That day, after clarifying matters with Yuan Shen, Shao Shang immediately wrote a letter back to the Cheng Residence, asking Old Man Cheng to quietly annul the engagement with the Yuan family. In the letter, she sincerely apologized to her parents for the turmoil her marriage affairs had brought upon the household.
Madam Xiao’s reply was straightforward: No matter. You are now the only unmarried girl of suitable age left in the family. Cheng Yang is already wed, Cheng Wei was long betrothed to White Deer Mountain, and the youngest daughter born to Yin Xu'e is still learning to walk. In short, the Cheng family won’t have to worry about marrying off a daughter for over a decade—so go ahead and do as you please, daughter. Once you’ve had your fill, just settle down and live well.
Reading the reply, Shao Shang was filled with remorse and silently resolved that this would be the last time she caused trouble for her family.
Empress Dowager Xuan asked if she would regret her decision in the future. Sitting upright by the couch, Shao Shang thought for a moment before answering, “Since childhood, I’ve always wanted to leave home and stand on my own, free from the constraints of parents and elders. First, I hoped Lou Yao would take me away on an official posting, then later, I wished for someone else to marry me and let me do as I pleased. But now, upon reflection—why must I rely on others? Thanks to Your Grace’s blessings, I now have ample wealth, my own Guard, and His Majesty has governed the realm so well that ‘lost items are left untouched on the road.’ Given this, why shouldn’t I wander the world and enjoy my freedom?”
Empress Dowager Xuan gazed at the girl’s serene, confident face and sighed almost imperceptibly.
“So, Your Grace must recover quickly—only then can you accompany me on my travels. If you remain so frail, I might just leave on my own,” Shao Shang said with a warm smile.
“Whether or not I can join you, you must take good care of yourself,” the Empress Dowager replied, reaching out a skeletal hand to pat the girl—though both knew that day would never come.
Time passed unnoticed in the mountains, and the days in the palace flowed slowly. Shao Shang settled into tending to the Empress Dowager’s illness, and for several uneventful days, she even felt a sense of leisure—were it not for the Empress Dowager’s worsening condition and the half-dozen Imperial Physicians gathered anxiously in the Palace of Eternal Peace.
But that morning, the Second Prince rushed in, drenched in sweat, and urgently whispered to Shao Shang, “Something terrible has happened—the Yuan family is in trouble!”
Shao Shang’s heart tightened. “What happened?”
“Have you heard of General Weng Junshu, the Conqueror of Shu?”
Shao Shang forced a smile. “Your Highness jests—I’m not so ignorant. General Weng was one of the earliest meritorious officials who supported His Majesty’s rise. Over the years, he served with utmost dedication and achieved great feats. But heaven envied his talent—last year, during the campaign against Shu, he was assassinated. His Majesty wept bitterly and even wore mourning robes to pay respects at the Weng family’s memorial.”
The Second Prince wiped his sweat. “Do you know who assassinated Weng Junshu?”
“Naturally, it was the pretender king of Shu, Gongsun Shi. Fearing the imperial army’s might, he resorted to such underhanded tactics. Later, he even attempted to assassinate the succeeding General Wu, but fortunately, precautions were taken that time.”
“Everyone knows Gongsun Shi was behind it—I’m asking about the assassin.” The Second Prince lowered his voice.
Shao Shang paused. “Who?”
“It was that Di Wu Cheng!”
Shao Shang braced herself against the floor, cold sweat dripping down her back. “...What does this have to do with the Yuan family? Is it because Prefect Yuan and Di Wu Cheng were sworn brothers?”The Second Prince pulled Shao Shang aside and explained the matter in detail: "This erupted during today's morning court session—last year when the army marched to conquer Shu, a local scholar from Shu arranged to meet Weng Junshu, claiming he could persuade Gongsun Shi to surrender to the imperial court. Weng Junshu thus went to the meeting as agreed..."
"That's far too reckless! With the army entering Shu, it wasn't just for show—everyone was on edge with life and death hanging in the balance. How could General Weng take such a risk so lightly!" Shao Shang exclaimed.
