The scent of wine and meat from the mansions of the wealthy, while frozen corpses lay on the roadside. Just as the Great Xia Dynasty claimed they had no money to support the foreign refugees and ruthlessly executed them, within the inner city, the Shihua Wine Market was filled with song and dance, fragrant breezes, and an atmosphere of decadence. Beautiful women with willow-like waists and jade-white skin laughed coquettishly with bare arms. The elders of Great Xia, after a “hard day’s work,” shed their daytime scholarly appearances here and indulged themselves without restraint, lost in pleasure.

Outside, snow hung from trees, colorful ribbons danced in the wind, and lanterns of all colors burned brightly. The Lantern Festival was being celebrated throughout the nation, even by these women who wandered in the world of sensual pleasures. Just then, the rapid sound of hoofbeats suddenly shattered the beautiful dream of Wei Guang, the patriarch of the Wei clan. The elderly man, still showing a handsome vigor despite his snow-white beard, narrowed his slender eyes and waved away more than ten beautifully adorned women surrounding him. Hearing his command, they all quickly adjusted their clothing, knelt on the ground, and retreated without daring to raise their heads.

Wei Guang picked up his teacup, took a deep breath, and slowly leaned back on the soft couch.

Incense curled upward from the burner, delicate spirals of fragrant smoke drifting upward like fine dragons, rising straight up. Looking through them, everything appeared somewhat hazy.

Outside the door came the respectful voice of a subordinate: “Sir, Young Master Shu Ye has arrived.”

It was about time, the old man thought, raising an eyebrow slightly. He had arrived earlier than expected, wasting Miss Yu’s efforts to please him. The old man spoke in a deep, slow voice: “Let him in.”

The door opened sideways, and a figure in a simple, plain moon-white robe—almost too modest for nobility—slipped into the first-class private room of the Shihua Wine Market. Major General Shu Ye’s face was gloomy as he spoke without preamble: “Why?”

Wei Guang certainly knew what he was referring to. With eyes half-closed, not even looking at him, he said methodically: “Not knowing to bow to your elder—is this the etiquette I’ve taught you all these years?”

Wei Shu Ye frowned slightly. The candle in the corner crackled, sending out a spark. Time passed silently. Finally, the young major general lowered his head: “Uncle.”

“Not everything in this world requires a clear reason before acting. This is something you should learn well from Shu You.”

Major General Shu Ye raised his eyebrows and said in a deep voice: “But why send me? I promised them…”

“You are the next heir of the Wei family, the foremost of the seven great aristocratic clans of Xia. You have the golden blood of your ancestors flowing in your veins and are a noble aristocrat of the empire. You need not make promises to a group of lowborn commoners. Their lives exist to be lost at the appropriate time, to sacrifice for the empire. You made no error, nor need you to feel guilty, much less run here at this hour to question your uncle.” The old man interrupted Shu Ye, speaking in a deep voice that rang like metal striking stone.

Shu Ye shook his head, frowning as he said: “Uncle, this is not what you once taught me.”

“It is precisely because I was once as naive as you that your father died in the internal struggles of the aristocratic clans.” Wei Guang opened his eyes, his aged gaze flashing with intense sharpness. He slowly turned his head and fixed his gaze on Shu Ye, saying each word deliberately: “The victor becomes king; the weak are prey to the strong. This is how the world has always been. Ye’er, after all these years, do you still not understand?”

“Uncle,” Shu Ye said with a serious expression, “The empire needs people to cultivate the western frontier. All the able-bodied members of their tribe went west because they trusted me. Why can’t the council of elders care for their families? They followed me back to the imperial capital precisely because you once promised me that permanent housing would be built for them at the foot of Red River. They abandoned their homes, and gave up their nomadic nature, all because I guaranteed it to them!”

Excited, Shu Ye grabbed a small ball of incense from Wei Guang’s table and said harshly: “You say the empire has no money to support them, but what is this? This is Huai Song golden incense—just one ball is worth two hundred gold pieces. Two hundred gold pieces would support their entire tribe for ten years!”

Wei Guang’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly listened to Shu Ye vent his dissatisfaction. The air was tense, filled with the young man’s angry fire. After a long while, the old man smiled slightly and said slowly: “Ye’er, you went with Major General Zhi Lu from the Dianjiang Hall to supervise the Shang Shen civil unrest and returned in disgrace. Major General Zhi Lu was stripped of his military rank and imprisoned in the Criminal Hall, his fate unknown. Yet you can stand here arguing with me. Do you know why?”

Shu Ye was stunned, his angry expression frozen on his face, suddenly speechless.

“The reason you can still stand here unharmed is because your surname is Wei. I know you sympathize with those commoners and reject class distinctions, but no matter how much you despise this identity, you are ultimately a direct descendant of the Wei family, my nephew. Everything you have enjoyed from childhood to adulthood has been brought to you by the aristocratic clans—your food, your clothing, your shelter, your status—all thanks to your family. This is something you can never change. Those who calmly enjoy all these benefits have no right to detest or curse their source.”

