The Grand Secretary’s Pampered Wife

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S T E L L A R C L O U D

[Galetron]

O R A N G E S T A R

[Alma S.] [Christine G.-L.] [K.Rom]

[Lily J.] [Suong D.] [Tessy Ivy O.] [Victoria] [Ziana K.-P.]

Y E L L O W S T A R

[Anasi G.] [Passerby] [Xena]

G O L D S T A R

[Anne C.] [Nevy] [Roxanne C.]

R A I N B O W S T A R

[Debra W] [Smurfinbatik] [Scorpion Princess]

C E L E S T I A L C O N Q U E R O R

[Ava C.] [Kiiayame] [kuroneko_chan] [Manon] [Sophia W.] [Val Nes]

Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧∀≦*)

Before dawn, the eastern sky was shrouded in a blanket of gray, hinting that today would be an overcast day.

Ever since autumn set in, Shengdu had suddenly turned cold. It was not necessarily a bad thing, but for the people of Shengdu, who were used to the lingering summer heat, this abrupt chill carried an indescribable sense of unease.

The army was setting out today, and with such weather, it did not feel like a good omen.

Many people could not help but think pessimistically.

In a dilapidated alleyway on the outskirts of Shengdu, Li Shen had not slept the entire night.

He had sat there in a daze for hours on end, clutching a small iron token that had been worn smooth from years of handling.

It was only when he heard the sound of movement from the neighboring room that he finally tucked the token away, lifted the curtain, and headed to the kitchen.

He prepared a pot of millet porridge for his mother, steamed a few white flour buns, and boiled two eggs.

Since the last time the military had sent over his discharge payment and related compensations, he had managed to pay off the family’s debts.

There was even a small amount of silver left over, so they no longer had to scrape by as they had before.

He was reluctant to eat the eggs himself and instead brought them all to his mother.

By the time he entered his mother’s room, she had already risen, dressed meticulously, her hair neatly combed and shining, even wearing the hairpin from her wedding day.

“Mother, you…”

Seeing her so formally dressed all of a sudden, Li Shen felt unaccustomed to it.

His mother merely smiled and said, “Sit down and have breakfast.”

“Alright.” Li Shen sat down beside his mother, placed a spoon in her hand, and gently guided her other hand to the bowl of porridge.

His mother chuckled. “Enough, I’m not so blind that I can’t find my own food.”

Li Shen peeled two boiled eggs for her.

With practiced ease, his mother picked up one and placed it directly into his bowl without missing a beat. “You eat too. Don’t just worry about me.”

“I already ate.” Li Shen said.

His mother sighed. “My eyes may be blind, but my heart is not.”

Li Shen opened his mouth as if to protest. “Mother…”

His mother smiled wistfully. “I’ve packed your things. Once you finish breakfast, you should leave.”

Li Shen froze. He turned his head and looked around his mother’s room, and sure enough, there was a bundle placed neatly on the bed.

Astonished, he blurted out, “Mother, you…”

His mother smiled again. “While you were cooking, I went to your room and packed your things. See if I’ve forgotten anything. Once you leave the city, you won’t be able to come back for it.”

Li Shen picked up a bun, his voice tight. “…I never said I was leaving the city.”

His mother replied calmly, “You might be able to fool me, but can you fool yourself? Ever since that friend of yours from the military came by, you’ve been taking out that iron token every single day, staring at it endlessly. I may not be able to see, but I can feel it—its once-sharp edges have almost been worn smooth under your fingers.”

That last remark was, of course, an exaggeration. But every time she entered his room, she could feel the residual warmth left on that token.

Once or twice might have been a coincidence, but as the days passed, it became clear that he held onto it constantly, as if afraid to let go.

His mother sighed. “I may be blind, but I’m not deaf to the outside world. I’ve heard the news—The Han Family has fallen, the Black Wind Cavalry has changed hands. If they were able to return your discharge pay, then the new commander must be someone worth following. My son, you should go. We cannot allow those treacherous dogs from the State of Jin and the State of Liang to trample over our people!”