"Lord Weng was a man of resolute and decisive character, fearless even in the face of danger. Moreover, he had previously negotiated the surrender of local warlords, so he agreed immediately. When Weng Junshu went to the meeting, he brought ample guards and attendants, and the meeting place was also of his choosing. At the slightest sign of trouble, he could retreat to safety. Especially his trusted Elite Cavalry Guard—those were warriors who could take on ten men each. Alas, who could have expected that a group of masked assassins would storm his tent that night? Among them was a tall assassin of unparalleled skill, his bare hands unstoppable, capable of splitting stone tablets with sheer force. He carved a bloody path through the Elite Cavalry Guard's encirclement, and at that moment, another assassin fired an arm-mounted arrow in secret. Weng Junshu was struck immediately and succumbed to his injuries days later!"
The Second Prince swallowed hard and continued, "Later, our army crushed Gongsun Shi's forces. Seeking vengeance for Lord Weng, General Wu followed the clues and discovered that the Death Squad responsible for the assassination had already been wiped out. Upon further inquiry, he learned they were sent by the Yuan family. At the time, General Wu didn't think much of it, assuming Prefect Yuan had acted out of grief for his fallen colleague. But now... but now..."
Shao Shang murmured, "But now that we know the leader of the assassins was Di Wu Cheng, Prefect Yuan's actions weren't about avenging a colleague—they were about silencing his sworn brother."
The Second Prince slapped his thigh in frustration. "Exactly! The morning court was in chaos today. Weng Junshu's sister is married to Prince Anyang, and the Prince's heir wailed loudly, begging His Majesty to seek justice for his uncle! General Wu seized Prefect Yuan by the collar in court and demanded answers, but Prefect Yuan turned ashen and remained silent. His Majesty was so furious his hands trembled. He immediately ordered the Yuan father and son imprisoned and commanded Ji Zun of the Court of Justice to begin interrogations at once!"
"A Shen was arrested too?!" Shao Shang gasped.
"Shanjian is Prefect Yuan's only son and has already come of age to serve in office—how could he escape?"
A wave of overwhelming fear surged in Shao Shang's heart. Even when Huo Bu Yi slaughtered the Ling clan overnight, she hadn't been this terrified. Deep down, she knew that as long as Huo Bu Yi didn't raise a rebellion, Royal Uncle would spare his life—it was only a matter of how much suffering he'd endure.
But the Yuan family was different. They were neither meritorious officials from the founding era nor old acquaintances of Royal Uncle. If the trial proceeded strictly by the book, Yuan Shen would be lucky to escape with his life, let alone avoid severe punishment. Amitabha , she prayed silently, please don't let Old Man Ji rush into torture!
The Second Prince leaned closer and whispered, "I recall Di Wu Cheng is still at your home, isn't he? Not many know about this, but I suspect the Court of Justice will come for him sooner or later. Fortunately, your situation with Zisheng..." He struggled for words. "Fortunately, the Yuan and Cheng families were already discussing the annulment of your engagement these past few days, so your family isn't being implicated as Yuan's allies."
Shao Shang groaned softly. "Oh no, I've caused trouble for Father and Mother again! I just vowed not to bring any more trouble to the family!" Then another thought struck her. "Wait—Di Wu Cheng may be blunt and foolish, but he's not someone who can't tell right from wrong. Why would he assassinate the imperial army's commander?"The Second Prince sighed, "Let’s not discuss who Di Wu Cheng is for now. The fact that Prefect Yuan silenced all the assassins who went with him clearly shows he was cleaning up after Di Wu Cheng! Right now, things are still chaotic up front—I sneaked over here. You must leave the palace immediately and warn your parents before the Court of Justice comes to arrest them!"
Shao Shang rose and bowed deeply to the Second Prince. "Your Highness’s great kindness is engraved in my heart. I shall repay it in the future!"
The Second Prince waved his hands repeatedly. "No need for such words. Back then, you risked everything to knock on the gates of the Everlasting Autumn Palace in the dead of night to summon an Imperial Physician for my late wife… Ah, just now, when the Weng family publicly cried out for justice, Shan Jian was completely caught off guard and at a loss. Enough—go quickly! First, clear the Cheng family’s name. We’ll figure out the Yuan family’s situation later!"
