22. Resistance

Perhaps it was because she had just recovered from her illness, and His Majesty's tacit approval had already proved his favoritism towards Yun Zhihe. She had been in the limelight before, and many people came to toast her.

Yun Zhihe was not much of a drinker, so she smiled and declined, politely refusing the wine glass that was handed to her. Men and women sat at different tables, so she somewhat awkwardly avoided the burning gazes of the gentlemen at the men's table.

She was considered a prominent figure in the capital, and such an even more intense gaze made her feel a little uncomfortable.

At this time Xuanyuan Ying spoke.

He first praised Lou Zhi, which aroused the interest of the banquet even though some people were disdainful in their hearts.

Xuanyuan Ying had no expression on his face, and arrogantly turned his gaze towards the prince's seat.

His eyes darkened.

The eldest prince met his gaze and smiled, gently and politely, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

He stepped forward, bowed gracefully, and said in a clear voice, "Father, I have been guarding the pass with General Lou for many years. I met a woman who is extremely intelligent and has offered many strategies for guarding the pass."

"...General Lou and I have both seen this lady's intelligence."

Qin Duan calmly shifted his gaze to Lou Zhi. Lou Zhi frowned, but saluted and said, "Yes."

"I met her at the border, and I couldn't bear to see her abilities go to waste, so I brought her back to the capital."

Xuanyuan Ying responded lightly, "Then summon him up."

This is the recommendation.

The others looked thoughtful. There was something ambiguous about the eldest prince, who had not returned for many years and had missed the marriageable age, introducing an unknown lady to them.

Xuanyuan Ying looked at the girl who walked onto the stage. The girl was dressed in black and had a pretty face. She bowed her head in greeting.

"What?"

"I call you Yuanzi Luo."

The voice is clear and calm, neither humble nor arrogant.

He took one look and turned away without interest, turning his gaze to Qin Duan and speaking in a calm voice.

"Then give him the post of military commander of Zuocang Caoshen."

Qin Duan thanked the girl, he smiled, his eyes like moon mist curved, his smile became even wider.

Here's the deal.

Xuanyuan Ying allowed Qin Duan to come and take Yun Zhihe away that day, which meant he agreed to this.

It's just an eighth-rank guard position, he can afford it.

However, Yun Zhihe was slightly stunned, looking at Yuanzi Luo who was following the eldest prince.

Yuanzi Luo is about the same age as her, and is calm, which is rare among his peers. He rarely talks to others at the party.

Qin Duan was as bright as the moon, and his white fur coat made him look handsome and elegant, like an immortal in a painting, or a piece of clear and warm jade.

He smiled at the girl just now.

She felt a little disappointed, lowered her eyes and lost interest in enjoying the banquet.

Perhaps the brother who loves his children very much is a little unhappy that he has other sisters to dote on.

She and her brother hadn't seen each other for many years, so they must have become estranged.

She can still remember the warmth of her brother holding her in his arms, laughing softly in her ear with a trembling smile at the end, and then telling her stories to comfort her.

There was a soft mist in her eyes like an immortal, and she said something like, "It's okay, I have my brother to accompany you."

Holding her, he whispered softly.

"My brother is also... lonely."

"...You must always stay with your brother."

Yun Zhihe's parents are both dead, and she is both ignorant and mature. The third prince is attached to her, and she is attached to the eldest prince.

She paused, quickly adjusted her mentality, and became calm and composed again. She chuckled softly, feeling a little nostalgic.

After all, we haven’t seen each other for many years, and we can’t be like we were when we were kids.

After this little incident, the banquet resumed slowly.

Yun Zhihe drank some wine and felt a little dizzy. She was not good at drinking, so she declined other people's respect, but she couldn't refuse the wine that was handed to her. Her expression was a little stiff, but she gritted her teeth and drank it in one gulp.

Her fair face turned red and she quietly slipped out to take a walk in the imperial garden.

The cold night wind made her head hurt and her stomach churn. She frowned and felt her steps were a little out of control.

The wine you just drank has not been digested yet, and you will feel even more drunk in a while.

She felt a little cold, but she kept walking, trying to sober up.

As soon as she stepped into the Imperial Garden, she heard a sharp accusation, which scared her so much that she sobered up a little.

"Lou Zhi! You are so shameless!"

She regained some consciousness and leaned over to take a look. She saw a man pointing at Lou Zhi, shaking with anger.

"How dare you come back? My Xiao family, if it weren't for you, how could our Xiao family have fallen to this point!"

Xiao Shiyilang was so angry that his lips trembled and he spoke with gritted teeth.

Lou Zhi was silent for a while, without answering. He just looked at him quietly without saying a word, as if he tacitly agreed to his accusation.

"If you hadn't killed my third sister, the Xiao family would still be a powerful clan! How dare you return to the capital! You have no shame!"

"Give me back my third sister's life!"

