was going to stand all night again. He had had a lot of work in the Duke of Zhen-Bei Residence
earlier, and when he returned tomorrow he was bound to have even more work. Yet he still came anyway,
and he just stood there, thinking of the Lady playing the qin and their conversations, smiling.
He heard footsteps behind him and he turned around. You again?
Pingting lowered her eyes. In her hands, there was a chair with a leather cushion. She pointed at Chu Beijie
then pointed at the chair.
Im not tired, I do not need to sit.
Her eyes which were probably the brightest in the world, suddenly looked sorrowful, piercing his heart.
Those eyes made him feel sad at rejecting her kindness.
She stared at him, anxiety, concern and confusion hidden in her eyes. They challenged him until he finally
gave up saying. Fine, fine. Thanks.
Her cute eyes suddenly lit up, like there were two rare, glowing pearls in them. It was as if the ice in Chu
Beijies heart seemed to melt, making him feel very comfortable and that sitting down had been a good
choice.
Pingting saw Chu Beijie sit down and turned to leave for her own room.
Chu Beijie watched her while she withdrew to the inner part of the house, perplexed. But he remembered his
promise to protect his phoenix and looked away.
After a while, he heard footsteps approach him again. Chu Beijie narrowed his eyes, but did not turn around.
As expected, Pingting came back. She put a large plate on the ground. On the plate there were little cups and
a jug. It even had some cute snacks on it.
You sure thought things through.
Pingting had walked a long way to get the snacks from the kitchen. When she heard him praise her she
couldnt help but smile appreciatively in response.
Her smile slowly came out, however it wasnt like only her lips was smiling, but it seems like every inch of
her face was smiling radiantly. Chu Beijie was suddenly dazed, she was truly beautiful. But when he looked
closer, he realised that she was only the mute maid, with two big eyes but nevertheless still rather plain.
He had seen Lady Huas portrait, she was beautiful.
Pingting was surrounded in moonlight, and Chu Beijie just stared, as if he was a little drunk. This man has a
really strong presence, even here in the Hua Residence. Although he may be sitting in a chair now, his
figure is still far bigger than anyone else. Is he a real man? As Pingting stole another look at him, a tiny,
annoying voice flicked across her mind, reminding her of her Master.
Yes, if I ask him about Master right now, would he answer? The moon is mellow and his expression is
rather soft. It probably wouldnt hurt to ask a question or two.

Chu Beijies determined face bumped Pingting back into reality. Now way, how could I do that? This isnt
just some average man obsessed with love.
Her thoughts had become a scrambled mess and she quickly remembered her real identity. Maid Pingting,
liar Pingting.She felt utterly useless and rotten to the core.She abruptly stood up, not caring about Chu
Beijies gaze, and returned to her own room.
Hiding behind the window she watched Chu Beijie for the whole night again.
The next day Chu Beijie was gone.
But Pingting now hadnt slept for two whole nights, and her coughing had started again. She even had a
fever and was very sick.
Lady Hua knew she was sick and ordered her people to find a doctor. She calmly said, Take your medicine.
Ill get someone else to serve me for now, so dont you dare leave this bed today!
Pingting felt rather light-headed but she knew her health was important. She took Lady Huas words to
heart, taking her medicine and having a good rest.
When she woke up, the sky was already dark.
Lady Hua had just finished eating dinner and had come to check on her. You really slept for the whole day,
Id say you do look much better too. Your Dong Dingnan came today, but I didnt dare say a word, so I
pretended my throat was sore and sent him away.
Pingting answered Huh and hurriedly sat up, shaking the bed.
Dont worry, if he really likes you he will come again.
Pingting was really upset, as she had missed a good chance to find out more about her Master. Time was
rapidly passing and she still had no idea when she could get back to the Jing-An Ducal Residence. Most
importantly, the longer she stayed at the Hua Residence, the more her heart went wild, as if spiralling out of
control.
She felt as if she were in quicksand. It wasnt good to move but it wasnt good to stay still either.
Lady Hua didnt know what she was thinking so she assumed that Pingting was still slightly agonising from
her headache. She told her other maids to bring Pingting some food and medicine and then she quietly left.
That night, Chu Beijie came again. He was still standing outside Lady Huas bedroom, but he was listening
intently to his surroundings. The mute maids figure seemed to circle and circle around him but whenever he
tried to grab it, it would disappear. Chu Beijie wasnt very happy with himself, arent I here to protect my
phoenix? He felt disappointed not to be loyal to the person he liked but unfortunately for him, he could just
not forget the maids eyes.
Those shiny pupils that seemed to silently convey a thousand words.

He once again heard footsteps and a happy tune floated in his mind. He turned around eagerly. Suddenly his
face darkened, Whats wrong?
Pingting was taking slow steps, as if she was going to collapse any time. Chu Beijie held out his hand, then
grabbed her wrist to steady her.
Her hand was abnormally warm.
Youre sick? he asked.
Pingting shook her head rapidly, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. She had spent a long time being alone
and although Lady Hua, Mrs Hua and Mother Chen had all been worried about her, she had never felt
happier listening to the short question this person had just asked her.
Those two words were enough to comfort her.
She gave a small smile and Chu Beijie saw her sad little dimples. That sight captured Chu Beijies heart. He
had completely forgotten about his beloved phoenix. He rushed forward, and collected her in his arms
protectively.
Is that your room? He asked.
Pingting nodded. She wanted to protest but instead she bit hard on her lip.
Chu Beijie carried her swiftly to her room.
Go rest. It is very late and youre sick. Doesnt your Lady look after you? He went into her room and
placed Pingting gently on the bed.
He always did what he what he wanted, and cared nothing for gender customs. He clumsily tucked Pingting
into bed, before straightening up.
Sleep. He watched the eyes he liked, closed. His voice had lost its usual colour and the way he told
Pingting to go to sleep was more like the everyday voice he used to command his soldiers.
Pingting, however, only felt comforted by it. She closed her eyes obediently but opened them after a while.
Chu Beijie was thinking of leaving when he realised that this soldier had not listened to him. Close your
eyes, go to sleep.
Pingting suddenly felt amused, it reminded her of teasing her Master. She opened her eyes again and stared
quietly at Chu Beijie.
Chu Beijie suddenly felt his heart speed up upon meeting her gaze and a feeling he had never felt before
flooded through him. It was even happier than the pleasure and rush he felt on the battlefield.
He wasnt too pleased about this, because as the Duke of Zhen-Bei, hed been through all sorts of situations

and was always been able to have what he wanted. It was like one of his hearts muscles had been torn,
leaving him with heavy breathing.
The little mute on the bed was undoubtedly a beauty; ignoring her face, nose and mouth. She had an
incomparable elegance which no one else had and that was what made her beautiful.
Close your eyes. Chu Beijie cleared his throat, Im going out.
Pingting felt rather disappointed but this time she really close her eyes.
Chu Beijie was a true gentleman, he really went out.
Another night. Tougher than last night; tougher than the night before.
Pingting only fell asleep in the morning and she slept until noon. Lady Hua hurried in and whispered in her
ear, Do you know who Dong Dingnan is?
Pingting heart thumped a little.
Ill tell you, he is Dong Lins Duke of Zhen-Bei! I saw his portrait yesterday but oh God, hes the mighty
Duke of Zhen-Bei!
Pingting suddenly paled, her body gave out twice before she managed to prop herself up with difficulty.
The Duke of Zhen-Bei? Dong Dingnan, that was the guy who sat vigil at night, the man who carried her was
the Duke of Zhen-Bei A duke of Dong Lin, Dong Lins strongest warrior, Gui Les enemy and Masters
scariest opponent.
Lady Hua must have thought this was a miracle and kept on praising Pingting. She then patted her on the
shoulder, saying, Hong, were like sisters, so you will help me right?
Eh?
Its easy, Ive already sent Mrs Hua to pass a letter onto the Duke of Zhen-Bei. It says that Lady Hua is
currently engaged and not a free woman. It says that if he is willing to exert his authority and cancel my
marriage, it will be easier to carry things out in the future. Lady Hua looked pleased at herself, This time
Father wont protest against it and when my marriage is cancelled, Ill tell the Duke of Zhen-Bei the truth.
Ill even give you a good wedding dress. Oh yeah! You can have my wedding dress.
Pingtings face clouded halfway through Lady Huas chattering. Areareyou crazy? The Duke of ZhenBei is much stronger, ten times stronger, than your family. If he finds out that weve been lying to him, the
people of the Hua Residence will be in deep trouble. She was still very sick so she couldnt emphasise how
serious this was.
Lady Hua took no notice, He likes you. Im sure he wont mind the fact that you borrowed my identity.
Its not like that! Pingting grabbed her, Tell Mrs Hua not to send the letter.

Lady Hua felt a little scared seeing Pingting so angry. Her head drooped in shame, But Mrs Hua just came
back, she even told me the Duke of Zhen-Beis response.
What did he say?
He said, tomorrow, Lady Hua will be free again.
Tomorrow?
Lady Hua saw Pingtings strange expression and she pouted. I need to practice qin, talk to you tomorrow.
Then she left.
Pingting stared into space for a while, until she re-organised the events in her head.
No way, the Duke of Zhen-Bei, he really was the Duke of Zhen-Bei. Pingting thought deeply for a
moment, then the light in her eyes flashed, showing that shed made her final decision. I still havent found
Master, I cant be bound here for no reason. As for Hua Residencegood luck.
She somehow managed to get up and pack up her belongings. She felt rather heartless when she thought of
how kind the people of Hua Residence had been to her. No matter what though, she still had to go. She was
in Dong Lin, the enemys country, and if the Duke of Zhen-Bei ever found out her real identity, the Hua
family would in even more trouble than before.
She went through a rarely used back door and no one noticed. Just like that, Pingting had left the Hua
Residence behind.
That night she stayed at a restaurant. She was probably used to seeing Chu Beijie sit vigil as she could not
fall asleep, leaving her thoughts to repeatedly torment her throughout the night.
What was truly worrying however was the fact that her coughing was getting worse. One cough after the
other, no sign of it getting any better.
The city was very quiet, the next day. She was too sick to go outside so she asked one of the staff about the
outside world, but apparently nothing notable had happened.
She coughed another night away. On the morning of the third day, the worker gave her some boiling water.
Something big happened last night! The rich Hua family, for some reason, has made the Duke of Zhen-Bei
so angry that he has ordered all of them to be beheaded.
Pingting was suddenly alert but she tried hard not to look too interested. What? All of them are to be
beheaded?
I dont know what has made the Duke of Zhen-Bei so angry. The worker sighed, The Hua family must
have done something extremely shameful to deserve something like this. Our Duke of Zhen-Bei is actually
very kind.
Pingting hadnt heard the last two comments. She had guessed that Chu Beijie would be very angry, but she
hadnt expected him to sentence so many people to death.

Chu Beijies strong yet stubborn face crossed her mind and she closed her eyes. Yes, she had always known
that he could not be trusted. He may be a gentleman, but when it came to war, he was the bloodiest demon
ever. Pingting had heard about the Duke of Zhen-Beis cruelty and the blood shed from Gui Le soldiers was
more than enough to flow a river.
Is he going to kill all of the people of Hua Residence? Pingting stared at the table and chair in front of her,
which was slowly blurring away with her tears. She shook her head, No way...
Even if the Duke of Zhen-Bei destroyed ten big families like the Hua family, the people of Dong Lin
wouldnt protest at all.
Sir Hua, Lady Hua, Mrs Hua, Mother Chen, Youer, Zi Hua....all of these peoples heads would be cut off,
leaving a bloody mess. Pingting chest tightened, like she was about to vomit.
No, I cant just sit and watch them die. She gripped the sides of the bed, slowly pulling herself up.
The Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence was even more solemn than usual and two lines of guards stood outside. The
maids serving inside were walking on their tiptoe and if anyone had an itchy throat, they had to secretly go
to a place far from the Duke and cough there.
Even Chu Moran, who was usually so calm, was sweating while standing inside his office.
Chu Beijie looked up from his official papers, Youre hot?
No.
Wipe the sweat off your face then.
Yes.
Chu Beijie wasnt quite as flustered as Pingting had imagined.
Two days ago, he had dealt with Lady Huas fiancs household to undo the Ladys engagement. He had
spent the whole night preparing for the Lady but when he visited her again, she had told him the truth. He
hadnt rolled his eyes, hadnt yelled at them and hadnt lost his temper either. He just stood in front of
Pingtings room for a little while and then left.
Back then, Lady Hua had thought the danger had already passed. She had smiled innocently at the
housekeeper, saying, Well I was right wasnt I? The Duke of Zhen-Bei is a really kind person, Hong was
really worried for no reason.
Back in the Residence, Chu Beijie had sat down and slowly sipped a cup of hot tea. Chu Moran stood at one
side, trying to keep his breathing quiet, for he knew that his Master was beyond cross. He was extremely
angry.
As expected, after the cup of hot tea he quietly ordered, Tomorrow, at sunset, execute the entire Hua family
in front of this Residence.

Finally hearing Chu Beijies voice, Chu Moran sighed in relief. Yes.
Dont miss out on anyone, even the dog, Chu Beijie added.
Now the sun was about to set. All members of the Hua Residence were bound and crying. The guillotines
blade had been sharpened, as if waiting for the Duke of Zhen-Beis command to chop its victims sleek
neck.
Duke, Chu Moran looked at the sky, Its about time.
Its time? Chu Beijie looked around, and it was unnaturally silent. He looked at the sky, yet the miracle he
was hoping for had not occurred. His face turned stone cold and an unusual bloodthirsty sneer appeared on
his face. Execute them.
But before his words could be registered, they were replaced with soft music. The luxurious sound bounced
off the walls of the Ducal Residence, through the windows and into Chu Beijies ears.
When there is trouble, there are heroes.... when there are heroes there are beautiful women. Surviving the
turmoil, surviving the turmoil It was faint, but it was definitely the song back then. He couldnt help
smiling at the warm and pleasant tone
If there are soldiers, there will be fame; if there is fame, there will be fraud; soldiers know fraud, soldiers
know fraud...
The qins sound was very pleasant to hear. At times it would be as delicate as a spiders thread, other times
it would appear like a soaring bird, high up into the clouds, but other times flying low, just above the grassy
plains below.
The corners of Chu Beijies mouth lifted.
Chu Moran was too amazed at the amazing sound and had only just remembered to pass on his Masters
order. But he suddenly heard Chu Beijie say, Dont kill them yet. Bring the girl whos playing that qin into
my Residence.
Yes!
Soon Chu Beijies eyes landed upon the jet-black iris he loved yet hated at the same time.
This time her eyes were trained on him, not angrily, not mischievously, not scared nor even pleased.
Pingting just watched him and humbly bowed. I am here, Duke.
Chu Beijie was surprised to hear the familiar voice from behind the blinds. He pursed his lips.
Narrowing his eyes at her, he said, Today my perception of life seems to have widened. You are the Lady
and the maid. You are mute yet you can sing. If there is anything else you can do let me see it.
The Duke of Zhen-Beis voice was threatening, which was usually enough to make the bravest of warriors

shake, yet she was neither angry nor afraid.

Pingting smiled, pretending to look hurt, Duke is angry?
Chu Beijie harrumphed coldly, asking a question instead, Im assuming you fully understand that soldiers
know fraud meaning; that while sometimes fraud leads to victory, fraud can also lead to disastrous defeat?
The victor will always decide the fate of the defeated. Pingtings face turned serious and she sighed, If
so, then feel free to punish me, Duke. She bowed her head.
Chu Beijie secretly smiled at her bowed head. He grabbed the jade pendant on the table and slowly thumbed
it. I know what your point is, you dont want the Hua family to be destroyed. I guess thats a pretty good
conscience for a maid. Fine, Ill forgive the Hua family for now, but He thought for a moment and coldly
said. You must stay here.
Stay in the Ducal Residence and serve Duke?
Chu Beijie mused, Or do you plan to be my duchess or something?
Without another word, she slowly bowed at him.

Chapter 07
Hong, her name was Hong. This name wasnt as interesting as the person herself. Chu Beijie had just gained
another common maid but he felt much more excited than usual for some reason. It was like hed come
across a once-in-a-lifetime preciousness, or a deliciously exotic cuisine and couldnt wait to taste it, but at
the same time, couldnt bear to ruin it.
The new maid, Hong, had lied to the Duke of Zhen-Bei, had been caught by him and was now locked in a
small room of his Ducal Residence, away from everyone else.
Chu Beijie wanted to see her, but for some reason he kept on stopping himself.
He wasnt a god, so of course he was angry. Several times he had woken up in the middle of the night,
grinding his teeth and fists clenched, thinking that he, a Duke, got all messed up by a maid and ended up
standing in front of another womans door. His pride as a man was absolutely torn into shreds. He wanted to
torture that damned girl, throw her into jail, leave her in the forest to the wolves and then throw her off a
cliff.
Someone!
Here! What does Duke need?
Chu Moran appeared at the doorway but Chu Beijie had suddenly calmed down again.
No, he couldnt let her die so easily. That girl should stay in his residence for her whole lifetime, to repent
for her crimes. Hed sometimes go to tease her, and make her cry.

The next day, Pingting got sick, just when Chu Beijie had planned to taunt her.
Sick? Chu Beijies eyes flickered towards Chu Moran and he coldly laughed, Is this another one of her
deceptions, soldiers know fraud?
The doctor has already seen her. She is seriously sick. Chu Moran replied, his voice grave.
Chu Beijies eyes flashed, What does she have?
Long-term symptoms, continuous coughing and drowsiness.
Chu Beijie thought of that night when Pingting had also been sick, and he had personally carried her into her
room. He remembered those energetic eyes slowly close and how under the moonlight, he had truly thought
she was a real beauty.
Dukeare you going to see her?
A sharp gaze turned to Chu Moran, forcing him to take a step back. He lowered his head and hurriedly said,
I-I-I just thoughtmaybe
Chu Beijie looked away and sat back at the desk, grabbed an official document and carefully read it. Then in
a hesitant voice, he asked Which doctor did you hire?
Chen Guanzhi.
Shes just a maid, no need to provide her a famous doctor.
Chu Moran had hardly ever been criticised by his Master and he paled, Okay, Ill change it immediately
No need, Chu Beijie picked up a pen, flamboyantly wrote two lines of approval on the document. He
seemed to have calmed down a little, Hes already been hired, so dont bother anymore.
Yes.
Is she taking her medicine?
Weve already bought the items on Chen Guanzhis prescription and its currently being boiled.
Chu Beijie scowled, She rebelled against me and yet she still gets a famous doctor and boiled medicine.
Nice timing to get sick. Unfortunately for her, Im a warrior from the blood-stained deserts, not a naive boy
from flowery plains. When she gets better, tell her to stop playing her games in my residence.
Chu Moran could sense his masters wrath and he remained as quiet as possible, nodding, Yes.
He was about to leave when Chu Beijie looked up from his documents again, as if he had another thought.
The King gave me two boxes of Yumei Tianxiang pills. Since we dont have any high-ranking females in
this residence, I thought theyd go to waste. Now that we have an ailed woman here, we can give those to
her.

Pingting really was sick. Although she was naturally healthy, she had never quite recovered from the cold
she had from the last outing, which had been followed by a series of numerous incidents. Her strength was
steadily leaving her body. During the last short conversation she had with Chu Beijie, her clothes were
almost soaked in sweat and she could barely stand anymore.
Chu Moran was in charge of looking after Pingting. Unable to guess his Masters true intentions, he didnt
dare to act too nice or too mean to her. After a long while of considering, he finally put her in a small
building in a secluded part of the Ducal Residence.
Every day, Chu Moran would report Pingtings health. Miss Hong was rather drowsy today.
Miss Hong had some porridge.
Miss Hong coughed a little less last night, but she had a high fever this morning.
Chu Beijie didnt say anything and pretended not to hear.
On the fifth day however, Chu Beijie felt rather edgy. When he heard Chu Moran say Miss Hong coughed
again today he suddenly turned furious. Cough!Cough! Cough! Why is she still coughing? Havent you
already given her the Yumei Tianxiang Pills? That Chen Guanzhi is also to blamehe cant even cure a
girl.
Chu Moran left and the next day, he was keen not to make the same mistake as yesterday, Her coughing
has gotten a lot better. She should be able to get up soon.
And when is that?
Chu Moran hadnt expected his Master to answer, nevertheless to even ask a question. Maybe around ten
days, he said uncertainly, as how was he supposed to know?
Chu Beijie harrumphed once, not acknowledging or denying his statement.
By the tenth day, before Chu Moran could begin his daily report, Chu Beijie stood up and declared, Lets
go and visit her to see whether her desperate measure has come to an end. He briskly strolled out of the
office, and headed to the room Pingting was living in.
The building had a little courtyard outside it and small, unknown red flowers were planted there.
Chu Beijie briskly walked right up to the door but suddenly paused and moved towards the window. He
heard a conversation, one of the voices very familiar.
Anything else?
Way more. A soft, gentle voice, with a hint of humour. For example, when making bone soup, cut the
bone in parallel, horizontally, revealing a line of marrow. Dont break it and bind it with chestnut, or youll
lose its unique flavour. Mix rhodiola, cynomorium, powdered lemongrass roots, fry the mixture and put it
into the soup. Add the bones and wait for it to be half-cooked before adding fresh lotus roots and carrot.

After that, close the lid and boil lightly until fully cooked.
Strange, Ive been working in the kitchens for many years, but Ive never heard of such a recipe. Wow, Im
hungry just by listening to that.
Chu Beijie continued listening for a while. They were all top cooking techniques, despite most of them
hadnt been heard of.
Pingting felt a little better and somehow she had started a discussion about cuisine with Mother Zhang, who
had been bringing her medicine ever since she was sick. Her passion was back and she gave away some of
her food preparation techniques. Neither of them had heard Chu Beijie outside, so when Mother Zhang
looked up and saw him, she broke into a cold sweat.
Ah! Duke Mother Zhang jumped up and managed a wobbly bow.
Chu Beijie didnt even look at Mother Zhang, his eyes were fixed on Pingtings cheek, which still hadnt
returned to its usual pinkish radiance.
Mother Zhang nervously excused herself, Ishould be getting back to the kitchen. She hurriedly picked
up the medicine bowls and backed away, nearly tripping over.
The room was even quieter, now that one had left, and it seemed an empty sort of coldness. Chu Beijies
handsome chiselled features were expressionless and he had the same temperature as a winter day.
Pingting met his eyes, but she quickly lowered them when she felt her heart thump madly.
Duke is here? she slowly began to get herself out of bed, managing a slight bow, I wish Duke good
health.
Chu Beijie narrowed his eyes, clasped his hands at his chest and used a posh voice, which most royalties
used. I heard you were sick?
Pingting had originally thought that when she was sick, Chu Beijie would visit her because hed remember
their previous times with each other and be nice to her. Then shed ask about her master and escape. But
shed been sick for ten days, and thered been no news of Chu Beijie. She told herself it was only natural,
but deep down in her heart, it ached bitterly.
He continued in a mocking kind of question,Youre not beautiful and without the blinds, you cant play this
seduction game, so youve swapped to the desperate measure game?
Seeing Chu Beijie had made her feel happier, but hearing his cold words made her feel completely upset.
She mumbled to herself, I AM sick.
At that moment, all the pain in her heart from the events that had happened since the separation from her
Master, seemed to overwhelm her. Two shiny, transparent tears trickled down her cheek.
Chu Beijie didnt hear the reply to his question and was about to yell at her when he saw her shoulders
quivered. Bending down, he saw two reddish eyes and a tear-stained face. The person in question had

become a crying mess, ever so quietly.

What are you crying for? He frowned, Shut up.
She didn't want to cry in front of the Duke of Zhen-Bei or infuriate him, so she bit her lip hard.
Chu Beijie watched her. He then grabbed her shoulders, helped her up and said Dont bite your lips. You
may cry now.
Pingtings wet eyes flickered towards Chu Beijie, her head not moving, refusing to let go of her lip.
Chu Beijie didnt like being disobeyed. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. If you cry, Ill kill
the people of Hua Residence.
Pingting looked at Chu Beijies eyes, they were serious. What is Hua Residence to him anyway?
When she finally let go of her lips, there was a slight dent on them. She quickly dried her tears and made
anunyielding face as she raised her eyes towards Chu Beijie, not wavering even one bit.
What she didnt know was that expression made Chu Beijies heart skip a beat.
Ive seen a lot of women cry. Its utterly useless. His words were very close to Pingtings ear and her
hammering heart threatened to jump out of her chest.
Sit here, he said breezily, pulling her into his arms.
Ah.
Dont move, or else youll fall An unusual powdered scent filled his nostrils. Letting his hand brush across
Pingtings face intimately, he asked, Hey, what powdered scent are you using?
Pingting was both nervous and embarrassed, for Chu Beijies smell and heat were clouding her thoughts.
She thrashed about weakly, trying to push the mountain-like body away, half wanting it, but half rejecting it.
After a while, she gave in and started to relax but stillwith a roll of her eyes; accepting herself to suffer in
Chu Beijies arms.
Does it smell nice? She deliberately softened her voice, her tone like the women at brothels.
She was good at it, for Chu Beijie felt himself stiffen.
She smiled even more sweetly and looked right into his eyes, You are a well-educated man so Im sure
youve heard of Sifang grass right?
Chu Beijies eyes were like lasers, wanting to pierce through Pingtings cheek.
Sifang grass is an extreme poison, the leaves appear in four colours and its scent is rather sweet. Pingting
replied, I rebelled against the Duke, meaning my life will be a living hell, so I might as well just end it all
by dying.

Shes just a maid, where could she get such a poisonous plant? Chu Beijie didnt believe her at all, but
seeing her cute eyes made him hesitate slightly. Since its such a rare poison, I must try it. He squeezed
Pingtings shoulder, locking her in his arms more tightly and slowly raised her lips towards him.
She could feel his breath against her cheek.
Pingting, although pampered at her residences, had never experienced this kind of situation before. As the
man approached her, she was suddenly at a loss. Despite her confusion, she managed to shout, Moran!
Hurry up and tell the King that the Duke of Zhen-Bei kissed me!
Chu Beijie was confused.
They heard a crash outside. Chu Moran had really been outside and had heard everything. He had knocked
over a flowerpot in surprise when Pingting started to yell for him.
Go tell the King, that His Majesty and the Queen won the bet! The Duke of Zhen-Bei really kissed me!
It was all too sudden and Chu Beijie thought he had fallen into a trap of some sort. Pingting took this
opportunity to kick free with all her remaining strength, roll away and now she was sitting at the opposite
end of the bed, hugging her knees protectively while glaring at him.
As she rolled away, Chu Beijie narrowed his eyes, realising that hed fallen for her trap. You tricked me,
he said in a dangerous voice.
Beautiful women come flocking to Duke at the wave of your hand, why does Duke want a lowly maid like
me?
I can choose any woman I want, so why cant I choose a maid from my very own residence? Chu Beijie
smiled angelically and pointed beside him, Come here.
Pingting was really scared, and even now she refused to budge. However amidsther pale stricken self, she
managed to stifle a laugh, Its easy to have Hong, but Duke will have to bet with me first. If Duke wins,
Hong is willing to do anything Duke wants. She had often made bets with her Master and she already knew
what she would bet on in a split second.
Bet? Chu Beijie pretended to think deeply for a moment, then laughed heartily, We dont need to bet on
anything as youre mine already, arent you? Pingting fell silent, clearly unimpressed. Surprisingly, Chu
Beijie added, But I dont want you now. Get better first. He gave her a meaningful look and quickly left
the little room.
This time, Pingting was the one who was confused.
After a while, when his back view had disappeared, she came back to her senses. Geez, such a difficult
person to deal with. He uses his retreats to advance further, playing hard to get. Girls feelings just dance in
the palm of his hand. Despite her dark thoughts, she suddenly blushed a bright red as she gazed upon the
setting sun outside her window.

Chapter 08
Pingting had spent the last three days resting but she was clearly distracted.
The flowers outside were in full bloom, and they were an extremely enchanting red. However, Pingtings
eyes flickered past them, her eyes resting on the lush green leaves.
Chu Beijie hadnt visited her in the last three days.
Its fine if you dont come
She had spent the last three days worrying, afraid of Chu Beijie visiting her again but afraid of him
forgetting her little room too. What kind of command is get better first? She continued to think and
blushed a light pink, as if there was a cute kitten playing with her heart. Mother Zhang even said, Miss
Hong, you seem much better, for you cheeks are pink and tender.
That afternoon, Chu Moran entered her room, passing on Chu Beijies words. No appetite, so make a few
dishes and take them to Dukes room.
Cook? Pingting bit her lip, slowly heading for the kitchen.
Chu Beijie was in a good mood today. He waited for three days when usually, as the Duke of Zhen-Bei, hed
get whatever he wanted immediately. He was looking forward to getting along with his cute and intelligent
maid.
Hong wasnt pretty, but was interesting enough to deserve his effort and time. Thinking of her and their
moments together made him smile a little. Their meeting was sort of destiny as well; for after all, he was a
Duke and she was just a lowly maid.
Besides, she had already suffered from her sickness for ages, Gods punishment was enough for her, he
thought to convince himself.
Chu Beijie didnt usually forgive people yet he easily forgave this talented girl. It was a fine day. He was
planning to eat some of Hongs cuisine, listen to her play the qin, and then seduce her with his charms.
These cheesy thoughts were in his mind, in contrast to the usual killing scenes, all because of a girl who
wasnt even pretty.
That is, until after taking a sip of Pingtings soup. His smile had instantly dropped, disappearing completely.
Pingting eagerly studied his reaction.
My Master never eats anything I make.
Chu Beijies expression was extremely odd when he nodded. Your master is very clever, isnt he? He
hesitated before saying honestly, This soup is disgusting.
Pingting had actually been very worried but seeing his usually-composed, handsome face so distorted was

amusing enough to make her smile, dimples showing.

Chu Beijie sighed, Now I really know why they say those who know the best recipes cant always cook
well.
Pingting nodded in agreement, Likewise. Those who know battle tactics cant always fight in a war
themselves.
Her comment really suited Chu Beijies style. He slapped his hand down on his knee in response, chuckling.
Well said! Well said! He laughed again but suddenly stopped and stared at Pingting with wide eyes,
Have you fully recovered yet?
His voice was husky, full of affection. She could feel his ego again and nervously, she took a step back.
It wouldve been better if she hadnt moved, for Chu Beijie moved even faster. He grabbed her hand and
pulled her closer, hugging her waist.
Kyaa! Pingting gasped in surprise, as she was being pulled into his chest. Lifting her head, she could see
his black eyes watching her playfully.
Chu Beijie had one arm over her, so she couldnt move. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear,
Dangerous situation. How is My Lady going to counter it?
His whisper gave her a shock, heart almost jumping out of her throat. She was a little scared, but for some
reason, she also felt the impulse to smile. She frowned as she looked at him, The victor will always decide
the fate of the defeated, meaning that further annihilation is unnecessary?
Chu Beijie wasnt convinced, and shook his head. Where are the so-called-defeated, for I havent heard any
song of defeat yet?
His mouth was very close to Pingtings neck and she could feel his breath. Unnerved, she seemed to shrink
in his arms. In a delicate and charming voice, she asked, Since ancient times, there have only been songs of
victory. Since when were there songs of defeat as well?
You can sing the first and from thereon, itll exist. Chu Beijie smiled threateningly, If you dont sing,
dont blame me if I annihilate you. He moved in to kiss her.
Dont Pingting felt helpless because this person was just too cunning. She could only glare accusinglyat
him.
Chu Beijie was temporarily stunned by her glare, but he wanted to kiss her so badly, so he continued to inch
closer. That was when Pingting started to sing softly.
Swallows bring fortune, but too much fortune brings damage. A joy to look, a joy to look
As expected, Pingtings voice was touching and Chu Beijie had closed his eyes, listening in appreciation. He
only started to open his eyes several seconds after the song had finished. From now on, you must never
sing in front of others, as you evoke too much emotion and will end up breaking their hearts. He sighed

twice, his happy expression turning serious. You are too special to be just a maid from Hua Residence.
Who are you really?
This struck her like lightning. She accompanied her master several times onto battle, was a fair, honest
military advisor, and knew battle tactics like the back of her hand. She had even indirectly fought against the
famous Duke of Zhen-Bei, this very person in front of her, several times before.
Chu Beijie saw her pale face, feeling love and affection for her. Patting the hair on her forehead, he
whispered, Dont be scared, just tell me the truth. Ill definitely protect you. I wont let anyone hurt you.
Pingting gave a bitter smile.
If Chu Beijie knew that she was Gui Les Jing-An Ducal Residences Bai Pingting, hed know that she was
the one threatened to drown his Zhen-Beis army. There was no possibility that hed protect her if he knew
that she knew all sorts of secrets about the House of Jing-An.
The consequences were unthinkable.
Tell me. He stared intently into those black pupils, Ill help you, whoever you are.
I
Tell me.
Pingtings eyes flickered towards Chu Beijies eyes, which were supportive. She took a deep breath, I was
raised as a qin maid in the Prince, now Kings residence in Gui Le.
Chu Beijie was stunned.
Hongs real name is Yangfeng and I was brought into the Princes Residence as a child. However, Prince
Su really liked me and so I was taught to play qin so that I could entertain him when he drank wine in the
gardens.
Yangfeng? Chu Beijie was a little curious, Then how did you end up in the Hua Residence?
Pingting lowered her eyes, sighing. To be honest, I started to get really popular with my Master. Some
people in Gui Le started to get threatened by my influence. I was stupid and nave. Somehow, I got into deep
trouble. I was supposed to die, but two of my friends helped me escaped, only to meet some human
traffickers. Thats how I ended up in Dong Lin and then I met the Duke. She shrugged and gave a forced
laugh, A series of coincidences.
Chu Beijie studied her. I was right. You really are from a royal residence. He knew all about the royal
residential life and naturally, he was sympathetic. Dont worry, I bet not even the Queen of Gui Le, but He
Su himself can do anything about you.
For some reason, the tips of Pingtings ears went slightly red. Seeing how Chu Beijie was being so kind, she
hurriedly lowered her head and bowed, Thank you, Duke.

Chu Beijie smiled, You can get up now. He helped her up, particularly paying attention to her hands.
These are good qin hands. He was tightly holding on to them now and probably wasnt going to let go.
Pingting wanted to hide, but she couldnt. It was like Chu Beijie was controlling her heart. She pretended to
wipe her hands, but that didnt work either. Duke but she was answered with a teasing smile. Her
thoughts were a mess.
Chu Beijie released his hold when he had finally had enough of seeing her blush. I heard you sing, but now
I want to hear you play qin. Hong, no Yangfeng, play something for me.
Pingting nodded and looking in the direction that Chu Beijie had been pointing at, she saw a guqin on the
table. When she sat down, she couldnt help noticing that it was the Phoenix Paulownia-Guqin.
The music began again
It was like the first time one had seen the Alps, the pine branches decorated with snow and the fierce wind
billowing in the background. A scene of sorrow.
Slowly, the wind died away and the snow came again. Though it was still cold, there was more life in it. The
snow had yet to stop but some small animals had already come out in search for food. They scurried up the
trees and picked some berries. Then they paused, as if they were hearing something. They had disappeared
before one even realised it.
The mountains were quiet.
Soon, joyful laughter was heard, far away. Around four children had come to have a snow fight and
suddenly, there were balls of snow flying all over the place. They were half-yelling, half-laughing, messing
around but either way, they were having fun.
The qin sound came to a joyous end.
Chu Beijie was comfortably leaning on his chair and opening his eyes he said, Nice but why isnt there a
reverberation?
Theres no set way to interpreting music, so why isnt stopping at the happiest moment acceptable? She
bit her lip.
Their eyes met and they were wondering why their hearts were beating so fast. Finally, Chu Beijie cleared
his throat, clapped twice while ordering, Yangfeng, come here.
Pingting stood up from the guqin, slowly shuffled closer to him. There was about a tables distance between
them when she mischievously asked, Does Duke still plan to drink my soup?
Thinking of the disgusting soup, Chu Beijie had to shake his head vigorously.
Then Ill take it out.
She took the plates, backing rapidly out of the room.

