Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The Death of General Zhan Huang

"Zhan Lan, do you still think you're the Empress, the mighty General Zhan Huang? And now, are you not just a prisoner at the foot of the stairs?"

The bone-chilling wind of winter blew through the broken window into the damp and stinking Heavenly Prison.

Clad in prison garb, Zhan Lan was covered in scars with her tendons in hands and feet severed, wretchedly shackled by two rusty chains.

She was the adopted daughter of the General Mansion of Nanjin, married to the least favored Prince Si Jun, with her military exploits helping him ascend the throne and personally battling to protect their lands.

Returning from the battlefield, in her own Kunning Palace, she witnessed her husband who had never laid a hand on her, entwined in a desperate embrace with Xuerou, the legitimate daughter from the General Mansion.

Subsequently, her Deputy General was captured, and she too was accused of conspiracy and imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison.

Dressed in finery and looking radiant, the succeeding Empress Xuerou walked over gently, her icy dagger slicing across Zhan Lan's cheek.

Amidst Zhan Lan's painful groans, Xuerou whispered in her ear, "Your husband, sister has been with him in your stead. That year when His Majesty was indisposed and did not consummate the marriage with you, in fact..."

Xuerou covered her face with a laugh, "We were passionately entwined each night until dawn. His Majesty was quite ardent! Such a shame, sister, with such peerless beauty but unaware of the principle of pleasing the man."

Xuerou gently tapped on Zhan Lan's face, roughened by the border's windswept sands.

She continued in a soft voice, alluringly smiling, "Considering you're about to die, let sister tell you a secret; you are the true legitimate daughter of the General Mansion. Your devoted mother of over twenty years, Lady Li, is my birth mother!"

"The position of legitimate daughter, your parents' boundless affection, truly wonderful!"

Under Zhan Lan's shocked expression, Xuerou's face was filled with pride, "And also, I, along with the second branch, Aunt Ji Yue's family, righteously exterminated our own, and your grandparents, parents, elder brother, and younger siblings each met their fates..."

Listening to Xuerou detailing the tragic ends of her family, Zhan Lan clenched her fists in anguish and fury but could not muster any strength, trembling all over like leaves in the autumn wind.

She never would have imagined the seemingly delicate Xuerou, would have swapped fates with her from the day they were born!

And the mother she had sworn to protect with her life was a fake. With towering hatred, Zhan Lan fiercely bit at the hand Xuerou reached out to her.

"Bitch!" Xuerou abruptly withdrew her hand, blood bursting forth from her finger instantly.

Zhan Lan's lips were bloodied, the taste of blood permeating her throat.

"Stop! Rou'er, are you alright?" A woman who hesitated with a hint of regret, not intending to appear, quickly stepped into the cell.

Holding a handkerchief, she grasped Xuerou's hand, her face full of concern.

Startled, Zhan Lan realized that was Lady Li, the mother she had called for twenty-one years!

This was a level of concern she had never seen from Lady Li before.

If not for being threatened with Lady Li's life, she would not have surrendered after defeating hundreds of the Imperial Army!

But now, she realized her own birth was a plot!

Lady Li dared not meet Zhan Lan's gaze, fierce as a King Beast. Stammeringly, she said, "Rou'er has always been frail since childhood. I just wanted her to be well cared for. Besides, my husband died protecting your father; we deserve this!"

As she said this, Lady Li straightened up a bit, the guilt on her face vanishing in an instant.

"Don't blame me or Rou'er. Aunt Ji Yue's family of three and the second branch have now received His Majesty's recognition and rewards. Have you ever wondered why?"

Upon hearing this from Lady Li, Zhan Lan felt as if all strength had been drained from her body!

They were all in it together!

No wonder, over the years, Lady Li had been distant and harsh toward her!

"Liar! Disgusting!" The chains on Zhan Lan's arms clanked, but her limbs felt no strength, and blood spurted from her mouth.

She's been poisoned!

Just now, in the Heavenly Prison, she drank the water brought by the palace maid close to her, no, it was poison!

