C1

The arrow flew past his body, leaving a hole in his tasseled red robe. The woman lifted up her long skirt and ran through the forest. The dried branches and crushed stones left streaks of blood on her bare feet. She ran as fast as she could, dodging the arrows flying from the flying shuttle behind her.

The headband embroidered with red lotuses was blown off by the wind, tripping the woman on the branches of the trees on the ground. The pearl crown of the bride tumbled to the ground, and the woman's long hair fell down over her back.

"Quickly chase, it's right in front. Hahaha …" The sound of the bandits was approaching, and the sound of the horses galloping was stimulating the woman's nerves.

At that moment, she thought of all that had happened last night. When the group of bandits arrived at the border of the Liu Province, they were intercepted and rushed forward to rob and kill.

"Princess, run!" The guard escorting her to the Liu Territory shouted at her.

She watched in horror as the man collapsed in front of her. A large sword pierced his body, blood like angry red flowers.

"Let's run!" Mu Jingshu grabbed the dazed Mu Ru Yue and escaped in the opposite direction from where they were fighting.

"Jingshu, there's a fork in the road, let's split up and run!" The woman flung Mu Jingshu's hand away and pointed to another path. Only by running away separately could anyone survive, whether it was her or her best friend.

Mu Jingshu glanced at her and ran off in another direction with tears in her eyes.

I don't want to die, I don't want to die … The woman clenched her fists as she thought in her heart. The strong will to live made her climb up from the ground and continue to run away.

Ah!" A short shout rang out. The woman stepped on the air and tumbled down the hill …

Chapter 1 Dreaming Return Gambling Workshop

In the bustling and bustling city, streams of people were weaving as carriages rumbled. The stalls spread along the street, the attic and the upturned eaves of the houses had their own features, and there were flags flying in front of different stores. The most boisterous place in Liu Mu's country, other than the Smoky Willow Lane and the liquor store, was Dreaming Return to the gambling den. Dream back to the gambling den is not just a gambling den, it is a place where men can't return to.

Most of the men who came here to gamble were nobles. There were big landlords with good fields and officials from the imperial court. Other than gambling, they also had another goal, and that was to catch a glimpse of her snow-white face.

The zither music came from the gambling den, and in the place where the people were making a ruckus, there was a melodious voice that sounded like the melody of mountains and rivers.

Dressed in a red dress, her long hair lightly coiled, her red pearl forehead adorned across her eyebrows. Like a waterfall, her long hair flowed without wind, accompanying the zither music as it slowly dispersed, like willow catkins fluttering in the wind. She sat in the depths of the gambling den, with its exquisite carved wooden walls behind her and a wooden fence in front of her, separating the men who wanted to rush forward.

The men in the gambling den crowded around each other as they stared dumbly at the woman playing the zither. A red muslin lightly covered half of her face, leaving behind a pair of phoenix eyes like cold stars. Her eyes were cold, filled with an expression of honor and disgrace. The arm that stuck out from within the red dress was whiter than snow, and was slim and soft. A laughter as cold as snow permeated through the red muslin, rippling between those thin cinnabar lips. The instant she raised her eyes, it was mesmerizing.

Flow of the rhythm, the heart and spleen. When the song ended, Baili Kuangxue stood up, and the men who had always listened to her all bowed slightly.

"Good, that was great!" The men clapped. It was hard to tell if it was because she was good at playing, or because she was as beautiful as a fairy.

Baili Xiang Xue was the zither player who returned to the gambling den. Every day at noon, she would come out to play a song before returning to her room to rest. She didn't sell herself off, but she would occasionally compensate some men who offered a high price for food, conversation, and information. Her name was Qin Xue, and no one knew her surname or background. She was cold and proud, but countless men came to pay their respects and were willing to give up their fortune for her.

She turned around and disappeared from everyone's sight. The men behind her shouted for another song, but she ignored them and headed for her own room.

At night the ravens flew down the eaves, wailing. The desolate night breeze passed by the treetops, mixed with a scorching aura, causing people to feel somewhat uncomfortable. The sweet snow put on her undergarments, turned around and went to take a bath at the back of the gambling den.

The woman in the pool had coiled up her long hair and was soaking in the hot spring water from her shoulders down. There was a spring in the back of Dreamback gambling house. Because it was a spring with a temperature of its own, it was used as a bath for the women who lived there.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the outside corridor. The 100 li of fragrant snow who was taking a bath slightly frowned, seeming to sense that there was movement outside. She stepped on the water and flew up, wrapping herself in her undergarments.

There was a flash of lightning and the shadow of the door was reflected in the paper.

