In the year of Qing'an, on the sixteenth day of the fourth month.
A large detachment of about five hundred people appeared at the Dongcheng Gate, led by a man in armor, whose face was as handsome as jade, riding on a thousand-mile horse.
What is most attractive is the exquisite carving, gilded and jade-encrusted carriage that is protected in the middle.
After the carriage was stable, a pleasant voice rang out from within. Shortly after, a figure dressed in red emerged from the carriage.
"Long time no see, do you miss me, Royal Sister?"
Despite ten years of not seeing each other, Lou Si still recognized the beautiful woman waiting by the city gate as his royal sister - Lou Yao.
The thought of the humiliation she suffered in being forced to marry a stranger as a proxy, her heart seethed with rage, wishing she could disembowel her sister piece by piece.
But she quickly calmed down and got off the carriage. She gathered her hair into a neat braid, looked at her sister Lou Yao with a particularly gentle smile, despite the harsh words she spoke.
"I think of my royal sister day and night, wishing to drink her blood and eat her flesh."
Lou Yao was frightened and took a few steps back, nearly bumping into the carriage.
As a proxy for the marriage, how did Lou Si survive the war between the two countries and why did she return with Xiao Rhen?
She eyed Lou Si warily, her beauty now enhanced by a few more vibrant and seductive traits compared to ten years prior. The peach blossoms that bloomed from the corners of her eyes added a hint of malevolence, while the fiery red dress she wore infused an extra layer of seductive and sultry charm.
"All these years have passed, and Royal Sister still has such a small courage." Lou Si was amused by her appearance, walked up to her and reached out to gently caress her face.
Lou Yao took a step back and, after composing herself, grabbed her hand tightly and squeezed out two tears: "Royal Sister, you have finally returned. These years have been so difficult for you."
Lou Si looked at her sister's slightly bulging belly with a half-smile, half-irked expression: "I thought you didn't want me to return."
"Royal Sister, how could you think that? Mother and I have been looking forward to your return every day, hoping that we could reunite with you," Lou Yao said with a tone that was difficult for others to understand, and she emphasized the word "mother" deliberately.
Lou Si pulled her hand back, wiped it with a handkerchief, and looked at her playfully: "Actually, at first I didn't want to come back. But when I thought about Xiao Lang braving mountains and rivers to pick me up, I said I had to come back with him no matter what."
Lou Yao's eyes flashed with a hint of malice, but her expression still remained gentle: "Xiao Rhen is the commander of the Lingjiang army, bringing Royal Sister back is his duty. Royal Sister doesn't need to worry about it."
"Matters of duty?" Lou Si took a step closer to her and spoke in a whisper that only they could hear: "Then taking care of you when you are bedridden is also his duty?"
"Lou Si, you are shameless." Lou Yao bit her teeth and cursed her in a low voice: "My husband went to fight for the country, not to pick you up this woman with no morals who climbed onto your father-in-law's bed, like you..."
She had not finished speaking when "slap" sounded, Lou Si raised her hand and slapped her hard. She rubbed her wrist and smiled sweetly while the words she spoke were venomous.
"All these years have passed, and Royal Sister is still so unfiltered in your speech. You're not afraid that the Child-Bearing Goddess will take back your child."
Lou Yao had not expected her to suddenly strike, without any warning, and was directly knocked to the ground by a slap from her. She looked at her with disbelief, covering her face with both hands.
But she quickly realized what was happening and looked at her with a look of grievance while covering her face: "Royal Sister, I know you have suffered a lot these years, and it's all building up inside you. You can take your frustrations out on me by hitting me. But can't you wait until I give birth to my child first? This child is so hard to come by, and I'll let you do whatever you want to me once I deliver him."
After she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and she looked as if she had been wronged greatly. However, there was a spark of provocation in her eyes; she didn't believe for a moment that Lou Si would really dare to do anything to her.
As the crowd watched, they began to point and murmur, lambasting Lou Si for being overly aggressive.
Lou Si paid no heed to the comments around her, taking a step forward and looking down on her: "Lou Yao, you've made no progress in all these years and still know only how to play the victim."
After speaking, she stepped forward and squished her foot hard: "Shall we gamble? Will I be punished if I kill you with a single sword here?"
"Aah!" The intense pain on her foot caused Lou Yao to scream in agony. She had not expected Lou Si to ignore the opinions of those around them.
Just then, Xiao Rhen, who had returned from dispatching his business, happened to see this scene. He took a few quick steps forward and pulled Lou Si away, looking worriedly at Lou Yao.
"Yaoer, how are you?"
Lou Si was pulled backward a few steps, and if it hadn't been for Chu Xue, who had been watching her attentively, she would have fallen on her face in humiliation.
After regaining her balance, Lou Si dangerously narrowed her eyes at the intimate couple before her, her hand in her sleeve tightened, the nails biting deeply into her palm.
Even now, she couldn't understand why her childhood sweetheart and fiancé, who had grown up with her and loved her since they were young, would suddenly fall in love with Lou Yao and plot, deceive, and force her to become a proxy for Lou Yao to marry.
Letting her be dishonored, tormented, trampled, and humiliated in the west of Liang.
