Chapter 1 "These are my elder brother's dying words."...

In the warm spring of March, the scenery is beautiful and it is the perfect time of year.

Willow catkins fluttered in the air, and the city was filled with the fragrance of flowers, yet white banners were hung above the most prestigious gate in the capital, and mournful music was played.

Paper money was scattered all over the ground in front of the door, and when the spring breeze blew it up, it was swept into the air and fell all over the street.

White banners fluttered, paper money danced in the air, the warm spring sun suddenly disappeared, and a chilly wind seemed to rise in the streets.

People came and went to pay their respects, all dressed in plain clothes and with their faces veiled. Passersby hurried past the gate, seemingly afraid of being tainted by the bad luck of the dead, and dared not linger there.

The sounds of wailing and mournful music filled the mansion, and as far as the eye could see, there were white funeral banners and occasional scattered pieces of paper money being blown about.

The paper money rolled up and fell to the ground, only to be suddenly stepped on.

One person strode through the covered corridor and headed towards the council hall.

Wherever he went, everyone in the manor was filled with fear, and they hurriedly lowered their heads and retreated, as if the person in front of them was some kind of evil demon or monster.

Even though they feared him to such an extent, some maids would still steal glances at him after retreating.

It was truly because his appearance was too handsome, and he possessed an oppressive aura that made it impossible to look directly at him.

His figure was tall and straight, and his skin was a frosty white, which gave people a chilling feeling just by looking at him.

His face was extremely handsome, but this extreme beauty did not make him appear effeminate at all. Instead, his murderous aura gave him a sharp edge that seemed to draw blood.

He was a man who truly emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, amidst the flames of war.

Xie Linyuan walked too fast, and the guards behind him had to run to keep up.

At the corner, he suddenly looked up at a spot and asked coldly, "Has that woman not come out these past few days?" The ferocity in his eyes was palpable.

There is also a very obvious sense of disgust.

The master in front of him suddenly stopped in his tracks. The guard, Qingshan, almost bumped into him. He was covered in cold sweat when he managed to stop in his tracks, his body, which was about to tilt, was frozen in mid-air.

He was almost leaning to one side, maintaining a particularly comical posture.

Qingshan let out a breath and quickly stood up straight.

fine.

If he were to encounter his master, he might lose his life.

"That day, Miss Su cried and fainted, and never came out again." Qingshan knew who his master was asking about, and quickly replied.

Xie Linyuan raised an eyebrow and gave a cold, extremely mocking laugh: "Dead?"

The guard broke out in a cold sweat again and could only lower his head and reply, "No, that's not it. I heard that Miss Su is weak and her body can't take it, so she's resting quietly."

“The funeral music played day and night, the suona horns blared, and she carried the weight of a life on her shoulders, yet she managed to keep going.”

Xie Linyuan's words seemed to carry a hint of a smile, but there was no smile in his eyes or brows.

It was clearly a sarcastic remark.

The guard, Qingshan, dared not respond.

Xie Linyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not look away.

His brows furrowed slightly as the image of his brother's death gradually came to mind.

Xie Linyuan gave a cold sneer.

His elder brother, a well-read scholar, spent his days dealing with those old scoundrels in the court, which made him muddle-headed and foolish.

He actually died for a woman like that.

Although Xie Linyuan had been fighting on the front lines for the past few years, he had still seen that woman several times.

She was indeed beautiful, with a delicate and pitiful appearance, which was most admired by those pedantic literati.

However, despite her pitiful appearance, her figure was exceptionally wanton.

With fair skin, a beautiful face, a slender waist, full hips, and a high, firm chest, she doesn't look like a respectable person.

When those eyes looked at people, they were shimmering and full of affection, so pitiful, a perfect seductive pose.

Whose daughter from a prominent family looks like this?

Such seductive and bewitching tunes deserve to die.

His elder brother was bewitched by this demon and lost his life.

This kind of woman is good for nothing except her face.

In the face of danger, he abandoned his brother, leaving him to distract the robbers, while he focused solely on escaping.

So cowardly and vicious, how could his brother die for this woman?

It's not worth it at all.

Xie Linyuan recalled his brother's dying words, his brows furrowed even lower, and the oppressive aura emanating from him intensified.

Their father had passed away long ago, and his elder brother was the eldest son and the current head of the Xie family.