At this moment, the poison has taken effect, and having lost her power, the maid Qinglian defected to Zhan Xuerou.

Zhan Lan endured endless suffering, bathed in blood to rise like a phoenix, and became the General Zhan Huang in the hearts of the people, becoming Empress Zhan.

But in the end, her family was harmed, everything that belonged to her, all turned to bubbles!

Zhan Xuerou looked down at her injured finger, her face full of sinister and vicious colors, "Mother, why waste words with her, His Majesty is kind, poisoning her is letting her off too easy, better to turn her into a punished slave, to torture her daily!"

"His Majesty has arrived!" A sharp, chicken-like voice rang out, and Zhan Xuerou immediately turned into the appearance of someone who had been bullied.

Si Jun, wearing a golden yellow dragon robe, stood in a beam of sunlight that stung Zhan Lan's eyes.

The man caught sight of Zhan Xuerou's injured hand and Zhan Lan's bloodied lip corner in a glance, and strode forward to grab Zhan Lan's throat, angrily saying, "You dare to hurt Rou'er!"

"Your Majesty, it's all Rou'er's fault, after all, we are sisters, it's because she is angry at me for taking her place!" Zhan Xuerou's voice was soft, like a ball of cotton.

Si Jun's hand tightened, Zhan Lan coughed violently twice, raising her eyes to see Si Jun looking at her with disgust, saying, "You were never worthy to be the Empress, if not for my father Emperor's imperial marriage, I would never have married an adopted daughter!"

This is his shame!

He is the illegitimate son of Emperor Xuanwu, and Zhan Lan is just an adopted daughter of the General Mansion, his father disdained him so!

To marry such a lowly woman to him!

Zhan Lan sneered, "A bastard dog emperor, in the end, you still married a lowly adopted daughter!"

Si Jun's face collapsed, fortunately, no one in the world knew that Zhan Xuerou was actually the adopted one.

Si Jun sneered contemptuously, his next words stabbed into Zhan Lan's heart like a sharp knife, "Xiao Chen, Li Sui, Huang Gun, their corpses now hang on the city gate together with your father!"

"Scoundrel!" Zhan Lan's eyes were bloodshot, killing intent and rage rolling in her heart.

She looked towards the war spear Wuming casually thrown on the ground, wishing she could kill this pair of dogs right now!

Si Jun looked at her indifferently, kicking the war spear away with his foot, with a clang, the war spear landed at Zhan Lan's feet.

"General Zhan Huang? The people truly respect you, huh! Ha, but can you even lift that war spear now? In consideration of our marriage, I bestow you with poison to keep your corpse intact!"

With a creak, the iron door was pushed open once again, Si Jun was taken aback, seeing the newcomer he reverently said, "Regent King, why have you returned?"

Mu Yan, who had hurried back, could not hide his handsome and sharp aura, with a black mole at the corner of his eye adding a touch of bewitching charm, he glanced at Si Jun with a cold expression, saying firmly, "Such matters, I handle more effectively."

Si Jun hated Mu Yan's disregard for everything.

But his control over the imperial court was not stable, and he still needed Mu Yan to intimidate the court officials, so he could only respectfully say, "Imperial Uncle, please proceed as you wish!"

Si Jun left with Zhan Xuerou's hand in his, leaving only Mu Yan and Zhan Lan in the room.

Zhan Lan never thought that the Regent King, with whom she had only had a few encounters, would come to see her.

Now twenty-nine years old, his presence was formidable, more kingly than Si Jun, standing there exerting a powerful pressure.

Could it be that this Regent King, with his hands stained in blood, had come to finish her personally?

However, the poison would soon claim her life, was there still a need for this?

Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Clothes Removed

Mu Yan approached her, bending down to pick up the spear named Wuming. His clearly defined fingers tightly grasped the spear in his hand.

Swirling with various emotions, Mu Yan's eyes turned towards the dying Zhan Lan, he spoke in a deep voice, "General Zhan Huang, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?"