Chu Beijie watched her disappear in bewilderment. Then he clapped quietly.

Chu Moran appeared in the doorway.
Duke.
Theres a qin maid in Gui Le, who goes by the name Yangfeng. Chu Beijie shrugged, Research her.
Yes, I will begin immediately.
Pingting had begun to settle down in the Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence. It wasnt hard serving Chu Beijie it
was much like her Jing-An Ducal Residence days. She didnt have to prepare any tea or do any hard work.
All she had to do was to play qin and listen to him.
Everyone in the residence knew that she was special to Chu Beijie, and no one dared to treat her badly.
Everyone called her, Miss Yangfeng.
Summer was not yet over when the water lilies began to bloom. One day, the two were talking after lunch.
How big is this world?
I should be asking Duke instead. How should I know? Pingting tilted her head, slightly rolling her eyes.
Dont tell me Duke wants to know, so Duke can command the soldiers to conquer all of it?
Chu Beijie laughed, Why not?
Pingting raised an eyebrow, I dont believe the rest of the world will give up so easily. There are four
countries. Dong Lin has Duke of course, but the other three well, even the Marquess of Jing-An in Gui Le
isnt that easy to be taken down.
He Xia? Chu Beijie hummed, face breaking into a mysterious smile.
Oh yeah, back then, what did you mean by saying that I might be able to see the Marquess soon? Pingting
pretended to recall, I saw him from behind the blinds once back in the Princes Residence. He looked
heroic and I had a pretty good impression of him. An outstanding person, Id say. Before she even realised
it, Chu Beijie had his arms over her again.
Good impression? An outstanding person? Chu Beijies voice was dangerous.
Pingting however, laughed at this. Are you jealous, Duke? Seeing that Chu Beijie was indeed jealous, she
quietly added Duke, please dont be stingy. Besides, I heard that he was targeted by the Gui Le King.
Maybe hes already dead.
Chu Beijie laughed darkly while shaking his head, If he dies so easily, he wouldnt be He Xia anymore.
Pingtings heart began to race because she had been waiting for this chance for a long time. In other words,
Duke knows where he is? She couldnt control her excitement.

He Xia escaped from the Gui Le city grounds and Gui Le is currently being monitored by the soldiers.
Sigh, I almost caught him a couple of days ago. Sensing her body shake, he asked, Yangfeng, are you
okay?
No, no. Pingting shook her head, her face very pale. To seem less suspicious, she raised an eyebrow. Last
time, it was Osmanthus. This time, its Chinese roses. Whats next?
Eh?
Pingting met his eyes, Duke keeps using different fragrances. She pretended to be annoyed.
All traces of his suspicion were gone. Laughing, he said Why be annoyed, since its hard to get certain
flowers sometimes? When I choose my Duchess, I wont look for someone pretty, just for someone who can
accompany me to battle.
Duke, you havent finished with He Xias story.
Whats there to say? I ordered my spies to report the moment he arrived in Dong Lin, but somehow he
managed to know what we were planning. He dodged my ambush and even killed my spy. Hes back in Gui
Le somewhere now. That was all for nothing.
Pingting quietly sighed in relief.
She knew that He Xia was safe and it was time to leave.
Actually, she shouldve left ages ago. She would often ask Chu Beijie whether she could walk around the
residence. He ordered someone to follow her from afar on the first couple of times, but after that, he let her
walk by herself.
She didnt have any money for the journey, but the three bracelets Chu Beijie had given her were more than
enough.
The route was roughly planned too.
She thoroughly thought things through, but she couldnt decide when to leave.
Ten days later, autumn came. The leaves were yellower day by day, and they would fall down sooner or
later.
It was time to go, but she couldnt bring herself to leave.
Chu Beijie was used to her playing the qin every day. She would sing, and hed close his eyes, often smiling
in delight.
Those smiles were imprinted in Pingtings mind. They were so sweet.
She was used to playing qin and singing for him. She knew that something big had happened on the days

that Chu Beijie didnt visit her. Either something unfortunate had happened in the residence or an official
had done something wrong. Of course, there were other reasons too.
Like the previous day, Chu Beijie wouldnt let her play qin. Did you really cough last night? Dont pretend.
How could I not know everything that happens in my residence? Its not like I cant afford a doctor, so why
didnt you tell me?
Pingting wasnt there at dinner last night, but little did she know that Chu Moran wasnt there either. He had
spent the night making preparations to move Pingting into a better room and making an appointment with
Chen Guangzhi.
Why? She stared out the window, where the leaves were caught in the wind. We could be enemies in a
way. You bully me, but then youre nice to me. Sometimes you say some pretty harsh things and rarely say
something kind. Other times, you act like a real gentleman, but then again, you act like a spoilt Duke. She
sighed, Such an incomprehensible figure. Whoevers with him just suffers.
A maid asked her to visit Chu Beijie. The moment Pingting entered the room, Chu Beijie said, Youll
definitely love the menu today.
Sure enough, there was a selection of delicacies. Among them, there was steamed eggplant and eight
treasure pickles, all famous cuisines.
You dont eat much these days. You have to eat a little more today. You see, I got a Gui Le chef to make
these. Chu Beijie watched her eagerly as he beckoned her to eat.
Pingting tasted it and the eggplant flavour melted in her mouth. Then she tried the eight treasure pickles but
she chuckled straight away, Duke knows even less than me about cuisine. You got a Gui Le chef, but not
all of these dishes are from Gui Le. For example, this eight treasure pickles are a famous Bei Mo dish, so
why is it here?
Chu Beijie sighed, I see. Ill get someone else to cook for you then.
But Pingting shook her head instead and pointing at the eight treasure pickles dish, she said, I love these.
Duke doesnt know that Im from Bei Mo after all.
Eh?
Yeah, but I was sold into Gui Le at a young age. This is my favourite dish. She placed a piece of it in Chu
Beijies bowl. Duke, why dont you taste some?
The candlelight shone prettily on her cheeks and Chu Beijie couldnt help getting closer to her.
I want to taste you, were his words.
Pingtings heart almost stopped.
He was too close and tightly holding onto her. It was hard to move. She turned her head and bit down on his
ear.

OW! His chopsticks fell onto the floor with a clang.

Duke no
What no? Chu Beijie asked in a hurt voice while stroking his ear, I chose you way back then, and I
refuse to let you run away. Im going to take you with me on the battlefield in the future.
Her lips were a tight line but her eyes were like fire, ready to burn anything and everything.
I want to marry you. He had let her catch her breath before he said this proposal.
Duke? Pingting looked at him bewilderedly. She was frowning, everything had happened all too fast and
nothing seemed to fit with her original plan. Was I not acting ambiguously enough?
She was supposedly Yangfeng, a Gui Les qin maid, an escaped maid.
He was the Duke of Zhen-Bei, and yet he wanted to marry her.
Chu Beijie looked unhappy, You dont want to?
Pingting widened her eyes, Chu Beijie was too close, and she felt very hot. He was very handsome.
Everything about him was just strangely charming.
He had always been a proud, arrogant man.
Marry me.
Why?
Not only you can play qin and sing well,but you also have nimble hands and owns a heart of gold. Chu
Beijies smile was as dangerous as poisonous plants. Id much rather choose you over many other women.
I
Lets swear to the moon, never turn against each other.
Pingting smiled sadly. His words were like warm water, warming her from within. Chu Beijie helped her
stand.
Never turn against each other? Every word slowly tumbled out of her mouth.
Chu Beijie hugged her tightly, Yes, from then on, you will be my Duchess and I will be your husband.
Remembering the Duke of Zhen-Bei on the battlefield, she took a step back.
No She struggled to answer.

Why not?
I am only a qin maid.
I like your qin.
Im not good enough for Duke.
Im good enough for you.
Yet she still shook her head and biting on her lip, she said I Im not pretty enough.
Chu Beijie pretended to study her. I think youre fine to look at. He grinned.
Pingting was silent. She rolled her black crystal eyes but she still had a slight heartache. Leave, tomorrow, I
have to leave. This mans troops have attacked the place I was born, grew up, and is now sitting back and
manipulating the King to hurt the people of my residence.
But Chu Beijies embrace was always so warm, and it was hard to leave behind. Despite this, she still
pushed him away and even said no to him.
Her thumping heart began to calm down. Her complete rationalself hadnt returned yet, so her thoughts were
mainly illogical. She had to go. She had to leave, but she needed something that wouldnt make her look
back.
The word unfulfilled flashed into her mind several times.
Duke, she mumbled quietly but then she lifted her head and said, I dont want to be your duchess, but
I
She bit down on her lip and remained quiet. Chu Beijie smiled kindly at her, Continue.
No, dont bother. It was like she had heard a touching song and Pingting could barely hold back her tears.
She took a deep breath, suddenly hugged Chu Beijie hard and as she slowly looking up, she said Its
destiny that we were to meet, so may we just unite this one time?
It was difficult for her to ask, but she would finally get what she wanted.
Thoughts of her country were at the back of her mind. Tomorrow would be another story.
She simply didnt care anymore. Tonight was hers.
And she was his.
Chu Beijie thought he had misheard her and he looked really confused until understanding flooded into his
eyes. He laughed. Then, lifting her up, he briskly walked to his bedroom where he placed her down gently
on his bed.

Head looking down, he studied her white, elegant hand.

Lets be together forever.
Yeah. Pingting nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek.
Underneath her clothes, she was one real flower. Seeing her made something snap inside his mind and he
gazed at her.
Beautiful He touched her with his mouth, inhaling her scent. She smelled of sweet flowers.
Duke
Not Duke.
She sighed, Beijie.
Back then I was Dingnan, now Im Beijie. He noticed that she was a little nervous.
Outside, a full moon was shining.
That night, in the quiet Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence, the two people, respectively from Gui Le and Dong Lin
laid together. One losing soul, the other losing heart.
Her sleeping face was serene in the moonlight. Pingting was smiling in her dreams and her breathing was
quiet, regular.
She was tired. He could tell back then from her blurry eyes, like the stars were too bright for her.
Her perfect lips, slim waist and her long thin legs were all imprinted in his mind. Chu Beijies expression
was of happiness, but then for some reason, his smile disappeared. He was frowning.
He walked out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him.
Chu Moran was waiting for him in the office.
Chu Beijie walked inside with heavy steps and he sat down expressionless. Chu Moran handed him a sheet
of paper.
Yangfeng, from Bei Mo, sold into Gui Le at will. Plays qin, is one of the two famous Gui Le qin players.
Favoured by He Su but rarely appears in public.
Loves flowers and plants.
Favourite food: Eight treasure pickles.
Favourite colour: Blue

Never been seen since accused of a crime.

He took out a sheet of paper and looked at it again.
It felt as if the temperature had just dropped several degrees. Chu Moran felt rather uncomfortable.
Nothing suspicious at all, Chu Beijie laughed bitterly.
He had rarely seen his master look so helpless and Chu Moran couldnt help lowering his head and saying,
Duke, could it be that
Two famous Gui Les qin players Chu Beijie asked in a deep voice, Whos the other one?
Its one of Jing-An Ducal Residences maids, family name, Bai.
Chu Beijie closed his eyes and when he opened them again, there was a new light in them. A single phrase
left his mouth, Research her.
Yes.
Pingting only woke up when morning came.
Someone was kissing her shoulder.
Turning to the side, she saw a pair of intelligent black eyes and suddenly she remembered what happened
last night. She hid her overheating face in the blankets.
Whats done is done. No need to hide. Chu Beijie smiled fondly at her hair. Seeing that she was still
hiding, he laughed and playfully bit her shoulder.
Ow! Pingting jerked upwards, only to be captured by the waiting Chu Beijie, who planted a fierce kiss on
her red lips.
Hehe, the worlds most delicious breakfast.
You you
What? From now on you must call me husband.
Pingting narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased. Who had agreed to marry you?
Chu Beijie clamped her hand in his and looking intently into her eyes, he said in a very serious voice,
Marry me. Dont ever leave me.
Pingting felt as if she had been stabbed. She just stared.
Chu Beijie was really serious, Dont think about it. Come with me. Im willing to follow you into hell and

heaven.
Hell and heaven? She raised an eyebrow and stared questioningly at him.
So strong, such pride, such dark eyebrows isnt he just the ideal guy for every girl?
If he was by my side, my life would be a lot easier.
But she but she had to go.
Tears began to brim in Pingtings eyes. She turned away, refusing to let her tears flow.
Chu Beijie put his rough hand on Pingtings cheek. Hey, why are you crying?
I dont know why Im crying. Pingting dried her tears and managed a wobbly smile.
The more she thought about it, the more it hurt, but she had already convinced herself that she needed to go.
What's the point of missing him? She had to let go of Chu Beijies laughter, hurt, anger, and happiness.
Master is in danger. I cant just become a duchess for no reason.
Go, she had to go.
It was supposedly an auspicious year anyway.
She carefully studied Chu Beijie whenever she could. Being hugged by him always resulted in a sleepless
night. However, the weather was bad in every way possible, and she could not fall asleep without clutching
onto his warm hand first.
Sometimes, Chu Beijies deep sigh would pass by her ear and her heart would hurt.
She often wondered how he could possibly be so wild.
Politics, campaigns and blood battles. He even refused to rest in his dreams.
Had to go, she had to go. She had fallen into a life-claiming quicksand pit. It was difficult to move out of it,
but she had to.
OctobersOsmanthus fragrance fills thy head
The sweet aroma filled her lungs and she glanced back. Though her heart was cold, she remembered Chu
Beijies sweet smile.
Chu Beijie had whispered to her, When spring comes, all the flowers here will be in full bloom. When that
time comes, Ill personally pick a flower for you every day.
Im not beautiful, so wouldnt I be shadowed by a pretty flower?

Fine. You can sing. Sing until the flower withers.

The sound of Chu Beijies laughter filled the empty courtyard.
In her heart, Pingting wept with sadness.
When spring comes, when all the flowers here will be in full bloom, you will be in Dong Lin and where will I
be?

Chapter 09
For the next twenty or so days, Chu Beijie refused to leave her side, as if worried about losing her. He
watched her like a hawk, like a hungry person in front of food.
Pingting's heart melted like ice against the summer heat.
Where's Moran these days?
I got him to do something, he only came back yesterday.
What was so important that you actually had to send him away?
Chu Beijie saw the raised eyebrow on her face and sighed. The most important thing in this world is that
you stay with me.
Pingting rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose, Flattery.
You aren't wrong, my mouth is flattering. Duchess, try it. He took the opportunity and kissed her, only
letting go when he heard a faint nnnn from her. He broke away, put on a serious look and said, Lets go
back inside.
No! Pingting clenched her fists and hammered them against his back. You pervert, I am not going back.
Another squeal and shed already been picked up by Chu Beijie.
Geez, not againgive me a break.
Chu Beijie laughed, You can take a break later.
It was already the season of floating snowflakes, yet Pingting had still not found a good time to leave the
Ducal Residence. She had almost torn her handkerchief, from worrying about it.
Today was supposed to be the best day, as Chu Beijie would be away all day, but he just had to tell Chu
Moran, Look after my future Duchess until I get back.
Pingting was determined this time to not let such a great opportunity to slip away. She stood outside the door
for a long time, watching him ride his horse away from her, as it would be the last time she'd ever see him.

Chu Moran approached her and stopped respectfully at a distance. Miss Yangfeng, its cold, please come
inside.
As Chu Beijies figure disappeared from sight, Pingting gathered her thoughts. She turned around, lips
playing into a smile. I suppose itll snow tomorrow. She stepped back inside the main gates and she could
see Chu Moran standing rigidly behind her.
Moran, you should do your other work.
Duke ordered to protect Miss Yangfeng today.
Pingting's face was as cold as stone. You're monitoring me?
Wouldn't dare to.
I want to go outside. Are you going to tie me up and report to Duke?
Wouldnt dare to. As expected of Moran, his voice was level and his face ever expressionless.
Pingting lowered her head, pensive. She started to chuckle, I guess that was wrong of me. I'm not in a very
good mood right now because Duke isn't here and started to vent my frustration on you.
Moran's face studied her. Her face was gentle.
Sleeping gas or sleeping pills? Pingting quietly calculated as she walked inside.
Unfortunately, she had neither at her disposal. The contents of sleeping gas were hard to get and there were
too many ways of making sleeping pills. There was a relatively easy recipe, but she would require certain
common herb for that one.
She, who used to hate the time when she had to learn these things with her Master had now found the
information to be quite useful..
Sleeping pills it is then.
Cough......cough......... She coughed two times.
Chu Moran took two careful steps towards her: Is Miss Yangfeng feeling unwell? I'll get Chen Guanzhi...
No need, the herbs he prescribes never work, even when I have a lot, I don't recover fast enough. Pingting
pretended to frown, I'm sure my own prescription will be much better than his. She sat down at a table and
wrote a list, then handed it to Moran, Here. Buy these for me.
Pingting calmly watched Chu Moran scanned the list.
He couldn't find anything suspicious and consented. He turned to the nearest guard and had him fetch the
ingredients for the medicine on the list Pingting had written.

Not seeing anything suspicious, Chu Moran nodded approvingly Alrigt. He handed the list to a guard,
Go, and getthe herbs on this list.
Pingting smiled before retreating into her room, and closed the door behind her.
Chu Moran stood outside the door.
The room was gorgeous, Chu Beijie had personally designed and selected each piece inside himself. Bronze
mirrors glowed and beautiful carvings adorned the room. On an exquisite dressing table that was placed in
the corner there were three strands of jet black hair on it. These had fallen off while Chu Beijie washed her
hair today.
Pingting felt a wave of nostalgia rushed through her and sighed. She ambled to the dressing table and
opened the jewellery box.
Every woman's lifetime desires could be found within that box: gold hairpins, jade rings and brooches and
an exquisite pearl necklace.
She picked a three unremarkable ones out of the lot and proceeded to hide them up her sleeve.
Everything was now ready. As soon as the sleeping pills were made, she would use them on Moran and after
that, everything would be much easier.
She took a deep breath, pushing all of her desires to the back of her mind.
The bodyguard had already been taking a long time and almost two hours had already passed by. Pingting
didn't want to ask Chu Moran since she did not want him to have any suspicious at this critical time. She
decided to start coughing again. Outside, Chu Moran listened to her 'sickness' and only then, did he feel
obliged to ask Why havent the herbs here already? to one of the other guards beside him. It was in that
moment, when someone suddenly came in.
What's wrong, you feeling unwell again? Chu Beijie strode towards her. It's cold today, so don't just sit
there, he murmured.
Why're you back so soon? Pingting was surprised, she hadn't expected to see Chu Beijie beside her today,
Have you finished your work yet?
Not yet, but Moran said you were sick and coughing really hard, so he told someone to fetch me.
Pingting instantly began to detest Chu Moran. She bit down on her lip, he had ruined her chance to escape.
She brightened, I'm fine. Moran was over-exaggerating; you don't need to worry about me. You should go
back to your work. You're a Duke, so don't spend your time with a woman all day. She gently pushed him
away.
Haha, finally youre acting like a duchess. Chu Beijie let go of her and said, Its nothing important
though. I just caught someone close to He Xia and I was in the middle of questioning him when I heard that
you were sick, so I came here.

Pingting's body jolted at the mention of her companions but she hid it by pretending to cough.
Chu Beijie patted her on the back, What's wrong? You said that you were fine, but I reckon we have yet to
cure the root of your disease. I've ordered them to find the best medicine already.
Pingting stopped coughing, looked up and asked, What about you? If you don't question the prisoner, how
are you supposed to report to the King?
I've already asked some people to bring him here. I can question him within my own residence.
Who is this very important person?
He isn't that important, just a brat called Dongzhuo.
Pingting registered the figures in her head, face expressionless. I've heard of his name before, he's one of
the Marquess of Jing-Ans favourite attendants. He once accompanied the Marquess of Jing-An when he
visited the Princes Residence.
Chu Beijie stroked her hair, Do you want to accompany me?
The trial was to be held in a dungeon.
Fire blazed as bright as day and it illuminated the odd shapes of the various instruments of torture. The walls
and ceilings were dyed black with blood.
Pingting never have been there before, so she closely followed Chu Beijie while at the same time studied her
surroundings.
The sturdy prison walls were certainly not going to be easy to escape from, she secretly noted to herself.
Chu Beijie's breath was warm in her ear as he whispered, If you start to feel afraid or nervous, don't forget
to hold me tight.
Pingting nodded her head feeling pathetic and Chu Beijie burst into laughter.
At the end of the long, stone corridor, the fire suddenly lit up the wall. A teenage boy was hanging in the air,
his arms and legs shackled by heavy chains. His head was down.
Pingting looked at him and instantly knew that he really was Dongzhuo. His clothes were tattered but he
hadn't many scars. She quickly came to realise that he hadn't been tortured yet.
Brat, wake up! Our Duke is here, said the person who was in charge of the prisoners, as he nudged him
with a whip. He raised Dongzhuos chin to look at Chu Beijie.
There was an invisible, but frosty glow in Dongzhuo's eyes as he stared at Chu Beijie. Hmph, Chu Beijie.
The House of Jing-Ans worst enemy was standing right in front of him.

I don't plan to harm you. I am simply an admirer of the Marquess of Jing-An and I would like to persuade
him to ally Dong Lin. Chu Beijie smiled again, very sincerely, After all, the Marquess of Jing-An can no
longer go back to Gui Le, so isn't it a good idea for him to find new loyalties?
Whatever you say, I won't tell you anything, was Dongzhuo's cold reply.
Chu Beijie shook his head and with a sympathetic-looking face, he said, I admire tough boys, but
unfortunately not many remain tough in my hands. He took a step back and nodded at one of his
subordinates.
Pingting, who had been hiding behind Chu Beijie, instantly knew that he was going to whip him. The sound
of the whip pierced through the air.
Chaa!
The whip came in contact with flesh and Pingting shuddered at the sound.
Chaa! Chaa! Chaa!
More consecutive sounds of strong, powerful whipping could be heard. It was hard to breathe.
The sound of metal chains clinking in protest slowly decreased, minute by minute.
The whip severely hurt Dongzhuo, but he suffered in silence, not saying a word.
Chu Beijie blocked Pingtings view, seemingly noticing that she was shaking. He gently patted her on the
back. She looked up and saw his merciless expression.
You're still not going to tell me? Chu Beijie was getting annoyed, You know, the whip is the most
common torture in prisons. And yet, this can only be counted as an appetiser because when I use the main
dishes, you might even end up losing your life.
With a hoarse voice, Dongzhuo calmly replied, There isnt a single person from the Jing-An Ducal
Residence who is afraid to die!
Chu Beijie chuckled at this and Pingting could almost hear his evil intentions from his chilling, dangerous
smile. Things did not look good for Dongzhuo.
Then turning to Pingting, Chu Beijie softly assured her, Why is your face so pale? Are you afraid? Do not
fear, for I am here.
There's a lot of blood, she replied timidly, flinching.
The chains suddenly thumped, as if Dongzhuo had realised something.
Afraid of blood? Chu Beijie shook his head and jokingly added, If my wife is afraid of blood, how is she
supposed to accompany me onto the battlefield?

Pingting's delicate and pretty face weakly smiled at Chu Beijie. She could see Dongzhuo out of the corner of
her eye, suspended in the air, covered in blood. Dongzhuo's eyes were wide with disbelief, but somehow he
managed to understand her situation and so he hung his head instead.
I feel uncomfortable. She touched Chu Beijie's forehead and leaned on him.
Such feminism on her part was unusually rare for him to see. He was naturally overcome with sympathy and
affection so he asked, Where do you feel uncomfortable? I shouldn't have asked you to come with me.
Pingting ignored Dongzhuo. She looked into Chu Beijie's eyes. It's stuffy in here, I want to cough, but I
can't. Get someone to take me out, you deal with your work first.
I'll come with you.
Your work...
You're more important.
Before she could protest, he had already lifted her up again.
Ah! Pingting yelped in surprise and she blushed harder when she remembered that Dongzhuo was
watching them. She buried her head in Chu Beijie's arms in shame.
The jailer stepped forward with a blood-stained whip in his hands. Duke, that prisoner
Guard him carefully, hes someone from the Jing-An Ducal Residence. Hmm, I'll do the questioning
myself tomorrow.
Yes. The jailer had another thought, Would you like more people to guard him?
Chu Beijie snapped, Is it possible that He Xia would try to break into my residence?
Yes yes, understood.
Chu Beijie took her away from the scene in his arms. Though Pingting was still hiding in his arms, her eyes
were as wide as saucers. She studied and took mental notes on where each guard was standing, how many
there were and memorised the route back.
The moment they entered her room, a warm feeling spread through them. It was much more welcoming than
the dungeon air.
Dont get cold, Chu Beijie tucked her into bed. He ordered someone to bring a cup of hot tea.
I'm not thirsty, said Pingting, frowning.
The tough yet gentle aroma of hot tea watered into her lips.
He ordered light refreshments.

Not hungry either.

She was still protesting, but then she had already eaten all of the refreshments.
After refreshments, it was Chu Beijies turn to eat dessert.
Hey...you...can't be serious....
I'm never serious around you. He kissed her, his tongue coming in, like a wind sweeping through her
teeth. She struggled, but he was too strong as she began to lose control of herself.
Finally, she managed to kick away, her bright eyes pleading. I...ahh, um...cough cough. She refused to
meet Chu Beijie's commands and the only way she could get away with it was by coughing.
Chu Beijie was surprised and he hurriedly took a step back, Youre really sick? I know you're afraid of
blood, but soon, you'll get used to it. Then, he raised his voice, Someone! Get Chen Guanzhi to come
here!
Pingting tugged at his sleeve, No need. Having plenty of rest will do the trick. Besides, I don't like Chen
Guanzhi's prescriptions. They're simply too bitter.
Bitter medicine is good medicine. Chu Beijie looked back at her, his face charming. If you really don't
like him, I'll find you another doctor.
Why find another? I already gave Moran the prescription I made today...
They suddenly heard something outside the room.
Duke, the King has summoned you.
Chu Beijie touched Pingting's hand, Why in the middle of the night?
Chu Moran's reply was curt. The group that we sent to Bei Mo seems to be in trouble
Chu Beijie groaned in dismay. Pingting, who had been waiting for him to leave, eagerly pushed his
shoulders. Your work is important, don't make the King worry.
Then...you must stay here, I'll get them to boil the herbs.
Don't stall, I'll ask them. Go.
Chu Beijie's face was one of guilt. I'll be back as soon as possible.
Okay.
She watched Chu Beijie disappear, feeling a rush of excitement as she jumped out of bed.

She patiently listened for movement, took a deep breath before going to the window. Her alert eyes scanned
the situation outside, through a small gap.
Chu Moran seemed to have gone with Chu Beijie, as he was no longer standing outside her door.
Her lips broke into a sly smile, as she turned around to grind the selection of herbs on the table.
Unique remedies and sleeping gas. She said to herself, There aren't many guards in the dungeon, so this
should be more than enough.
She took out a box underneath her bed. There was a sleeping gas bomb inside it.
If he knew, I don't know what he'll do to me. Her heart ached slightly and Pingting's face had a touch of
resentment. She sighed, oh well, it doesn't matter if I'm afraid of him
She pushed away those thoughts. Don't think about it, I have to help Master and Dongzhuo.
Although shed already finished planning ages ago, it took around fifteen minutes for her to get ready.
Pingting looked outside. Chu Moran hadn't come back yet. Armed with a sleeping gas bomb, she quietly left
the room.

Chapter 10
The insects had long gone into hibernation for it already was a winters night. A curved moon hung in the
sky, emitting a cold, pale light.
She huffed while walking towards the underground dungeon.
Due to her keen observation for the last few days, she noticed that breaking through the security was
relatively easy. While Pingting walked, she saw a couple of maids, who waved and then scurried off.
Around the artificial mountain and bamboo she went, arriving at the entrance of the underground dungeon.
The warden had seen someone approaching in the distance but he was surprised to see that it was Pingting.
He greeted her with a smile.
Why has Miss Yangfeng decide to pay us a visit? Wow, it sure is cold today.
I lost a hairpin, just have to look for it
A hairpin? The warden hesitated, Couldn't you have left it in your room?
I've looked, but it's not in there. I think it's more likely that I lost it in the dungeon. Pingting lowered her
voice, I only got it from Duke this morning and I've only used it once. How am I supposed to explain to
Duke tomorrow morning? Please, please help me look for it
That's... The warden looked undecided. This dungeon is an important place, it is usually prohibited to

enter.
Didn't I go in this morning?
The warden's mouth tightened into a thin line but he pretended to be cheerful. Miss, aren't you bending my
values here? If Duke asks...
Pingting took her argument no further, instead pretended to be elegant. Then could you please go in and
have a look for me? Look carefully on the ground and on the stage. I'll wait here. She immediately started
coughing, pretending to be sick from the cold.
The north wind was piercing. Even the warden had been cold, but now hearing Pingting's cough unnerved
him. Miss, please go back. When I find it, I shall personally deliver it to you.
No, no, waiting is better. Cough, cough, coughcough...I...cough...my chest feels humid, my forehead
feels like it's on fire, but I don't feel cold.
Her words made a startling impact on the dungeon keeper.
The dungeon keeper knew that the Duke adored this girl. For her sickness, he had chosen the famous doctor,
Chen Guangzhi, to look after her. It was very likely that she would be his future, official wife, their Duchess.
If she got sick outside his dungeon, then...
After weighing his options, the dungeon head said, through gritted teeth, On other thoughts, you can come
in. It's slightly warmer in there. It'll be more convincing if you look for it yourself too, Miss.
He opened the big dungeon door, let Pingting in and gingerly closed the door behind her.
At the other end of the once pitch-black room, there lay Dongzhuo.
He didn't feel cold. The dried blood that covered his body felt like a thousand infernos. It clung to his body,
even the slightest movement could tear open his wounds.
He rested again the wall, trying to save as much strength as possible.
Creak...
The sound of the dungeon door carefully being opened broke the silence. A ray of light entered.
Dongzhuo's eyes flickered in response.
Dongzhuo? Pingting appeared at the door, holding a flaming torch.
Dongzhuo's mouth twitched into a smile, forcing a hint of his usual mischievous demeanour. I was waiting
for you.
He stood up, his wounds on his legs threatened to give in.

Pingting's face flashed towards him, smiling, and the chains rattled.
After his binds had been taken off, Dongzhuo asked, What happened to the people outside?
Down. Pingting rolled her crystal black eyes. I didn't even use the sleeping gas bomb.
You mean the formula that almost forced the entire Residence of Jing-An to sleep?
Pingting lifted the corners of her mouth smugly. Follow me.
They left the dungeon, the warden and his three guards lay on the ground outside. Both of them had been to
too many wars and they efficiently changed into the residential guards' clothes without a word. Pingting
knew the place too well and led the way to the stables.
The sky had yet to brighten and the stable boy was still fast asleep.
Dongzhuo chose two of the best horses. One for Pingting, the other for himself.
Looks like Chu Beijie isn't back yet, thank God. Pingting looked up at the sky. At this time, Mr Zhang
will be guarding the back door. He isn't very strong, so go easy on him.
After they had knocked out Mr Zhang, out the little back door they went. Just like that, they had escaped
from the Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence, without too much trouble.
They smiled at each other, no need for celebration.
Besides, the further they went, the safer.
Soon, they had left the city walls, galloping past the fields of yellow grass and nectarine trees.
Thinking that they had already left the danger behind, they slowed down a little.
Both of them were tired, so they chose a spot and sat down to have a rest.
Dongzhuo lowered his head, deep in thought. He couldn't help but ask, It might be better to ask this
question in the future, but... Pingting, how did you end up in Chu Beijies residence?
The smile on Pingting's face faltered for a second, but it was quickly replaced by the normal expression.
Come closer. Let me tell you.
Dongzhuo leaned closer to her and Pingting whispered into his ear. What he heard made his face change and
after she had finished, she jerked his head upwards to stare at Pingting.
Pingting kept her face neutral, What?
So thats the story...
Anyways, back to the point. Pingting said, The residence lost a criminal. Chu Beijie will definitely send

soldiers to pursue us. One of us needs to divert the soldiers' attention, the other needs to go back to Master.
Pingting, I think we should give up.
Her face went cold, How can we possibly just give up now? I'll go east and you go west. Go.
He didn't reply, so Pingting pushed him onto a horse and whipped it. She watched the horse slowly
disappear into the distance.
Pingting can finally see you again, Master. She checked that Dongzhuo really had disappeared, before
heading to her destination.
Pingting had been right, it was going to snow soon. In the early morning, the sun briefly showed its face
before darting back into the clouds and very soon, grey clouds began to cover the sky.
Pingting, who was still on horse, knew that the clouds overhead were gathering.
Ah, that's a big snowflake. She reached out, picking out a snowflake in midair. She watched it melt on her
frozen, red hand and this brought a child-like smile onto her face.
She hadn't seen such good snow for a long time.
For the last couple of years, her master always called out to her around this time. Hurry! Time to admire the
snow, don't forget the qin, remember to bring the qin.
Though Master is in hiding, he should be happy with this snow too, right?
She wasnt riding that fast, but was casually appreciating the spiralling white scenery. Shed already taken
off the white fox coat off the horse and had draped it over herself.
Chu Beijie had given her that coat recently. It seemed that it was a specialty of Dong Lin. It really was nice
to wear, for it seemed that not the slightest bit of wind could penetrate through. As she had expected there to
be snow, she had come well-prepared.
When there is trouble, there are heroes; when there are heroes, there are beautiful women; surviving the
turmoil, surviving the turmoil
Though it was cold, Pingting was in a good mood and amidst the beautiful scenery, she had begun to sing.
Her mind was occupied and despite the smile on her face, there was an unmistakable trace of confusion.
But her voice was as gentle as ever.
If there are soldiers, there will be fame; if there is fame, there will be fraud; soldiers know fraud, soldiers
know fraud...
She suddenly thought of Chu Beijie.

Her face suddenly went red, as if she had just brushed blusher on her cheeks.
That person, that man. Pingting stopped singing, softly sighing. No word could even describe him.
It snowed heavily for the next three days, while she continued to ride East.
Three days later, the snow stopped. She had already reached the outskirts of Dong Lin. She stopped at a
place exactly a day away from Gui Le.
The earth was white.
Pingting stopped and asked a passer-by for the first time.
Excuse me Sir, do you know where Three-Swallow Cliff is?
Straight ahead. Can you see that strip of land where those sheep are grazing on? Go through there and at
the fork, go right. You'll get there in about half a day by horse. The old man was holding preserved foods
for the winter. He looked up, It's so cold, yet you still have to go?
Yep! She thanked the old man, then mumbled, Sheep on a strip of land...
It was right ahead.
She thought of her master's smile and wondered how he would react when he saw her.
She couldn't suppress the joy in her heart; she pushed the horse to go a little faster.
Arriving at the thin strip of grass, she saw that her path was a valley wide enough for three horses to pass
through simultaneously, but the sky up ahead was still a relatively thin gap.
Grey-white light shone through the gap.
Pingting stopped at the entrance.
The wind that came from the valley was bitter, bone-piercingly cold. The cold matched the sound of
crunching gravel.
The air was like a morbid omen.
Pursuers... Pingting's delicate mouth sighed, as if to feel the danger. Pingting suddenly jerked her horse
and whipped it, hard.
Go!
The little black horse seemed to have also felt the danger. It reared up, before bounding into the valley.
Then came their eerie predators.

