The scars of battle had long since faded from the land, but the weight of the war still clung to General Han Zhiwei like the sweat on his brow. The city of Luoyang had been rebuilt, its streets once again alive with the bustle of commerce. Yet, there was an air of tension, a silence beneath the surface, as if everyone was waiting for something to break.
He stood on the balcony of his temporary quarters, overlooking the training fields below. His men were hard at work, sharpening their skills, but his mind was elsewhere—on the war that had ended, and on what was to come.
Months had passed since the last clash on the battlefield, a victory that had been bitter rather than sweet. His forces had been victorious, but at a cost. So many dead. So much lost. And now… peace. Or rather, the illusion of it.
A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
The war was over, but its aftershocks still rippled through the palace. He strode down the long corridor, his boots echoing in the silence. The walls were adorned with banners of victory, yet the general felt no pride in them. The kingdom's blood had been spilled, and peace was still fragile, like glass ready to shatter.
He reached the private chambers of Crown Prince Xu Tianji, the future ruler of this kingdom. It was a simple, austere room, its decorations reflective of the prince's personality—cold, calculating, a perfect match for the throne he would one day inherit.
The crown prince sat at a large wooden desk, his back straight as he perused the reports laid out before him. His sharp eyes flicked up as the general entered, his gaze calculating, as always. "Zhiwei," the crown prince greeted, his voice steady, devoid of any emotion. "I trust you have seen the proposal?"
"I've read it," He replied, his tone clipped. "A marriage proposal. The enemy offers their princess as a peace offering."
The crown prince's lips twisted into something like a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, I saw that as well. A desperate move, wouldn't you say? They're offering us their last valuable asset to ensure their survival."
"Survival," the general echoed, walking toward the desk and leaning against it. "Is that all they think this is? A matter of survival? If they believe they can secure peace with a marriage, they are gravely mistaken." He picked up a cup of wine from the prince's table, swirling it lazily. "This princess of theirs—what do we know about her?"
The crown prince raised an eyebrow. "Not much. She's been kept away from the court, isolated. Raised in some remote part of the empire, as if she were a mere ornament, not a royal." He leaned forward, folding his hands together. "The emperor hopes that by giving her to you, it will solidify his peace terms. But do you trust that?"
The general set the cup down, his gaze hardening. "Trust? No. I don't trust the enemy. But this is more than just a peace offering. This is a gamble—a political maneuver. They know that if I accept her, I will control both kingdoms." His voice was low, filled with an unsettling certainty. "And that's exactly why they're offering her. They hope I will take her to secure the peace, but it's a calculated risk on their part. They believe that in the process, I will be bound to them."
The crown prince's expression darkened. "You think the princess is just a pawn? A piece on the board to be moved around?"
The general's lips curved into a cold smile. "That's exactly what she is. A tool in this game of politics. She's been kept hidden for a reason. If she were truly valuable to their empire, they would have used her before. But now, after the war is over, she's a weapon. And she's being thrown at me, like a dart aimed at my heart."
The crown prince leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the surface. "You don't believe the offer is genuine, then. You don't think they're offering peace at all."
"No," the general said, his voice colder now. "They want to keep their kingdom from collapsing. The princess is a shield. But if she's nothing more than a pawn, then I can use her to my advantage." He leaned forward, locking eyes with the prince. "I'll take her, but on my terms. This is not a marriage of love or loyalty. This is a marriage of power."
The crown prince's eyes narrowed, weighing the general's words. "And what if she isn't what you expect? What if she's not a pawn, but something more?"
The general scoffed, standing up straighter. "Then I'll deal with it. But either way, she won't change the outcome. Whether she's a pawn or a princess, she'll be under my control."
The crown prince fell silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke, his voice low but firm. "You're certain about this? That this is the path you want to take?"
"I don't have a choice," the general replied. "This marriage may be the only way to secure my position—our position. If the princess is my way to solidify peace, then so be it. I'll use whatever I have to. No one stands in the way of our future."
The crown prince's eyes glinted, something unreadable behind them. "Then I trust your judgment, Zhiwei. But remember, once you marry her, you won't just control the empire. You'll be tied to her—your fate entwined with hers. Be careful what you choose to claim."
The general gave a sharp nod, his mind already turning, calculating the moves in a game that had just begun. "I'm always careful, Tianji. That's why I always win."
The prince's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, then he dismissed him with a gesture. "I'll leave you to your decisions, Zhiwei. But know this—every choice has consequences. Even if you think you control the board, the game is always changing."
He nodded, turning toward the door. As he exited, his mind was filled with more than just the politics of marriage. The princess, the weapon he would soon possess—he could almost feel her presence already.
As he turned a corner, the echo of footsteps matched his own. He didn't need to look up; he knew who it was. His most trusted guard, Wu Jian, was always nearby, waiting for orders or simply observing. The man had served him for years, with unwavering loyalty.
"You seem deep in thought, Lord," the guard said, his voice low but carrying an edge of curiosity. "Was the prince's conversation troubling?"
Zhiwei stopped and turned to face him, his expression unreadable. "Troubling? No. He's a prince. He doesn't concern himself with anything but the throne. He'll play his part as he always does." His voice was steady, but the faintest flicker of doubt lingered in his eyes.
He didn't respond immediately. He'd learned long ago not to push his lord when he wasn't ready to speak. But after a moment, he pressed on, his tone cautious. "And the proposal? The princess…"
Zhiwei jaw clenched, the mere mention of the marriage making his blood boil. "They want me to marry her. The princess, the last piece of their empire. She's nothing more than a tool, a weapon. And they think by offering her to me, they'll secure their peace." His hand tightened into a fist at his side. "A weapon in a marriage bed."
Wu Jian eyes narrowed, his expression guarded. "Do you believe that's all she is? A pawn?"
Zhiwei eyes were cold as steel when he spoke. "We'll find out when she arrives."
And then, with a final glance at the horizon, he turned away from the balcony. Whatever this peace offering was meant to be, he would treat it as just another weapon. If the princess was the key to peace—or to his own advantage—he would use her accordingly.