Zhan Lan looked at Mu Yan, using her last bit of strength, she said, "Imperial Uncle, I beseech you to bury me together with the spear Wuming!"

"Where?"

"At the foot of Putuo Temple!"

"That place is the royal Dragon Vein!" Complexity filled Mu Yan's eyes, as souls wronged beneath the Dragon Vein could endanger the current dynasty!

Zhan Lan let out a chilling laugh, "Mu Yan, don't you also desire this empire? Even if I become a ghost, I will curse those like Si Jun to hell, and support you from there, how about that?"

Zhan Lan's gaze was like that of a phoenix rising from the ashes, staring at Mu Yan.

She believed her words would definitely reach the ears of the suspicious Si Jun.

Stirring trouble before death!

Zhan Lan would rather the treacherous Mu Yan, who climbed his way to the Regent King's throne, take over the empire!

She spat out a mouthful of blood, as the poison inside her body took full effect.

Moments before her death, Mu Yan's trembling body supported her.

Her body was so cold, so cold, darkness clouded her vision as she lost her vitality.

...

So hot!

Zhan Lan, groggy, felt an intense burning all over her body, and a splitting headache as she opened her eyes.

Under the light of the candles, she lay on a soft bed, and a greasy face appeared before her, the man sitting by the bed lewdly undoing her robe ties.

He was exceptionally ugly, resembling a toad.

Bearing the intense heat in her body, Zhan Lan punched the man in the temple, and he groaned as he fell.

Zhan Lan shook her hand, feeling the pain emanating from her joints, confirming this was no dream.

Especially the man attempting to assault her, uniquely ugly, that face was hard to forget.

Zhu Touyuan, Zhan Qingqing's fiancé!

At fourteen, the same scene had occurred.

The burning in her body and the pain in her hands felt incredibly real. Could it be that she was reborn!

However, the strength in her body now was clearly weaker than before, and just using that bit of strength, her joints ached.

This force could only temporarily knock Zhu Touyuan unconscious; he would wake up shortly.

Zhan Lan pushed open the door, and in the night-ridden Ding'an City, the largest tavern, Zhaixing Building, was brightly lit.

Occasionally, lightly dressed girls from the brothel across - Heavenly Immortal Building - hurried into the rooms to entertain their patrons.

Those who came here were all dignitaries, who preferred the girls to come to Zhaixing Building due to their status instead of entering the brothel themselves.

Fortunately, the tavern was noisy at night, and various sounds drowned out the noise from this side.

Zhan Lan staggered just a few steps outside when she noticed several men with knives downstairs; she stepped back to dodge.

Using her memories from the previous life, she knew these were men hired by Aunt Ji Yue and her daughter Zhan Qingqing.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand and a strong arm loosely embraced her into his chest, a faint woody scent entered her nose.

As if compensating for her encounter with the toad-like man, she suddenly looked up, a man with an extremely handsome lower half of his face smiled lightly, "My lady, life is short in the spring night, why not come inside?"

Zhan Lan hadn't gotten a full look at the man's face before she was pulled into the room.

The door was shut from the inside, the candle extinguished, and Zhan Lan's body softened as she was thrown onto the bed.

The candlelight from outside the room flickered in, shining bright then dim.

From the wolf's den to a tiger's lair.

Zhan Lan, already affected by the Leisurely Powder, felt dizzy and unbearably hot all over, as the man's body propped beside hers on both sides, and she looked up to see his poised and handsome figure.

The man seemed to also sense the peculiarity of her condition, as he leaned over, a deep and beguiling voice reached Zhan Lan's ears, "If you're feeling so uncomfortable, just scream out!"

Though the voice was ambiguous, Zhan Lan felt a chill at her waist, as a dagger pressed there.

It seemed, he mistook her for a brothel girl, not appearing as a customer but with a threatening meaning, urging her to scream out.

"No!" Zhan Lan, her face flushed, refused, but under the influence of the medicine, she let out a soft moan.

