She Holds the World After Being Reborn

Mrs. Sun pursed her lips after listening, she was not just a woman in the backyard engaged in constant intrigue; she had greater concerns. Yan Wanqing was her own daughter, and if what was said was true, then the fate of her husband and sons guarding Governor's Office Pass was likely doomed... Thinking of this, she paled slightly.

Suddenly, she felt warmth in her hand and saw her frail daughter pressing down on her hand that was quickly working the prayer beads.

"Mother, there's something else," Yan Wanqing moved closer and lowered her voice. "My constant poor health isn't due to colds... it's poison."

The last word fell just as the candle in the room suddenly made a cracking sound.

"Is it..." Mrs. Sun looked at Yan Wanqing with some hesitation, she had her suspicions but was unsure.

Yan Wanqing nodded, "It is."

"Foolish!" Mrs. Sun teared up, grabbing her daughter's hands with a backhanded grip, "How could both you and your father be so foolish."

Yan Wanqing showed a bitter smile, sinking into her memories.

Four years ago, on her way back from North of the Pass, she was continuously targeted by assassins. Their methods were ruthless, though not lethal, aiming only to severely injure her. The closer she got to the Capital City, the more assassins appeared, like locusts crossing the border continuously.

She was attacked from all sides, and of the eighteen Dead Soldiers with her, only one survived, eventually carrying her back to the doorstep of the Township Manor.

That night, the Township Manor was brightly lit. As the maids carried bowls of bloody water out of the Lotus Garden, Yan Wanqing, once revered as a deity by the people of Dawei, was dramatically pulled down from her pedestal as dawn broke.

Yan Wanqing could no longer practice martial arts!

For five glorious years, she had been a bright meteor streaking across the sky of Dawei, leaving behind only a halo.

That year, the Emperor happily conferred upon her the title of Princess Anping.

Beneath the high platform, her father, Guozhong Yan, firmly pushed down on her shoulders, forcing her to bow her head and accept the title.

Her father said, as a subject, one must be loyal to the emperor and serve the country faithfully; the emperor's will was to be known and followed.

Her father also said, the anger of the Emperor could tilt the world. Their Yan Family had been honest and loyal for generations, defending the realm and the people. If they could not fulfill their duties of loyalty and filial piety and protect their subjects, they would be violating the ancestral teachings.

Thus, he personally administered a poison known as Thousand Mechanism to Yan Wanqing, disabling the martial prowess she had cultivated through a decade of severe winters and summers in one night.

And he informed her that only he had the antidote for the Thousand Mechanism poison, telling her to wait for the right opportunity to receive it.

"What constitutes a 'right opportunity'? This foolish old man!" Mrs. Sun bitterly wept, her heart aching for her eldest daughter who had suffered for five full years.

Mrs. Sun dabbed her tear-stained eyes with a handkerchief, attempting to regain composure, "Have you ever blamed your father? It's his blind loyalty that has harmed you…"

"No, I am a Yan Family member, I understand," Yan Wanqing replied. The Yan Family was now a thorn in the side of the Imperial Family; she was aware of the dangers of being in a prominent position.

Mrs. Sun's nose tingled, and she was about to cry again; she quickly took a deep breath and stood up, "Your father hasn't told me where the antidote for the Thousand Mechanism poison is, but rest assured, mother will find a way to cure you."

"There's no need, mother, I..." Yan Wanqing hadn't finished speaking when Mrs. Sun had already pushed open the door and left. Soon after, Cong Ge came in with the maids to arrange for Yan Wanqing to wash up.

Yan Wanqing, "..." It was the first time she had seen Mrs. Sun act with such haste.

Time quickly moved to the sixth day of the second month.

Every year, the Empress hosted a plum blossom viewing event at Southern Mountain for the wives and daughters of officials. Normally, only the women attended, but this year was special because the princess from Qin State, Qin Wu, whimsically decided to join. The Empress then secretly ordered all families to bring their eligible men along, and even the usually busy Crown Prince had to personally accompany them. It was clear how much importance Dawei placed on this princess who came to form a marriage alliance.

The sons of bureaucratic families each sharpened their fists, and the daughters were not to be outdone. This was a rare opportunity to encounter the Crown Prince, rumored to possess the bearing of an immortal. They couldn't miss the chance to groom themselves well, hoping to outshine the rest and catch the eye of the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace.

