Chapter 1, Spherical Lightning in the Bridal Chamber

Although Zhao Yan's reputation is less than admirable, he is nonetheless the son of His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. Therefore, when he marries, all the prominent and influential figures in Kaifeng must come to pay their respects. The current Emperor of the Song Dynasty is named Zhao Shu, the fifth emperor of the Song, historically known as Emperor Yingzong of Song. There is little recorded about Emperor Yingzong in historical texts, as he reigned for only four years. This year marks the first year of Zhao Shu's ascension to the throne, and his eldest son is Zhao Xu, historically known as Emperor Shenzong of Song, who supported Wang Anshi's reforms. Today, the groom, Zhao Yan, is also the full younger brother of Zhao Xu.

The starkly different scenes at the banquet for men and women are entirely due to the newly appointed Princess of Guangyang County. This princess, surnamed Cao and named Ying, is the daughter of the foremost military family of the Song Dynasty, the Cao family. Not only is she extraordinarily beautiful, but her skills in needlework and her literary talents are also unparalleled among the daughters of military families. It is said that she is knowledgeable in medicine as well. Furthermore, the Cao family is the most prestigious military family in the Song Dynasty, with the current Empress Dowager Cao being of the same lineage. Cao Ying is the daughter of the Empress Dowager's own nephew, making her lineage exceptionally noble.

In a state of drunken stupor, Zhao Yan was completely oblivious to Cao Ying's unusual behavior. His mind was filled with unsightly images, leaving no room for anything else. Thus, he continued to approach Cao Ying with a lewd grin on his face

In contrast, most of the women attending the banquet in the side hall wore cheerful expressions. Among them, the noble ladies with sons were happily discussing arrangements for their sons' engagements. Just two years ago, their sons were adamantly refusing to get engaged, but now they seemed to have given up hope, and they could soon hold their grandchildren. The young ladies from official families also gathered together joyfully, shyly covering their faces while quietly discussing which young gentlemen were more talented and what kind of husband they should choose in the future.

As Zhao Yan, with his eyes hazy from intoxication, entered the bridal chamber, he looked up at the extraordinarily beautiful bride and chuckled, saying: "Indeed, she truly deserves to be called the most beautiful woman from a military family. I, Zhao Yan, am truly fortunate to have married such a lovely young lady"

With a loud crash, the door to the bridal chamber was suddenly pushed open, and a strong smell of alcohol rushed in, causing Cao Ying'e to frown slightly. Immediately after, a staggering figure rushed into the room, and then the maid outside quietly closed the bridal chamber door. Without needing to ask, it was clear that this drunken person was none other than the infamous Prince Zhao Yan of Guangyang.

The table was not far from Cao Ying. When Zhao Yan opened the porcelain bottle, she immediately smelled a medicinal scent. As someone well-versed in medical principles and pharmacology, Cao Ying quickly identified the medicine. Moreover, her keen eyes noticed the three characters "催情散" written on the bottle. Even if she did not understand the properties of the medicine, she could guess that Zhao Yan had taken an aphrodisiac just from the name.

Just as Cao Ying and Zhao Yan were both stunned, a sudden flash of white light appeared outside the window opened by Cao Ying, and then a white light sphere the size of a human head floated in. After entering, it seemed to pause for a moment before flying straight towards Zhao Yan. As a result, Cao Ying only heard Zhao Yan let out a scream, and then the entire bridal chamber was filled with blinding white light, causing her to instinctively close her eyes

What is going on here?" Cao Ying stared blankly at Zhao Yan on the ground, her face filled with disbelief.

However, when Cao Ying got married, she saw her mother crying and saying sorry to her, because although her mother was well aware of Zhao Yan's character, she still had to marry her daughter off due to the needs of the family, and her mother was powerless to change that. Her usually strong father also wore a face full of guilt, turning away as he could not bear to look at Cao Ying, and his hair had gained quite a few strands of white. The elder brother who carried her downstairs also sighed heavily, while only the oblivious younger siblings and the nieces and nephews could laugh and play heartily without a care in the world. The usually strong father also wore a face full of guilt, turning away as he could not bear to look at Cao Ying, and his hair had gained quite a few strands of white. The elder brother who carried her downstairs also sighed heavily, while only the oblivious younger siblings and the nieces and nephews could laugh and play heartily without a care in the world

Thinking about spending the rest of her life with someone like Zhao Yan filled Cao Ying with immense pain. Her strong-willed nature made her prefer death over allowing Zhao Yan to touch even a finger of hers. Even this morning, when she put on her wedding dress, she hid her most beloved short sword on her person, planning to commit suicide in the bridal chamber to preserve her purity.

