Suburbs, Shunhe Temple.

As the first chime of the morning temple bell resonated, inside the hut, Liu Qingxu, who had just returned from outside, quickly shed her night clothes and donned plain garments. She then let down her hair and yawned as she went to open the door.

Outside the door stood a young maid of twelve or thirteen. Seeing the door open, she first paid her respects and then sent in the toiletries and breakfast. After finishing these tasks, under Liu Qingxu's cold gaze, the little maidservant respectfully left the dormitory.

After working all night, Liu Qingxu washed her face. She felt much better and after breakfast, she began today's homework—copying scriptures.

Transmigrated from the 21st century to this Yu Yan nation, now I am the legitimate daughter of Zhen Guo General's mansion, formerly Liu Xiao, now Liu Qingxu.

As for why it appears in this temple, it's rather amusing.

Because the Crown Prince proposed marriage, the general's father, in order to prevent her from marrying him, claimed that his daughter was seriously ill and needed to recuperate, so he sent her to this temple.

Given such a prestigious marriage, why wouldn't the General approve? There's a long story behind it.

Half a year after this one's mother passed away, the general returned from abroad with a pair of illegitimate children. In the general's words, this one's younger sister had suffered hardships growing up outside. As the elder sister, she should take care of her younger sister more. Things like marrying the prince should be given to her younger sister, so as to compensate for the hardship she endured outside…

At noon, a maidservant's voice suddenly came from outside the door, "My lady, the second miss has arrived."

Liu Qingxu lifted her head, looking out the window at the sky, and tidied up the scriptures she had copied on the table.

"Come in."

The door creaked open, and a young girl in luxurious attire walked in. She was fifteen or sixteen years old, with an innocent and beautiful appearance, blooming like a flower. However, her eyes were narrowed as she looked down at people, her expression arrogant. Every step she took was filled with an air of superiority.

As soon as he opened his mouth, it was a mocking voice, "Oh, big sister, finished copying the scriptures?"

Liu Qingxu lightly raised her eyelids, "Spit it out. If you have something to say, say it. If you need to defecate, turn left outside.

Liu Yuan Yin, this is your half-sister.

That's because I can travel through time thanks to this private individual.

In order to make herself the only daughter-in-law of the Liu family, Liu Yuan Yin did not hesitate to harm the original owner and directly poisoned her to death.

"Liu Qingxu, you should know the reason for my visit." Seeing Zhizhi Temple still acting with an aloof demeanor, Liu Yu'in sneered, "I give you two choices: either shave your head and become a nun here, or personally refuse the prince's proposal. Otherwise, don't blame me for making things difficult for you!"

Naked threat......

Liu Qingxu raised her eyebrow, as if watching a clown's performance.

“Ermei is so capable, why doesn't she personally ask the prince to marry her?” After a pause, Chu suddenly realized, “Oh, I understand. The crown princess is of such high status, she will be the mother of the country in the future. Ermei, who isn’t even considered a legitimate daughter, if she were to become the crown princess, how could the prince's concubines bear it? As far as I know, that concubine not only came from a noble family but is also the direct lineage. Having Ermei sit on top, let alone her own face, would probably ruin the family’s reputation.”

"Liu Qingxu, you dare to insult me!" Liu Yu'in was like being pierced by a sharp sword. Her beautiful face twisted because of anger, and her eyes glared like dead fish, wishing she could pounce and tear him apart.

"Insult me? Am I not stating the facts?" Liu Qingxu's eyes narrowed, a sneer playing on her lips. "It's ridiculous! Some people yearn to be ridden roughshod over even though they refuse to marry a stallion. Isn't that amusing?"

"Liu Qingxu, I'm here today to warn you. In three days, I want to hear that you've rejected the marriage proposal, or else I'll make sure you can't even return home!" Liu Yuan Yin gritted her teeth and spat out these venomous words before storming off in anger.

"Hehehe!" Liu Qingxu's sarcastic smile widened.

Even if she didn't become the Crown Princess, the position of Crown Princess wouldn't be suitable for Liu Yu'an.

Liu Jingwu wielded military power, his achievements countless, his name resonated throughout the court. He held absolute influence in Yu Yan Country, so it's not surprising that the Crown Prince sought his support. However, to have the Crown Prince give up his legitimate heir and marry Liu Yuan Yin, a concubine's daughter, even if the Crown Prince agreed, I'm afraid the Empress and Emperor wouldn't consent.

After lunch, I started to sleep.

I slept until it was dark before I lazily got out of bed.

After dinner, she dismissed the maidservant and changed into her night clothes from under the bed.