Li Shen’s heart trembled violently as he looked at his mother. “Mother…”

Lady Li spoke with a trace of regret. “All these years, it was I who held you back. I never received an education and can barely recognize a few characters, but I remember what you said before you enlisted. You swore to serve the court, to become the bravest general of the Great Yan. If not for me, you would have achieved that long ago.”

Li Shen shook his head hurriedly. “That’s not true, Mother. I—”

Lady Li patted the back of his hand. “Enough, there’s no need to say anything. If you linger any longer, you won’t make it in time. Hurry up and eat, then go. Don’t worry about me—I can take care of myself.”

“Mother…”

“Go, my son. Go and do what you must.”

Li Shen took a bite of the bun, but his throat felt swollen and tight, and his eyes burned.

He fought desperately to keep his tears from falling.

No one could understand the struggle in his heart.

This was the mother who had given birth to him, who had raised him through hardship. His father had passed away early, leaving his mother to toil and suffer just to bring him up. And yet, in the end, he could not even stay by her side to fulfill his filial duty—

“Mother!”

With a sudden, heavy thud, he knelt to the ground, bowing his head until his forehead struck the floor.

Three times.

His tears dripped onto the cold ground with an audible sound.

“Your unfilial son cannot repay the kindness of your love and care!”

Before departing for the border, he had no way of knowing whether he would return alive.

Just think of it as if you never had an unfilial son like me.

In the next life... in the next life, I will be your son again!

……

At Crane Tower, Zhao Dengfeng was dragged out of bed before dawn and sent to the kitchen to cook.

Ever since Gu Jiao had forcefully bought his restaurant through coercion, he had been reduced to nothing more than a cook.

Every day, it was either chopping vegetables or stir-frying dishes, and today was no exception.

But today, he was especially absent-minded.

The Han Family and the Nangong Family had openly rebelled, fleeing to the borderlands and colluding with the States of Jin and Liang, throwing open the gates of the frontier.

Even the Crown Princess, a mere woman, had to go to war in the Emperorʼs stead.

Her martial arts had long been crippled, rendering her no different from an ordinary person—no, that wasnʼt right. She was even worse off than an ordinary person, for an ordinary person wouldn’t have several iron nails embedded in their back.

The troops that could be mobilized across Shengdu were all gathering at the western city gate, and even Qiushan Town was sending a battalion.

The deputy general of that battalion was a regular at Crane Tower—a shameless braggart who boasted endlessly and flattered everyone in sight. He had racked up quite the tab at Crane Tower without any intention of ever paying it back.

Sending someone like that to war? Wasn’t that just handing the rebels free kills?

The more Zhao Dengfeng thought about it, the angrier he became, chopping furiously with his cleaver!

Cook Zheng, who was working beside him, noticed something off and frowned. ”Hey! Cook Zhao, why are you so worked up? Who pissed you off? And stop slamming that cleaver, or youʼll break it!”

Zhao Dengfeng snapped, ”Mind your own business!”

Cook Zheng was startled by the way he raised the cleaver. Remembering that this man had killed before, he decided not to argue, rolled his eyes, and walked away.

Outside, the sound of chaotic hoofbeats echoed through the streets...

Why chaotic? To an ordinary person, the rhythm still seemed quite orderly. But Zhao Dengfeng was a cavalryman from the Black Wind Army, and he could pick out a single horse out of step from miles away!

”What kind of soldier leads like this? What kind of training do they do? With riding skills like that, their formation will be a mess before the battle even begins!”

Chop!

Chop!

Chop! Chop! Chop!

Damn it all!

To hell with chopping!

Zhao Dengfeng slammed his cleaver onto the cutting board and stormed out!

Raz P.ʼs Thoughts

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Description:

In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.

When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.

The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.

From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.

***

Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.

After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, ”Scared?”

Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!”

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, ”The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?”

Shi Dai replied, ”Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!”

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

—

Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, ”Donʼt abandon me, alri—”

Shi Dai responded, ”Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah.”

Jiang Baiyan: ...?

He hasnʼt finished his lines yet though…