The bells of Hua Palace rang from morning until noon, their sound spreading through the city like ripples in water. Red and gold banners hung from every pillar, swaying in the breeze, and flower petals drifted down from the towers.
It was the wedding of the century. The Princess of Hua, Lian Yue, was to marry General Shen Han. The entire empire celebrated. Only the groom did not.
Shen Han stood in a wedding robe of red and gold, his hair bound neatly, his face calm and unreadable. To everyone watching, he was the perfect image of royal groom. Yet inside, he felt hollow, as if every cheer and every drumbeat were sword being plunged into his heart.
He thought of Lian Zhi.
Her laughter. Her stubbornness. The warmth of her hands.
The last image he had of her was her being led away, eyes calm yet filled with quiet defiance, heading toward the border that would take her to another man. Since that day, peace had become a stranger to him.
The court musicians played, and the red curtains parted.
Lian Yue entered, draped in layers of red silk embroidered with golden phoenixes. Her face was flawless, her smile dazzling. Each step she took was measured and graceful, almost predatory. Her eyes never left him.
When she reached his side, she took his hand before the eunuch could even announce the ritual. She was impatient. Her fingers curling possessively around his.
"Smile, my lord," she whispered under her breath, her lips barely moving. "It is our wedding day. The whole world is watching."
Shen Han forced the corner of his lips upward. It was not a smile. It was survival.
The Emperor, seated high upon the throne, looked pleased. "A fine match," he declared. "Two pillars of Hua united. May this bring peace to our land."
The court cheered their blessings. The drums sounded again. Shen Han bowed. Lian Yue followed, lowering herself with perfect grace. The tiny ornaments on her veil chimed softly as she moved.
When the vows were complete, the Emperor himself poured the ritual wine. "From this day forth, General Shen and Princess Lian Yue are husband and wife. May your bond strengthen the nation."
Applause filled the hall.
Lian Yue turned to face him, eyes glistening, her smile tender for the audience but sharp enough to cut. "We are husband and wife now," she said softly. "No one will take you from me again."
Her voice was sweet, but he heard the sharp blade behind it.
He bowed slightly. "As His Majesty decrees."
Her smile widened, and she leaned close enough that only he could hear. "You can stop pretending, Shen Han. You belong to me now, not her."
His heart twisted. He wanted to tear away, to shout that his heart was buried with the woman who had been sent away to the foreign sands. But he stayed silent, his jaw locked.
The banquet that followed was dazzling.Dancers twirled in layers of silk, and the wine never stopped flowing. Ministers toasted endlessly, offering blessings and praise.
Lian Yue basked in it, radiant, her hand never once leaving his. As if they were a chain, locking him in place. Whenever she spoke to someone, she made sure to touch him lightly, as if to remind the world that he was hers.
"General Shen, you must be proud," an old minister said, raising his cup. "To wed our most precious princess, what greater honor could a man have?"
Shen Han gave a polite nod. "I am grateful for His Majesty's grace."
Lian Yue laughed softly, resting her head against his shoulder. "My husband is modest," she said sweetly. "He will make a fine prince consort, don't you think?"
The court erupted in approval.
Shen Han felt the walls closing in. The air grew heavier with each toast. Every smile and every cheer made his chest ache. He stood there, a perfect statue, while the woman beside him glowed like the sun, basking in her own victory.
When the banquet ended, the attendants led them to the bridal chamber.
Lian Yue turned to him, her veil already removed. She hadn't even bothered to wait for Shen Han to do it for her. No, in this marriage, she was the one in control.
"Finally," she said softly, stepping closer. "Just the two of us."
Shen Han turned away. "It has been a long day. You should rest."
She tilted her head. "And you, husband? You don't wish to stay by your bride's side?" she said seductively, patting on the bed beside her.
He did not answer.
Lian Yue's expression hardened. The sweetness vanished. "Still thinking of her?" she asked quietly.
Shen Han froze.
Her voice sharpened. "Don't pretend I don't know. You loved her. You still do."
He turned slowly, meeting her gaze. "It doesn't matter anymore."
"Doesn't it?" She took a step closer, her voice trembling with anger. "You think you can mourn her forever while standing beside me? While I'm the one who fought for this marriage, who stood before the Emperor to make it happen?"
Her hand shot forward, gripping his sleeve. "Look at me, Shen Han. I'm your wife now. Not her."
Shen Han's eyes were cold. "Titles don't change hearts."
Lian Yue's fingers trembled, but she refused to let go. "Then I will make you forget her."
Before Shen Han could reply, she turned sharply and opened a small lacquered box sitting on the nearby table. Inside were several folded letters, their wax seals still intact but marked with the Shen family crest.
He frowned. "What are those?"
Her lips curved into a thin smile. "Proof." She lifted one letter delicately between her fingers. "Your father has been writing to the Tughril chancellors. These letters hold enough evidence to accuse the Shen family of conspiring against the throne."
He stiffened, disbelief flashing across his face. "You're lying."
"Am I?" she asked lightly, holding the letter out to him. "See for yourself."
Reluctantly, Shen Han took it. His eyes scanned the familiar calligraphy. The sharp, disciplined strokes, the unmistakable signature at the end. His chest tightened. He knew that handwriting. He had grown up watching those same characters written on military reports and family records.
It was his father's.
The words blurred as he read: coded phrases, mentions of Tughril envoys, discussions about troop movement and court factions. His pulse began to pound.
He looked up, pale. "This can't be…"
Lian Yue's voice was calm, almost soothing. "It is. And if the Emperor ever learns of it, your entire clan will fall. The honor your family has built for generations will be wiped away overnight."
He closed his eyes, a bitter taste rising in his throat. "Where did you get these?"
"Does it matter?" she said softly, returning the letter to the box. "What matters is what I can do with them."
Her eyes glinted like a blade. "If you wish to protect your family, then you'll do as I say."
He clenched his fists. "You would blackmail me with this?"
"I would protect what's mine," she answered coolly. "And now, you are mine."
Shen Han's expression hardened, but her next words cut deeper.
"If you defy me, I'll send these to the Emperor by dawn. He'll read them himself — and your father will be executed before sunset."
He stared at her, searching for mercy, but found none.
At last, his shoulders lowered, the fight draining from him. "What do you want?" he asked quietly.
Her smile returned, slow and triumphant. "Only what a wife deserves."
When she reached for him, her touch was neither tender nor loving, but claiming. He did not move as she drew him close, his mind still echoing with the words written in his father's hand.