Chapter 1: The Bride

Dressed in a grand red wedding gown, Dongfang Ningxin sat solemnly in the bridal chamber of the Xue Royal Mansion. Today was her wedding day, yet she felt not a trace of joy or anticipation, only a deep sense of unease. This wedding was destined to be unlooked forward to, this bride was destined to be disliked, and her fate was destined to be pitied.

The silence in the bridal chamber added a few more shades of sorrow, and if it weren't for the festive decorations, an uninformed person might think this was a funeral.

The red veil covered her delicate face, and no one could see the expression of the woman beneath it. She sat quietly like a puppet, or perhaps she was truly like a puppet, to be manipulated by others...

Dongfang Ningxin, the renowned talented woman of the Tianyao Dynasty and the empress chosen by the late emperor, had her fate changed by a single imperial edict from the new emperor.

"By the grace of heaven, the emperor decrees that the eldest daughter of the Dongfang household, Dongfang Ningxin, is gentle and virtuous, and is granted in marriage to Prince Xue, Xue Tianao. The second daughter, Dongfang Fanxin, is gentle and dignified, and is personally appointed as the Empress of the Tianyao Dynasty."

One edict, two marriages: the Dongfang household's two daughters, one to the emperor and one to the prince, one as empress and one as concubine. This was an unprecedented honor. The entire Dongfang household was immersed in this joy, but who knew the pain and sorrow behind this joy, the humiliation and grief she endured.

Dongfang Ningxin, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Dongfang household and the future empress chosen by the late emperor, was demoted to a concubine due to her disfigured face. Not only that, she was to marry a man who was at odds with the emperor. Clearly, what awaited her was either death or humiliation.

Dongfang Ningxin's face... was destroyed in a fire, a mysterious fire that killed her mother and burned away her fate.

How valuable is a woman's beauty? She didn't know before, because her mother only told her that talent and inner qualities were the most important. The saying that a woman without talent is virtuous was a fear of women becoming too strong. But after her face was disfigured, she understood the value of that face...

Wearing a grand red wedding gown, sitting in a swaying carriage, she was married from the imperial city to the Xue Royal Mansion, a thousand miles away. This marriage, imposed like a child's play, would undoubtedly be a miserable one. One could imagine how the man who married her would treat her...

No man in this world could accept a woman rejected by his own brother, especially one known for her ugliness.

Men in this world all love beauty, and men in this world all love appearance, let alone the young prince who was ennobled and held immense power, Prince Xue Tianao. How would that proud man treat her? Would he turn her into a cold, lifeless corpse, or make her wish she were dead...

Sitting quietly in the bridal chamber, Dongfang Ningxin waited, waiting for the man who would decide her fate to arrive. If it weren't for her mother's hopes, she would rather die weakly than marry into the Xue Royal Mansion...

The door creaked open, and steady, powerful footsteps calmly entered.

"Your Highness..." It was the voice of the bridal matron and the maidservants, respectful and slightly fearful.

"Leave." The cold voice held no trace of joy. Dongfang Ningxin inwardly sighed, this man was clearly dissatisfied with this marriage. His cold and indifferent tone clearly showed his displeasure.

"Dongfang Ningxin, the ugly woman whom the emperor's brother doesn't want, is that you?" Xue Tianao, even on his wedding day, was dressed in black, with a tall and slender figure, handsome features, and a demeanor that would make him a fine gentleman, but his cold eyes made him a cool and aloof man.

Ugly woman? What a ironic term, but it was a fact that could not be ignored. Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Dongfang Ningxin, hidden behind the red veil, could not see Xue Tianao's expression, but she could sense his unhidden anger from his tone. Indeed, did she, Dongfang Ningxin, need to hide his anger?

"Yes, Your Highness, I am Dongfang Ningxin." Her tone was calm, yet it revealed a strong resolve. Dongfang Ningxin was a woman who appeared gentle but was inwardly strong.