"Feigning defeat to gain the upper hand, huh!" The man watched the vaguely visible figure outside the door with a smile.

There were no lights on inside the room, and Zhan Lan also saw the figure as she turned her head; it turned out that the man was merely putting on a show for those who were watching him from outside.

The sharp blade moved closer, pressing against Zhan Lan's waist.

"Please, be gentle, young master," Zhan Lan reluctantly cooperated with him.

The man's dagger moved a few inches away from her waist.

"Then it depends on your skills!" The man said with a smile that was not quite a smile.

The two of them pretended to flirt and quarrel, creating suggestive noises inside the room that could be heard from outside.

After a moment, the shadow outside the window disappeared.

Zhan Lan was drugged, and now the man was her antidote. She felt his hot breath as he drew near and the strange emotions stirring inside her body.

If she didn't stop now, she would surely make a grave mistake.

Although her body was so hot that she felt like going mad, and the man's attractive physique was hard to resist,

having been reborn, she would not let herself fall into a man's hands.

Her life had only one goal left—revenge!

Thinking of this, Zhan Lan swiftly grasped the dagger in the man's hand, snatched it with force, and kicked it away.

The palm of Zhan Lan's hand was cut by the dagger, and blood splashed onto the bed instantly.

"You are quite ruthless to yourself!" The man was slightly shocked, but Zhan Lan recovered her senses under the pain.

The man pressed his hand over Zhan Lan's wrist through her clothes, his expression cold; suddenly, he felt a coldness at his neck, and Zhan Lan swiftly turned over, gaining the upper hand, her hair cascading like a waterfall, and a hairpin pressed against the man's neck.

"Take off your clothes!" Zhan Lan's voice was cold in the man's ear.

The man looked at Zhan Lan coldly, impressed by her boldness.

With a flick of her finger, Zhan Lan caused his belt to instantly slide off.

The man, seemingly curious about what she intended to do, sat up and nonchalantly took off his robe.

The flickering candlelight fell on the man's robust figure as he leisurely threw his long robe to Zhan Lan.

The man examined Zhan Lan, having never encountered such a fierce young woman who dared threaten a man to undress!

Zhan Lan couldn't help but glance at the man's physique—it was indeed impressive!

But after that one glance, she regained her composure; men—she did not want to indulge in them in this lifetime!

However, in the dim room, although she could not clearly see the man's face, his voice sounded somewhat familiar, perhaps from a past life!

Zhan Lan touched the money pouch at her waist and tossed a piece of broken silver onto the bed.

"We are merely using each other. Take this silver and buy a new one!" Tall among women, Zhan Lan put on the man's outer robe, rolled up the sleeves, adjusted her hair, and rushed out the door.

Dressed as a man, she bowed her head and hugged a brothel girl about to leave, disappearing into the night.

...

Quarter of an hour later, in the Zhaixing Building, a handsome young master pushed the door open and saw the man lying on the bed, unable to hold back his laughter.

"Haha, the mighty Seal Keeper of the Xingtian Department was stripped by a little girl! Big brother, this is not like you!" The handsome young master said while handing over a robe.

"Shut up!" The man stood up grimly, his face dark as he took the robe and put it on.

"Ouch! That girl even left a piece of broken silver, big brother, don't tell me you were mistaken for a cheap inn! Tsk, tsk, tsk, just half an hour, it seems you didn't satisfy the lady, such a small amount of silver!" The handsome young master was irreverently teasing.

"Bai Chen, are you seeking death?" The man slowly rose from the bed, towering half a head taller than the handsome young master, exuding a tremendous sense of oppression.

"Just joking!" Bai Chen immediately backed down in the face of Mu Yan's murderous look.

Mu Yan's slender fingers picked up the piece of broken silver and looked at the bloodstain on the bed, he coldly laughed: "There are still such bold women around!"

"Big brother, should we check on her?"

"No need, not interested! Recently, the surveillance on that side has been increasingly strict, be more cautious in your actions." Mu Yan coldly took the robe handed to him, put it on, and walked out of the room.

