The Emperor's Guide to Pampering a Consort Chapter 1

If there's a next life (previous life)

Rows of blood-soaked corpses, resembling withered trees, dangled upside down along the border between Beiwei and Xidi.

Blood congealed, forming a dark crimson "dividing line" on the ground. At one side stood the returning forces of Xidi, while at the other side, a man with heterochromatic eyes stood by himself.

Drenched in blood, the solitary man wore battle-worn golden armor etched with dragon patterns, now in tatters. Strands of hair hung loose over his forehead, partially concealing his heterochromatic eyes. His left eye bore the crimson hue common among the people of Xidi, while the other eye gleamed with the black glassy gaze of those from Beiwei.

These two eyes were enough to make everyone regard him as a freak. Ironically, this 'freak' was the former Emperor of Beiwei, Zhan Qian.

Half an hour earlier, Emperor Zhan Qian had led his troops in a battle that routed the Xidi army.

After years of bitter fighting, Xidi had exhausted its strength. The royal family of Xidi had already dispatched messengers in haste to deliver a surrender letter.

The outcome was clear. There was no reason for both sides to continue clashing.

However, as the battle neared its end, the Beiwei army seemed to receive an invisible command. They withdrew from the battlefield in perfect synchronization, leaving only their Emperor to face the bloodthirsty Xidi warriors.

The Xidi commander, Huyan Lai, witnessed this grand yet absurd betrayal unfold right in front of him.

In his astonishment, he couldn't help but mockingly remark, "Zhan Qian, it seems your beloved country doesn't love you as much as you love it!"

His mismatched eyes twitched with a vacant stare, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. He lifted his gaze, surveying the surroundings. In front of him were the enemy forces, and behind him lay Beiwei, the land he had spent a decade reclaiming with a blood-stained blade.

Now that the country was united, this Emperor found himself abandoned on the battlefield, where the birds had feasted, and bows lay hidden among the countless corpses.

The generals and comrades-in-arms he once trusted, the battlefield brothers he had fought alongside, and even his elder brother who had enjoyed the spoils of war in the capital city — all brushed past him like the border's shifting sands. They left no imprint, only a biting mockery of his lifetime played for amusement.

Although the fate of Xidi was sealed, the surrender letter had not yet reached the frontlines. Many of Huyan Lai's fierce warriors had perished by Zhan Qian's hand. He sought vengeance while the opportunity still existed.

Indeed, wrenching off the head of Beiwei's Emperor would be a dignified defeat.

The remaining thousand Xidi warriors crossed the border and surrounded Zhan Qian. Most of them were battered and wounded, typical of a defeated army. But with their numbers, even in a straightforward battle, they could wear down this abandoned Emperor.

One by one, they advanced, only to fall under the silver spear of Zhan Qian.

Huyan Lai hadn't expected Zhan Qian to still have fight in him. He clenched the crossbow bolts in his hand and taunted loudly, "Even if you make it back alive to the capital, those people of Beiwei won't embrace you. They'll look at those eyes of yours every day and see you as nothing but a war-fighting freak. How could they ever genuinely submit to you? How pitiful! To be an Emperor and yet be abandoned by everyone, that's truly a rare sight in history!"

Zhan Qian's hand trembled slightly as he held the spear. His heterochromatic eyes shed two tears of blood, making him looked like a demon from hell. Despite their fear, the Xidi warriors dared to continue striking at him.

Suddenly, a deep and rapid sound of approaching horse hooves echoed from afar, growing louder and more intense!

Huyan Lai's heart skipped a beat. He thought that perhaps the Beiwei army had returned to rescue their monarch. Instinctively, he reined in his horse, preparing to flee. However, what appeared around the mountain corner was indeed an army — a small force of fewer than two hundred men.

They were clad in silver armor, brandishing gleaming spears, exuding an awe-inspiring morale, while a colossal banner in the shape of a cloud fluttered proudly in the wind!

"The Yun clan of Beiwei..." Huyan Lai muttered in disbelief.

The Yun clan's army had been disbanded amidst the court conflicts three years ago, but before its dissolution, it had struck fear into the hearts of the Xidi people.

Huyan Lai felt like he was in a nightmare, but then he saw the leader under the cloud-shaped banner. There was a blood-red mark on his forehead, his longsword gleaming with cold light. His high ponytail and simple clothes were a stark contrast to the spirited young general from years ago. He had clearly grown thin and worn, but his aura still had the power to make Huyan Lai's heart race.

How could Yun Ziji, who had been confined to the deep palace years ago, suffering from muscles and veins injuries, could have possibly arrived at the border as if divine troops had descended? It seemed impossible!

"Get out of the way!"

With a furious shout, the Yun clan's army released over a hundred arrows from their crossbows. Yun Ziji swung his longsword with lightning speed, cutting a bloody path and timely kicking away a cold blade aimed at Zhan Qian's back.

Zhan Qian, through blood and tears, saw the newcomer. The man in white gradually became stained with the blood of others. His bare hands moved through blades, spears, and staffs, reaching out to support Zhan Qian's back with strength.

