Chapter 1, Chapter One: "After the master has matched our birth dates and times, the marriage will take place..."

Ji Chengnin, the young master of the Yongning Marquis's mansion, is a notorious playboy in the entire capital of Luoyang.

The young marquis lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle Ji Lin from the age of three. He was so spoiled that he could not lift a finger or carry a heavy load.

Ji Chengning remembered that the Third Prince Zhou Yan had mocked him last autumn during the hunt, saying that he couldn't even draw a bow weighing five stones. "It's a pity that the Marquis of Yongning is so brave, while the young marquis is so weak. It must be because Lord Ji cherishes and pampers him and can't bear to see the young marquis suffer."

Although Ji Chengnin thought Zhou Yan's words were nonsense at the time, it didn't stop him from regretting neglecting his martial arts training.

Because a sword was held to his neck.

Ji Chengning's thin eyelids drooped, and what caught his eye was a simple, unadorned sword. The blade gleamed coldly, and its sharp edge exuded a chilling killing intent. It was half an inch away from the side of his neck, piercing his skin with a cold, painful sensation.

Ji Chengnin swallowed hard and said dryly, "This strong man..."

He hadn't finished saying the word "hero" when he suddenly stopped.

Because the assassin in front of him clearly had nothing to do with the word "strong".

The assassin was too tall and slender, with a serene and aloof demeanor. His willow-leaf eyes were long and graceful, tapering at the corners, and his pupils were a lighter shade than the average person's, with a chilling blue hue.

He had a dark red mole on the inner corner of his eye, but instead of dispelling the chill emanating from him, it added to his menacing aura.

Ji Chengnin bit his tongue, then realized his reason had returned, and he added with difficulty, "Let's talk this out."

The assassin seemed to have thought of something, and his wrist suddenly paused, actually stopping his sword.

Seeing that things were turning around, the young marquis hurriedly said, "I am the heir of the Marquis of Yongning. My father is the most favored general of His Majesty, my aunt is a Noble Consort, and my second uncle is the Minister of Justice. His Majesty's grace is boundless, and the rewards bestowed upon my family could last for several lifetimes."

Upon hearing this, the man's thin lips curved slightly, and his expression was surprisingly gentle.

His gentle, calm expression contrasted sharply with the cold glint of the sword in his hand, creating a jarring incongruity that sent chills down Ji Chengnin's spine.

“Brave warrior, I know you followed me at night with weapons because you were afraid that thieves might hurt me. If you take me back to my mansion, I will reward you with not only ten thousand taels of gold, but also promotions and a meteoric rise in rank.”

The spoiled brat blatantly lured her with benefits, but his words concealed a threat.

The assassin laughed.

His smile was even more gentle, like a spring rain washing over his face, utterly tender.

However, the sword pressed against Ji Chengnin's neck did not move an inch.

With a cold glint in his eyes, Ji Chengning suddenly remembered that if the Duke of Pingguo's heir hadn't dragged him out for drinks today, he would already be resting peacefully under the hibiscus quilt. Why had he suffered this calamity?

The young man was overcome with sadness, feeling both fear and cold, and his eyes even welled up with tears.

"Your father..."

The assassin finally spoke.

The assassin's voice was clear and melodious, but Ji Chengnin seemed to be chilled and couldn't help but tremble.

The assassin disliked his cowardly appearance. She smiled and lowered her beautiful eyes to meet Ji Chengnin's timid gaze.

He asked softly, "Didn't you die long ago?"

His lie was exposed, and Ji Chengnin's lips trembled uncontrollably. "I..."

The assassin watched him with a calm and collected expression.

But in the next moment, the limp young man on the ground suddenly sprang up, ignoring the sword at his neck, and with a flash of fire from his sleeve, shot straight toward the man's heart!

"Bang--"

The sweet aroma of gunpowder exploded out!

Regardless of whether he hit or not, Ji Chengnin struggled to his feet and ran, leaving behind five resounding words—

"Your father is the one who's dead!"

Caught off guard, the assassin suddenly dodged.

Flames carrying lead beads shot out suddenly, just grazing his shoulder.

The lead pellets were quite powerful, slicing off a small piece of skin from his shoulder, causing him excruciating pain.

Ji Chengning staggered and ran north.

The assassin, however, was not angry. He smiled slightly, raised his sword, and silently followed him.

Ji Chengning felt a surge of bloody taste in his throat.

"Thump, thump, thump—"

The sound of footsteps clung to him relentlessly, neither hurried nor slow, like a shadow following him.

