Born in Blood - Chapter 9: Crack

As part of the imperial family, every move by Chu Yuan in this game of chess is made with apprehension, fearing that with a moment of inattentiveness, the whole match will be lost in a single move.

Ascending to the throne at eighteen, not half a year passes before civil strife erupts in Yun Nan. Though the thoughts of the old guard at the imperial court are not exactly identical, they are all waiting to see how the new emperor will put an end to this.

Unexpectedly, before this side could make a move, a few thousand miles away, the King of Xi Nan, Duan Bai Yue, had already personally commanded troops to attack in all directions; not half a year had passed when peace was restored.

Sparse moonlight shines into the palace; Chu Yuan stamped the wax seal himself, and had a secret letter sent urgently to Yun Nan 800 miles away — this time, what must we(1) give in exchange?

Brush marks passed through the back of the paper; it almost can be seen, when writing this line, how angry the young emperor was.

Duan Bai Yue spread out a piece of paper unhurriedly, replying with only one word.

You.

Notes:
(1): Chu Yuan is using the royal ‘we’ here.

- Description from Novelupdates

Li Xu occasionally got a sign-in system, and his life has been different from now on. Enjoy life, look at the scenery, sign in, spring flowers bloom, and face the sea.

- Description from novelbuddy

Qin Zheng transmigrated into the role of the Princess Consort, but Qin Zheng, an engineer dispatched to a foreign country, didn’t get the script for a palace drama, nor did she have the chance to experience the luxurious life of a Princess Consort. Because, the nation had perished. A eunuch held three feet of white silk and said, “Your Highness, the city has fallen. Please leave with dignity.” Qin Zheng: “…” What kind of beginning was this? In order to avoid being forced to commit su*cide, Qin Zheng had no choice but to go to the bed of her half-dead husband, the Crown Prince, and pretend to be deeply affectionate, shedding a few tears to delay time. Emperor Chu Chengji, founder of the Great Chu Dynasty, was valiant and skilled in warfare. He conquered the northern barbarians and drove out the southern savages, ushering in the prosperous era of Xuan Chu. He spent his entire life in battles, without a wife or concubines. Consequently, after his premature death, only a young scion from a collateral branch was selected to succeed him. He departed during the peak of his prosperous reign, only to open his eyes and find himself at the time of his nation’s demise! He was reincarnated as the current Crown Prince, his own nephew of many generations. Learning that the territory he had opened up in the past was directly lost, the Emperor of the founding dynasty couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. How useless were these descendants? Back then, he could establish this long-standing empire single-handedly, and today, he could rebuild it! As for this stunningly beautiful Princess Consort, who cried so pitifully in front of him, the Emperor of the founding dynasty was extremely disdainful: “Women would only hinder his speed of restoration!” Later, the Emperor of the founding dynasty would knock on the door of the Pepper Room every night and ask, “Azhen, can I come back to sleep?”

Kang Li woke up in the body of the sickly beauty, the youngest daughter of the Kang family in Aoli Village, who had been spoiled and pampered all her life.The original host had a tough life, first being dumped, then marrying a divorced man in a fit of anger to become a stepmother, only to find herself unfortunately becoming the control set for another stepmother in the courtyard.She could certainly be considered a top contender for cannon fodder among supporting female characters.But to Kang Li, none of this was a problem.All she knew was that the so-called divorced man was a returned overseas research talent, busy with work, with a high salary and good looks, and was hardly ever at home. In these times, where food and clothing were scarce and communication was done by shouting, marrying him was nothing but good news to her, who just wanted to live the life of a salted fish.Kang's Mother: ...my daughter's gone silly!Brothers (sisters-in-law, nephews, and nieces): ...our sister (young auntie) has gone mad!However, apart from the head of the household, Captain Kang, the rest of the family were all sweating on Kang Li's behalf, worried that the delicate and frail treasure of the house (sister, young aunt) wouldn't be able to handle the grievances of being a stepmother and might hurt herself from the stress.The villagers who knew about the Kang family's situation gathered together, spewing sour words and gossiping, especially those who bore no good will and were just waiting to see the Kang family's downfall.Yet, Kang Li's life after marriage was not only blissful, but her husband doted on her, her stepchildren adored her, calling her mom the moment they opened their mouths. They clung to her like people possessed, and the wife (stepmother) had them following her every step.A certain flabbergasted system: I thought the host I was bound to was bronze-tier, but it turns out she's actually king-tier.Luo Yanqing was naturally indifferent, with only work on his mind, but somehow, he started to find himself looking forward to holidays, although he rarely managed to go home once a whole year.