1 Prologue

"Don't you dare step any closer." She muttered.

The man chuckled at her comment and shrugged it off as he took another step forward with his bloody sword. He was the merciless general of a vast army, capable of killing anyone without feeling any remorse or emotion. In fact, he was often amused at the expressions his targets would give him.

'Pity, such a pretty face and delectable body.'He thought as he sneered, but the women in front of him was not willing to die in the hands of someone so barbaric, she had other plans.

For each step he took closer to the women, she took another step back, towards the cliff until she could no longer take any more steps. She looked down at the rocks crumbling off and falling into the what seemed like endless pit.

"Give up, you have nowhere else to run now." He smirked as he wiped the blood off his blade with his cloak. "What am I, a 5 year old?" She spat back, she knew better than to fall into his hands. If she did she would not only die but die a more painful death than what she was about to do. The man was slow to react as the women took a back step straight into the black abyss under the cliff. The man was shocked, he knew that they were on a cliff but he didn't believe she would actually choose to jump off since he could tell she was very scared of death.

"Pity, I could have played with her for a bit." He sheathed his sword and walked away, not caring since she would be dead one way or another. Although he regretted not playing with her, at least it was one less thing for him to worry about. The women fell into the darkness, ready to welcome death. If it had been her ten years ago she would have ran away from the idea of death, but now, twenty five years old and unwed she is considered unwanted. Normal girls her age with the same situation would choose to jump as well. Tears flew upwards as she cursed at the world for being cruel but also at herself for being able to live so innocently for all those years.

Her name is Wei Mingxia, born into a family that was only a little wealthier than the average family since her father had a small but reputable status in the royal court. She was carefree and pampered since young, she didn't act spoiled but she almost always got what she wanted. Then she met him, the 9th son of the ruling emperor, Zong Ching,it was like fate planned everything, he was interested in her and the two eventually fell in "love". But she failed to notice the growing jealousy of her sister, Wei Mingxue.

Mingxia was outgoing, carefree and tomboyish while Mingxue is graceful, clever and ladylike. The two were opposites just like their name. Mingxue has always been better than Mingxia but Mingxia was always the pampered one. This left a shadow over Mingxue for the rest of her life. Mingxue fell in love with Zong Ching at first sight and sought out to capture his heart but was overshadowed by her sister.

Her jealousy grew as the couple became closer and closer, but Zong Ching had plans of his own. He was only playing Mingxia and carefully nurtured Mingxue's gullible heart. Although the Wei family's standing in the royal court in lower than the Zong family he knew that among all the other scholars and generals in that court the Wei's had the most connection. This will be discussed later.

He wanted to use their connections to gain a much higher standing in court so he carefully wrapped his fingers around the hearts of both Mingxia and Mingxue. The Wei family adored this man, not only because he has captured the heart of their beloved daughter but because of his reputation of being a wise scholar and his outgoing personality. They supported him along the way as he rose in power, until finally he was the most powerful man in the court, his influence being on the same level as the emperor. Through these years he slowly bribed every single one the connections he met, through the assistance of the Wei family who got nothing in return. He successfully led an uprising and succeeded, becoming the next emperor.

After using the Wei family til nothing was left, he tossed them aside like paper and did not bother to help as the family was massacred by multiple assassins. Mingxia and Ching did not marry and Mingxia didn't bring it up in front of him for all these years because she was afraid he would be angry. Mingxue's heart was only full of Ching, just how Mingxia's was and the two of them complied to every single one of his requests and didn't question him once.

Mingxia's pure and innocent mindset was broken when one day Ching ordered for the Wei family to be killed for treason. Confused and heartbroken she finally saw the demon that Ching has become, raised and fed by her and her feeble love.

Her parents were killed and Mingxue was brought back to the castle, raped before she met her demise. Mingxia was the only survivor but she did not survive in the end. Filled with hate and regret, she brought these feelings along with her death.