Shao Shang kowtowed once more, then immediately dashed out. She requested a swift horse from the palace guards and, without even changing her shoes, mounted directly in her soft-soled lark-patterned upturned shoes. She whipped the horse into a gallop toward home. Breathless, she rushed through the door—Old Man Cheng was still at work as usual—and relayed the matter to Madam Xiao, who was horrified and promptly summoned Di Wu Cheng to ask if it was true.
Di Wu Cheng was baffled. "When did I assassinate General Weng? I despise Gongsun Shi for her cruelty and ignorance. Once, some brothers from the martial world invited me to serve her, but I refused outright."
Shao Shang pressed, "Then did you assassinate anyone else last year?"
Di Wu Cheng thought for a moment. "Yes. Last autumn, a close friend invited me to eliminate a villain together. He said the target was a treacherous official from the previous dynasty hiding in Shu, concealing priceless treasures while living incognito in the mountains, guarded by heavily armored soldiers who made it difficult to approach. They were determined to kill the villain and asked for my help. The guards around that villain were indeed formidable—more than half of the brothers my friend brought were killed or injured. It was only after I fought my way in that someone managed to shoot the villain with an arrow. I don’t even know if it was fatal."
Shao Shang gasped. Madam Xiao sighed helplessly. "Great Hero Di Wu, you were deceived. I’ve long heard that the Gongsun clan in Shu loves to bribe martial artists with hefty sums. Your close friend must have been bought by Gongsun Shi to trick you into the assassination."
Di Wu Cheng’s face paled. "Could… could that villain have been General Weng?!" He collapsed into a seat, bewildered and uneasy. "Now that I think about it, something felt off…" The brothers his friend had brought were all grim-faced, taciturn, and moved with disciplined ferocity—they didn’t seem like martial artists but rather like well-trained death squad members.
"That was my closest friend of thirty years!" Di Wu Cheng cried out in disbelief.
"Never mind that for now. What happened afterward? Did you really not know the imperial army’s commander had been assassinated?" Shao Shang steeled herself and pressed on.
Di Wu Cheng’s face twisted with regret. "That night, I was severely wounded too. With pursuers hot on our heels, I didn’t dare return home and had to flee into the wilderness. I recuperated for two or three months in a remote hunter’s hut deep in the mountains before emerging… Well, actually, it was because my old servant, seeing I hadn’t returned for so long, sought out Yuan Pei. The Yuan family scattered their men to find me. By the time I left the mountains, the imperial army had already broken through the first two lines of Gongsun Shi’s defenses. I heard the commander’s surname was Wu."
Hearing this, Madam Xiao understood the whole sequence of events and turned away with a sigh.Shao Shang looked at Di Wu Cheng’s stubborn refusal to accept the Yuan family’s goodwill and felt a surge of anger. “Hero Di Wu, so free and unrestrained in seeking vengeance, yet you remain unaware that Prefect Yuan has nearly sacrificed his entire family to clean up your mess! Now that the Yuan family faces imminent ruin, Hero Di Wu can finally have his revenge. Allow me to congratulate you in advance!”
Di Wu Cheng was startled. After hearing Shao Shang’s explanation, his face flushed red and pale in turns.
Madam Xiao lightly scolded her daughter for being impolite, then asked, “Hero Di Wu, given the circumstances, what do you intend to do?”
Di Wu Cheng gritted his teeth. “I alone bear the consequences of my actions! Since I’ve caused this disaster, I’ll surrender myself to the Court of Justice. I won’t implicate the Yuan family—much less the Cheng family!”
Shao Shang had been waiting for this. She declared clearly, “Very well. I’ll accompany Hero Di Wu.”
Before they left, Madam Xiao suddenly said, “Hero Di Wu, Niao Niao, when you meet the Court Justice later, do not act rashly. If we examine this carefully, Hero Di Wu was merely used as a pawn, while Prefect Yuan’s crimes…”
She trailed off. Di Wu Cheng didn’t understand, but Shao Shang did. Clenching her teeth, she said, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. We must try. Even if Yuan Shen and I are no longer to be wed, I won’t stand by and watch him die in prison!”