The assassin could have easily caught up and killed him instantly, but whether out of fear of Ji Chengnin's firearms or the pleasure of driving someone to despair, he kept a distance of about two zhang from Ji Chengnin.

Go ahead and chase him, you scoundrel!

Ji Chengning cursed inwardly.

This road is Zhuque Avenue, and further ahead is the Northern Forbidden City, the residence of the Emperor. There are more military guards patrolling outside than the young marquis has a sachet on his waist. If he really runs into the Imperial Guards, this scoundrel will definitely be chopped into eighty-eight pieces!

Seeing that the eaves of Chongyang Tower inside the Northern Forbidden City were now clearly visible, Ji Chengnin's face lit up with joy, and he shouted, "Help..."

"Whoosh—"

A cold light flashed suddenly, piercing straight into the hem of Ji Chengnin's robe!

A powerful force struck from behind, catching him off guard. He stumbled and fell heavily to the ground.

The sword had penetrated an inch into the blue brick. Ji Chengnin couldn't break free or pull it away. He turned his head with difficulty and choked out, "Hero, spare my life!"

He gripped the firearm tightly. In the face of life and death, Ji Chengning found himself in despairingly cursing the Ministry of Works for making such a piece of junk. The accuracy was worse than his slingshot for shooting birds. How dare they call this piece of rubbish "Imperial Made"?

The assassin slowly walked towards him.

The desperate young man stared wide-eyed at the assassin, his eyelashes glistening with tears, like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

However, Ji Chengnin begged for mercy while still holding onto his musket.

The assassin walked up to him and looked down at him.

A dark cloud descended, enveloping him.

Ji Chengnin was breathing heavily.

His breath trembled, almost escaping with a sob, "You, you mustn't come any closer!"

The assassin was too close to him.

That gloomy, fishy-sweet smell relentlessly eroded his breath.

The stench of blood was so strong that Ji Chengning felt as if he were staring at a murder weapon that had just killed someone and was saturated with blood.

And the next victim of his blade was himself.

Ji Chengnin gritted his teeth and tightened his grip, but before he could fire the gun.

"boom!"

The firelight illuminated the sky in an instant.

Ji Chengnin's eyes narrowed sharply.

He suddenly turned his head.

Not far away, flames soared into the sky from the Northern Forbidden City.

Something's happened in the palace?!

How is Auntie... A wave of heat surged in, and Ji Chengning, disregarding everything else, struggled desperately to get forward, using both hands and feet.

The sharp blade, which was three inches deep in the ground, wobbled and creaked due to his movements.

Immediately, something cold and hard gripped his neck.

Yes, Ji Chengning trembled violently at the assassin's fingers.

His Adam's apple bobbed rapidly, and the owner of the hand seemed to sense his fear, gently rubbing his throat.

Generally speaking, it was meant to appease.

The assassin's movements were incredibly precise; his fingertips lightly traced across the skin, methodical and deliberate, sending a chill down Ji Chengnin's spine and making him tremble.

Then, the hand gripped Ji Chengning's chin and lifted it sharply upwards.

The firelight illuminated Ji Chengnin's face.

"Is it beautiful?" the assassin asked tenderly.

The boy trembled violently when he suddenly heard him speak.

From the assassin's perspective, the young dandy was terrified; his pupils constricted sharply, almost becoming thin lines.

The assassin lowered his head, his gaze intently observing Ji Chengnin's expression.

In the blink of an eye, a sudden change occurred!

The boy, who had been terrified and slumped to the ground, suddenly turned fierce and raised his hand to fire a shot.

"Bang!"

The intense heat surged forth and landed on Ji Chengnin's face.

Ji Chengning suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the heat source with lingering fear.

Yes, it is Wang Shu, the personal maid of the Imperial Concubine.

"I'm in the palace," he thought blankly, "So I'm in the palace."

Ji Chengning had just woken up from a nightmare and still felt as if his soul had left his body.

Wang Shu was familiar with Ji Chengnin and knew that although this young marquis had a bad temper, he was not one to fuss over trifles. While wiping his face, she smiled and said, "What nightmare did you have, young master? You're all sweating from fright."

"Give it to me, sister." Ji Chengning took the face towel and pressed it to his eyes.

He suppressed his unease and answered haphazardly, "I dreamt that I married a sea-patrolling demon. When I lifted her veil, I saw that she had a mouthful of fangs and was about to swallow me whole."

Wang Shu covered her mouth and smiled, "Dreams are always the opposite of reality. With a character like the young master, the lady of the marquis must be a beautiful and virtuous woman. I just wonder where she is now."

