The General's Tomb

[Sunny Female General x Gentle, Scheming Hostage Prince]

When the female general Shen Lanzhao returned victorious from battle, she was rewarded with rank and honors, admired by all and basking in glory.

At a gathering with friends, she heard that the once frail and delicate hostage prince of the Qingxuan Kingdom had transformed into a renowned court painter in Jinchuan City. He was exceptionally talented, handsome and graceful, and his painting skills earned endless praise even from the emperor.

One was a female general with a storied record of killing enemies on the battlefield; the other, a highly sought-after court painter renowned for his exquisite art.

Everyone thought the two could not possibly have anything to do with each other. Yet at a palace banquet, they were extraordinarily intimate.

Jiang Zijing gracefully took the seat beside Shen Lanzhao. His peach-blossom eyes shimmered, and his voice was endlessly gentle. As soon as he spoke, he stunned everyone:

"General Shen, have you had a chance to admire the painting I gave you?"

The court was abuzz with gossip.

Shen Lanzhao's head spun at this sudden display of affection, leaving her speechless: ???

What was he up to?!

That night, Shen Lanzhao endured what felt like an eternity beneath the resentful gazes of the noble ladies.

By the next day, rumors were flying through Jinchuan City about the dashing painter and the charming general.

Little did anyone know that the rumors and gossip were merely a smokescreen. Their true aim was to uncover the truth about what had happened years ago.

But Shen Lanzhao gradually realized that her ally seemed to be hiding something from her.

In the end, no secret could stay buried forever.

When Jiang Zijing told her the cruel truth himself,

she discovered that the enemy she had searched so long for had been by her side all along.

Heartbroken, she pressed the tip of her blade to his throat, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

Jiang Zijing only sneered. Shadows filled his peach-blossom eyes as he spoke coolly:

"My relationship with you was a scheme from the very beginning."

--

In prison, Jiang Zijing was covered in wounds, bound in shackles and chains, awaiting his sentence.

He was no longer Lord Jiang, the man who had once made a name for himself throughout Jinchuan. He was now a prisoner through and through.

He accepted every sin, giving up everything and willingly entering the trap,

to help her avenge her great wrong and clear the way for her future.

But he had little time left.

So even when Shen Lanzhao stood before him once more and asked, "Have you truly never hidden anything from me?"

Jiang Zijing only replied coolly, "No."

If he could not stay by her side, why give her hope and make her suffer for nothing?

--

On the day he was taken to the execution ground, the rain poured without end, and insults and curses followed him all the way.

He closed his eyes. As the blade fell,

Jiang Zijing seemed to see once more the woman with her striking features, sitting tall on horseback, full of heroic spirit.

Just as she had years ago, she stood surrounded by light and told everyone:

"I swear he is innocent. Please acquit him!"

## I have lived in darkness, while you are the morning sun that brings me light

[Reader's Guide]

- This is a one-on-one romance, with plenty of twists along the way but a happy ending.

- A reunion after a long separation, mutual unrequited love, and a story of redemption.

- The novel focuses more on the plot. The heroine's career takes center stage early on (our A-Zhao is single-minded), and the romance develops slowly. But don't worry, the hero is head over heels for her and utterly devoted from start to finish. Later, he has to go through a long road to win her back.

- The hero makes mistakes, and both sides had their difficulties back then. He never intended to hurt the heroine. You'll understand when you read the story.

- The setting is a fictional dynasty, with some elements inspired by the Tang Dynasty. Historical accuracy isn't the point, so please bear with any issues.

----------[Blurb for the upcoming novel below]----------

[Cool on the outside, passionate and secretly flirtatious older man x Socially anxious cutie who keeps getting into awkward mishaps]

Older man | Reunion after a long separation | Sweet romance | Redemption | Secret identity

Before graduating from college, Lu Xixue stumbled into an internship at a nationally renowned voice acting studio.

The boss, Meng Qianfan, was handsome and revered in the industry. He was quiet and expressionless, always seeming to warn strangers to stay away. Yet somehow, he made an exception for her time and again.

The day they first met, she got soaked in the rain and tripped. In her panic, she grabbed his coat, her mind going blank as she blurted out, "Don't get the wrong idea. I just want your WeChat."

She thought he would take her for a weirdo.

Instead, he paused, pulled out his phone, and said, "Should I scan yours?"

Then one night, she accidentally sent him a message while half-asleep.

When she woke up, she found that she had left a message in their chat: "I miss you."

The timestamp read 2 a.m., and there was no way to take it back!

The next second, he sent her a location: "Then why don't you come see me?"

And then, at a celebration banquet,

she lost a drinking game and drank far too much. She shouted to everyone, "Nobody move! He's mine!"

The whole room fell silent.

His lips twitched. He stood up, put an arm around her shoulders, and told everyone, "She's right."

Her coworkers said privately, "Meng Qianfan gives everyone that same cold look. But with Lu Xixue, he makes so many exceptions we've lost count."

Lu Xixue couldn't understand why he treated her so well,

until one day, she knocked his phone to the floor--

on the screen was the online friend who had been teaching her every day how to win Meng Qianfan over.

And the voice message she had just sent was marked: The other person is speaking...

--

Meng Qianfan, a top-tier star in the voice acting world, was handsome, came from a privileged family, and had reached the pinnacle of his career. He had countless devoted fans.

No one knew that for years, he had kept the voice of a girl in his heart--

She played games with an impressive array of moves and could trade insults with ease over text, but the moment she joined a voice chat, she would stammer.

It was as if she had become a different person.

He made an exception and added her as a friend. Every day, he soothed her to sleep and listened as she shared her troubles.

Then one day, she suddenly disappeared. Her profile picture went gray, and she never contacted him again.

Years passed in the blink of an eye. A new intern joined the studio.

She was cautious and timid, distant yet impulsive, a socially anxious mess who was always getting into one situation after another.

Yet as they spent more time together, she began to sound just like the girl in his memories.

He didn't expose her. That night, he logged into the old account again and sent a message to the profile picture that had lit up once more:

"Long time no see."

Theme: Let love and hate be clear, and bring peace to the realm