Chapter 1 Third Prince Xuanyuan Jinxing (1)

A road named Yellow Springs, covered with sorrow. A river called River of Forgetfulness, with its desolate flow. A bridge named Naihe, bearing the weight of oblivion. A bowl of Oblivion Soup, which allows one to forget this life in exchange for the next. A stone standing by the River of Forgetfulness, called the Three Lives Stone. A well, indicating the next life. A familiar figure, happily leaps down. One reincarnation, for whom do we live in the next life? A face, in the next life, bewildered.

On the Three Lives Stone look into three lives, where fate is sealed for eternity.

With whom was the romance entangled in the past life? Will there be a reunion in the next?

This life's dreams shatter on the Road to the Underworld, by the flowers on the other shore tears can be heard.

Whose name is carved in front of the blood-stained stone? With tearful eyes, how many times have I gazed upon the ancestral platform?

In charming dreams, I adore this life; I neither envy immortals nor admire monks.

On the Naihe Bridge, do not wander far, let's agree to accompany each other in the next life.

The past drifts away with the wind, while tender feelings twine around the ancient vines.

Gentle love is cast upon the stone, as endless oaths accompany mountain pledges.

Xiao Yao did not linger in reincarnation, but at the edge of reincarnating across two lives, wavering. The entangled fate of three lives was actually the love and hatred of two lives. Upon a sudden glance back, that person was in a certain direction, extending his hand to her, holding tight, and then, drawing her into his embrace.

He said, "Yaoyao, in my previous life I already missed your figure, I wandered aimlessly and spent the rest of my life in solitude. This life, no matter what, I will hold onto your hands tightly. Whether in heaven or descending into Yellow Springs, I'll closely follow you, you cannot, ever, abandon me again!"

Xiao Yao's eyes brimmed with tears, her gaze sparkling, she wrapped her arms tightly around him in return.

She said, "Senior brother, perhaps my crossing through to the past life was just to seek you, but because I was timid and lacked the courage to face love, we missed each other. This life, no matter what, I will grasp your hands tightly. Whether in heaven or descending into Yellow Springs, we will embrace and accompany each other. I am not alone anymore, because I have you enveloping me!"

An encounter that transcends time and space, an acquaintance through the passage of time, a union that crosses moments and cuts through the stream, a lifelong, unregretful infatuation.

Xiao Yao questioned herself: she, a woman with a birthmark covering half her face, how could she, without any merits, have won the love of her cold and handsome senior brother in two different lives, despising everything under the heavens.

But love has happened without reason, just because, the heart, is moved.

Senior brother's confession:

I thought that from then on, I would spend the rest of my life alone, my body lying beside your tombstone, buried in the yellow earth, turning into spring mud that protects you. Then the lingering consciousness and soul would travel to heaven and hell, just to find you.

Finally, I crossed the barriers of time to come to your side once more.

This time, I won't just watch you suffer heartache for someone else from afar. Now, I want to approach you actively, enter into your heart, let the shadows previously cast over you by others be dispelled without a trace because of me, leaving only the sunshine I have created for you, making your smile even brighter.

Xiao Yao's confession:

I thought, being reborn once more, having experienced two failed loves across two lives, I would no longer believe in love.

I thought they helped me understand the true essence of love—love is but a game that one can play, but not give one's heart to, or else, the only outcome waiting is the registrar in Yama Hall, perfectly outlining it on the book of life and death.

And my blood and tears along with my family's forge another side's eternal laughter.

Heartbroken, tired, and thus, there would no longer be love in life.

However, when you leaped through the barriers of time, walking towards me in the dawn light, coming to my side, smiling and telling me, Yaoyao, I have come.

Just these five words, shook my heart like never before.

So, this is love.

Through life and death, a vow I make with you.

In the 20th year of the Saintly Prosperity Dynasty's July, Nanyang Country suffered three consecutive months of torrential rain south of the Huai River, which caused the river levees to overflow or break, flooding vast areas, collapsing houses, leaving people homeless, crops failing, and bodies strewn everywhere from starvation.

Merchants took advantage of the situation by raising prices, leaving commoners with no grains to eat and no money to buy. Out of desperation, riots broke out, with looting wherever grain was found.

The local official of Nanyang, Bao Zhichong, immediately reported to the Imperial Court, claiming that the commoners had long been plotting a rebellion and requested that troops be sent to suppress it.

Emperor Xuanyuan Aotian was furious, seeing this as a challenge and dissatisfaction directed towards him by the commoners. In his anger, he immediately prepared to send the Minister of War Yang Guang as the vanguard, with eighty thousand troops marching south.

Just as he was giving the order, an unexpected figure appeared before all the court officials, petitioning the emperor. It was the Third Prince of Nanyang Country, Xuanyuan Jinxing, the son a forgotten Palace Maid bore.

He petitioned: The rebellion in the south has its reasons, and they can't just take Bao Zhichong's word for it. First, send officials to the south to understand the situation and ascertain the causes.

After reflection, Emperor Xuanyuan Aotian agreed that the commoners wouldn't revolt for no reason.

Three days later, the court received a report from the officials sent, informing them that in the areas south of the Huai River, houses had collapsed, people were displaced, and prices had soared.

The Imperial Court was shocked, such a massive issue had occurred and yet no one had reported it. Bao Zhichong was audacious indeed!

Subsequently, the Imperial Court opened its granaries to aid the people, distributing a hundred thousand dan of grain, five hundred thousand taels of silver, and approving the Third Prince Xuanyuan Jinxing's offer to go down south to alleviate the disaster and pacify the commoners.

One must know, the journey south was fraught with dangers, with vile criminals above and officials' concealed maneuvers below, open attacks and hidden assassinations, extreme peril that could cost one's life with the slightest carelessness.

Although Xuanyuan Jinxing was not a son whom Emperor Xuanyuan Aotian held in high regard, he was still his son. All courtesans opposed it, except for the Right Prime Minister Xiao Chengguang who agreed with the Third Prince's journey south.

The Third Prince overcame all objections, stating that as a prince, he must care for the peace of mind of the common people and share his father's worries.

The Third Prince Xuanyuan Jinxing split his forces into two routes, one led by a confidant with the majority of the troops openly taking empty carts along the official roads, and the other, he secretly led with a small group of soldiers and a young scribe through water routes to transport the grain and silver. Quietly arriving south of the Huai River to East State and Southeast State, he subtly assessed the situation of the people and the disaster.

Infuriated by the discovery, it turned out the local officials and merchants colluded, selling the relief grain from the warehouse for profit.

The Third Prince Xuanyuan Jinxing and the young scribe secretly gathered evidence. With solid evidence in hand, the prince executed before reporting back, beheading a batch of corrupt officials. As for the local official Bao Zhichong, he was brought back to the Capital City for the emperor to decide his fate.