Yun Ziji protected him while wielding his sword to pierce through the throats of the Xidi warriors.

His strikes mercilessly ensured death. In an instant, he had taken the lives of more than a dozen men. Their bodies fell at his feet, kicked aside by him, causing the horses of the Xidi cavalry to stumble.

Zhan Qian was astonished. Yun Ziji had once been the sharpest and most formidable swordman on the northern border of Beiwei. Later, he suffered from debilitating injuries on the battlefield, rendering him physically weak and unable to even lift a sword. Despite this, the late Emperor still feared his influence in the military. In his final will, he forcibly brought Yun Ziji, a man, into the palace to become Zhan Qian's Imperial Consort.

After entering the palace and receiving this empty title, the Yun clan gradually faded into decline. He lost any possibility of returning to the battlefield.

Yet today, he appeared invincible.

Zhan Qian had believed Yun Ziji had recovered.

Three years into their marriage, Yun Ziji had been relegated to a secluded palace within the deep confines of the imperial palace.

Which palace, exactly?

Zhan Qian couldn't remember the name of that palace.

Even the cold palace did not lack the Emperor's notice to this extent.

"You go first! I'll hold them off!" Yun Ziji pushed Zhan Qian toward the only opening in the encirclement.

Unable to contain himself, he added, "Zhan Qian, don't return to the capital. Zhan Yao has usurped the throne and declared himself the Emperor. Everyone in Beiwei wants you dead. The late Emperor allowed you to ascend the throne only to pave the way for Zhan Yao."

Zhan Qian didn't have time to dwell on the betrayal of others. He tightened his grip on Yun Ziji's hand, intercepting another round of attacks as he resolutely said, "If I leave, we leave together!"

A look of surprise crossed Yun Ziji's eyes, followed by a surge of tenderness. "I can't leave anymore."

"What do you mean you can't leave?" Zhan Qian held his hand firmly, refusing to let go. "Yun Ziji, you're the only person who hasn't abandoned me, so I won't abandon you either!"

He thrust his sword into the abdomen of a Xidi warrior, blood splattering on his face. He shielded Yun Ziji behind him. "I'll take you to Zhongzhen. I'll borrow troops from the Huai clan to eliminate all those traitors in Beiwei. Ziji, no matter how dire the situation, I can make it right. Trust me!"

"...Zhan Qian, I trust you," Yun Ziji said, looking into his eyes with a smile on his face. His complexion grew paler, making the red mark on his forehead stand out, even more vivid and passionate than the blood on the ground.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood but pretended to casually wipe it away. Zhan Qian saw this and quickly embraced Yun Ziji's weakening body. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Master!!"

The Yun clan's army cried out in sorrow and intensified their fierce attacks on the enemies.

Tears of blood flowed from his heterochromatic eyes. Zhan Qian held him in confusion. "Why did you shield me?"

Yun Ziji, with bloodied lips, weakly answered, "The Yun clan's family motto... Be loyal to the Emperor, protect the country."

Filled with self-blame and anguish, he trembled as he admitted his wrong, "I have wronged you... wronged the entire Yun family."

"Using this remaining life to save you doesn't count as a waste."

Yun Ziji reached out and wiped away the blood tears from Zhan Qian's eyes. "Your Majesty, don't cry. Your jewel eyes don't look good when you cry."

When they first met at the age of five, Yun Ziji had praised his eyes, saying they were as beautiful as jewels.

Yun Ziji placed a "Palm Blaze" into Zhan Qian's hand and weakly said, "The battlefield is where I belong. Let me go, you... escape quickly."

"In this life, we were a burden to each other," he continued. "Mother always said... couples who never truly loved each other won't meet again in the next life. Your Majesty, we can both find release now."

Only the Palm Blaze remained, still burning with a fiery warmth.

Huyan Lai and his cavalry closed in.

Zhan Qian cradled Yun Ziji's body carefully, shielding him within his arms. With a trembling hand, he released the fuse of the Palm Blaze.

A sharp whistling sound pierced the sky. Huyan Lai cautiously looked up, expecting fireworks or some trick. However, in the dim night sky, thousands of sparks suddenly burst into life, flaming streaks descending toward the ground.

"Not good! Run!" But it was too late.

The sparks landed on both the living and the dead along the border, igniting instantly as they fed on flesh and blood. The screams were agonizing.

The Palm Blaze Yun Ziji handed to Zhan Qian was a weapon designed to take lives of both sides.

He had hoped this flame could offer Zhan Qian a chance at survival, but he was unaware that Zhan Qian no longer sought such a lifeline.

Amidst the roaring fire, he held Yun Ziji close, resting his head against his shoulder, their hearts beating in unison.

With scarred hands, he tightly gripped the end of the arrow's feather. Zhan Qian whispered softly into Yun Ziji's ear, "A sinner like me doesn't deserve redemption. Ziji, if there's a next life, I'll never let you down again."

Clutching the arrow that pierced Yun Ziji's heart, he ended his own life.

In the midst of raging flames, their blood intertwined, their hearts tightly bound by the same cold arrow.