Chapter 5 — Pierced Through the Heart by My Husband, I Am Reborn

Ten days later, Song Chieu Da returned to his hometown in a blaze of glory. The streets of Jinling were overflowing, crowded with people eager to catch a glimpse of the new Imperial Scholar, their excitement mirroring the fervor of a spring festival. Dressed in vibrant purple official robes, he sat atop a towering steed, his features as refined and breathtaking as a deity descended to the mortal realm. From the balconies above, colorful silk sleeves fluttered like falling petals, and countless young women cast gazes of breathless infatuation upon him. Yet, no sooner had he stepped into his manor than he was informed that his marriage had already been arranged. In the great hall, he stood rigid, his expression darkening to a chilling, ominous shade.

"Mother, what is the meaning of this?"

Madam Song smiled gently, lifting her hand to present the betrothal papers. "The daughter of the Wang family is modest, virtuous, and of impeccable character. Marrying her is a union ordained by the heavens." Song Chieu Da ground out each word through clenched teeth: "I will not marry her."

"How insolent!" Madam Song slammed her hand onto the table, her voice trembling with fury. "Marriage is a monumental affair, dictated by the orders of parents and the arrangements of matchmakers. Since when is it your place to act so recklessly and selfishly!" Song Chieu Da offered a cold, mirthless laugh. His gaze swept over the chests of betrothal gifts piled high before finally settling on his mother's face. "Do you truly believe that piling up these trinkets is enough to make me bow?"

The night was as dark as ink, and the flickering candlelight cast a crimson hue over the room. With a soft rustle, the window shutters shifted. Tan Tu Chuoc slipped inside, his deep crimson robes stirring a gentle breeze that thickened the air with an ethereal tension. I stood before the bronze mirror, leisurely removing my hairpins and rings. In the reflection, the figure of a man appeared, half-reclining upon a cushioned couch, a knowing smile playing on his lips, his eyes profound and unreadable.

"You have looked quite idle these past few days, Miss Giang."

I deliberately did not turn around, instead stroking my long, silky hair with unhurried grace. He chuckled, suddenly wrapping his arms around me from behind. His chin rested on my shoulder, his warm breath fanning against my ear, as soft as a feather. "Little heartless one..." His long fingers brushed against the bridge of my nose, his tone laced with three parts helplessness and seven parts doting. "It seems I have truly been caught by you." He lowered his voice, his tone darkening. "Song Chieu Da has already sent men to investigate the Wang family." Each of his fingers toyed with a lock of my hair, slowly caressing it. "Do you require my intervention?"

I arched an eyebrow and shook my head slightly. "Let him investigate." "Are you not afraid he will uncover that you were the one pulling the strings behind the scenes?" In the mirror, my lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. "And if he finds out? Does he dare break off the engagement? The Wang family is a prominent house in Jinling, and their eldest daughter is the biological sister of the Emperor's favored consort. No matter how much Song Chieu Da hates me, does he have the courage to gamble his entire career and future on a momentary fit of rage?" Tan Tu Chuoc’s gaze deepened. He abruptly spun me around, his fingertips brushing against my lips. "You are… far more ruthless than I imagined."

I lightly bit his finger. "Why? Are you afraid?" He suddenly gripped my wrists, firmly pinning me down onto the thick silk quilt. His breath was scorching, burning like a wildfire against my skin. "Afraid? Quite the contrary. I find that I like it even more."

The night grew late, and deep within the Giang estate, flames surged into the sky. I stood in the shadows, coldly watching the bandits tear down the main gates. The flash of blades caught the light, stained with fresh blood, while the sounds of screaming and weeping tore through the night. Finally, they had arrived. Although the timing differed from my previous life, the stench of blood and the cruelty of the slaughter remained unchanged. Only this time, I had come prepared. I intentionally hesitated for a moment before leading my men into the main courtyard. My father had collapsed in a pool of blood, his right leg severed at the ankle, his face as pallid as parchment. My mother huddled in the corner, her eyes hollow, her mouth incessantly repeating two words: "Hac Lam... Hac Lam..." And my dear brother—Giang Hac Lam—his throat had been slit, his eyes wide open, frozen forever in a mask of terror. It was the same method of death, exactly as it had been in my past life.

"A different group of bandits has kidnapped the young lady of the Wang family!"

The familiar voice rang out. Tan Tu Chuoc leaped over the wall, his face heavy as lead. I swung onto my horse, a cold smile curling my lips. "Give chase!" The night wind howled, and the thundering of hooves shook the earth. I pressed myself against the horse’s back, the cold wind stinging my face like a lash, yet it could not stop the memories from flooding my mind. In my previous life, on the day Song Chieu Da attained his status, I followed him to the capital. The ladies of the capital all know how to ride and shoot; if you cannot even do that, following me only brings shame to my name. He had stood by the stables, his eyes as cold as frost, watching me fall again and again. I gritted my teeth and climbed back up, the inner skin of my thighs raw and bleeding, crusting over only to crack open once more. My legs became covered in thick, hardened calluses before I finally mastered the art of riding. I do not know when it happened, but Tan Tu Chuoc had spurred his horse to catch up to me, his red robes vivid as blood, appearing like a phantom in the moonlight. "You… you knew this would happen tonight?"

