Childhood Sweethearts, Always Crashing and Burning

When Xie Zhao was seven, she threw the heir, Xiao Che, over her shoulder and slammed him into the sand on the training ground. At her coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen, she declared before everyone, “Anyone who wants to marry me must first face the spear in my hands!” When the border was in danger at eighteen, she took her father’s place in the army, charging straight into the enemy camp in silver armor with a red-tasseled spear. She returned victorious, only to receive an imperial decree ordering her to marry far away for the sake of peace. Xiao Che climbed over the general’s residence wall in the middle of the night. “Marry me. I’ll practice spear techniques with you for the rest of my life.” Xie Zhao sneered. “Who was it that couldn’t get back up after I threw him?” On their wedding day, rebels surrounded the city. She swept up her phoenix coronet and wedding robes, pointing her spear straight at the rebels. “You dare touch my people?” Xiao Che wiped the blood from his sword and smiled. “My lady, this time I’ll protect you from behind.”