Chapter 1

In the nineteenth year of Tianyuan, the Northern Di swept south, seizing cities and territory until they reached the Yangbo River, where they faced Great Wei's army across the water. War was on the verge of breaking out.

The capital was in peril!

More than a decade had passed since the father and son of the Jiang family, whose very names had terrified the Northern Di, had died on the battlefield without even their remains surviving. Since then, Great Wei had not produced a single general capable of withstanding the Northern Di incursions. The enemy swaggered with arrogance, while Great Wei's morale sank. Many ministers petitioned Emperor Tianyuan to lead the campaign in person, bolster morale, and proclaim the nation's might.

Emperor Tianyuan delayed his decision, only to send his eldest son, Chu Huaiyin, who was just eighteen, onto the battlefield.

No one could have expected the eldest prince, who had never seen battle, to cut through the enemy like a knife through bamboo. In just two years, he drove the Northern Di back to the border, then guarded the north for another three, beating them into complete submission. At year's end, they offered tribute and declared themselves subjects.

Over those five years, Chu Huaiyin's title of God of War resounded throughout the court and beyond, while countless storybooks circulated among the common people. There was the ferocious, blood-soaked god of slaughter version, and the version where he excelled in both letters and arms and was as handsome as a heavenly god... Whatever your preference, there was something for everyone.

On Chang'an Street, Meng Zhou sat at a little food stall, a meat bun in his left hand and soy milk in his right. His cheeks bulged slightly as he ate, his little mouth glistening with grease. His skin was fair and clear, even whiter and softer than the buns made by the famous chef Wang Fugui. His eyes resembled black grapes washed clean with water, long lashes lowered over them. The people around him enthusiastically discussed the wise and mighty eldest prince; he alone sat quietly, like a white pearl that had fallen into the bustling market, its radiance gently subdued.

"He was simply the Ziwei Star descended from heaven!" An old man's voice brimmed with excitement. He wished he had been born fifty years later so he could follow the eldest prince into battle and slay the enemy.

Meng Zhou lowered his eyes. With military power in Chu Huaiyin's hands and repeated imperial summons ignored, Emperor Tianyuan had long been unable to eat or sleep in peace. Sure enough, the month before last, he had specially ordered Chu Huaiyin back to the capital to perform ancestral rites, claiming that his first empress had appeared in a dream, yearning for her imperial son.

Meng Zhou had thought Chu Huaiyin would ignore the decree again. But ten days earlier, the eldest prince had returned to court at the head of his victorious army, a grand procession welcomed by commoners lining the roads. Emperor Tianyuan had even left the palace to greet him in person.

Meng Zhou touched his face. It had been slapped swollen.

The situation in the capital was treacherous. Over the past five years, the second prince had made frequent moves, winning the support of a large group of court officials with the current empress's help. Every day, they fed Emperor Tianyuan the notion that "the eldest prince has the might to defend the realm, but not the propriety to govern it." This lack of propriety referred first and foremost to Chu Huaiyin's refusal to obey the summons home.

Of course, there were also fence-sitters, such as his hypocritical father, the Left Chancellor, Meng Fushan.

Although Chu Huaiyin had returned, he had not handed over military command. Emperor Tianyuan was old and frail. What emperors throughout history feared most was an ill end; as long as he could be certain Chu Huaiyin would not launch a military coup, he would probably turn a blind eye.

Meng Zhou gulped down half a bowl of soy milk, leaving a white ring of foam around his lips.

Festive wedding music reached his ears, and the crackle of firecrackers drew closer. Two rows of tall horses advanced side by side, their hooves flying, stirring scarlet scraps of firecracker paper into the air. Piece by piece, they fluttered into his soy milk.

Meng Zhou's brows knitted, and he turned unhappily. Just then, a gust of wind lifted the side curtain of an eight-bearer sedan chair draped in fluttering red silk, sending fragrance wafting toward him.

Close by, Meng Zhou caught a glimpse of the bride's slender, delicate fingers clutching her bridal veil. It did not look like a young woman's nervous shyness on her wedding day. Rather, it looked like... she was about to stir up trouble? The corners of Meng Zhou's mouth curved so slightly it was almost imperceptible. He knew that state all too well.

Today was the joyous wedding day of Right Chancellor Wang's younger son and the legitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of War. But who in the capital did not know that the groom, Wang Junyang, was violent and good for nothing but eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling? Still, that was the norm among the capital's wastrels. Wang Junyang was not particularly outstanding.

Meng Zhou's eyes shifted, full of cunning. These days, there were few officials' sons as diligent about their careers as he was.

He rubbed his belly and gave his unfinished soy milk a regretful glance. "The bill, please."

He strolled past two restaurants, turned into a secluded alley, and walked a little farther to reach the rear courtyard of Right Chancellor Wang's residence. From a distance, he could see pavilions, waterside terraces, and exquisitely laid-out covered walkways. At the very back stood a small two-story building adjoining the boundary wall.

