Chapter 1: The Debonair Young Man

Page 1 of 3

“Today, the realm is divided among three great powers, while all the smaller states exist as their vassals. Yet who can say that what has long been divided will not one day be united, or that what has long been united will not one day fall apart? The Three Kingdoms have stood opposed for several hundred years. Now that unrest has arisen, I fear the people of every nation have already sensed it, if only faintly. A few months ago, the Tiansheng Kingdom sent its armies to destroy the Bilu Kingdom, shattering the balance among the three powers. Now only Tiansheng and Xiqin remain standing against each other. If my judgment is correct, within ten years this continent will surely be united under a single rule.”

After Luo Yunyao finished speaking, she calmly lifted the cup of tea before her and drank beneath the admiring, astonished gazes of those around her.

Using the gesture to conceal the light flickering in her eyes, she hid the memories stabbing at her heart: Tiansheng’s armies sweeping into Bilu, the soldiers of a foreign land marching unhindered into the Bilu imperial palace. Those scenes were etched into her soul, unforgettable for all eternity. The hatred between nations and the vengeance owed to her family—how could a fallen princess of Bilu ever forget?

When the teacup touched the table, Luo Yunyao’s face had once again settled into a serene, carefree smile. With modest courtesy, she said, “These are merely shallow observations of mine. Compared with gentlemen who have read so extensively and studied the affairs of state so deeply, my knowledge is insignificant. I have presumed to display my meager understanding before you all. I hope you will forgive me.”

“Brother Luo, you are far too modest,” said the scholar seated nearest to her, hastily joining the conversation. Glancing at the others, who were equally stunned by the young man’s words, he smiled and continued, “Though we may have read many books, our knowledge of the world cannot compare with that of someone who has traveled far and wide. The phrase ‘deep understanding’ is hardly something we can claim.”

The scholars around them nodded in agreement. Every one of them admired the bearing and learning of this elegant young man of seventeen or eighteen.

Luo Yunyao accepted their lavish praise in silence and without changing expression. Then she continued chatting with them. “Though the Tiansheng Kingdom is vast and its strength cannot be underestimated, Xiqin is by no means inferior. What is more, Xiqin is guarded by the famed General Qin Jinghao, the divine commander said to have won a thousand battles without a single defeat. Compared with Tiansheng, Xiqin is no weaker—in some respects, it may even surpass it.”

To hear their own country praised by someone so well-traveled and knowledgeable, the scholars could hardly conceal their pride. Besides, with the reputedly undefeated General Qin Jinghao guarding the nation, what had they, a mere small state like Tiansheng, to fear? At once, they felt even more warmly toward Luo Yunyao.

Having achieved her purpose, Luo Yunyao smiled lightly and guided the conversation onto another subject. By extending this bridge of “broad experience,” she had made things much easier for herself. If she wished to enter Xiqin’s political heartland in the future, she would need the wholehearted support of these scholars. In the turbulent and faction-ridden court, securing a place for herself would be impossible without them.

She smiled faintly. What she had said was indeed true, but while speaking with these scholars, she had necessarily concealed certain vital facts. Tiansheng might appear powerful, but internal strife at court had already unsettled its borders. Sooner or later, the kingdom would tear itself apart. Xiqin, by contrast, also had forces of unrest, yet the disturbances there were far less severe.

There was another reason she had chosen Xiqin: she wished to meet the famed general said to have won a thousand battles without defeat.

At that moment, while conversation flowed merrily around Luo Yunyao’s table, the expressions of two men seated in a nearby corner shifted slightly.

Holding a wine cup, Cang Shu watched his friend with a faint smile in the corner of his eyes and teased, “I never imagined your reputation as the undefeated general would have spread so far! Excellent, excellent. You needn’t worry about remaining ‘unwed’ in the future.”

He deliberately stressed the word “wed.” Seeing his friend’s expression change ever so slightly, Cang Shu was delighted. Aside from his glorious reputation as a general who had never lost a battle, Qin Jinghao was also the subject of a rumor that he had no interest in women and favored men.

Thinking of this, Cang Shu instinctively shifted his revered backside an inch farther away from the other man.

After more than a decade of friendship, Qin Jinghao knew perfectly well what Cang Shu was thinking. With a restrained smile, he drained his cup, set it down, and poured himself another. A tranquil expression gradually spread across his face. His lips curved faintly as his gaze drifted, seemingly without intent, toward the white-robed youth amid the crowd some distance away.

“Why not let me find a husband for you first? I seem to recall that the daughter of the Minister of Revenue fell in love with you at first sight…”

Page 2 of 3

His voice trailed off. The smile on Cang Shu’s face froze successfully. The Minister of Revenue’s daughter had seen him once by chance at a banquet and thereafter declared that she would marry no one but him. In the end, the entire capital had learned of the affair. Rumors even claimed that he had taken liberties with her. After that, gossip had spread in every direction.

He had been thoroughly frightened by the young woman’s methods and could not summon the slightest interest in her.

After glaring fiercely at his friend, Cang Shu realized that Qin Jinghao’s gaze had not been directed at him at all. Following that line of sight, he found the frail scholar whose conversation had earlier been so remarkable.

“From what he said just now, I’d say his knowledge is far from shallow. Shall we go and make his acquaintance?”

“What do you think?” Qin Jinghao’s gaze shifted slightly as he studied the youth.

