Volume One, Chapter One: She Has Returned

"Princess of Great Su? To me, you are nothing but a dog! Come, bark a few times for me to hear."

"A woman who has been toyed with by that old geezer? I find you filthy! Better to hand you over to the others as a plaything!"

...

Ning Yunshu was shoved and jostled by the crowd, yet those nightmarish words continued to echo in her mind.

It was her own father, the Emperor, and her mother, the Consort, who had personally forced her onto the path of political marriage. It was the young general she had once admired who had personally delivered her to the bed of the Xiongnu. Meanwhile, the princess who had been picked up from the streets had replaced her, enjoying every honor and favor in her stead.

"Ugh! You stinking beggar! Are you looking to die?"

"A creature like you, a stinking beggar, dares to look upon the sacred face of the Princess?"

"How disgusting, get away!"

She, along with the rest of the commoners, was held back by the palace guards on either side of the long street. Her matted, grime-covered appearance made people recoil and spew constant insults.

She did not respond; her long, phoenix-like eyes swept over the faces of the crowd with an indecipherable darkness.

A beggar? They actually thought she was a beggar...

If she had not been sent to marry the Xiongnu seven years ago, would they even have this peace and prosperity today?

Their lives had been sustained by her sacrifice, and one day, she would take them back.

At that moment, dark clouds rolled across the sky, and the oppressive weight of an impending storm began to shroud the imperial capital.

Today was the grand day of the Princess Mingzhu’s return to the palace following her rain-prayer ritual. The entire city had emptied, all to catch a glimpse of the Princess’s transcendent beauty.

She cast her gaze toward the approaching carriage. A strange, cold sneer tugged at her emaciated face, and a surging intent to kill hid within her eyes.

The gold-topped carriage passed before her, and the person inside pulled back the curtain, revealing a delicate and beautiful face.

Ning Moxue, adorned with a phoenix crown and dressed in imperial robes, smiled at the commoners. Every gesture was the epitome of grace and nobility.

"Long live Princess Mingzhu!" the people cheered, unable to hide their excitement.

Great Su had suffered from drought for months. If not for this princess personally traveling to the altar to pray for rain, no one knew how much longer the suffering would have lasted.

Thus, the people adored her, calling her the "Ziwei Star" that appeared only once in a millennium for Great Su.

"Hmph..." Ning Yunshu scoffed, watching the carriage pass by, while the person inside did not notice her at all.

She lowered her eyes, watching the carriage pull away, her smile growing colder and her hatred deepening.

Seven years. She had spent seven long years as a slave to the Xiongnu, while Ning Moxue had become the revered Princess Mingzhu!

How laughable. She was the one who was the rightful Princess of Great Su!

Her fingernails dug into her palms, her expression fierce and malevolent. Driven by madness, she shoved through the crowd, broke past the line of guards, and lunged toward the carriage.

The guards were alarmed, and cries of "Protect the Princess!" erupted instantly.

...

At the very front of the procession was the current First Prince, Ning Yu. Riding his horse, he looked up at the coming rain, a smile playing on his lips.

Xue'er was truly the lucky star of Great Su! After months of drought, her prayers had saved the common people from misery.

At that moment, a commotion broke out at the rear of the procession. He pulled on his reins and looked back, a flash of irritation crossing his handsome face.

A cavalryman galloped over: "Report! Your Highness, a beggar is attempting to block the path, and… and she claims to be Princess Changle!"

A flicker of shock crossed Ning Yu's eyes, quickly replaced by a deeper rage. He turned his horse sharply and headed toward the disturbance.

"Imperial Brother?" Inside the carriage, Ning Moxue noticed Ning Yu riding back with a dark expression and called out, but Ning Yu did not hear her.

The procession continued to move forward. Ning Moxue summoned an attendant from outside the carriage to inquire.

Learning that a madwoman had tried to block the carriage and was now under control—and that she kept claiming to be the Princess Changle who had been sent to the Xiongnu seven years ago—Ning Moxue froze. She glanced nervously toward the back, her hands gripping her dress tightly.

When Ning Yu arrived at the back of the procession, he saw the guards pinning down a ragged, insane woman. Her hair was matted and her face caked in filth, making it impossible to see her features, but her body was as thin as a board. No matter how the guards pressed down on her head, she refused to kneel, until a guard kicked the back of her knees, forcing her to the ground with a thud.

"I am Princess Changle! How dare you treat me this way!"

Ning Yunshu struggled, unaware of who had arrived. She only felt the guards' strength was unnaturally great, nearly snapping her arms, and her knees, which had slammed into the ground, were now raw and burning with pain.

