Yan Ying knew all too well that her family wasn't entirely pleased with marrying their treasured daughter off …
Yan Ying knew all too well that her family wasn't entirely pleased with marrying their treasured daughter off to a mere soldier. It wasn't just the hardships of daily life they worried about, nor the long stretches of separation; the battlefield was a place without mercy, where death could come at any moment, leaving her widowed at a young age. But fate had its plans. During the northern expedition, Emperor Shizong fell ill and soon passed away, and the once-proud Finesteed Hamlet began to decline. With the northern expedition armies disbanded, Yan Ying and a handful of comrades who refused to serve Zhao Kuangyin settled in Harvestfall Village in Qinghe, where he took up teaching. It wasn't much, but it was enough to give Qi Sheng a steady life. In time, Finesteed Hamlet gradually accepted him as one of their own. Yan Ying was a devoted husband, patient, and attentive. Qi Sheng was not a pampered woman, but she had a competitive streak when it came to chess, so Yan Ying often found himself walking a delicate line, losing just enough to keep her happy, but skillfully enough that she never noticed. Otherwise, her interest in the game might have faded.
Life had been moving along quietly until the issuance of the Jingbei Order shattered that stillness in Harvestfall Village. The northern expedition armies were to be reassembled, but was this just another campaign? Or something more? Sitting before the chessboard, Yan Ying found his thoughts drifting far from the game. His gaze lingered on the pieces, but his mind was not. Absentmindedly, he checkmated his wife with a few moves. Only when he caught sight of her stunned expression did he realize what he'd done. Silence fell like a curtain. Qi Sheng's pride was wounded. Without a word, she stood up and snapped, "I'm going back to Finesteed Hamlet!" Yan Ying opened his mouth, an apology hovering on his lips, yet when he finally spoke, the words came out sharp and cold, "Go, then! I won't stop you! Do you think being called Qi Sheng makes you some kind of chess saint? Well, just because I'm Yan Ying doesn't mean I'm weary of winning! If your brother hadn't told me not to upset you, I would've stopped holding back a long time ago! I'm done walking on eggshells!"
Qi Sheng cried. It was the first time they had truly fought since getting married and the first time Yan Ying had seen her in tears. Yet he stood frozen, knowing that if the Jingbei Order was merely another move in a greater power struggle, there was still time, still a chance to protect her, to let her go. As she turned and walked away, Yan Ying slowly loosened his clenched fists. A long sigh escaped him, "You're always most beautiful when you smile..."