Chapter Seventy-Five: Yan He Ru of the Past

Shen Hezhi spent a long time in the study, carefully reading through the materials provided by Dongfang Qing and gaining a general understanding of the situation in the borderlands.

Only after reading these documents did he realize how complex things truly were. The borderlands were supposed to be a stronghold against enemy nations—a bastion that should be unified and steadfast.

Yet, according to these records, this fortress was anything but united and strong; instead, it appeared fractured and fragile.

How could such a border hope to withstand external threats? It was nothing more than a fantasy. If unity could not be achieved within, resisting invaders was mere wishful thinking.

Therefore, Shen Hezhi had already formulated his first step upon arrival in the borderlands.

He immediately summoned Shen Yi. "Shen Yi, go and see when Master Dongfang is available. I wish to meet him. If he is busy, do not force him to come."

"Yes," Shen Yi replied, departing at once.

Shen Hezhi continued to pore over the documents in the study. Besides information about various factions, there were also details about the battlefield.

He read late into the night.

Meanwhile, Yan Heru was not idle. She had gone out for a stroll, hoping to observe life in the borderlands firsthand. Upon reaching the foothills behind the street, she discovered an abundance of rare medicinal herbs growing on the mountain.

How could Yan Heru resist such treasures and not gather them?

"Mo Yi, these herbs are extremely rare, and they are quite effective against the prince’s cold poison. Let’s gather some," she said, heading into the mountain.

Mo Yi could only shake her head helplessly at the sight of her mistress’s enthusiasm and hurried after her.

"Princess, why do you like these medicinal herbs so much? You are, after all, the daughter of the Yan household," Mo Yi asked as they picked the herbs together, voicing a question she had long wanted to ask but never had the opportunity.

Yan Heru heard the question, and her thoughts did not turn to her predecessor’s background, but rather to her own childhood experiences.

Why did she love medicinal herbs so much? If she thought carefully, it began when she was very young.

She had been abandoned as a child—not like any fairy tale, but almost dying from neglect.

Though she was rescued, it was not out of kindness. The person who saved her was captivated by her beauty.

Even at a young age, Yan Heru remembered how her parents, overwhelmed by the number of daughters at home, decided to throw her out along with two other sisters.

There was no warmth. Even though she was just a child, she still remembered her parents’ expressions as they abandoned her: not a trace of sadness, only utter disdain.

She was then rescued, but not by a good Samaritan. She was sold off to a remote mountain village, intended to be a child bride.

Yan Heru looked in the mirror and instantly understood why she had been taken to that mountain—her beauty was evident even in childhood, and the person who abducted her had seen it and sold her accordingly.

From then on, she was kept in that mountain village, with no miraculous events or kind strangers to save her.

Though bought as a child bride, she was made to work and toil, and in that impoverished mountain, she was constantly beaten and mistreated. Though her face showed no marks, her body bore the scars of whips and sticks.

One day, while out to chop firewood, the person accompanying her suddenly suffered a stomach ache and wandered off. Yan Heru seized the opportunity to escape.

She fled to a slope, intending to hide from her captors, but they refused to give up and searched for her tirelessly, bringing many people to look.

Fearing discovery, Yan Heru hid in a cave. Her pursuers continued searching late into the night.

By then, Yan Heru was famished. She had left in the morning, and it was now midnight, with nothing to eat. Driven by hunger, she grabbed the grass beside her and swallowed it.

She wondered if the grass was poisonous, but at that moment, death by poison seemed preferable to being caught and forced to work, and eventually marry into that family. So she ate it without hesitation.

The grass was not poisonous, but it caused her to lose consciousness. Yan Heru remained unconscious in the cave for a whole day and night before waking.

Upon awakening, she realized how long she had slept, and her first thought was about the grass she had eaten.

By then, her pursuers seemed to have given up their search.

Seizing the opportunity, Yan Heru escaped the mountain village. This time, she finally encountered a genuine benefactor—her master.

Her master was a beautiful woman, but also ruthless. Yet to Yan Heru, she was a great benefactor, for she neither abused nor mistreated her.

Yan Heru knew that her master had chosen her purely for her talent. Her master had witnessed her eat the herb and survive, which convinced her to take Yan Heru as a disciple.

From then on, Yan Heru followed her master, who demanded only that she learn about medicinal herbs—she had to recognize countless varieties and use them to concoct remedies.

Her master was strict but never struck her.

Thus, Yan Heru stayed by her master’s side for two years, during which she finally entered the bustling world of human society, learning all manner of knowledge.

But during this time, her master was killed by an enemy. With nowhere left to turn, Yan Heru had to forge her own path. Gradually, thanks to her skills in medicine and poisons, she gained a reputation and found her footing in society.

Yet, just like her master, she developed many enemies despite her success.