They could hear the rumbling of hooves behind them. Figures suddenly appeared, like demons arising from
the earth.
Pursuing soldiers, pursuing soldiers!
The Duke of Zhen-Beis soldiers were here!
It was like they were trying to overpower the white earth.
They were getting closer and closer, it was almost deafening. It was difficult not to imagine that murderous
intent in the air, with soldiers and their swords flashing in silver light.
Pingting didn't look back, just galloped forward.
Something roared within her, but it was immediately replaced by dismay.
Yangfeng! Came the rich voice, sweet to her ears.
Chu Beijie was here.
Her slender body trembled, but Pingting pretended not to hear, she continued to gallop forward.
Faster, faster! The wind whipped against her face, it hurts.
Bai Pingting! The same voice, except this time it was adorned with anger.
Pingting was shaking.
She knew this person's sweet voice very well.
He said that they will never be apart.
He said that when spring came, he would personally pick a flower for her every day.
But now he was angry, like the lions, who sought blood.
All she could picture was a battlefield. When a powerful army strikes to defeat an enemy, the blood thirsty
cry like demons commanding a massacre.
The hooves seemed to get closer, as if they were right behind her.
She tried her best to speed up by using the whip again.
But before the whip had actually gone down, someone had already pulled the whip out of her hands and had
wrapped his arms around her waist, as if trying to prove some point.
Ah! She exclaimed as she fell into an embrace that smelled of gunpowder.

Opening her eyes, she saw a pair of very dangerous looking black pupils.
You sure ran away far. He used one hand to guide the horse, the other to hold his captive. Chu Beijie
forced a smile, Look at you, so disobedient, escaping this far.
Despite knowing the danger, Pingting had to ask him something. When did you realize I was Bai
Pingting?
All right, not too late. He peered down at her, as if calculating her.
Slender neck, white hands, delicate face.
Her eyes were too calm. She certainly didn't know what real torture was, nor did she know how dangerous
the angry Duke of Zhen-Bei was like.
How am I going to punish her?
Where's Dongzhuo? she gave up struggling because she knew that it was impossible to escape from his
arms.
Ran away. Don't worry, I'll capture him soon and then you'll be able to have a happy reunion. Chu Beijie
coldly replied, Three-Swallow Cliff, was it?
Pingting began to chuckle.
Chu Beijie sweetened his voice, Im more afraid of you crying though. Your tears totally break my heart.
Pingting stopped laughing. Duke must have pretty reliable sources.
That's right.
You were suspicious of my identity from the start. You caught someone from the Jing-An Ducal Residence
to test me
You could be right. If you let me kill that brat, then I wouldnt have been suspicious of you anymore.
Duke pretended to go away on purpose, but you secretly followed us after I had rescued him. You did this
to find Master's location.
Chu Beijie looked at her bemused. An army has already gathered at Three-Swallow Cliff, so your stalling
techniques are useless.
Duke's embrace is always the warmest. Pingting seemed to have given up, she had closed her eyes and
was obediently pressing into Chu Beijie. If Duke is so strong, how come you didn't catch Dongzhuo?
Pingting's voice must have made Chu Beijie think of something else, as he shouted, Retreat! Retreat out of
this place!

Pingting smiled tenderly, Too late.

Everyones face looked dumb-stricken.
They had yet to understand, when they heard shouts overhead. They looked up, seeing many bows and
arrows pointing at them from both sides.
With this many arrows, even the most skilled would have difficulty escaping.
It's an ambush!
Ah! The people of the Jing-An Ducal Residence!
Damn it! Run! Ah....
The crowd roared as many tried to escape with their horses, but the unforgiving arrows still penetrated right
through their stomachs.
They kept screaming, as did people falling off their horse.
The horses neighed as the blood splattered everywhere.
The arrows only came for the ones who tried to escape. Some of the people on the cliff shouted, Those who
surrender will not be killed! Those who surrender will not be killed!
It was pretty obvious that the victor had been decided already.
Chu Beijie knew that he had been too careless and this would leave a lasting stain on his profile. He raised
his hand and shouted, Stop moving. Everyone dismount and hold onto your horse.
He repeated his command twice more and his soldiers had calmed down. As expected, they dismounted and
they had all gathered around him. His army wielded swords of all kinds, their blade flashing in the light.
He looked down and saw a pair of cunning eyes.
So you deliberately chose a place to leave that brat, and those whisperings were actually your plan to trap
me.
You flatter me, Duke. That place was quite difficult to find and making Dongzhuo disappear from your
spies took me a lot of thought.
Her slow journey through the snow was also a ploy to give Dongzhuo enough time to report back to her
master. Fortunately she read a lot and had recently read about this valley on the outskirts of Dong Lin. It had
helped with her planning.
Chu Beijie thought about what she said. Unfortunately, you miscalculated one thing.
Oh?

If you hadn't miscalculated, why did you end up in my hands? After a while, he added, If a thousand
arrows head for me, although I won't live for long, I doubt you would.
Pingting raised an eyebrow and in a light voice she said, I sold you. So does it matter whether I accompany
you to death or not?
Chu Beijie's sharp eyes rested on her hair, threatening to pierce through her skull. It was a rhetorical
question, besides, I doubt you want to die.
Pingting answered, Duke is such a hero, so of course you wouldn't like to die useless? Actually, I don't
exactly want Duke's death, but you have to promise one thing. One thing and those bows and arrows will
disappear, without hurting anyone.
Speak.
It's simple, for the next five years, Dong Lin's soldiers cannot enter nor fight Gui Le.
Chu Beijie lowered his voice, Only the King can make decisions on battles.
Duke is the brother of the King and you are also the best general, so you must have some influence right?
Gui Le gets five years of peace in exchange for Duke's life, I think that's fair. She bit her lip and lowered
her voice too, If you live, I live. If you die, I can only accompany you to death.
Chu Beijie realized that he was holding onto a very cunning woman, yet his heart refused to give in.
Gentle, he could still remember her lingering touch.
She could be gentle, but underneath was immeasurable deception, trickery.
Chu Beijie gritted his teeth, the veins in his neck were emphasized.
He had never been manipulated by anyone.
This was an absolutely unforgivable insult.
Pingting didn't realise Chu Beijie's anger.
Her heart tangled up at the sight of Chu Beijie's face.
She could no longer tolerate his oppressive gaze, so she softly urged, Duke, you must make your decision
now.
His thoughts were blank.
Ha, ha, hahahaha! Chu Beijie tossed his head back and laughed, his spectators wondering if he had gone
crazy. He stared angrily at Pingting, his eyes full of hatred. Do as you wish.

Pulling out his most important sword that hung from his waist, he threw it towards the ground, the force
strong enough to light a fire.
I, Dong Lin's Duke of Zhen-Bei, Chu Beijie, swear on my royal blood that for the next five years, no Dong
Lin soldier will set foot on Gui Le territory. I leave this sword to you, as a token of my promise.
His resentful voice echoed in the valley, like a deep sorrowful lament at the end of time. His voice was clear
and loud. As soon as Chu Beijie said this, a figure appeared at the top of the cliff, peering down but smiling.
The Duke of Zhen-Bei is a true gentleman. I, He Xia, believe you will keep your promise and on behalf of
all those peasants who do not wish to fight, I would like to thank you.
There he was, the Marquess of Jing-An, graceful but not showy, wearing clothes as white as the snow. He
was the very person that the King of Gui Le wanted to kill most at the moment.
Pingting saw her master and couldn't help but exclaim Master! in delight.
He Xia turned towards her and nodded. Pingting, you did well, I...... his words were caught in his throat,
as if it was too private to talk about. He turned to Chu Beijie, Please let go of my maid. Now that the deal
has been made, the Duke of Zhen-Bei, you may leave. We will not attack you.
Chu Beijie didn't say a word, just glanced down at Pingting.
Go back?
Letting go, he helped her off the horse. It was a simple action, but Chu Beijie could not stop himself from
holding onto her tighter and tighter.
This extremely slim woman, who was as poisonous as snakes and scorpions and would manipulate him
without a second thought. She should be his enemy, one that he should quickly kill.
Yet he was almost clutching onto her.
Don't want to... let go.
Her warm body, her slender fingertips and her delicate face was frozen from the cold.
His fingers brushed against her lips.
Like he used to.
He had gotten used to listening her play the qin, used to listening her joke about the weather, used to her
lazing on the bed all night while he read his documents.
If only he had known her true origin, he could have prevented this from happening and live with her in
peace.
His happiness only took him into a trap.

What he thought he had captured suddenly grew wings and flew away, back to her master.
Yet he could not stand the thought of letting her go.
He was used to holding her, hugging her, kissing her. Kissing her...
His hatred was extreme, his love thinning out.
He was used to......
Between earth and heaven, this woman must be the most evil and the most hated person ever, yet between
earth and heaven, she was also the softest, the gentlest.
And he struggled to catch this extraordinary woman.
Chu Beijie shut his eyes, thinking, preserving.
Duke, please let go of my maid, Came the faint voice of He Xia.
Chu Beijie seemed to fall the cloud of the past back into reality. He looked down, she was still there, staring
at him with her bright eyes.
Duke, please let me dismount, she whispered.
Chu Beijie wasn't sure that he heard her correctly.
Dismount? Where are you going?
You lied to me, why should I just let you go because you say so?
In this entire world, I only want you, only you.
My hatred is strong yet my love is deep. I want your body and mind; there is no escape.
Chu Beijie frostily replied, I only promised Gui Le five years of peace, I did not promise to give you up.
Pingting shook her head and said, My country's soldiers haven't retreated yet. It's not looking too good for
you, Duke.
As expected of He Xia's female military advisor. Chu Beijie's lips were drawn tight, but then he smiled,
What do you think will happen if I kill you here and now?
Pingting wasn't afraid at all, she sweetly laughed instead, Pingting will die with Duke on the same day and
at the same time.
Wrong. Chu Beijie relaxed, before saying, He Xia won't allow anyone to shoot me. He will let me leave
here safely, so long I promise to uphold my promise of peace.

Uncertainty flicked on Pingting's face, though it was instantaneously back to normal. It however, did not
escape Chu Beijie's sharp eyes.
Chu Beijie exclaimed, You are He Xia's personal maid, yet you don't know that he is a famous general?
What is famous, you say; it is distinguishing what's important and what's not. The life of Bai Pingting is
insignificant in comparison to five years of peace.
Pingting hesitated for a while, before sadly saying, Duke, do you really hate me that much?
Chu Beijie gazed at her with a profound expression, not saying a word.
Pingting gave a wan smile. Fine. Kill me.
As soon as she said this, her feet landed on the ground with a soft thud. Then she looked up, seeing the man
so familiar yet imposing.
This is your final chance. Chu Beijie sighed, Get on the horse with me and say good bye to He Xia. From
then on, you will no longer be called Bai Pingting, you will be Chu.
His words jolted through Pingting, because despite the treachery she had done, he had still left her a chance.
How could I not feel grateful?
His crystal eyes stared into hers, whispering of their overwhelming love.
The Zhen-Bei Ducal Residences guqin.
The flower had disappeared, to a place no one knew.
I am the soul that meanders through the snow-white plains, you are the world's sharpest blade. Between us,
lies a mountain of hatred and betrayal.
High mountains, surrounded by snow. You cannot see me, I cannot see you.
A wrenching heart, never ceasing.
Pingting gazed into the distance where she could see He Xia waiting. She bit her lip hard, took a step
backwards before saying, Please leave Duke, Pingting cannot send you off.
Chu Beijie's face was expressionless, drained of warmth. He nodded.
Well, well, well....... He said then coldly added, One day, Ill let you know what excruciating heartache
is. With that, he turned away, bringing his whip down hard on his horse.
The horse cried loudly before rushing out, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
A lonely figure heading towards the setting sun.

Chapter 11

Winter went, and spring came.

The flowers were blooming while butterflies flew, sometimes they even perched on a finger.
In a huge villa located near the borders of Gui Le and Bei Mo, Pingting stared listlessly into space.
You've gotten thin these days, He Xia stood behind her, sighing. Pingting, you've changed.
Changed? Pingting chuckled, flicked her finger and the butterfly flew off. She looked up, Who has
changed? Pingting's surname is still Bai, still owned by Master, still plays qin for Master everyday.
He Xia studied her, until she was unable to meet his eyes. Then he suddenly turned and got something
behind him. For you.
What? Pingting looked at it carefully, apparently it was a sword given by Chu Beijie as a token of truce.
This is a symbol of truce between two countries. You can't just give it to me.
Chu Beijie has a certain habit, at every battle, he always has a sword on his right and left. This token is the
sword on his left. He Xia paused, lowered his voice and said, This sword is known as 'Departed Soul'.
Pingting's eyes swivelled towards the centuries-old sword, stretched out a hand and slowly stroked it,
repeating, Departed Soul?
Back then I didn't understand why he left the most important left sword, instead of his right sword, 'Divine'.
But now I get it. He left this sword for you, since your soul has departed from this world. He Xia stuffed
the sword into Pingting's hands, sighed again, then walked out of the room.
Departed Soul?
Pingting hugged the sword, the cold scabbard pressed against her skin.
She stared into space.
That's right, her soul had disappeared while the figure disappeared on that horse.
How could I forget Chu Beijie? It was spring, the best time to admire flowers.
After everything had settled down, she spent her days and nights, carefully and precisely, thinking about
Chu Beijie.
Why her heart had become mud then gradually melting into water, she did not know. She could not
remember the frauds, the plotting, nor the leading to Chu Beijies defeat. She could only think of those three
nights at Hua Residence, that time when his face was so sincere while he quietly stood vigil.
What kind of person are you? Pingting lifted her head, looking up at the clouds. Do you hate me, or do
you love me? Before your departure, did you pretend to be dismayed, or did you lie to me?

He was gentle, day and night. That was true.

His deception and lies, they weren't untrue either.
She was extremely clever, but she was extremely confused at the moment as if she were stuck in quicksand,
unable to pull herself up.
Feeling a sudden heavy pain on her shoulder, Pingting turned abruptly, startled.
Haha, daydreaming again? Dongzhuo pretended to grimace, but seeing Pingting's pale face, he stopped
himself to laugh instead. Eh, eh? Why're you crying?
Pingting hastily wiped her eyes, glared and said, You're never serious. You finally decided to change your
habits after that incident, but a couple of days later, your cheeky habits are back again.
Dongzhuo scratched his head, glanced at her, sat down and lifted a tea cup. I came to see you and cheer you
up. Instead you scowled at me, trying to tell me off or something.
Pingting felt bad when she heard this. She lowered her head and mumbled, You don't need to worry about
me, I'm perfectly healthy, and I'll be all right in a couple of days.
A couple of days? We're leaving today, so lighten up.
Today? Pingting hesitated, Where are we going?
Dongzhuo looked stunned, like he had expected that Pingting knew all along. Something unnatural flashed
on his face, but it disappeared as soon as it came. He blinked, I only vaguely heard Master say it twice,
something likeAlthough this place has been the secret hideout of our Residence for several years, it is
still within Gui Le territory. The King is still searching for us, so it's best to leave as soon as possible...I
don't know where we're going though. He scratched his head in concentration, Master asked me to do
something by the way. I haven't done it yet.
Pingting watched Dongzhuo leave in a hurry, looking away long after he had gone.
Her master and Dongzhuo weren't to blame for the propaganda in Gui Le.
Ever since returning to her Master's side, she was like a lost soul. Others would say ten sentences whereas
she would awkwardly say one sentence.
She used to partially manage the household work, but ever since falling into the hands of Dong Lin, her
work had been distributed among some other maids. Her return did not affect daily life.
Just like that, life continued on.
Her master was right, though the location was fairly discrete, it was still a place where the King could move
freely and so preparations must be made early. In the past, she would have realized it early on and told her
master, but now... had she also lost her intelligence?

As expected, a maid came to pack her clothes up that day.

Pingting asked, Where are we going?
I don't know.
Where's Master?
Master is busy.
She followed her Residence's people onto a carriage when she realized that she couldn't see Dongzhuo
either. Where's Dongzhuo?
How am I supposed to know that? Sis Pingting, don't worry about it and sit calmly for the journey.
Which carriage is Master on? I always sit on the same carriage with him.
Sis Pingting, Master wants you to sit on the carriage with us and I dont know where Master is.
Only one answer could be given to every ten questions, the journey passed by without incident until they
arrived at another residence. It seemed to have been secretly prepared by House of Jing-An several years
ago.
Suspicious, Pingting couldn't help but forget about Chu Beijie, studying her surroundings instead.
Her uneasiness increased.
She hadn't seen her master yet and she hadn't realized what was happening before, but now she did.
Where's Sir, the Duke?
The Duke doesn't know that we're here yet.
Where is this?
I don't know.
Realizing that the maid really knew nothing, she tried to go outside to find her master, but she was blocked
outside. I'd like to see Master, please let me go.
To which she received blank stares, Master is away, he will find Sis when he comes back.
She didn't see He Xia for the next couple of days and she received little news. Pingting couldn't see her
surroundings, beside or in front. Everything was blurry.
She couldn't help feeling chilled. How could things have changed so much in such a short period of time?
Was the Residence changing or was she?

Soon her sickness from last year returned.

Pingting woke up in the middle of the night, coughing. She sent for a doctor and he was busy all night.
He Xia finally re-appeared that day.
Why are you sick again? He Xia frowned, accusingly saying, You never look after yourself properly.
See, you've wrecked your body again. What's the point? He personally brought and spooned the medicine
to her.
Pingting stared at He Xia then broke into a smile. Master sure is busy these days, I don't even get to see you
anymore.
I'm afraid that I'll upset you. I'm afraid that you'll work too hard, so I've hidden everything that'll upset you
and make you overwork.
About the future of the Royal House and ours, have you discussed it with the Duke here?
See, see. I told you I always make you worry. I'll organise everything.
Pingting propped herself up to drink the medicine, and she closed her eyes. He Xia didn't leave in a hurry.
He sat beside her instead, gently rubbing her shoulder. Go to sleep, you're as thin as bone. More food and
sleep will do you well. You're so quiet these days, but it reminds me of the time when we were younger and
you used to throw plates into the well.
Being young and innocent is so nice.
We're still good.
A smile spread across Pingting's thin face, when she suddenly thought of something. Master, Chu Beijie
once told me something.
What did he say?
He said I am He Xia's maid yet I didn't know that he was a famous general. What is famous, you say? It
isdistinguishing between what's important and what's not. The life of Bai Pingting is...insignificant in
comparison to five years of peace.
He Xia shook his head, Stupid girl. You believed his words all along?
He may be an enemy general, but I do believe in his words. Pingting looked tenderly at He Xia's face,
whispering Master is a famous general.
He Xia didn't answer.
Pingting, ever since coming back, you've never told me anything about the Duke of Zhen-Bei.

Chu Beijie was suspicious of me from the start; though I was often in the room while he read official
documents, I couldn't read a single word on them.
There was no point in dwelling over the past.
Just like the shabby walls of the Gui Le's once-beautiful Jing-An Ducal Residence.
Defeat lay ahead, so how could one's virtues not change?
Gui Le now has five years of peace, during these five years, the King can form a stronger army to fight
against Dong Lin. Every step we take, are worthy to our country. No matter what He Su says, he is Gui Le's
King, if he doesn't like us, we can't do anything about it. From now on, House of Jing-An no longer exists,
for we are going to retreat into the mountains and never appear in public again. He Xia paused, then added,
But the problem is that House of Jing-An has many adversaries. Many people would love to kill us,
including our King. Therefore, our secrecy will rely on one thing, that is, our location.
A bone-piercing wind chilled her heart like a rope had suddenly ended her life.
Master... Pingting gritted her teeth, finally managing to say, You're suspicious of me?
You plotted against Chu Beijie and gained valuable time for Gui Le. You are good person. I believe in
you. He Xia raised his head, closing his eyes. Then he opened his eyes and asked softly, But Pingting, do
you believe in yourself?
Those seven words shocked her.
Pingting was completely shocked. Pain and disbelief was written all over her face.
What are you saying? Pingting choked out, after her voice had returned.
He Xia didn't answer her question, What are you clutching onto?
Departed Soul, Pingting replied, You gave it to me.
No, Chu Beijie gave you that. He Xia sighed, If you had rejected Departed Soul last time, I would have
had the slightest trace of hope. I hoped that you wouldn't have lost your soul and reason to Chu Beijie. But
you accepted it. You only thought of Chu Beijie, forgetting Gui Le. When you accepted Departed Soul, did
you ever think that it wasonlyfor the symbol of peace between two countries for all the peasants?
If I had forgotten about Gui Le, would I have lead Chu Beijie into a trap?
He Xia looked at her, An unstable love born amidst danger. Only when they part, do they realise the depth
of their love.
No
Pingting, ever since you came back, you're always refusing to sit on the same carriage as me. We were
always as close as siblings before this. That day, he tried to help you, a woman, down the horse, well, not

many men can do that

Dont say anymore, don't say anymore! Pingting shook her head, a lump in her throat. She closed her
eyes, a shiny tear caught in her eyelashes. I understand.
Backfired plotting.
It was true that she tricked Chu Beijie, yet Chu Beijie used his true feelings to trick her.
Love was true, the deception was true too.
Being with her Master in the Jing-An Ducal Residence for the last eighteen years was nothing compared to
Chu Beijie's simple trick.
For the first time in her life, Pingting realised how helplessly she had fallen into his trap. She could no
longer get He Xia's complete trust, because the truth was, she really had fallen in love.
In this world, those who have fallen in love cannot make clear judgements.
If she were to meet Chu Beijie in the future, her actions would be completely unpredictable.
He Xia being suspicious of her was perfectly excusable.
Completely natural.
That was Chu Beijie's final trick, to make her heart ache.
Eyes wide open until sunrise, hearing the rooster crow, Pingting abruptly sat up on her bed. She groped
around a bit, like she had lost her mind, until her hands finally traced the familiar patterns on the scabbard.
'Departed' and 'Soul', were the two ancient characters engraved onto it.
She thought back to the time when Chu Beijie had thrown down his sword, eyes flashing with anger and
then back to what He Xia had just told her.
If she hadn't accepted it, there would still have been hope.
Yet if she did
Eighteen years of service cleanly wiped away by a single sword.
She did not usually like to cry, but today she had more tears than ever. Her heart was like frozen water. She
wanted to cry, but she couldn't.
Stiffly sitting in bed, she felt her thoughts muddle up. She rubbed her forehead.
She realised that her high temperature had returned as she pressed her cold fingertips against her burning
forehead.

A maid called Lingdang, sent by He Xia, came in, carefully asking, Sis, it's time to get up?
She repeated the question three times until Pingting snapped back into focus, Eh?
Lingdang brought in some hot water, squeezed a cloth dry and gave it to Pingting. They were always
moving around and everything was scattered around the room. Lingdang searched around for the brush
Pingting usually used.
Pingting, who was standing behind her, said, Don't bother. Find Dongzhuo for me.
Dongzhuo?
He's not here?
Lingdang shook her head, smiling. I'll check.
The sun was bright, the scent of spring was getting stronger and stronger. The door bead curtain tinkled at
Lingdang's departure, glittering in the sunlight. At that moment, Pingting remembered the blinds at Hua
Residence.
She and Lady Hua hid behind blinds, secretly peering at their guests.
That, was the time she first saw Chu Beijie.
Being the only one in the room made it feel cold, so cold that even Pingting couldn't think too much about
the past. After getting out of bed and finding her brush, she slowly brushed her long black hair beside the
window, keeping her eyes on the vibrant colours of the outside world.
Red and purple flowers were half open. Lush green grass grew beside the pond. Though it was beautiful,
everything was unfamiliar.
It was not the Jing-An Ducal Residence nor Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence.
Get on the horse with me and say good bye to He Xia. From then on, you will no longer be called Bai
Pingting, you will be Chu.
You only thought of Chu Beijie; you forgot about Gui Le. When you accepted Departed Soul, did you ever
think that it was only for the symbol of peace between two countries, for all the peasants?
She frowned, like she really wanted to end her life as soon as possible, her hands were clutched tightly to her
chest while she looked back at the precious sword beside her bed.
Departed Soul.
She left Chu Beijie, but she could no longer return to the Jing-An Ducal Residence. How did she, Bai
Pingting, who was the most trusted maid of the Marquess of Jing-An, the experienced female military
advisor, the girl who gained five years of peace for Gui Le, end up being a lonely spirit?

Pingting, came Dongzhuo's voice somewhere behind her, You were looking for me?
Pingting put down her brush, turned around, her lips already forming a smile. I want to tell you
something.
Dongzhuo looked a bit startled, he hadn't seen Pingting for several days. He had been busy, but he still knew
that something was worrying her. Seeing his friend so distraught made his playful smile disappear, replaced
by a more serious, adult-like face. He lowered his head, Tell me.
I'm leaving.
Dongzhuos heart sank at these two words.
Leaving? He jerked his head up, drilling into Pingting's black eyes. He forgot about all of his previous
problems. He seemed to jolt up, pushing down the words he really wanted to say. Then he asked awkwardly,
Does Master know?
Pingting chuckled softly, leaned against the windowsill, waving her hand. Dongzhuo, come closer.
Clutching onto Dongzhuo's hand, she carefully thought through what she was going to say. Geez, you
always call me Pingting this, Pingting that, but I'm actually older than you by a couple of months. You
should be calling me 'Sis'.
Dongzhuo was so upset that he forcibly mumbled Sis through gritted teeth.
Good boy, Pingting actually did pretend to act like an older sister, lecturing. The hardest thing for people
to do is to know when to attack and when to retreat. That day, I attacked Chu Beijie. But today, it is time for
me to retreat.
But you are a person of the Jing-An Ducal Residence, besides, where can you go? The King is attacking all
the people serving the House of Jing-An, you included, and Chu Beijie will definitely hunt for you.
I have my own plans.
Dongzhuo's pent-up frustration finally exploded, I know Master's suspicious of you. I'll tell Master that
you're a good person.
You mustnt go.
I can't stand it, Master's the one at fault here. If he stays like this, he'll be just as bad as our King, right?
Stop! Pingting grabbed him, emphasising every word. Master has the right to be suspicious.
Dongzhuo stopped immediately, frowning. What? I don't think you have loyalties outside of our
residence
Pingting looked startled for a moment, but then she sighed. You won't understand even if I tell you.
Anyway, when I'm gone, say that my leaving is for the best. For the entire residence, for Master and for me.

Master is in a tight spot at the moment, yet I cannot help him nor can I upset him.
How can you upset Master?
Dongzhuo... Pingting looked at him tenderly, but with a bitter smile, Think of it like this. Master cannot
neglect me due to my service but cannot relax around me due to my suspicious actions. He doesn't dare to
look after, harm or make me sad. Sigh, I feel really sorry for Master.
But if you go......
When I leave, I will no longer be connected to the Residence. I wouldnt be able to tell you anything, even
if I wanted to.
Dongzhuo was still shaking his head, No. If you're like that, aren't you ungrateful to Master and abusing
your authority?
Pingting's shiny eyes flashed, That's why I need your help. I need to leave without Masters knowing.
No, no, no, I can't hide anything from Master.
Of course not, but Master will lie to you. Let's bet, if he knows what we're planning, he will not only not
announce it but secretly organise my escape.
I just don't understand you! Dongzhuo scratched his head, anxiously pacing up and down the room. Then
he jerked towards Pingting, its fine if I help you. Whether Master is at fault or not, all I know is that you
were the unlucky one and I know that you will never betray our Residence. But...where could you go? Don't
forget that you're sick and that it has only been two days since...
Pingting interrupted, No, I'm leaving tonight.
Her tone was soft, but Dongzhuo could hear unwavering decisiveness in it. He raised an eyebrow, If you
don't tell me where you're going, I refuse to help you. You'll be outside alone and if something happens to
you, I'll never have another night of sleep. His hands were clutched at his chest and he was facing
Pingting.
After leaving here, I will be free so I can go anywhere I want easily. You know that a lot of people are
searching for me and did you really think I'd tell such a carefree guy like you? But the direction I plan to go
is... Pingting whispered in his ear, north.
Did spring arrive later in the north?
Back in the days while she lived in the Royal Residence, her good friend Yangfeng once said that her dream
place was the endless grasslands of the north, where thousands of cattle, sheep and horses grazed upon.
Occasionally one would break into a gallop and the other horses would follow, eventually increasing into an
ear-splitting sound, like the earth being torn apart.
She couldn't stay in Gui Le, while Dong Lin was even more dangerous than a dragon's cave and a tiger's
den.

Why not Bei Mo?

In the distance, the red sun had yet to rise. Pingting took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. She had
been resting for too long that even her bones felt cranky. The place where she had been living was hidden in
a valley and had little sun. Whenever she went outside, she suddenly felt a nostalgic feeling as she stared up
at the broad expanse of sky. She forgot about everything as she thought about galloping away to find her
friend in Bei Mo.
Yangfeng's smile should be more radiant than ever.

Translation Notes

Autumn tiger was quite fierce (03): Autumn was still quite warm.
Bei Mo (11): Bei Mo is another one of the four countries (the other one is Yun Chang). Bei Mo
literally means desert in the north.
Black eyes (06): In some parts of China, its considered that the darker they are, the better one looks.
But usually its just a very dark brown that is similar to the pupils in shade. Elegant Destroyer
(proofreader/assistant) supposes its rather like obsidian because its so dark it reflects tiny bits of
colour.
Bowing (06): Kowtow bowing if you like. Its basically kneeling and bowing so low that your head
touches the ground.
Coins (01): Money. In the actual novel, the type of money (dollars, cents) is unknown.
Desperate measure (07): When theres nothing you can do but hurt yourself, to earn other peoples
sympathy, in order to get what you want.
East & West (10): Dong Lin literally means east forest. So when Pingting and Dongzhuo escape
from Dong Lin, they go west. Dong Lin lies to the west of Gui Le.
Fake mountain (05): Large decorative objects often found in large residences. They usually arent
safe to climb
Glowing pearl (05): This is a legendary pearl that glows. There other names, such as luminous
pearl and pearl that glows in the night. Its often depicted to be green though probably not in this
case.
Kings Order (04): When the King cant say something personally, he gets someone to write up a
Kings Order on a piece of yellow cloth. A messenger takes it and reads it out to the recipient(s) on
behalf of the King. The recipient(s) of the Order must obey whatever is written on it, or he/she may
be punished for treason.
Marriage (06): In China, traditional clothes are usually red. This includes most orient countries, such
as India and Pakistan.
Music critic (03): This is one of the double/triple meaning words. In this case, it most likely means
music critic, but the deeper meanings, soul mate (friend) and soul mate (lover), could also apply.
I translated the manhuas version as soul mate but that was probably a mistranslation. This is
perhaps one of the reasons why Pingting thinks Chu Beijie is so cocky.
qin (02): A traditional Chinese instrument. Do not confuse with zheng. Sometimes there are
guqin references. Gu means old/ancient, so guqin means ancient qin. However, this is far
too long to write in most cases, so it has been left untranslated.
Real man (06): Its said that men are best when theyre gentlemen (polite etc.), well-educated and
strong.
Residence (01): In a residence, there are many buildings, therefore the world house cannot
correctly portray the place. These buildings are typically enclosed by a large wall of some kind and
there is usually a large main entrance into it. There are also some side doors that lower-ranked
servants may use. Unfortunately these buildings are typically (though there are exceptions) one large
room, separated by doorways (but no doors usually) and possibly curtains. In other words, it means
that sometimes room implies the entire building.

Book Two
Tragic Nations, War of Love
Chapter 12
During the night, Pingting safely came out from her room.
In her hands was a small bag. Accompanied by Dongzhuo, Pingting glanced back and saw flickers of light
hidden in the mountain.
Which one of those was her Master's room light? She suddenly felt a wave of sadness flood through her.
You don't need to accompany me anymore, Pingting told Dongzhuo, You can go back now.
I... Dongzhuo stopped himself and hesitantly handed the reins to Pingting, mumbling, Take care of
yourself.
Pingting got onto the horse, which was a bit sudden, for she and the horse swayed slightly. As farewell,
Dongzhuo softly said, Sis...
Pingting couldn't help but look back.
Dongzhuo seemed to be unsure of what he wanted to say, but he raised his head and said, To be honest, I
told everything about tonight to Master.
Pingting studied Dongzhuo, then glanced back at the peaceful rooms where the people of the Jing-An Ducal
Residence were sleeping in. They were supposed to find out tomorrow and leave for a better hideout. She
felt a pang of sadness, What did Master say?
Master said, if you believe in yourself, you would stay. If you don't, we won't stop you nor would we able
to.
Anything else?
Dongzhuo lowered his head. Nothing else.
The corners of Pingting's mouth lifted into a smile, feigning a sigh. Dongzhuo, you've finally grown old

enough to lie.
I... Dongzhuo lowered his head even more, refusing to speak for some time. Master also said that you
should be able to go by yourself, but you asked me to help instead, which was...which was actually a final
plan to force Master into a dilemma. He said that he wanted to fall into your trap and have you by his side,
but now...
Now is the crucial moment when the fate of the House of Jing-An is decided. Its not cruel to give up on a
maid. Pingting continued, raising her face towards the starry sky, laughing bitterly. I'll tell you this,
Master isn't wrong.
Without waiting for Dongzhuo's response, Pingting flicked down her whip.
The finest horse of her residence screamed as it galloped away. She held tightly onto the reins, tears blurring
her vision.
Goodbye, dear House of Jing-An. Your brilliance, radiance, no longer has anything to do with Pingting.
Departing Soul lies on the windowsill. When the sun rises tomorrow, the burning light reflected upon its
blade will be printed on my empty bed. A silhouette game we played as children.
Sadly, Pingting isn't merciless enough.
If I were merciless enough, the blade would be slightly tilted towards the opposite building. The light would
bounce off it, like off a polished mirror or a large bronze bell. The light would reflect into the distance,
alerting your pursuers of your location.
Master, no, He Xia, what would you think then?
The sun began to slowly climb up the clouds of the east.
Every time she rode past, a cloud of dust followed. She continued to ride the yellow paths north.
The tear tracks on her face had long been covered with sand. Pingting glanced back, half squinting at the
orange-red sun. The sun was rising soon and with it, a strong, warm feeling rippled through her body.
Go! She took a gulp of water before continuing her journey.
Towards the wind she rode, through the endless plains of yellow mud. Bei Mo lay beyond, a place where
there was no He Xia and no Chu Beijie.

Chapter 13
The wild yet fresh grass was just as pretty as Yangfeng claimed.
She had finally reached Bei Mo. A world of nature stretched before her, perhaps it was because of the proud
mountains or maybe the passing of winter and the feeling of spring was much stronger than back in the
South. In the midst of the lush green forest, energetic-looking shrubs dazzled in the sunlight.

A clear stream ran from the top to the bottom of the mountain.
Some other people had tied their horses to a tree and were busy filling their sacks with the clear water.
A slightly cold breeze enveloped her petite body which wasnt particularly pretty, but somewhat gaunt. Her
eyes gleamed brighter than black crystals. She touched her forehead briefly before galloping away, her eyes
never leaving the distance.
Far away, shepherds were sang while gathering up their stock.
An eagle flies, the sky is higher. Ah, beautiful girl, chasing young foals on the grasslands...
Pingting couldn't help but laugh as she grabbed the sac of water from her waist.
So cold. It must be melted ice from the mountain tops.
She playfully sipped again, and this time she closed her eyes too. So sweet.
Nearly there. The tiring yet worthwhile impression people usually had was at the back of her mind but all
she could think about was her close friend's hiding place. Choosing an old tree, she leaned on it to rest
before closing her eyes.
Yangfeng's choice to escape everything no matter what, was that a good choice? In half a day, she'd be able
to know the answer.
What about the path Pingting chose? Going to Bei Mo wasn't a bad idea as it did have blue sky and green
grass. Maybe she was suited to such places, among the rough but pure and honest folks, among the less
calculating people.
Gurgling water, magnificent green mountain.
Her eyes were still closed when she heard footsteps approach her.
Someone's there? Pingting opened her eyes. Another traveller was apparently admiring the view, the reins of
his horse in his hands.
A man with broad shoulders, the sword that hung from his waist and the bow on his back seemed to be
things he deemed important. It was difficult to tell his age due to his beard, but his eyes were bright.
When he realised that there was already someone else there, in particular a big eyed girl, he looked a bit
stunned.
Nice horse. The man wasn't interested in Pingting herself but her horse, as his eyes were genuinely
appreciative.
Pingting smiled, untied her horse, time to go.

