Ballad of the Golden Wind

Also titled: "Why Is She Always There When I Turn Around?"

Lou Lingfeng, eldest son of the Lou family, became its head at twenty-four and rose to the top of the Five Great Families, but could never shake off the stain from his past.

When he was young and studying, he fell for a young lady from the Jin family, one of the great clans. He confessed to her in public, only to hear her say, "I don't like men like you, Young Master Lou."

People consequently speculated that the reason he had yet to marry was that he still cherished that old love.

When the rumors reached him, Lou Lingfeng merely laughed them off. But one day, Miss Jin from those rumors came knocking at his door.

Facing his old flame, Lou Lingfeng found it both sad and laughable.

What saddened him was that someone he had once liked had ultimately become a vulgar opportunist.

What amused him was that she thought he was a fool.

Amid the long silence, Jin Jiuyin sensed the resentment coming from her former love.

He's still holding a grudge...

Unsure how much of their old affection remained, Jin Jiuyin said, "Head of the Lou family, I've come to ask for medicine."

"What ails you?"

"I'm blind."

A few months later, the two formally became engaged.

When his friends questioned him, Lou Lingfeng had his own reasons. "I'll marry her, then divorce her, so she'll learn what it means to look down on someone."

His friends praised the plan. "Excellent idea."

Lou Lingfeng said, "It's easy to go from poverty to wealth, but hard to go from wealth to poverty. I'll give her money to spend and spoil her rotten."

His friends nodded. "The head of the Lou family is brilliant."

Lou Lingfeng said, "So what if I'm afraid of my wife? If that gets out, she'll be the one who looks bad, not me."

His friends were utterly unmoved. Sure, whatever makes you happy.

One day, the two quarreled and were giving each other the silent treatment. Her maid anxiously asked, "Miss, aren't you afraid the head of the Lou family will regret the engagement?"

Standing behind a rockery, Lou Lingfeng found himself wanting to see her reaction. His fiancee, who had claimed to have reformed and now loved him with all her heart, wore a look of casual disdain on her lovely face. "He'll make it up to himself."

#Entirely fictional! The customs draw inspiration from the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties, but nothing else is related to them.

#The ghost-whistling sentries in the story come from historical legends.

Blurb revised on 2025/8/5 and saved. Plagiarism will be pursued.

Next up: "The Comeback of the Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix". Please add it to your reading list!

Gusu

As Madam Wang lay dying, she called her only daughter to her bedside and left her these final words: "Take your marriage contract and go at once to Mount Min to find the head of the Fu family. His words may be sharp, but he's a decent man. He has a son about your age. When you marry into their family, you may have to put up with some noise, but you'll be safe and settled for life."

Mount Min

The head of the Fu family also called his son to his side to settle his affairs. "The Wang family's eye for men may be poor, but they're quite capable. Their daughter is as beautiful as a celestial being. Once you marry into their family, don't expect to amount to much, but at least you'll live to a ripe old age."

The day Mu Wushuang finally reached the Fu family after traveling over mountains and rivers, white mourning banners hung for miles around Mount Min. Her fiance, dressed in mourning clothes much like her own, was being driven out by his clan.

They looked equally wretched, like reflections of each other.

Mu Wushuang: …

Fu Lincang: …

No plan can withstand the whims of fate. Their worlds collapsed completely that day, and the former darlings of fortune became two stray dogs with nowhere to turn.

With no one to rely on, they were too weak to carry anything on their shoulders or lift anything with their hands, practically useless. To stay alive, they could only trail behind their clansmen all day and pick through whatever they left behind.

Fu Lincang: "Sister, do you still want this broken jade?"

Mu Wushuang: "Brother, you really don't want this purse?"

The more junk they collected, the more hooked they became. In the end, everyone knew their names, and anyone who recalled the former glory of their parents could only sigh.

One day after court, Fu Lincang got into a scuffle with a newly appointed top scholar. "Where did you get that earring?"

"I found it."

"You're good at finding things, aren't you?" Did he think he was blind? It was the very earring Mu Wushuang had worn the day before.

The people of both families crowded around the palace gates. Only Mu Wushuang's personal arrival brought the commotion to an end. The young Vice Minister of Revenue, Fu Lincang, was being dragged away by the ear, but still turned to threaten the top scholar from the leading clan: "I'll have your life, you dog!"

Everyone finally understood. The two who had once scavenged for junk... no, fought over things, had quietly become great clans that no one in court dared offend lightly, far surpassing their ancestors in power.

Theme: Fate is written in the stars