Empress Dowager Xiaozhen sat quietly at the entrance of the imperial mausoleum, her hands twirling Buddhist prayer beads. She had been sitting there for a long time, ever since Emperor Yuming was buried.
It resembles an unmoving Buddha.
She gazed calmly at the distant mountains, as if she were seeing something else through those mountains.
...
...
Nineteen years ago, before the establishment of the Yu Kingdom, this land was a fertile territory that neighboring countries all wanted to seize.
Lady Cai was still in the capital, and Empress Dowager Xiaozhen was not yet Emperor Yuming's wife. She was merely the legitimate daughter of the Cai family, a gentle and virtuous young lady from a noble family. Her name was Cai Yuping, and her nickname, given to her by her mother, was Xianwan, hoping that she would be virtuous and gentle.
In fact, she was always like this before she became empress. Or rather, before that woman entered the palace.
At that time, she was sixteen years old, a flower-like age, and also the age to choose her ideal husband.
She was the only legitimate daughter in the clan, and her parents doted on her. They didn't force her to find a match, but instead let her choose the person she liked.
The Cai family wielded immense influence in the capital. Anyone who aspired to unify this territory and ascend the throne would find it much easier to achieve their goals with the Cai family's assistance.
The best and simplest way was to become in-laws with the Cai family.
At that time, countless young men came to woo Cai Yuping, practically wearing down her doorstep, but she wouldn't budge. Her parents were anxious, but they couldn't do anything about it.
After all, she was his daughter who had been pampered since childhood, so how could he bear to blame her?
However, Cai Yuping was already of marriageable age, but she rarely left her home, so it would be strange if she could find a suitable husband.
Hearing that Jinglin Temple outside the city was a popular place of worship, and that its matchmaking services were incredibly accurate, even stealing business from the Yue Lao Temple, the two elders decided, after some discussion, to let her go there to pray for a good match.
Cai Yuping initially wanted to refuse, but she couldn't resist their nagging, so she reluctantly went to Jinglin Temple the next day. It was this trip that changed her entire life.
The next day, the sun shone brightly. Cai Yuping, accompanied by her personal maid Minhua, boarded a carriage bound for Jinglin Temple. Minhua, who was about the same age as her, curiously gazed at the bustling crowds on the street, while Cai Yuping simply wanted to remain seated.
After traveling for quite a while, the carriage finally came to a stop.
Cai Yuping lifted her skirt as she got out of the car, squinting uncomfortably in the sunlight as she looked at the path leading up the mountain. There was no other way; Jinglin Temple was at the top of the mountain, and the only option was to hike up.
She sighed in resignation and continued climbing.
The woods were quiet; apart from the rustling of leaves under her and Minhua's feet, there was no other sound.
Logically speaking, Jinglin Temple is usually very popular with worshippers, and with the sunny weather today, there should be many people going up the mountain. Even if it's not supposed to be noisy, it shouldn't be this quiet.
Cai Yuping lifted her skirt and bent down to pick up a maple leaf.
However, just as she looked up, she heard a series of rapid footsteps. Cai Yuping looked up instinctively and saw more than a dozen men in black carrying knives standing in front of them, blocking the path up the mountain.
Judging from their demeanor, they clearly came with ill intentions.
Minhua grabbed her in fear, her voice trembling as she asked, "Miss... what do we do?"
Cai Yuping wasn't sure what to do either. If these people robbed her of her money, that would be fine, but what if they tried to assault her...?
She frowned and said, "What do you gentlemen desire? I am the eldest daughter of the Cai family. If there is anything I can do to help, please feel free to ask."
The men in black exchanged glances, and the leader spoke.
“I didn’t originally want anything, but now…” he chuckled wickedly, “how about you play with us for a bit?”
The leader of the men in black had a filthy look in his eyes, which made Cai Yuping feel nauseous. However, she was now at his mercy and had no choice but to suppress her disgust and continue talking to him.
"If you are short of money, you may let me go back and get it. I did not bring enough cash with me when I left the manor today."
The leader of the men in black spat, "Do you think we're stupid? If we let you go back, you'll just run away. Besides, we're not short of money."
Cai Yuping looked away. "Then what are you lacking?"
"What are you missing?" The men in black burst into laughter. "Don't you know what you're missing?"
"That's right, don't you know?"
"The brothers lack nothing except a little sister."
"Come here and let your brothers take good care of you!"
As they spoke, they actually lunged at Cai Yuping. Minhua's face turned pale with fright, her legs trembled uncontrollably, and she couldn't move at all. Moreover, they were outnumbered and surrounded.
Cai Yuping could no longer pretend to be calm. She hugged Minhua tightly and closed her eyes in fear.
The expected sensation did not come; instead, the sound of clashing weapons filled the air.
Cai Yuping cautiously opened her eyes a crack and saw a man in a dark robe holding a sword, fighting with a group of men in black.
He was alone, while his opponents had ten people, which made Cai Yuping a little worried. However, to her surprise, the man was extremely skilled and did not show any signs of being at a disadvantage.
Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, and recalling the pale-faced scholars who had come to propose marriage, Cai Yuping's heart began to beat faster for no reason.
The leader of the men in black was stabbed in the shoulder by the man's sword. The pain made him temporarily withdraw from the battlefield and rest against a tree.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two girls huddled together. Surprisingly, he changed direction, stopped attacking the man, and instead came to them.
Hearing Minhua's frightened screams, Cai Yuping's lips turned white as she slowly backed away.
The leader of the men in black wore a sinister smile, and the knife in his hand was dripping blood; it was unclear whether it was his own or the man's.
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