“Congratulations, congratulations to the Grand General for bringing the princess home.”
“Congratulations to you, who from now on will be the imperial consort of our Great Yan.”
“…”
Loud fireworks boomed, mingling with the sounds of people laughing and talking. Everyone crowded together, offering congratulations for the joyous occasion of Princess Ding'an of Great Yan and Grand General Who Guards the Nation, Yu Zhenwu.
Everyone congratulated them on their marriage, but only Yu Zhenwu found it utterly ridiculous. Did he covet this position of imperial consort? It was that old Emperor who had forced him to accept it. Yu Zhenwu had once sworn before his father's coffin: if that old Emperor wouldn't let their Yu family live well, then his daughter, marrying into the Yu family, shouldn't expect to live well either.
Liu Yongxia was in her bridal chamber. Shyly, she lifted her red veil and looked around. The entire room was decorated in vibrant red. Liu Yongxia thought to herself, after so many years of waiting, she could finally marry her A-Wu.
Liu Yongxia was the Eldest Princess of Great Yan, daughter of the current Emperor and Empress Chunhui. Her full-brother was the reigning Crown Prince, and in the not-too-distant future, should the Crown Prince ascend the throne, she would become Princess Ding'an, a Grand Princess of exceptionally noble status.
From a young age, Liu Yongxia had been particularly fond of Yu Zhenwu. The Emperor, seeing her infatuated gaze, then, with profound meaning, bestowed a marriage upon the two of them.
Yongxia was like a little tail, always following her A-Wu. Yu Zhenwu, in turn, gently protected her like a small flower.
They had thought they would continue like this until adulthood, becoming a perfectly matched husband and wife, a destined pair.
But all misfortunes strike when people are at their happiest.
In the spring of the twentieth year of Jingde, Grand General Yu Zhenhan died in battle on the field, and Great Yan lost Lianzhou. That year, Yongxia had just turned ten, and Yu Zhenwu was fourteen. From then on, he was no longer her A-Wu; no longer did he gently call her 'Yong'er'. He became a bloodthirsty wolf on the battlefield, and by his own strength, became Great Yan's next Grand General Who Guards the Nation.
***
Yu Zhenwu had fought on battlefields for many years; a little wine couldn't make him drunk. The groom would eventually have to return to the bridal chamber for the wedding night with his bride. He opened the door and saw a small figure, clad in vibrant red wedding attire, sitting there waiting for him. He smirked and approached her.
Yongxia heard the sound of the door opening, and her heart involuntarily pounded. The palace *mama*s had taught her what to do on her wedding night, but she was still very afraid. Her hands clenched her wedding dress, waiting for Yu Zhenwu to lift her veil, for him to see his bride.
Yu Zhenwu looked at Liu Yongxia for a long time. Within him, the hatred buried for many years once again surged. He violently flung her veil down, stomped on it, and said in a cold voice:
“Princess… are you happy?”
Liu Yongxia was startled by this scene. Who would lift a bride's veil so violently? Yongxia stared wide-eyed at Yu Zhenwu, then looked down at his feet when she saw the red veil being trampled beneath them. She cried out in alarm:
“A-Wu… No… Husband, what are you doing?”
Yu Zhenwu found Yongxia's calling him 'husband' truly nauseating. He forcefully squeezed her chin and growled:
“Don't call me husband… You don't have the right.”
Yongxia was bewildered by Yu Zhenwu's behavior. Her hand gripped his, wanting him to let go. Her mouth hurt, and her eyes welled up with tears. She asked him with difficulty:
“Why? We're already married.”
Dư Chấn Vũ, as if possessed, roared at her:
“It was your imperial father who forced me…! I never wanted to marry you.”
Vĩnh Hạ looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears. He didn’t want to marry her? Then why didn’t he refuse? Why did he have to make her suffer like this?
“But…! We have an engagement, don’t we…! Your father and my imperial father…”
“Don’t mention my father…! You Liu family members are not worthy of mentioning my father’s name.”
Liu Vĩnh Hạ truly didn’t understand why her Brother A Vũ hated her so much. What wrong had she done?
Through her tears, Vĩnh Hạ asked Dư Chấn Vũ:
“Brother A Vũ, there’s one thing I’ve always wanted to ask you…! Why have you become so cold towards me ever since Uncle Dư died in battle?”
When Dư Chấn Vũ heard these words, a surge of fury rushed straight to his brain. He pinned Liu Vĩnh Hạ to the bed and, through gritted teeth, enunciated each word for her to hear:
“You want to know? Then let me tell you why my father died in battle…! That year, Liêm Châu was attacked by Đại Hạ…! My father submitted a memorial, urgently requesting the Emperor to provide food supplies and reinforcements to defend Liêm Châu city. But your imperial father used the excuse of an empty treasury and told my father to figure out a way to cope on his own. Without food supplies, without reinforcements, my father and over ten thousand Dư family soldiers died in battle because of it. Liêm Châu also fell into enemy hands.”