Madam Xiao watched her daughter’s retreating figure, recalling how Shao Shang had once struggled through illness to defend Huo Bu Yi. She sighed—how could she ever have thought her daughter was cold and selfish by nature?
As Shao Shang and Di Wu Cheng rode out of Cheng Residence, they encountered a group of agile, lightly armored archers at the alley’s entrance. Leading them was a man in black feathered armor, his expression cold and stern—Huo Bu Yi.
Shao Shang froze, but Di Wu Cheng shouted first, “Are you here to arrest me on the court’s orders? No need—I’m turning myself in to the Court of Justice!”
Huo Bu Yi noticed the girl’s disheveled hairpin and the sweat on her forehead. Frowning slightly, he gestured for his guards to silently step aside before speaking. “Earlier, I saw the Prince of Huai’an slip away in the chaos and guessed he went to warn you.”
“Did Your Majesty send you?” Shao Shang tightened her reins, her expression tense.
Huo Bu Yi ignored her question and countered, “You’re taking Di Wu Cheng to confess. What will you say? That though he killed the wrong man…”
“Hero Di Wu didn’t kill anyone. He merely cleared a bloody path through the Elite Cavalry Guard. Someone else shot Commander Weng.” Even Shao Shang found her defense feeble, but it was better than nothing.
Huo Bu Yi’s gaze softened as he looked at her. “Even now, you still want to protect Di Wu Cheng, though Young Master Yuan has repeatedly tried to kill him… Though it’s true—had this fool been dealt with earlier, none of this would have happened.”
Di Wu Cheng’s face darkened with shame. “I admit I was a fool, but I never meant to implicate the Yuan family… I didn’t expect to be recognized.”
“Had you stayed in the outer provinces, this disaster might have been avoided. A pity you refused to heed Prefect Yuan’s advice.” Huo Bu Yi cast him a cool glance. “That night during the assassination attempt on Commander Weng, your palms could shatter blades and split stone…”
Shao Shang interjected, “Hmm, I recall you could also break stone barehanded. Is this truly a rare skill? I thought most martial masters could do it.”This time, even Di Wu Cheng threw her a disdainful look, his eyes clearly conveying 'women have shallow understanding': "My sworn brother... that scoundrel Yuan Pei also practiced this skill. We learned it together from a master in the mountains years ago. To my knowledge, there are no more than a handful of people in this world with such ability."
Shao Shang awkwardly closed her mouth.
Huo Bu Yi suppressed a laugh and continued: "Not long after you entered the Capital City, you displayed this unique skill while standing up to some ruffians, which was witnessed by servants from the Weng family passing by—the Weng family being cautious, they then brought in several Elite Cavalry Guards who had fought bloody battles with you in the past to identify you. The scar between your eyebrows, along with your unusually large and tall frame—these three things combined confirmed it was you. The Weng family was about to arrest you immediately, but you hid in the Cheng residence. After an exhaustive search turned up nothing, they began investigating the Yuan family."
In truth, Di Wu Cheng had spent the past twenty years locked in a bitter feud with Yuan Pei and rarely 'worked' in the martial world, so few knew about his signature skill. Otherwise, Weng Junshu would have thought of Di Wu Cheng the night he was attacked.
Shao Shang felt this was a deadlock—if Di Wu Cheng remained outside, the Weng family would capture him and implicate the Yuan family; if they hid Di Wu Cheng, the Weng family would investigate the Yuan family, and they would still suffer. Biting her lip, she asked, "May I ask, Marquis Huo, what brings you here today?"
Huo Bu Yi replied, "Hand Di Wu Cheng over to me. I'll take him to the Court of Justice to surrender. Then you return quietly to the Palace of Eternal Peace, do nothing, and just wait."
Shao Shang frowned in silence. Huo Bu Yi gazed at her: "I know you don't want to trust me, but this isn't something you can intervene in. If you get involved, you'll drag the Cheng family down with you."
