“How stubborn can one woman be? Bring her over immediately. If she looks suitable, I’ll take her right away. I don’t have time to waste talking with you. Here’s the silver for you.”

When the proprietress saw the gleaming gold, her face immediately lit up with joy. She grabbed it in her hands and swayed as she walked inside.

Qing Xia had been climbing over walls to avoid the citywide manhunt when she happened to fall into a brothel’s courtyard by sheer coincidence. With her clothes stained with blood, she randomly grabbed a half-dry lake-green garment from a clothes rack in the back courtyard and put it on, intending to sneak out quietly.

The door creaked open slowly. Qing Xia had loose flowing hair, a pale complexion, heavy chains on her hands and feet, wearing the lake-green dress that was heavily perfumed – anyone who frequently visited brothels could immediately tell this was a brothel woman’s clothing.

Song Luyang hadn’t expected the proprietress to be so quick. Looking up, he suddenly met the woman’s eyes that were as cold as ice and snow, and was momentarily stunned.

“Sir, sir?” His subordinate beside him suddenly called softly. Only then did Song Luyang snap back to his senses. His gaze swept over her body and caught sight of the heavy chains she was desperately trying to hide but couldn’t completely conceal.

Qing Xia frowned slightly. When she had ridden past here earlier, she had noticed it was secluded and quiet, pitch black with no one around, which is why she had wanted to escape from here. She hadn’t expected to still encounter someone. That man’s gaze was strange as he looked her up and down – he must have taken her for a prostitute from this place.

She glared fiercely at the man and turned to leave. But as soon as she moved, her head immediately became dizzy. Qing Xia’s heart sank, knowing that from excessive blood loss, she probably couldn’t hold on much longer.

A gust of wind suddenly blew. Qing Xia’s footing became unsteady and she collapsed softly, her head hitting the ground hard. She finally lost consciousness. In her last moment of awareness, she only saw that man rushing toward her at full speed.

Song Luyang caught her in his arms. In the darkness, he didn’t notice that Qing Xia’s inner clothes were completely stained with blood. He just turned to his four subordinates and asked: “Have you seen her before? Has she received clients?”

“No, sir. She’s new.”

Song Luyang looked Qing Xia up and down for a while and said: “She’s truly beautiful, just a bit too thin. Let’s go. She’s the one.”

“Sir, this girl seems to be in poor health – she’s even fainted.”

“Probably from hunger,” Song Luyang said in a deep voice. “Didn’t you see she’s wearing chains? Let’s return to the residence first. She’ll be fine after a bath and some food. Tian Si, drive the carriage.” Having said this, he carried Qing Xia onto the nearby carriage.

Not long after they left, the proprietress finally came out the back door escorting a woman with a pale face who was constantly struggling. Looking left and right, she saw no sign of Song Luyang. Instead, a group of soldiers with disorderly footsteps approached.

The proprietress quickly closed the door and muttered: “The money’s been paid anyway. Whether he comes or not is up to him.” Then she went back inside.

Before Song Luyang could enter his residence, the steward rushed out frantically, calling loudly: “Sir, Lord Liu just came and said you must depart for Sushang tomorrow morning to take up your post. The madams are all anxious and are now busy packing.”

“What?” Song Luyang was immediately shocked. “Why so urgent? The Ministry of Rites didn’t give prior notice. Wasn’t it supposed to be more than a month away?”

The steward’s old face was flushed red as he said: “There have been civil uprisings in both Zixing and Pengze prefectures. It seems Prince Taiping’s forces have moved in to incite the people. So His Majesty issued orders overnight for Lord Liu to inform you.”

“What can we do about this?” Song Luyang frowned. “The tribute items aren’t ready yet, and this woman hasn’t been properly trained. I don’t know if she’ll do.”

“Sir, we can’t worry about all that now. Time is pressing. If the people of Sushang also become restless, it will be greatly detrimental to your career.”

“Right, right,” Song Luyang muttered, then suddenly turned to Tian Si: “You go find maids to wash that woman, then give her some medicine and good food, dress and groom her properly. At first light, send her to the palace.”

“Yes, this servant understands.”

Song Luyang hurried toward the residence. After taking just a few steps, he suddenly turned back to instruct: “Oh, and find a blacksmith to remove the iron chains from her hands and feet first. That Chun Niang really goes too far – chaining up such a delicate girl with permanent chains without even a lock. She must lack virtue from several lifetimes.”

Qing Xia groggily regained consciousness. Before she even opened her eyes, she discovered someone was undressing her. This shock was extraordinary – it was almost an instinctive reaction as she struggled free with a small grappling technique. But weakened after her serious injury, she unexpectedly fell to the ground with a thud, her back hitting hard against the wall corner, tearing open her wound. Blood immediately flowed out. With a wave of pain, she fainted again.

Her fainting was actually convenient. This incident terrified the two maids responsible for bathing her out of their wits. One maid in pink clothing cried out in alarm: “How, how is there blood? Did we injure her? What if the master finds out?”