The young man in white was slender and delicate, with an air of tranquil refinement about him. Yet an odd radiance seemed to surround his face, drawing people to observe his every movement without realizing it.

Qin Jinghao gave a soft laugh. Had he not been sitting there earlier, it would have been difficult to imagine that such insightful words had come from the mouth of so frail a youth.

He had always enjoyed befriending people of grace and learning. Now that he had encountered someone who possessed both, he naturally felt inclined to make his acquaintance. In this respect, his friend understood his temperament all too well.

After waiting a while, they saw that many of the scholars surrounding the young man in white had dispersed. Judging that the time was right, Qin Jinghao took up his wine cup and rose, intending to walk over.

But Cang Shu moved faster. He too picked up his cup and headed in that direction, casting Qin Jinghao a smug, provocative glance.

Qin Jinghao merely smiled. Faced with his friend’s behavior, he could only feel helpless.

Luo Yunyao was listening to a scholar discuss his interpretation of a particular poem when, from the corner of her eye, she noticed two men of extraordinary bearing approaching. Unlike the scholars beside her, their clothing exuded a subtle air of nobility. They were likely sons of powerful officials or aristocrats. Naturally, she had every intention of forming a good relationship with them.

Cang Shu had no idea what was going through Luo Yunyao’s mind. He was solely focused on becoming acquainted with the young man before his friend did. Thus, before Qin Jinghao could say a word, he began speaking.

“I could not help noticing your remarkable conversation just now. I imagine you have traveled extensively. My friend and I both enjoy wandering the world. Might we have the honor of becoming acquainted? We hope you will look kindly upon us in the future.”

He gestured toward Qin Jinghao, then raised his cup and offered Luo Yunyao a symbolic toast. The meaning was clear: their friendship was settled.

Luo Yunyao paused, then followed his gaze toward the man behind him.

He was a young man in blue, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years of age. A naturally serene and peaceful air surrounded him. His long hair fell loosely down his back, gathered only by a simple blue-green ribbon. The arrangement revealed a handsome face with sharply defined features softened by an innate modesty and ease. His eyes were clear, his appearance refined, yet he possessed none of the aloof otherworldliness that placed a man beyond reach.

Luo Yunyao had never seen anyone so beautiful. For a moment, she could not help staring.

It was only when Cang Shu gave a light cough that she returned to herself. She felt mortified. She was dressed as a man—how could she have stared at another man for so long? Would that not make people suspect her of having some peculiar preference?

Her cheeks flushing, Luo Yunyao hurriedly apologized. “I beg your pardon. You are simply so handsome that I was momentarily distracted.”

“It is nothing.”

With such a face, Qin Jinghao was accustomed to being watched wherever he went. Still, this was the first time a man had stared at him for so long, and he could not help feeling faintly awkward. He soon dissolved the embarrassment with a quiet laugh, studying the youth before him without making it obvious as he casually changed the subject.

“May I ask your name?”

Page 3 of 3

“My surname is Luo, and my given name is Yao. And how should I address you both?”

Having only just arrived in Xiqin, the name of the Princess of Bilu was naturally unusable. She had prepared for this long ago. She would call herself Luo Yao and disguise herself as a man, which would spare her considerable trouble on the road and make it far easier to pursue an official career in Xiqin.

“My name is Cang Mu, and this is my friend, Qin Hao.”

Having been ignored by the two of them, Cang Shu hurriedly moved closer to Luo Yunyao to speak. When mentioning Qin Jinghao’s name, he deliberately glanced at his new friend, urging her to take a look at him. Then, from an angle Luo Yunyao could not see, he lifted his chin slightly toward Qin Jinghao.

Qin Jinghao did not respond in the slightest to his friend’s show of superiority. Instead, he looked at the scholars gradually departing from around Luo Yunyao and asked softly, “Are you traveling alone, Brother Luo?”

Luo Yunyao nodded.

“Then why not join us at our table? I’ll pay for all the tea and wine today. Consider it a celebration of gaining a friend such as you.”

Cang Shu’s generous and reasonable offer left Luo Yunyao unable to refuse. She could only agree to sit with them.

As their gazes met, she glanced toward Qin Jinghao. He returned her a gentle smile and silently extended a hand in invitation.

Luo Yunyao did not delay. She walked ahead of him, seemingly able to sense a faint, fragrant scent clinging to him, like the clean perfume of mountain forests. In an instant, she felt the restless thoughts of the entire day inexplicably grow still.

The three of them took their seats in the corner and began chatting casually. Luo Yunyao was courteous without being obsequious, graceful in both advance and retreat, and so poised in conversation that both men developed a favorable impression of her.

Yet later, a seemingly casual question from Qin Jinghao disrupted the congenial atmosphere.

“From the way you carry yourself, Brother Luo, you do not seem to be from Xiqin.”

At these words, Luo Yunyao’s expression froze.

Though she had offered many opinions during their conversation, she had never revealed which state she belonged to. They had known one another for less than the time it took to burn a single incense stick, yet these two men had already begun to suspect her.

They were evidently not merely the sons of powerful officials.

During that brief moment of stunned silence, an awkwardness settled between them. Seeing this, Cang Shu quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

“How do you know Brother Luo isn’t from Xiqin?”

“Brother Luo, you needn’t take it too much to heart.”

The faintly bewildered look on Luo Yunyao’s face did not escape Qin Jinghao’s notice. He gave a subtle smile and glanced at Cang Shu with unhurried composure.