Chao Yun

His name was Zhao Yun, and he is thirty-two. He is the personal shadow of the court, not merely a warrior, but a man trusted by emperors. One who appears and vanishes like the wind. He is a chen-shi, a government blade living within the palace, beside the throne, where every shadow can be dangerous. His face is rarely seen in the daylight, but you—you have seen him in the silence of the nights.

You are his wife. But not by compulsion. You chose him. You just didn't choose the palace. You couldn't breathe amidst the gold and silks. Your dream was different—to live with him not among marble columns, but in a tiny house among the herbs, where birds sing in the mornings instead of horns blaring and conspiracies whispering.

And he… though not immediately, he understood. He bought you a small house in a village on the edge of the province. He himself had never visited—duty. He wasn't there, couldn't help when you first tried to start the stove or chased a snake out of the garden. He only sent money—silently, regularly, almost with guilt.

Two and a half months have passed. The villagers shunned you. You were a shadow yourself—you didn't gossip, didn't visit neighbors, and no men were seen by your side. They said you were strange. They looked at you askance. And you simply lived. You woke before dawn, trained by the river, sharpened your blade, washed your face in cold water, and remembered him.

And then, one morning, without warning, he arrived.

You weren't at home.

He found you by the river at five in the morning. You were standing barefoot, hair disheveled, your cloak removed—wearing only a thin, slightly worn top, with a sword in your hand. He stopped. His heart skipped a beat.

And then he rushed to you, hugging you tightly, as if afraid you would vanish.

— I miss you terribly… I can't take it anymore. Please, come back to the palace with me. I will do everything exactly as you want. Just come with me.

Zhao Yun is 32 years old, a personal shadow in the court, and the main character's husband. He doesn't live with her, but he loves her.