Chapter 2: Forced Marriage

  (First day of upload, three chapters updated consecutively with 10,000 words, if you're satisfied, please vote for recommendation and collect it, thank you!)

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  Lingyun had just run a couple of steps when several burly men were about to catch up, but suddenly felt dizzy and fell to the ground.

  Several big men who were about to pounce were stunned for a moment. One of them walked forward, examined it carefully, and said, "There's an injury on his back."

  Bai Fa's high-pitched voice had already turned around and asked anxiously: "Will Master Yi be alright?"

  "It's not a fatal wound, but it hasn't been bandaged for a long time and has been soaked in the river water for so long, and blowing in the cold wind for so long has made it much worse. It needs to be treated immediately, otherwise there will be danger of losing one's life."

  "What are you waiting for? Bring him back to the manor immediately and treat his injuries." Gao Qianshuo said promptly.

  The warrior Gao Ding furrowed his brow and reported: "Miss, the wound on his back is a knife and arrow wound, a new wound...". He hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth. In my experience, it's not an ordinary arrow wound. That's an arrow shot from a strong bow, absolutely not the kind of bow and arrow used by ordinary mountain bandits, but rather the kind used in the military."

  As soon as this was said, both Gao Qiansheng and Gao Mingyue's faces changed slightly. In the military, they understood the meaning behind these words. After Emperor Yang of Sui came to power, he had issued a decree that private individuals were not allowed to possess large knives, long spears, strong bows and crossbows, and armor; those who violated this would be punished along with their entire clan. The hunting bows used by ordinary mountain hunters were all soft bows, and the arrows were also ordinary objects. Even some bandits and powerful men found it extremely difficult to own military-standard bows and arrows. Yet the arrow wound on Yi Feng's body was precisely caused by a military bow and arrow; this made his identity somewhat not so simple.

  "Miss, this man was injured not long ago. If we're not careful, the ones who hurt him might be the government troops, and they may still be nearby. This guy is going to be trouble, I suggest we leave immediately and don't get involved in this mess."

  "No way!" Gao Qianxue shook her head, she couldn't do such a thing.

  Gao Mingyue's heart was struggling, her rationality told her that Yi Feng was trouble and would be a nuisance. But she also saw her sister's attitude, she knew very well that today her sister wasn't just accidentally falling into the river. After being rescued by Yi Feng, Shanshuei's mindset had changed greatly, this was clearly related to Yi Feng. Otherwise, she wouldn't have kept trying to force Yi Feng to marry Shanshuei before, and it could be seen that Shanshuei didn't completely refuse either. She was torn, "Sister, bringing him back might ignite a fire that would burn us, being implicated by him, exposing our identities."

  "Take him away immediately, Gao Ding, you're in charge of cleaning up afterwards, don't leave any traces behind." Gao Qianxue made the decision without a hint of hesitation.

  ......

  Lingyun opened her eyes to find herself in an ancient, fragrant room. Instead of a bed, she was lying on a wooden floor covered with a grass mat, similar to tatami. Her head was throbbing slightly. The room had no hint of modernity. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was wearing a white, close-fitting outfit with an intersecting sash, completely in ancient attire.

  He closed his eyes, pinched himself and it hurt. Then he immediately remembered the memories from before, apparently this wasn't a dream.

  He threw off the quilt and sat up, only to find that there was no bed in the room, nor any tables or chairs. However, there was a small table beside him with a set of folded clothes on it - a white changshan, which he vaguely recognized as a type of deep clothing from Hanfu. On the table, there was also a copper mirror. The reflection in the mirror made him sigh deeply, and it was no longer the familiar self he saw when he was by the river.

  A strip of white cloth was slantingly wrapped around his shoulder and back, with a faint scent of Chinese medicine emanating from it. He reached out to touch it, and the bandaged area throbbed slightly with pain.

  Pushing open the door, a dazzling white light poured in, and Lingyun subconsciously raised his hand to shield his eyes. After adapting to the outside light, he lowered his hand and found himself in a mountain villa filled with ancient charm. Row upon row of courtyards, green glazed tiles, wooden buildings, as well as artificial hills, ponds, corridors, pavilions, and terraces. Yet, not a single modern trace could be seen - no electric wires, no streetlights, no cement, only the fragrance of antiquity.

  He took a deep breath and stepped out of the house with one foot.

  "Yi Gongzi, you're awake!" A somewhat familiar voice rang out, and Lingyun only then realized that the little servant girl who had been so bold and straightforward when she said he had hugged and kissed their young mistress by the river last time was standing in front of him with a tray, on which sat a bowl of steaming medicine emitting a strong medicinal smell.

  The little girl looked at Lingyun's gaze and actually had some embarrassment, "Young Master Yi, how did you come out? You just suffered such a serious injury and contracted wind chill, and you just woke up. How can you blow the wind? Hurry back to bed." As she spoke, she stared at Lingyun's open chest muscles with her eyes for a few more seconds. Then she went into the house, put down the medicine bowl, turned around and came out to support him into the house.

  The little girl looked like she was only thirteen or fourteen years old, delicate and lovely, but also quite bold and naive. She had one arm draped over his shoulder, the other hand resting on his waist, her head just reaching his chest, with a pair of braids on top that stood up like two sheep horns. Lingyun couldn't help but reach out and tug on them a few times, causing the little girl to let out a soft cry of pain, which confirmed for him that her hair was indeed real. This discovery made him feel a mix of emotions, with a tinge of disappointment and also a hint of excitement.