By Great Wei custom, the wedding ceremony and entry into the bridal chamber took place at separate, carefully chosen times. After the ceremony, the bride rested in the rear courtyard before entering the bridal chamber at the appointed hour.

With great interest, Meng Zhou watched the little building's window swing wide open. A bamboo ladder had been propped high against it, and a young man in a blue-green robe steadied it below, gazing anxiously up at the window. After a burst of rustling, the bride, having shed her elaborate wedding dress and heavy makeup, appeared in plain white clothes and scrambled down the ladder.

She was fast, and unusually bold.

The two embraced for a while, lowered the ladder, then looked up to see Meng Zhou, who had appeared at some point without their noticing. Both their faces went pale.

Meng Zhou scrutinized the young man's face. So he was the son of the Vice Minister of War's sworn enemy, one of the capital's few ambitious young men. He had even taken the imperial examinations, yet he was actually giving up his future to elope.

The tall bride steeled herself and stepped in front of him. "Just pretend you didn't see us. I never wanted this. My father forced me."

Meng Zhou lowered the corners of his eyes and said coldly, "You're overthinking it. I'm just passing through."

The young man froze, then bowed to Meng Zhou in thanks and hurried away with the bride, without the slightest hesitation.

Meng Zhou stood where he was, gazing at the window in thought for a while. Suddenly, he pushed off on his toes and vaulted onto the high wall. Catching the window frame, he hauled himself up with his elbows, his agile figure disappearing through the window like a swallow.

The window clicked shut, leaving nothing visibly amiss. In less than the time it took an incense stick to burn, the bride had been replaced.

Floral hair ornaments lay scattered on the floor, gold hairpins were strewn about, and the phoenix crown and wedding robes had been tossed carelessly onto a couch. The bride had left quite casually. Meng Zhou grumbled as he tidied up the mess.

By the time he emerged from behind the screen, Meng Zhou had changed into the scarlet wedding dress. Its skirt, embroidered with a hundred flowers in gold thread, trailed across the floor. A palm-wide sash cinched his slender waist, its central white jade clasp fastening perfectly.

His lips were red, his teeth white, his brows and eyes captivating.

He tore open the brocade quilt, pulled out two handfuls of cotton, and casually stuffed them down his chest. Then he went to the dressing table, opened a drawer, and swept the entire pile of gold jewelry inside with a flick of his hand. He simply gathered up his long hair, put on the bridal veil, and estimated the time.

Meng Zhou had offended Wang Junyang a while ago and had not received a wedding invitation, so he could only sneak in.

It was not just the Wang family. Since taking office as a judicial officer at the Court of Judicial Review, Meng Zhou had offended plenty of people. Yet he always managed, miraculously, to maintain his bureaucratic relationships. Every time he stirred up trouble, he struck his target precisely, giving everyone else the illusion that, "Oh, it won't affect me. Nothing to worry about."

That was mainly because his previous cases had all been minor affairs. This was his first time provoking an official as powerful as the current Right Chancellor. If he could not get away unscathed, he would probably... face a miserable old age.

Three days earlier, a complainant had come to the Court of Judicial Review, accusing Wang Junyang of bullying men and abducting women. He had carried off her youngest daughter, A-Juan, who was already betrothed. With no evidence, she had appealed over the lower authorities' heads and even gone to the wrong place. Naturally, the Court of Judicial Review refused the case.

The various offices passed the buck, leaving the complainant nowhere to appeal. When she encountered a judicial officer willing to hear her out, she no longer cared that he was only of the secondary fifth rank. She kowtowed desperately, weeping as she said that her youngest daughter had a fierce temperament and that she had to save her even at the cost of her own life... Before Meng Zhou had said whether he would help, the woman's eyes rolled back, and she cried herself unconscious outside the Court of Judicial Review.

Meng Zhou paid to have someone take her home. On turning back, he was mocked by the others at the Court of Judicial Review. "What is all this? When a chancellor's son commits an offense, we still have to consider rank when investigating, don't we? Young Master Meng has had to spend money again."

These people liked to mock him, openly or otherwise, as "a chancellor's son." Meng Zhou merely smiled it off, unwilling to bother arguing.

Meng Zhou would not promise anything he was not completely certain of. He first had to get inside the Wang residence and investigate. At the very least, he needed to establish how much of the complainant's account was true, where the girl was hidden, and whether she was still alive.

If only he could find a like-minded thigh to hug...

Meng Zhou sighed and grabbed a handful of peanuts to pass the time. If only he had a like-minded thigh to hug, he would not have to take so many twists and turns to investigate a case. What a headache.

Wang Junyang was favored, and his quarters were closest to his father's study. With everyone in the residence in disarray over today's wedding, this was a rare opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

But Meng Zhou had overlooked one fact: if he could think of this, there would be no shortage of others with the same plan.

