Auntie said that the biggest regret in her life was failing to cultivate Zhen Yan into a proper noble lady.
She was a girl from Dai River and couldn't get used to anything in the capital.
Before the age of five, Zhen Yan grew up in Dai River. Her mother passed away early, and her father took her with him while fighting in battles. However, for most of the time, her father was absent, and there was only a mute old woman named A Mu to take care of her.
A Mu was too old to have much energy.
So Zhen Yan played with the boys in the military camp every day. She always thought she was a boy too.
But Tie Tou said that he peed standing up.
She also tried to pee standing up, but ended up wetting her pants and shoes.
Everyone laughed at her, and she got so angry that she whipped them with her long whip.
Her father and other soldiers passed by and saw her wet pants, but said nothing.
Not long after, her uncle came to Dai River and took her back to the capital. She didn't understand why she had to go back to the capital. She was her father's daughter and a child of the Zhen family. Her father and elder brother loved her, and she didn't want to leave.
But her father said that as a girl, she couldn't stay in the military camp, and since her uncle had married her aunt, they could take care of her.
Auntie was nice, but most of the time, she was worried. She was worried about not being able to have a child and being looked down upon by the royal clan.
Zhen Yan didn't have time to worry. When she returned to the capital, she found everything novel. Her father was promoted to a sixth - rank assistant general and she also received rewards. In the capital, some people even invited her to banquets.
She didn't like banquets. The girls there laughed at her for being vulgar. Later, her father was promoted to a fourth - rank general, and the girls at the banquets she attended changed, but they still laughed at her for being vulgar.
After that, she met people who didn't mind her vulgarity. One was Lu Wanning, and the other was Sheng Li. They had high status and didn't look down on her. Lu Wanning was the most beloved grand - niece of the queen mother and the Princess Zhaoyang. Sheng Li was the heir of the county prince's mansion.
Then Zhen Yan learned that although they had noble status, they were also looked down upon by others.
But it didn't matter. She had friends.
Lu Wanning said, "Let's become sworn siblings."
So the three of them found a place, cut their fingers, and made a blood - oath. But Lu Wanning cried loudly because it hurt.
Zhen Yan said, "I'm the oldest. I should be the eldest sister."
Lu Wanning disagreed. "I'm the princess. I should be the eldest sister."
Sheng Li, being young and naive, held down Zhen Yan and said, "Lu Wanning is the eldest sister."
They were very happy and played together everywhere. They no longer cared about those pretentious noble ladies.
One day, Zhen Yan went to the small hunting ground to play and met the royal children competing in hunting there. They were all young men and didn't allow Zhen Yan to play. Sheng Li argued with them, but he couldn't win.
The worst one among them was named Sheng Songyan. He said she was ugly, the ugliest woman he had ever seen.
She was extremely angry, but Sheng Li said that this man was the heir of the Prince of Qishan and they couldn't afford to offend him.
Unfortunately, it soon thundered and rained heavily.
Zhen Yan waited for Sheng Li, but all the young men shook their clothes and got on their carriages and left. Sheng Li didn't come back. She asked everywhere, but no one knew where he was.
This was a hunting ground, and there was a deep mountain behind. Sheng Li was only six years old and knew nothing.
Zhen Yan went into the mountain in the heavy rain to look for Sheng Li. After looking for a long time, she finally saw two muddy people.
Sheng Songyan was only eleven or twelve years old. He carried Sheng Li on his back and walked forward with difficulty. His outer robe was draped over Sheng Li, but both of them were soaked.
This wasn't Zhen Yan's first time seeing Sheng Songyan, but it was the most unforgettable one.
People said that Sheng Songyan was a dissolute playboy who did nothing but fight cocks and walk dogs all day. People said that the emperor attached great importance to the royal children and would randomly check their knowledge, but Sheng Songyan was always the worst. People said that Sheng Songyan liked to make some strange things and give them to the emperor, but when the emperor asked him to study, he would cry loudly.
People said that such a man was good - for - nothing, but in the future, he would at least be a carefree prince.
Zhen Yan tilted her head. The carefree prince in the future wasn't as bad as people said.
Sheng Songyan sneezed and said that he was soft - hearted. After all, they all had the surname Sheng, and it didn't make sense to watch someone die outside, so he saved him.
But Zhen Yan thought he was just being stubborn, because after that, he had a fever for five days and almost died.
Later, Lu Wanning chased after Fu Rongxuan all day, and Sheng Li had a brain disease. His parents didn't allow him to go out. Another friend, Jiang Shishi, was born with a weak constitution and spent most of the year lying in bed taking medicine.
Without her friends, Zhen Yan was very bored. Instead, she fell in love with horse - riding. As long as it was sunny, she would go to the horse - field and ride to her heart's content. At that time, her aunt was always heart - broken and said that a good girl like Zhen Yan had made herself so dark that she stood out among the noble ladies. It would be difficult for her to get married in the future.
