Reincarnated as the daughter of my mortal enemy, all I want is to ascend the throne.

Fifteen-year-old Li Yan always liked to wear a red dress.

The red hair ribbon fluttered in the wind.

He stood upright on the plum blossom stakes, assuming a horse stance, with a basin of water balanced on his head.

"Lift your head up."

The willow branch whipped his buttocks, making Li Yan wince in pain.

His martial arts master, Qin He, was a man without a wife or children, and an exceptionally free-spirited江湖人 (jianghu person, a person who lives and works in the martial arts world).

"General Li is already fifteen years old, and he's still raiding chicken coops? Hmm?"

Li Yan glanced at the frozen egg liquid on Qin He's head, pursed her lips, and suppressed a laugh.

"Master, I was wrong."

Despite saying he was wrong, he dodged Qin He's whip and stood on the plum blossom stake on the other side.

Qin He's eyes lit up. "That little rascal is quite agile."

Li Yan raised an eyebrow, looking smug, but Qin He slapped him on the back of the head as soon as he turned his head. "Still laughing. Keep squatting."

Qin He turned to Yan Xu and handed him three incense sticks. "Let him get up after the three incense sticks have burned out. Don't let him get away with it."

Yan Xu nodded. "Yes, sir."

Once Qin He had gone some distance, Li Yan turned to the incense-lighting banquet and asked, "You really aren't going to hold back? Is there a temple fair tonight? Aren't you bored after being stuck in the military camp for so long?"

Yan Xu paused and stuck the three incense sticks into the ground at the same time, lit them, and then picked up a palm-leaf fan used for tending the fire and squatted down next to the incense to fan it.

He said with a cold expression, "It's a bit hot today."

Li Yan looked at the thick snow beside her and shook herself; it was indeed quite hot.

The three incense sticks burned out in half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Yan Xu quickly took the basin of water off Li Yan's head.

Li Yan flipped over and landed lightly on the plum blossom stakes without making a sound. To have such profound internal strength at the age of fifteen was the mark of a genius among geniuses.

"Yanxu, hurry up and go."

Li Yan called out to Yan Xu, and the two of them, instead of using the door, walked along the wall and disappeared in a flash.

Mr. Qin opened the window in the courtyard and watched the two figures disappear. He shook his head helplessly, "They've always been this mischievous. One's a lively, unruly monkey, the other's a steady, mischievous monkey. My courtyard..."

No sooner had I finished remarking than two bricks fell from the courtyard wall.

"Two little puppies."

Mr. Qin gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and knew that with the New Year approaching, he still had to repair the wall.

The annual temple fair was very lively, but before they could even stroll around, a horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of them.

When the carriage curtain was lifted, a face appeared that bore a striking resemblance to Li Yan.

"Second brother, you've just returned, aren't you planning to go home?"

This man is Li Yan's older brother, Li Jue, who is eighteen years old and recently got married.

Li Yan's cloak fluttered in the wind, exuding a carefree air completely different from Li Jue's. He waved his hand, "Mother will only be angry if she sees me, so I might as well not go back."

He looked at Li Jue's clothes embroidered with zodiac animal patterns in gold, things he would never have.

Li Jue nodded slightly, "I'll have someone send more things to Mr. Qin later, Second Brother, don't skimp on yourself."

Li Yan simply nodded, watching the carriage drive away.

Yan Xu, standing to the side, grabbed his wrist. "It's time to go."

"Huh?" Li Yan was almost knocked over by this little stick-in-the-mud.

The two people strolled through the streets where the temple fair was being held, their black and red robes fluttering in the wind.

Li Yan was dragged by him to one stall after another.

"This is good."

Li Yan picked up a jade hairpin and put it on Yan Xu's head. "Look, our young General Yan is so handsome. I wonder how many girls he will charm with this hairpin."

Yan Xu silently picked up the hairpin from his head and inserted it into Li Yan's hair ornament. "This suits the grumpy pretty boy better."

Li Yan kicked him in the shin. "If you bring this up again, I'll throw you into a snowdrift."

He snorted and walked forward.

"Young master..."

The stall owner reached out to call Li Yan to stop. Yan Xu placed the silver in the outstretched hand.

"He likes it, there's no need to look for it."

"This quantity is enough to buy more than ten hairpins," the stall owner said with a smile, "Young master is so kind to his friends."

Yan Xu's lips curled up. "Not friends, but fellow disciples."

Watching his departing figure, the stall owner scratched his head. Brothers in the same martial arts school were indeed closer than friends, but what did that have to do with him? Earning money to support his family was the most important thing.

When Yan Xu found Li Yan, he saw him standing on the top of the steps and casually handed him a string of candied hawthorns.

The moment the fireworks exploded, they illuminated Li Yan's face.

Heaven blessed Li Yan with a handsome appearance; he never got tanned from childhood, and now, returning from the battlefield, his face was still so tender it seemed like you could squeeze water out of it. His red attire further accentuated his flamboyant and dashing demeanor.

Yan Xu was stunned for a moment, then took the candied hawthorn that he was offered.

Li Yan pulled him up a few steps, resting her hand on his shoulder, and asked, "Why are there so many girls coming and going through that Yanxu gate?"

Even though they are both temples for marriage, there are many people coming and going through the middle gate.

No one went in from either side.

Li Yan squinted and looked at her curiously.

Yan Xu sighed, "Don't panic..."

Before he could even utter the word "run," Li Yan vanished in a flash.

Li Yan rushed into one of the doors.

When Yan Xu entered, he was already kneeling upright in front of the statue.

Li Yan was not a believer in gods or Buddhas, but that didn't stop him from joining in the fun.

Yan Xu also knelt beside him.

He didn't know what to pray for at the temple.

Until the two left.

Yan Xu didn't see anyone come in, but the girls looked at him and Li Yan with strange eyes.

Yan Xu turned around and looked at the statue.

The rabbit ears standing tall on the statue startled Yan Xu; this was no matchmaker statue, but a rabbit god.

Li Yan, who was in front of him, was holding a sugar figurine and waving at him.

"Brother Yanxu, come quickly."

Yan Xu glanced at the temple again, shook his head slightly, and replied, "They've arrived."

Two lit incense sticks have appeared in front of the previously empty rabbit god statue...