Ling Chuan, a Special Forces King from modern times, dies covering for his comrades and wakes up in the body of Ling Erdog, a bullied private in the Great Zhou border army at Wolf Beacon Pass. His parents died in war, and he has served three years, only to have his military merit stolen repeatedly by Corporal Liu Wu. On the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month, a blizzard rages. Liu Wu forces him to go choose a “wife” from a group of exiled women. Ling Chuan, now possessing the memories and skills of a soldier king, refuses to be pushed around. He sees through Liu Wu’s scheme to use the woman as a tool to steal his merit and send him to the Death Camp.On the training ground, more than thirty women stand like livestock. The pretty or strong ones are taken quickly, leaving only the old, weak, or disabled. Ling Chuan ignores the mockery of Liu Wu’s men, Zhou Hao, Wang En, and Wu De. He spots a woman in ragged silk clothes curled in a corner. Despite her dirty appearance, her bearing is refined. He chooses her. The woman is Su Li, daughter of Su Dingfang, the framed and executed Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Frontier. Her family was exiled, and she fears being left unchosen and forced into prostitution. Ling Chuan’s choice shocks everyone, but he declares, “You are my wife.”He carries her to a small dilapidated courtyard. He treats her infected, festering ankles with realgar, showing care she has not felt since her family’s fall. That night, Liu Wu’s men come to seize her for the Corporal. Ling Chuan, using his soldier king combat skills, easily defeats Wang En, Zhou Hao, and Wu De, breaking Wang En’s ribs, slashing Wu De’s calf, and threatening Zhou Hao’s life. They flee in fear. Liu Wu himself arrives with soldiers, accusing Ling Chuan of collaborating with the enemy and Su Li of being a spy. Captain Chen Jingyao intervenes, revealing he was once a subordinate of Su Dingfang. He warns Liu Wu off and provides a blanket and supplies. Chen Jingyao tells Ling Chuan that Su Li’s identity must be kept secret and that he will support him if Liu Wu steals his merit again.Ling Chuan knows the conflict with Liu Wu is far from over. He understands that Chen Jingyao’s help is due to loyalty to Su Li’s father, not to him personally. To survive and rise, he must prove his own value. He begins preparing for the inevitable missions that Liu Wu will use to endanger him. That same night, he stays up carving wood and drawing diagrams, planning to manufacture weapons and traps, using his modern knowledge to turn the tables. Su Li, deeply moved by his protection and tenderness, offers to formally marry him once her leg heals, affirming their bond.The story establishes Ling Chuan’s central conflict: a soldier king reborn in a harsh world, fighting against corrupt superiors, surviving on the desolate border, and protecting the woman he has chosen. His core motivation is to break free from oppression and make a name for himself, while Su Li’s mission is to survive and restore her family’s honor. Their relationship grows from a desperate pairing into a genuine partnership, with Ling Chuan determined to shield her from the schemes of Liu Wu and the dangers of the frontier. The narrative sets up his growth path from a bullied private to a future rising force, the threat of the Death Camp looming, and the opening of a broader military and political conflict intertwined with Su Li’s family legacy.