If things go well these next two nights, in three days I can leave the capital with all the silver I've earned these past six months....

Open the door.

Just as they were preparing for the night, suddenly a dark shadow swooped down from the sky without warning.

Before I could even make out what it was, the black shadow lunged at me.

“Bang!”

As the butt slammed hard against the ground, he realized he'd tackled a person.

He is still a man!

"Help me... Please... grant me... everything..."

……

Outside the temple.

Several shadowy figures darted through the small grove, leaving a trail of lethal intent in their wake.

After searching for a long time, one of them angrily said, "Damn it! I clearly saw him go in, how come he's gone now!"

Another person anxiously said, “Master will be displeased! We absolutely must eliminate Prince Zhen before he returns to the capital. If we let him escape this time, how can we possibly go back and face our master?”

One person pointed at the temple on the mountaintop, "Could he have gone there to hide? Let's go and see!"

But just as he was about to lift his foot, he was stopped by his accomplice. "There are people from the General's Mansion up there. Don't act rashly, lest we be discovered. I think it's best to go back and report to our master, and let him find a way to go to the temple."

Everyone else thought his proposal was reasonable, so after whispering to each other for a while, one man quickly left the woods and went down the mountain. The rest of the group scattered and secretly kept watch at all the roads leading to the temple.

……

In the hut.

Looking at the man who was utterly distraught, Liu Qingxu's brows furrowed even deeper.

If you throw him out, he's sure to be labeled an assassin. In that case, the Shunhe Temple will lose its peace. I'm not afraid of trouble, but I am afraid that his father, the general, will find another place because of this.

As we are about to leave the General's Mansion, suddenly changing our residence will definitely affect the plan.

How else could a man of such stature handle himself without making a sound?

Sniffing the man's musk, she wrinkled her nose and walked to the bed, pulling out something hidden under it.

For the sake of Buddha, please be merciful this once…

Without lighting a candle, she moved the man to the window and, borrowing the moonlight streaming in, began to undress him.

After feeling his pulse, it was discovered that this man had suffered a severe depletion of energy. Thankfully, it wasn't fatal. With proper care and rest, he should be able to recover. The true reason for his coma was blood loss due to external injuries.

Yuan grew up in the military, he had experienced a lot of fighting and killing, so he learned some basic medical skills. In the past six months or so, he also inherited some of Yuan's habits, carrying some medicinal herbs and supplies for treating injuries. So when it came to saving someone, there wasn't much difficulty.

The man had two serious wounds, one on his side and one in the chest.

After bandaging both wounds, I was exhausted. One could see beads of sweat all over me as I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Only then did I begin to look at the person I had saved.

I was so focused on treating his wounds that I forgot he was a man. Now that I take a closer look, I see that this man is quite handsome.

Ignore his pale complexion, his face was sculpted with sharp definition. His two thick brows were sharp and cold, his high nose like a majestic mountain range, and even his dry lips were thin and elegant. Every feature was meticulously crafted, a masterpiece that made one sigh in admiration.

This man's physique is truly impressive. He's got to be over 180 centimeters tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His body is strong and well-defined, exuding a masculine aura. Even the sweat dripping from his brow carries an air of raw masculinity.

Especially that one...

Ahem!

To prove he wasn't, he quickly shifted his attention to the window, muttering a curse under his breath.

Damn hot!

The next morning.

The temple bell rang, and the little maidservant appeared promptly outside the door.

Liu Qingxu pushed open the door, took the water and food brought by the servant, and then said coldly, "I don't want to do anything today, I just want to sleep. Don't bother me."

"Yes, Miss." The little maidservant left obediently.

After making sure the person was far away, Liu Qingxu shut the door. She put the food on the table and walked toward the screen in the corner.

The man was placed behind a screen. The moment he entered, he was met with a pair of eyes that glinted with coldness.

It is undeniable that those long, narrow eyes are extremely beautiful, but at this moment they appear rather sharp and unlikable.

"Awake?"

The man's nightclothes were now clean, but the size was clearly an issue. They couldn't contain his muscular build at all; the buttons wouldn't fasten and it gaped open, exposing a lot of skin. There were even signs of strain on both shoulders.

Although it's a bit short, the lineage still manages to encompass the key points.

"You saved me?" The man's voice was low and cold, a question posed instead of an answer, with a hint of wariness.

Liu Qingxu couldn't help but frown, responding with a question of her own, "How so? Have you forgotten your promise?"

The man's sword eyebrows were slightly furrowed, his long and narrow eyes darkened as if he were reminiscing.

Liu Qingxu passed him a piece of paper with a cold face, "Before we talk about the promises you made, take a look at this bill first."