Miss, are you willing to sell it? His voice was loud, definitely a man of the grasslands.
He was right. This horse was one of the very best, even in Jing-An Ducal Residence. Dongzhuo, that guy,
was quite nice, as he had chosen a good horse and had given a lot of money to Pingting.
Not selling. She jumped onto her horse casually, trying to get over her joy. Pingting closed her eyes for
several seconds before opening them again. Mister, Petal Cottage is ahead right?
You're going to Petal Cottage?
Yes.
Do you live in Petal Cottage?
No, I'm just looking for someone.
The man laughed, That cottage is abandoned. You won't find anyone there.
They moved? Pingting was surprised, Why move? Where did they go? Suddenly her thoughts were
muddled. Yangfeng would never move unless something happened.
Pingting decided that Yangfeng hadn't contacted her new location due to safety reasons, but this only made
her more concerned about her friend.
They moved only recently.
Where did they move to?
Hey, Miss, sell me this horse. Good horses were just as important to shepherds as the girl they liked.
A corner of Pingting's mouth lifted. Do you know what happened to Petal Cottage? What's your name?
I'm A-Han. Now, are you going to sell your horse or not?
She jumped off her horse and thrust the reins into his waiting hands. I'll give it to you for no charge. All I
want to know is what happened to my friend.
A-Han shook his head violently. I don't want something without giving anything back in return. He took
out enough silver to buy two good horses and gave her the coins. I'll tell you this; the landlord of Petal
Cottage is an important person! He's the famous General Ze Yin! Who would've thought he had a small
cottage in the mountains? But since the King has sought him out, given him more rewards and made him
govern Bei Mo, he decided to move out of the mountains. Everyone else who had been living in the
mountains has gone as well.
Really? Pingting frowned, pondering. She threw back A-Han's money. Take this. I'll use it to buy your
horse. After all, I do need one. She ought to have changed to a horse without the House of Jing-An security
imprint a long time ago.

No, my horse isn't that good. I can't take advantage of things like this.
Pingting untied his horse and jumped on it, then turned back towards him, winking cheerfully. Tall guy,
save up some money and marry a good wife. You're a good person! She gently whipped her new horse,
leaving peals of silvery laughter behind.
The cool air of the grasslands was enough to brighten her mood, the freshly cut grass smell was
incomparable to that of Gui Le and Dong Lin. The shepherds continued their lively songs, which echoed in
Pingting's ears.
My beloved prairie, these cows and horses, the stream that flows through the young blades of grass. All
this, cannot be compared to my beautiful girl...
Pingting smiled, but it did little to conceal her worried frown.
Ze Yin, the mighty general of Bei Mo, hadn't he promised to make Yangfeng happy no matter the cost? Yet
now he had decided to answer the Bei Mo King by returning into the political world; what did that mean?
Originally, she would only need half a day by horse, until she would be able to see Yangfeng, at Petal
Cottage. But now, it seemed that she'd have to go even further into Bei Mo's capital to Bei Yali.
You won't even let me have a few days of happiness? Pingting wrinkled her nose up at the sky. Travelling
alone had given Pingting the habit of talking to herself.
Is it really a good thing that the House of Jing-An is no longer a part of me? What about Dong Lin? Sigh,
Chu Beijie...
Unconsciously she started to frown. Her fingers slowly rubbed her eyebrows as if they were rubbing away
the pain she felt.
Learning how loud the people of the grasslands shouted, she brought down the whip hard. Dust came again
as the graceful figure got smaller and smaller into the distance.
Dust and sunset; where were the heartbroken people?
I hope the sky has a soul, one that will give both grass and forgiveness. No matter where I go, I hope
happiness follows.
Bei Mos general, Ze Yin, only returned back to the political world after being summoned three times by the
King.
It wasn't like that the Bei Mo King didn't value Ze Yin.
Back then, his reputation was someone young and brave, the idol of the nave Bei Mo King, but then he
suddenly decided to retire and gave up his promising future for a reason he refused to say.
Must be love, guessed the Bei Mo King.

It wasnt just a saying that men often chose beautiful women over their country.
Ze Yin had stood before the Bei Mo King, his lips playing into a carefree smile. His smile was so innocent
that the King of Bei Mo wondered if he really would be able to keep Bei Mo's best general by his side.
When a man falls in love, nothing will stop him from wanting to do stupid things.
The Bei Mo King couldn't help but nod.
And now, Ze Yin was back.
The news of Bei Mo's favourite general returning to protect the country was bound to bring joy and pleasure
to all of the people.
Bei Yali had been a scene of joy and song as Ze Yin entered the city, leading the other residents of Petal
Cottage. He was not only greeted by the Bei Mo King himself but he had also been greeted by the eager
cheers of thousands upon thousands of peasants.
The newly designed residence was already waiting for Ze Yin, decorated and glittering brilliantly.
Yangfeng was in the most magnificent building, listening to the chatter that still managed to flow through
the thick walls. Ze Yin was summoned back into the political side. She was pleasantly surprised to find
herself being visited by an old friend.
The maid at the door refused to notify her name and Yangfengs eyes were so big that they looked as if they
were going to fall.
How long are you going to stare at me? Pingting was sitting on a chair, smiling as she said this.
Long time no see, so why won't you let me have a good look at you? Yangfeng gave a faint sigh,
stretching towards Pingting, her fingers as white as ivory. Pingting, come here. Let me have a good look at
you.
Pingting grinned and laughed, Yes sir, my General...no, wife of a General. She walked towards Yangfeng,
sitting down on the bed beside her.
The two pairs of equally intelligent eyes stared into each other, the reflection of each other perfectly
imprinted inside them.
You've lost some weight.
Pingting couldn't help but smile, You've become prettier.
I really missed you; I just can't stop thinking of our childhood. I can't really talk to anyone else apart from
you.
Yangfeng... Pingting interrupted, Why didn't you ask about it?

Ask? Yangfeng's smile wavered slightly, so she lowered her head. I...don't dare ask. Why would you
leave your Master, unless for some unspeakable reason? That reason must be very, very scary.
Like the rumbling of a drum, Pingting chuckled. It's really quite thrilling when you think about it. Play a
song for me and I'll tell you everything from the start.
The qin was on the small table beside the bed. Yangfeng looked at her, deep in thought. She picked up the
qin, fingertips lightly touching a string.
Tremble.
Her heart fluttered at the inaudible but existing sound of a plucked string. The pressure, the sadness, in her
heart jumped up, breaking through the walls she had built over her emotions.
Yangfeng! Pingting cried, flying into the arms of Yangfeng, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Let the tears flow down and into the earth. This wasn't Gui Le, nor was it Dong Lin. The person who made
her sad wasn't here nor was the person who made her soulless here.
How was she supposed to forget that beautiful winter day, that gentle night, that tall figure, or the crystalclear memories of living in the Residence for the last eighteen years?
How was she supposed to make Yangfeng realise that she had fallen in love with a man? She loved him but
then hurt and lied to him. She even made the decision to leave him even if it meant death, only to realise that
she could no longer return to the Jing-An Ducal Residence?
Today, under Yangfeng's solemn eyes, Pingting was finally able to cry out the pain she felt, and they came
out like peas being poured out of a bag.
Under this sky, perhaps only Yangfeng understood her heart.
Pingting just cried without speaking, leaving Yangfeng to guess what had happened. It had to be something
to do with love, or else Pingting wouldn't be so upset.
But who had the ability to make arrogant Pingting fall in love?
What's his name? Yangfeng patted her hair.
Pingting was still tearful as she clenched her teeth, her words full of pain. Chu. Bei. Jie.
Dong Lin's Duke of Zhen-Bei? Yangfeng looked slightly inattentive, but then she sighed again, softly
saying, Cry. Have a good cry.
The walls did not close as Pingting collapsed again into Yangfeng's arms, tears dripping.
Yangfeng, I'm now finally... Pingting sluggishly pulled herself up but then suddenly stopped as she felt
something rise in her throat. She shrieked a waah as she coughed up red blood.

Pingting! Yangfeng stood up, staring at her dyed-red clothes. Come! Someone, come!
And so, after her big cry, she got sick again.
Only yesterday , she had been thinking that she wouldn't be so lonely anymore.
Pingting's sickness was back.
Way more intense and dangerous than before.
Thanks to the service readily available at the Residence though, immediate treatment was given to her.
Under Ze Yin and Yangfeng's care, Pingting slowly got better again.
After couple days of rest, Pingting was able to sit up again. Her big cry had done her good as her chest was
no longer always in pain, and although she was very sick, she recovered faster than previous times.
You're looking better, said a voice from a familiar figure on the other side of the blinds. Yangfeng came
in, laughing. The doctor says that you'll be able to get out of bed in two days. My, you sure scared me.
Come, sit here. Pingting patted a spot beside her on the bed.
Yangfeng sat before taking out a hairpin to which she carefully inserted into Pingting's hair. Studying her,
she said, This is what the King gave Ze Yin, I didn't look that good wearing it so I'll give it to you.
Pingting checked herself in the mirror that Yangfeng brought. Did you bring it to me deliberately?
Pingting paused again, asking, Does the General know where I come from?
He didn't ask, Yangfeng replied. As long as youre my friend, he will protect you, but... The face that
was slightly plumper saddened. He's about to lead his troops out of the capital.
The atmosphere was suddenly gloomy like heavy clouds covering the sun in summer.
Pingting took the mirror out of Yangfeng's hands, put it on the bedside table, but didn't say anything.
Yangfeng said, We were always close. I didn't lose to you in qin, but I am absolutely inferior to you when
it comes to scheming.
Pingting forced her lips into a smile, You were always arrogant. When did you humble up so much?
I'm just a little clever, someone who lives among walls, surrounded by her husband's people whether it be
in Petal Cottage or in the Generals Residence. When it comes to military affairs, you are the one who
represents all women. Yangfeng's deep black eyes drilled into Pingting before softly asking, Why does the
Bei Mo King suddenly want Ze Yin to regain military power? Ze Yin isn't greedy for money or fame unless
Bei Mo is in big trouble. He wouldn't sacrifice everything and bring me here, despite his oath. I don't
understand, Pingting, can you tell me what's going on? Yangfeng stressed on every syllable.
Life outside the window was full of life, but the room was a deathly quiet.

Pingting was silent; her head was bowed.

Yangfeng's inquiring eyes blazed towards her head. Sometime later, Pingting appeared to be tired as she
lifted her head and leaned on a soft pillow. With a wry smile, she said, Chu Beijie fell into a trap, and was
forced to leave his sword. He vowed not to attack Gui Le in the next five years. Dong Lin's King wants to
conquer all lands, and since Gui Le is currently an impossible feat, it's natural that he'd change his target.
Basically, does this means Dong Lin has already started to attack Bei Mo?
Yeah, Yangfeng frowned wearily, These days, Ze Yin is always talking about Chu Beijie, Dong Lin's
best general, the Duke of Zhen-Beithese days people call him the Demon King from the depths of Hell. A
lot of people have already died in his hands.
Her eyes stared into Pingting and then her lips slowly rose into a soft and flowery smile. Don't worry, we
don't have any control over men's things. I really dont understand why they're always trying to expand the
King's territory. Is having a lasting impression really that important? Ze Yin is going soon so I want to spend
some more time with him these days. She stood up, her hands pressing gently against Pingting's shoulders.
You've only just gotten better, so lie down a bit more. If it gets boring here, ask some the maids to go
outside and pick some flowers for you. If you have any problems, send someone to find me.
Yangfeng left through the bead curtain. The sudden tinkling sound seemed to upset Pingting as she
frowned.
It seemed like there was a huge trap in every direction, one that people could not escape from.
And it was something terrible.

Chapter 14
It seemed that the green grasslands refused to be Pingting's paradise. Around four, before sunrise, a tired
figure stood quietly next to the window.
The birds and flowers that danced in the sunlight were long gone, and if you went out with just a candle, the
flowers looked more like claws, reaching out for their oblivious prey.
Yangfeng's husband had already left for his journey and Pingting, who was deep inside the Residence, heard
the servants whispering about how the big, heroic generals were all leaving at the same time but many
wondered how likely the success would be.
Don't even think about it.
Pingting shook her head. She gazed at the undistinguishable grasslands and at the bright moon but then
suddenly squinted in pain.
Lets swear to the moon, never turn our backs on each other.
That person said to the moon, in his unwavering rich deep voice. Her heart raced as she thought of him, her
hands were clutched at her chest, and she bit her lips.

Don't think about it, but she couldn't forget. Back then when, she thought, when we swore to the moon, you
owed me and I owed you.
She was feeling depressed when she saw a light flickering towards her in the distance. Pingting watched its
red light beckoning closer, but she only realised who it was only when the lamp was very close.
Why are you still awake?
Yangfeng hadn't expected that someone would be by the window and she jumped back in surprise. I should
be the one asking. Why are you still awake? She broke into a laugh, Don't tell me I'm a failure as a hostess
and that I failed to meet the needs of my guest?
Pingting walked out of the door and eyed the maid who was accompanying Yangfeng curiously. She took
her arm and led her inside.
We haven't had time to catch up for a while now, so as a guest, I'll be holding onto my hostess today.
The two sat on the bed together and looked at each other fondly. Burning incense this late? Pingting
asked.
He's been gone for a couple of days already, but I just can't fall asleep until late at night. Yangfeng sighed
quietly. She leaned on a pillow, half of her face covered by the soft cotton. She gazed at Pingting with a
child-like face, You mustn't laugh at me.
Pingting couldnt help but smile at this but she didn't dare make a sound either.
I said, you mustn't laugh. Yangfeng saw her smile so she got up and pinched Pingting.
There's nothing wrong with missing your husband, so why does it matter whether I laugh or not? I heard
that some famous generals always promise their wives to write a letter home every day to stop them from
worrying all the time. I'm not wrong, am I?
Yangfeng's white face flashed to a bright red, You're still laughing? If you mock me anymore, I'll be
going.
But Pingting bit her lip to hide her laughter and Yangfeng knew that it was a lost battle. She flashed Pingting
an evil glare and lay back down again.
Crisp laughter flooded into the room like the sound of a stream gushing down a mountain.
The two seemed to be back in the past where they would laugh all the time. Yangfeng broke the nostalgic
atmosphere by sighing. I haven't laughed like this since becoming the General's wife.
Just one sentence and all memories were put away again; Pingting stopped laughing and lowered her head in
silence.
Yangfeng hesitated for what seemed like ages, when she gently asked, Will they meet on the battlefield?
The biggest problem was finally touched upon, causing the air to feel heavy.

Yangfeng seemed unwilling to look at Pingting in the eye, as she turned to face the wall. If they do meet,
who will win? she questioned.
Both are exceptional, the victory will depend on God. I...I don't know.
Yangfeng's face was expressionless, God does not fight battles, only generals and their tactics. Ze Yin
versus Chu Beijie. Who do you think will win?
Pingting was still shaking her head, her eyes falling on the swaying flowers outside the window. Do
you...really want my answer? Chu Beijie is Dong Lin's best general, his army and battle skills are
exceptional, outstanding. Your husband is the most celebrated general in Bei Mo, but I have never seen him
myself. How am I supposed to compare the two? She wanted to smile to cheer up Yangfeng, but she
couldn't muster up any strength to do so.
Dear to the moon is outside, you don't need to be so heartless. You see the love and friendship of humanity,
but you do nothing to stop the bloodshed of those people.
The candle wick sizzled and Pingting turned to look at it. The wind blew in like uninvited guests.
The light flickered, flared up, and then went out.
The silence that followed was like a heavy curtain, crushing them.
Pingting... Yangfeng said sadly, Don't you have anything assuring to say to me?
Pingting was surprised. She quickly sat up, Yangfeng, why would you ask that?
Yangfeng was facing the other way. Silence. Pingting could make out that she was trembling, like she was
fighting back her tears. Don't cry, we can't do anything about these battles. God will bless your husband so
that he will return home safely. Yangfeng, didn't...you say that battles aren't our business?
Yangfeng's shoulders shook even more. She was usually always so calm and collected, and Pingting had
never seen her so distraught. She gently turned Yangfeng until she was facing herself.
Yangfeng suddenly sat up and looked at Pingting, her cheeks stained with tears.
Pingting was alarmed yet gently asked, Yangfeng?
Yangfeng didn't answer, she simply jumped out of bed and knelt at Pingting.
Pingting was flabbergasted. She too jumped out of bed to help Yangfeng up. Why are you doing this?
But Yangfeng had decided not to get up. She pulled at Pingting's sleeves, looking up at her indignantly, but
her voice was mournful when she said, Pingting, do you really not understand?
Pingting was shocked, her dark eyes staring down quizzically at her friend.

If even the Marquess of Jing-An was not able to defeat Chu Beijie, then how is Ze Yin supposed to do so?
Each word was dragged out of Yangfeng's mouth, her hands clawing at Pingting's feet as she cried, You
made a deal for five years of peace for Gui Le, so why can't you drive Chu Beijie and his troops out of Bei
Mo?
Yangfeng, I... Pingting took a step back and slumped on the bed. I can't do that.
She could not face Chu Beijie, but how was Yangfeng supposed to understand that?
That man, although he was not in front of her physically, he was always there in her dreams. He had taken
her soul, leaving her in a puddle of tears.
Pingting, please, I beg you.
Yangfeng's praying eyes sent a chill up Pingting's spine. She could not bear seeing Yangfeng's gentle, wise
eyes being engulfed by the colours of despair.
But she still shook her head, No.
Both pairs of black pupils shook and their breathing seemed to have stopped altogether.
Yangfeng stared at her for a long while. She smiled sadly, I don't blame you. Men....Military affairs...I don't
even know half as much as you. She was chuckling, but more tears slipped down her cheeks as she patted
her lower abdomen.
Pingting noticed that she was acting slightly differently than usual. Realisation suddenly dawned her.
Yangfeng, don't tell me you... Her voice trailed off, her eyes never leaving her lower abdomen.
Yangfeng clenched her teeth and nodded.
Pingting sighed and leaned against the bed rail.
Those two, Yangfeng and Pingting, were never destined to be away from everything after all.

Chapter 15
Evening came; the soft breeze left. A frosty dawn.
As the red sun rose from the east, bright colours were casted onto Bei Mo King's Royal Residence. The Bei
Mo King was already awake. He hadn't slept well and had insomnia for the last couple of days. Ever since
the Dong Lin troops had arrived, he slept less and less every passing day just like how the Dong Lin army
pressed closer towards the capital. According to yesterday's report, Chu Beijie had begun a siege, and many
Bei Mo soldiers were wounded or dead. Thanks to Ze Yin's efforts, Dong Lin soldiers haven't reached the
capital yet, but the current army population certainly wasn't big enough to last another siege.
Losing Kanbu was only a matter of time.
When the Dong Lin army captured Kanbu, it would be like an expressway to capture the capital of Bei Mo.

Bei Mo was in grave danger.

Yangfeng came to see him early in the morning.
I want to tell you about someone, King. She bowed before speaking and wore a dress given to her by the
King himself.
The Bei Mo King always had a good impression of Ze Yin's favourite woman, and now that Ze Yin was
gone, he was even happier to see her. He smiled kindly at Yangfeng. Oh? Who's important enough that
needs you to personally introduce to me?
Yangfeng replied softly. King, you really are clever. This person is extremely skillful and could perhaps
change the course of the war.
Yangfeng came with Ze Yin when he returned to the capital, but she was already the prettiest woman in the
Royal Residence. She was born with delicate bone shapes, those that leave a lasting impression on others.
He had heard about her personality from Ze Yin and knew that she did not like empty promises. She would
never say something unless she was at least seventy or eighty percent sure. The King was surprised. Who?
Bring him in.
But Yangfeng wasn't so urgent. She fell onto her knees and said, Sir, this persons surname is Bai and is
named Pingting. Weve been good friends since childhood. Pingting didn't want to do this at the start, but
Yangfeng begged. My friend finally agreed but on three conditions.
Speak.
Yes, Yangfeng responded. Firstly, help will only be given when Bei Mo is in trouble. If Dong Lin ever
retreats, my friend will leave and never be involved with Bei Mo again.
The Bei Mo King couldn't care less. After all, there was no secure frontier. He nodded gladly and said, I
will not force anyone to do what they don't want to.
Secondly, no person in Bei Mo shall identify or research Bai Pingtings past.
This... Ever since the four countries started fighting, each country had their own spies. If Kings need
people, they would need to research their history intensively. If they didn't, wouldnt that lead to the ruin of
their own country? Why was this Pingting, so secretive? The Bei Mo King was annoyed but didn't show it as
Yangfeng was personally introducing this person.
Yangfeng saw his expression and quietly added, King doesnt have to worry. My friend has had many
painful moments thus doesn't want anyone to know. There wont be betrayal; I'll put my life on the line to
prove that.
From this, the Bei Mo King immediately relaxed. The sides of his mouth twitched into a laugh.
Employment depends on the King himself. I'll decide whether this person is trustworthy or not. So what's
the point of putting your life on the line to prove loyalty? What's the third condition?
Yangfeng answered, If the King doesn't want Bei Mo to be conquered, you must listen to every word.

Nothing can be changed.

This was the same as giving governorship of Bei Mo to a stranger. Bei Mo's smile instantly evaporated. He
coldly said, If your friend wants Bei Mo military power, shouldn't he just ask to be an army general?
Unexpectedly Yangfeng replied, Military power is one of the things she wants. Yangfeng begs King to give
her all commanding rights to Pingting. She'll definitely drive away the Dong Lin army.
The Bei Mo King's face changed. He forced himself to smile while thinking of saving Ze Yin from shame.
Your friend really likes to brag. Even your husband doesnt dare to underestimate the mighty general of
Dong Lin, Chu Beijie, yet your friend Suddenly his heart jumped, and in astonishment he cried, She?
Yes.
The Bei Mo King looked even more unamused. He leaned forward. How can a woman have such skill?
Fine, give her some money and send her home. How ridiculous. The enemy had arrived in their country, so
many of the army generals needed his expertise whereas he listened to the rubbish chatter of an idiotic
woman.
Yangfeng bowed, wondering whether to clarify things, but she hadn't expected his support in the first place.
Without the help of Pingting, wouldn't her husband die? She bit her lip. Please listen to me one last time,
King.
The Bei Mo King couldn't bring himself to embarrass her so he generously nodded. You may speak.
Yangfeng hesitated before walking towards him. She whispered in his ear. I promised Pingting not to tell
anyone, but as the lives of the Bei Mo people are at stake, Yangfeng must tell you. King mustn't
underestimate Pingting. Ze Yin may not be Chu Beijie's opponent but Pingting definitely is.
What do you mean?
Because Pingting forced Chu Beijie into a truce for five years before this.
The Bei Mo King was startled. He turned around and stared at Yangfeng.
Yangfeng didn't waver under the Bei Mo King's attention. She nodded slowly and whispered, Chu Beijie
has feelings for Pingting. If he knows that she is in Bei Mo, he won't attack so hard, and Ze Yin will have a
greater chance of victory.
But what if...
If Chu Beijie can't forgive her, then... Yangfeng felt a lump in her throat and her face looked sad. Why
would King ask Yangfeng such a cruel question? Thinking of Pingting outside the room made her heart
twist. Fighting back her tears, the beauty said, Please King, summon Pingting immediately.
Call for Pingting.
Call for Pingting! Voices overtook one another until it reached the waiting Pingting. She settled down her

teacup, checked over her clothes, and sighed deeply before stepping into the room, walking calmly towards
the Bei Mo King.
Where in the world is a place you can escape from everything? She was now being swept in the Bei Mos
world of politics and military.

Chapter 16
King. Pingting bowed after stepping lightly into the Bei Mo Royal Residences main hall.
The Bei Mo King did not take offense when Pingting did not bow the most respectful way possible. Instead,
he laughed. You may get up. Yangfeng seems to really like you, My Lady, saying that you can shoo away
the invading Dong Lin soldiers, is that true?
Pingting sighed. If the Bei Mo King didn't hesitate when calling her My Lady', it meant that the situation in
the army wasn't so good, so Bei Mo could only beg a fallen star like her. Could she really defeat Chu
Beijie?
She was clearly distressed, but it was already too late. Pingting could see the hopeful eyes of Yangfeng who
stood in front of her. Your humble servant shall do her best, she said softly.
Thanks to My Lady's words, Bei Mo now has hope. The Bei Mo King exchanged a look with Yangfeng
before clapping his hands and cheering. His face then softened slightly. He spoke in a humble tone. The
army is in immediate danger; Dong Lin armies are approaching Kanbu. What will be My Ladys plans?"
Ever since Pingting decided to help Bei Mo, she had been studying Bei Mo maps at night, giving a quick,
preliminary analysis over possible formations and tactics. She had not, however, known that the Dong Lin
army had reached Kanbu so she was slightly surprised. So the Bei Mo army has already been forced to the
closest outer village? How come the messengers that have come back dont know about that?
All of the information she knew came from Yangfeng, so she could not help but to look at her. Yangfeng
hadn't known about this either; her face was pale as she shook her head no at Pingting.
The Bei Mo King gave a wry smile. It was in the recent report late last night. The people of Bei Yali are
afraid so I stopped the news from spreading. Luckily we have Ze Yin, or it'd be much worse. We should be
able to secure Kanbu for a little longer under the command of Ze Yin but even he will not last much longer.
The ruler unclenched his hands and sighed towards the ceiling. His eyes then flickered over to Pingting.
Pingting returned Bei Mo's stare, nodding to show she understood. No wonder King is willing to use a
foreigner like me. The situation was much worse than she had originally thought. Chu Beijie really
deserved his title as Dong Lin's fiercest general.
She felt flustered, but she knew that something had to be done, or Yangfeng's unborn child would have no
father. She forced herself to calm down, closed her eyes and thought hard.
The Bei Mo King and Yangfeng knew that she was thinking very hard. They did not make a sound, just
quietly waited.

It was so silent in the main hall that it was difficult to breathe.

After a while, Pingting slowly opened her bright eyes which seemed to be full of new-found confidence. She
smiled at Yangfeng then spun around to the Bei Mo King. Maybe there is something I can do, but I need
King's full support.
The Bei Mo King remembered Yangfeng's prior words. Without a trace of hesitation, he said, My Lady can
make as many requests as needed, be it money or materials.
Good, then I'd like to ask King to tell me the truth. Does Bei Mo have a spy on the Dong Lin King's side?
Bei Mo suddenly went silent, he'd only thought that Pingting would take frontline command of the army, not
ask something like this. During times of wars, opposing countries always had spies, so that some
confidential information could be obtained. But each country was careful with their spies, while cautious of
others around them being spies of other countries. Though not many were sent at a time, the best was always
sent and they were always the countrys biggest secret.
Pingting could see the Bei Mo King's hesitation, so she explained herself. I, your humble servant, do not
mean to pry too much. It's just that this plan needs to be carried out by the people close to the Dong Lin
King. King does not need to tell me the names of the spies, just tell me whether or not anyone can get close
to the Dong Lin King's food.
Eh! Yangfeng exclaimed, Don't tell me Pingting wants to poison the Dong Lin King?
The Bei Mo King frowned, That won't work. Sorry to say My Lady, I do actually have one or two people
beside the Dong Lin King. Occasionally, they do have access to his food. However, all Kings nowadays
have precautionary guidelines to prevent their food being poisoned and specialists to check for poison before
consumption. Even if my people tamper the food, it will never reach the Dong Lin King's mouth. It'll be a
useless attempt, and they'll know that there are spies in their residence.
To which Pingting calmly replied, That wouldn't be a problem if the poison isn't detectable.
A poison like that exists?
It's not exactly a poison; it's more like an anaesthetic. Pingting laughed, It's a formula I came up with
myself some time ago, you can put it into food and most inspection methods can't detect it. Adults can be in
a coma for more than ten days and the pulse is much weaker, like the person is dying away slowly, but
they'll wake up after some time.
If it can pass the inspections, then all problems are solved, The Bei Mo King enthused, I would have
never imagined you'd be this clever! How long do you need to make this anaesthetic?
It's mainly made up of a variety of herbs, but we don't have time. We have to force the Dong Lin King into
a coma before they conquer Kanbu, Pingting answered thoughtfully and then she added, I should be able
to make it in a day.
Good! The Bei Mo King smiled, If the Dong Lin King suddenly falls unconscious, the Dong Lin Royal
House would definitely fall into chaos because there will be a fight for the throne. Chu Beijie would have to

retreat and return home by then. He laughed but soon sighed as if he thought of something else.
Yangfeng didn't understand, but Pingting did. She smiled slightly in response, King is probably sighing
over the effectiveness of this anaesthetic since it only lasts for about ten days. If there was a fatal poison that
could pass the inspections, wouldn't the Dong Lin King be exterminated for once? That was exactly what
the Bei Mo King was thinking and she sighed as well. I've spent a long of time and effort, trying to improve
this formula, but it's never been able to fully kill someone. If I could do it, Gui Le wouldn't be torn apart by
Dong Lin. Maybe it's God's will. If I could make such poison, maybe every country would face threats
instead of the promise of peace.
Yangfeng listened carefully and she thought of Ze Yin back in Kanbu, fighting. Her heart hurt, she couldn't
help but whisper, Why must good people fight and kill?
The King of Bei Mo was still a King after all. He immediately, in the most practical way possible, returned
to the original topic. After the anaesthetic is made and is transported, Kanbu will be in a dangerous
situation...What would My Lady do then?
That's right, King. Pingting had guessed that the Bei Mo King would ask that. We should first send
people around the Dong Lin soldiers and spread rumours that there is an internal war in the Dong Lin royal
family and the Dong Lin King is very sick. Chu Beijie will eventually hear the rumours but will not take
them very seriously at first. However, there'll definitely be official messengers from Dong Lin. This will
confirm that the Dong Lin King is in a coma and force Chu Beijie to retreat.
Bei Mo King's eyes shone as he praised. My Lady, that really is a powerful, comprehensive plan. It attacks
the enemy both physically and psychologically.
King flatters me. Pingting lowered her eyes, in politeness. On the other hand, if Dong Lin attacks through
the Kanbu's defence line first, the enemy troops will attack Bei Yali. If that happens, I'm afraid that the
official messengers won't be able to reach Chu Beijie by then. That's why King must order some troops to
stay around Bei Yali just to give Chu Beijie the impression that Bei Yali won't be easy enough to conquer in
a short time.
I don't know anyone else more suitable to the task than you, My Lady. At this, the Bei Mo King hesitated
before taking the long prepared the flag of command. The Bei Mo King stared at the person before him, one
who was about to become the highest army commander but looked very much like a weak woman. In a deep
voice he said, Be careful My Lady. Bei Mo's fate is in your hands now, My Lady.
Yangfeng took a deep breath of cold air and walked towards Pingting. I'll send Ze Yin a letter, telling him
about you. With him around, you won't encounter the pain of soldiers not listening to your commands.
Pingting's hands closed around the flag of command. She was silent, thoughts already flying over to Kanbu.
How could she not be nervous? She was about to see Chu Beijie again. Only this time, they would be
separated by thousands of horses, men, and bloodstained fields - it was time for confrontation.

Chapter 17
The next day, the anaesthetic was completely prepared. Instead of going back to the Royal Residence,
Pingting simply gave the anaesthetic to Yangfeng and told her how to use it. Don't get it wrong. There's

only enough to for one person.

Yangfeng gingerly took it over, not exactly understanding. Why don't you make enough for two, just in
case something unexpected happens?
Pingting gave an unfathomable smile, I have my reasons. Those who spy in the enemys country must be
wise, brave, and cautious. They won't waste such a precious compound. Don't worry.
Her confident stance helped to persuade Yangfeng to calm down who then hid the anaesthetic close to her
body. When I get back into the royal quarters, I'll give the King this anaesthetic. Your escort team is ready
to go, waiting for your command. She took out letter with a military stamp seal from one of her sleeves and
handed it to Pingting. Put this away carefully and give it to Ze Yin when you see him.
You've written everything about me in it.
Its to let him know everything should be better and make things easier for you to control the troops.
Yangfeng saw a sly look in Pingting's dark eyes. Two red clouds immediately rushed to her cheeks. In a
warning tone, she said, Don't peek. Apart from talking about you, the rest is between husband and wife.
Little girls like you won't understand.
Pingting laughed, I don't see why it'd matter if I can't understand it anyway. Yangfeng stamped her foot in
response. Pingting shook her head and replied, It's hard to tell that you're the wife of a top army official
sometimes. People like you are supposed to be extremely wise. Instead, you easily get dishelmed by me. As
for me, I have a great responsibility ahead - I'm about to go and fight on the battlefield. Call the escort team
now. It's about time to go. Then she walked out of the room.
Pingting!
What's wrong? Pingting turned around, her heart secretly in pain. She had forced a breezy expression onto
her face just a moment ago, but if Yangfeng began a sorrowful farewell speech, it would provoke her into
crying again. She was going to face Chu Beijie again.
If the army found out that their new commander had been crying, how would they take her seriously?
Yangfeng darted out of the room and stopped four or five feet away from Pingting. Her dark eyes stared at
Pingting for the briefest moment. No matter what you do, you'll always be a girl. You'll be the main advisor
of the army so stay in the headquarters. Don't force yourself out onto the battlefield."
Pingting was stunned. It took a while for her to comprehend what she had heard. Her heart was touched. She
gently held onto Yangfeng's hand. Don't worry. How could I ever not know my limits? It was just joke
when I said that I'm about to fight on the battlefield; I can barely pick up a knife and sword. It's getting late,
I really ought to go. I'll be back with victory to see your baby. Oops, your baby won't be born yet right?
Yangfeng was very upset nonetheless. The barely controlled tears were flowing fast. She bit her lip. Joking
even when becoming the nations leading general. She was silent for some time, her tears continued to drip
down.
When she looked up, Pingting was no longer before her. Faraway, the garden's gates closed and the figures
were gone.

The horses of the carriage galloped, leaving clouds of yellow dust behind, dusty enough to stop people from
seeing the road itself.
Sometime later, Pingting opened the curtain and squinted at her surroundings. Her head ached during the
time in the carriage. She had been repeatedly studying the maps of Kanbu, memorising the names of every
slope, mountain and river. She had even assessed the situation of the Bei Mo army from the news the Bei
Mo King told and could easily recite the names of the army generals and their expertise.
Nearly at Kanbu. Pingting muttered to herself and couldn't help but sigh at the thought.
She spent every minute, every second on the map and the roster of soldiers. Everything was committed to
memory and, nothing could stop her headache. The thought of facing Chu Beijie in Kanbu sent a throbbing
pain into her head.
If the famous Bei Mo general, Ze Yin, hadn't been defending Kanbu all along, perhaps the city would have
long collapsed under Chu Beijie's ferocious attack.
Could she really fight against him?
Each roll of the carriage wheel brought her closer to that man. She imagined Chu Beijies majestic aura on
the battlefield.
Pingting shook her head. Stop thinking about him. Stop thinking about him.
Taking a deep breath of cool air, she slowly opened her eyes, the twinkle in them dimming to fierce
determination. The battle in Kanbu was no longer a war between Dong Lin and Bei Mo but a contest
between Chu Beijie and Bai Pingting.
Did she really want to win? Pingting questioned herself as she gazed at the intimidating Army Command
Representation beside her.
The carriage suddenly jolted to a stop, interrupting Pingting's thoughts. She heard the familiar voice of a
general, Han Shuxi, who was outside. We've arrived in Kanbu now, My Lady. You may come off the
carriage now. The main general has come to greet you personally.
Opening the carriage curtains, the first thing that caught her eye was the tall city walls, badly damaged and
charred from smoke. It told her everything about the brutality that occurred in the past few days. Pingting
slowly got out of the carriage, her eyes moving from the wall to the parade of people that specifically came
to welcome her.
The leader of the group was covered in yellow dust and his beard was like a weed. Although his beard
covered half of his face, his eyes were alight with determination. One could easily tell he was the type of
person who never surrendered to things he thought weren't right.
Pingting revealed a shy smile and bowing. You must be Main General Ze Yin. Having such a high ranking
soldier personally welcome me is too much of an honour for a girl like me.