Compared to the husband that Cao Ying dreams of, the Guangyang Prince she is about to marry is an entirely different extreme. Although Cao Ying has never met Zhao Yan, she has heard of his notorious reputation. It is said that he is greedy, lecherous, and has committed all sorts of evils. A few years ago, he was expelled from the palace by the Empress for molesting a palace maid, and once outside, he became even more unrestrained. Every day, he would frequent taverns and brothels with a group of disreputable friends, and almost every few days, there would be reports of him fighting over jealousy with others. As for his usual oppression of the good and beating of the common people, these are merely part of Zhao Yan's daily routine. It can be said that Zhao Yan's infamy is known to all in the capital. Coincidentally, Cao Ying has a useless cousin who also associates with Zhao Yan every day, so she understands Zhao Yan's character better than most.

Moments later, when Cao Ying opened her eyes again, she found that there had not been much change in the entire room. The tables and chairs remained very orderly, and the red candles were still bright. However, Zhao Yan was lying stiffly on the floor in front of the bed. Although there were no visible wounds on the surface, her face was covered in black soot, and her clothes were riddled with holes from the fire, with wisps of smoke seemingly rising from some areas. What surprised Cao Ying even more was that there appeared to be some strange objects beside Zhao Yan.

Regarding Zhao Yan's praise of his own appearance, Cao Ying showed no reaction at all. Zhao Yan, being drunk, did not notice the blank expression on Cao Ying's face. He staggered to the table, poured himself a cup of wine, then took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket. With a lewd smile directed at Cao Ying, he poured the powder from the bottle into the wine and drank it all in one go

Cao Ying is now filled with anger and grievance. Her appearance and talent have always been among the top in her clan. Since childhood, she has been favored by the elders of her family. Other sisters in the clan aspire to marry the scholars who are named at Donghua Gate, believing them to be the talents of the Song Dynasty. However, Cao Ying has always believed that only great generals like her ancestors Cao Bin and Cao Wei are the true heroes and great figures. Although the status of military generals in the Song Dynasty is not as high as that of civil officials, Cao Ying still dreams of one day marrying a young general, preferably one as handsome and brave as Di Qing. Unfortunately, she was born several decades too late, and Di Qing had already passed away many years ago.

This discovery nearly caused Cao Ying to faint from anger. Grasping her own collar with both hands, her phoenix-like eyes were filled with humiliation and fury. The groom had used an aphrodisiac on their wedding night; if this matter were to spread, not only would Zhao Yan be embarrassed, but Cao Ying would also have no face left to live. She even regretted throwing away the short sword just moments ago. Such a profound humiliation, even if it meant her family would be ruined, she could no longer endure even a moment of it.

Cao Ying's grandfather was well-versed in medicine and was quite renowned during the Song Dynasty. She learned a considerable amount of medical knowledge from him since childhood, which made her stand out even more in noble circles. Upon observing Zhao Yan's condition, Cao Ying immediately discerned that it was due to excessive indulgence in wine and pleasure. Although Zhao Yan was young and could recover, it would require a significant amount of time and considerable willpower. Cao Ying clearly did not believe that someone like Zhao Yan possessed such willpower.

Cao Ying lowered her head to look at the sword tightly gripped in her hand. This sword was a gift from her grandfather on her birthday. Not only was it beautifully crafted, but it was also extremely sharp, and it had always been her cherished possession. However, despite the sword's sharpness, it could not sever the bonds of affection in the world, and at least for now, Cao Ying found it difficult to part with her love for her family.

Cao Ying was born into a family of military generals. A family of military generals refers to those families in the Song Dynasty that have produced generals for generations. Some of these families have had generals since the founding of the dynasty. For instance, Cao Ying's ancestor, Cao Bin, was a very famous general during the early Song Dynasty. Later, when Emperor Taizu of Song relinquished military power over a cup of wine, Cao Bin and others wisely surrendered their military authority. In gratitude, the Zhao royal family rewarded these individuals with wealth and nobility for generations.

In the main hall and side halls of the Prince's residence, a lavish wedding banquet is underway, attended by renowned nobles and officials from Kaifeng, all accompanied by their families, and many are inebriated. Attending someone else's wedding should be a joyous occasion, but upon closer observation, one would notice that many of the young noblemen present at the banquet show no signs of happiness. Instead, they drink the celebratory wine with expressions of sorrow, jealousy, or dejection. The fine wine, originally bestowed by the imperial court, has turned into a bitter draught in their mouths.