Bai Chen also changed his frivolous demeanor, everything clear in his heart.

...

Chapter 3: Chapter 3 The First Prey

General Mansion's back door, Zhan Lan vaulted into the backyard.

She pushed open the door to her room, a small yet neat and tidy room with only a wooden bed, a pine table, and a carved cabinet along with a copper mirror.

Starting over, she knew since she was affected by the Leisurely Powder, she could find its antidote.

She took out a medicine pouch from her bosom and swallowed an antidote for the Leisurely Powder.

Just now when she passed by the medical hall, she bought a packet of pills, leaving only a few Copper Coins in her purse.

Zhan Lan took off the man's clothes.

Under the lamp light, she noticed the material of the clothes was Shu brocade, a dark long robe embroidered with gold threads.

It seemed this man's identity was not low; such exquisite and complicated craftsmanship, along with a certain amount of gold thread, must be worth at least several hundred taels of silver!

After all, if it were a common household, a few taels of silver could suffice for several months!

Zhan Lan put away the long robe and changed into her own clothes, musing that this man was very dangerous, and it would be best to avoid him in the future.

After bandaging her wound, she heard the sounds of the night watchman.

A little later, her maid Qinglian would be back.

According to the memories of her last life, tomorrow morning, Aunt Ji Yue and her illegitimate daughter Qingqing would go to Zhaixing Building to catch a cheater.

The reason was that her grandfather secured a chance for the Zhan Family grandchildren to attend the Book Forest Conference.

Since as an adopted daughter, Zhan Lan was also eligible to attend, Aunt Ji Yue naturally was not pleased.

Additionally, next month Qingqing was to marry her betrothed fiancé Zhu Touyuan; she didn't want to marry and thus hoped to make Zhan Lan replace her in marriage by seducing the man.

This way, Zhan Lan could be married off instead!

In her previous life, Zhan Lan saw the assassin, and to avoid attention, jumped out of the window and escaped the calamity but also twisted her ankle, taking a month to recover.

In this life, she wouldn't let them have their way!

Aside from Si Jun, Aunt Ji Yue and the second branch's family schemed endlessly, causing her to lose her loved ones and comrades-in-arms.

Her father Zhan Beicang and her subordinate Deputy General's bodies were hung on the city wall for seven days and nights!

Zhan Peng slandered her older brother Zhan Hui of having illicit relations with a concubine, was gouged out his eyes, was castrated, and turned into a broken man, who took his life out of disgrace!

Her younger sister Zhan Rui, tortured by an elder fond of young girls, and when her mother Qin Shuang and her brother Zhan Heng went to seek justice, they were burnt to death by someone!

In this life, she was reborn to clean up the scum of the General Mansion one by one!

Zhan Lan's eyes swirled with flames of hatred.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open and footsteps sounded from afar, approaching step by step towards Zhan Lan's boudoir.

Zhan Lan's gaze was freezing cold, she extinguished the candle, sat at the table, and with her left hand, gently tapped on the table as she quietly awaited her first prey.

After a short while, the door creaked open, and a maid sneaked into Zhan Lan's room.

The maid holding a Fire Lighter lit up the surroundings, placed a letter by Zhan Lan's bedside, and then attempted to leave.

As she turned around, she saw Zhan Lan's face under the firelight.

Qinglian shuddered, panic-stricken, she said: "Miss, why are you..."

Zhan Lan grasped her wrist, looking disdainfully at the maid before her.

On the surface, Qinglian was her maid, but in fact, she was Qingqing's confidante, and later, she sided with Zhan Xuerou.

Indeed, she was adept at seeing which way the wind blew, betraying trust effortlessly!

It was Qinglian, who followed her from the General Mansion to Kunning Palace for over a decade, who personally poisoned her.

Regretfully back then she was blind to not have spotted such a huge threat by her side!

Indeed, a dog shouldn't be fed too full, and people should not be treated too well!

"Why can't I be here? This is my boudoir, Qinglian, is it you who wants to steal something?" Zhan Lan's hand clenched around Qinglian's neck.