After finishing the peanuts, he felt a little thirsty. Meng Zhou glanced around and discovered there was not even any tea.

He began to miss that half bowl of soy milk.

Time passed as Meng Zhou pined for it. As evening fell, two maidservants led him to Wang Junyang's quarters.

After sitting down in his new location, Meng Zhou stood and stretched. Once Wang Junyang came in, he would knock them out with a chop each, then have time to move about freely.

As for why he had pretended to be the bride for so long, Meng Zhou absolutely refused to admit that he wanted to buy that illicit couple more time.

He did not encourage running away.

"Second Young Master."

"All of you, leave." It was Wang Junyang.

Meng Zhou settled his veil into place, his ears instantly pricking up. Footsteps dragged a couple of times outside the door, gradually receded, then sounded again after a while.

What could be more important than the wedding night? Meng Zhou wondered whether he had gone to see A-Juan. If so, A-Juan should not be far from here.

With a creak, Wang Junyang pushed open the door. At the same moment, bright flames suddenly flared outside. Servants shouted for people to catch the thief, and heavy, chaotic footsteps pounded as densely as drumbeats.

"Rotten luck!" Wang Junyang swore drunkenly. His tone alone was thoroughly unpleasant.

Meng Zhou's heart sank. He silently prayed that the thief would have the sense not to run this way.

The swaying red candle flames flickered as a gust swept in. The next instant, something fell with a muffled groan and rolled several times. At the same time, someone shut the door.

A lecher or an assassin?!

Meng Zhou ripped off his veil. Whoever it was, there was not going to be a bride for him today. Let him have a look at this outrageously bold-

Their eyes met, and both froze.

Chu Huaiyin had obtained the crucial evidence, but he had triggered a mechanism while leaving the Right Chancellor's study. The disturbance as he escaped had alerted the guards. Taking advantage of the layout, he had ducked into a room, never expecting it to be Young Master Wang's bridal chamber.

He had simply gone all the way, knocking the groom unconscious to keep him from shouting, then kicking him into a dark corner...

But when he looked up, the bride was unexpectedly calm.

Chu Huaiyin's gaze swiftly swept from Meng Zhou's protruding Adam's apple to below his collarbones, then to his androgynous face. His judgment wavered between male and female before settling on male.

He frowned slightly. The Vice Minister of War's legitimate daughter was a woman... wasn't she?

Had the Wang family prepared for him and lured him into a trap? A trace of killing intent flashed in Chu Huaiyin's eyes, the aura of a king of hell honed on the battlefield, imperious, fierce, and disdainful of all.

Meng Zhou abruptly realized three things: One, I can't beat him. Two, he's brought the guards here. Three, getting away tonight will be difficult.

Meng Zhou lunged forward in an instant and clung tightly to his thigh. "Hero! Don't hurt an innocent by mistake."

Meng Zhou's mind raced. What if he could not get out of the Wang residence today? He fixed his eyes on the man before him, expressing fierce condemnation-he had ruined his plans, so if he was going to run, he had to take him along at the very least!!!

Guards followed the noise into the courtyard. Chu Huaiyin tugged his leg, but failed to pull it free. The two faced off for an instant. With the guards already at the door, Chu Huaiyin abruptly closed in, yanked Meng Zhou onto the bed, and pulled the wedding quilt over them both.

Meng Zhou stumbled under the pull. As he backed up, he stepped on the trailing hem of his skirt, so that when he fell onto the bed, his dark hair spilled loose, his red robes fell into disarray, and a wide expanse of pale skin lay exposed around his collarbones.

The mingling of those three colors struck the eyes with overwhelming, beguiling force. Chu Huaiyin froze. His large hand still gripped beneath the other's waist, suddenly acutely aware of its warmth and softness, until even his palm began to burn.

Meng Zhou inwardly rolled his eyes. You made your move, now I'll make mine. He deftly opened his upper robe, wound both arms around Chu Huaiyin's neck, and unceremoniously pressed his head down, concealing his entire face. The movements flowed seamlessly, giving him no chance to refuse.

For the first time in his life, someone had forced Chu Huaiyin's head down. A vein throbbed on his forehead. Before he could think further, the door burst open with a bang.

"Ah, mm... it hurts-" A girl's sweet, lilting moan abruptly threw everything into disarray.

In the flickering firelight, in that split second.

Caught completely off guard by the sight, the guards froze as one.

What had they just seen...

The young mistress's upper robes were in disarray, revealing as much as they concealed. The young master was nuzzled against her chest, his face hidden... What... were they doing...

A few of the younger, hot-blooded guards began gushing blood from their noses and stood rooted to the spot.

Even Chu Huaiyin, who had fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, wore a look of utter shock, almost believing there was a third person hidden in the bed. He distinctly felt the chest pressed against his cheek tremble faintly.