However, now those things no longer matter. What she needs to do now is to take back everything that belongs to her and let them taste the pain and suffering she has endured over the years.
Xiao Rhen had been guarding Lou Yao behind him, staring angrily at Lou Si with a look of both anger and warmth: "Even if we wronged you at the beginning, now that you have returned safely, why do you still want to be aggressive."
"What a fine state to be in, and what a terrible thing to be pressing for!" Lou Si took a step forward to stand before Xiao Rhen, her face wearing a gentle smile that was laughable but not reaching her eyes.
"Xiao Lang, we grew up together since childhood. You even said on my coming-of-age day that you would marry me for life. How can you be so heartless now?"
Seeing her use "Xiao Lang" over and over again, Lou Yao's hand in her sleeve tightened. She moved forward and grabbed Xiao Rhen's hand, her eyes full of tears as she spoke: "Royal Sister, please don't be angry. I know I hurt you in the past, whether you beat or scold me…"
Lou Si grew impatient and slapped her hard on the face, coldly saying: "Shut up."
She was not yet satisfied, ready to strike another blow. Xiao Rhen grabbed her wrist angrily and exclaimed: "Lou Si, are you mad? She is pregnant."
Before the words were finished, Chu Xue had drawn his long sword and pointed it at Xiao Rhen. The young man, born as if from a fairy tale, was indifferent and extraordinary, his eyes cold and without compassion, filled with killing intent.
Xiao Rhen looked at the young man pointing the sword at himself, and his eyes cooled down.
Even now, he couldn't understand why the prince of the Liang state, Chu Xue, would stay with his father's killer.
Looking at Xiao Rhen's angry face, Lou Si's lips curled into a bizarre, excited smile. A voice inside her was screaming, "Kill Lou Yao," "Kill Xiao Rhen the unfeeling and ungrateful traitor," "Kill them," "Kill them."
She shook off Xiao Rhen's hand, took the sword from Chu Xue, and held it to his neck. Her face was twisted into a bloodthirsty smile.
"Xiao Rhen, as the eldest princess of Lingjiang, who gave you the audacity to directly address me by name? Or do you think I am unwilling to kill you?"
Upon saying this, Lou Si's lips curled slightly, and with a slight flick of her wrist, Xiao Rhen's neck was instantly cut by a shallow wound, blood flowing down his throat.
Lou Yao froze in place, unable to believe that Lou Si would dare to physically harm someone in front of so many people.
The pain in his neck allowed Xiao Rhen to calm down. He suddenly thought of something and hesitated for a moment before finally kneeling down.
"It was a remark out of line on my part, Your Highness. I humbly beg for your forgiveness."
He had forgotten that Lou Si is not only the Princess of Lingjiang, but also the great benefactor who provided the strategic maps of the Xiliang defense and slayed its emperor, aiding them in capturing Xiliang.
If what happened today with Yao'er's humiliation were to be revealed, it wouldn't just be Xiao Rhen who would face disaster, but Yao'er and the entire Xiao family as well.
Lou Si slightly raised the corners of her lips, picked up Xiao Rhen's chin with the blood-stained sword tip, and looked at his face carefully.
"Xiao Rhen, you were right. I am indeed unwilling to kill you."
After speaking, she retrieved the sword and handed it to Chu Xue, then walked forward and licked the blood on her finger with her tongue. Following that, a twisted, maniacal smile appeared on her face.
"Xiao Rhen, your blood tastes sweet."
Xiao Rhen watched the madness on her face and, in his mind, an image from the fall of the Xiliang Imperial Palace emerged.
Lou Si was wearing a blood-red dress, smiling as she beheaded the emperor of the Xiliang country. The warm blood sprayed onto her face.
Instead of being afraid, she excitedly stuck out her tongue to lick the blood off her lips, still warm from her mouth. She turned to look at him, who was in shock and couldn't speak. Using a voice so gentle it felt like a whisper, she said, "Xiao Rhen, did you come to pick me up?"
Only now did Xiao Rhen understand a truth: the person before him was no longer the innocent, naive girl she once was.
At this moment, a low, pleasing voice came from behind them.
"Royal sister."
Lou Si released her grip and turned to see a young man in a bright yellow dragon robe riding at full gallop towards them, followed by a group of people.
Looking at that face, which was both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time, Lou Si had a momentary daze.
When she came to her senses, she had already dismounted and run up to hug the person tightly in her arms.
"Royal Sister, you're finally back."
Feeling the person in her arms tremble slightly, Lou Si looked up at the azure sky.
Now she realized that the person she was holding was her half-brother, the current emperor of Lingjiang—Liu Zheng.
Liu Zheng held Lou Si for a while before finally suppressing his excitement and said, "Royal sister, I have ordered people to speed up the construction of the royal palace. You can stay in the palace for a while until the royal palace is finished. Then you can move in. If you want to live here forever, it's fine. The place you lived before…"
"A Zheng," Lou Si laughed and cut him off, her eyes lingering on Lou Yao's slightly rounded belly, her smile mysterious: "I'd like to stay at the general's residence for a few days. I'm not sure if you, the princess, and the general would welcome that."