With a crashing sound, a sudden rain came.

Fifty miles of snow walked to the back of the door, and before she could open the door, people outside rushed in. The force of the impact caused her to topple backward, the hairpin falling off, her long hair falling loose, the darkness and the whiteness intertwining, the smell of blood spreading up her nose.

The next afternoon.

After playing a song, Kui Xue returned to the side room. The man she had saved was sitting at the tea table, drinking tea, as if he was waiting for her return.

The man was wrapped in gauze, and blood could still be seen on his right lower abdomen. He was bare-chested, with a black coat over his shoulders and a metal mask on his face. He looked like he had been wearing it since he was rescued.

Baili Yu Xue was first stunned, then she calmly closed the door and walked towards the man, sitting across from him without being alarmed.

The man's gaze followed her as he spoke. "You saved me?" The man's voice was murky and low, not like his original voice at all.

"I will be troubled if you die here." Baili Yu's lips curled up into a smile as she took off her veil. A breathtakingly beautiful face fell into the man's eyes, causing him to be unable to help himself from sighing. Why would there be such a beauty in this world?

"You don't want to see my face under the mask?" The man asked. He felt that the woman in front of him was no ordinary woman. Not only was she calm and collected, she was also very cautious. She must not be simple.

"I'm not interested in knowing what a strange man looks like. "And knowing that too many lives aren't long, right?" "Since you've already woken up, you should leave my place earlier."

"We'll meet again." The man's giddy smile was covered by the mask. He raised his hand to support her beautiful chin and said, "Close your eyes. I don't like others to see my back."

Kui Xue gazed coldly at the man, then slowly closed her eyes.

The man pulled up the mask, and a domineering kiss fell down without any warning, landing on the fragrant snow of a hundred li away. By the time she opened her eyes in anger, there was no longer a man in the room.

Fuxue frowned and cursed in her heart. She walked to the window and closed it.

Outside, the sun and moon alternated. Clouds moved about, and in the blink of an eye, it was night again.

At night, the Prime Minister's residence was a place where the flutes never stopped. Xie Zimo lazily sat on the fox skin chair. His soft robe slightly parted, revealing his smooth and neat collarbone. He held a jug of wine in his hanging hand, surrounded by many women with delicate voices. The hall was filled with light muslin tents, and the woman's flowing sleeves were dancing and singing.

"The emperor has arrived!" A loud and clear voice came from the eunuch, followed by the servants who ran over.

The servant quickly ran to Xie Zimo's side and whispered in his ear. A moment later, a black robe embroidered with red plums crossed the threshold and entered everyone's eyes.

Lu Shaoheng stepped into the hall and walked towards Xie Zimo. He was the Son of Heaven today, a man who seemed to be indifferent to everything. He wore an elegant dragon's black robe as he strode into the Prime Minister's Estate. A dignified and solemn atmosphere ferociously crashed into the air, causing people to feel intimidated.

Behind him was a personal guard named Lin Xuan. He was handsome, with a navy blue robe and a long sword.

"Greetings, your Imperial Majesty." Everyone in the mansion kneeled down after they saw Lu Shaoheng.

Xie Zimo lazily stood up, left the comfortable fox skin chair and knelt down. A loud and clear "Long live the king long live long live" resounded throughout the entire Prime Minister's Estate.

"Rise." He slowly walked towards Xie Zimo, narrowed his phoenix eyes, and glanced at the half-opened front of Xie Zimo's clothes. "He brought up the matter of the palace assassin." Do you know that there were assassins in the palace yesterday? "

"Assassin? The palace has always been heavily guarded, so how could there be an assassin? " Xie Zimo spoke lightly, asking again, "Then in the end, did you catch it?"

"He escaped, but he was hit in the stomach." Lu Shaoheng snorted and scoffed, then slightly frowned as he coldly looked at Xie Zimo.

Xie Zimo was the crown prince of the previous dynasty, and the previous dynasty had already been replaced by the Lu family. In order to pacify the people, the late emperor did not kill a child, but instead gave him the position of prime minister. After the late emperor passed away, Lu Shaoheng had always been on guard against Xie Zimo.

"So the emperor thinks that I'm that assassin, and purposely came here to see if I have any scars on my body?" Xie Zimo smiled lightly, raised his wine jug to drink, and then took off his shirt in front of everyone. He was well-built, neither fat nor thin, and had excellent lines.

Lu Shaoheng swept his gaze over him, but didn't find any sword wounds, so he had no choice but to give up and leave the Prime Minister's Estate.

Xie Zimo continued to drink, and the mansion's music rang again.