He was engaged to that woman, and on his deathbed, he passed the position of head of the family to him and ordered him to marry her.

This was also the condition he passed the position of head of the family to him.

This woman, who was once his sister-in-law, is now going to become his wife.

That's absurd.

No, she will not become his wife.

Xie Linyuan withdrew his gaze, his whole being exuding a cold and ruthless aura.

Such a woman is not worthy of being Xie Linyuan's wife.

She was only fit to be his concubine.

——

"Hey, did you guys know? The eldest young master was killed by this woman. I heard she's going to be arranged into a ghost marriage."

"What I heard was that he was going to be beaten to death. The madam said that she brought evil energy, which is why the eldest young master died."

“That’s true. The eldest young master was such a good person, and the head of the Xie family. He died saving this woman. Do you think the madam wouldn’t be heartbroken?”

"She was originally just a poor relative who came to freeload. She entered the Xie family with a marriage contract from who knows how many years ago. She used to have the eldest son protecting her, but now that the eldest son is gone and the madam is experiencing the pain of losing her son, she definitely won't tolerate this Miss Su."

"I heard that all of Miss Su's family members have died, leaving her an orphan. I'm afraid there's no one to stand up for her."

"She might be beaten to death with sticks and thrown out of the manor. Even if she is spared, she will definitely be expelled from the manor by the madam."

"After all, the young master died saving her. I heard that Miss Su killed the young master so that she could live..."

“In this chaotic world, war is raging everywhere. Miss Su is a weak woman, helpless and beautiful. If she is expelled from the Xie family, how can she survive?”

"That's true..."

...

"Miss, don't listen to their nonsense. They're very talkative and love to gossip all the time. Don't be afraid, I'm here with you. Don't be afraid."

"This servant will go and chase them away!"

"Don't go, Xiao Rong." A woman's soft, gentle voice, like spring water, rang out. Xiao Rong had no choice but to give up. She walked to the window, glared at those people, and slammed the window shut.

Suddenly, several sarcastic voices came from outside the window, and someone spat:

"Oh my, even when you're about to die, you still have such a temper."

"The second young master has returned now. He and the eldest young master are siblings from the same mother and have a deep brotherly bond. However, he is also as ruthless as Yama. Even if Madam is soft-hearted and compassionate, I'm afraid the second young master will not let her go. He will definitely beat her to death with sticks and throw her out of the mansion to be fed to the dogs!"

"Just wait and see, you're just as lowly as us, what are you pretending to be, some rich young lady..."

"She thought she could rise to prominence and become a phoenix just because of her face and figure."

"Keep dreaming, you vixen..."

"She has such a femme fatale look, she actually brought death to the eldest young master..."

"Stop talking, say less..."

...

“Miss…” Xiao Rong’s face turned red with anger, and she kept wiping away her tears.

"It's okay, it's okay, don't cry." Su Muying's expression was calm. She turned her head to look at Xiao Rong, a strand of hair falling softly down her side.

Instead, she comforted Xiao Rong and continued doing her makeup.

The spring sunshine outside had disappeared sometime during the day, and as the sky darkened, the light inside the house became even dimmer.

The dim, lackluster interior only served to accentuate the woman's radiant beauty in front of the bronze mirror, making her almost too dazzling to look at.

Even though she was still wearing white mourning clothes.

Wearing plain mourning clothes, her eyes were like autumn waters, and her eyebrows were like distant mountains. She looked so pitiful, yet she also appeared exceptionally beautiful.

Beneath the white mourning veil, the ethereal moonlight shone, and she seemed to have tears in her eyes, truly like a pear blossom in the rain, a delicate flower on a branch wet with rain, fragile yet breathtakingly beautiful.

She looked so pitiful, yet she possessed a natural allure.

That face, that figure, was indeed too captivating. She smiled at the bronze mirror, her eyes and brows full of charm and allure.

Everyone says she has a naturally alluring face.

Su Muying curled her red lips and asked Xiao Rong, "Xiao Rong, am I pretty...?"

Even Xiao Rong, a woman herself, was stunned. She combed Su Muying's hair with a comb and said, "Of course she looks beautiful! I'm completely captivated by her..."

"But why did you decide to dress up today, young lady..."

