Eighty Thousand Springs in Half a Moment

(I'm sick in real life, so my update schedule and frequency are uncertain. I'll do my best to update every other day. Thank you for your support!) (Unless something comes up, updates will be posted before noon. Comments on this book are now open, and you can earn red envelopes by commenting.) 【A brilliant noblewoman strategist x a jade-faced general famed for his military exploits】 【A textbook example of an older-woman-younger-man romance + a male lead who secretly loves her, sweet on the outside and dark within】 In the bitter winter of the eleventh year of Taiyuan, a rare heavy snowfall blanketed Jianye. From atop a high terrace, Xie Chang looked down and saw a woman in a dark green cloak, holding a paper umbrella amid the swirling snow. Her clear black-and-white eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her lips were naturally red, her brows naturally dark. She was like a smoky peony, or a finely carved jade statue with a warm, lustrous glaze, walking toward him over fallen plum blossoms. His attendant told him that the plan to cross south this time had been proposed by this young lady. At a single glance, Xie Chang sensed a kindred spirit: just as clearheaded and self-possessed, just as perceptive. Wang Miaoyi had long heard of the fine reputation of the Xie family’s young men. Among their generation, Xie Xu was frail but graceful and handsome, while Xie Lian was aloof and reserved, with a gift for metaphysical discourse. Yet neither was as renowned as the young master Xie. An unknown man is beneath even an ant; a famous one is doubted by all. He killed anyone who stood in his way, be they gods or Buddhas, yet the world said he did it only for wealth and status. Mounted high on his horse, Xie Chang held his spear, his brows drawn in defiance as he declared: 【A true man leads an army into mortal danger for the sake of the nation and its people. How could it be for personal fame?】 *Reader's Guide 1. This is a fictional setting inspired by the Eastern Jin dynasty. History buffs, please look elsewhere. 2. Everything I write is strictly one-on-one romance! No angst! 3. The heroine is delicate but far smarter than everyone else. She's no naive, sweet girl. Upcoming Novel There are several upcoming novels on my profile. Feel free to browse and save the ones that suit your taste! 【Historical Romance: Marrying the Powerful Eunuch】 【Dignified young empress dowager x sickly, possessive eunuch】 【A fox who loves teasing kittens + dark, obsessive possessive love + carefully luring him in, step by step + a man who insists he can't fall in love, then loses himself anyway】 Pei Baozhu was renowned for her beauty. To secure her future, her father offered her to the ailing Emperor Hui as his new empress, hoping the marriage would bring him good fortune. But just after the investiture ceremony, Emperor Hui died of illness. And just like that, she became the empress dowager. Even more baffling was the man who kept appearing in her chambers: Xiao Chi, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, whom everyone called the Ninth-Thousand-Year Lord. Pei Baozhu had heard of his terrible reputation. Countless lives had ended at his hands, and his ruthlessness terrified everyone. She had also heard of his beauty. They said his looks were unmatched, darkly alluring. He defied the proper order, gripping her chin as he threatened her to obey. Yet whenever she was in danger, he always managed to save her. Gradually, things began to spiral out of control. Mini Scene 1 Xiao Chi grabbed the young woman's pale ankle, his fingers wandering. “Your Majesty, did you twist it here?” His boldness startled Pei Baozhu. “Let go! I am the empress dowager. How dare you behave like this?!” “The empress dowager?” Xiao Chi tugged her toward him and pinned her beneath him. His foxlike eyes traced her features as he smiled. “It seems improper or not, it doesn't matter anymore. Don't you think it's too late to run now, Your Majesty?” Theme: Born into troubled times, destined to rise