Chapter 1 — The Golden Dragon's Decree

My husband was a Golden Dragon, and I, too, was a Golden Dragon; yet, we birthed a sickly Green Dragon. Enraged, he seized our child, dragging him before the entire Dragon Clan for a blood-test to verify his lineage. The results confirmed the child was indeed his own flesh and blood. However, at that very moment, my younger half-sister bore a Golden Dragon for his younger brother, instantly elevating her status and prestige across the entire realm. In a fit of madness, Long Nhac Chan slaughtered our child and cast me into the cold palace, subjecting me to every conceivable torture until I perished. When I opened my eyes, I had returned to the day of my coming-of-age—the very day of the clan’s consort selection. This time, Long Nhac Chan chose my sister without a moment’s hesitation. I realized then that he, too, had been reborn. But without me, would that sterile body of his ever be capable of siring an heir?

"The Crown Prince is truly muddle-headed!" The Dragon King’s thunderous roar echoed in my mind, shattering my confusion. Countless memories surged forth, and I bolted upright, my body drenched in cold sweat. Looking at my familiar surroundings, I was stunned. Was I truly still alive?

"Do you realize that Yao Qin is a true Golden Dragon! Only she is worthy of you!"

"A true Golden Dragon? Hah! That is nothing but a hollow, fabricated vanity!" A contemptuous laugh rang out nearby. I looked up to see Long Nhac Chan overflowing with hatred, his eyes bloodshot, locked firmly upon me. He swept the hem of his dragon robes and knelt before the main hall. "Father, my heart and that of the second young lady, Uyen Khe, are one. I wish to take her as my Crown Princess!" His voice was resolute, each word landing like an iron nail. My body swayed, and my mind cleared. It was not just me; Long Nhac Chan had been reborn as well.

The Dragon Clan held bloodline above all else, strictly distinguishing between those born of a primary wife and those born of a concubine. I was the only legitimate daughter of our lineage, possessing the rare Golden Dragon essence. Since birth, my fate had been sealed: I was to enter the Dragon Palace and become the Crown Princess. Since childhood, my family groomed me for this role, and upon reaching womanhood, I married Long Nhac Chan as expected. Yet, two years passed, and my womb remained empty. I sought out master physicians, but they all concluded my health was perfect. It was he—he who was the problem. Not wanting to humiliate him, I went to my mother and learned the ancient secret arts of the dragon, using my own life essence to conceive, desperate to fulfill his dream of fatherhood. I sacrificed everything only to produce a middle-tier Green Dragon.

That realization caused Long Nhac Chan to lose all restraint. The clan is divided into six ranks: Gold, Silver, Green, Red, Cyan, and Black. Gold is supreme; Silver follows; Green is middling; Red and Cyan come next; and Black is the lowest. I had exhausted my life force, only to produce a middle-tier Green Dragon—it was the absolute limit of my capability! But Long Nhac Chan insisted I had been unfaithful. He summoned the entire Green Dragon clan to perform blood-tests on the child. I had nothing to fear, for my conscience was clear. Yet, I had to watch my poor, tiny child suffer the agony of the tests. Finally, I bit my lip and personally pricked my child’s finger, letting the blood fall into the spirit basin. The blood merged—the child was truly his!

At that very moment, news arrived from the palace: my half-sister had borne a Golden Dragon for Long Dat Tran. His prestige shook the four seas, and he was declared the heir. Long Nhac Chan, stripped of his position, killed our child in his rage and locked me in the frozen palace to die in misery.

My body trembled. Fear and sorrow washed over me, nearly forcing me to my knees. "Yao Qin, about this..." the Dragon King hesitated, his gaze complex. I lowered my eyes, concealing the cold light within. "Dragon King, if the Crown Prince has already given his heart to Uyen Khe, I naturally have no objections." However, in this life, he is destined for a line of extinction! The secret arts of the dragon are passed only to the legitimate, never to those born of a concubine!

Long Nhac Chan sneered, his eyes filled with disgust. "You never did have the courage to say anything!" My sister, Uyen Khe, beamed, clearly shocked that such immense fortune had fallen into her lap. She held her head high, glancing at me with triumph. I shook my head helplessly. Whether this was fortune or an abyss, she would eventually taste it for herself.

Long Nhac Chan chose my sister, and I was to marry the Third Prince, Long Dat Tran. In my previous life, he had been a gentle, tolerant man. Even when my sister mocked him for being a minor prince, he remained patient. Later, when she gave birth to a Golden Dragon, he dismissed all his other concubines, bestowing all his favor upon her. Yet now, she was willfully abandoning such a devoted soul! She was truly blind to the value of what stood before her.

After the selection, the Dragon King, feeling guilty, bestowed many treasures upon me. Upon returning home, my mother was furious, scolding the Crown Prince for his foolishness. My father sat in silence, and I knew exactly what he was calculating. That very day, my sister’s mother was elevated to the status of a secondary wife, and she became, by name, a legitimate daughter. She came to find me, her chin tilted high. "Oh, is my dear elder sister drowning in sorrow?" I looked at the tea before me and the scattered sunflower seed shells, wondering how she could possibly imagine I was grieving.

On my wedding day, we departed at the same time. Long Nhac Chan had prepared a grand procession of ten miles, filled with gold and jewels, his face brimming with pride. Did he truly believe she could bear him a pure-blooded Golden Dragon? As I stepped out, he intentionally walked near me, his voice as venomous as a snake: "Yao Qin, a fake like you could only ever birth a base-born creature!" In my past life, I had exhausted my life force to give him a child, and in his eyes, it was merely a "base-born creature." The humiliation was something I had tasted too many times; now, I felt only numbness.

Seeing my silence, he lost interest and turned to my sister, offering her promises of gold. "Uyen Khe, you are my fated Crown Princess! I shall make you the most honored woman in the Dragon Clan!" She blushed, claiming she cared not for wealth, only for being by his side. Before leaving, his cruel gaze swept over me, and as if realizing something, he paused, intentionally raising his voice: "The Third Prince hasn't arrived yet—could it be that he intends to renege on the betrothal?"

I was the only Golden Dragon in the clan, our greatest hope. If I were to be publicly abandoned by the Third Prince, where would my family’s face remain? The elders’ expressions darkened with fury. Uyen Khe glanced at me with disdain. "Your Highness, do not speak such nonsense. My elder sister is the only Golden Dragon in our house." She knew well that Long Nhac Chan despised my Golden Dragon identity, yet she brought it up now only to test his reaction. The real show was yet to come; I had no intention of arguing with her.