Zhen Yan simply dressed up as a young man and hung out on the streets all day with her long whip. She also made a lot of so - called friends.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. She actually saw Sheng Songyan among these so - called friends. Sheng Songyan really deserved to be the most dissolute playboy. He was wearing gorgeous clothes and hugging two women. He kissed them regardless of others' looks.
Thinking that there was such a degenerate in the royal family that her father and brother were desperately protecting, Zhen Yan felt disgusted.
Sheng Songyan laughed loudly and said that Zhen Yan was a girl who had a man's heart but no man's ability. He also asked if she wanted him to introduce some real beauties to her.
Zhen Yan was so angry that she whipped Sheng Songyan until he was half - dead.
This was how they became enemies.
Zhen Yan was very nervous for a long time after that incident. She didn't expect that although Sheng Songyan looked tall and strong, he was actually weak. If the royal family investigated, the Zhen family might be in big trouble.
However, the royal family didn't investigate. Zhen Yan thought that it was probably because Lu Wanning had helped her.
Many years later, Zhen Yan realized that Sheng Songyan was not useless. His martial arts skills were even no worse than those of her father and brother.
Later, as Zhen Yan grew up, when she was fourteen or fifteen years old, her aunt no longer worried about whether she could have a child, but started to worry about Zhen Yan's marriage.
The Zhen family was originally ordinary. It was only because of her father's military merits that they had reached this level. They had no family background or foundation, and the whole family relied on her father.
Auntie wanted to find a good husband for her, someone with a good family background and good character. But the families that auntie liked didn't like her. Since there was only one girl in the family, if someone was only interested in the reputation of the general's mansion, auntie always thought that they were not sincere.
After much deliberation, she had reached the age of coming of age, but still hadn't found a suitable husband.
Finally, her father's deputy general was interested and asked his son to get to know Zhen Yan. Unfortunately, after only two meetings, Zhen Yan found that the young man liked to go to brothels. He hugged the girls and kissed them, and even said righteously that as a young man, he couldn't be without women.
Even though the deputy general beat his son half - dead, this marriage naturally couldn't happen.
Since she couldn't get married, Zhen Yan began to let herself go and didn't think about it anymore.
Until that day, when she got into trouble, he inexplicably came to save her and even touched her lips.
He said, "I... am willing to take responsibility."
Zhen Yan sneered, "It was just a touch. Who wants you to take responsibility!"
Sheng Songyan followed her around all day. Wherever she went, he seemed to want to go too.
Zhen Yan was impatient. She didn't want such a promiscuous man. In order to avoid him, she decided to leave the capital and return to Dai River.
Anyway, her reputation was already ruined in the capital. The folk customs in Dai River were more open, and there were fewer restrictions on the communication between men and women. Moreover, she had no intention of getting married and starting a family. She could be free and unrestrained alone.
She didn't know that Sheng Songyan actually disguised himself as a cook and followed her to Dai River.
She was not unmoved. For a moment, she even thought that if the prodigal son could turn over a new leaf, she would be willing. Besides, he might not be a prodigal son.
Before she could say the words of gratitude, the truth was in front of her.
It was he who confessed that his purpose was not only for her but also for the safety of his family.
Zhen Yan still agreed to help him and sent him back to the capital.
Sheng Songyan said again, "I'm willing to take responsibility."
This time, Zhen Yan wasn't angry. She just shook her head. They were not the same kind of people, and they couldn't be together.
After that, Zhen Yan rode her horse and was about to leave. Sheng Songyan followed her step by step to the outskirts of the capital.
Zhen Yan asked, "My ambition is to travel all over the world, but you've always lived a life of luxury. Are you really going to go with me?"
Sheng Songyan smiled slightly. "A Yan, I'll spend my whole life repaying what I owe you. Is that okay?"
Zhen Yan rode her horse forward, while Sheng Songyan stopped. Behind him, in the carriage, was his younger brother Sheng Songlin.
Sheng Songlin slightly lifted the curtain of the carriage, looked at Zhen Yan in the distance, frowned and said, "You're the eldest son. Are you really going to give up the position that is within your reach for a woman? The emperor and father still intend for you to be the heir."
Sheng Songyan shook his head. "The love of my life. If I can get her, it's my fortune. How can I give her up?"
Sheng Songlin sighed slightly. "You won't regret it?"
Sheng Songyan turned around and was about to leave.
Sheng Songlin called him back again. "Brother, you've been trapped in the capital for more than ten years. What for? Are you really willing to give it up like this?"
"I've been suffocated for more than ten years. Let your brother have some fun. Songlin, I'll leave the family to you!"