One is a talented and beautiful daughter of a noble family, and the other is the son of the current emperor. Although Zhao Yan's reputation is somewhat lacking, from an outsider's perspective, it can be considered a match in social standing. However, Cao Ying, who is in the new house, clearly does not think so

As the hour of the pig was approaching and the wedding banquet in the front hall was nearly over, Cao Ying sat back on the bed with a blank expression. Since fate was thus, she could only choose to submit.

Today marks the wedding day of the Duke of Guangyang, and those who are able to enter the Duke's residence to offer their congratulations are all renowned dignitaries of Kaifeng City. Even officials below the fourth rank are not qualified to enter the residence for the banquet. Therefore, those who can enter the Duke's residence today are, in themselves, a symbol of status. Not only do the banquet attendees exude glory, but the servants waiting outside also stand tall, casting glances at the onlookers with a hint of disdain.

However, Cao Ying quickly regained her composure from the shock. Regardless of what had happened, Zhao Yan's current situation was extremely dire. If she were to truly die in the bridal chamber, she would not be able to escape responsibility, and even her family would be implicated.

"Hehe, on the night of the wedding, how could there be no such delightful items? My lady, do not be anxious; soon I will let you know what earthly bliss truly is." Drunk, Zhao Yan was completely oblivious to Cao Ying's anger and even playfully teased her. In his eyes, Cao Ying was already his woman, and saying some lewd words was nothing at all.

"Since it is no longer of any use, what purpose do you serve?" Cao Ying said, suddenly waving her hand and forcefully throwing her beloved sword out of the window. Soon, the sound of it hitting the water was heard. Not far from the window was a pond, and the sword fell into the water, likely to be lost forever.

Thinking of her family, Cao Ying couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow in her heart. Her own death might not matter, but it would certainly implicate her parents and siblings. After all, Zhao Yan was, in any case, a prince. If she were to commit suicide on the day of her wedding, it would clearly be an insult to the royal family. Once this matter spread, in order to preserve the royal family's dignity, the Cao family would undoubtedly face repercussions. Perhaps the entire Cao clan would remain unscathed, but for her father's branch, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous blow. It is even possible that in order to protect their own reputation, the Cao family might expel her father's branch from the family.

Upon thinking of this, Cao Ying hurriedly stood up and walked over to check whether the other party was alive or dead. However, just as she reached Zhao Yan's side, she saw Zhao Yan, whose face was covered in black ash, suddenly open her eyes and stare blankly at her. This startled Cao Ying, but at the same time, she felt a sense of relief in her heart, for at least Zhao Yan was still alive

At this thought, the strong-willed Cao Ying suddenly reached up to grasp the hairpin on her head. Originally, for the sake of her family, she had prepared herself to yield, but Zhao Yan's current behavior had already crossed her bottom line. Therefore, she would not allow such a person to touch her, no matter what, even though she was now Zhao Yan's nominal wife

While many noble youths were secretly lamenting over the proud and haughty Miss Cao, they could never have imagined that the infamous Duke of Guangyang would successfully propose to Empress Dowager Cao. Consequently, Empress Dowager Cao decided to marry her niece from her maternal family to Zhao Yan, thereby re-establishing a marital alliance between the Cao family and the royal family

As Zhao Yan approached step by step, Cao Ying felt as if she were about to go mad with anger. It was the first time in her life that she had such a strong aversion to someone. She even felt that being in the same room as a person like Zhao Yan was the greatest insult to herself, let alone having to share a bridal chamber with him.

The shadows of the red candles flickered, and the light gauze curtains were warm. The newly appointed county princess, Cao Ying, had already had her veil lifted by the fortune-teller. Dressed in a floral hairpin and a large-sleeved ceremonial gown, she sat alone on the red ivory bed. Originally, she had two maidservants accompanying her, but she had previously sent them away. Moreover, there was no trace of joy on Cao Ying's face. With her left hand, she grasped a delicate short sword, while her right hand held the hilt, continuously drawing it out and inserting it back in. The smooth blade gleamed with a cold light, flickering unpredictably under the candlelight in the bridal chamber. However, she had previously sent them away, and there was still no trace of joy on Cao Ying's face. With her left hand, she grasped a delicate short sword, while her right hand held the hilt, continuously drawing it out and inserting it back in. The smooth blade gleamed with a cold light, flickering unpredictably under the candlelight in the bridal chamber.

