The General's Daughter Returns

The rain had stopped. Yet the General's Residence remained cold and silent beneath the gray evening sky. A thin mist hovered over the small lake in the eastern courtyard, curling around the lotus leaves and the old stone bridge that crossed the water. The lake was not deep. No more than a few meters at its deepest point. Yet tonight, it had become a grave. "Save her!" "Quickly! Someone has fallen into the lake!" "Miss! Miss Shen!" The cries of the servants echoed across the courtyard. But Shen Lianyu could no longer hear them. Her body was sinking. Down. Down. Down into the cold water. Her heavy silk robes dragged her beneath the surface while her long black hair floated around her like dark ribbons. She tried to breathe. Water rushed into her lungs. Her fingers clawed desperately at the water. She could see the moon above the surface. It was strangely beautiful. Almost peaceful. She had spent her entire life fighting for a place in her own home. And now... She was finally losing. Her chest burned. Her vision blurred. But one thought remained painfully clear. Why? Why had she trusted them? Why had she believed that blood would matter? Why had she believed that her father would protect her? Why had she believed that her elder sister loved her? Her mother's face appeared in her mind. Gentle. Beautiful. Warm. Her mother, Madam Gu Yueqin, had been the first wife of General Shen Zhenyuan. The legitimate wife. The woman who had stood beside her father through years of hardship before he became one of the kingdom's greatest generals. When Lianyu was only six, her mother had fallen ill. At eight, she died. After that, everything changed. Her father was stationed at the northern border. Her elder brother, Shen Yuchen, followed him into the army. And Lianyu was left behind. Left in the hands of her stepmother. Madam Qiao Ruxin. At first, her stepmother had pretended to be kind. She had held Lianyu's hands and told her, "From now on, I am your mother." Lianyu had believed her. She had been too young to understand that some smiles hid knives. Then came her step-sister. Qiao Meixue. Beautiful. Graceful. Sweet-tongued. Everyone in the capital praised her. "Miss Qiao is gentle and compassionate." "She is the most beautiful young lady in the capital." "Her temperament is worthy of a noble family." But behind closed doors, Meixue was different. She hated Lianyu. Because Lianyu was the legitimate daughter. Because Lianyu possessed the Shen family's blood. Because Lianyu had inherited her mother's beauty. And because, no matter how much Meixue tried, there was one thing she could never possess. Legitimacy. Until the imperial decree arrived. The decree that changed everything. The emperor had personally bestowed a marriage upon Shen Lianyu. She was to marry the Crown Prince. Xiao Jinghan. The future emperor of the Great Liang Kingdom. The moment the decree was read, Meixue's smile disappeared. Because she had a secret. She was already in love with the Crown Prince. No. Not merely in love. They had secretly met for years. They had exchanged letters. They had promised each other a future. Meixue had believed she would become the Crown Princess. But the emperor had chosen Lianyu instead. And tonight... Lianyu had finally understood why her sister had invited her to the lake. "Second Sister..." Lianyu's voice had trembled. "What do you want?" Qiao Meixue had stood beside the lake wearing a pale pink dress. Her eyes were red. But there were no tears. Only hatred. "You always had everything." Lianyu stared at her. "I have nothing." Meixue laughed. "Nothing?" She stepped closer. "You were born legitimate." "You inherited Mother's dowry." "You have Father's name." "You have Brother Yuchen." "And now..." Her expression twisted. "You even have the Crown Prince." Lianyu's heart sank. "Meixue..." "Don't call me that!" Meixue suddenly screamed. "You don't deserve to call me sister!" Lianyu took a step backward. "Whatever you and the Crown Prince have between you, I never asked for this marriage." "You think I don't know that?" Meixue's eyes became cold. "You think pretending to be innocent will save you?" "I truly don't want him." "Then refuse the marriage." Lianyu froze. She couldn't. It was an imperial decree. Refusing would bring disaster upon the General's Residence. "Exactly." Meixue smiled. "You can't refuse." She stepped forward. "And I cannot marry him." Lianyu finally understood. "Meixue..." "Do you know what happens if you're dead?" Meixue whispered. Lianyu's face went pale. "Father will never forgive you." "Father?" Meixue laughed softly. "Father is thousands of miles away." "Brother Yuchen is with him." "Who will believe you?" Lianyu turned to run. But Meixue grabbed her wrist. "Let go!" Lianyu struggled. "Help!" Meixue pushed her. Hard. Lianyu lost her balance. Her foot slipped from the stone edge. She fell backward. For one brief moment, their eyes met. Meixue's expression was terrifyingly calm. Then— Splash! Lianyu struck the water. She resurfaced once. Her hand reached toward the shore. "Help..." Meixue simply watched. Lianyu's fingers slipped beneath the surface. And then she disappeared. --- Now, as death approached, Lianyu remembered everything. Her stepmother had neglected her. Her servants had been bribed. Her meals had been deliberately delayed. Her winter clothes had been taken away. Her mother's jewelry had been secretly sold. Even her father's letters had been intercepted. She had spent years believing her father simply did not care. But now she wondered... Had he even received her letters? Had he ever known what happened to her? Her brother had written to her every month. At least, that was what she had thought. Yet she had received only three letters in six years. Perhaps those letters had never reached her. Perhaps... Someone had made sure they did not. Her lungs were burning. Her body became heavier. Her consciousness faded. Father... Brother... Mother... I am sorry. A final tear escaped her eye. It disappeared into the lake. Then everything became dark. --- Far away, at the northern border... A black horse galloped through the snow. A man dressed in dark armor sat upon it. His face was cold and stern. Blood stained his sleeve. "General!" A soldier rode toward him. "General Shen! We've received an urgent message from the capital!" The man pulled on the reins. The horse stopped. "What happened?" The soldier hesitated. "It concerns... Miss Lianyu." Shen Zhenyuan's expression changed. "What about my daughter?" The soldier lowered his head. "The letter says..." His voice trembled. "Miss Lianyu has drowned." Silence. The wind howled across the snowy battlefield. Shen Zhenyuan stared at the messenger. For several moments, he did not move. Then his fingers tightened around the reins. "What did you say?" "Miss Lianyu..." "Enough!" The general's voice thundered across the camp. The soldiers fell silent. Shen Zhenyuan's face had become frighteningly pale. "My daughter is alive." He spoke each word slowly. "She is waiting for me in the capital." The messenger lowered his head. "General..." Shen Zhenyuan looked toward the distant horizon. For the first time in twenty years, the undefeated general felt something he had not felt on the battlefield. Fear. He had fought armies. He had faced assassins. He had watched thousands die. But he had never been afraid of losing anything. Until now. "My daughter..." His voice broke. And somewhere deep within his heart, an old wound opened.