Qinglian's pupils dilated, she knew Miss Zhan Lan practiced martial arts, but she had never felt such strength before.

At this moment, her neck felt like a chopstick before that force, easily breakable.

Zhan Lan, only fourteen, had always concealed her prowess.

She never showed her strength in front of her sisters, because her grandfather told her, "Tall trees catch much wind."

If not for her encounter with Si Jun, she would not have demonstrated her abilities and attracted his attention.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Qinglian couldn't stop coughing as Zhan Lan's eyes chillingly released her.

Qinglian collapsed to the floor like a heap of mud; the usually amiable Miss Zhan Lan terrified her exceptionally today.

In panic, she said, "Miss, it was Aunt Ji Yue and Miss Zhan Qingqing, they asked me to place a letter on your bedside."

Zhan Lan sneered coldly, lit the candle, and opened the letter, which was filled with slanders under Zhu Touyuan's name.

"Qinglian, to think I trusted you so much; take this as your reward!"

Zhan Lan grabbed Qinglian's chin, and a pill slid down Qinglian's throat.

Qinglian frantically scratched at her throat, "Miss, what have you given me!"

Zhan Lan flicked the residual powder from her hand, "It's Miao Border Gold Cicada Poison; being poisoned feels like a million bugs biting you, only I have the antidote! You will soon feel an unbearable itch..."

In the darkness, Zhan Lan's lips curled into a cruel smile; the so-called poison was merely an itch-inducing drug, not fatal.

Qinglian hadn't outlived her usefulness; Zhan Lan wouldn't let her die so easily.

ALready scared, Qinglian immediately felt as if numerous bugs had burrowed into her body, her face pale as she clutched at Zhan Lan's robe, pleading.

"Please, Miss, I'll do anything for you, just give me the antidote!"

Zhan Lan, with a look of disdain, gently patted her cheek, her voice as if from hell, "Qinglian, start working for me now; accomplish the task, and I'll give you the antidote!"

Qinglian had never seen such a terrifying Miss Zhan Lan, who was usually unpretentious and kind.

But now Zhan Lan appeared as a superior, high above, daring her not to look directly.

Like a demon from the eighteen levels of hell coming to collect a debt, she shivered.

Terrified, Qinglian's face ashen, she gasped for air and nodded incessantly, "Yes, yes, yes, your servant will listen to the Miss!"

...

An hour later, in the southern part of the city, Zhan Lan and Qinglian were in a dilapidated temple.

A loud slap echoed from the temple as Zhan Lan rebuked, "Qinglian, you almost ruined my innocence!"

Qinglian knelt down and pleaded, "Miss, it was Zhan Qingqing, she said she didn't want to marry Mr. Zhu because he is too ugly. She also said, she wants to save her body for Mr. Wang Qingchen!"

"Miss Zhan Qingqing deliberately arranged a meeting with Mr. Zhu today to frame you, so she wouldn't have to marry him!"

Outside the window, Zhu Touyuan had just woken up in the inn, where he received a message from Qinglian saying: Zhan Qingqing couldn't make it to Zhaixing Building because it was too crowded.

As an apology, she arranged a private meeting at the run-down temple in the southern city.

Zhu Touyuan hadn't even pushed the door open yet when he overheard all this!

Initially, seeing a woman lying on the bed in the inn, he thought it was Zhan Qingqing, only to realize it was Zhan Lan from the General Mansion!

Zhan Qingqing had played him for a fool, and he awaited his chance for revenge!

At the moment, he didn't mind spoiling Zhan Lan! This beauty was even more gorgeous; anyway, he wouldn't be at a loss!

Zhu Touyuan clenched his fists, ready to pay Zhan Lan back in kind.

Behind him, two servants whispered, "Young master, this Miss Zhan Lan is said to know some boxing skills, should we call for more people?"

"Just a mere girl, why would I be afraid of her!" Mr. Zhu whispered back, massaging his temples, which still throbbed in pain.