Many descendants of generals have become exceptionally outstanding leaders due to their prestigious family backgrounds. Among them, the most remarkable are the Cao and Gao families. In addition to being prominent military families, they have also intermarried with the royal family of the Song Dynasty for generations. For instance, the current Empress Dowager Cao and Empress Gao both hail from these two families, and Empress Dowager Cao is even the aunt of Empress Gao. This illustrates the illustrious lineage of these two families.

However, what Cao Ying never expected was that when Zhao Yan opened her eyes and saw her, a look of deep indignation suddenly appeared on her face. She propped herself up and shouted loudly at her: "Sister Fairy, did I not just steal a sweet potato and two ears of corn from a fellow villager? Is it really necessary for you to strike me with lightning?"

Thinking about the serious consequences that her suicide would bring to her family, Cao Ying couldn't help but let out a sigh. She stood up and walked to the window, pushing it open to look at the gloomy sky outside. Although it was night, small flashes of lightning occasionally flickered through the clouds, and faint sounds of thunder could be heard, suggesting that it might rain soon

Although Cao Ying felt utterly despondent, she could not help but feel a tinge of curiosity about her future husband. She turned her head to glance at him, but the result left her extremely disappointed. With the aid of the red candles in the bridal chamber, Cao Ying could clearly see Zhao Yan's appearance. She noticed that he was not unattractive, and could even be considered somewhat handsome. However, Zhao Yan's complexion exhibited an abnormal pallor, with pronounced dark circles under his eyes and slightly sunken cheeks, making him appear listless.

A woman like Cao Ying is naturally a sought-after match for many families. Among the noble youths in Kaifeng, there have been numerous proposals made to the Cao family, yet without exception, they have all been declined. It is said that this Miss Cao has very high standards and does not regard those who have proposed to her.

As Cao Ying was about to pull the hairpin from her head, unwilling to endure such humiliation even at the cost of her life, suddenly a commotion erupted outside the bridal chamber, accompanied by the shrill screams of the maidservants, sounding extremely panicked, as if something terrifying had intruded into the Prince's residence.

Upon seeing this, Cao Ying sighed again. She knew that she was merely indulging in fantasies. Previously, she had already formally pledged her vows with Zhao Yan, and they had also paid their respects to the imperial family, Zhao Shu and Empress Gao. This marked their status as a legitimate couple, and even if a celestial being were to descend, it would likely be unable to alter this fact

Cao Ying's grandfather was indeed the younger brother of Empress Dowager Cao, which means she should refer to the Empress Dowager as her great-aunt. However, Cao Ying harbored little affection for this great-aunt, as it was her who took charge and arranged for her marriage to Prince Zhao Yan of Guangyang. Despite her strong opposition, her opinions were directly disregarded under the pressure of the family.

O heavens, O heavens, if you truly possess a spirit, then strike down with thunder and lightning to smite wicked individuals like Zhao Yan. In the future, I shall certainly eat vegetarian and recite Buddhist scriptures, dedicating my life to good deeds in gratitude for the blessings of the heavens. Cao Ying looked up at the darkened sky and suddenly made this whimsical plea in a low voice. However, to her disappointment, there was no change in the thunder and lightning above; they continued to roll leisurely within the clouds, and it was even less likely that they would strike Zhao Yan, who was drinking in the front hall.

The Prince of Guangyang, named Zhao Yan, is the third son of the current emperor. He has just turned fifteen this year and is well-known in Kaifeng as a notorious young rake. He spends his days engaging in fights, gambling, and debauchery with a group of disreputable friends. Whether among the nobility or the common folk, the Prince of Guangyang has become synonymous with a wayward youth.

Hearing the unusual commotion outside, Cao Ying halted her actions, and Zhao Yan also stopped in her tracks. Both wore expressions of deep confusion, as this was the inner residence of the Duke's mansion, and today was Zhao Yan's day of great joy. The Duke's mansion was surrounded by heavy guards; how could an incident possibly occur

In the first year of the Zhiping era of the Northern Song Dynasty, in May, the Wangfu of the Guangyang County Prince in Kaifeng was adorned with lanterns and festive decorations, and the sound of firecrackers was incessant. The entrance, guarded by two stone lions, was filled with horse-drawn carriages, and countless servants stood beside the carriages waiting for their masters who were attending the banquet. These servants were all beaming with joy, as they had received a considerable amount of rewards today