Ze Yin shot forward and stopped Pingting from completely bowing, saying, My Lady is here to be the main
military advisor so there is no need to be so formal around us, your subordinates.
Lowering his voice, he added, The King has already sent messengers here and Ze Yin will assist My Lady
in every way possible. Shall we continue inside the city walls?
Pingting nodded in agreement and took out Yangfeng's letter. Ze Yin instantly recognized Yangfeng's
handwriting. A warm smile took over as he took it.
Other generals also came by and saluted, reporting their names and ranks.
The group of people entered a heavily guarded defence area. Ze Yin was not just being friendly to Pingting.
He saw her as a proper advisor, even giving his sleeping quarters to her.
Inside the sleeping quarters, most things were either blue or black. It was evident that the original owner was
bold and generous. A huge dark bow hung on the wall. Topographic maps of Kanbu were spread all over the
bench. From what Pingting deducted, Ze Yin had continued to try to form a plan in defeating the enemy.
Pingting spun around, noticing that the room had a simple but effective layout, feeling that she understood
Ze Yin a lot more. If it weren't for his beautiful wife at home, he wouldn't appear so elegant in public
because elegance wasn't his style.
It was really God's work that a Gui Le woman as elite as Yangfeng had fallen in love with such a bulky man.
Ze Yin asked the other accompanying generals to stay outside for a while. My Lady, are you satisfied with
this place? He asked. Time is limited so I'm afraid My Lady will have to bear with it for a while. If the
colours in here are too dark, you can get one of the serving soldiers to bring in bright coloured rugs or cloth
though they might not be able to find any.
Pingting saw his calm expression but knew that he was still worried about the military situation. She laughed
brightly, Main General, you're too kind. The army is top priority at the moment. We don't have time to be
worrying about minor things like this. Please tell me about the most recent situation; we'll talk before
strategising.
Ze Yin was waiting for this all along. He beckoned to a seat and said, Please sit, My Lady.
The two sat. Ze Yin's face became serious. In a low voice he reported, Thirteen days ago, my army and I
retreated to Kanbu, and Chu Beijie decided to siege us. Thanks to Kanbu's high and thick walls, defending
so far has been fairly easy, but even so, many soldiers die just to force the Dong Lin soldiers back. Dong Lin
obviously has the advantage of weapons and soldiers. Even I don't have the confidence of completely
defeating them. Chu Beijie is indeed worthy of his reputation as he has repeatedly seen through my tactics.
I have something I'd like to ask Main General. I hope you won't mind. Pingting continued, The defence
line of Bei Mos boundaries has been tight with Main General in control. How come the Dong Lin army
broke through the defence so fast that the whole Bei Mo army retreated to Kanbu, the last defence barrier?
This question surprised Ze Yin and his eyes hardened as he looked directly at Pingting. He did not see
ignorance in her glistening eyes. Then he cried out, mainly in awe. If Yangfeng hadn't mentioned her best

friend so many times, I would have considered this question to be a serious blow to my pride. My Lady's
question basically sums it up. You see, my army suffered massive defeat and were forced to retreat to
Kanbu. The reason was not because we were outnumbered. The Dong Lin army was estimated to have one
hundred thousand soldiers, but there were only around seventy-thousand. The military advisors estimates
were the ultimate cause of failure.
Ze Yin didn't notice that Pingting's expression had changed. He stood up and studied the maps of Kanbu
again, remembering things as he looked at them. I, Ze Yin, am probably one of the most famous army
generals in Bei Mo, but even I had no idea what superior was until I met Chu Beijie. Not only has he seen
through several of my tactics, he personally leads the army and fights well. Once, at the front line, in three
slashes, he injured one of my best soldiers, Menchu. This had a negative impact on my soldiers for they lost
confidence against such invincible figure. Thats why we lost.
From his words, Pingting heard the fear of the soldiers and couldnt help but imagine Chu Beijie in the midst
of a thousand horses and men, cutting down a fierce warrior in three graceful moves. It took a while for her
to snap out of it, before calmly saying, Main General, you don't need to lose heart. Although Chu Beijie is
a scary person, even he has been kept outside the Kanbu walls for the past thirteen days, right?
Ze Yin didnt immediately reply at this. After what seemed like forever he said, I read Yangfengs letter
before coming in here. As My Lady knows Chu Beijie a lot better than me, you probably have a better
understanding of this situation. However, everyone knows that once Kanbu is captured, the Dong Lin army
will immediately reach Bei Yali and then we will become imprisoned slaves in our own country. So
although everyone clearly knows that Chu Beijie will win, we are still desperately fighting back.
Good thinking, Main General. Pingting nodded in agreement, Retreating back to Kanbu gave your
soldiers more confidence as the high walls gives the defensive side a bigger advantage. However, if these
walls cant force the Dong Lin army to retreat, they will still capture this place sooner or later. Being out on
the battlefield and surviving in the Royal Residence were two very different skills and the second one,
Pingting was very capable of. The former was much more difficult, as one of the two competitors was much
more advantaged than the other. The thought of Chu Beijie having everything he needed couldnt help but
make Pingting sigh in disappointment. He controlled an army of the finest soldiers while she led a group of
terrified soldiers out onto the battlefield.
Nevertheless, she felt a faint edge of pride. On the battlefield, who else in the world can oppose Chu Beijie?
She allowed herself to think of him for a few more moments before remembering that she was still in a
discussion with Ze Yin. She stopped staring into space. Her face neutralised like a real military advisor,
whose eyes never wavered.
In two or three sentences, Pingting had brought out Ze Yins worries that he had to look at her more than
once in the eye. My Lady, you are right. Chu Beijie had tried out direct attacks on the first few days and
both sides were severely injured. From the tenth day, Dong Lins army stopped moving and went quiet. I
reckon hes waiting for the time when my army drops guard, to prevent fewer casualties on their side.
No. Pingting pursed her lips slightly, not frowning. She lifted her chin, looking serious and articulated her
words one-by-one. If Chu Beijie stopped attacking, he must have found better way to capture Kanbu.
Knowing his calculating methods, his way of attack would be shockingly surprising and the impact would
be unpredictable. Itll easily rip apart the Kanbus inner defence system.

Ze Yins expression was doubtful. Is that even possible?

Pingting didnt bother answering this question. She asked another instead. Did you send any soldiers to spy
on the Dong Lin army?
Lots but Chu Beijie takes note of these things and often sends huge troops to scout for spies around his
residence. The spies cant stay too long and only know that the enemy army hasnt done anything yet. Ze
Yin sighed, Those who get a little bit more than usual end up never coming back.
That must be right because Chu Beijie is already secretly carrying out his plan, Pingting analysed. Main
General, as the main military advisor, only tell the top commanding generals what weve discussed. Do not
tell anyone else.
Ze Yin readily agreed. Dont worry, My Lady. The people who you saw today are all the generals I trust
and only they know that My Lady is the new advisor. Only me and the escort, Ruohan, know your real
name, but well all call you My Lady. The King clearly stated the last Order.
So this was why he, the main general, was calling her by the title, My Lady.
Pingting nodded to show assurance. Her eyes drifted towards the door, onto the pebbled footpath out on the
foyer. Quietly, she said, Well, lets go and see the wall.
Up on Kanbus magnificent city walls, Pingting saw the plains and mountains covered by the atmosphere of
war. It was truly everywhere. Ze Yin stood up and pointed south-east, saying, Thats the Dong Lin army
camp.
Her heart started to thump loudly.
Dong Lin army camp huh Pingting tried to focus on the camp in the distance, but it was too far away.
She couldnt even see the banners flapping in the air. She couldnt see the chiselled features of Chu Beijie
either.
Guess what Chu Beijie? Pingting came.
Pingting couldnt escape so she came instead.

Chapter 18
Every second was crucial to finding out Chu Beijies secret plan. Pingting wasnt interested in rewards; she
simply wanted the rights to control the Bei Mo army from the King so that she had easier accessibility to
command the army during difficult times. Apart from the few highest ranking commanders who briefly saw
her upon arrival, she didnt appear in public a second time.
The meetings were held in the room Ze Yin had moved out for Pingting. He was the only one who had
discussed battle tactics with her. Being also a good friend of his wife, her unknown background was
disregarded. Ze Yin had long earned Pingtings approval. He was more than just helpful.

The Bei Mo armys current situation was not caused by Ze Yins lack of ability but because of Chu Beijies
wit.
What are thinking, My Lady? Ze Yin finally broke the silence. He continued with informing the latest
report. This time, weve lost several dozens of frontline spies. They retrieved only insignificant news. What
a waste.
Pingting mentally processed the report but didnt answer. She rolled open the map and aimlessly stroked
across before stopping to point at the bottom corner on the right. Frowning, she muttered, The South is full
of dense forests, but thats all. Do you know why Chu Beijie sends troops everyday over there?
Ze Yin gathered around the map and also frowned as if in deep a thought but only shook his head. Its
impossible to surround and attack from the back of Kanbu by going through that forest. Its not only a waste
of time but also a massive waste of power. The forest is pretty dangerous as well, complete with poisonous
snakes. The army could be diminished by more than a half before they even reach Kanbu."
Pingting flicked through a journal of Kanbus battle history when a sudden thought washed over. Is there a
similar journal about the surrounding, dense forest?
That forest is dark, dangerous, and scary there arent many people willing to go there. Ze Yin continued,
But one of the previous head guards of Kanbu was dedicated and once collected data on the topography of
the area around Kanbu. They have it preserved. There might be something about that forest in those books,
but Im not sure how detailed the data is. Ill retrieve it if My Lady wants.
He personally went to another library to get a set of very old, dusty-looking books and placed them on the
table.
Pingting hoped that news of the Dong Lin Kings unconsciousness would reach Chu Beijie soon before his
yet to be predicted plan was in action. If not, and Pingting couldnt stop his plan, it meant the surrender of
Kanbu and eventually the conquest of the Bei Mo country.
As of now, Ze Yins once indestructible impression could no longer be recovered, and the only spark of
hope for Bei Mo was Chu Beijies infamous enemy, Pingting.
What bad luck he would have been okay if his enemy wasnt the frustratingly invincible Chu Beijie, right?
Pingting realised the sudden change in the atmosphere. She stared at Ze Yin as understanding flickered into
her eyes. How many days has it been since you closed your eyes? A balanced lifestyle is needed to fight
properly. You ought to get some rest.
Im fine.
Pingting chuckled and softened her words, Well, General, I wont force you, but youre being manipulated
by Chu Beijie. You see, his favourite tactic is scaring the opposition to prevent them from sleeping, then
attacking when everyone is too tired. Often, the defending team has already collapsed from fatigue by the
time he decides to attack.
Ze Yin nodded in understanding, My Ladys right. Too much anxiety will damage our energy. The

corners of his mouth twitched into a bitter smile. Honestly speaking, ever since fighting against Chu Beijie,
I havent slept properly for ages. Tonight, Ill sleep and get more confidence to fight against the Dong Lin
army.
He stood up. Ill check the soldiers sleeping quarters before going to bed. Then, he left the room.
Meanwhile in the Dong Lin armys sleeping quarters, everyone had long gone to bed and was deep in their
dreams, except for a few nightly guards.
No one was afraid of being attacked at night by the Bei Mo army since their last attempt at surprise attack
had failed miserably. They couldnt possibly be prepared for such sacrifice again.
No one worried whether conquering Kanbu was possible or not, and no one cared about the final victor
either. Under the command of the best commander in the world and with the Duke of Zhen-Beis flag
flapping in the wind, they felt sure that all of the instructions given were the best course of action.
The Duke of Zhen-Beis flag, at the moment, was firmly wedged in the central command tent, flapping
loudly from the wind blowing from the dense forest of a hundred acres.
Light came from within the central command tent. Chu Beijie wasnt asleep yet. A set of armour made of
gold hung against the wall, occasionally reflecting the flickering candle flame. Moran stood quietly at the
side, waiting for Chu Beijie to speak.
Chu Beijie hadnt said a word ever since getting the latest report from their spy. Before long, Chu Beijie
placed the report back into the file. Expressionless, he asked, Who could possibly be their new advisor,
whos rumoured to be a woman?
A certain name shot into Morans thoughts. He took a step back and replied, The name and history of the
new military advisor are considered the most confidential information of our enemy. Our spies might not be
able to uncover such secrets.
Chu Beijie sat down, studying Moran before calmly saying, Our guess may be right.
Moran reacted to this by raising his head to meet Chu Beijies eyes with an alarmed expression. He quickly
collected himself together, hesitantly asking, If it really is that person, what do you plan to do, Duke?
What do you mean by that?
We cant be sure whether their advisor is her or not, so what if the original plan...
Chu Beijie waved his hand. Moran, no need to worry. Tell the spy that theres no need to research the new
military advisor any further. If its really Bai Pingting, she should be able to realise my plan before its too
late.
But Moran argued, If its really her and she doesnt realise Dukes plan, wouldnt she die with the rest of
the Bei Mo army in Kanbu? Moran felt Chu Beijies knife-sharp gaze on him. He quickly closed his mouth,
refusing to continue.

I dont know though... Chu Beijie seemed a bit worried as well. He rose and gazed towards the tent flap.
He held it and admired the moon. Taking a deep breath of the cold night air, he finally managed to calm his
thumping heart down. There was newfound determination in his eyes as he whispered, If she didnt have
such skill and intelligence, would she be worthy of my love? He turned, reassured his subordinate and
chuckled. It seems you still have your doubts. You can tell me.
Moran knew that she was his weakness, but war was approaching and the main general must always have a
clear, unwavering sense of purpose. He asked, Doesnt Duke want to capture Pingting alive?
So Moran thinks I want to capture Bai Pingting for revenge? Chu Beijie smiled, Remember this. No
commander would stop after defeat for that would be a costly mistake. I want to capture Bai Pingting alive
only because I respect her. He pushed away the files on his desk and pushed open the worn map, thinking
of the only woman he couldnt forget. If it wasnt respect, why else would I want her to be captured alive?
Has Duke ever considered... Morans eyebrows were creased again, that even if she figures out Dukes
plan, she might not be able to do anything about it?
Youre wrong. If she can figure it out, shell definitely outsmart it. Chu Beijies expression didnt change
as he said, When the sun rises from the East, I shall see if shes worthier of my love than any other woman
in this world. Well, well Pingting, if you really are in Kanbu, dont disappoint me.
Back in Kanbu, Ze Yin had just fallen asleep.
However, his sleep was short lived as it was soon interrupted by a loud thump at the door. The one knocking
could only be that one person, someone who he couldnt complain about despite it being three thirty in the
morning.
I know what his plan is. Either excitement or worry had made Pingtings white cheeks into a pale pink.
She entered the room, lit a candle on the table, and opened an aged scroll. Thank goodness I read some
other old references after reading the books left by one of the previous head guards, or else our army would
have suffered massive casualties and immeasurable damage. General, please look here.
Ze Yin followed her pearly white finger. His thick eyebrows rose slightly. Poisonous wasps?
These wasps can only be found deep in the mountains surrounding Kanbu; their nest should be where the
forests are most compact. Their poison is extremely potent just one light stab and even a wild bull would
collapse. Im familiar with medicine and had once heard about these wasps. Thanks to the reports General
gave me, I realised that something was strange and now Ive finally found the reason after spending all night
flicking through books and scrolls. Pingting noticed the look of bewilderment and doubtful expression on
Ze Yins face. Is something wrong, General?
My Lady guessed that Chu Beijie would use poisonous wasps to attack my army, right? Ze Yin continued,
Its easier said than done. I know about these wasps. Although these wasps are strong enough to poison our
entire defence force, it would still be a hard task to accomplish. For one, where would you get all those
wasps?
Pingting had long thought about this. She calmly replied, Thats why Chu Beijie has been sending troops
into the forest. Thats where the wasps nests would be and only there can he collect enough for this plan.

Chu Beijie may be strong, but hes not invincible. Hes not from Bei Mo, so how could he know and
manipulate those wasps?
Pingting sighed. General is still underestimating Chu Beijie even at this time. His army of ten thousand
men and horses has certainly created chaos around here, so it wouldnt be unusual that his soldiers have died
after being stung by some disturbed wasps. Once Chu Beijie learned of such a powerful, natural weapon, he
would definitely send people to research the wasps habits. Thats why his army hasnt been attacking
recently.
Ze Yin still shook his head but didnt say anything.
Pingting carried on. In the book, it says that poisonous wasps are very sensitive to the sap of the Sanhua
tree. They can sense the sap from a faraway distance. This sap also makes their poison even stronger. There
are huge patches of Sanhua tree in the East and West side of the Kanbu city walls. Say, what if Chu Beijie
really wants to use these wasps to attack us? He must have ordered his soldiers to find these trees and chop
them down. Then he will use the branches of the Sanhua tree, which is full of sap, as arrows and fire them
from a long distance toward Kanbu, while releasing a huge number of wasps. The defending force will
definitely be diminished to less than a half. When the wasps move away as the sap in the arrows slowly dries
up, conquering Bei Mos last line of defence would be no problem.
Ze Yin heard the urgency in Pingtings voice. He couldnt help but be uncertain of whether to believe or not.
Ill immediately get someone to check whether the Sanhua trees on the East and West side have been cut
down.
He talked briefly to his personal assistant, who would pass on his commands, before turning back to her. If
its really like that, Chu Beijies plan is really a risk and really unbelievable, but Ze Yin still doesnt
understand. He hesitated, Please dont be offended by Ze Yins directness. This plan is still
rather...unusual, so I am wondering how confident My Lady is about it.
How confident? Pingting was surprised by this question. She quickly hid her excitement over uncovering
the enemys plan. She gripped the handle of her seat. It was several moments later before she broke into a
smile. If I said that Im sure of such an unbelievable, strange trick, General would definitely laugh and
wont believe me. I dont know why, really. When I thought of this wasp plan, I was sure it would be
something Chu Beijie would do. She forced a tight-lipped smile at Ze Yin. If Bai Pingting couldnt figure
out Chu Beijies train of thought, what use could she be to Bei Mo?
The candlelight in the room flickered while moths danced.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting silvery light throughout the city walls. Both inside and
outside were full of soldiers dreaming of their homes.
Their lives depended on the decisions made by their commanders, their right and wrong guesses. It was like
a cruel game.
And her opponent just had to be him.
Pingting pushed her hair to one side, remembering his strong hands slowly stroking her silky hair while

saying This is mine. with a small smile.

She had never known such a painful feeling before.
Does General know what I want to do the most at the moment?
Ze Yin has no idea.
Pingting pressed her lips together and smiled. Same as General. I need a good rest. She rubbed her chest,
above her sore heart, with a finger. But then again, who can rest properly after meeting Chu Beijie?
She wanted to sigh but choked the urge away. Main advisors shouldnt sigh. She considered herself a bad
one because of that.
Under the moon, everything became clear. Ze Yin regretted his impoliteness that saddened Pingting. He
coughed and then changed the subject. There is something else I must know. Is there a cure to the poison?
Pingting shrugged. Thats another reason why Im sure Chu Beijie would use the wasps. Even if the wasps
poison enters the blood stream, the person can die, but if he or she first drinks a mixture of herbs that
neutralises the Sanhua tree sap, they will be resistant to the poison. In the past, according to this book, those
who entered the forests always drank this mixture beforehand. If all the Dong Lin soldiers drink this
mixture, they wont have to worry about getting stung.
Really? Ze Yin furrowed his brow even further and stroked his beard thoughtfully.
If the Dong Lin army released the poisonous wasps during the fight, our soldiers would try to run away
from the wasps therefore they wont defend properly. Those who continue to defend will be stung.
At this time of unease, the Generals personal assistant returned. He was edgy as he came into the room,
calling out. General, the Sanhua trees on the East and West sides have been cut!
Ze Yin turned towards him, and in a loud voice, he demanded, How on Earth did those trees get cut down
without us noticing?
His personal assistant shook his head in confusion, but he knew that the current situation wasnt good. The
forests on the East and West side are from the city walls. When General told us to defend from the walls
with full power, the troops stationed there had retreated. Dong Lin must have been going there since then,
secretly cutting down those trees and happily leaving afterwards so we didnt realise anything.
Pingting interrupted, Did you take inventory of how many trees were cut down? How long would it have
taken them?
The stumps have begun to dry so it must have been yesterday.
Ze Yin and Pingting exchanged a look that said, As expected. Grinding his teeth, he commanded, Pass on
this command: prepare a huge pan for making medicine and take some of the best soldiers to cut down all of
the remaining Sanhua trees.
Wait! Pingting held out a hand and hurriedly explained, Its likely that Chu Beijie has some troops

stationed nearby, waiting for us to fall for some trap near those trees, not to mention that theres not enough
time to make the medicine even if enough trees can be cut down. General, its nearly morning. She pointed
at the window that displayed grey skies.
Chu Beijie might have not guessed that we know of his poisonous wasp plan. He might not have collected
enough wasps anyway. Ze Yin stared at the sky and lowered his voice, As long as he doesnt plan to
attack today, we would not have to prepare too much to win the war.
Pingting sighed. Chu Beijie would never make such a risky mistake. A day and a half is enough to cut
down enough trees, make arrows with the sap, and concoct the resistant medicine. The Sanhua trees were cut
yesterday. Hell definitely attack today.
Ze Yin shook violently at this, his eyes widened. It seemed like ages before words formed in his mouth.
Then, what should we do?
Pingting didnt immediately reply. She instead opened the half-opened window. She closed her eyes and
slowly breathed in the fresh morning air. It was almost as if she wanted the oxygen to circulate once through
her tired body before she casually opened her eyes again.
In a commanding tone, she said, No need to worry General. Ever since leaving Bei Yali, Ive always
known that thered be a day like this. No one who has gone against Chu Beijie has had a successful outcome
before, unless he pretended to be weak.
Thinking back to Gui Les victory that year made her chest ached. Pingting couldnt help but stare into the
distance for a little longer. Finally, she swung back around chuckled, Pingting would be delighted to know
if there is still a playable qin with all strings still attached.
A qin?
Yes. I plan to play somewhere up high where Chu Beijie can hear me play.
Ze Yins expression instantly changed at this. He shook his head vigorously. I know that My Lady has an
unusual relationship with Chu Beijie, but this concerns two armies its serious. My Lady would be easily
seen from all directions from a high building. You will be open to his arrows, not to mention the poisonous
wasps. His super accurate shots are certainly no lie.
Im the main advisor. If General disobeys, Ill have to force you to agree. Pingting lifted the symbol of her
authority. She grinned playfully but stopped when she noticed Ze Yins solemn expression. General was
asked by Yangfeng to look after Pingting. Why fret? If Chu Beijie is willing to shoot Pingting, maybe, itd
mean the release that promises freedom. When she finished, she strode out of the room.
In the Dong Lin army, the soldiers had long been awake. Everyone was taking turns to drink a medicine that
didnt taste too good from a huge pan. The troops stood in an orderly fashion, swords in their hands.
Several dozen lumpy, leather bags were distributed out to the other soldiers by Chu Beijies personal
assistants. The buzzing sound never stopped. A separate troop was tightly wrapped in clothing, having just
completed the task of making arrows from the branches of full Sanhua tree sap. Their next task was to shoot
these arrows towards Kanbu in order to attract the wasps and strengthen their poison.

It was likely that there were traces of the luring Sanhua tree sap on the soldiers, and although they had a
share of the medicine, being stung is still painful thus they decided to wrap themselves up in clothing. They
covered as much of their hands, feet, and face as they could.
Chu Beijie and Moran stood outside, waiting for the other generals to finish their check up and confirming
for zero errors before going back up to the command platform.
When my soldiers attack the city, where will she be? Chu Beijie asked, frowning once he was on the
platform.
Only Moran understood among the crowd what Chu Beijie was thinking. He knew that the Duke was
troubled. The best thing for Moran though was to pretend not to know and stand with the others, waiting for
Chu Beijies next command.
After a long pause, the crowd still heard no command from Chu Beijie and began to exchange confused
glances with each other. No one dared to interrupt Chu Beijies thinking; they all just glared at Moran.
As second in command, Moran pretended to be thick-headed and called, Duke, its about time.
Good, Chu Beijie lifted his head from his daze and returned the gazes of his trusted commanders. He
calmly smiled and said, Its been a while since I felt such anticipation, but today is an exception. Maybe
this attack on Kanbu will be a lot more interesting than I predicted. Maybe itll be the end or perhaps a new
beginning. Everything depends on whether their new advisor is worthy enough for me to go all out
against. Eyes flashing, he shouted, Lets go!
Everyone shouted Yes! as his command rippled through the crowd, lifting everyones fighting spirit.
The mighty Dong Lin army, after a brief truce, under the influence of the powerful Duke of Zhen-Bei, has
finally begun its attack against Kanbu.

Chapter 19
The war drums rumbled against the ground.
The Dong Lin army was already stationed at the foot of Kanbu in orderly rows. The colour of blood seemed
to be reflected in their eyes as their weapons flashed. They were ready to kill just waiting for their
commander.
With the command flag in the air and the sound of the whistle, the mighty army parted for their commander
to pass through.
Pingting observed through squinted eyes, somewhere in a tall building.
On his horse, Dong Lins main general, Chu Beijie carried his head held high. His confident figure looked
more than ready to battle, his infamous sword was hanging by his waist and bow held against his horse.
He made his way through no mans land to the Kanbu gates when he suddenly glanced up. She glanced

down and their eyes happened to meet, causing sparks. Immense excitement raged through both of them.
His army of a thousand horses and men wasnt afraid of anything, yet she continued to breezily sit inside the
palanquin.
When Pingting felt the electric but fiery spark, her body seemed to have gone limp like energy had been
drained from her limbs or as if her body was completely dry of blood. Her vision was temporarily blurred
and her uncoordinated body was only stretched after clutching against a stone pillar.
Looking down, she couldnt see the soldiers standing at the Kanbu walls. She could only see those eyes
which seemed to burn right through her.
Chu Beijie always made her lose her will, energy, and concentration. With a wry smile, she realised that she
couldnt wait to see every inch of him once more. Little did she know that her body unconsciously took two
steps forward.
Be careful My Lady! Cautioned Ruohan, the bodyguard ordered to stay by her.
Jolted out of her trance, she realised that she was standing at the edge. A few more steps could have sent her
plummeting to her death.
My Lady?
Pingting came fully back to her senses. Right, she was the main military advisor. Kanbus future, Bei Mos
future, even Yangfeng and her childs future were all in her hands.
The glow returned to her black pupils. She took brisk footsteps away from the edge to sit in front of the
prepared ancient qin.
Calming her hands and spreading incense, she had done everything.
Pingting softly directed, Pass on this command: continue to follow the plan.
Yes.
From below, Chu Beijies gaze never left the elegant figure in the palanquin.
She wasnt afraid of anything, just as hed expected. Her indifference and bold movements were unique.
Moran finished his rounds before approaching Chu Beijie, whispering, Duke, it really was her.
Looking up into the high palanquin, you could see her fine figure.
She guessed it all right. Chu Beijie sighed.
Should we immediately release the poisonous wasps?
Chu Beijie was about to reply when he frowned.

Ping!
The sound of a qin floated down from the palanquin. Just one sound, crisp yet steady, moved the crowd like
a needle striking their hearts.
Chu Beijies strong gaze that could silence his army easily made a complicated expression towards the
palanquin. His eyes were narrowed as he muttered, The string broke.
Ping! Another sound was heard, this time resonating even louder than the one before.
The second string.
Ping!
The third stringthats your plan to force me in retreat? My Little Pingting. Chu Beijie eyed the figure
while understanding flooded through his once dumbstruck expression. He held up one hand and called,
Pass on this order: retreat ten kilometres.
Retreat? Moran was shocked, almost horrified.
The other commanders exchanged looks then looked back at their main commander.
Retreat. Almost spitting out the word, Chu Beijie looked at his woman one last time before turning his
horse away.
Duke has commanded, retreat!
Pass command: Retreat!
Retreat! Retreat!
With their thundering footsteps, the entire Dong Lin army retreated like a tide.
Chu Beijie was at the very front of the retreating soldiers, his expression like usual, not conveying any
emotion.
Chu Beijie rode for a moment then slowed to a canter, beside Moran.
Chu Beijie had galloped for some time before his pace slackened, letting Moran catch up.
If we were to attack, Pingting would use her body to defend the city. If we were to release the wasps, she
wouldnt be able to live.
That was her plan? Moran carefully chose his words, In other words, if Duke wishes Pingting to be alive
and safe, the poisonous wasps plan wont be used. She really is too brave, betting on her life like that. If
Duke didnt care so much about the past, wouldnt she have lost her life over nothing?

That basically sums up that you know that Im not as good as Pingting. Chu Beijie laughed. I would
never have commanded the continuation of the attack. She is the main advisor of the Bei Mo army at the
moment, the hope of the Bei Mo army, yet she doesnt hesitate to sacrifice her body. This has one effect it
gives her soldiers courage. If I were to kill Pingting in front of the crowd and continue the attack on the Bei
Mo army in hope to conquer Kanbu, her army would want to avenge her death and will attack us without
reservation. Our loss then would be unimaginable. An army that is ruled by intense anger cannot be
controlled by any normal strong force therefore I concluded that Pingtings death would mean Dong Lins
defeat.
Moran immediately understood and he lowered his head, sighing. Not only that, but if Duke did continue, it
would give everyone the impression that you had used poison against a defenceless girl. It would ruin your
reputation as the best commander and damage our armys pride. The after effects could be even worse.
Chu Beijie looked at Moran admiringly for a few seconds, before softly saying, Although her counter-tactic
was more psychological, I am relieved. If she didnt completely trust in me, she wouldnt have bet her life
and use this tactic.
Moran could hear that Chu Beijie was in a good mood, so he laughed. Thats what they call Damming. I
mean, Duke promptly reacted and quickly told the army to retreat back ten kilometres. Although there are
many men in this world, there arent many people whod easily give up a city for a woman. After laughing
he sighed again as there was still something he wanted to know.
Duke, please be angry with Moran for his bluntness, but there is still something Moran is unsure about.
Of course Chu Beijie could guess what his second in command was thinking. The corners of his mouth lifted
into a grin. Even if there wasnt a valid excuse, I would have never continued to attack the city. Losing
Pingting would be more than just a lifetime of regret. A mere Kanbu could never compare to the loss of half
a strand of her hair.
Moran had guessed the true intention of his Master long ago but hearing it himself made him feel a rush of
pride for the mans honour. Miss Pingting sure is one lucky woman to deserve such love from Duke. But,
what should our army do? Stop and rest when we got to the ten kilometre mark?
Chu Beijie had already come up with a plan as he gazed ahead. In three hours, attack again.
Attack Kanbu? Moran was dumbfounded. Even if we dont use the wasps, as long as Pingting stays in
that palanquin, none of us are able to attack. Any stray arrow would kill her.
Well Moran, you know that Im not as good as Pingting, but you should also know that at the same time,
Pingting is not as good as me. Chu Beijies confidence was obvious when he continued, Shed only use
that tactic once. The woman I like would never be stupid enough to continuously bet on her body every time
our army attacks. I can assure you, she would have already thought of another plan by the time our army
attacks again.
He tossed his head back and roared in laughter.
With her here, this Kanbu battle really has become much more thrilling. Its certainly the most nervewracking battle, I, Chu Beijie have ever been in.

However, Moran looked as if he had a headache. So, Duke has found a worthy opponent and victory is
uncertain?
Do you remember the sword I left in honour of the five year treaty?
Yes, it was Dukes favourite Parting Soul.
I must win this war as the price for the future of the Duchess of Zhen-Bei. Chu Beijie seemed to be
thinking something as he said, Although Pingting is clever, her soul has departed due to me, Chu Beijie.
With one last flick of the whip, they were gone like the wind.
Three hours later, the Dong Lin army was ready once more, their confidence even stronger than before.
They were inspired by their main commanders invincible figure and they were ready to win the last
defensive attack against Kanbu.
Their flag noisily flapped in the air.
Chu Beijies expression was neutral. He was sitting on his horse as he calmly observed Kanbu.
A spy, who was sent, came with a report. Duke, there are absolutely no soldiers in Kanbu. They must have
escaped!
This news rippled through the other generals and even Chu Beijie had to frown.
Check again!
Yes!
Moran, Chu Beijie picked his named out from the crowd, Explain.
Moran thought hard, then roughly explained, The most important thing at the moment is to understand the
movements of the Bei Mo army. If they are heading onwards Bei Yali, then we could easily catch up. If they
have gone around Kanbu and are heading for the southern forests, then itd be pretty bad.
At this moment, the spy came again and panted in a somewhat high voice, Duke, the entire Bei Mo army
has entered the forest!
Every one of the generals paled when they realised the intention of the Bei Mo main advisor. Although it
was a bit risky, it was the best tactic they could possible do at this time.
Once the Bei Mo army enters the dense forest, they can attack our supplies at any time, surrounding us by
breaking off places we could retreat to and force the back-up soldiers weve been receiving from the King
away. Even if we continue through Kanbu to Bei Yali, well be on our own.
Chu Beijies expression was very serious when he abruptly laughed.

You had only just ruined my poisonous wasps plan when you immediately think of using the forests next.
Well, well Pingting. How am I supposed to not love and respect you? You know that this tactic wont stop
my army. At most, it would only hold up for a few more days so just what are you planning?
After laughing, his expression was thoughtful once more.
General Shenwei, take your troops and head for Kanbu.
He waved his hands and someone passed a command flag to General Shenwei.
A frosty smile played on Chu Beijies lips, Im going to take ten thousand of the best soldiers to stop her
army in the forest.
Please reconsider, Duke. The Bei Mo army is approximately fifty thousand in number. Even if its ten
thousand of the best soldiers, it should be impossible to win.
Ten thousand is enough, With all his arrogance, he chuckled. How could you win the best womans heart
without skill? My dear Pingting, I will make you lose in a way that you wont have any regrets.
The group of a thousand soldiers began their chase to find the Bei Mo army, towards the forests that covered
several hectares, a place where not many had explored before.

Chapter 20
Chu Beijie led his troops through the forests and chose a somewhat open area to take a short break. He sent
orders to get the best of his spies to check the movements of the Bei Mo army.
Together with Moran, they put up the central command tent and began studying the map.
The forest surrounds the Kanbu for several hectares all around. Lots of places have yet to be explored. This
means that the Bei Mo army couldnt have gone in too much. The best places for them to stay are here, here,
and there. Chu Beijies finger moved, respectively pointing out the three mountain symbols on the map.
Moran agreed. The Bei Mo army is approximately fifty thousand, so its very unlikely for them to fully
disappear in this forest in such a short time. Our spies can definitely find out their location. However, if they
really are living up high in the mountain to defend, this war wont be resolved any time soon.
Chu Beijie smiled at this and warmly asked, Does Moran know why I chose to have ten thousand soldiers
with me?
With this hint, Morans eyes lit up with understanding. Duke wants them to attack first?
The Bei Mo army and my army have been attacking each other for ages without result. They need a big
victory to heighten everyones spirits. Chu Beijies cheerful smile was unreadable. He turned back to the
map and pointed at a tall mountain in the Southeast direction.
If my analysis is correct, Pingting should have stationed troops there.

