Hard to Repay the Love Behind the Bridal Curtain

Hu Shen grew up on the grasslands. Her brother was highly regarded by the Khan, and her life was relatively comfortable.Until one day, after her brother led an expedition into the Central Plains, he captured a gentleman from the south.Word was that the man was the legitimate son of a noble Central Plains house, a man of prestigious status.Word was that although he was a civil official, he fought with such ferocity that he was a rare talent worth cultivating.The Khan intended to bring him into his service, but the man was unyielding, refusing to bow even after suffering various tortures and humiliations.Left with no other options, someone suggested a plan: give him a wife.With a wife and children to ground his heart, he might be swayed—and more importantly, it would be a political statement to the Emperor of the Central Plains.Who would believe that a man who refused to surrender under torture would still be loyal to his home after marrying and fathering children in the north?The identity of the woman had to be chosen carefully.If she were too low-born, she would be no different from a common bed-warmer in the Central Plains.If she were too high-born, why would the Khan’s own princess condescend to serve as bait?Eventually, her brother came to her.And so, Hu Shen brought a bowl of deer-blood wine to Xie Xixiao.She believed Xie Xixiao hated her. If he didn’t, his gaze wouldn’t be so cold, and he wouldn’t have suppressed his every surge of passion when they shared a bed, refusing to give her any response.And he certainly wouldn’t have—after coordinating with the Central Plains forces to assassinate the Khan—slaughtered their infant son while he was still in swaddling clothes.