Wei Guang took a deep breath and leaned back on the couch, his chest rising slightly. His voice was deep, carrying a hint of profound experiences: “Everything in this world exists for a reason. The reason it is the Wei family slaughtering the Biantai tribe today, rather than the Biantai tribe slaughtering the Wei people, is because, since our ancestors, the Wei family has continuously fought for the family’s interests. For three hundred years, the Wei clan has protected the national territory, cultivated the frontier, entered and exited official positions, and established countless meritorious achievements. While the Biantai people were leisurely herding horses and sheep, Wei family children were already learning horseback riding, archery, and military tactics, learning the ways of commerce, and learning to avoid open and hidden arrows and assassination attempts. So many years later, the Wei family is one of the seven great aristocratic clans, while the Biantai are sent to the frontier and their entire tribe faces extinction. Child, heaven is very fair and never favors anyone. The reason they lose is that they have not paid enough. No one can curse the oppression of the strong because of their weakness. If you don’t want to be killed, you can only become stronger yourself. Today you stand here sympathizing with them, but have you considered that if all the descendants of the Wei family were like you, those dying outside Zhenhang City today would be your brothers and sisters.”

Shu Ye stood motionless, his brows tightly knit. He wanted to speak but felt as if a huge stone was pressing hard on his chest, leaving him speechless.

Wei Guang slowly stood up and placed his hand on Wei Shu Ye’s shoulder: “Ye’er, your uncle is already old and cannot protect you all for much longer. In the future, when your uncle is gone, who will protect the family? Who will protect my children from being killed? Who will protect my daughters from being abused? Who will protect them? You?”

The door stood wide open, and the clamor of string and wind instruments drifted in leisurely. The fragrance was intoxicating, making one dizzy. The old man’s footsteps gradually receded. Wei Shu Ye stood straight, feeling his shoulders burn with pain. Resting on them was an invisible mountain, a burden he desperately wanted to escape but ultimately could not shake off.

The night was pitch black, but not as black as the dense fog in his heart. Those invisible demons wandered through his thoughts, devouring his rationality. Struggle was useless; in the end, he sighed deeply, unable to respond.

Some things are determined at birth, like bloodlines, and destiny.

The man sat down dejectedly, picked up his wine cup, and drained it in one gulp along with all his pent-up frustration and unwillingness.

Chu Qiao had just reached the city gate when she saw servants wearing Zhuge family attire searching around with lanterns. Seeing her, they ran over with great joy.

“Xing’er, the Fourth Young Master asked us to wait for you here. Let’s go back to the manor quickly.”

Chu Qiao was surprised, not expecting someone of Zhuge Yue’s character to send people to look for her. She nodded and got into the carriage the servants had prepared.

The carriage creaked forward, traveling through the still bustling streets. Gradually, the outside noise diminished, becoming quieter. The child leaned against the inner wall of the carriage, her mind continuously replaying the massacre she had just witnessed—the cold-blooded gaze of the soldiers, the bitter hatred of the refugees, and Wei Shu Ye’s powerless resistance.

Even with his status, he was helpless, let alone someone as insignificant as herself. To use the personal ability to oppose an entire dynasty was undoubtedly like an ant trying to topple a chariot. All she could do now was to live carefully, seek opportunities to avenge her great hatred, and then leave safely with Little Eight. As for other matters, her abilities were too limited; she did not aspire to change anything.

The carriage wheels rolled on, moving farther and farther away. Suddenly, Chu Qiao’s mind sharpened. She abruptly lifted the curtain, looked around, and said in a deep voice: “This is not the road back to the manor. Where are you taking me?”

The servant was startled, not expecting such a small child to remember the roads. He quickly smiled apologetically and said: “The Young Master is at the villa, not at the manor.”

The child raised an eyebrow and asked cautiously: “The villa? Which villa?”

“The villa west of the lake. You don’t know it.”

Chu Qiao frowned, her caution—developed over years of dangerous work—silently warning her that something was amiss. She probed: “The Young Master previously asked me to retrieve something from the manor that I haven’t had time to get. Let’s go back to the manor first, then to the villa.”

The servant smiled and said: “Don’t worry, the Young Master just said the item is no longer needed. He’s waiting at the villa. Let’s hurry there, don’t keep the Young Master waiting.”

The child slowly nodded, her expression calm, and let go of the curtain, allowing it to fall. The servant sighed slightly in relief, a cunning look flashing in his eyes, the corners of his mouth turning up. But just as his smile began to widen, a cold dagger suddenly pressed against his throat. The child pounced like a small beast, her expression grim as she said coldly: “You are not the Fourth Young Master’s man. Who are you?”

“Hehe,” a hoarse, owl-like chuckle suddenly sounded nearby. An ornate carriage slowly emerged from behind the trees. An elderly man with a rat-like face but dressed in luxurious clothing smiled wickedly at a bowing man beside him: “Zhu Shun, the girl you introduced is indeed not bad. So young yet so stubborn, and not bad-looking either. I’ll reward you well afterward.”

Zhu Shun smiled flatteringly: “Alleviating the Old Master’s worries is this servant’s duty. If the Old Master rewards me, it would be denying me the opportunity to serve you.”

The old man chuckled and said to the attendants on his left and right: “Capture this little girl and take her back to the manor.”

Everyone answered loudly in agreement and immediately surrounded her.