Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I only learned the truth of what happened in my past life much later.

Xu Nianci had been happily setting off for her wedding, but during a stop at the Matchmaker Temple to pray for blessings and rest, a female thief had slipped through the window and struck her acupoints to render her mute.

The thief then tore off her bridal veil, stripped her of her wedding gown, and usurped her place as the bride.

Trapped in a pitch-black hidden compartment within the bridal sedan chair, Xu Nianci had listened as her groom led the fake bride away.

Later, it wasn’t until after Luo Qian’s death that we found a charred corpse inside the remains of the sedan chair in the back courtyard.

The servant who set the fire had been paid to do the deed; he had no idea there was someone inside.

“Thank you for saving me, Lord Fu. Before the wedding night begins, I must go and expose that imposter.”

I stopped her.

“Miss Xu, I tracked her all the way here. I tested her several times in the main hall and nearly managed to lift that woman’s veil, but I didn’t expect…”

“Didn’t expect what?”

Qi Feng caught my look and continued, “We didn’t expect General Yuchi to shield her in his arms in front of everyone, blocking her completely, and even personally picking up the veil for her.”

Xu Nianci froze for a moment.

I added another piece to the puzzle at the right moment: “Forgive my presumption, but has General Yuchi ever seen your face?”

Xu Nianci’s face turned pale. She clenched her fists, her voice trembling. “He… he has.”

“In that case, it is highly likely that Yuchi Wei and that female thief are accomplices.”

Xu Nianci realized who I was suspecting.

“Lord Fu, is it not enough to simply arrest that woman?”

“Miss Xu, there is something you do not know. That woman is no ordinary thief. She stole the Capital Defense Map, and Yuchi Wei is a General of the First Rank. This involves the capital crime of treason. I must proceed with extreme caution. Miss Xu, if Yuchi Wei truly has committed treason and you do not sever ties with him today, your entire family will be implicated and executed in the future!”

In an instant, Xu Nianci didn’t even dare to let her tears fall.

“He… he… would he really…”

I led her out of the sedan chair and pointed to the servant lying on the ground.

“If we hadn’t arrived in time, you would have been burned alive.”

Xu Nianci could barely keep her footing.

I had Qi Feng deal with the servant and the maid, then told Xu Nianci to change into the maid’s clothes.

“You needn’t worry about wrongly accusing him. I will take you to see for yourself exactly what his relationship is with that female spy.”

Qi Feng and I took the real bride, now disguised as a maid, and crept toward the main courtyard.

When we reached the vicinity of the bridal chamber, Qi Feng lured away the maid guarding the door, and Xu Nianci took her place without a sound.

“Stand here quietly. Do not raise your head.”

I pushed the door open and entered.

Inside the bridal chamber, the two maids from the Xu Family who had accompanied the bride had been knocked unconscious on the floor.

Luo Qian was tending to a wound.

“Who’s there!”

When she turned and saw it was me, she actually let out a sigh of relief.

“And here I was wondering who it could be. So it’s Lord Fu, who has been chasing me all day.”

Luo Qian stood up, spread her arms, and curled her lips into a smirk. “Fu Yao, I am now under the protection of the General’s Mansion. What can you possibly do to me?”

I gazed at her silently.

In my past life, I had only met her once-the moment I killed her.

She actually had the naivety to think I wouldn’t dare kill someone inside the General’s Mansion.

“You’ve married him by impersonating Xu Nianci. Aren’t you afraid Yuchi Wei will kill you?”

Luo Qian showed no fear at all.

“You don’t know? He and I were childhood sweethearts. No matter what I do, he won’t hold it against me. Especially not a small matter like this.”

“A small matter?” I sneered. “Is stealing the Capital Defense Map also a small matter?”

Luo Qian refused to admit it.

“I am certain the Capital Defense Map is still on your person.”

I pressed forward, grabbing her by the collar. Just as I was about to search her, Luo Qian suddenly fell backward, crashing heavily against the dressing table.

“Fu Yao, what are you doing here?”

A cold blade, sharp as frost, whistled past my ear, severing a lock of my hair.

I was forced to let go of her and turn to face Yuchi Wei.

Luo Qian immediately scrambled behind him.

Yuchi Wei glared at me with fury.

“Fu Yao, you dare to strike out at Qian Qian again and again on my territory? Have you no sense of restraint?”

I stared at him, my tone dripping with irony. “Restraint? Yuchi Wei, is this ‘Qian Qian’ of yours the bride you were supposed to marry tonight?”

Yuchi Wei’s expression faltered slightly, as if he knew he was in the wrong.

“Qian Qian and I are old, dear friends. If you hadn’t been relentlessly pursuing her, why would she have been forced to seek my help! I am merely using the wedding to give her temporary shelter. I believe Nianci will understand. She isn’t like you; she isn’t so heartless.”

“Understand? Have you considered where Xu Nianci is right now? Are you at all concerned for her safety?”

Yuchi Wei remained composed.

“I know where she is. She’s in the sedan chair. Once tonight is over, I will personally go and fetch her. I’ll just say I spent the whole night searching for her.”

In the dim shadows of the night, the slender figure by the door began to tremble.

I had to make sure Xu Nianci heard this with her own ears. Only then would she give up on him and become my best witness.

“Yuchi Wei, Miss Xu is a lady of noble birth. For the sake of a female thief, you would wrong her by making her spend her wedding night curled up in the hidden compartment of a sedan chair?”

Yuchi Wei avoided my gaze, his expression remaining unchanged.

“It is a matter of expediency, nothing more than a necessary choice.”

Luo Qian chimed in, seizing the opportunity. “Exactly! So what if she’s a high-born young lady? She only has to suffer for one night, but it saves my life! Isn’t that exactly what ‘doing a good deed’ is all about?”

Just then, a guard rushed in to report.

“General, something has gone wrong… The bridal sedan chair from the Xu Family is on fire!”

Yuchi Wei spun around abruptly. The sword in his hand wavered, and his face turned deathly pale.

“What… what did you say?!”