Yes, how can a dream be real?

Ji Chengnin calmed down a bit and smiled at her, "Thank you for your kind words, sister, but..."

He deliberately remained silent, but a young palace maid beside him couldn't wait any longer and asked in a clear voice, "But what? Young Marquis, please tell me quickly."

“However,” Ji Chengning removed his face towel, lowered his head slightly, glanced at the water in the basin, its reflection rippling, his dark eyes sparkling, “the beauty may be right before my eyes.”

Before Wang Shu could react, the palace maids were already laughing together.

Her cheeks flushed red. "Your Highness!"

Ji Chengning casually tossed the face towel into the gold-carved lotus basin, splashing a ripple.

He nodded slightly and smiled, "Why are you angry, sister, when I'm talking about myself?"

Wang Shu turned away and ignored him.

Where is the Empress?

Wang Shu immediately suppressed her anger and said seriously, "Her Majesty saw that you were asleep and said that you usually study and practice martial arts hard, so she couldn't bear to wake you. She ordered us to take the young marquis to the warm pavilion to rest."

The carved windows of the warm chamber were half-open, and the setting sun cast a blood-red hue.

The brilliant sunlight focused on the glazed tiles of Chongyang Tower, like a blazing fire.

Ji Chengning felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

He shook his groggy head. "It's getting late. I'll go and say goodbye to Her Majesty."

Wang Shu quickly stopped her, "Her Majesty just took a calming soup and specifically instructed the young master not to go and pay his respects. He can go by himself."

Ji Chengnin frowned slightly. "Your Majesty used the calming soup again?"

"Your Highness, the Empress said that the prescription you found is much better than the one prescribed by the imperial physicians. After using it, the Empress felt calm and her headache was gone."

"Every medicine has its side effects," Ji Chengnin muttered. "Even the best medicine should be taken in moderation."

He went to great lengths to find this prescription in order to cure the Consort's chronic headaches, but the Consort still treated the medicine like water to relieve the pain, just like before.

Wang Shu hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty only uses it once a month or so now."

Upon hearing this, Ji Chengning's expression softened slightly. He stood up and let the palace maid tie the jade pendant and sachet he had just taken off back on.

The ornaments jingled and tinkled with the movements of their owner.

Wang Shu curtsied and greeted him, saying, "This servant will escort the young master."

...

The young man knew no sorrow. Ji Chengning leaned against the soft pillows inside the carriage, a delicate fragrance wafting over him as the carriage swayed gently.

The carefree young marquis tapped his knees while humming a horse-riding tune like the foreigners in the tavern. By the time he reached the gate of the marquis's mansion, he had already put the nightmare behind him.

Ji Chengning lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down nimbly.

The servants who had been waiting outside rushed forward to greet him, some carrying the things the young master had just bought, others offering words of comfort and concern.

The two personal servants, Huai De and Chi Zheng, watched Ji Cheng Ning's expression and bumped into each other, shoving each other to get the other to come forward.

Ji Chengnin casually took off his cloak and tossed it into Huai De's arms. Seeing Huai De winking at Chi Zheng, he walked inside and casually asked, "What's wrong?"

Huai De swallowed hard and said awkwardly, "Young Master, a young lady has arrived at the manor."

For various reasons, the Yongning Marquis's family did not split up back then. Instead, they bought nearby residences, combined them into one house, and occupied the entire Zhenrui Street. Every day, relatives from each branch of the family would visit each other, and countless subordinates and colleagues would come and go on official business.

The young marquis glanced at him.

Huai De boldly said, "Everyone in the manor says that Second Master wants to arrange a marriage between you and this young lady. He wants to bring this young lady here to stay first, and after a master has matched your birth dates, the marriage will be settled."

Whom should the marriage proposal be made?

Give me? !

Ji Chengnin was struck dumb and turned around abruptly.

A note from the author:

----------------------

Hehehe, I've started writing this, thanks to my wife for her support.

Currently completed historical romance novels include: *I Really Want to Be a Wise Ruler*, *After Teasing a High-Ranking Official, He Took It Seriously*, *Stealing the Jade*, *Swift Action*, *A Billion Steps Away from My Imperial Tomb*, and *Serving the Cicada*.

Completed contemporary BL and fantasy BL novels include: "I Kissed the Movie Emperor to Extend My Life" and "The Marshal Got Pregnant After Marrying Professor O".

[Kiss][Kiss][Kiss][Kiss]