  "What's your name?"

  "Mulang!" After the little girl helped Lingyun lie back on the couch, her face turned a bit red, and it was unclear whether it was because of the effort she put in helping him just now, or because she had sneaked a peek at Lingyun's half-naked muscular physique, or because Lingyun had pulled her hair and given her an unbridled and unscrupulous stare. When she replied, her tone became heavier, and she even glared back at him with wide eyes.

  Mulan served him in the house until he finished taking his medicine and then chatted with him for a while before leaving to tell Miss that he had woken up.

  The room fell silent again, Lingyun lay back, somewhat absent-minded.

  He let out a long sigh, and Lingyun now had some understanding of his situation, no longer being completely in the dark.

  This is no longer a familiar world, just like he is no longer his past self.

  Here is the translation:

  "This was the Sui Dynasty, over 1,400 years ago. The Sui Dynasty ended the nearly four hundred years of division since the Western Jin and Northern Dynasties, reunifying China under a single empire. On one hand, it was civilized and prosperous, but on the other hand, it lasted only two generations before collapsing, with a total reign of just 38 years."

  It is now the eighteenth year of Emperor Yang of Sui's reign, eighteen years since Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian usurped the throne from Northern Zhou.

  Twenty-two years ago, the Northern Zhou destroyed Qi. Eighteen years ago, Yang Jian usurped the throne of Zhou and established Sui. Eleven years ago, Sui annexed Western Liang. Nine years ago, Sui pacified Southern Chen.

  He is now in a place called Gaojiazhuang, not far from the city of Yangzhou in Jiangnan. The owner of Gaojiazhuang is the white-haired beauty he rescued that day. Her name is Gao Shansheng, and it's also said that she had snow-white skin since childhood, even her hair was white when she first grew it. That arrogant Gao Mingyue is not Gao Shansheng's biological younger sister, but rather a distant cousin. The Gao family used to live in Hebei Province north of the Yellow River, but later moved south to escape war and settled in Yangzhou. It's said that Gao Shansheng's parents died in the war when they first came south, and she and her sisters were brought along by their relatives from their hometown and eventually bought a piece of land in Yangzhou.

  However, Lingyun always felt that the little girl's words were not entirely true. That day he saw at the riverbank, Gao Shanshuo's family owned such a large mansion, and those strong house guards, how could it be so simple? Ordinary manor owners can't have such powerful house guards, and they can all wear knives and ride horses.

  While she was lost in thought, the door was knocked and Gao Mingyue walked in with two matrons and several maids. The matrons and maids were holding some trays covered with red cloth.

  "Easy wind, you finally woke up." Gaoming Yue looked at Lingyun with a smile on her face, but this smile made Lingyun feel a few points of ill intent, as if the weasel was paying New Year's greetings to the chicken.

  Recalling the day she forced him to marry, threatening to kill and abandon him if he refused, Lingyun couldn't help but smile. His expression turned cautious as he nodded: "Thank you, Miss Gao, for saving me. I'm eternally grateful."

  "We'll be family soon, no need to be so polite. Now that you're awake, Mulan, go ask Dr. Qian to come and diagnose again, can't have any more relapses. What if you faint again at the wedding ceremony? That would be a joke." Gaoming Yue said with a smile to Mulan beside her, her eyes seeming to say to Lingyun: "You weren't going to surrender even in death, but now you're running away, let's see where you run to."

  "What is 'Bai Tang'?"

  "Of course, it's a great joy for you and your sister! The village has already prepared everything. Old Man Gao even went to Jiangdu City to have someone calculate the auspicious day, and tomorrow is the lucky day, most suitable for marriage. Look, I've brought all the things you'll need for tomorrow's wedding ceremony. You get ready, and when the auspicious hour arrives, you can marry my sister and enter the bridal chamber."

  "My god", Lingyun couldn't help but curse silently in her heart. "Who agreed to marry your sister!"

  "Wrong!" Gao Mingyue immediately corrected: "It's not you marrying my sister, but you joining our Gao family as a son-in-law, the difference between these two is huge."

  "Who agreed to marry into the Gao family? I didn't! A man of dignity like me being forced into marriage, this is unheard of! Although Gao Shanshuo is very pretty, no one likes being coerced into something."

  "You have to agree, whether you want to or not. The way you treated my sister has already ruined her reputation, and now you're trying to renege on your promise? Moreover, my sister has already accepted the token of your engagement, so it's too late for you to back out now."

  "What is the token of love?"

  "Your personal jade pendant!" Gaoming Yue said with satisfaction. "Yifeng, don't be too smug and think you've gotten a good deal, my sister is a divine being, it's your good fortune from past lives that she deigned to look at you, don't be ungrateful. Get some rest now, don't miss the auspicious time tomorrow!" After finishing speaking, she lifted her skirt and, with the sound of tinkling jade pendants, led the group of servant girls carrying trays of gifts out of the room.

  As soon as I went out, the door slammed shut immediately and even locked!

  Only Lingyun was left standing in front of the wedding decorations in the room, stunned.