Reborn, I Married My Mortal Enemy

[Story Blurb] After the hostage Shen Yu returns to the capital, she first makes an enemy of the Regent, then sets the Prince of Cheng's residence on fire, and nearly kills the Empress with a bowl of poison. Finally, she loses a rebellion at the desert of Hengzhou and meets her end with "ten thousand arrows piercing her heart, her corpse left in the wilderness."

Given a second life, Shen Yu comes to her senses. Love and power are just fleeting clouds, and you can't take them with you when you die. What's the point of fighting over them?

Since she harmed the Empress in her previous life, this time she'll be her best friend. Since she burned down the Prince of Cheng's residence before, this time she won't go within five li of it! She refuses to believe the prince's residence will just catch fire by itself.

The only thing giving Shen Yu a headache is the Regent from her previous life, who always opposed her. She can't avoid him or shake him off.

[Short Scene] 1. The Prince of Cheng's residence not only catches fire, but innocent Shen Yu gets blamed for it. For once, Shen Yu chickens out and runs to the Regent's residence to hide.

At his son's urging, the Prince of Cheng goes to the Regent to demand an explanation. Xie Linfeng raises his teacup and glances at the old man. "It's only a few rooms. Is the Prince of Cheng worried I can't afford to pay for them?"

2. Everyone on the street is talking about how the Regent kills without blinking. Shen Yu, squatting by the roadside and munching on corn, nods along. "That's no lie! I was lucky enough to be killed by him once. He really didn't even blink."

Someone shares the latest rumor they've heard: The Regent chopped off a man's hand in the street because the man had harassed a young woman. Hey, why does that young woman look more and more like the girl eating corn?

Shen Yu senses trouble and is about to run when the Regent rides up on his fine horse and blocks her path. With a dark expression, he says coldly, "Where do you think you're going? Home!"

Then he pulls Shen Yu onto his horse and takes her back to his residence.

Everyone shakes their heads in sympathy. "How awful! Who knows what he'll do to that poor girl!"

Little do they know, inside the residence, the once-mighty Regent is kneeling before Shen Yu, his voice so gentle it could drip water, half pleading and half coaxing. "Don't run away again, okay?"

P.S. The heroine isn't stupid or naive, though she can be a little neurotic at times.

Theme: Put down the butcher's knife and attain enlightenment.