Chapters
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Chapter 21: Killing Intent Under the Lanterns Epigraph: "During the Lantern Festival, she insisted I go out. Under the myriad of brilliant lanterns, she brushed the falling snow from my shoulders, like ordinary lovers. Until an arrow split the air, and she pushed me away with no surprise in her eyes—it turned out this assassination was part of her game all along." --- My shoulder wound was gradually healing, the New Year had passed, and blink, it was the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival in…-
86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 20 Vinegar Fire Epigraph: "I thought the scar on my shoulder was my only mark, until Li Shishi saw the letter from Lu Junyi. She twirled the paper between her fingers and chuckled, 'Your elder brother is more troublesome than Tong Guan.' That night, she knocked over the vinegar jar, and the entire small courtyard was filled with sourness." --- The wound on her shoulder throbbed, a constant reminder to Yan Qing of the bloody covenant that night. As promised, she was "recuperating" in the small…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Sumo? Sumo! Quote: "Sumo wrestling in the training ground is no different from a public execution. When Li Kui's tower-like body charged at me, only one thought ran through my mind—is it too late to play dead now?" --- The morning horn sounded like a death knell, piercing the mist and also the fragile nerves of Yan Qing. She had barely slept. Fragments of her transmigration since arriving kept replaying in her mind, along with endless worries about the future. The bowl of…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 19 Chapter Nineteen: The Stratagem of Self-Inflicted Injury Epigraph: "As Li Shishi's dagger plunged into my shoulder, I saw the resolve in her eyes. 'This stab is for Tong Guan,' she whispered in my ear, 'and it is also our pledge of allegiance.'" --- The appearance of Tong Guan's secret envoy was like a stone cast into a hidden current, not causing a tidal wave but accelerating the churning beneath the surface. Following Li Shishi's instructions, Yan Qing did not respond hastily. Instead,…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen: Returning the Scheme Epigraph: "I thought Li Shishi's plan was already a risky gambit, until Tong Guan's secret envoy showed up, hinting that he could help me replace Song Jiang. I smiled and agreed, then turned and soaked the secret letter in vinegar—revealing the second piece of intelligence for Li Shishi." --- The secret meeting by Jinming Pool was like a massive stone dropped into Yan Qing's heart lake, its ripples lingering long after. She knew she had embarked on a…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 17 Chapter 17: The Conspiracy by Jinming Pool Quote: "After her heart was cut out on a snowy night, she took me to Jinming Pool. Pointing at the frozen lake, she said: 'Look, this Great Song is like this ice layer, seemingly solid, but it shatters with a single blow.' Then she handed me a list—on it were twelve disgruntled generals holding military power." --- The dissection of hearts on a snowy night had torn away the last veil of ambiguity between them. After that, Li Shishi no longer…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen: Heart Laid Bare on a Snowy Night Epigraph: "I thought the humiliation at Drunken Immortal Pavilion was the end, until Li Shishi came through the snow, shed her fine clothes, and pointed to the scar on her chest, saying, 'Look, this is the real me.' In that moment, I understood that the brothel was merely her most formidable armor." --- After the banquet at Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Yan Qing confined herself to the newly acquired small courtyard, not emerging for three full…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 15 Chapter Fifteen: A Night Banquet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion Prologue: "I thought Li Shishi's invitation was an elegant affair, until I stepped into the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and saw a hall filled with high officials and nobles. She pressed me before the zither and said softly, 'Play a tune, no one here thinks you're a hero.'" --- After the matter of Shi Xiu and the lesson of the Gold Melon Seeds, Yan Qing spent several days in quiet contemplation at the inn. She began to adjust…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen: A Thousand Gold Pieces to Buy Horse Bones Prologue: "I thought Liangshan's name would earn respect, but Li Shishi merely chuckled: 'Jianghu loyalty is worth less than a peck of pearls in Tokyo.' She casually gave the messenger boy a gold melon seed and told me this is how things are done." --- After hiding the胭脂 (rouge) box with its hidden secrets, Yan Qing remained in the inn for another two days. She needed time to process the complex information conveyed by Li Shishi…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen: Rouge and Powder Conceal a Sharp Edge Epigraph: "I thought they handed me a box of ordinary rouge, only to find poisoned silver needles hidden inside. Li Shishi said lightly, 'Gifts from Tokyo are always rather unique.'" --- Imperial Physician Chen's diagnosis of "imbalance of Yin and Yang" was like a searing brand, causing Yan Qing both embarrassment and, strangely, a layer of protection. She carefully put away the illegible prescription; it would serve as "authoritative…
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86.5 K • Ongoing
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