——

Inside the Xie family's council hall, several clan elders were already seated, and Xie Linyuan's mother was also sitting in the seat of honor, her hand supporting her forehead, looking haggard and heartbroken.

Xie Linyuan chuckled at the door. He took a step forward, and without greeting the elders, he sat down in the council hall with an air of authority.

All the elders are important figures in the Xie clan, over seventy years old and highly respected, and are revered both inside and outside the family. Yet Xie Linyuan, such an arrogant person, does not take them seriously at all.

But they dared not retaliate.

Now that Xie Lin'an is dead, only Xie Linyuan remains as the direct descendant of the main clan.

Xie Linyuan held the rank of Grand General, wielding military power. He had just returned to the capital victorious, slaughtering the invading border tribes. However, the world was in turmoil, with wars breaking out everywhere and uprisings and rebellions occurring one after another. Xie Linyuan was the only general who could be relied upon and who had never been defeated.

Even the current emperor has to be wary of them.

Moreover, with Xie Lin'an dead, apart from Xie Linyuan, none of the younger generation of the Xie clan have made any achievements in their official careers, so they really have to rely on him to keep things going.

Xie Linyuan was so arrogant that the elders dared not make a scene. After exchanging glances, Xie Linyuan's third uncle spoke up: "Our Xie family is large and has many affairs. Now is a time of great turmoil. I think we should decide on the head of the family as soon as possible. I have called my nephew here today to discuss the selection of the head of the Xie family."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment. Xie Linyuan slowly lifted his eyelids and looked at the elders.

There was absolutely no respect a junior should have for an elder in his eyes.

"Is there any point in discussing the position of head of the household anymore?"

Xie Linyuan sat in the seat of honor, tapping his fingers on the table. He propped his head up with his hand, his sharp black eyes raised, the corners of his eyes curving upwards, full of contempt and disdain.

He was also dressed in white mourning clothes, but a long sword was at his waist, and his whole body was imbued with the murderous aura of the battlefield.

The non-existent smell of blood seemed to permeate the entire council hall.

The elders choked on their words, their old faces turning ashen.

"With my elder brother dead, it is only natural that I will inherit the position of family head." The smile in Xie Linyuan's eyes gradually disappeared, and his voice was as cold as a blood-stained blade.

He was originally born with a pair of amorous peach blossom eyes, but these eyes, when they were on him, only had a blood-stained sharpness. His eyebrows and eyes were lowered when he looked at people, and a heavy sense of oppression pressed down on everyone.

The atmosphere inside the room suddenly froze, and an invisible chill gradually spread.

Xie Linyuan's third uncle was a brother from Xie Linyuan's father's lineage. His father was the legitimate son, while his third uncle was from a collateral branch. Xie Linyuan's father died in battle at an early age, and Xie Lin'an took over the position of head of the family.

Speaking of Xie Linyuan's elder brother, Xie Lin'an, he was truly a person of integrity and without fault.

Born into noble families, their fathers helped the late emperor conquer the country, later died in battle, and were enfeoffed as the Marquis of Chengping, a title that could be inherited by their descendants.

However, Xie Lin'an was different from other noble sons. He took the imperial examinations on his own and entered officialdom at the age of fourteen as the top scholar. He rose step by step to the position of Imperial Censor at the age of twenty-three.

As an official in the court, he was conscientious and dutiful, impeaching and punishing officials. He was truly worthy of both the emperor and the people, and enjoyed great prestige both in and out of the court.

Xie Lin'an's position as head of the Xie family is based on his character, prestige, and skillful maneuvering—his ability to handle matters meticulously and considerately, ensuring everyone is taken care of.

Therefore, Xie Lin'an's appointment as head of the family was beyond reproach, and the clan elders were at ease and had no choice but to accept it.

If Xie Lin'an is like a warm, smooth jade, then Xie Linyuan is like a blood-stained blade.

The two brothers looked alike, but their personalities were worlds apart.

Xie Linyuan also joined the army at the age of fourteen, taking a completely different path from his brother.

On the battlefield, amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he was sinister and tyrannical, his body radiating a heavy aura of violence and an even stronger killing intent.

Xie Linyuan's actions are too reckless and uncontrollable. The elders can't figure him out and are wary of him. If the position of family head is in his hands, can their family line still be stable?