He yelled and angrily wanted to beat Lou Zhi.

Lou Zhi seemed to be accepting it submissively, just lowering his head and letting the cute young man beat him.

By the way... Lou Zhi was previously married to Madam Xiao San.

The Xiao family was a family of military generals and had held military power for many years. However, among that generation, only Miss Xiao San was useful. After she was killed by Lou Zhi, no one from that generation could serve as an official in the court. Without military power, the family fell into decline.

This Xiao Shiyilang is the younger brother of Xiao Sanniang.

Yun Zhihe sorted out the relationship and frowned slightly.

She watched Xiao Shiyilang grabbing Lou Zhi and beating him to vent his anger, paused, and then rushed forward.

"stop!"

She was a woman, so naturally she was stronger than the young man, and she directly grabbed Xiao Shiyilang's wrist.

Xiao Shiyi was stunned for a moment. He stared at Yun Zhihe in front of him, tears streaming down his face. "Yun, Madam Yun."

He was crying like a man who had been beaten, sobbing, "Madam Yun, wuwuwu, he, he...that bitch...he..."

Yun Zhihe frowned. She didn't like the word "bitch".

Under Lou Zhi's stunned gaze, she spoke, "Mr. Xiao, perhaps you have some personal grudge against General Lou, but he is a first-rank official appointed by the emperor himself. This is the imperial palace, how can you assault him casually?"

"If you are dissatisfied, you can file a complaint with the emperor!"

Yun Zhihe was a little angry, his eyes were cold, and his voice was hoarse from being drunk.

Xiao Shiyilang looked somewhat incredulous. He was unmarried, so naturally he admired Yun Zhihe like other young men in the capital, and cried with a choked voice.

"Mrs. Yun, Madam Yun, how can you protect this, this bitch? Wuwu, he killed my sister... He is shameless... Wuwuwu..."

Lou Zhi paused, then took Yun Zhihe's hand. His fingertips were covered with rough calluses, rubbing the back of Yun Zhihe's hand red. He said, "Thank you, but..."

He saw that his fingers had rubbed the back of Yun Zhihe's hand red, and he suddenly withdrew his hand, quickly lowered his eyes, looked at the calluses on his fingertips, closed his eyes with difficulty, and spoke softly.

“…Let him go.”

Yun Zhihe paused, sighed lightly, and let go of Xiao Shiyilang's wrist.

Xiao Shiyilang was still crying. He tried to defend himself, "Wuwu, Madam Yun, he, he killed my elder sister... How could he have the nerve... to come back..."

"Wuwuwu... Killing someone means paying with your life... Bitch... Bitch..."

Yun Zhihe frowned even more tightly.

I didn't want to argue with the man, but I couldn't help myself and interrupted him coldly, "Mr. Xiao, don't you know what your sister did?"

Xiao Shiyilang paused and started to defend himself, "I just hit him a few times!"

"You still know?" She snorted coldly, "Although killing someone means paying with one's life, the laws of the Ling Dynasty stipulate that if a woman who commits severe domestic violence is killed by her husband, the husband does not have to be sentenced to death, but exile instead."

"A woman who hits a man is despicable!"

"General Lou has already been sentenced to exile."

"But he has made meritorious service in the army, and his merits have offset his faults, so Your Majesty has spared him the suffering of exile. If you are dissatisfied, you can complain to Your Majesty!"

"Yun, Madam Yun..."

Xiao Shiyilang paused, tears streaming down his face again.

She couldn't bear to see a man cry, so she frowned and advised, "I know you're upset, and I understand how you feel, but your sister did something wrong."

"Your sister is gone. You should move on... don't dwell on General Lou."

"He's a victim too."

Xiao Shiyilang wiped his tears, ignored what Yun Zhihe said, glared at Lou Zhi fiercely, and ran away.

Yun Zhihe watched his running back disappear, then turned and looked at the stunned Lou Zhi.

Lou Zhi pursed his lips and said, "Thank you... Madam Yun."

He lingered on his lips and tongue for a long time before saying "Madam Yun" in a low voice.

He lowered his eyes to look at the back of her hand that was rubbed red by him, his fingers clenched for a moment, then loosened, and he lowered his head.

The girl in front of him seemed to be something... the most outstanding woman in the capital. Today's banquet was specially prepared by the emperor for his marriage. Everyone knew it, so whenever his eyes fell on Yun Zhihe, many young men would look at him with hostility.

He was very sensitive to hostility, and after a few times he became aware of the unique hostility of those young masters.

Yun Zhihe nodded, and the two were silent for a moment. She raised her eyes and looked at Lou Zhi, "General Lou, I..."

"I've heard about the general's deeds..."

Lou Zhi paused, feeling inexplicably panicked, and took a few steps back, as if he was afraid of hearing her accusations.

He should also get used to it... He closed his eyes, his lips trembling slightly, preparing to hear what was coming next.

