Tears of the Beauty on the Bed (Reborn)

#New story: See the World. Blurb below.

At the end of the dynasty, warlords vied for power. The armies of the realm were still in the field, with eunuchs seizing control of the court at home and eighteen warlords battling for supremacy abroad. The state was in chaos, war raged without end, and smoke and fog filled the skies.

Across the nine provinces and eight lakes, heroes emerged one after another, each earning a place in the history books with great accomplishments.

The most powerful of them all was Li Tan of Jingzhou.

Her father and brothers once told Xi Chan, "If Jingjing truly wants to marry the greatest warlord, Li Tan is the best choice. He's a skilled and strategic commander. Given time, taking control of the realm will be as easy for him as reaching into a bag."

"What's more, he's tall and striking, with an extraordinary build and the bearing of a great hero. Though he can be rather brutal in his dealings, he's still far better than Xu Mao."

But Xi Chan didn't see it that way. She watched Xu Mao slaughter loyal and virtuous officials for her, massacre half a city, and bring her one step closer to her dream of becoming empress.

Even when her conscience troubled her, she refused to repent.

Not until her father, brothers, and relatives died in battle defending her and Xu Mao, leaving the world to curse them and their names to stink for a thousand years.

Not until the upright official who had bowed only for her fell into the abyss, lost his innocence, and died a tragic death.

And not until Xu Mao was defeated and, in his heartlessness, sent her away to the allied forces.

She, the daughter of his sworn enemy, was driven from place to place until Li Tan, on the verge of unifying the realm, shot her dead with an arrow.

Heaven gave her a chance to start over. She would make sure history didn't repeat itself, protect those she loved and those who loved her, and stay away from the warlords.

She would never marry a warlord again.

Li Tan was made a marquis at fifteen, took control of Jingzhou with his army at seventeen, held his coming-of-age ceremony at twenty, and at twenty-two...

His military adviser offered a suggestion: "My lord, you have spent years campaigning abroad and don't know the cost of rice and firewood at home. Your honored father has sent a letter urging you to choose a suitable bride soon."

"I believe Xi Chan of Yuzhou is the best choice. I hear she is well versed in music, learned and widely read, virtuous and kind. She is also the beloved daughter of Mu Tingnian, the governor of Yuzhou. Wouldn't a marriage between them be a perfect match that benefits both sides?"

In the past, whether at home or in the camp, there was no shortage of people urging him to marry. Many had even offered plans to "keep outsiders from interfering in family affairs."

He, Li Tan, was a seven-foot man. He would build his kingdom through military campaigns and careful planning, not rely on a woman's connections to secure his position.

So he had politely declined them all.

But this time, he frowned in disdain. "This woman is always disrupting military discipline and beguiling people. She has also indirectly harmed loyal officials. Her father and brothers may be my sworn enemies, but they are upright men. Can knowing music feed you? She's selfish and makes others take the fall for her!"

"If you call them a perfect match again, I'll cut out your tongue."

The military adviser withdrew awkwardly.

Li Tan, later on:

By day: "Jingjing, I want to be your strongest support."

At night: "Jingjing, tell me you love me."

This blurb was written on July 19, 2024

[Reading Guide]

1. As the title suggests, please don't read if that bothers you.

2. There is a beauty trap. Please don't read if that bothers you.

3. The male and female leads are not perfect characters.

4. Both are each other's first and only.

Below: See the World

Yu Peng broke the rules, but saved someone she knew, though he didn't know her.

In crimson robes and red shoes, with the elegance of the Wei and Jin dynasties, he was like an elusive wind that vanished along the long streets and narrow alleys, his slender waist swaying as he walked.

In her youth, she was clueless and proud, and the only thing she could see was this man's every joy and sorrow. In a chaotic age, people drift like duckweed or blades of grass. Some idle observers see the righteousness and upheaval of the world and imagine themselves walking alone, never noticing the piles of bones beneath Qingcheng Mountain, chained together...

The teacher declared, "Rong Xu is base and servile. How could he make a worthy husband?"

Yet on the night the teacher was trapped and in danger, with death his only fate, Rong Xu rescued him as he would any ordinary person, without a word of complaint.

Yu Peng was at odds with her teacher but wasn't good at doing evil. She was also feeling down, so she humbly sought advice from the gentle and generous Governor Rong.

But he replied with utter seriousness, "Kiss him on the face, and he'll be hacked to pieces."

"Three times, and he'll be skinned alive and have his tendons pulled out."

"And if you embrace him..." This distinguished official even tossed out a long list of the teacher's past misdeeds that he'd already investigated, nearly exposing every last dirty secret. "You'll ruin his dignity."

Yu Peng: "???"

Oh?

Reading guide: Both are each other's first and only.

Theme: I'll kill my way through the encirclement for you