Prince Shawn felt a wave of pain surge through his heart at Zara Yun's words, and he couldn't help but tremble.
Suppressing his murderous intent, he asked, "Who is it? Who do you love?"
Zara Yun raised her brows and replied, "What does it have to do with Prince Shawn?"
"How could you..." Prince Shawn gritted his teeth and swallowed the rest of his words. How could you fall in love with another man?
Since childhood, Prince Shawn was either fighting with others or training alone.
In the Manchu culture, boys fighting was very normal—even encouraged.
So he grew up brawling with a group of brothers.
It wasn't that girls didn't like him—he was handsome, tall, strong, and strikingly attractive, commanding respect even without anger.
Countless girls tried to win his favor, but he didn't care for any of them.
He always thought that the woman worthy of him had to be just as exceptional as he was.
But no matter how he counted, not a single one could match him in skill or intelligence.
Until he met Zara Yun.
He never imagined a woman could not only love fighting, but also be so clever and cunning.
If not for his own battle experience, he would have fallen for her tricks more than once.
He fell for this sly, smart, and ruthless woman without even realizing it—she took root in his heart and he couldn't pull her out.
He fell for that cunning, dangerous woman. Her wicked smile was etched deep in his mind, impossible to forget.
Today, when he heard her say she had someone she loved, Prince Shawn's heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.
Prince Shawn secretly vowed to win Zara Yun no matter what.
Prince Shawn wasn't one of Nurhaci's many sons, but he was still a true member of the royal family.
He immediately reported the situation, devising a plan to lure the enemy in and capture the man Zara Yun loved—the general who fought side by side with her, General Keith.
That man named Keith was extraordinary—his features were as if painted, handsome beyond compare, talented and skilled in martial arts.
To capture this man, who even Nurhaci would be stunned by, the Qing army paid a terrible price.
Suddenly, Prince Shawn understood why Zara Yun had fallen for this man.
Because he was worth it!
Prince Shawn was consumed by jealousy—why must there be another star to rival the moon?
Prince Shawn used General Keith as bait, luring Zara Yun away. By the time she realized, her soldiers were all captured trying to save her.
Prince Shawn knew his methods were despicable, but he truly couldn't let Zara Yun go.
If he missed his chance with her, he'd regret it for the rest of his life!
Prince Shawn threatened Zara Yun with the lives of ten thousand soldiers and General Keith, forcing her to marry him.
Zara Yun looked at the mass of her soldiers pressed before the city gates by the Qing army. Her weapon slipped from her hand.
Tears streamed down Zara Yun’s cheeks. "The daughters of the Yun family have always been delicate and beautiful. I thought I could be the exception, that I could protect those I love with my own hands. But in the end, it’s my face that must save the ones I care about most. Prince Shawn, you win."
"Let them go, and I'll marry you." Zara Yun turned resolutely, removing her armor as she walked.
"General Yun! You mustn’t!" Behind her, ten thousand soldiers cried out in anguish. "General, we'd rather die in battle than see you humiliated for our sake!"
Zara Yun paused. "Live well, don’t let my sacrifice be in vain. I promised Keith I would protect you all to my last breath. Please tell him that if I can't grow old with him in this life, I'll be his wife in the next!"
Behind her, ten thousand soldiers wept together.
They say men don’t cry easily, but that’s only because they haven’t reached heartbreak yet.
With tears in their eyes, the soldiers watched Zara Yun mount Prince Shawn’s horse and be taken away.
Many tried to chase after her, but before they could take a few steps, the Qing guards struck them down.
In the cold, dark dungeon, Prince Shawn stood before that brilliant, extraordinary man.
"If you live, your people will never submit to the Qing dynasty," Prince Shawn said to General Keith.
General Keith slowly lifted his head. Though covered in wounds, his handsomeness was undiminished.
"So what does Prince Shawn intend?" General Keith asked softly, his voice hoarse from injury.
"You must die." Prince Shawn forced himself to look away. "That's the royal bottom line. I'm sorry, I've done all I can. You're simply too dangerous!"
General Keith laughed quietly, his chest shaking for a long time before he spoke: "And what about Zixiao?"
"As long as she marries me, she'll be a princess of the Qing dynasty. I've been made a prince; she'll be my princess." Prince Shawn added.
General Keith closed his eyes. After a long silence, he spoke gently: "I understand. Let me see her one last time, and I'll use the blood from my heart to pave her way. Prince Shawn, if you're a real man, promise me you'll never let her suffer! Otherwise, even as a ghost, I won't forgive you!"
