Emperor Xuanyang was more famous for being barren than for his cruelty.
Everyone under heaven hoped he would die soon and pass the throne to the gentle and refined Prince Chen.
Chang Yi was one of those people.
Hexi had been ravaged by war for years. The court remained silent and offered no help, slowly turning a situation that could once have been resisted against them.
Chang Yi once had a happy family.
A shy, gentle boy husband, a fierce mother, and a grandmother with forward-thinking ideas.
They all died when the Xiongnu invaded.
Back then, she had strength to spare but couldn't protect her family. Now she was a renowned general, and a battle between her and the Xiongnu was inevitable.
She hoped to use this war to clip the Xiongnu's newly grown wings, secure ten years of peace for the Great Xuan, and avenge her family and husband.
To clear the way at court, she went to the capital herself.
Instead, she ran into the emperor's procession as it was being attacked, and Chang Yi was forced to accept orders to escort the tyrant back to the palace.
The tyrant was picky, and the things he picked always stirred up memories of Chang Yi's past.
This made Chang Yi, who already disliked him, even more irritable.
As they neared Jingzhao, Chang Yi discovered that someone was planning an assassination and deliberately kept the matter quiet.
She thought, It would be better if the tyrant died.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as she wished. The tyrant was tough to kill, and he fought off his enemies all the way.
Chang Yi knew that if the tyrant made it out alive, she would be the one to die.
So she changed into dark clothes and crept up to him.
The tyrant was a master of martial arts. Chang Yi's first strike went wide, smashing the mask on his face to pieces, while his counterattack missed too, slicing away the triangular veil covering her face.
In the dark of the forest, their eyes met, and Chang Yi was stunned.
The tyrant rumored to be disfigured and infertile was actually her husband, who had been dead for ten years?!
