A disastrous start, and he somehow managed to save himself.
Song Huai'an felt the heartfire blaze within him, and memories suddenly flood his mind. Then he saw the Third Princess on the right side of the same bed, her expression resistant and her cheeks flushed, bound hand and foot, though not especially securely. He could only think how damn awful life was.
This was a matriarchal world, where women held power and wielded weapons, while men were weak and expected to obey the Three Obediences and Four Virtues.
But the problem was, he was a descendant of Song Mingzhu, a founding general renowned for her valor!
His family had managed to preserve itself through generations of women fighting on the battlefield and a household of loyal martyrs, as well as their unwavering allegiance to the monarch and their keeping away from the princes. If he got involved with the Third Princess today, ruining his reputation as a virtuous man would be the least of his worries. By tomorrow, the whole Song family might be under suspicion from the Empress!
So Song Huai'an casually opened his robe. Just as the Third Princess thought he was about to make love to her and began to struggle, he pulled off his sash, infused it with his inner strength, and slashed deep into his inner thigh.
The pain brought him back to his senses. He bandaged the wound, then staggered toward the door.
"I am the eldest son of the Song family," he said as he reached the door. "I wasn't the one who hurt you."
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.