"No." Shao Shang turned her head away. "You're not the type to kick someone when they're down." Then she cupped her hands toward Di Wu Cheng. "Please accompany this Marquis Huo to the Court of Justice, Fifth Hero." She guessed the Governor of Liangzhou might have plans, so she would observe before acting. If all else failed, she could only ask Empress Dowager Xuan to plead for mercy. Yuan Shen was innocent—at the very least, he should be protected.
Di Wu Cheng dazedly muttered an "Oh," wanting to say he could go alone.
"Shao Shang..." Huo Bu Yi ventured cautiously.
"Don't speak yet." Shao Shang stopped him, staring fixedly at a stone on the ground. "I haven't figured out what to say to you. I won't be rash or impulsive for quick gains anymore... When I've thought it through, I'll tell you."
Empress Dowager Xuan's days were numbered. Shao Shang wanted to devote herself to serving her during this time and deal with the tangled mess between her and Huo Bu Yi only after her passing. Until then, she had no intention of seeing Huo Bu Yi again—who knew they'd meet unexpectedly today, catching her completely off guard.
Huo Bu Yi chuckled helplessly. "Alright, as you wish."
Pursing her lips, Shao Shang slightly turned her horse's head and silently brushed past Huo Bu Yi, galloping away without a backward glance—throughout, she struggled not to look at him even once.
Di Wu Cheng stared at the stone on the ground and suddenly recalled how his younger sister Fifth Heyi had interacted with Yuan Pei back then. As if enlightened, he abruptly asked Huo Bu Yi, "Esteemed Marquis, does Young Lady Cheng like you?"
Huo Bu Yi lightly tugged the reins and said nothing—the issue between them had never been about whether they liked each other, but whether she was willing to take risks for him again.
Author's Note: 1. Everyone, stop guessing—Huo Bu Yi didn't utter a single word in defense of the Yuan family throughout.Additionally, Yuan Shen's role will continue until the very end. It's not just Huo Bu Yi and Cheng who grow—Yuan Shen will also become a better version of himself.
Once characters are written, how they’re interpreted isn’t even up to the author. Here’s an interesting example—let me clarify, I’m not comparing myself to Jin Yong; I wouldn’t dare—
During the initial serialization of The Legend of the Condor Heroes , Jin Yong conceived the character Huang Yaoshi with a satirical undertone. However, across several adaptations, Huang Yaoshi was portrayed as so mature, charming, and elegant (especially by actors like Zeng Jiang) that the audience collectively reimagined him as an infatuated, free-spirited, peerless romantic hero, deliberately ignoring the obvious master-disciple undertones that were clear even in the serialized version.
I suspect Jin Yong was quite displeased by this. In the revised edition, he explicitly spelled out Huang Yaoshi’s feelings for Mei Chaofeng (abandoning his usual preference for subtlety). Many readers were outraged, accusing Jin Yong of being vulgar and ruining their idealized male lead. But the truth is, he simply didn’t want the public to keep misinterpreting his character—Huang Yaoshi was never meant to be a romantic idol.
So, I don’t have strong opinions about how readers interpret my characters—as long as no one, like a certain someone, compares Huo Bu Yi to Fu Shenxing. That crosses a line I can’t stomach.
No matter how you interpret things, please believe I write with goodwill and warmth. Don’t casually label me.
In my previous work The Story of Minglan , because I set the societal backdrop as oppressive, there were inevitably many unfortunate female characters. As a result, I was cursed 108 times—misogynist, malicious, feudalistic, dark-hearted, jilted…
So this time, I changed everything: widows can remarry, divorcees can remarry, and remarriage can happen three or four times. Women can also initiate divorce, and there’s a full half-dozen happily remarried female characters… Surely no one can call me feudalistic now.
If anyone’s dissatisfied with the back-and-forth romantic entanglements in Starfall —well, this story can’t be altered. I have to follow the outline because my original intent was to explore relationships and character growth. Next time, I’ll write a story entirely focused on careers, where the leads prioritize ambition and romance takes a backseat—or barely exists at all.
Don’t worry, I’m flexible—but once the outline is set, the major direction won’t change. If that’s unacceptable, I suggest dropping the story.
Thank you for understanding. Bow.
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