“Yes, thank you, sir. I’ll head over immediately.”

A round of laughter and noise gradually faded away. As soon as the captain and others left, Yang Feng immediately straightened up, his face cold as he watched the doorway, his eyes calm as still water. He slowly walked behind the weapons to Qing Xia and said, “They’ve left.”

Qing Xia had already put her clothes back on. Yang Feng took out a bundle from behind and threw it beside her, saying in a low voice, “Put on the military uniform to avoid trouble later. Someone just came from the palace. If His Highness goes out in a while, we’ll still need to attend him.”

She put the armor over her night clothes. Opening it, she found another small bundle inside containing the small items she usually used for makeup. In a short while, Qing Xia was ready. When she emerged, she was once again that slightly chubby, dark-faced guard Xia Qing.

“How did you find me?” Qing Xia raised her head and asked in a low voice.

Facing Qing Xia’s star-bright eyes, Yang Feng suddenly felt a bit nervous. He coughed slightly, somewhat unnaturally turning away and walking toward the main door, saying, “I followed you the whole time. When I got to the prison courtyard wall, I couldn’t keep up, so I waited there.”

“Fool!” Qing Xia muttered quietly. Yang Feng frowned, wanting to say something but ultimately didn’t. There was some awkwardness between them. The cool night wind blew through the armory, stirring up fine dust on the ground.

“Woo…” A low horn suddenly sounded from the northwest corner. Yang Feng’s eyebrows raised as he said gravely, “Not good, His Highness is leaving camp!”

“Then let’s go quickly!” Qing Xia called out in annoyance, suddenly running forward to grab a corner of Yang Feng’s heavy cloak, heading toward the armory’s back door.

Yang Feng was slightly stunned, his expression dazed as he walked out of the storehouse.

Starlight poured down from the full sky, faintly sprinkling on both their shoulders. Donghua Gate, Zheng’an Gate, Taihe Gate, the Purple Gold Passage – all thrown wide open!

Chu Li wore silver-white battle armor and a snow-white great fur coat, riding a tall northwestern stallion. Behind him followed a large group of black-clothed, black-armored Black Guards, traveling urgently. The sound of horse hooves awakened the sleeping Southern Chu golden palace. Countless people opened their eyes in terror from their dreams, secretly noting changes in the imperial city’s direction.

War horses neighed, front hooves rearing. They stopped steadily before the Qianqing Four Quarters. Chu Li’s face was dark as water as he thunderously jumped down from his war horse and strode toward the dilapidated Cold Palace.

Qing Xia never imagined that one day she would return to this place again, and in such an identity.

Sudden warmth came from her hand. Glancing sideways, she saw Yang Feng’s vast sea-like eyes. She nodded slightly at Yang Feng, then followed behind the large group of Black Guards, entering with Chu Li.

Everything in the courtyard was as usual – withered grass, dried tree stumps, the cold well, broken palaces. Everything prominently reminded one of this place’s name and identity. Qing Xia stood among the crowd, watching Chu Li stand under the cold moonlight. The pale white moonlight coldly illuminated his body, reflecting the white frost covering the ground with a chilling coldness. He stood there motionless, without any movement, without any words, showing no expression whatsoever.

The moon reached its zenith, coldly projecting a full moon in the courtyard. Chu Li’s cold armor reflected the serene moonlight, hazily carrying a trace of chill. His low voice suddenly rang out, like a soul-claiming ghost in the dark night, carrying a thick bloody scent that permeated heaven and earth.

“This place was under your guard?”

“Yes, this subordinate is Wei Yao, garrison captain of the Qianqing Four Quarters. This subordinate…”

“No need to speak.” Chu Li lightly raised his hand. Just this simple gesture blocked Wei Yao’s words. “Drag him away and behead him.”

“Your Highness!” Wolf-like, tiger-like guards suddenly rushed forward. Wei Yao was greatly alarmed, screaming miserably, “This subordinate reported three times, but was stopped by Concubine Dan’s people each time. This subordinate is wronged!”

“Wronged?” Chu Li suddenly snorted coldly, his face grim. Without glancing this way, he coldly stared at that broken palace. Vast desolation slowly rose in his heart, his voice seeming frozen as he said coldly, “I only look at results, not process. Since you could try to sneak out of the palace three times, why not four or five times? Incompetence in handling affairs is inability. Say one more word and I’ll have your entire family buried with you!”

Garrison Captain Wei Yao immediately fell silent as a cicada in winter, his face ashen as he was dragged away like a dead dog.

Qing Xia stood behind the crowd, watching that innocent man who was implicated, yet she had no courage to step forward and save him. When a person couldn’t even guarantee their own survival, conscience was indeed superfluous. Her hands and feet felt somewhat stiff, her blood slightly cold. She had never imagined, or perhaps never seriously considered, how many people her escape would harm. Everything in this world was interconnected – how could one pull a single thread without moving the whole body?

“All guards of the Qianqing Four Quarters are to be exiled to Nanjiang’s Stone Quarry Valley to serve in the army. Send orders to the Five Cities’ Military Commission – search the entire nation for Concubine Lan. We want to see her alive or see her corpse!”

The blade-like voice suddenly rang out. The Black Guards collectively knelt on the ground with a thunderous sound. Qing Xia looked up from among the crowd and saw Chu Li with a desolate expression, standing alone in the center of the courtyard. A cold light flashed through his eyes with undisguisable sharp brilliance.

“Your Highness! Where shall we go now?” Black Guard Commander Xu Quan suddenly asked carefully.

Chu Li’s lips curved coldly, his eyes slightly narrowing. He leaped onto his war horse and coldly spoke three words: “Yunxiang Palace!”

“Branches adorned with flowers swaying gracefully, golden cups never empty of wine.”

