Chapter 1 (The fallen princess)
Chapter One
The Fallen Princess
The cold wind blew through the broken wooden window as Bai Rouxi sat silently on a worn-out bench inside the small cottage. The once-powerful princess now lived in a poor village hidden far away from the imperial capital.
Her fingers tightened around the cup of tea in her hand as her beautiful yet emotionless eyes stared into space.
Three years.
Three years had passed since the destruction of Shengdong.
Once, she had lived in a magnificent palace surrounded by loyal servants and respected generals. Now, she slept on a tattered bed in a tiny wooden house that could barely protect her from the rain.
A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
“Once a princess… and now, nothing more than a poor girl hiding from the world.”
Slowly, she stood up and walked toward the cracked mirror hanging on the wall. The face staring back at her was no longer the face of Bai Rouxi, the Princess of Shengdong.
After escaping the massacre, she had undergone a painful face-changing procedure to erase her former identity. No one would recognize her now.
Her eyes suddenly darkened with hatred.
“Gu Yichen…”
The name alone was enough to make her blood boil.
The man she once loved.
The man she trusted with her heart.
The man who destroyed everything.
She still remembered the night Shengdong fell. The flames that swallowed the palace. The cries of soldiers dying on the battlefield. The blood flowing across the cold marble floors.
And above all…
Gu Yichen standing before her in black armor with a sword stained by her people’s blood.
“I’m sorry, Rouxi,” he had said calmly. “But the throne matters more than love.”
At that moment, her entire world shattered.
A loud knock suddenly came from the door, pulling her away from her thoughts.
“Rouxi! Rouxi!”
A young girl’s voice echoed outside.
Bai Rouxi quickly calmed herself before opening the door. A cheerful village girl stood there with a basket of herbs in her hands.
“Suyin?” Rouxi asked softly.
The girl smiled brightly. “You’ve been inside all day again. Are you trying to become a ghost?”
Rouxi forced a faint smile. “I was simply resting.”
Suyin entered the cottage and placed the basket on the table.
“The villagers are talking about the selection ceremony in the imperial palace,” she said excitedly. “They’re choosing new palace maids and servants next week.”
Rouxi’s expression froze for a brief moment.
“The imperial palace…” she murmured.
“That’s right!” Suyin nodded. “They say Emperor Gu Yichen himself will attend the ceremony.”
The room instantly became silent.
A dangerous glint flashed across Bai Rouxi’s eyes.
For three years, she had hidden in the shadows, waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity.
And now…
The chance had finally come.
She slowly clenched her fists.
Gu Yichen had stolen her kingdom, murdered her family, and turned her life into a nightmare.
This time, she would return everything he gave her.
Pain.
Betrayal.
And destruction.
Bai Rouxi looked toward the distant imperial capital through the window, her eyes cold and unreadable.
“Prepare yourself, Gu Yichen,” she whispered.
“The woman you betrayed is coming back.”
The next morning, the village was unusually lively.
People filled the streets while merchants shouted loudly, trying to attract customers. Young women dressed in their best clothes gathered near the town square, all hoping to be selected as palace servants.
Inside the cottage, Bai Rouxi quietly tied her hair into a simple bun before wearing a plain blue dress. Her appearance was calm and ordinary, making it impossible for anyone to connect her to the former princess of Shengdong.
Suyin entered the room excitedly.
“Rouxi! Hurry up or we’ll be late for the registration!”
Bai Rouxi nodded silently and followed her outside.
As they walked through the crowded streets, Suyin could not stop talking.
“They said the palace has become even more beautiful since Emperor Gu Yichen took over,” she said dreamily. “People say he’s handsome, powerful, and extremely intelligent.”
Rouxi’s eyes turned cold.
Handsome?
Powerful?
The villagers admired him as a great emperor without knowing the blood hidden beneath his crown.
A man who destroyed an entire kingdom for power did not deserve admiration.
Soon, they arrived at the registration hall. Hundreds of women stood in long lines while palace guards carefully observed them.
“Next!” one official shouted.
Suyin nervously stepped forward first while Rouxi stood quietly behind her.
After writing down their names, the official looked up lazily.
“Name?”
“Suyin.”
The man nodded before turning toward Bai Rouxi.
“And yours?”
Rouxi paused briefly.
Her real name could never appear inside the palace records.
“Li Yue,” she answered calmly.
The official wrote it