Duke just mentioned that only three mountains were possible and why is Duke so confident that theyd be
on that mountain?
Although there are three possibilities, this place is the one that suits Pingting the most.
Moran was about to ask again when a voice from outside the tent called, Duke, I found out where the Bei
Mo army is.
Come in and speak.
The spy came in and reported, The Bei Mo army is currently stationed on Mount Dianqing. It is the most
dangerous, and according to the map, theres a strong little river flowing nearby which seems to be the
source of the several streams around here.
Surprisingly, he then asked, If Moran was the Bei Mo main military advisor, how would you attack my ten
thousand soldiers?
Moran was familiar with the battlefield and so he knew the answer.
One of the basics of war is to secure a lodge near a water source so that soldiers and their horses can have
easier access to water. If I were the Bei Mo main advisor, I would first find the source of the main streams,
then add a poison that can diminish the enemys fighting spirit.
This plan could only work once thought as it has to be before I understand the geography. Pingting must
have thought that Im usually too busy with the soldiers and dont understand these forests well. I always
take notice of the geography when I go to a place though. I study as many maps as I can beforehand. Chu
Beijie couldnt help but grin. I predict shell poison the water tonight. Then, her army will be sent down
and surround my ten thousand soldiers.
Moran studied the expression on Chu Beijies face and realised he had a clear idea of what was going on.
Please make your command then, Duke.
Chu Beijie lifted the tent flap to stare at the changing clouds behind a distant mountain. His thoughts seemed
far away when his deep voice full of anticipation said, Pingting may have a plan of her own, but shell
think that the real battle will be under the mountain. There wont be many troops at the top though, so we
can take this opportunity to shock her.
He snapped back. Pass on this command: everyone must cut branches to each make a fake person, and they
must wear armour. Tonight, station them outside the tents and make it look like were asleep, unprepared for
battle.
Moran hurriedly went outside to pass on the order.
The soldiers outside the tent immediately began to bustle into life. Not long later, Moran came back and
informed, Dukes task has been completed.
Chu Beijie nodded and snapped on his own armour. With sword in hand, he broke out the command tent.

Get on your horses, take the Cloud Valley route and capture the Bei Mo generals!
The entire army shouted Yes! in reply and left, leaving empty tents and nearly nine thousand fake soldiers
behind.
Ten thousand soldiers stealthily approached Mount Dianqing, camouflaged against the varied trees in the
forest. There stealth so great that even their breaths made no sound. They soon stopped at the foot of the
mountain opposite of Mount Dianqing, ready to go through the ominous Cloud Valley route, where Pingting
was.
Back in the Bei Mo army, everything was as Chu Beijie had thought.
Pingting had stationed most of the army near the water source. The tents were close to the summit and
having the height advantage allowed clear views of the surrounding territory.
All of the other generals were with the rest of the army. At the moment, only Pingting, Ze Yin, and Ruohan
were left in the main command tent. The three sat in a circle, studying the most concise map of the forests
they could find.
Great plan! Ze Yin patted his leg in praise. My Lady really is the strongest opponent Chu Beijie could
have. Its Dong Lins first time entering these forests, so they cant be too familiar with this area. Adding
poison to their water before they realize it, Ze Yin can then go and attack their quarters while theyre still
poisoned. Humph, I hope Chu Beijies in the group of ten thousand so that he will understand that even the
men of Bei Mo are strong.
An idolizing expression was on Ruohans eyes as he said, You understand Chu Beijie so well. My Lady
will definitely become the most famous female army advisor in the four countries.
Pingtings expression didnt change or rather, it looked more like an angry-hurt expression.
She sighed. Generals, dont be happy yet. The tactic Pingting just mentioned of may be successful against
other people, but it wont work on Chu Beijie.
Ze Yin was having a pretty good laugh when she said this. He stopped. Whys that?
Chu Beijie is the strongest general in the world at the moment, and his way of thinking covers everything.
Dont forget that he did once send soldiers to capture poisonous wasps so wouldnt it be very unusual if he
didnt send someone out to find out the topography of this area as well? Underestimating the enemy is a
deadly blow to commanding officers. Pingting will cause a massive defeat if she concludes that Chu Beijie
would be easily outdone with a poisoned water source.
Ruohan paled. Chu Beijies that strong? Then what should we do?
Pingtings eyes flickered back to the map. She smiled sweetly. Once Chu Beijie finds out were on Mount
Dianqing from his spies, it wont take long for him to uncover the fact that weve poisoned the water. To be
honest, the reason why Pingting chose this mountain was really to give him this false impression.
After speaking so much and so energetically, Pingting broke off by inhaling a few deep breaths of air. Her

cheeks were flushed. She rolled her black crystal-like eyes once before continuing. Once Chu Beijies
thinks that hes got my plan, he would make fake people and then look for a path that we wont expect from
and attack the supposedly, mostly empty commanding tents.
Ze Yin and Ruohan knew that what she was saying was right.
Ze Yins beard bobbed up and down as he said, We can station most of the troops close to the tents, then
thrash Chu Beijies army.
Pingting however, shook her head at this, Thats not the best. Mount Dianqing isnt the best place for an
ambush.
Theres something Id like My Lady to clarify. Ruohan voiced the question in his thoughts. My Lady
said that Chu Beijie would look for a route that we wont expect from. Which path is Lady thinking of?
Commander Ruohan has got the idea. Pingting said and pointed at a route on the map.
Ze Yin and Ruohan both looked down and stared at it in shock.
Several moments later, Ruohan finally breathed out, Chu Beijie actually dares to get ten thousand men to
go through the notorious Cloud Valley Route. Hes really daring, huh. But then again, if we hadnt been able
to predict his actions, he would have definitely succeeded.
He likes to use bizarre tactics. This time, hell get a taste of his own medicine. Ze Yin almost sneered. Ill
immediately take some soldiers to round him from behind. Im sure it will give him a nasty shock.
He saluted towards Pingting, Please give me your command, Main Advisor.
Pingting smiled and held-up a command flag. Then, in a clear ringing voice like a black-naped creole, she
commanded, Listen, Main General Ze Yin, I, as main military advisor, command you to go down the
mountain and block the enemys escape route. Surround them from the back, they should still be on the
opposite mountain, Mount Bilei, at the moment. After saying this, she felt a flood of unease so she lowered
her voice. Although we have more soldiers than Chu Beijie, surrounding them is more important at the
moment. Do not attack without my command.
Thats a bit
Pingting handed it over nonetheless and explained, Chu Beijie is Dong Lins main advisor and commander,
and at the same time is the brother of Dong Lins King. Even if we capture him alive, the Dong Lins army
will be lost.
She took out another command flag and called, Commander Ruohan.
Im here!
Please lead another few hundred soldiers and gather at the other end of the Cloud Valley route and damage
its rope bridge, so that even the Dong Lin army cant get any closer to Mount Dianqing.

Ruohan took the flag and replied Yes Maam! loudly.

Pingting continued to order, As an experienced fighter, Commander Ruohan, you dont have to come back
here and report back once youve completed your task. You may march down the mountain to help Main
General.
Pingting sighed in relief after making all of the necessary preparations. Her vision had gone blurry again.
She knew it was from overworking so she sat down and closed her eyes to rest.
Most of the people had gone with Ze Yin. Their excitement had been obvious. They were ready to ambush
their enemy, the army that had stressed and pressured them for so long.
Once the thundering sound of galloping horses passed, her surroundings quieted down.
Pingting calmly sat inside the command tent and woke up listening to the sound of silence, the sound of no
sounds dancing in the air.
Another plot.
Plots in plots. She frowned and couldnt help stroke her sore eyebrows, a habit of hers.
She blinked.
The flashy command flags were really too bright to look at but after so much plotting, she had realised that
they werent part of a game. Each word she said could send several hundred soldiers, who still had families
waiting back at home, to their deaths.
As for Chu Beijie, who had retreated ten kilometres for her, he had been wrong once more.
He would never be able to guess that Pingting could be so cruel, merciless.
Her eyes were dry but she couldnt even shed half a tear. Somewhere in the immense, dense forest, lay a
battlefield. Pingting slowly got up and went through the tent flap to outside.
She found the forest of Mount Dianqing.
Beijie, its me, its me again. For Yangfeng and for the several thousand people of Bei Mo whove lost their
homes.
Pain and regret rippled through her body, attacking her from the inside. She wished that this was all a dream.
Could this be a punishment of my previous past life? Pingting bit her red lip, not wishing to say more.
The potential bloodshed of her complicated plotting, how was it fair to the person whod once so tenderly
placed daisies in her hair?
She missed him, missed him! Pingting clutched her chest in pain but remembered that she was also the main
advisor and the promise she made to Yangfeng and her unborn child.

Parting Soul her Master was right her soul had left. Her homeless soul wanted to be picked up by the
wind and carried into the Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence, where she could play Heroes and Beautiful Women
once more.
It was really a pity that the wind nor the mountain wasnt the place she wanted to be at for it only messed up
her hair and did nothing to move her lonely spirit.
They say a hundred years pass like a dream, but this dream is really long. Surrounded by strong winds,
Pingting muttered, Its so damn painful.
Ze Yin was probably leading his army to where they were as the sky was slowly being dyed red.
Ruohan was probably still damaging the rope bridge.
Even if she feigned indifference she knew it was too late.
Perhaps the two of them never had another chance to come back together.
Her thoughts almost made her laugh. Once the tactics were decided, there was no further use for an advisor.
She was free to think about any rubbish she felt like thinking. In approximately two hours, Ze Yin should
have successfully captured Chu Beijie.
If Chu Beijie was captured, hed utterly hate her, a hatred that seeped from his bones.
Then again, he was almost always composed and would probably escape. Her heart beat wildly, as if his
escape was a better solution, but she knew that hed still hate her nonetheless.
Her heart darkened at the thought.
If Chu Beijie died in battlePingting had been constantly avoiding the thought but now she couldnt help
but to worry over it.
You live, Ill live as well. If you die, Ill die with you. When she had said that, she was in Chu Beijies
arms, feeling like she could melt into water.
Pingting bit her lip into a sad smile. It was best if Chu Beijie died. Then she could easily giver her own life
to him and be together.
Give me your life. She only came back to her senses when she said this, only to realise that she was sitting
on a patch of grass near the tents. Wary eyes of the few soldiers, who had been left to protect their main
advisor, watched.
The sky was still changing when a bomb exploded not far from her. The air was temporarily filled with
ashes. Pingting stood up and silently cursed herself for daydreaming again.
Kill!

Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!

She wasnt directly in front of the command tent but could still hear the coming battle cry.
Pingting was horrified. She turned backwards, her eyes widening.
The Dong Lin army!
Impossible, how could this be?
Kill! Capture the enemy advisor alive!
Duke has commanded for the capture of the enemy advisor alive!
Chu Beijies command flag appeared on the outskirts surrounding the camp and countless Dong Lin soldiers
rushed out from the trees.
The sky was bloody red.
Protect the main advisor! Protect the main advisor!
The few remaining soldiers rushed up to defend, but since most of the army was with Ze Yin, their efforts
were in vain against the massive Dong Lin army.
Her soldiers, soaked in blood, retreated towards her with their swords in hand.
We must give up on the campsite! My Lady, get on the horse!
Give up?
Lost, she had lost to Chu Beijie. It was more than just obvious.
She still lost in the end.
Pingting widened her eyes and dazedly forced onto the horse by her soldiers. A gaunt, blood-stained face
popped into her view.
My Lady! We must give up on the campsite! Run! Run!
The hoarse, wild screams of the dying soldiers entered her ears. Pingting finally came back to her senses.
Whip! Run! Run!
Her ears were ringing, red pools of blood reflected in her shiny black pupils.
After her soldiers had gotten her on the horse, they went back and took up their fight against the intruders.
Ahh! Someone screamed again.

Pingting turned away, her horrified eyes meet with another pair of eyes that almost stopped her heart.
Beijie, do you want to kill me?
The moment their eyes met, Pingtings heart shattered. She never realised that a persons heart could shatter
into thousands of pieces so easily, so quietly.
Through her tears, Pingting stiffened as she caught sight of Chu Beijie leaping over the fence, surrounding
the campsite.
Against her will, she turned her horse and whipped it.
Run, run into this huge forest. Away from this person so Ill never see him again.
This felt so familiar to her; it was like a replay of back then.
The same actions taken and the same actions felt.
Pingting! Chu Beijies deep voice came somewhere behind.
Pingting closed her eyes and whipped the horse again. The wind blew hard against her pale white cheeks.
Dont chase me; its too late. Theres nothing between us anyway. Bai Pingting has long lost her soul since
she cant return to her old home in the Jing-An Ducal Residence nor your Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence.
Lets swear to the moon, never turn against each other.
Her tears blurred her vision, but she could clearly remember his comforting smirk from that time.
Never, ever coming true.
Tears blurred her eyes and she remembered his gentle smile from that day.
Whip, whip again!
She couldnt care less about the cold wind slapping against her face. Escaping from his field of vision, from
the world he breathed air from, was the only thing she wanted to be at this moment.
But she could still hear the gallops of another horse Chu Beijie was still chasing.
Pingting felt crazed and all she cared was galloping forward, even aimlessly.
Two people on two horses as the sunset dyed the sky light-yellow, through the forest, towards Mount
Dianqings summit.
The once crazed horse gradually got tired. When Pingting brought down the whip once more, the horse
bellowed loudly and threw her off. She fell.

Watch out! Chu Beijie yelled.

Pingting slammed heavily into the ground, dazed for a brief moment. She gritted her teeth as she got up and
finally realised why the horse had stopped. Not far, was an impossibly steep cliff.
She hadnt realised that Ze Yin had left such a clever horse for her, but she knew that she had to do
something soon. She could never return to Chu Beijies side with the status of an imprisoned enemy advisor.
Facing the steep cliff, Pingting calmed down. Standing close to the edge, she secretly looked back at Chu
Beijie and smiled.
This place is really pretty and Pingting is greatly inspired to sing. May Pingting sing a song for Chu
Beijie? She looked friendly enough, her eyes were bright as they followed Chu Beijies movements.
Chu Beijie realised that she was acting too calmly and knew that something was wrong. He knew that the
things he wanted to say were not appropriate at such a critical moment and if he did, this wonderful woman
who was even harder to catch than wisps of smoke wouldnt hesitate to jump. His mind churned at the
thought. He smiled back and softened his voice too.
Gui Les five year treaty is an agreement between Pingting and me. If Pingting jumps, the treaty will no
longer be valid and I will lead the Dong Lin army to attack Gui Le immediately. Please reconsider.
The moment he said this, Pingtings fake grin disappeared and she froze.
Chu Beijie took this moment to approach her and stopped in front.
The tears in Pingtings eyes moved but did not fall.
In a quiet voice, she whispered, Why did Duke come?
For you. Chu Beijie replied. Once he had secured himself onto the horse he reached out a hand and eyed
Pingting.
Get on this horse with me. If you do, you will no longer be a Bai but a Chu.
Pingting shook as if she had been struck by lightning.
She raised her head and cried, Beijie! Despite the feelings of anger, she felt those sweet, salty, spicy, and
bitter emotions that she had guarded so carefully, her uncontrollable tears were only ones of happiness.
His strong love only belonged to Bai Pingting after all.
Chu Beijie was quiet for some time before he sighed. With you calling me Beijie, whats the point of
continuing to attack Bei Mo? He laughed, delighted.
He looked back at Pingting and warmth filled his eyes. He reached out. Pingting, come here.

Pingting studied the lines in his huge hand. Did she remember their warmth? They had once stroked across
her hair, her cheeks, her tears, and smileall from this very hand.
Her hand seemed to stabilize her world, as if her soul had returned and she was free to forget the King, JingAn Ducal Residence, Gui Le, Bei Mo, and Yangfeng.
Can I really choose not to be a Bai?
She knew the answer as she looked at his hand.
Little by little she came towards him, through the countless mountains of their countries, through the fiery
battles of their armies, and by forgetting her past.
From then on, Bai Pingting was no longer a Bai.
The danger in Bei Mo was solved and one day, Yangfeng would probably forget about Pingting and her
child would probably never realise that his or her mother once had such a good friend.
Little by little she had gotten closer until finally she had touched those loving hands.
Ah! Pingting found herself being hoisted up from the waist the moment her hand tightened around his. In
seconds her feet were in the air, but she was on the horse in his arms.
Chu Beijies familiar smile entered her field of vision.
Hey Pingting, the moons out.
She raised her head. It was true, the moon had risen. It was bright and curved, like a silver bowl that had
laughed so much until it was permanently ruined its back.
Lets swear to the moon to never betray each other. He spoke each word earnestly.
She studied his solemn expression and replied, I swear to the moon to never betray each other.
Under the cold moonlight, the leader of the winning Dong Lin army crossed the Cloud Valley route, carried
his one and only woman back to the campsite.
Why frown? Chu Beijie looked down at the treasure in his arms that he had spent so much time trying to
get.
Pingtings frown loosened as she replied, puzzled, A weird feeling I cant really describe; it feels a bit like
frustration.
Whys that? Chu Beijie softly kissed the top of her hair. Losing and winning is common in fighting; its
not embarrassing to lose against your husband you know.
The Cloud Valley route lay ahead.

CanI ask you something about the battle though? She was still his enemys main advisor up until a few
moments ago. Even now, she couldnt help but feel a little uneasy.
Chu Beijies expression didnt change as he replied, Sure.
How is Duke going to punish Ze Yin? Hes Yangfengs husband and I
I dont plan to punish him at all. Thats why I chose the Cloud Valley route. Chu Beijie chuckled, I knew
that you would poison the water source and then attack our quarters, so I decided to act first and attack your
campsite. As for Ze Yin, let him muck around in my campsite of empty tents and fake soldiers.
Pingting stopped breathing as she realised why she had lost.
Her guesses were completely right, but she had forgotten one thing -- that his soldiers moved at an unusually
fast pace.
His speed was indeed amazing, attacking several hours earlier than expected. She hadnt remembered this
when she first saw him because back then she was torn between misery and happiness.
Such a simple reason had caused her to lose.
Having said that, does that mean Chu Beijie has no idea that Ze Yin was on the other side of the route.
Chasing after his disappearing soldiers?
The horse reached the Cloud Valley routes rope bridge yet Pingtings brain could barely work as shes still
in a trance-like state from meeting Chu Beijie. Keeping the Dong Lin armys speed, they would have long
crossed the rope bridge and hidden themselves in the forest before Ruohan damaged it.
No, Ruohan didnt know that Chu Beijie had already crossed the bridge, meaning that hed damage it
according to the plan.
Butwhy did the rope bridge look perfectly fine?
During this puzzling moment, there was a nasty cracking sound and the bridge began to sway.
The truth dawned on Pingting like a strike of lightning. Ruohan had indeed followed the plan as he didnt
know that Chu Beijie and his soldiers had already crossed. It was damaged all right and it was still waiting
for the enemy to cross it.
Chu Beijie didnt fall in the trap as he came, but fell into the trap as he returned. It was just like a joke from
the Gods.
Crackcrackthe snapping rope bridge gave off ear-splitting noises.
Pingting snapped out of her trance and yelled fiercely at Chu Beijie, Go back! The bridge has been tamp-- She hadnt finished before the rope bridge broke in half with a bang and Pingtings body lost all support
and her words plummeted with her body.

Ahh!
She was still in the air when she felt her waist being grabbed by Chu Beijie.
The wind whipped against their faces as he held tight.
The two squeezed their eyes and plunged towards the darkness, the dangerous valley that had yet to be
recorded onto maps.

Chapter 21
The sound of wind strongly whipped in their ears. Pingtings eyes were tightly squeezed shot and could feel
Chu Beijies strong arms tightly clutching onto her. Although Chu Beijie fell later, he had flipped Pingting
in midair so that his back was facing towards the ground.
There were several cracking sounds as the two fell through the canopy of dense forest. Snapped branches
fell messily alongside them.
In the midst of the dense forest of tall, centuries-old trees, the cracking sound continued, although the twos
plunge seemed to have been softened by the branches a little. Pingting and Chu Beijie tightened their grips,
refusing to let go, as they knew they were approaching the ground rapidly and survival was unlikely.
Even if they died, at least they were together.
Thump! Thump! Two muffled sounds came from within the quiet, ancient forest. There was no predicted
sound of bones shattering as they hit the ground, only two strange sounds. It seemed that the ground was soft
like cotton and had significantly reduced the momentum of the twos fall.
Pingting and Chu Beijie opened their eyes, not daring to think that they were still alive. The two looked
around and suddenly yelled, Ahh!, in both delight and shock. The surrounding trees grew an unknown
type of berry. Due to its remoteness, its flowers bloomed of their own accord and no one picked its berries,
leaving them to fall onto the ground. Year by year, the layer of wild berry and leaves has increased in size.
At this time of the year, the wild berries had just ripened and fell once more, so the layer had been thick
enough to save their fall.
The foliage that lay peacefully on the ground was like a landing cushion and had saved them as if fate
decided so.
Pingting flashed Chu Beijie a sweet smile, they were in a place where no one had ventured before. The
corners of Chu Beijies mouth had not quite lifted, when they froze, revealing a strange expression instead.
Seeing his state, Pingtings face couldnt help harden as her eyes quietly studied Chu Beijie.
It was as if Chu Beijie had thought of his something and his expression darkened every passing second.
Then, as if covered in a layer of frost, he spun out of the fruit mix and chose a less fruit-covered place to
rest.
Pingting gaped as he walked away, staring dazedly ahead for a while. She saw that Chu Beijie had taken off

his war bag and that fresh blood was trickling out of his right arm, towards the ground. Realisation shocked
her as she approached him, head bowed in shame. Ill help you, she whispered.
Go away. Chu Beijie grunted, cold and ruthless. He heard Pingting stiffen and take a step back, eyes fixed
on himself. Chu Beijie ignored her and took out some expensive ointment, that he always kept nearby in
cases of emergency, out of his battle bag. He spread it over his wound, grinding his teeth in pain and
wrapped it up in a bandage.
Cloud Valley route Pingting knew that he was angry and softened her voice, I was the one who
ordered to stop you from reaching our command tent, sorry for forgetting to tell you.
Chu Beijie didnt seem to be listening. His head was bowed too, as he continued to wrap up his wound on
his right arm.
Back then, the two armies were clashing and as the main military advisor, I had to decide on a tactic.
Iwho knew that youd return that way too
Chu Beijie jerked his head, his sharp eyes piercing Pingting. In a cold voice, he said, Coming or returning, I
wouldve gone on that route either way. So your originaloriginal plan was to kill me. Nice, nice. He
stared at her even harder. How could he not be angry, first feeling delighted then realising that he mightve
just been killed by the very same person, his sweetheart?
He was no longer grinding his teeth as he said this, only smiling coldly. Lets swear to the moon, never turn
against each other
Hah He repeated it twice, then tossed his head and laughed loudly, yet mournfully. Geez geez, Chu
Beijie, youre such an idiot!
Pingtings heart froze at his words. Even back in the palanquin, facing the several thousand enemy troops
alone, she hadnt felt cold. Her face was drained of colour beyond measure as she stammered, II She
had commanded Ruohan to break the Cloud Valley route, but hadnt expected him to still make it look
untampered so that the enemy troops would plunge to their deaths without suspicion. However, if you stood
from Ruohans perspective, killing or injuring as much of the enemy troops was much needed in war, so it
was understandable.
Pingting continued to say, I, for a long time. Looking at Chu Beijie, tears slid down her cheeks, yet she
couldnt say a single word.
The moon hung high in the sky, the forest was a deathly quiet. Pingtings knees were shaky. Leaning on a
tree for support, she slowly pulled herself to sit down, whispering, You mustnt get a cold while youre
injured. Is it okay if I light a fire?
Chu Beijie sat cross-legged at another tree. He gazed far into the distance, expressionless. When you light
the fire, I wonder wholl find us first, mine or the Bei Mo army.
It was as if Pingting had been punched in the chest. It hurt so much that she could no longer talk. Her eyes
blurred once more and she held them back with great difficulty. Her heart felt like it was melted, yet he
thought she was more like the poison of a snake and scorpion than anything. She wiped her tears with her

sleeve and stood up against the trunk, turning to leave.

Where are you going? Chu Beijie heard her moving, though he still refused to look at her and his voice
was still cold.
Pingtings sighed, Of course Im going to find the Bei Mo army. Not waiting to see Chu Beijies reaction,
she walked away unhesitatingly.
Chu Beijie harrumphed once and only looked back after waiting for her to leave.
In the darkness, the light delicately bounced off a long hairpin in her silky hair. Yangfeng had given her the
expensive, highly refined, jade hairpin.
Chu Beijie saw that she was only bending down in a nearby undergrowth, secretly relieved that she hadnt
gone very far. There were a lot of wild beasts and poisonous plants in the forest, meaning that most normal
people wouldnt be able to walk out safely. Having that thought in mind, his anger softened and his gaze
refused to leave Pingting.
Not long later, Pingting walked back, her war bag filled with various things and spilled them out in front of
Chu Beijie. There were some barely ripe fruits and a few roots of plants he didnt know the names of. Chu
Beijie had long turned his gaze away and it was back to the original indifferent expression.
Pingting sat down, picking up a fruit. Theres enough wild berries in this forest to fill our stomachs, but as
Ive decided to kill you, its better if you dont eat.
Chu Beijie didnt answer, so Pingting grabbed the roots that shed just collected. Of course these roots also
have poison, its better if you dont have them. Its better to be a one-armed general then being killed by an
evil woman after all.
She pouted annoyedly, but Chu Beijie continued to show no interest, and she lost her enthusiasm quickly.
She quietened, chewing a few berries, but quickly threw them away as they tasted bitter in her mouth. She
sat back at the tree.
The forest wind was even wilder at midnight, chilling ones heart.
The two were utterly silent, their gazes not touching. Pingting looked down at her feet and Chu Beijies face
turned north. They were only a few feet apart, yet it felt like a thousand miles. No matter how hard they
tried, theyd never get any closer and both were indescribably disheartened.
What had happened before the tampered route was like a dream. If it was a dream, they had woken way too
fast.
Pingtings eyes blinked wearily yet they refused to close properly, although they wanted to just collapse. Out
of the corner of her eye, she watched the unmoving Chu Beijie. Blinking again, tears dripped out silently. At
first she rubbed them away, but after a while she gave up. Let them flow, she thought, it seems to lessen the
pain a little.
Chu Beijie was listening to Pingting with his ears. His heart twitched at the sound of her crying, but he still

refused to look back, silently cursing himself that despite being part of the Dong Lin Royal House, he lacked
perseverance. A moment later, he heard a muffled cough. She seemed to have blocked her mouth, letting
only a barely audible sound through. He slowly turned around, unable to last any longer. He grabbed his
robe that had been blown dry by the wind and softly tossed it. It flew and fell accurately close to Pingtings
eyes.
Pingting froze and stared at the robe as if it was like some rare thing shed never seen before. A long while
later, she put it over her shoulders. Her sad eyes moved towards Chu Beijie and she bit her lip as she stood
up. She picked up the roots on the ground and crept towards Chu Beijie.
She uneasily touched Chu Beijies badly bandaged right arm. This man had almost never been injured and
was therefore very clumsy when bandaging.
Chu Beijies body was rigid and his expression was dark. Surprisingly, he didnt make any sound or action.
Pingting sighed in relief and sucking on her lip, she undid his shabby bandages. Looking for a rock, she
ground the roots and spread the paste evenly over his wounds.
Her right arm felt cool, an indescribably comfortableness. Pingtings nimble fingers tenderly touched Chu
Beijies developed muscles.
She continued to do so and then re-bandaged his wound. Pingting examined it with a somewhat tired
expression, nodding in satisfaction. She stood up to go back to the tree.
Feeling her knees tighten, she realised that Chu Beijie was holding onto her ankle.
Pingting carefully turned around to look at him.
Chu Beijie didnt say a word, only pulling Pingting down to sit down with his left arm. His right arm was
raised and lightly brushed across Pingtings face.
Pingtings trembling eyes looked at Chu Beijies, which were barely visible in the moonlight. Lovingly
obeying him, she leaned into his arms.
Baddump, baddumpChu Beijies thumping heart was in her ears.
Maybe it was her own heartbeat.
Am I wrong? Chu Beijie sighed, Pingting, tell me.
Should Pingting be pleased? Pingting replied softly, Whoever in this world could make Chu Beijie
misunderstand?
Chu Beijie felt helpless, a feeling he had never experience since birth. How am I supposed to deal with
you? What else are you lying to me about?
Will you believe me if I tell you?
Tell me, ever since becoming the advisor of the Bei Mo army, why have you been using delaying tactics?

Are you waiting for something?

Pingtings star-like pupils gazed at Chu Beijie as she replied honestly, Im waiting for the news from the
King of Dong Lin. Feeling Chu Beijie stiffen, Pingting softly laughed, leaning comfortably in his arms.
Give Pingting one last chance. Let Pingting prove herself to you with the truth, Pingting would never do
anything to hurt you.
Chu Beijie whispered, Whats going to happen to the Royal House?
No matter how bad the news is going to be, its just a misunderstanding. Pingtings beautiful eyes shone
softly in the dim light. In a sweet, dreamy voice she said, When you get to Dong Lin, youd know that
Pingting doesnt dare hurt you and would never hurt the people around you. Beijie, go back to Dong Lin and
see my real intention.
In the moonlight it was a beautiful scene, even the harsh forest wind, seemed to have softened too. The
bitterly cold feeling had left, leaving an inviting warmth behind.
Nothing else to be said, nothing else to change.
Just like that, quiet in both mind and surroundings, hearts listened to hearts.
The two snuggled together, watching the moon fade as the sun rose in the east, listening to the cheerful
chirping of birds.
Pingting seemed to wake up from an illusion that was beautiful beyond words as she lazily stretched.
I wonder whats going on outside.
The two armies have both lost their advisors. The Dong Lin armys thoughts will be a mess but as your Bei
Mo army is waiting, they wont attack either. Chu Beijie calmly analysed, Both sides are the same, one
side doesnt know whats happening with the enemy, while the other is still at the foot of the mountain,
searching for us.
They exchanged looks, thoughts back onto war.
Human voices were heard and Chu Beijie abruptly got up, backing away rapidly. He hid amongst a clump of
trees, calling, Its the Bei Mo army.
Pingtings expression changed. If they find you, even I cant protect you. She put down the war bag and
handed it back to Chu Beijie, urgently whispering, Im going to go out and theyll find me, so they wont
have to do such a large-scale search party anymore. Stay hidden until you see the Dong Lin armys search
party.
Chu Beijie grabbed her and kissed her fiercely. Lowering his voice, When you get back, find a way to get
rid of them. Ill wait for you in Dong Lin.
Pingting blushed, desperately studying him as she parted.

Bei Mos search party were extremely delighted at the finding of their main advisor.
Pingting told them of her adventures since falling down and everyone said it was fate that shed survived.
No one cared about Chu Beijie, not to mention the Dong Lin army search party that would cause immediate
bloodshed if the two were to meet.
Anyway, finding the main advisor was a great achievement already. She was immediately escorted back to
the main camp.
At the main camp, Ze Yin personally led the other commanders to welcome her back. The other women
serving the military were asked to help her with a bath. After putting on clean clothes and some fragrance,
she was led to the main command tent, where Ze Yin and the others were waiting impatiently for her.
Congrats My Lady for the complete victory! Chu Beijies invincible streak has finally come to an end. Ze
Yin laughed for a while, adding, Pity Chu Beijies actions were too quick, while we were still doing
preparations, he had already crossed the route. Otherwise, we wouldve completely defeated the Dong Lin
army.
Ruohans voice was still disturbed, If it hadnt been for My Ladys advice, we would never been able to
turn the tides so that the enemy would give up, or we would be long dead because of Chu Beijie.
Whats even more surprising, is My Ladys courage to die in order to trap the enemy. Thats something that
even us, men, cant do. A strong voice interrupted, said Sen Rong, the commander of the right wing.
Pingting felt ashamed as the Bei Mo commanders had misunderstood. This misunderstanding was difficult
to explain so she gave up. Blushing, she whispered, My Generals are overestimating me, if I hadnt
everyones support, how is Pingting, a weak girl, able to do anything? Unfortunately there are lots of berries
in the forest below the valley, so Dong Lin has probably not lost their invincible general. Hoping that the
Dong Lin army had already found Chu Beijie, she remembered his last words, Ill wait for you in Dong
Lin. Her heart was no longer lonely, as if flowers had blossomed instead.
Ze Yin saw Pingting blush, but thought that she was feeling guilty for not being able to die with the enemy
commander, quickly adding, My Lady has already completed the task. Today morning, we received the
news that the Dong Lin Royal Residence is a mess. He secretly thought shes a woman who fell through
dense forest and it was only luck that she managed to turn around, falling in a safe place. Such loyalty is
incredibly rare in this world. Yangfeng was right about her personality, and her adamance to follow her
every word, no matter how ridiculous they sound.
Remembering his wife back at home, his heart sweetened and he smiled.
The Dong Lin Royal Residence is in a mess so the Dong Lin army will get the news too. In other words,
Bei Mos danger will be solved as Chu Beijie will leave when he hears the news. Pingting replied
assuringly.
Is My Lady sure? Sen Rong was still a little doubtful. A few days ago, he was still trying to fiercely
defend Bei Mo with his last drop of bitter determination and now suddenly the Dong Lin army was just
going to retreat?

Pingting gave him a certain expression, nodding with a soft expression. General Sen, that is something
Pingting, as the main military advisor, is most sure about.
A withdrawal! A voice yelled outside the tent. The flap was thrown upwards as a spy exclaimed loudly,
Its a withdrawal! Announcing to all the generals that the Dong Lin army has withdrawn! The Dong Lin
army has withdrawn! The sound rumbled at his excited announcement.
Ze Yin couldnt help being startled and took two steps forward, grabbing the spy by the shoulder saying,
Have you spied properly? Dong Lin has really withdrawn? Its not another trick?
Its true! The spy looked up, teary eyed, in a voice that seemed about to cry in joy. When our brothers
heard this, they couldnt believe it so they went and checked themselves before reporting to all of you,
Generals. The Dong Lin army are retreating away orderly, along with their luggage. Even their general,
Moran looks pressurised. Theyre really retreating!
Although Pingting had long planned this, but when it really happened, it was still something
incomprehensible. The once at stake Bei Mo was saved? The wolf-like, tiger-like, Dong Lin army were
obediently retreated, without even doing one last nasty surprise attack? The blood-stained sky, the desperate
eyes on the bloody battlefield, was no longer in sight?
Stunned silence in the tent, as if they couldnt believe the brilliant news. After a while of silence, there was a
loud cheer as Sen Rong jumped up from his chair, tugging the cloak on his shoulder. He fell on one knee in
front of Pingting with a thump, his hands clutching onto his blood-stained and dirt-ridden cloak. Gazing
upward, he said, This cloak has been with Sen Rong through extensive travels, please accept it My Lady.
Pingting could never accept it and stood up, waving her hand, How could I accept such an important
thing?
My LadyDoes My Lady look down on me? I, Sen Rong, owe my homeland and my family to My Lady,
who saved them all. This mans face was unkempt and although his voice was as loud as a tiger, he was
choking with emotion right now.
Pingting was a little startled and grit her teeth. Fine, Ill accept it. As soon as she received the cloak in Sen
Rongs hands, she heard another thumping sound within the tent. All of the generals had fallen onto their
knees, following Sen Rongs actions.
Ruohan didnt wait for Pingting to open her mouth and said, In all of Bei Mo, only us who have fought
with My Lady in this battle of Kanbu know that it was thanks to My Lady that the tables were turned in this
battle that would have caused Bei Mo to be conquered. Only we know the heart stopping hardships that you
have tolerated for us. This cloak has all of our deceased brothers blood and all of our appreciation and
admiration for My Lady. If My Lady doesnt want to accept it, please burn it.
Pingting was at a loss for words and her crystal-like eyes slowly rolled once. She turned to the crowd with a
solemn expression and moved quietly towards them, taking the cloaks off their hands softly. Including Ze
Yins, there were twelve cloaks in total. She laid them on the table, studying the cloth soaked in blood of
their allies and enemies. She sighed, War is really too scary, I hope Ill never participate in it again.
Dong Lin army has retreated, therefore the war has ended. Ze Yin stood up, the colour returning back into

his cheeks as he shook Pingtings hand, The King has commanded for My Lady to return the command flag
and go back to the capital, Bei Yali, to receive your reward. His expression was not without guilt.
Pingting nodded, Thats the way it should be. She took out the command flag and handed it to Ze Yin. She
was once more free and at once relaxed quite a bit. Chuckling, she said, From the capital city of Dong Lin
to Kanbu, even on the fastest horses, the news would take at least five days, meaning that the Dong Lin King
has probably been in a coma for five or six days. Seeing Ze Yins stunned expression, she asked curiously,
Whats wrong?
Sen Rong shook his head, bellowing, My Lady doesnt actually know the latest news? The Dong Lin Royal
Residence is chaotic not because the Dong Lin King is in a coma, but because two of the princes, who are
not yet ten years old, have been poisoned to death. Now the Royal House is all fighting over the position of
the crown prince.
Pingtings eyes widened, as if her head had been cracked open by lightning, and her world felt shaken.
Her ears buzzed and she dimly saw that the commander was opening and closing his mouth, but couldnt
hear a word.
What did you say She weakly croaked out the words, her throat parched. Pingting cried, coughing out
fresh blood in shock. A blinding white light flashed in her mind and an overwhelming darkness surrounded
her as she fell.

