The sun dipped low in the western sky, casting long shadows over the ancient walls of Chang'an. Once the heart of the flourishing Tang Dynasty, the city now stood as a symbol of faded glory, its splendor tarnished by the weight of corruption. Merchants, nobles, and soldiers bustled through the gates, but one figure moved among them unnoticed, cloaked in the anonymity of a commoner's attire.
Li Yuhua, her face partially hidden beneath a simple veil, stepped onto the cobbled streets, her heart heavy with the memories of a life long lost. It had been ten years since her family had been exiled, ten years since the betrayal that had stolen her father's life and cast her mother and younger brother into a world of obscurity. Yet despite the years, the pain had not dulled; it simmered just beneath her calm exterior, a constant reminder of the oath she had sworn on the night of her father's death.
Her once-noble family had fallen at the hands of Chancellor Fang Wei, a man whose influence in the imperial court was as poisonous as it was pervasive. Under the guise of loyalty to the emperor, Fang Wei had orchestrated her father's downfall, branding him a traitor and seizing the family's wealth and power for himself. The emperor had been too weak to intervene, too blind to see the truth, and the Li family had paid the price.
Now, after years of careful preparation, Li Yuhua had returned. Her aim was not merely survival—it was vengeance.
She walked through the bustling marketplace, her eyes scanning the familiar sights of the city she once called home. The vendors shouted their wares, the smell of roasted chestnuts and steamed buns filled the air, but none of it stirred the joy she had once felt. Chang'an, with all its grandeur, had become a city of shadows to her, a place where every face could hide an enemy.
"Lady, a flower for you?" A voice broke through her reverie.
Li Yuhua turned to see an old woman offering her a single crimson lotus. The flower, once a symbol of beauty and purity, now carried a darker meaning for her. She hesitated before reaching for the bloom, her fingers brushing its delicate petals. The crimson hue reminded her of the blood that had been spilled to uphold lies, of the treachery that had shattered her family.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I have no need for such things."
The woman withdrew, but her gaze lingered on Li Yuhua for a moment longer than was comfortable. As she disappeared into the crowd, Li Yuhua's unease grew. In this city, even the most innocent gesture could be a guise for something more sinister.
Her destination lay ahead—the inner districts of the city, where the powerful mingled and plotted in the opulent halls of the imperial court. She had spent years training herself in the art of survival, learning how to move within the very system that had once destroyed her. Now, disguised as the daughter of a merchant, she would enter the court and play the game of politics and intrigue as well as any nobleman.
But even as she approached the gates that separated the commoners from the elite, a figure stepped into her path.
Xiao Ruichen.
He was taller than most men, his posture rigid and commanding, a scar running across his cheek—a souvenir from battles fought on the empire's frontier. His dark eyes were like steel, cold and unreadable, betraying no emotion as they locked onto her. Clad in the armor of a high-ranking general, he exuded an aura of quiet authority, the kind that made people instinctively lower their gaze in his presence.
Li Yuhua's breath caught in her throat. She had heard of Xiao Ruichen, the feared and respected general who had risen from obscurity to become one of the empire's most powerful military leaders. His reputation was that of a man who had no ties to the intrigues of the court, a soldier loyal only to the empire itself. And yet, here he stood, blocking her path.
"You're far from where you should be," he said, his voice low and measured, though there was no warmth in his tone.
Li Yuhua kept her composure, lowering her gaze in deference. "I am but a humble merchant's daughter, General. I seek entry to the inner district to deliver goods to one of the noble families."
Xiao Ruichen's eyes narrowed, studying her with a scrutiny that made her skin prickle. There was something unsettling about his presence, as though he could see through the layers of her disguise, past the mask of humility she wore.
"A merchant's daughter?" His lips twitched, almost imperceptibly. "Strange, for a merchant's daughter to carry herself like a court noble."
Her heart raced, but she forced herself to remain calm. She could not afford to draw suspicion now, not when she was so close to her goal.
"Times are hard, General," she replied, her voice steady. "Even those of low birth must learn the ways of the court to survive."
For a moment, the silence stretched between them, the noise of the marketplace fading into the background. Then, without another word, Xiao Ruichen stepped aside, allowing her to pass. But as she walked by, she felt his gaze linger on her, as though he were cataloging her every move.
Li Yuhua did not look back, though every instinct screamed at her to do so. She had come too far to falter now. The imperial court lay ahead, a den of vipers where one wrong step could mean her undoing. But she had prepared for this moment for years, and she would not be swayed by the likes of Xiao Ruichen, no matter how formidable he appeared.
Yet, as she crossed the threshold into the world of power and deception, a whisper of doubt crept into her mind. The general was no ordinary man, and his presence was a sign—a warning that the path she had chosen would be far more treacherous than she had ever imagined.
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Thus begins Li Yuhua's journey into the heart of the empire's corruption, where alliances are forged in shadows, and every word, every action could tip the balance between life and death. Unbeknownst to her, her fate and that of the aloof General Xiao Ruichen are more closely intertwined than she could ever have predicted.
End of Chapter 1