King Xiao had left far too suddenly, leaving many problems unresolved. One of them infuriated Luo Ningcha: she had promised the officers and men of every rank in the Tie Shan camp new armor and a reward for everyone, but the man footing the bill had run off first.
"All men are like this." After venting her fury on the furnishings and servants in her tent, Luo Ningcha delivered a speech that was half sorrow, half revelation. "Before they get you into bed, they'd give you the whole world as a gift. Once they've had their way, they run faster than a Flame Colt. I was so stupid. Why didn't I stay aloof, like I did in Dragon Court? I should've let men admire me from afar, made them fret, made them pay."
The maids and servants knew their mistress's temper, so none dared remind her that it was only thanks to King Xiao's intervention that the Unrivaled King had "returned" more than two thousand Tie Shan soldiers to Great Head God's daughter. She had already gotten plenty.
Shangguan Hong hid at the back of the crowd, doing his best to stay out of his new mistress's sight. In his heart, he ground his teeth at the Dragon King. There was no punishment in the world more cruel than serving Luo Ningcha.
But Luo Ningcha wouldn't leave him alone.
Shangguan Hong was her favorite new toy. The surname Shangguan alone was enough to make her regard him differently. Once, they'd been family, equal in name and station. Now they were master and slave, separated by heaven and earth. What could be more thrilling than such a change?
"Shangguan Hong," Luo Ningcha called calmly, though her thoughts were on Madam Meng. The two women alternated between friendship and hostility, but one