But Xie Linyuan clearly doesn't care whether they are safe or not.

The position of head of this household must belong to Xie Linyuan.

If anyone objects, then there is only one word:

die.

He would kill anyone who disobeyed him.

With a loud clang, Xie Linyuan unfastened the sword from his waist and casually tossed it onto the table.

A long sword exudes a strong killing intent, and is stained with blood from the battlefield, seemingly offering a glimpse into the bloody battle that took place.

The sound of the sword being thrown onto the table wasn't loud, as if he had simply taken it off casually, but at this moment in the room, it was like a sudden clap of thunder.

The elders in the room froze instantly, their faces contorted with fear.

Even Xie's mother, who was immersed in the grief of losing her son, was taken aback.

Xie Lin'an respected them and treated them as elders, but this brother in front of him probably didn't see them as old fools.

If they displease him, Xie Linyuan might actually kill them with a single sword strike.

The elders quickly wiped away their cold sweat with their long sleeves.

Enough, enough. They should just enjoy their retirement in peace.

“Nephew is right.” Xie Linyuan’s third uncle stroked his long beard, his face full of smiles. “Lin’an is your elder brother. You are of the same bloodline, so it would be best if you could succeed him as the head of the family. However, there is still one matter that needs to be discussed.”

Xie Linyuan glanced sideways.

The elder continued, "What should be done with that woman? Your brother was engaged to her, and although the marriage was not completed, she was still your brother's wife and your sister-in-law. Now that Lin'an has died, she is deeply involved with him. You should discuss with your mother how to deal with her."

"She could arrange a ghost marriage, kick you out of the manor, or beat you to death and throw you out. Her story may not be believable. Your brother might have been killed by her. It's only right that she pays with her life." After saying this, he sighed and finally dared to pick up the tea beside him and take a sip.

"Regardless of the circumstances, Lin'an died because of her; that is an established fact."

"What a pity for that child. He rose through the ranks so quickly, with a bright future ahead of him, but it all ended up because of a woman... The Xie family has suffered a heavy loss..."

"That's right, this child from Lin'an truly has a bright future, and the Xie family has lost a major ally in court..."

...

Several clan elders started drinking tea and began to talk.

Upon hearing these words, Xie's mother, who had just been looking haggard and heartbroken, immediately stood up, screamed, pointed outside, and her head full of jewels began to sway.

"She'll be buried with me! I want her to be buried with me!"

"My son died for her, so she should arrange a ghost marriage for him!"

"She should go to the underworld to keep her company!"

Everyone agreed: "Yes, that's right. They were already engaged, so this arrangement is appropriate."

Xie Linyuan's sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards towards his temples, making his eyes seem lowered.

He tapped the table with his long, slender fingers, then casually uttered a few words:

"She must marry me."

"These are my elder brother's last words."

The room fell silent as soon as Xie Linyuan said this.

Mother Xie's eyes widened as she looked at Xie Linyuan in disbelief.

Her only remaining son.

"I think you've gone mad! You two brothers have both gone mad! You've both been bewitched by that woman!"

"Do you even know what you're saying! She's engaged to Lin'an; she's your sister-in-law!"

Xie Linyuan clearly wouldn't listen.

He got up, not wanting to linger, and walked out decisively.

Only one sentence was left.

"This matter needs no further discussion."

"I will marry her."

"But only as a concubine."

——

Late at night, in the study of the Xie family mansion.

Xie Linyuan was reviewing official business in his study when a gust of wind seemed to rise outside.

The leaves rustled, casting sparse shadows, and the spring night breeze blew in through the window.

As the light and shadows flickered, a faint fragrance suddenly wafted over.

Xie Linyuan lifted his eyelids and looked towards the door. Just then, the guard's voice rang out:

"Reporting to the young master, Miss Su requests an audience."

Through the thin curtains of the window, a figure appeared indistinctly, slender and delicate, as if a gust of wind would cause her to vanish.

Yet, in the spring night breeze, this figure exuded an indescribable allure.

Xie Linyuan curled his lips into a cold smile.

A note from the author:

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

This is not a sweet romance novel; it's a story of forced marriage and ruthless revenge. The male lead is quite wicked at first, but he'll be brutally tortured later on. If you're not into this kind of story, don't read on!

melodramatic novel