Thus, when the fragrant carriages gathered and followed one after another, at the foot of Southern Mountain, it had already become a sight of colorful blossoms vying for attention.

Yan Wanqing missed it; she had been drowsy yesterday, and when she got up in the morning, she felt heaviness in her body, distressing the maids and nannies in the courtyard. After several delays, it was noon by the time the Yan Family's carriage barely made it to the foot of the mountain. By the time they entered, everyone had already started their vegetarian meal.

"Mother, I feel somewhat tired and would like to rest," Yan Wanqing said, not feeling hungry. Though the vegetarian dishes of Southern Mountain were exceptional, she had no appetite at all.

Seeing the slight darkness under her eyes, Sun compassionately nodded, "Go ahead."

The eldest daughter was wonderful in all things, but her constitution was weak. If it weren't for the injuries sustained in the North of the Pass years ago, she wouldn't be nineteen and still unmarried. And then there was the issue of the Thousand Mechanism Poison… The more Sun thought about it, the heavier her heart felt, and even the taste of her food seemed off.

All the worthy men of the Capital City were here, but it was uncertain who would be the destined one for her eldest daughter.

"Sister, I heard that at tomorrow's Renewal Feast, the Empress has decreed that the younger generation from each family must attend. Eldest sister should rest well and conserve energy for tonight's event," Aunt Song said, aware of Sun's thoughts. "The lady from Northern Border whom you have corresponded with before also sent her son here."

"Oh?" Sun perked up, curious. The lady from the Northern Border had been her close friend, though she had not seen her for many years due to her distant marriage: "Which son did she send? If it is Huai Yu, it might be worth meeting him."

"I will have someone fetch him soon, and sister can ask then," seeing Sun brighten, Aunt Song felt relieved and teased, "Sister, didn't you and the lady from Northern Border arrange a marriage for your children back then?"

Remembering the past, Sun felt a hint of smile brighten her face, bringing a bit more liveliness to her appearance, and their conversation grew.

Meanwhile, Cong Huan outside bore a heavy expression.

She hadn't expected that the eldest Miss had a marriage arrangement with the young Marquis from the Northern Border. Given the young Marquis was a prominent figure, if this really happened, what would become of the Seventh Prince? And what about her?

For the great cause of the Seventh Prince, Yan Wanqing must not marry the Northern Border's young Marquis. Thinking this, Cong Huan quickly turned and ran towards the door.

She had to pass the message to the Seventh Prince!

Back in her room, Yan Wanqing didn't rest immediately. Instead, she bent over the desk, sketching and drawing. If anyone skilled in national defense saw it, they would recognize the map as one of Governor's Office Pass' city defenses. Every detail down to the teahouse was meticulously depicted on paper, especially demonstrating the meticulous mind of the map's creator.

Even Township Manor's Yan Guozhong himself, upon seeing it, could not help but marvel at the detail of the map.

Yan Wanqing put her pen down. Frowning, she stared at the map of city defenses before her, feeling that something was amiss. This was slowly emerging from her memories of her previous life.

In her previous life, she had returned from managing flood issues South of the River only to receive the devastating news. She could not believe that her father and uncle had failed to defend even a small place like Governor's Office Pass, let alone that it led to the total annihilation of the Yan family's troops.

Thus, she had studied this map of the city's defenses overnight, imprinting every detail from the trees to the buildings in her mind.

Governor's Office Pass was easy to defend but hard to assault; what was the reason that made her father and uncle lead all their kin in a desperate all-out sortie, knowing well that the enemy baited them deep for a decisive battle?

This was a question that entangled Yan Wanqing across two lifetimes.

The Capital City was at the southernmost tip of Dawei, while Governor's Office Pass was at the very north. Separating the two cities were no less than three grand mountains. Even a person riding a horse without eating, drinking, or sleeping would take more than a month to reach there, while normal travel would take over three months one-way.

That's why Yan Wanqing had utterly dismissed the thought of going to Governor's Office Pass herself.

One reason was that there wasn't enough time, and the other was her weak health. If she went, the entire Yan family would be left vulnerable, exposed like a flock of lambs awaiting slaughter.

But even so, Yan Wanqing wanted to try.

Taking up her pen, she repeatedly wrote "do not pursue a desperate foe" on a small piece of paper and then carefully rolled it up and secured it inside a bamboo tube no bigger than half a pinky finger.