"Your Highness!" The guards, seeing that they had disturbed Ning Yu, became even more vigilant.

Ning Yu! Her own brother.

Ning Yunshu lifted her eyes at the sound, peering through her tangled hair. The man on the tall horse overlapped with the memory of her brother, though his features were now sharper, his appearance more handsome, and his disdainful gaze filled with the arrogance of royalty.

"Imperial Brother..." Ning Yunshu whispered, her voice trembling and hoarse.

Ning Yu dismounted and strode toward her, his face dark, his eyes fixed on her. He gave a slight wave.

Seeing this, the guards released Ning Yunshu.

She struggled to stand, limping toward Ning Yu.

She had risked her life to stop the procession just to prove her identity. On her long journey back from the Xiongnu, not a single person had believed she was the Princess of Great Su...

She was about to speak, but without warning, a furious, precise kick struck her abdomen.

In an instant, she was sent flying several yards away. Her internal organs felt as though they were shattering, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

"What kind of wretch are you to dare impersonate the Princess!" Ning Yu roared.

The most noble princess of Great Su would never look like this beggar!

Ning Yunshu braced herself on the ground with one hand. Having not eaten for half a month, she was already weak; after this kick, she could not even speak.

How could he, like everyone else, refuse to believe her?

He was her own brother—the brother who had once shielded her, the one who had sworn that even if she told a lie, he would believe her unconditionally...

Everything changed after Ning Moxue appeared.

Back then, in the Imperial Study, she had told him that it was Ning Moxue who had drawn the lot for the political marriage. He had insisted that she was lying to escape the duty, believing her to be selfish and attempting to make the innocent Ning Moxue suffer in her place.

No matter how she explained, he refused to believe her, refusing even to listen until she was finally placed in the bridal sedan chair. His only farewell had been two cold words: "Take care."

Sixteen years of sibling bonds had been reduced to a mere "take care."

Ning Yunshu lost her strength and collapsed into the dust, crawling toward Ning Yu with desperate unwillingness.

The moment she left Great Su seven years ago, she had already lost her brother. She only knew that she had suffered seven years of humiliation in the Xiongnu lands, barely clinging to life, and had survived death itself to return—not to be kicked to death by him on the street.

"Your Highness, this is..." the guard asked, looking at Ning Yu.

"Great Su has only one princess, the Princess Mingzhu who prayed for rain for the people today! This person is impersonating royalty, a crime of grave disrespect. Beat her to death here to serve as a warning to others!"

Ning Yu stood with his hands behind his back, speaking coldly, his gaze toward Ning Yunshu as if he were looking at an ant.

"Yes!"

The guards moved forward, and Ning Yunshu lost count of the blows that landed on her body.

Dull thunder rolled in, followed by a torrential downpour.

She curled her body, enduring the guards' assault. Her vision blurred in the heavy rain; she saw an attendant holding an umbrella for Ning Yu. He stood there, looking down at her with such intense disgust.

Seven years ago, he had looked at her with that same expression. If only he had been willing to listen to her explanation back then, perhaps she would not have fallen to this state today...

She clung to the last shred of her sanity, shielding her head with her hands.

She could not die here! The one who deserved to die was someone else!

As her consciousness began to fade, she heard the sound of cavalry approaching with a rushing wind.

"Stop!"

When the crowd saw who had arrived in the rain, they quickly froze: "Great General!"

Shen Yan sat on his horse, letting the rain wash over him. His eyes were dark and unreadable, fixed on the person curled into a ball in the pool of blood.

"Is she the one claiming to be Princess Changle?" he asked, his voice deep.

To Ning Yunshu’s ears, it sounded just as pleasant as it had years ago.

She laughed, her body trembling. She laughed because she and Shen Yan had been childhood sweethearts for over a decade; there were things only he knew. By risking her life to stop the procession today, she had gambled correctly.

Ning Yu looked at the man on the horse and sneered: "Shen Yan, you believe such a clumsy lie?!"

Shen Yan did not answer. The heavy rain blurred his handsome face, which was stained with a murderous aura, and it also obscured his emotions.

He stared at the person on the ground for a long time, then spoke coldly: "Lift your head."

Ning Yunshu spat out more blood, feeling the world spinning, her head buzzing.

She struggled to lift her head, inch by inch.

Although her tangled hair covered half her face, the rain had already washed away the filth, revealing her true features.

Seven years—is that enough time to change someone?

Clearly, both Shen Yan and Ning Yu were stunned beyond words when they saw her face.

It was her. She had returned.