Only upon reaching Yunxiang Palace did Qing Xia truly understand the complete meaning of “paper gold and wine dreams” and “living in drunken stupor unto death.”

Countless carved beams and painted rafters, flying eaves and bracket sets were like a landscape painting done in rich ink, dazzling to the eye. Artificial mountains and potted landscapes, long corridors and wall paintings – everywhere exuded a strong classical Chinese atmosphere. Yet this enormous palace was now dead silent, without the slightest human voice. Xu Quan called loudly at the gate for a long time with no response, then took the initiative to try grasping the door bolt. Who knew the vermillion lacquered great doors would slowly open just like that.

Chu Li’s eyes were deep and brows furrowed, showing no discernible emotion. He coldly watched the brightly lit but dead silent Yunxiang Palace, low undercurrents slowly flowing in his eyes. With a light snort, he rode forward alone. The Black Guards behind followed, and Qing Xia, using the alias Xia Qing, followed behind Yang Feng, slowly entering the palace of Southern Chu’s most powerful woman.

Palace lanterns hung high, flowers clustered in brocade. Vermillion silk brocade covered the long main path – completely the ceremonial standard for receiving emperors.

Chu Li rode on his fine horse, his cold iron armor emitting clear radiance under the cold moonlight, making even his face appear somewhat pale. His whitened lips pressed tightly together, his gaze fixed ahead. The clip-clop of horse hooves slowly echoed in Yunxiang Palace, seeming especially empty in the silent quiet.

This path seemed particularly long.

Finally, four pillars too large for two people to embrace came into view. The enormous Yunxiang Palace was resplendent in gold and jade. All eighteen great doors stood wide open. Concubine Dan wore a bright red golden phoenix robe with embroidered colorful phoenixes, her cloud-like hair piled high, golden phoenix hairpins, her head full of flowing tassels and jade ornaments. Her face was like hibiscus in spring water, her lips like cardamom, her neck slender. She straightened her spine and knelt rigidly in the main hall of Yunxiang Palace. Behind her were three hundred uniformly arranged servants of Yunxiang Palace. Outside Yunxiang Palace’s doors, a hundred ancestral tablets of the Zhu family, Southern Chu’s premier family, sat quietly arranged on white ground in the cold night. Before everyone lay the corpse of a second-class maid wearing Yunxiang Palace clothing, stiff for some time.

Xu Quan recognized at a glance that this was the palace maid who had repeatedly sought audience with the Crown Prince at the camp these past days. Seeing Concubine Dan’s composed and calm appearance, he couldn’t help but glance at Chu Li.

Undercurrents surged in the air. Though many people were present, it was deathly silent. Concubine Dan held her head high, looking directly into Chu Li’s eyes, suddenly declaring loudly, “Your subject has committed grave crimes. Please punish me, Your Highness!”

The clear, cold voice broke the death-like silence, echoing among everyone. Chu Li slowly raised his head, his eyes carrying an unfathomable expression. Without any emotion, he looked at this woman who shared his bed, his voice seemingly carrying slight mockery: “Oh? What crimes might those be?”

“Your subject has six grave crimes. Please allow me to report them one by one, Your Highness.”

“Is that so?” Chu Li smiled indifferently, nodding slightly. “Speak.”

Concubine Dan raised her snow-white neck high, her delicate chin like a blade in the night as she spoke word by word in a low voice: “The first crime – as the head of the harem concubines, I failed to regulate my sisters’ words and actions, failing in my duties and responsibilities. The second crime – I indulged Concubine Lan’s defilement of the court and disrespect toward Your Highness, yet failed to strictly punish her, causing damage to the imperial family’s reputation and shaming Southern Chu’s ancestral predecessors. The third crime – though the Qianqing Four Quarters reports directly to Your Highness and isn’t under my management, the loss of the criminal concubine from the Cold Palace was due to my lax supervision. The fourth crime – after Concubine Lan’s disappearance, I failed to promptly report to Your Highness, delaying the best opportunity to capture her. The fifth crime – I arbitrarily deployed the White Guards to search for Concubine Lan, yet after many days still have no results – incompetent and useless. The sixth crime – I have failed Your Highness’s trust and the late Emperor’s teachings, failed my family patriarch’s expectations. At this crucial time, I allowed a palace strumpet to create chaos among the people, damaging the imperial family’s reputation and prestige. This is truly the great crime of being disrespectful, unobservant, unreasonable, unclear, ignorant, and unfilial. Three days ago I already submitted documents to the Grand Temple Court, awaiting Your Highness’s judgment.”

“Heh…” Chu Li suddenly laughed coldly, the corner of his mouth curving wickedly as he smiled at the brocade-clothed woman kneeling in the great hall, slowly saying, “You keep saying you’re guilty, yet from what you’ve said, I can’t see where your guilt lies.”

The man on horseback slowly removed his black iron helmet, his ink-black long hair neatly bound, saying in a low voice: “First, you say you cannot regulate the harem concubines’ words and actions, yet you’re implying your name and position aren’t legitimate – that you’re not the Empress and have no standing or qualifications. Second, Concubine Lan’s crimes were set by me personally. How could it be your turn to severely punish her? The mistake should be mine. Third, the Qianqing Four Quarters doesn’t fall under your control, so errors there cannot be blamed on you. Fourth, it was I who refused to see the people you sent, so the inability to conduct timely searches is unrelated to you. Fifth, the White Guards are originally your Zhu family’s children under your command. Dispatching them is your right, and not finding anyone wasn’t your wish. Sixth, all these results are my own doing, having nothing to do with your Yunxiang Palace. If we speak of being unobservant and unfilial, that would be me, Chu Li. What does it have to do with you, Concubine Dan?”