The man's sharp, cold eyes moved from his face to the paper being offered. He reached out and took it.

Just after a glance at the paper, his handsome face, comparable to a demon, instantly turned as cold as a glacial pool, radiating chills throughout his aura.

"Are you sure this isn't a robbery?"

“Robbery?” Liu Qingxu’s lips curled into a smirk, revealing her pearly teeth. “If it weren’t for the silver, would I have saved you? Even if you feel your life isn’t worth eighty thousand taels, the manpower, effort, and losses I incurred aren’t something that can be bought with eighty thousand taels.”

Her smile was dazzling, a touch too brilliant to be genuine. Yet when her gaze fell upon Yan, who had already seen through her facade, the calculating gleam in her eyes betrayed the artifice behind that bright, pearly grin.

"What if I can't afford it?"

"Then work for me to pay off the debt." Liu Qingxu said as if she had expected him to shirk his responsibility, and then took out a piece of paper from her sleeve.

"Work?"

Yan Siyu snatched it away.

The previous page listed various accounts, such as consultation fees, medicine expenses, sanitation fees, labor depreciation, work loss fees, and spiritual purification fees... He was 23 years old and saw such a clever way to create debt for the first time. Moreover, these items were unheard of!

To say this is absurd would be an understatement!

This piece of paper is no longer an account, but a contract.

'I, (...), am now indebted to Liu Qingxu with 80,000 taels of silver. Due to my inability to repay, I hereby pledge myself to Liu Qingxu from this day forward. I will obey all her commands and assist her in earning the full 80,000 taels of silver before regaining my freedom. During my service to Liu Qingxu, I shall observe the following:1. I must not disclose any information about Liu Qingxu to anyone.2. I must not disclose anything about Liu Qingxu's activities to anyone. (The final interpretation of this agreement belongs to Liu Qingxu).'

He slowly raised his head, his narrow eyes churning with a complexity of emotions, "You... are the son of General Liu Jingwu?"

Liu lightly hugged her arms and raised an eyebrow slightly, “That's right.”

It's not strange for someone to know the name of a renowned figure like Liu Jingwu. His fame spread throughout the four seas, let alone this Yuanying nation; even among the powerful figures of all nations, Liu Jingwu would be highly regarded. And for this direct descendant of the Liu family, if someone claims they've never heard of him, that would be truly odd.

Looking at his sullen face, as dark as soy sauce he'd overindulged in, she assumed he was unhappy with the terms proposed. Pointing to the agreement, she explained, "This is just a labor contract, not a slave contract. You can rest assured, I swear on my father's name, General Zhen of the nation, that I will never harm you."

Ye Yan stared intently at that stunning face, "As the nation's renowned general, why are you in such dire straits?"

To say he was struggling financially is an understatement. If it weren't for the fact that he had saved his life, he would have likely killed him on the spot, citing "taking advantage of a desperate situation" as justification!

Liu Qingxu also didn't expect him to talk so much, and she became impatient and sank her face. "Precisely because this young lady is the daughter of the General of Zhen Guo, not everyone can be saved, so the price is naturally high!"

Yan Siyuan pursed his thin lips.

Although he disliked the act of swindling people out of their money and possessions, at this moment, he was indebted to them for their kindness and hospitality. These eighty thousand taels of silver were inevitably owed.

He cast a glance at the one on his own, and his voice suddenly became low, "Is this yours?"

"Hmm."

Have you ever seen my son?

Liu Qingxu's eyes slanted at him, "Otherwise, do you think that 'spiritual purification fee' came from? I, a young girl, risked my eyesight to heal your wounds. Have you ever considered me?"

Yan Siyuan pursed his thin lips, his narrowed eyes swirling with hidden emotions.

Although I can hear the grievance in the words, I can also hear the disdain.

Although he could still be disgruntled, he ultimately bit his finger and used the blood to sign his name on the paper. He then added his fingerprint before throwing the paper away with a flick of his arm.

Liu lightly grasped the willow catkins, lowering her eyes to glance at them.

"Who are you?"

Yàn smiled faintly, but did not reply.

Liu Qingxu lightly tucked the folded agreement into her bosom, then walked out from behind the screen to wash and eat breakfast at the table.

The temple's breakfast is very simple, just a bowl of rice porridge and a vegetarian bun every day.

He glanced at the screen, drank half a bowl of rice porridge, ate half a vegetarian bun, and then returned to give him the remaining half bowl of rice porridge and vegetarian bun.

Who knew that upon seeing the given dishes, the man sitting cross-legged with a handsome face suddenly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. His long and narrow eyes darted about like cold arrows.

"Did you leave any for me?"