Chapter 22
It was hot, causing sweat to drip continuously from faces.
Give Pingting one last chance. Let Pingting prove herself to you with the truth, Pingting would never do
anything to hurt you.
She was still in those arms, smiling upwards.
PIngting doesnt dare hurt you, and would never hurt the people around you.
Ill wait for you in Dong Lin.
Lets swear to the moon
Never turn against each other
Geez geez, Chu Beijie, youre such an idiot! And the shrill laughter that followed spread pain through her
ears.
It felt as if someone had ripped open her skull, tearing at the nerve cells with nails, even biting with sharp
teeth.
A dream, it had to be a dream.

Hot too, as hot as lava.

This was a dream, but she couldnt wake up. Pingting was within the dream, slowly munching on wild
berries. It seemed that the berries were ripe with a nice red colour on them, but each one was bitterer than
the last. It was miserable.
Why so bitter?
Why are they this bitter?
This is a dream, an unwakeable dream.
The flashy carriage was trotting towards home. There was no command flag on top and the curious Bei Mo
onlookers did not know that the person whod saved their country was inside a woman, a woman who
didnt even belong to Bei Mo.
She was once part of Gui Le, possibly Dong Lin but now, she probably no longer belonged to herself.
Ill wait for you in Dong Lin.
Wait for you
Their mumbled conversation and eyes filled with loved, was as soft as that nights moonlight.
But it was just a dream, an unwakeable dream.
But she had to wake up, to see who had ruined her. Ruined Bai Pingting so easily. Ruined everything shed
so painstakingly waited for.
She gritted her teeth and struggled with all her hate to push open, her heavy, heavy eyelids, little by little.
Light leaked into her eyes, stabbing sorely at them. She opened her eyes wide, not wanting to succumb to
the glare. She mustered all of her strength to stare hard at the person in front, as if shed continue to stare at
her until her eyes were cracked.
Main Generals wife, Yangfeng.
She was already back by Yangfengs side, lying on the bed that she had once spent the whole night
chattering to her. The silk pillow was still soft, still just as gorgeous as before.
Yangfeng, who had been waiting by her side for several days, was absolutely delighted to see Pingting open
her eyes but when she looked at Pingtings expression, she suddenly felt scared and shivered. Pingting,
youre finally up. Those words were usually easy to say, but these felt caught in her throat after seeing
Pingtings expression.
Who did you give the anaesthetic too? Pingtings voice was hoarse.
The King

Did the King see anyone else after getting it?

Yangfeng bit her lip, suddenly asking, Why did you just say it was an anaesthetic? Although it cant kill
adults with a strong build, its enough to kill a child. It doesnt even need to be much, just a little would do.
Pingtings heart felt so twisted and her bone-thin fingers desperately clutched her heart. She closed her eyes
for a few moments, then opened them again, mustering some strength into her voice. So you gave the
anaesthetic to poison two of Dong Lins princes to death? Yangfeng, are you that cruel? Didnt you think
about doing more good deeds so your unborn child would have a more blessed life?
This seemed to stab at Yangfeng, who stroked her convex belly while taking two steps back. She slumped to
her knees, tears brimming. In a quiet voice, she said, I took the anaesthetic to the Royal Residence, but the
King only called for me several moments later. He asked me if I knew that it could poison young children.
The King said that the King of Dong Lin being in a coma wouldnt actually cause Dong Lin to be in a mess,
but if their two young princes were dead, then theyd be in a mess for several years. Pingting, I was
imprisoned in the Royal Residence and couldnt pass any messages. Really, I couldnt pass on anything! Ze
YinZe Yin wasnt at Bei Yali either She had been living in fear for many days of her life and at that
moment, she couldnt hold back anymore. She started to cry.
Yangfeng, Pingting propped her upper body up with much difficulty, her black hair hanging to one side of
her gaunt face. Barely managing to get out of the bed, she shuffled towards Yangfeng, pressing down on her
shoulders. She stared into her eyes, asking, Yangfeng, who told the King of Bei Mo about the other
properties of the anaesthetic? Tell me, you know right?
I Yangfeng raised her eyes to meet Pingtings, her face full of tear stains. She shook her head
vigorously, Dont ask, Pingtingdont ask.
Pingting continued to stare at Yangfeng for a little longer, her eyes momentarily brightening with
understanding. She turned back, her piercing gaze no longer, only sadness and disbelief in her eyes. She held
her breath, hesitatingly spitting out two words, He Xia?
Yangfeng couldnt help but looked away.
Pingting helpless numb fingers loosened the grip on Yangfengs shoulders and leaned back on her knees.
Her bloodless lips quivered for what seemed a long time, until they broke into a bleak smile. Yeah, apart
from him, who else knows about the other properties? We were the ones who compiled the prescription
together to begin with.
She remained dazed for a little longer, then as if remembering something, she started to struggle up.
Yangfeng came forward to help her, but she gently waved her hand away, using a chair to help herself up
instead. Get a horse.
Yangfeng saw that she was even unable to stand stably and made a strange expression, asking carefully,
Where are you going?
See He Xia. Pingtings white back teeth were grinding gently and her gaze was aimlessly in the distance.
Her voice was hollow as she said, I want to ask him personallywhy did he do this to me?

Yangfeng was silent for a while, finally sighing sadly. You dont need to go look for him. Hes in this
Generals Residence right now. Ever since you came back, hes been waiting for you to wake up.

Chapter 23
He Xia came in from the arched entrance of the outside garden. Hed seen the sitting Pingting from a
distance away, through an open window amongst the fresh flowers.
She was thin, so pathetically thin. Her face was so haggard, no longer like the always laughing maid in the
Jing-An Ducal Residence, so gaunt that it was heartbreaking to see.
He Xia pushed the bead curtain away, quietly stepping into the room. In the last few days, he had been
waiting for Pingting to wake up, by her side, until he felt shy when the physician said shed wake up soon,
two days ago.
He wasnt sure that hed be able to bear Pingtings expression when she woke up. After some hesitation, he
decided to leave the room when she was most likely to wake up.
Although it was something he didnt want to do, there was no escape.
Pingting He Xia called in a soft voice, approaching cautiously.
His smart and intelligent maid was before him but she was like a jade carving, no soul just body. Where was
the delicate gem with the warm fragrance of a beauty? Where was the warmth in this corpse of the one
whod once leaned on him intimately, rode the horse with him, and admired stunning views with him? He
Xia couldnt help reaching out, wanting to touch her.
Dont touch me. Her voice chilled his heart and the words seemed to be spat out through her teeth.
His fingertips stopped at the last moment, hovering in midair, as if they couldnt go any closer. Pingting
looked at him in the eyes, but it was like she didnt see anything at the same time.
That gentle, sly, smart, curious girl was gone. He Xia could only see her freezing coldness, as well as a little
puzzlement and distress.
He Xia lowered his hands. Pingting, youve changed, he said, his eyes downcast.
Pingting is no longer the Pingting from the past. Pingting smiled a little sadly, asking faintly, Is Master
the same Master from the past?
He Xia faced her, studying Pingting carefully. The past was gone, swept away from the ends of the Earth in
a moments time.
He sighed, full of mixed feelings. In a gentle voice he said, Do you remember when we were children? Id
calligraph, while youd grind ink. Id sword dance, while you played qin. Youd follow me wherever I went,
refusing to leave. When we grew up, whenever I went on an expedition, you always followed. At least half
of my fame as being the Marquess of Jing-An is all thanks to you and your planning. If we could go back to

the past, thatd be awesome.

The past? Pingting seemed to have lost in thought for a moment, but then her eyes frosted once more.
Thats right, when we made that drug, you were the one who told me that it could poison young children,
but it isnt fair to them, so it should only be used as an anaesthetic, not to kill. Her voice was faint.
He Xia shuddered, so angry that even his voice started to quiver, replying coolly, The Jing-An Ducal
Residence still existed then and my parents hadnt been killed by spies yet.
Blood-red lightning seemed to tear her sky apart.
Pingting lost her voice, stood up abruptly, but feel back onto the bed as her knees buckled.
The House of Jing-An has done so much for Gui Le and had already decided to give up everything to lead a
peaceful life in the mountains. Who knew that He Sus spies were ordered to kill us at all costs. Its my fault
in a way for splitting the group in two, and leaving my parents to the other group. He Su, if I, He Xia, isnt
going to avenge for them, then Im not human! He gritted his teeth, his black pupils turned back to
Pingting. In a soft voice, he said, My parents are now gone and as I dont have any siblings, youre the only
dearest person left to me.
Pingting was startled.
The Duke of Jing-An was gone
The Duchess was gone
The benefactors whod helped her for the last eighteen years were gone. Without them, wouldnt she have
become a little pile of bones outside the city, due to hunger and cold, long ago?
Could she really not be angry about what had happened to the House of Jing-An?
If so, then she should be able to forgive the new Gui Le King, He Su, who ungratefully plotted to burn his
officials to death, causing her to end up in Dong Lin, meet Gui Les worst enemy, Chu Beijie, who
wrenched her heart to no end.
Her thoughts drifted a thousand miles and settled on the now scorched earth of the original Jing-An Ducal
Residence. There, the loving Duchess first held her chubby hand while taking her to He Xia, who was
looking down at his calligraphy. She laughed, Look, what a likeable baby girl. Being left near the entrance
probably means that youre fated to be with the Jing-An Ducal Residence. Xiaer, do you know what fate
is?
He Xia put down his pen, only laughing when he saw Pingting. Dont move, just stand here. Ill draw for
you, its going to be pretty.
One stroke later, she became He Xias personal maid, study buddy, playmate, military advisor and for a
while, she almost became one of his concubines.
Duke, Master taught me how to hold a pen.

Duchess said that Im better at qin than Master.

If you dont properly study the Art of War like I said, Im going to tell Duchess.
The gentle sounds of laughter went, completely disappearing.
She reached out, but the fragments of the past dissolved through her fingertips. They couldnt stay.
There was no turning back. If she wasnt He Xias maid, then how could there have been such a plan,
causing Chu Beijie to be completely ambushed, forcing him to have a five year peace treaty with Gui Le?
If Chu Beijie hadnt sworn peace on behalf of the Dong Lin Royal House, then He Su would never be able
to send troops to persecute them without worry, and perhaps, even the Duke of Jing-An would have never
been ambushed by the Kings troops?
The events interlocked, causes and effects.
Thinking that much, Pingtings chest felt hollow. She even lost her strength to be angry and in a depressed
voice, she said, Its understandable that Master hates He Su, but why plot with the King of Bei Mo to kill
two of Dong Lins princes? Say, if Dong Lin were able to resolve matters quickly, then Bei Mo will have to
deal with the calamity afterwards.
He Xia looked at Pingting pityingly, sighing, No matter what Bei Mos future is, Id do anything to keep
you by my side, Pingting.
Pingting stiffened, slowly gazing back at He Xia, smiling. Master isnt suspecting that my loyalties are
leaning towards Chu Beijie right? Otherwise Pingting wouldnt have left at her own accord back then, after
forcing Chu Beijie into a treaty, to assure the groups location was safe.
It isnt the same as back then, can Pingting still go back to Chu Beijie side? He Xia looked away, asking
in a deep voice. Can Chu Beijie still believe in Pingtings words?
Pingting wasnt shaking as much as He Xia had predicted. She only asked, The Duke and Duchess are now
gone, what is Master planning to do now?
Take you away. Well live deep in the mountains and Ill be nicer to you than ever before.
Pingtings crystal-black eyes stared at He Xia. For some reason, her energy came back to her and she slowly
got up, eyeing He Xia as she walked closer, as if trying to commit every inch of him to memory. She looked
into He Xias bottomless pupils, her face not far from his. Pingting stressed every symbol, Can Pingting
still believe in Masters words? Her mouth lifted slightly to a dark smile as she turned around, lowering her
voice, Ever since the day I left, Pingting no longer had any connections to the House of Jing-An. Mr He,
please leave.
The room was eerily quiet.
After a few barely-restrained, but still heavy-sounding breaths, she heard some heavy footsteps behind her.

The bead curtain shook. He Xia was gone.

Pingting had lost all of her energy, collapsing on the chair.
Apart from the wife of the Main Generals and his child who were strangely worried, the rest of the servants
in the residence were very happy.
The frontier was no longer at war and Dong Lins army was gone. The Main General was amazing after all,
worthy of being the tree-like protector of Bei Mo.
General Ze Yins Residence, its people were all delighted as the Bei Mo King had sent a series of large gifts.
Everyone knew that this was just a mere trifle. The King was waiting for Ze Yin to finish with the matters at
the frontier and return to Bei Yali, to give him the real reward.
Yangfeng look bored at the gifts of gold, silver and lavish jewels in the small living room. She had had been
worried about Pingting, who had been in bed for so long, but surprisingly she had become increasingly
strong over the last few days. She drank all her medicine and ate food on time, nor was she crying.
Yangfeng was much relieved that Pingting seemed to be steadily getting better.
More good news came in. A messenger from Kanbu reported the Ze Yin would return to Bei Yali soon.
Yangfeng clutched onto Ze Yins letter, her heart thumping madly. She wondered what Ze Yins reaction
would be when she saw her belly, how happy hed be. At least half of her worries instantly dissolved and
she took off to the kitchen, making a few of her best dishes. She took them to Pingtings room.
Why are you up? Yangfeng put down the steaming dishes on the table and rushed to help her up. I told
you not to worry, you have to recover from your illness little by little. Ze Yin will be back in two days. I
wrote to him, begging to get him to buy some good ginseng and bear bile on the way back.
Pingting shook her head. Ive rested plenty for the last few days, its time for me to go.
Yangfeng was stunned, Pingting, right now, youre She sighed, lowering her voice. How can I not
worry?
Theres too much attention here, I cant stay too long. Pingting held Yangfengs hand in hers, also
lowering her voice. Were sisters, you know everything on how I ended up here. Im going to leave you
some words, dont forget them.
Yangfengs heart sank as she nodded, Tell me.
The political situation is changing and the four countries will be in a mess than ever before. The Main
General has just achieved something amazing, so its a good time to retire. And, Pingting hesitated, before
sighing, Be careful around the Marquess of Jing-An.
The Marquess of Jing-An?

Hes not the He Xia we knew.

The two both thought of the deceased young princes of Dong Lin at the same time and were silent.
Yangfeng looked at the cooling dishes out of the corner of her eye, only feeling a heavy feeling in her heart.
Revealing sad expression, she said, Are you really leaving?
Yes.
The world is vast, where do you plan to go? Yangfeng clenched her hand around Pingtings, then brought
the other to tighten her grip. In a choked voice, she said, How can I sleep at night, when I think of you, a
wandering girl? There are people who want to capture you in Gui Le and Chu Beijie undoubtedly thinks that
you killed his nephews.
Im going home?
Going home?
Pingting smiled faintly, gentleness and anticipation flashing in her voice. Slowly, she replied, Theres
someone waiting for me. Lifting her hand, the wind swept her hair back messily, as she stood up looking
out of the window in the direction of Dong Lin.
Just as they had promised each other.

Chapter 24
All of Dong Lin had switched to plain colours. Under the Kings Order, everyone, no matter nobility or
ordinary peasants were forbidden to wear bright colours for the next three months. Clothing, curtains were
plain and even bright signs that promoted wealth and fortune were ordered to be taken down.
The air was heavy with the hint of death.
Two of the princes, two of the Kings own sons, had been poisoned without cure. They were so young, not
yet ten years old. They were not eligible to be buried in Dong Lins solemn, royal cemetery but had to be
cremated according to Dong Lins traditions. Their ashes were to be thrown into the river, so that they could
disappear into the earth.
Chu Beijie had received the bad news and had hurriedly taken the troops back home. Around fifty miles
away from the capital, the waiting figure of the Senior Official of the Left Wing, Sangtan, stopped them.
Stop! Seeing the brown royal flag flapping weakly in the distance, Chu Beijie held up his hand.
The exhausted troops of a hundred thousand came to a crashing halt, their dust-ridden faces confused to see
the worried faces of the imperial guards outside the Royal Residence.
The Kings Order, Sangtan was holding onto the yellow-cloth Order, saying, The capital is currently
mourning over the death of two princes. Hostile presences such as soldiers are difficult to explain therefore
they must not enter the city. All of the soldiers and horses must stay behind and will be looked after by the

Duke of Fu-Lang."
The group of commanders dismounted, silent and listening. Only Sangtans emotionless, well-articulated
words could be heard in ones ears.
Sunset was approaching, skewing the shadows even more. A shiver ran up Morans spine as he heard the
Order and he secretly looked at Chu Beijie.
Chu Beijies face wasnt cold or warm. He took the Kings Order with two hands and stood up.
Sangtans expression was reserved, his hands hidden in his sleeves. In a kinder tone, he said, The Duke is
finally back. The Duke is the Kings own brother, so please try to comfort him so that King wont ruin his
health while mourning. The King told me to escort Duke personally into the city. He took a step back,
showing that there were around fifty royal guards behind him. It seemed that after the prince was poisoned,
all of the Royal Residences servants had been changed. There was no one he recognised.
Duke Moran was standing beside Chu Beijie and his voice was a little strangled. The soldiers have left
home for a while now and they were looking forward to coming home. Now that theyre forbidden to enter,
Im afraid that some people might cause riot. I might just be over-worrying, but its not good if a fight
happens. What we should do, please, if Duke can tell us.
Sangtans expression didnt change, just coughed once, saying to Moran, Did commander not listen as I
read the Kings Order? They will be looked after by the Duke of Fu-Lang.
Senior Official, it might just be Moran worrying too much, but army matters are difficult to predict. There
are a lot of soldiers here, if something happens
Shut up! The wordless Chu Beijie suddenly interrupted with a low cough.
Moran stopped talking and lowered his head.
Sangtan was worrying about how to deal with Moran and seeing Chu Beijie suddenly speak, he quickly
added, Its rather late now. The Kings still waiting, so please may Duke get on the horse to come with me
into the city. He ordered someone to lead Chu Beijies horse.
Chu Beijie had been controlling Dong Lins military power for a long time and he didnt like flattery, so
hed always rebuke in their faces. This caused other nobles to both fear and hate him. He wasnt usually
afraid of them, but this event was massive, as two princes had been murdered while he was fighting away at
the frontier. If the army wasnt away, the enemy would never have been able to take this opportunity to
murder. It was hard for the King to not suspect him. Moran was familiar with such ways of thinking and
knew that he mustnt let the Duke go in by himself, so he said, Moran and a few personal attendants will
accompany the Duke into the city.
But he hadnt expected that this was exactly what Santang wanted, who chuckled. Dukes other personal
attendants don't need to accompany and enter the city alongside. The King also said that victory was almost
certain with Bei Mo and will later handsomely reward all soldiers here. I heard that Commander Moran has
also made great merits in this war. The King said to allow Commander Moran to enter along with the Duke
of Zhen-Bei. The King will personally reward you.

Sangtans smile was gracious, but the crowds hearts sunk. His words revealed too little and it was hard not
to take them to heart. Their hands moved towards their scabbards, while they turned to look at Chu Beijie.
Chu Beijie seemed to have much difficulty to maintain his straight posture. The thin smile on his lips
seemed sharp enough to slice his silhouette from the sunset. He was expressionless. Looking at the grand,
distant capital, Chu Beijies voice was light. Sangtan, I have a question.
Sangtans ice-cold voice was shocked. He was facing the deadliest man of the four countries after all, the
strongest general of Dong Lin, whod just returned from war and who had the command of ten thousands of
men. If he said a word wrong, the Duke of Zhen-Bei could effortlessly crush him, a senior official, like an
ant. He didnt dare make contact with Chu Beijies sharp gaze. He lowered his head, Please ask ahead
Duke, Sangtan will most definitely answer if he can.
Do you believe that I have anything to do with the princes deaths?
A tricky question to answer.
If Chu Beijie were to ask, Does the King think that I have anything to do with the princes deaths?, then
Sangtan could act like a dutiful official, saying that he couldnt dare guess what the King was thinking and
say that he was just an official acting on the Kings Order.
But Chu Beijies words were carefully chosen, asking exactly as Sangtan feared. Saying that he didnt know
was a blatant lie. In other words, there were only two possible options if Sangtan didnt want to offend Chu
Beijie. The truth or lie.
Of course Sangtan couldnt afford to offend Chu Beijie here, so the truth was definitely out of the question.
That was as equal as giving up his neck for Chu Beijies sword to slice through. However, if he were to say
Sangtan absolutely does not believe that Duke has anything to do with the princes deaths, in front of all
the soldiers, if they spread gossip that reached the Kings ears, he might be punished for conspiracy if the
Duke really was guilty. Even his family would be in trouble.
In that moment, all sorts of wishes flooded into his mind and although Sangtan was famous in Dong Lin for
his constant calm demeanour, he was sweating profusely. His expression was pale as he stuttered out,
Dukethatsthats
Is this question that hard to answer? Chu Beijie laugh but it didnt seem like one. Senior Official of the
Left, you only need to answer. Do you think I have anything to do with it, or not?
Chu Beijies piercing gaze swept across Sangtan, who took a step back. I dare notdont dare
Haha Not waiting for Sangtans reply, Chu Beijie raised his head and laughed, his face in an
indescribable pain. After a while he stopped laughing, his expression serious once more. In a low voice,
Has the House of Zhen-Bei been fired now?
Sangtans expression was stunned. No way! Whowho said such a thing? His hands in his sleeves were
shaking very badly.

Perhaps under this world, there was only one person, a woman, who could speak to the Duke of Zhen-Bei
without paling.
Chu Beijie turned towards him, calmly eyeing him, then continued to look at the city. His expression seemed
to have crossed the fifty miles and was already back in his familiar residence. Sometime later, he opened his
mouth and sighed. The little building is the most eastern part of the Residence. Outside there are flowers
blooming while inside, theres a guqin. He continued to sigh for a little longer before coldly commanding,
Arrest him.
Sangtan felt numb with cold and hearing Chu Beijies command, he forced himself to act. Moran had
already pounced on him agilely as he started to raise the Kings Order in his hand. He was just a scholar
official and was no opponent for a seasoned commander. He was captured easily.
Sangtan was on the floor, trembling, both in shocked and afraid. Im just passing on the Kings Order, yet
youre rebelling like this. Some of Chu Beijies personal guards forced him to stand, then tied him up.
Seeing Sangtan captured, his companions, a few dozen imperial guards also tried to escape. The soldiers,
however, had a much faster reaction and surrounded them properly, swords out of their scabbards.
In just a moments time, the welcoming party for Chu Beijie was tied up like steamed rice dumplings.
Moran pushed Sangtan to Chu Beijies feet, reporting, Duke, theres a short crossbow hidden in his sleeves.
So evil, theres even a little poison on them. If they were launched from a close distance, most people
wouldnt be able to dodge.
A muffled thump. The crossbow and arrow were thrown onto the sun-baked mud, sending a gentle cloud of
yellow dust into the air.
Chu Beijies gaze rested on Sangtans head. Sangtan was trembling. His parents and wife, behind the city
gates, had told him to never beg to live in front of Chu Beijie, or he would undoubtedly be killed. It would
be better if he acted more stubborn, didnt change his original will. Chu Beijie, you do know that once the
two princes are gone, then the next in line for Dong Lins throne is you? What a simple plan, how can the
King just not see it? Let me tell you, the House of Zhen-Bei has been fired and everything you have once
owned has been taken back by the King! Its such a damn pain that Im just a scholar and doesnt know how
to be cruel enough to pull that poisoned arrow on the crossbow.
Chu Beijie ignored his mad dog-like words, just frowning as he looked at dark green arrow heads. This
arrow, is it the Kings request? He asked faintly.
Hmph! If it werent for the King being your brother, he wouldnt have been unable to bear killing you. He
hopes that youd come to the Royal Residence to clear up any misunderstanding, if any, but how could I just
waste all these opportunities to avenge for them? Sangtans face was full of remorse and anger.
Chu Beijies voice was disdainful. Once you shot the arrow out, no matter whether I died or not, you are in
the midst of ten thousands of soldiers, so youll surely die a brutal death immediately afterwards. You
couldnt dare do it in the end, in fear of death, which is okay, but you even went as far to say such ridiculous
words.

Sangtans old face flushed bright red and widened his eyes like a frog. He rolled his eyes, but couldnt say
anything to defend himself.
Chu Beijies hands were behind his back, his eyes not even looking at Sangtan as he continued, I really am
one of the most suspicious people to the death of the two princes, but why would the King think that Im the
one who did it?
Sangtan acted stubborn, refusing to say a word.
Moran coolly told him, Senior Official of the Left has never worked with military troops and knows next to
nothing about the rules of the barracks. When we meet uncooperative prisoners, theyre stripped of their
clothes and left to our brothers to have some fun, then tortured.
Sangtans face paled all of a sudden.
There were no women in the army and this meant that the several thousand soldiers had to suffer abstinence
for several months on end. Anyone could guess what have some fun meant. The torture was already bad
enough, but if he was stripped to be shamed like that, even if he died, he didnt have the face to see his
ancestors. He was trembling once more, no longer trying to be brave.
Speak. Chu Beijie stood on the spot, as if nothing had happened.
Sangtans sweat oozed out, resentment in his eyes as he glared at Moran. Through gritted teeth, he said,
Does the Duke really think that his poison plan was immaculate? The King got the spy immediately that
night and after strenuous torture, he confessed to be a spy from Bei Mo. The person whod given him the
poison was a girl named Bai Pingting. Hmph, isnt that the woman that you loved?
Moran was stunned and jerked his head to see Chu Beijie.
Chu Beijie was still as a rock, no one could see his expression. The army was quiet too, no one dared to
cough. They stared at their general.
Under the shadow of the last of the dwindling light of sunset, Chu Beijie quietly asked, Moran, what do
you think of the current situation?
For some reason, even Moran was so nervous that both his hands shook. He kneeled, in an alarmed tone. If
Sangtans saying the truth, then it might be hard for the King to stop suspecting the Duke.
Suddenly, the plains were overcome with silence.
The other commanders in front noted every word of Chu Beijie and Morans conversation.
Do you believe that Id kill the two princes?
No.
Would the King believe so?

Moran hesitated for a moment, then resolutely said, The King would believe it. According to the royal
hierarchy, if the King doesnt have any sons, then Duke would be next in line. The person who put poisoned
them was Pingting, who has connections with Duke. Now that the Duke also returns with the army, how
could the King not suspect you?
Chu Beijie raised his eyes to see that night had approached, that even the last scrap of light had gone. You
can see how much pressure the King is under. If we enter the city, we and all people related to us will be
captured and killed, for the sake of Dong Lins peace. Even if I were the King of Dong Lin, I would do the
same.
Thump, thump. After a few thumps, all the people behind him were kneeling, face solemn.
Commander Shenwei said, I dont mind going into the city gates myself to convince the King that Duke is
innocent. I can swear on all of my ancestors and living family that this is the truth.
Im also willing to swear that Duke is innocent! The crowds vows echoed in the heavy sky.
Youve accompanied me through battle for all sorts of years. The King is even suspecting me, so how can
he not think badly of all of you? Going into the city only means immediate death. Our only two options are
death. Either going into the city, its fine if I get punished, but the Dong Lin armys spirit will be
significantly diminished due to the lack of the main general. Even though Dong Lin is famous for many
strong warriors in the past, perhaps now it wont even have enough power to defend itself. However, if we
dont enter the city, the King may interpret this as rebellion.
Moran was the most loyal. He had been an orphan and had accompanied Chu Beijie since young. He
clenched his teeth fiercely. Entering is impossible, but not entering is impossible too. Since the Kings
suspicious, he wont forgive Duke. Its a real dilemma. Another option is to take the troops and invade the
city, after all, Duke is the next inheritor of the throne.
Invading the capital isnt difficult as all of the best soldiers are under my control. Thats another reason
why the King wants to eliminate me. Chu Beijie shook his head, But even if we invaded the capital, killed
the King and took the throne, what would happen to the people of Dong Lin? Once the royal family is a
mess, the peasants' hearts are troubled and the officials will have varying opinions. Other countries would
take the opportunity to invade as well. Do we really want Dong Lin to be slaughtered by an enemy
country?
That was enough to make Moran lower his head.
The crowd all knew that Chu Beijie had other considerations. They didnt dare interrupt, just kneeled on the
ground without a word.
The winds of the plain were ever more aggressive, causing the flag to beat against its pole yet the ten
thousands of troops waited in silence, for their main general to make a decision.
To harm me, she didnt even mind revealing that she was the murderess. Even if it was in Dong Lin, she
didnt care at all He slowly turned back, the corners of his mouth hooked into a bitter smile. Not only
did she manage to send Dong Lin into chaos, even caused Bei Mo to be a sworn enemy of Dong Lin. Nice,
nice tactic. He laughed bitterly for a little longer, then stopped, his expression freezing in place. His gaze

was far into the battlefield of a thousand miles, an expression he wouldve been disdainful in the past. He
shouted loudly, All commanders, listen to my order!
Here!
Immediately attack the city. After taking out the city walls, dont attack anyone who doesnt resist. Shoo all
of the peasants into their houses and tie up the nobles, and wait for further instructions. Chu Beijie barked
out another order, Commander Shenwei!
Im here!
Once the city is captured, you lead ten thousand soldiers who are responsible for keeping order in the city.
Station troops to monitor around the Royal Residence and the residences of important officials, strictly
forbidding people to enter.
Yes!
Commander Shenyong!
Im here!
Once the city is captured, you lead twenty thousand soldiers and guard the city walls. Absolutely no one is
allowed to escape, so that no news of the citys capture can be leaked.
Yes!
Commander Shenwu, you come with me. Surround the Royal Residence when we fight our way in, to see
the King.
Yes!
Despite the series of orders, Chu Beijies expression was calm as he strategized. He had a faint smile on his
lips as he glanced around at his generals. This is for Dong Lin and for self-protection. Everyone remember
this, this time isnt the same as previous attacks. The strongest soldiers are already on our side so the other
guards should be intimidated enough already. It should be easy to get the city under our control, so kill as
less as possible.
Well obey the Duke of Zhen-Beis orders at all costs!
Under the night sky, the black figures of the army quickly approached the capital city of Dong Lin, like a
stealthy snake.

Chapter 25
Battle cries were heard on this night of a full moon. The Kings own brother had decided to do something on
this night to Dong Lin, just rebel ever so slightly.
The King of Dong Lin was standing at a high point of the Royal Residence, watching the dragon-like

flames, in the night sky, that were rapidly approaching. He heard the fighting.
King! A guard soaked in blood hurried over. The Royal Residence has been invaded by traitors. Its not
safe to stay here, please escape King!
The Queen and a crowd of family stood, faces drained of colour. The Queen was still wearing mourning
clothes and had her head bowed gracefully. Hes already killed my sons and now he plot to kill us. As of
now, his troops are guarding the city. Where else can we go? She turned to the King, kneeling while crying,
King, Im sorry but I do not wish to suffer humiliation. As the Royal House is broken, please may King
allow me to tie a noose.
No, King! Many maids who had followed the Queen for several years knelt down, crying hard.
All of a sudden, the main room was full of crying sounds.
The King of Dong Lin slowly looked back, saying, Chu Lei.
Chu Lei is here, King.
The Dong Lin King pondered for a while, then suddenly asked, How are the peasants?
King?
My younger brother, did he massacre normal civilians?
The rebel army entered the city and ordered everyone to stay in their homes. Theyre forbidden to look
outside too, so the soldiers arent entering the houses either. They didnt plan to create much chaos so lives
havent been lost.
The King slowly nodded, asking another question. What about the officials? Have the ones that dont get
along with brother been killed yet?
Chu Lei could hear the sounds of battle approaching rapidly, but the King seemed to have no intention of
hiding, seemingly wasting time here without a trace of expression. But he still had his duty as an official to
fulfill, so he answered with a frown. I heard that the officials residences have been guarded. The traitor
knows the officials well and I heard that he captures one whenever he sees one. I dont know where theyre
being kept, or whether theyre still alive. King, time is precious, please leave immediately.
Where can I leave? The Dong Lin King laughed bitterly. I knew this would happen ever since ordering
Senior Officer of the Left to meet Chu Beijie outside the gates. I trusted our brotherhood and gave him all
the military power, so its sort of my fault? Alas, my Dong Lin is in imminent danger right now so I can
only hope
He hadnt quite finished when the clamour abruptly increased. It was as if the fight was in front of them, but
it suddenly stopped.
Everything was so strangely quiet and everyones heart seemed to sink at the same time.