"Don't worry. I'll only marry her. In my palace, there will be no concubines, no other wives!" Prince Shawn replied immediately.
General Keith let out a bitter laugh. "Prince Shawn, I've lost this lifetime. Next time, I'll beat you—do you believe it?"
Prince Shawn's blue eyes flicked over General Keith. The determination in Keith's gaze was fierce.
"If there's a next life, I'll fight you fair and square." Prince Shawn said solemnly. "And if I meet Zixiao again, I still won't let go!"
"I won't let go either!" General Keith's eyes blazed with fighting spirit.
On the day of the grand wedding at Prince Shawn's palace, the roads were lined with ten thousand kneeling soldiers and a sea of red decorations.
Zara Yun, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, rode proudly through the ranks of soldiers who begged her to stay, but she resolutely set out on her wedding path.
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This is a road of no return.
From this moment, she was no longer Zara Yun. She was only the princess of the Qing dynasty.
Behind her, General Keith, to save the lives of ten thousand soldiers and ensure Zara Yun’s safety, stabbed himself in the heart without hesitation.
"Zixiao, if we really have another life, I swear I won't let go..." A fierce, resolute look flashed across General Keith's beautiful face. "Next time, I won't let go!"
Zara Yun changed into the royal princess's uniform, dignified and elegant.
The daughters of the Yun family have always been talented and gentle.
Even though Zara Yun was a master of martial arts, she still carried the air of a scholar.
The emperor was very pleased with Prince Shawn's marriage, and with a stroke of his pen, agreed to Shawn's request to take only one wife for life.
Prince Shawn returned home in high spirits, ready to spend a happy life with Zara Yun. But after marrying him, she seemed like a delicate flower deprived of water, withering away day by day.
Prince Shawn did everything he could, but still couldn't save her life.
As Zara Yun lay dying, Prince Shawn wept bitterly. "Zixiao, did you ever love me, even a little?"
A spark finally returned to Zara Yun's eyes. After a long pause, she gently shook her head. "I don't know."
"Do you understand how I feel about you?" Prince Shawn's once-handsome face was now tinged with despair.
Zara Yun nodded silently. "Thank you for saving the lives of my ten thousand soldiers."
"Since you understand my feelings, why did you..." Tears filled Prince Shawn's eyes. "Even though you never gave me a child, I still never took a concubine or another wife. My heart for you has never changed."
"I'm sorry." The light in Zara Yun's eyes began to fade. She was at her last breath.
She never told anyone that at the moment General Keith took his own life, she knew everything, even though she didn't look back.
When General Keith died, Zara Yun, riding on horseback, coughed up blood violently.
Blood splattered onto her bright red wedding dress, making it even more vivid.
At that moment, Zara Yun had already died; what remained was just an empty shell.
She didn't try to heal herself, letting her body waste away.
Maybe leaving this world sooner would let her see him sooner...
Seeing Zara Yun's fading gaze, Prince Shawn grabbed her wrist and cried out anxiously, "Zixiao, Zixiao! Don't leave me! I was wrong in this life—can we be husband and wife in the next?"
Zara Yun's lips twitched faintly, her breath barely there. "I'm sorry. I've already promised Keith for the next life..."
"No, no!" Prince Shawn gripped her arm tightly. "Zixiao, in the next life, I'll find you before he does! If I find you first, we'll be husband and wife again!"
A single tear slid down Zara Yun's cheek.
Next life? Would she even have a next life?
"Zixiao, did you ever love me? Did you!?" Prince Shawn roared desperately. "I don't ask for all your love—just a little would be enough!"
"I can't answer that. Maybe in the next life, I'll answer you." Struggling, Zara Yun finished her words. Suddenly, her eyes shone bright, as if her old self had returned. She reached out: "Keith, wait for me! I'm coming..."
Zara Yun's fingers suddenly stiffened, the light in her eyes vanished, and her arm fell limply.
Prince Shawn trembled all over, hugging Zara Yun's lifeless body tightly. "Zixiao...!"
After Zara Yun was buried, Prince Shawn seemed to age twenty years overnight.
His hair turned white in a single night.
Prince Shawn gave up his military power, fled deep into the mountains, and shaved his head, keeping vigil at his beloved wife's grave.
"Zixiao, I kept my promise to you. You said you didn't like royal tombs, so I made a home for you here." Prince Shawn caressed Zara Yun's gravestone. "I'll stay here with you, okay? Since I'm with you, please don't reject me so easily in the next life, alright?"