“Yes, yes,” the maid in green clothing was also panicked. “I heard she’s being sent to the emperor. If we’ve injured the emperor’s woman, will we be executed?”

When the pink-clothed maid heard this, tears immediately streamed down her face as she whimpered pitifully: “I don’t want to die. Sob, what should we do?”

“Stop crying first,” the green-clothed maid said. “We’re leaving with the madam tomorrow morning anyway. This woman was already unconscious when she arrived. We’ll bandage her up, dress her properly, and the people outside won’t know.”

“But what if she suddenly wakes up?”

“There’s a way. We’ll get some calming incense for her to smell. She won’t wake up until tomorrow noon at the earliest, and by then we’ll be long gone.”

“Good, let’s do as you say. Wait here, I’ll go get the calming incense.”

The two timid little maids discussed their plan and began their great deception, not knowing that the fate of the entire world would undergo tremendous changes because of their selfishness.

Fate is often so unpredictable. A tiny incident can trigger changes in the entire situation, leading to a completely new direction.

Dawn gradually broke. The Song residence was in chaos, with several madams standing in the courtyard gesticulating and directing the servants not to damage their belongings.

Qing Xia was dressed up splendidly. The two maids had applied wound medicine inside and bandaged her up, making her injury invisible.

Seeing that Qing Xia was still unconscious, Song Luyang frowned, his face gloomy and green with frustration: “Has a physician seen her? Why isn’t she awake yet?”

Tian Si stepped forward and said: “The physician said it’s just physical weakness and a head injury. She should wake up soon.”

Song Luyang finally sighed and waved his hand: “Forget it, load her onto the carriage. Keep calling to her on the way.”

Everyone responded in unison. Song Luyang’s younger brother Song Luran escorted the carriage full of goods and jewels toward Ronghua Palace.

Even when they reached Luoshen Gate, Qing Xia still hadn’t awakened. Song Luran nervously instructed the other dancing girls, then left with a heart full of worry, turning the carriage over to the guards at Luoshen Gate.

The vermillion red gates slowly opened. Under the escort of guards, the carriage finally entered Ronghua Palace. The first gate of the inner city slowly closed behind them. The sunlight outside was dazzling with brilliant radiance as the sun gradually rose.

Once upon a time, Qing Xia had also walked out of Chu Li’s imperial palace with such swagger. Eight years had passed in the blink of an eye. Now, she was once again swaggering as she slowly approached that man of destiny.

The god of fate looked down from high above. In the unseen realm, heaven’s hand controlled the star charts of mortal lives from the ninth heaven. No matter how much you resist, you cannot stop the advance of the great tide of the times.

The twin stars will eventually converge, history will ultimately change, and everything awaits that earth-shattering day, waiting for fate’s next cycle.

Just as Song Luyang’s carriage traveled along Anyang Road, Chu Li was conducting court business in the Qian’an Hall of Ronghua Palace. Years of warfare had left the southeastern coastal regions with people barely surviving and devastation everywhere. If not for Qi’an staying behind in the imperial capital of Haishi, even this prosperous sea city might have been destroyed.

After the great war, giving the people rest and recuperation, the court session lasted over four hours before they reached a feasible plan. After all the ministers withdrew, Southern Chu’s Grand Marshal Mingyuan claimed he had confidential matters to report. The sovereign and minister, followed by guards, wound their way to Weiyang Palace, which had once been the bedchamber of the Eastern Qi Great Emperor but now had a different master.

Along the way, fragrant orchids perfumed the air and exotic flowers and trees created a riot of color. Chu Li sat on the rattan wood long chair in the great hall. A maid placed a dragon-patterned soft cushion behind him, lit incense, then retreated to one side to fan him.

“Your Majesty, the flooding along the Xunsha River in the south is severe. The coastal people’s homes have been destroyed, they are displaced and destitute, living day to day without adequate clothing. This minister boldly requests the allocation of 200,000 dan of grain to relieve the southern disaster.”

“Mm,” Chu Li sipped his tea and nodded lightly. “You handle it.”

Mingyuan bowed his head and continued: “Additionally, the three newly added western prefectures and counties have been harassed by Xichuan garrison troops. Prefect Wang requests instructions on whether to retaliate.”

“Not for now,” Chu Li said in a deep voice. “After the Eastern Qi matter is settled, I will handle it personally. Have them stabilize their positions first. Besides, Qin Zhixiang won’t ignore this either.”

“Yes.” Mingyuan hesitated slightly and said in a deep voice: “Also, the Nanjiang Canal has been completed. The Wuxian tribe chieftain requests Your Majesty to bestow a name.”

“So quickly?” Chu Li pondered slightly. After thinking for a long while, he said lightly: “Let’s call it Qing River. I hope that with this canal, Nanjiang will no longer be a barren wasteland and can ensure favorable weather.”

“Qing River?” Mingyuan raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly rising as he looked up at Chu Li with meaningful eyes. “Qing River?”