The first time Chu Yueli met Tuoba Feiyuan was when the girl was attempting to assassinate her fiancé, Lu Fengjin.
Tuoba Feiyuan failed and was captured, yet Lu Fengjin did not punish her. On the contrary, he found this female assassin to be quite unlike other young women.
"So, you are the daughter of Tuoba Hu?" Lu Fengjin narrowed his eyes, staring at the bedraggled, disheveled girl before him. "Raise your head and let this prince take a look."
Lu Fengjin was the war god Prince of Dongling, a man to whom every soldier in the army bowed in absolute obedience. Only this girl, facing his wrath, remained unyielding and haughty: "Kill me or carve me up, do as you please. If I, Tuoba Feiyuan, so much as frown, I am unfit to be the daughter of the desert's mighty hero!"
Her iron-willed spirit and soaring pride left a deep mark on Lu Fengjin’s heart.
Lu Fengjin reached out and gripped her chin, forcing her dirty, small face upward. "To be so presumptuous in front of this prince—you truly have no fear of death!"
"Let me go!" Unable to break free, Tuoba Feiyuan glared at him, seething. "You dog of a man, if you have any skill, just kill me!"
Instead of being angered by the insult, Lu Fengjin’s thin lips curled into a smirk. "You are the first woman to ever dare scold this prince. Ha! How interesting."
Chu Yueli felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest. The interaction between the two made her feel as though she had been relegated to a supporting role. Later, Lu Fengjin’s actions made this reality even clearer. She had truly become a mere footnote in their tale of mutual attraction and hostility.
To force Tuoba Feiyuan to reveal the remnants of the Tuoba Clan, Lu Fengjin had imprisoned her and taken charge of her interrogation himself. At the time, Lu Fengjin had soundly defeated Tuoba Hu and was overseeing the reorganization of his troops, preparing to return to the capital in triumph.
As a military strategist, Chu Yueli had little to do now that the battle was won; she spent her days reading or doing needlework. Her wedding to Lu Fengjin was set for the first of next month—a union arranged by her parents before their passing. Since childhood, she and Lu Fengjin had been a golden pair, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, the envy of all. Chu Yueli looked forward to the wedding with great anticipation, going so far as to sew her own bridal gown.
However, Lu Fengjin had seemed very busy lately. At first, he returned every day to dine with her, but soon, she could go the entire day without catching a glimpse of him. His men said he was occupied with rooting out the remnants of Tuoba Hu’s faction, spending his days galloping across the desert with Tuoba Feiyuan to coerce her into revealing the hiding spots of her clansmen.
It was said that Tuoba Feiyuan had a fiery temper and had initially been prepared to die for her cause.
"If she was prepared to die, why did she later give up the remnants of her clan?" Chu Yueli asked dismissively as her maid, Zisu, came to gossip.
Zisu replied, "They say the Prince finally convinced her, showing her that those people were evil men who had brutalized the border villagers. That is why she chose to betray her own kin for the sake of justice."
"So, Tuoba Feiyuan has performed a meritorious deed?" Chu Yueli’s needle slowed for a moment before she resumed her sewing.
Zisu scoffed. "Her father is a notorious bandit; even with a merit to her name, it cannot outweigh her crimes. But then again, the Prince is a hero of his generation; he wouldn't bicker with a young girl. Since she was willing to surrender the remnants, the Prince likely decided not to punish her."
Chu Yueli said nothing.
Zisu, never one to stay quiet, couldn't help but complain again. "But that Tuoba Feiyuan has such a terrible temper. She even tore up the Prince’s most beloved military manual."
"Oh?" Chu Yueli raised an eyebrow. "And the Prince didn't get angry?"
"He was furious at first, of course, and threw her into prison, but for some reason, he let her out later. And Miss, guess what happened after? That Tuoba Feiyuan became even more outrageous; she even wounded one of the soldiers who had participated in the raid on her father."
Chu Yueli’s expression darkened, turning grave. "How did the Prince deal with her?"
A little girl could be forgiven for minor antics, but injuring a soldier was a major crime! If she wasn't punished, how could he maintain discipline?
Zisu said indignantly, "The Prince said that since she had just suffered the destruction of her home and family, her distress and agitation were understandable. He gave her a few light strokes and sent her back to rest."
A sense of unease flickered in Chu Yueli’s heart. The general who had led the troops to surround and suppress Tuoba Hu was her own eldest brother, Chu Xiaohe.
Before Chu Yueli could say another word, a rapid knocking sounded at the door. "Miss Li, it’s bad! General Chu has met with an accident!"