The Fallen Kingdom's Princess Is Reborn

[The road to winning her back is unclear on both ends; he made his own bed, now he can lie in it] @Wen Qionning

Blurb:

In the fifteenth year of Tianyou, the Princess of Nanyan was married, and the emperor celebrated with the heavens, granting a general amnesty.

But by then, Nanyan had already fallen and become part of Beiliang. Ying Yun, its princess in exile, was nothing more than a tool for the new ruler to win over his subordinates.

On her wedding night, Ying Yun drew the golden hairpin she had hidden away and killed a man for the first time in her life. She died in the bridal chamber alongside the man she hated most.

When she awoke, she had been reborn in the spring of her fourteenth year. She saw Chang Li, still disguised as a scholar, collapse by the lake. Without the slightest hesitation, she stabbed him. She had planned to kill him, but soon realized that Chang Li was more valuable alive than dead.

From then on, she hid her true intentions and brought him back to the palace, showing him constant concern and tender care. Before long, everyone in the princess's residence knew that the young man named Chang Li had recently become a favorite of Her Highness.

She watched as the boy gradually fell into the loving dream she had woven for him. She watched him hand over his elder brother's plans, the names of the palace spies, and the truth behind Nanyan's fall.

On the day the old capital of Nanyan was reclaimed, she sat in a place of power and spoke his real name in a cool voice: "Wen Qionning, from now on, you go your way and I'll go mine. We owe each other nothing."

In an instant, the gentle, ingratiating expression on the face below the steps was torn away.

Bonus scene:

There was no one in the room but Wen Qionning and the princess.

Wen Qionning waited eagerly, while the princess hesitated in silence.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, coaxing him: "Since you like me so much, do me a favor. Kill your elder brother, then take his place as the First Prince of Beiliang."

Wen Qionning froze, then fell to his knees and crawled to the princess's feet, trembling like a fallen leaf in the wind. "Are you sending me away?"

The princess lowered her eyes, a trace of bewilderment flashing across them.

She had said so much. Was that the only part he heard?

P.S.:

1. Both are each other's first and only, 1v1.

2. The male lead is not the murderer; there's more to the story.

Coming soon: Beneath the Beauty's Tent, a camp courtesan x a great general

After a natural disaster, Liu Qing was sold by her family to the military camp and became a camp courtesan.

From then on, the respectable girl Liu Qing was no more. Only the slave Xie Xi remained.

By day, she did hard labor: mending tents, sewing clothes, cleaning the stables... By night, she moved among different men.

She somehow made quite a name for herself in the camp. Every man who had spent time in her tent praised her.

One day, she even set up a whitewashed wooden board and started a class.

She lectured with great authority: "Men, really, want nothing more than looks, passion, and comfort..."

The students raised their hands, wracked their brains, and craned their necks to listen like sunflowers chasing the sun. "Lady Xie, slow down! We can't take notes fast enough!"

Then one day, a slender young man with fair skin came to her tent.

At first sight, Xie Xi thought he was a scholar who had taken a wrong turn. He was tall, long-legged, and had a lovely backside!

She straightened her skirt and smiled brightly. "Where are you headed, young master?"

To her surprise, the young man was completely unmoved by her charms. He sat down with an imposing air. "Are you Liu Qing, the one who arrived only ten days ago and already had three military strategists fighting over you, four generals brawling, and five captains battling over troops and weapons?"

The visitor was clearly here to cause trouble. Xie Xi guessed who he was, covered her mouth, and smiled. "So much for a general's command of his troops. You're incompetent at managing your subordinates, and you blame a woman? Shang Zhou blamed Daji, Xia Jie blamed Moxi, and now Shen Qiu blames Liu Xi. I suppose I'll go down in history too."

A descendant of the old Shen Qiu clan, whose family had served as ministers for generations and was steeped in poetry and propriety, had never encountered such a shameless woman. He left in a hurry after calling her "sharp-tongued."

He also ordered everyone in the camp, from top to bottom, not to set foot in Xie Xi's tent.

Until one day, the soldiers saw the great general walk inside.

Then, another day, they saw the great general get kicked out.

Shen Qiu couldn't sleep at night. In the middle of the night, he avoided all the patrolling soldiers and sneaked into Xie Xi's tent. Then he slowly climbed onto her little bed, took off his boots, and carefully wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind. "I really didn't mean it that way, Xixi. Forgive me, okay?"

Xie Xi elbowed Shen Qiu, and he took that as permission to press closer, burying his face in the crook of her neck. His voice was muffled. "Don't worry, Xixi. No one saw me come in."

The three strategists: Can't watch

The four generals: Can't watch

The five captains: Can't watch

Theme: Even when you fall into the mud, you must fight to rise again