"Just a guess." I lashed the horse, picking up speed. "Bandits prefer to strike at the wealthy - is that not the way of things?" He laughed softly, asking nothing more.

Outside the mountain stronghold, the sky glowed with the reflection of the fires. Government troops raised torches high, surrounding the bandits. I stood in a concealed corner and pointed to the low wall in the northeast. "That is where their defenses are weakest." Tan Tu Chuoc stood beside me, a sharp glint in his eyes at my suggestion, yet he remained silent. He walked straight to the magistrate and whispered a few words; the official immediately gave the order: "Attack the northeast corner!"

The moment the soldiers breached the wall, the sound of a pipa began to resonate within the camp, as if it were a banquet in a house of pleasure rather than a field of blood and blades. A beauty dressed in brilliant red lay lazily on a chair upholstered in tiger skin, her fingers idly toying with a lock of the Wang girl's hair. "Oh, you arrived quite quickly!" She was breathtakingly beautiful, her brows arched like a painting, her skin as white as snow; the red garments only served to heighten her arrogant and dangerous allure. The daughter of the Wang family knelt at her feet, trembling violently, not daring to look up. And she—possessed a calm, indifferent poise, yet she controlled the entire situation. I stood behind the crowd, watching her quietly. So… this was the woman who had once bewitched Song Chieu Da so completely. She was truly no ordinary creature.

In the previous life, while traveling to the capital for the examinations, Song Chieu Da had been captured by bandits. The female leader, Hong Co, had taken a fancy to him at a single glance. At that time, Song Chieu Da still carried the weight of his love for Lam Thu Y, and so he refused to yield. That was until—Lam Thu Y died. He believed the Giang family had caused her death, and his hatred grew boundless. Finally, he nodded to Hong Co: "Help me destroy the Giang family. From now on, I am yours to command." That night, the Giang estate became a river of blood. He stood amidst the carnage, looking up at Hong Co’s arrogant smile, and suddenly felt that no one in this world understood him better than this woman. Yet, Hong Co was a bandit, a criminal hunted by the imperial court. Song Chieu Da had become a scholar, a high official; how could he marry a female brigand? He began to scheme, arranging for Princess Phuc Duong to encounter an assassin and setting it up so that Hong Co would accidentally save her. The merit of saving a life was enough to wipe her record clean. That day, Hong Co wore white, kneeling before the throne with a fragile, pitiful appearance: "I am willing to wager my life - from this day forward, I will never again be involved with the banditry." The Emperor was pleased and granted her a full pardon. Song Chieu Da watched her head bowed in submission, but he could not help but recall the woman from that night—the one who laughed in the blood, who had cut the throat of a traitor without batting an eye. It was only then that he realized the one he truly loved was that defiant Hong Co. But in this life—because I acted first, Hong Co had appeared earlier than destiny intended. Song Chieu Da had lost an arm. Let us see if he still dreams of climbing to the peak of power now.

Hong Co had escaped from prison. When the news reached me, I was drinking tea and nearly choked. It seemed that even the imperial dungeons could not contain such a woman. The dissolution of the engagement between the Wang and Song families had shaken the capital. The kidnapping of the Wang daughter, while never explicitly stated, was already the subject of rampant rumors: They say this was all orchestrated by Scholar Song. No wonder he was in such a hurry to cancel the wedding; it was a guilty conscience! The head of the Wang family was so enraged that he personally submitted a report to the court accusing Song Chieu Da. Although he did not name him directly, every word was like a dagger, sweet on the surface but laced with poison, pointing clearly toward him. Yet, unexpectedly—that very afternoon, Song Chieu Da brought betrothal gifts, walking through the main gates of the Giang manor with the pride of a nobleman. I sat in the seat of honor in the great hall, coldly watching his approach—dressed in robes the color of moonlight, his expression as calm as still water.

"Tuyet Ngam," he bowed slightly, his voice cool and respectful. "Song comes today… to request your hand in marriage."

The entire hall fell silent, the servants gasping in shock. I slowly set my tea cup on the table, smiling with a mix of amusement and contempt. "Lord Song, have you forgotten - my brother's bones are not yet cold, and your beloved sister Thu Y has only just passed away, yet you are already in such a rush to propose to me?" He narrowed his eyes, his gaze darkening, his fingers clutching his sleeves until his knuckles turned white. "Someone!" I suddenly slapped the table, my presence as sharp as a blade: "Throw all of this trash out!" The servants swarmed in, seizing the silks, satins, gold, and jewels he had brought, tossing them one by one out the main door. Song Chieu Da stood frozen in place, his face deathly pale, his hands balled into fists inside his sleeves. "Giang Tuyet Ngam... You... you will regret this!" I offered a cold laugh, my gaze like ice. "Song Chieu Da, who do you think you are? You are not even worth a blade of grass, and yet you think you can make me regret?"