“…You did a great job.”

Lou Zhi suddenly opened his eyes. The scar on his eye looked fierce and ferocious, as if he couldn't believe it.

Yun Zhihe sighed softly, raised his head slightly and looked at the moon in the distance. He felt like wine was about to surge out of his throat, so he could only raise his head to suppress it.

"I've heard about your deeds. It sounds like flattery... but I admire you deeply..."

She smiled and turned to look at Lou Zhi.

"I just feel that you are... a person with a strong rebellious spirit. A man joins the army to defend his country."

Yun Zhihe felt a little nauseous, but he managed to steady his voice, ended the topic eagerly, and turned around, his voice gentle and hoarse.

"So... just now, you didn't have to accept it, and you didn't have to blame yourself. You should at least resist... right?"

She was a little unsteady, so she raised her foot and walked forward, no longer paying attention to Lou Zhi behind her.

Lou Zhi, who was standing behind her, stared at her back in a daze, pursed his lips and laughed.

...a spirit of resistance?

Like that year, a guest visiting Madam Xiao San saw the bruises on his wrists from being beaten while he was pouring tea, and stared at him for a while.

After the guests left, Xiao Sanniang became furious.

Grabbing his hair, he dragged him towards the room.

He was so scared that he cried and begged for mercy tremblingly.

The sound of begging for mercy spread throughout the Xiao family courtyard as she was dragged. The woman's furious voice echoed, "You bitch! Are you trying to seduce others? Her eyes are glued to you! Shameless bitch!"

Lou Zhi has always been a dull person. His father died in childbirth. He lived with his mother at the border when he was young. He went to the battlefield with his mother and was accustomed to killing and blood.

He could see the broken limbs and arms without changing his expression, letting the blood splatter on his face with an indifferent expression.

But he is afraid of pain.

His mother always looked at him with complicated eyes and never got close to him, probably because his father was killed when he was born.

Later, his mother died in battle and he was sent back to the capital. However, because he was not good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting, and only knew how to wield swords and guns, and had a dull and stupid personality, he was looked down upon by the young masters.

They called him a fool.

I don’t know how to behave, communicate, or integrate.

As stupid and non-existent as a stone.

Only Xuanyuan Ying is willing to be friends with him.

Xuanyuan Ying was proud and noble, like a phoenix high above, looking at him with charity as he was bullied and covered in mud.

He is clay, stupid, lowly, cowardly, and self-deprecating clay.

He always secretly watched Xuanyuan Ying wearing gorgeous clothes, looking arrogant and condescending, and felt envious in vain.

The difference between clouds and mud is the difference between him and Xuanyuan Ying. He ignorantly read the Three Obediences and Four Virtues taught to him and learned humbly.

She was ignorant and calm when the late emperor granted her marriage to Madam Xiao.

Just like what my father-in-law taught me, I must be humble, docile, virtuous, well-behaved, gentle, and willing to beg for mercy...

He then asked, “What does it mean to beg for mercy?”

The father-in-law gave him an ambiguous look and said with a smile, "When doing that kind of thing, if it hurts and you cry and beg for mercy, the woman will pity you."

Yeah?

He did it.

He was afraid of pain, so he begged for mercy when he was beaten by Madam Xiao.

On the wedding night, when he was beaten.

He didn't really understand the meaning of getting married, nor did he understand what resistance was. He only knew that he was afraid of pain.

Then that day, it was very painful. She dragged him into the house by his hair. Madam Xiao not only picked up a whip, but also a knife, shouting, "Bitch! Bitch! You only know how to seduce others! I'm going to kill you!"

He snatched the knife, his face still stained with tears, but his eyes were calm as he stabbed the knife into Madam Xiao's abdomen.

His fingers did not tremble, but he cut one by one, splashing blood. The blood mixed with the tears that flowed from his face when he cried and begged for mercy, and his eyes were calm and cold.

Is that... resistance?

...Is that true?

It was as if his mother was looking at him with a complicated and disgusted expression, murmuring.

"You are...born to kill."

Lou Zhi stopped reminiscing, his fingertips still seemed to carry the warmth of Yun Zhihe's hand, he stared at Yun Zhihe's back.

Then I looked up at the moon again. The moonlight was quiet and beautiful.

He paused, then burst into tears.

The author has something to say:

He is a beautiful, strong and miserable general with a max inferiority complex, a natural max combat power and some strange attributes. As for why he is still clean after getting married, it is because his ex-wife's sister is a mirror grinder, and there is a reason why she beat him, which will be explained later.

I didn’t update yesterday because I signed the contract! I uploaded the photos again, but haven’t signed the contract yet. I went to apply for the card today. I was so excited. Since then, I haven’t updated since then. I was so excited that I couldn’t type!

Do you like the general's tragic childhood storyline? If not, I can change it to a traditional female-dominant story about a beautiful, strong, miserable, inferior, and gentle general.