Bang! The door flew open and a small, trembling eunuch ran in, stuttering, King, reporting to King.h-hh-he
The Queen paled ever more, her heart understand the situation, but she seemed to have calmed down. She
wiped her eyes and stood up, slapping the little eunuch. In a cold voice, she said, Only report when
something is important and when reporting, report clearly and precisely. Whats wrong? She lowered her
hand, her fingers clenched tightly to reveal her whitish joints.
Half of the small eunuchs face was swollen, but his articulation really seemed to get better. Servant should
be punished, servant should be punished. Reporting to King, the Duke of Zhen-Bei wishes to see you.
Although they knew that the Duke of Zhen-Beis troops had already invaded, but hearing his name right
now caused the assembled crowd to shudder.
The Queens tone was mournful. Its better to come himself, so that he can personally kill his elder brother
and his wife.
King! The white haired Senior Official of the Right Wing, Chu Zairan, suddenly yelped, throwing himself
at the Dong Lin Kings feet, crying. Back then I begged King to have stricter orders on the Duke of ZhenBei, so that he would never rebel. King only sent out Sangtan because it was too heartbreaking for King to
meet him personally. As Your Majesty can see, he has indeed caused much trouble for Dong Lin. Please
listen to what I have to say and if King doesnt listen, Ill kill myself immediately beneath Kings feet.
The King of Dong Lin sighed, Why cry, I understand. The children of my beloved are lost, leaving a bunch
of clues pointing at my brother. I was just temporarily blinded by the fact that he has led troops to invade the
city, causing chaos. Thanks for the reminder Mister, but see, theres no point in killing my two sons if he
couldve just taken me off me throne with his military power.
King! The Queen was exasperated. Doesnt King believe that Chu Beijie has a true wild ambition? The
person who killed my princes must be him. Why hasnt King realised it by now?
By now, Im no longer confused. The King of Dong Lin lowered his voice to the Queen and looked at Chu
Zairan, who was crying on the ground. He sighed, But the political situation has changed and its
impossible to recover. Go ahead and say whatever you wanted to.
Chu Zairans body trembled and he gritted his teeth. Ill be bold, please Order to crown the Duke of ZhenBei.
What? Are you crazy? The others were shocked, overflowing emotions.
Chu Zairan, do you understand what youre saying?
Mr Chu, please take that back. You must be too old!
Im not crazy, King. Chu Zairan raised his head at the quiet Dong Lin King, tears streaking out of his old
eyes. The four countries have been at war for many years, the Dong Lin army has attacked four times,
causing deep resentment. Their army is very strong, while the rest of our country is weak, therefore if the
army were gone, the first country to be destroyed is our Dong Lin. To protect our Dong Lin, please give up

the throne, King, to avoid further internal conflict. II know these words are traitorous and I know
punishment is death, but Im willing to die. He thumped his head against the stone floor for a few times and
fresh blood increasingly spilled with every thump, until his head was completely bloodied.
White hair and bloody expression, fierceness in desolation.
The Queen, who was so used to scold others, could no longer bear looking at him either.
There was no sound in the main room. The small eunuch was still kneeling on the floor, though fidgeting.
He shyly said, King, the Duke of Zhen-Beiis still waiting outside.
The crowds hearts were inspired despite the silence in the main room. It was like the calm before the storm,
separated by a heavy wall and who knew what hell was waiting after that wall came down.
The Dong Lin King sighed heavily. Fine, get him to come in then. The Queen should go with the others to
the back. Senior Official of the Right, please stay behind.
King The Queen slowly breathed out.
Queen, you may go.
The group of maids helped the Queen to leave, leaving only the King of Dong Lin and Chu Zairan in the
large main room. Not long later, they heard the entrance being softly pushed back and the harsh light of fire
entered their eyes. In a flash, the flame was gone and the large entrance was closed once more.
There was a person in front of them, in dust-ridden armour. His face was handsome and his presence was
imposing. His hand was at his sword as he sighed, Older brother must be feeling pretty bad, seeing Beijie.
Yes, he was the Duke of Zhen-Bei, who the King of Dong Lin had given military powers to.
Seeing no response from the Dong Lin King, Chu Beijie chuckled sadly. The feeling Beijie felt when
seeing Brothers Order, isnt it similar to what Brother is feeling now?
As it has become a big mistake, then theres no point regretting it anymore. The King of Dong Lin looked
away, faintly saying to Chu Zairan, Senior Official of the Right, start drafting.
Yes, King. Chu Zairan took up his pen, trembled for a while, then put down the pen. He had been writing
orders for the King for decades and therefore had a lot of experience. He could even write a long scroll
without pause, only stopping his pen when finished. This time however, the paper was full of his tears and
blurred the characters many times.
Chu Zairan put down the pen and handed in to the King of Dong Lin with both hands. Kingplease seal
it His voice was choked.
The Dong Lin King looked blankly at Chu Beijie. Their brotherly relationship was affectionate and they
always laughed cheerily at national affairs, who knew how the situation ended up like today. He took out the
jade seal, the Kings Seal and pressed it down on the Order. He gave the Order and the jade Seal to Chu
Zairan, forcedly laughing, Give these to the next ruler of Dong Lin.

Chu Beijie just stood quietly in the distance. He hadnt spoken a single word since Chu Zairan picked up his
pen, as if he had become a statue due to a curse. His eyes were impossible to decipher as he studied every
movement of the large hall.
Receiving the Order from the King with both hands, Chu Beijie was silent for a while, then suddenly raised
his head, Hey Brother, in exchange for the throne, could I ask for two things instead?
The Dong Lin King turned to him, lips moving to form one word, Speak.
Brother just needs to promise to not pursue this invasion and let Dong Lin be like usual. Chu Beijie said,
As for me, Im absolutely sick of this. I dont ever want to appear in caught again, please allow me to
retire.
Did you really think that I would agree to not chasing a traitor?
Chu Beijie nodded his head, full of trust. Condemning all of the traitorous troops with badly damage Dong
Lins military power, provoking greater evil. Brother must have wanted to avoid too many people losing
their lives, so almost giving up the throne, right? Sigh, although Im an incomparable general, even a Duke,
Im nothing compared to Brothers great heart.
The King of Dong Lin gazed at Chu Beijie, Whats the other thing that brother wanted?
Chu Beijies face twitched in pain.
In the Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence, theres a small building in the east. On the table inside, theres he
lowered his voice, a guqin.

Chapter 26
The transfer of governing rights to Dong Lin had occurred twice in its capital city and only selected few
understood the shocking events.
Early on the next morning, the peasants cautiously came out of their rooms. They had hid as requested all
night. Despite the endless fire and sound of battle, the King was still the King and the Royal Residence was
still the Royal Residence.
The staff was assured safety while the imprisoned officials were brought to the Royal Residence. The King
of Dong Lin summoned them one by one, not scolding them but praising them, such as the Senior Official of
the Rights draft had called for help instead.
Everyone knew what this implied and was beyond delighted.
Apart from a few who stubbornly resisted during the invasion, there werent many injuries and deaths, but
the King issued a pension for their families anyway.
The mighty Dong Lin troops remained behind, but the famous general, the Duke of Zhen-Bei, had already
parted.

Out on the yellow-mud paths, a group of carriages, without flags, slowly moved ahead.
There were carriages and horses in the group. The riders faces were distant, obviously unwilling, and light
rarely seemed to enter their eyes. Two of the carriages in the middle were for women and children, while the
other twos contents were unknown but they were seemingly heavy, as the tyres left deep tracks in the mud.
One of the carriages wasnt decorated very magnificently, but it seemed expensive enough, as its frame and
its wheels were made out of extremely rare, good wood. Simple but generous.
After a long night, inside the carriage, Chu Beijie currently had his eyes closed.
Dong Lins trouble was over. After this incident, the King of Dong Lin would no longer suspect him of
killing the two princes.
But a father had lost his son, an older brother had lost his younger brother, while Dong Lin no longer had the
general who protected the country.
Dong Lin would have to deal with the terrible consequences for many years to come. Even Chu Beijie didnt
dare imagine.
But the poison came from her hands.
Chu Beijie lifted his hands, looking at the thick, thick calluses caused by wielding his sword too much. He
remembered her hands, her slender fingers, white and delicate. Hands that touched the qin, picked flowers
and could also minister poison.
The most poisonous of allis really a womans heart after all? He narrowed his inky black eyes.
Not wishing to let anyone see the depth of his eyes, he closed them, lost in thought. After a while, his
breathing evened and gradually, he seemed to be sleeping.
The road was bumpy up and down, causing the carriage to jump. Step by step it moved, further away from
the past.
The driver of the carriage seemed to have hit a rock and was momentarily caught off balance. Chu Beijies
regular breathing stopped and he straightened his back. Then, as if all feeling came back, he called, Stop
the carriage.
He pushed open the carriage curtain and his body began to shake.
On the side of the road, there was a delicate figure. One hand patted the horse while the other held its reins
by her side, touching the tips of the uncut grass. Heaving the group stop, she turned to look at them,
revealing a stunned expression, rather than shocked, when seeing Chu Beijies face. She gently exclaimed,
Duke, Pingting has come as promised.
Not only Chu Beijie, but also the people travelling with him, was frozen like wood carvings. Bai Pingtings
red mouth smiled breezily. To be honest, Pingting has been worried for a while, as I dont know how to
meet up with Duke, so I had to wait on the road. If Duke ended up passing Pingting, then that meant our

destiny has ended. I did also go to Dong Lin, but it seems that Duke no longer has any connection to it from
now on.
Chu Beijies gaze didnt leave Pingtings smiling face. He lowered his voice, I realised.
Then Bai Pingting articulated her words clearly, Bai Pingting is now a person of the Chu family.
A person of the Chu family?
Duke has forgotten? Lets swear to the moon, never turn against each other.
Chu Beijies repeated every word coldly, with a pause after each word. Lets swear to the moon, never turn
against each other?
Bai Pingtings eyes were as pretty as their first meeting. Has Duke forgotten our promise?
I remember. Chu Beijie nodded his head.
That promise still stands, Bai Pingting gracefully walked towards him, holding up her hand. Please let
Pingting follow Duke to the ends of the earth, my honour is decided by Duke and my death decided by
Duke.
Chu Beijie eyed the familiar, small white hand in sight. He could easily touch it.
He had touched this hand no less than a thousand times, enjoying its touch while praising it. He remembered
its warmth and its smoothness, agile and delicate.
He never thought about it before, but they were also a cunning pair of hands, that seemed to be able to flip
clouds and beckon rain at will.
Pingting was not surprised or afraid, just stood obediently facing him. Just like before, singing about
beautiful women and heroes and soldiers knowing fraud. Her crystal eyes were still able to talk, light shining
in all four corners.
Chu Beijie was silent for a long time and he finally broke the silence, saying, Pingting, answer a few of my
questions.
Go ahead, Duke.
The drug used by the spy from Bei Mo, was he working under your command?
Yes. Bai Pingtings expression didnt change, just articulating one word.
You know that they were Dong Lins princes, my very own nephews?
Bai Pingting looked at him, the light in her eyes flashed as she sighed, I know.
Do you remember that you swore not to hurt my family.

I remember.
I, Chu Beijie, am not a man whod give up revenge for his own family, just for a woman
Bai Pingting could hear Chu Beijies anger and a sad smile played on her lips. I understand. Pingting
understands everything Duke says. As Duke wants to find Pingting, theres no point in Pingting trying to
hide, so Duke can do whatever he wants.
One final question. Chu Beijie hesitated, sternly asking, You knew that youd die anyway, but why set a
boulder to disturb my journey?
Bai Pingtings heart felt as if it had been stabbed. Her body suddenly swayed a little, while her talkative eyes
quietly watched Chu Beijie. Her voice was sad. Pingting is an idiot, but Duke is an idiot too. Even if I
speak until my mouths dry, would Duke believe a word? Everything has already become a big mistake, we
wont ever go back to the way we were. Not being able to say another word, tears slid down her cheeks and
onto the ground.
Sunset.
There were no corpses on the dry yellow road.
A slender, silent figure joined the silent group of carriages and horses.
Chu Beijie realised that hands that hold onto both heart and sword, are not always without conflict.

Chapter 27 (Intermission)
Bei Mos first snow came in the middle of the November.
General Ze Yin chose this time to enter the Royal Residence, to report his retirement from military to the
King of Bei Mo.
Why so sudden? The Bei Mo King was no longer interested in admiring the snow all of a sudden, as he
turned to gape at Ze Yin.
Ze Yin replied, The danger at the frontier has now passed, so Ze Yin should also fulfill his promise with
Yangfeng.
No longer participating in military affairs so that you can accompany your wife till old, while watching
nature unfold itself over the years, am I right? Such a gentlemanly promise. The King of Bei Mo turned
away, refusing to say any more. After a while, he finally added, Does Yangfeng still bear a grudge over the
poisoning of Dong Lins two princes.
Ze Yin sighed heavily, lowering his voice. A womens kindness should not interfere with national affairs
anyway. Its not Kings fault.
So it seems that she still bears a grudge against me. Pity, nothing can replace a good friend. The Bei Mo

King had bitter smile as he nodded, What else could I say? Oh well, oh well. General Ze Yin, you may
leave.
The Main Generals Residence in Bei Mo, in the midst of snowy skies and earth, had its sign pulled away
from above its main entrance, the sign that the King of Bei Mo had personally written.
Ze Yins intentions in resigning had long been hinted within the residence as the crowd of servants had been
with him for many years and were all fiercely loyal. Wherever Ze Yin went, they would follow, so even
when news was proved officially, the Residence was calm like usual. Everyone seemed to have mutual
understanding as they all packed their luggage themselves without being asked, getting ready to leave Bei
Yali.
The snow continued to fall for seven days, no trace of stopping.
The road to leave Bei Yali was snowy white, while only a small group of carriages ambled on it. The
carriage wheels pressed against the snow, leaving two long tracks.
One of the most decorated carriages in the middle, a small stove was alit. Yangfeng had her head lowered,
looking at the baby in her arms. This child had far too much energy, just like his father, who only slept after
much coaxing.
A sweet smile formed at her lips as she put the baby on a tiny blanket, wrapping him up carefully. Yangfeng
softly sneezed as she sat by the window.
Asleep? Ze Yin moved in to face the two, carefully examining the sleeping child. He was used to picking
up swords and killing, but seeing this delicate, newborn baby, he could only think that he would hurt him
whenever he tried to cuddle him. He felt more afraid at his first time being a father than his first time being
on the battlefield.
Yangfeng saw his expression and startled to chuckle softly, moving close to him, watching their child
together. In a loving voice, she said, Look at his nose and his little mouth. He looks just like a little Ze
Yin.
His face looks like his mothers. Ze Yin was joyous, The son looks like the mother. He definitely has a
promising future. Yangfeng, its all thanks to you.
Yangfeng was stunned. Thanks to me?
Its all thanks to you, otherwise, how was I going to have such a cute son?
What are you saying? Yangfeng was both angry and pleased. Not wanting to wake the baby, she tugged at
Ze Yins sleeve. The two sat quietly on their seats, which were cushioned with thick fur. Yangfeng lowered
her voice, Does Husband think Im too stubborn?
Why would I?
Yangfeng forced Husband to leave his post as the Main General, even leaving Bei Yali to settle down
elsewhere. Yangfeng forced you to leave even though the snow hasnt stopped, not to mention that Qinger

isnt a month yet either. Having said that, that was far too stubborn of me.
Ze Yin laughed, his voice deep and soft, while his large, rough hand stroked Yangfengs face. He asked, Is
there anyone else who could force me, Ze Yin, to retire? Retirement and leaving Bei Yali was all your wish.
As its your wish, I would definitely do so, willingly. He paused, his voice softening. Besides, I know that
youre still feeling uneasy about what happened to Pingting. Although the rewards from the King kept
coming, you seemed even more on edge each time.
At the mention of Pingting, Yangfengs face turned sorrowful. In a low voice, she said, Yesterday night, I
dreamed of Pingting. She was standing in front of me, not smiling, not speaking. I reached out to touch her,
but she was like a shadow, something I couldnt touch. Ze Yin, I had to beg Pingting to think of a plan for
Bei Mo.
I know. Ze Yin pulled Yangfeng into his arms, pain flashing in his eyes. My country, Bei Mo, owes her
deeply, yet they pushed all of the blame for killing Dong Lins two princes on her. Ze Yin is far too ashamed
to face her.
Shes not willing to clear the misunderstanding either. Yangfeng was distraught. Ever since you searched
up where Chu Beijie was living, Ive already sent someone to pass on my letters, telling her to clear up
everything with Chu Beijie, that He Xia was the one who killed Chu Beijies two nephews. But she hasnt
sent anything back to me.
She should be under house arrest right now. Could the letters we sent, werent delivered to her, but were
collected by Chu Beijies people?
Yangfeng shook her head, Isnt it better for Chu Beijie to see them? But the Dong Lin army doesnt seem
to be pursuing He Xia right now, meaning its highly likely they still dont know what He Xia did. I reckon
Chu Beijie is too arrogant, thats why hes not stopping or peeking at Pingtings letters. Im just afraid, what
if Pingting doesnt plan to plead innocent?
Ze Yins thick eyebrows creased, not understanding, Since she knows that He Xia has changed, why is she
still willing to be punished in place of him?
Yangfeng seemed to feel a little cold, shifting her position in Ze Yins arms, until she was able to hear her
husbands heartbeat more strongly. Her gaze was fixed on the sleeping child not far away, as she sighed
softly. Being disappointed in someone is one thing, but hating them is another. Pingting knows this very
well, that the moment she says the truth, He Xia will immediately become the most wanted criminal of Dong
Lin. How is that any different from personally killing him? Their friendships built over the past fifteen years
wont be broken so easily.
Yangfengs voice got softer and softer, as if her thoughts were even more problematic than before. She
hesitated for a long time, before continuing, Im just worried that since shes so clever, instead of trying to
solve the misunderstanding, shed use this to test Chu Beijies feelings for her instead. Sigh, just how can a
mans heart be tested?
Ze Yin heard the sadness in her tone. He was very worried that shed get sick, as it hadnt been more than
fifty days since she gave birth and there were too many worries on her mind. Patting her shoulder lovingly,
he assured her. Dont think about it too much. Although Ive retired, its not like I dont have any

influence. If Pingting has any needs, we can definitely help her.

I hope that god will protect Pingting. Yangfeng pressed her hands together at her chest, praying.
Ze Yins group of carriages advanced slowly on the snow-covered ground, while the sky was full of
fireworks outside the Royal Residence of the country of Yun Chang.
The Royal Residence was covered in red silk, while the maids were all dressed in grand, festive gowns,
flowed in and out of the room like water, bringing in all sorts of colourful desserts.
The joyful sound of drums travelled from within the Royal Residence to the outside neighbourhood, causing
the peasants of Yun Chang to gather and discuss.
Princess is going to marry!
Heh, our Yun Chang finally has a prince consort?
There shouldve been a prince consort ages ago. Although the Princess is pretty clever, but as a woman, its
not that good to meddle with politics too much right? Its better to find a husband and settle down, giving
birth to a son too.
Hahaha, that makes sense.
Having said that, our Princess has quite a good taste. Ever since the King died, the number of people
proposing suddenly increased, almost enough to trample down the Royal Residences door. The Princess
refused everyone, but chose this one.
Yeah! Yeah! As expected of our Yun Changs Princess, to have such good taste. With him as the Prince
Consort, our Yun Chang no longer has to be afraid of Dong Lins Chu Beijie and Bei Mos Ze Yin! Hahaha,
come, lets cheer for the Princess and the Prince Consort with a little wine!
The mellow wine gushed freely out of their containers.
Gui Changqing crossed through the crowds of butterfly-like maids, while wearing a heavy yet grand courtier
dress, towards a small, peaceful building in the western part of the Royal Residence
The most influential maid of the Yun Chang Royal Residence, Luyi, happened to be standing at the
entrance, while instructing two maids. Get the gift, Double Golden Phoenix Belt, sent a few days ago. Also,
go get some dry hawthorn and remember to place them in the red plates. There are two plates, each one gets
exactly ninety-nine slices of dry hawthorn. Remember, ninety-nine slices, no more, no less. Im making this
clear, today is an important day, if any of you dare make a mistake, watch out for your leg. She said this all
in one breath and when she turned around, seeing Gui Changqing, she hurriedly smiled. Senior Official
Gui, please come in, Princess has been waiting for a while, but Senior Official just hadnt come yet. It
wasnt going to be long until the Princess was going to welcome My Lady.
Gui Changqing smiled modestly, stepping into the room.
The smell of incense lingered in the room. Although outside was full of joyous music, here, it was all just

unclear, residual sounds. Reaching the curtains, she saw a thin figure sitting alone in front of the mirror
through them.
Gui Changqing already heard Princess Yaotians familiar, crisp voice before she drew back the curtains.
Please come in, Senior Official.
Gui Changqing pushed the curtains back, walking until she was standing in front of the mirror.
The Princess in the mirror had long surpassed her usual glamorous appearance. A coronet, studded with
many gems, had been placed neatly on her head. Below, she was wearing a chain of pearls, that wouldnt
stop shaking, but none of this managed to block out the shining light in her eyes.
Princess Yaotian put down the eyebrow pencil in her hand, studying herself carefully in the bronze mirror.
She joked, softly, Senior Official, has Yaotian dressed up prettily enough?
Gui Changqing looked at her attentively, nodding. Absolutely stunning. There was a pause. Then, as if
there was something she had to say, she gave a long sigh. Princess is finally going to marry. The little girl
who liked to make all of the Residences maids run after her, until they were breathless, is soon to have a
husband. Time sure flies. Is Princess happy?
Happy and worried at the same time. Yaotian looked at herself in the mirror. When Mother was still
alive, she said that marrying was like reaching into a black hole. There isnt a way to tell whether what you
pull out is a rare treasure, or a deadly snake. Senior Official is the most loyal official of Yun Changs Royal
House. If it hadnt been for Senior Officials help ever since Father died, I wouldve never been able to deal
with national affairs. I want to ask Senior Official a question, so please give me a truthful reply.
Gui Changqing replied in a distinct voice, Go ahead, Princess.
When I chose He Xia, the officials and peasants were happy but why was Senior Official so worried about
it for several days?
Gui Changqing hadnt thought that Princess Yaotian would ask such a thing and she looked a little stunned,
only replying after much thinking. The King died early, not leaving a son. Princess is ruling the political
court as a woman and everyone understands that whoever marries Princess will be the Prince Consort of
Yun Chang, who can do whatever they want to with Yun Chang. Thats why I was constantly warning
Princess to be careful when choosing a husband, not someone useless who would bring Yun Chang to its
destruction.
He Xia is useless?
Though Princess is perceptive too. He Xia is currently framed and hunted by the King of Gui Le, and needs
a refuge.
Although his family is ruined now, he did come from a good family, so his behaviour is extremely graceful,
not to mention his rare talents. In this period where the prospect of war is constantly hanging around, like a
cloud, warriors were the most valuable of all. Princess agreeing to marriage at this time is like bring a steel
barrier to our Yun Chang. But Gui Changqing shook her head, her voice soft, Hes too powerful, too
ambitious. Its not going to be easy to keep this man beside for long periods of time.

Princess Yaotian lowered her head, thinking. In a hesitant voice, she asked, If so, why didnt Senior
Official tell me in the past? I would always consider Senior Officials opinions.
Even if I said so, would Princess decision be changed? Gui Changqing sighed, Ive been serving for
twenty years and have known Princess since birth. How could I not see if Princess had already hardened her
heart to iron, firmly decided such a thing?
Princess Yaotian sucked her lips, thinking, then smiling. As expected of Senior Official. Its true that I
wouldnt have changed my opinion. From the moment He Xia stepped into the Royal Residence, I had
already decided that I wouldnt marry anyone else. What kind of girl doesnt want to marry a man, whos
worthy of being called a hero? Not to mention that there are far too less heroes, even if youre lucky to meet
one, you don't dare to hope for too much.
She stood up, the accessories in her hair jangling.
But Senior Official is right too, I have to work hard to keep that man by my side. Yaotian turned around to
look at Gui Changqing, revealing an innocent smirk. Senior Official, you can help me think of how to keep
He Xias heart.
Gui Changqing bowed, Ill put all my heart into it.
Very good. Yaotian shuffled towards the door, facing the other side of the Royal Residence, muttering to
herself. The musics nearer. He Xiahe shouldve already reached the entrance of the main hall right?
In yet another distant country, in the Royal Residence of Gui Le, He Su was silent as he looked at the grey
sky.
The Queen approached from behind, inquiring, After seeing the letter, King seems to look worried. Was it
really bad news?
He Su nodded. Princess Yaotian of Yun Chang has agreed to He Xias marriage proposal and they will get
married today.
The Queen gaped. Princess Yaotian actually agreed to marry He Xia, who has nothing? Why is she so
unwise?
Its a good decision. He Su looked back, briefly meeting the Queens eyes. He Xia doesnt have nothing.
His biggest riches are inside himself. In this world, lots of people have external riches, but those with
internal riches are rare. Princess Yaotian saw, and took fancy at this point.
The Queen could hear the accusation in his voice and lowered her head obediently. As King is annoyed, I
shall play a piece, she whispered.
No need. He Su stood by the window, locating the general direction of when the Jing-An Ducal Residence
once stood, muttering, What else have I done wrong? Gui Les two renowned qin players no longer belong
to Gui Le now.

Yangfeng had left exactly because the Queen had believed in gossip, and had decided to dispose of her.
Hearing He Su mention her, the Queens heart squeezed in shock. That was due to my stupidity. Im
willing to accept all punishment. She raised her long dress and kneeled down, head lowered.
He Su was silent for a long time. Another thought seemingly crossed his mind, as he suddenly began to
laugh. You may get up, Queen.
He turned around, helping the Queen to stand. His voice was a little pleased as he said, Yangfengs qin
skills may be spectacular, but shes just a woman of the harem. If we were to talk about strategising, shes
nothing compared to Bai Pingting. Never mind losing Yangfeng, Im surprised that He Xia would give up
on Bai Pingting for some temporary interest. Hell have to pay a heavy price in the future.
The Queen was suddenly suspicious, Is Bai Pingting really that amazing?
Has Queen met Bai Pingting before?
The Queen tried to recall her. She rarely entered the Royal Residence, Ive only seen her once or twice. She
doesnt like to talk, and her looks are average.
Bai Pingting may not be a beauty, but she has a different sort of charm, causing people to want to stay with
her, have her forever. He Su looked at the Queen, a trace of a smile on his lips. Men can easily fall in love
with beautiful women and its easy to be entertained by them, but just how many women are worthy enough
so that a man would want to stay by her side forever?
Doesnt that mean He Xia has given up?
He Xia will regret it, maybe he has already regretted it, but what use is that? He Su narrowed his eyes, a
harsh light seemed to rise from the pits of his pupils. I wont let him get Bai Pingting back so easily.
After dinner, He Su stayed behind in the main hall, sorting national affairs. The Queen excused herself.
Bumping into the corner of a side hall, the Queen stopped, wiping her tears away with her sleeve.
The Queens nurse, Mother Cheng Xiang, who happened to accompany her, was shocked. Whats wrong,
Queen?
The Kings fallen in love.
With who?
Bai Pingting of the Jing-An Ducal Residence.
Mother Cheng Xiang was silent.
When the King ordered to get rid of the House of Jing-An, he had privately requested for He Xia and Bai
Pingting to enter the Royal Residence. It was strictly ordered that if the House of Jing-An and their
followers reacted, they were to be killed immediately. Only one person had to survive, not to be injured.

Bai Pingting of the Jing-An Ducal Residence.

.
The wedding chamber was well decorated and inside, the brides cheeks were shiny red.
A red scarf softly fell from to the ground, as if picked by a light breeze, and a handsome man entered her
eyes.
One of the noblest men of the four countries, the famous Marquess of Jing-An, was standing in front of her.
Princess.
Prince Consort.
Their whispers were barely audible and when their eyes met, her hearts wouldnt stop thumping messily.
He Xia untied the red flower strap on his chest and took off Princess Yaotians coronet with both hands,
smiling while sighing. He Xia didnt expect that ever since being homeless, that hed be so fortunate to
earn the Princess favour, when no one else was willing to help him. God really isnt unfair to me. He
smiled gently, taking in Yaotians quiet face. Perhaps Princess has other worrying things in mind?
Yaotian giggled guiltily, replying, Im just thinking, if the House of Jing-An hadnt perished, then would
Yaotian still have been blessed enough to be the wife of Husband or not. Tears dripped from her eyes and
stopped, hanging down from the frame of the bed. She sighed, Its the night of the wedding chamber and
the man in front of me is talented both literarily and militarily, a true hero. Its just like a really good dream,
so Im a little afraid that its just a dream.
He Xia frowned, Why say that Princess, do you not believe in the loyalty in He Xias heart?
Oh, slip of the tongue. Princess Yaotian turned back, smiling sweetly at He Xia. If I didnt believe in
Husband, then why else would I have vowed to always stay together?
He Xias starry eyes studied Yaotian carefully, his two pupils were like pools with a magical pull and it
made Yaotian feel as if she was sucked in. He was on one knee in front Princess Yaotian, as he
affectionately touched her hand. Raising his head, he said, Dont worry Princess, He Xia will swear right
now that there will be one day where Ill make Princess become the noblest woman in the world and then
personally crown the Princess as the Queen of the Four Countries.
Princess Yaotians eyes suddenly brightened, Does Husband really have such lofty ambitions?
He Xia tossed his head back and laughed for a long time. Life is too short, if I dont do something great,
how could I feel worthy of my parents who raised me?
Princess heard that his voice was brimming with confidence, sounding extremely heroic. Secretly delighted,
she softened her voice. Since Husband is so complacent, presumably already having a plan to unify the four
countries.
He Xia stopped his laughter, thinking hard before replying, The first thing to do, is definitely to forbid my
life rival from returning to being the strength of Dong Lins Royal House.

Princess Yaotian had been in charge of politics for a while, therefore she recognised the most important
people of each country. She interrupted immediately, Chu Beijie has already retired to the mountains, not
interested in the government, but hell definitely leave the mountains if Dong Lin is in trouble. How does
Husband plan to break Chu Beijies blood connection to the Royal House of Dong Lin?
He Xia secretly admired this girls wit, for knowing the situation of the four countries so well. He flashed
her a look of approval, clutching onto her willow-like waist to help her up so that they could both admire the
far away moon outside the window.
Theres only one scenario where Chu Beijie would never return to the Royal House of Dong Lin. Even if
their Royal House is in danger, Chu Beijie would never dare interfere and will just sit back and watch.
Princess Yaotian frowned for a long time, then shook her head. I have absolutely no idea. In what scenario,
would Chu Beijie leave his family? Her beautiful, intelligent and wise eyes were trained on He Xia,
searching for the answer.
A little hesitation surfaced on He Xias handsome face. He gazed at the moon, shaking a little. Then, as if
remembering that Princess Yaotians question was still unanswered, he slowly breathed out, whispering,
That is, when Chu Beijie, of the Dong Lin Royal House, loses his most beloved woman.
Chu Beijies most beloved woman?
Her name is He Xias lips seemed to be as heavy as gold. They spat out the familiar name with great
difficult, Bai Pingting.
Princess Yaotian was shocked, and she sucked her lip in response.
Pingting, Bai Pingting.
The real mastermind of the Jing-An Ducal Residence. He Xias most beloved maid.
Rumours said that Bai Pingting was the manipulator behind Dong Lins forced treaty to Gui Le for five
years of peace.
Rumours said that Bai Pingting was the one who saved Bei Mo, and killed Dong Lins two young princes.
Rumours said that Bai Pingting was currently being imprisoned by a very furious Chu Beijie.
Just what kind of woman are you really?

Translation Notes

Bear Bile (23): Nowadays, raw bile can be sold for as much as $24,000 (USD) per kg, approximately
half the price of gold according to Wikipedia. Basically, its another one of those cruel industries.
Anyway, its often used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Damming (19): This word is stolen from a chess tactic (not that I play chess of course). Its probably
not the correct translation and probably more of an inference from me. But it does sort of make
sense. Damming means to cut off lines of support or attack for one or more pieces and thereby
punching large holes in the attack or support chain. From my understanding (which is too basic to
win a proper game), its something like moving/forcing the oppositions piece (usually by sacrifice)
to a more advantageous place for you. That oppositions piece is also generally an important one for
attack or defence. Pingting damns (blocks) Chu Beijies attempt at attack by sacrificing her body.
If Chu Beijie was mean enough to kill her, then all the wasps would attack her (because the Sanhua
arrows and maybe because she has some Sanhua near herself too), instead of attacking the Bei Mo
army. This means that the attack chain is basically useless and the after-effects are pretty bad, as
stated in the novel. Chu Beijie is nice and retreats this time, meaning there is no use for their attack
chain right now and it therefore dissolves. This buys the Bei Mo army more time for a proper
counterattack. Whatever Chu Beijie decides is advantageous to Pingtings side, the Bei Mo army.
This was probably more of an Art of War reference (famous military treatise), but thats virtually
impossible for me to understand. :/
Double (golden) phoenix (27): Symbolic of happiness to a couple.
Eunuch (25): A manservant or slave that has been castrated.
Flag of command/command flag (16): Most kings dont go to war, so they choose someone on behalf
of them.
Heroes and Beautiful Women (20): The song Pingting always sings. I dont think its ever been
given a name, so this is it.
Hundred years pass like a dream (20): Pretty much what you see. Its said that life passes so fast, like
a dream (most dreams are happy). Pingting disagrees with this because she thinks time passes really
slowly (she is upset after all). It's often used to describe ironic situations.
Joke from the gods (20): Its said that gods like to play very nasty, mean jokes on humans.
Sanhua trees (18): Completely fictional.
See his ancestors (24): Paying respects to your ancestors is considered to be a very important practice
in China. It is often believed that you meet your ancestors when you die and if you lead a good life,
you can join them. Modern Chinese atheists might not believe this, but they may also use it as an
expression when they feel that their guilt/shame will follow them for life.
Tie a noose (25): Commit suicide by hanging.
Watch out for your leg (27): Punishment for servants, when they make errors, is being whipped on
the leg.
Who else can oppose Chu Beijie in this world? (17): Probably an ambiguous statement. Maybe she
thinks that only she can oppose Chu Beijie correctly and/or thinks that she (herself) cant oppose him
and likes his figure of an unopposed man.

Other comments
Some comments I had during translation
King dawang and Prince wangzi were easy to translate, which led a problem to use of wangye and the
-wang (suffix). This person could be either be royalty or from a normal family. Hence duke from the
English peerage system seems to do the trick as a prince can be a duke, and it solves the problem of
naming the dukes son(s)Besides, there have been dukes in Chinese history (according to Wikipedia lol)
though they use a different character.
A few proofreaders also had a few questions, so Ill answer them here
I doubt if Pingting is actually not good looking. Perhaps the standard of beauty is different in
this era? (Ezzie Eliza)
Technically she's more plain than ugly. As she spends most of life around kings and dukes, she'll be
compared to their women, who are supposedly the most beautiful women in the country. Thatll make a
plain person seem ugly in comparison. There isnt that much about her appearance I reckon (just her dancing
eyes, white skin, petite figure), but white skin and petite figure are stereotypically common attributes of
Asians. Her eyes are definitely her best physical feature. Somewhere, it does say that she was undoubtedly
a beauty; ignoring her face, nose and mouth (don't remember exact quote). That probably means that her
nose was a little flat. I doubt her face was chubby, but maybe the shape was not perfectly oval enough.
Also, the person who illustrated the novels and drew the manhua, is more of a BL artist. She doesn't have
much experience with drawing girls. I did read somewhere that she had great difficulty drawing the main
character. It's highly likely she drew Pingting prettier than intended. In the 7-volume version (original) and
the one of the 2-volume versions (cant remember which year, but its the dark pink/purple one), the
illustrators are different and Pingting looks significantly plainerprobably a little ugly too?
For the disbanded drama, Liu Yifei was picked to play Pingting. She's considered to be a very pretty actress.
I read on baidu that the Chinese fans also thought that she was a little too pretty to be Pingting, but then
that's not unusual because it's hard to advertise dramas with a plain or ugly main character. The drama still
never aired though.
Besides, it's not like people can't fall for plain girls. Most of the descriptions of her come from Chu Beijies
perspective and people do say love is blind ^^
I dont think the standard of beauty in this era has changed much. White skin, petite figure, high nose and
big eyes have been common standards of beauty in China for a long time
On chapter 23, when Pingting confronted He Xia for the killing the Dong Lin Prince, she was
reminiscent about their lives at the Jing-An Ducal Residence. We know from the story that
Pingting was left at the door of the House of Jing An. So basically they were like together for
the moment she's entered the residence and according to Pingting, it was 18 years but
Yangfeng said it was friendship of 15 years. (awesomeojou)
Yup...I think Pingtings eighteen. Dont remember where I saw that though (I dont think in the novel).
Unfortunately, that conflict is actually in the text. I think its because Pingting didnt actually become
friends with He Xia until she was 3. The benefactors may have looked after her for eighteen years, but she
didnt meet their son until later (when he was older and be able to do calligraphy). I think He Xias around
20 too.

This full volume translation wouldnt have been possible without

everyones help! Including the support from the readers!
Book One:
Special thanks to the following staff...
Translators:
Gecko Monster (v1)

Proofreaders:

...and main staff...

Translators:
Proofreaders:
Assistants:
Quality:

The Useless Translator (v1),

Pyro (v1)
The Useless Translator (v1)
Ema-chan (v1)
Anayardz (v1)

xah
Elegant Destruction (V1)
Ezzie Eliza (v2)
StarWarrior
Elegant Destruction (v1)
The Useless Translator
Aoi (v2)
xah

Book Two:
Special thanks to the following staff...
Reference:
The Useless Translator (v2)

...and main staff...

Translators:
Proofreaders:
Assistants:
Quality:

xah
Idler Rhapsody (V1)
awesomeojou (v2)
StarWarrior
Idler Rhapsody (v1)
The Useless Translator
Aoi (v2)
xah

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