CHAPTER 1

Abandoned

During the Yongyou period, winter arrived early, and the freezing waters along Guannan Road led to a failed harvest.

Starving people from Qizhou, Qingzhou, and other regions traveled thousands of miles north in search of food. Many perished—some from hunger, others from the biting cold.

---

That year, winter came swiftly. After a night of fine snow, a crystalline layer of frost clung to the trees and plants, and a thin blanket of white covered the ground.

Dawn broke faintly.

At the entrance of Xiaofu Village, a tense crowd had gathered. The villagers, clutching wooden sticks and hoes, faced off against a group of ragged refugees. Both sides were on edge, their voices raised in shouts and accusations.

Not far from the village gate, on a dirt embankment, several carriages stood quietly. Nearby, five or six women sat around a fire, sipping tea and chatting.

"In this freezing weather, we shouldn't have come all this way just to fetch Miss Yu," Hongwei muttered, glancing at the commotion near the village entrance with distaste. Then, putting on a flattering smile, she turned to a middle-aged woman with a long face.

"Madam, don't you agree? You must be exhausted from the journey."

Madam Hu lifted her eyelids and took a slow sip of tea. "Don't forget, Miss Yu is the true daughter of the governor's household."

Hongwei snorted. "Oh, everyone knows that. She may have been born legitimate, but she was doomed from the start. She brought bad luck to the princess's mother and was abandoned in this village for more than ten years. If not for the old madam's upcoming sixtieth birthday, where she happened to recall her existence, who knows if she would have ever been brought back?"

"Nonsense." Another older woman, Madam Fang, scoffed. "The girl was abandoned for a reason. Some people are simply born with ill-fated destinies."

Hongwei smirked as she poured more hot water into their teacups. "She was left in this village when she was three. If the governor's mansion had wanted her, they would have taken her back long ago." She gestured toward the entrance of the village, where torches flickered amidst the growing chaos. "Madams, do you think she can handle this?"

Madam Hu took another sip of tea and said calmly, "Why don't we go take a look? Call the guards from the mansion. Let's watch the fun unfold."

The maids giggled and helped Madam Hu and Madam Fang to their feet. Together, they made their way toward the village gate, where the situation was escalating.

---

By then, the refugees had broken through the makeshift barriers erected by the villagers. Desperate and wild-eyed, they charged into the village like a flood.

"We have nothing left to lose! If we break in, we'll have food!"

"Big Brother is right! Let's go!"

Village Chief Chen Funong and the able-bodied men of the village fought to push them back. He shouted desperately, "Calm down! Don't act recklessly!"

But no one listened.

The mob surged forward, following their leader—Big Head Brother—toward the largest house in the village.

"That house looks the wealthiest! It must belong to a rich family! Take everything!"

With a ferocious shout, Big Head Brother raised his foot to kick open the door—

But before he could, the wooden gate creaked open on its own.

---

The morning light was dim, casting a hazy glow.

A girl stood quietly in the doorway.

She was dressed in plain, lightweight robes, seemingly unbothered by the cold. Her long black hair was gathered simply with a thin green bamboo hairpin.

Her dark eyes gleamed like polished lacquer, sharp and unreadable. A chill rippled through the crowd. Those who had been rushing forward instinctively hesitated, stepping back half a step.

She was just a girl. And yet, standing there, she exuded an aura that made the surrounding mountains and forests seem to still.

As if taking another step forward would be an act of blasphemy.

Seeing the hesitation, Big Head Brother scowled and raised his arm. "What are you waiting for? Charge!"

The girl arched a delicate brow. Her voice was cold but steady. "Think before you act. Don't mistake ignorance for bravery."

Her gaze fell upon Big Head Brother, moving slowly from his face downward.

Big Head Brother stiffened. He swallowed hard, hastily covering his face with his sleeve, his eyes darting away.

Yu Linlang stepped aside slightly, turning her gaze toward the refugees. She spoke lightly but with authority.

"Stealing and looting—those are two different things.

"You were displaced refugees. But now, you choose to become bandits. You choose to defy the laws of Great Qi, making yourselves enemies of the entire nation."

Her voice was neither loud nor hurried, but it cut through the air like a blade.

It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over the crowd. Their boiling blood cooled.

Sensing the shift, Big Head Brother panicked and tried to stir them up again. "Are you fools? Look at all the riches in front of you! The food, the wealth—everything can be yours if you just take it!"

"Big Head Brother is right! We're starving! What's there to think about?"

"The law won't punish us all! If we take this girl down first, we can do whatever we want!"

A few men lunged toward Yu Linlang.

She smirked, the corner of her lips curling slightly.

"Jiujin," she called softly. "Teach them a lesson. Break the legs of the loudest ones first."

Before the words had fully left her mouth, a round-faced girl with rosy cheeks leaped down from the roof. In her hands was a red-hot iron staff.

Without hesitation, she swung.

The burning metal struck true, landing directly on the legs of Big Head Brother and his lackeys.

Screams filled the air as the iron seared through cloth and flesh.

One by one, they collapsed, writhing in pain.

Jiujin twirled the fire staff, then planted a firm kick to Big Head Brother's chest, sending him sprawling. He coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The onlookers turned pale. Fear seized them. They backed away, their bravado crumbling.

Yu Linlang's expression remained indifferent.

"The law does not protect those who willingly break it," she stated coldly. "I understand that most of you were deceived, led astray by greedy men."

She looked over the cowering refugees.

"Identify the ringleaders. When the county officials arrive, hand over those responsible."

"This has nothing to do with the rest of you."

Big Head Brother, still gasping in pain, tried to protest. "Don't listen to her! She's trying to turn us against each other!"

Yu Linlang's lips curved slightly. "Strip him."

Big Head Brother's face twisted in horror. "You wouldn't dare!"

With a swift yank, his ragged outer shirt was torn away—

Revealing an inner garment of fine silk and embroidered cotton.

The air fell silent.

The so-called desperate refugee, the leader who had urged them to throw away their morality, had been well-fed and well-clothed all along.

The mob stared, realization dawning.

And then, the rage turned inward.